The New Kid

Chapter 1

     The boy sat without making a sound. He looked to have his head buried in a textbook. Not even aware of the world around him. 

     But he was aware of everything. Every movement of every student in the classroom. The outcasts trying to keep from being noticed. The jocks talking to each other obnoxiously. The group of girls gossiped near the back of the class. 

     He saw it all. He noticed it all.

     He saw one of the bigger boys walk up to a kid with glasses and an old, raggedy backpack and grab him by the hair, yanking him to his feet and dragging him out of the room. The boy watches as the poor student goes with him, obviously too scared to try and fight. There were still about ten minutes before the class started, so the kid was in for quite a long time of pain.

     The boy considers ignoring it, but the thought of history repeating itself stops him in his tracks. Letting out a sigh, he grabs his bag and slings it onto his back, following the two boys to the bathroom.

     As he watches the two boys enter the bathroom, he sets his bag down and reaches inside. He feels the box and cloth touch his hand and hesitates for a moment, but that hesitation quickly vanishes as the sound of blows being landed reaches his ears. Gripping the two items, he stands and starts to make his way to the bathroom door.

     Inside, the boy in glasses was trying to shield his face from the blows the larger boy was throwing his way. He was used to treatment like this, but not on the first day of school. 

     "Come on! You can't be curled up after just this. Stand up!" The larger male orders, laughing as he hammers the other student with punch after punch to his face and upper torso.

     The boy on the ground could barely see out of his left eye, and his right was already swollen shut. However, he can clearly see what looks to be someone sprinting towards them. 

     The larger male didn't even know what happened. First, he was reeling back to throw another punch, and the next his arm was bent at an odd angle facing upwards, and he only gets a single second to wonder what was going on before his legs are swept out from under him and his forehead slams against the bathroom sink. 

     Whoever had attacked him grabs him by the hair, and pulls his head back before slamming it against the sink again. And again. And again. At this point, the boy manages to realize that he needed to defend himself, but he can't even reach his arms back strike back. One of them is still being held in place, and the other is on the wrong side of his body.

     Eventually, the bully goes limp, and his attacker lets go of him, letting his unconscious form fall to the ground. He wakes up quickly, but is too disoriented and in too much pain to stand or even try to crawl away. All he can do is moan and hold a hand to his face, in case he was attacked again.

     The student in glasses, who has slowly managed to regain his vision, looks up at his savior, finally getting a good look at him. 

     The figure wore a black hoodie and blue jeans, with grey tennis shoes on. However, what was the most noticeable was the balaclava he was wearing. It had a white spade on the front, like ones that you would have in a deck of cards. The figure reaches into the pocket of his hoodie, and pulls out a small box of cards, and grabs one out. Dropping it next to the moaning bully's head, he stuffs the box back into his pocket, though the smaller male is able to see for a split second that all the cards in the box looked to be exactly the same. 

     The masked male walks out, leaving the bathroom without saying a word, and the rescued student takes a second to catch his breath before stand. As he steps over the boy that had been attacking him, he glances at the card his savior had left behind.

     It was a black Ace of Spades, and after a moment of looking the student the boy grabs his backpack and leaves, making his way back to his homeroom. The friends of the bully glance at him and look like they're about to do something, but the bell rings before they can try anything.

     The boy looks around his classroom as his teacher takes roll call, and eventually notices someone in the back of the class with a black hoodie, blue jeans, and grey tennis shoes.

     The other male has short brown hair, and seems to have blue eyes, though they might be green. It was hard to tell at this distance. He was just reading his textbook casually, as if he hadn't just beat another student to unconsciousness. However, the bruised student doesn't say anything to the teacher. He owed the student, so he wasn't going to try and report him. Eventually, a name rings out from the teacher.

     "Ricter Harden?" She asks, and the boy raises his hand, not even looking up from the book in front of him.

     The day goes by rather well for the boy. Most of the bullies heard of what happened to their friend, and though many were angry, rumors circulated that he was the one that beat up the other male. Though it wouldn't last long, at least for today, he was able to walk through the halls without getting harassed at every corner.

     When his dad picks him up, the adult is obviously distressed by his son's appearance, but lets out a small sigh of relief when he hears the boy's story of how he was defended. The drive home is silent, with the boy wondering how he might be able to repay Ricter back