Breaking Point

Ch. 4

You know that feeling when you just feel sticky and gross because you woke up sweating in your sleep. That was how I felt from a day of training. The moment we were let back to the dorms I was straight into the shower. The kids from the other four dorms looked knackered and broken, but we look sweaty, gross, and exhausted. Cory had been beaten to shit all day, and it took Aaron and Nico to carry him into his room. Cory was already broken.

            I found myself in the kitchen, cooking myself a curry for dinner. Nico was working around me, making himself a pizza.

            “Save a little for Cory, will you? He’s not gonna leave his room in a hurry.” Nico suggested. I tipped my dinner onto my plate. I saved a small amount of the sauce and some rice into a tub for Cory. As much of an utter cock he was he did require food. I sat at the table and ate slowly. I felt too exhausted to shovel food into my face. Sarah and Beth sat down with me, both just eating reheated dinners from the night before.

            “I am so knackered.” Sarah groaned.

            “I am gonna be so bruised tomorrow.” Beth complained.

            “And be so achy.” I added. We all laughed.

            “Anything for the pot for Cory?” Nico asked, placing the plastic tub for Cory in the middle of the table. The girls poured some of their gloop into the tub. Aaron appeared and began cooking himself rice and put some sauce through the microwave. He didn’t say a word, just tipped some into the tub. Nico took it across the hallway to Cory.

            “So, what do you think of him?” Sarah asked, gigging, gesturing to the door Nico had just walked out of.

            “She was crying in his arms on Saturday.” Beth said through a mouthful of food.

            “He struck the parent nerve.” I spoke quietly.

            “Well, most kids here have the parental nerve; no one should hit it.” Aaron agreed. We all nodded. Nico reappeared with Riley and Harry, seven of us squashed around the table.

            “I think Cory’s gonna get sent home.” Harry spoke quietly, almost as if he thought Cory could hear him.

            “He will if he doesn’t make it through this week.” Riley agreed.

            “I think he’ll be in the other group tomorrow.” Aaron added.

            “I think he’ll be moved rooms. He’ll feel inferior here.” Beth all but laughed.

            “I, personally, feel sorry for him. He thought he was the best, and his ego beat him down.” I whispered. Nico looked at me as I finished off my dinner.

            “Why?”

            “Ego’s are punishing things. And he let his take control of him.” I looked directly into Nico’s eyes as I spoke. He silently nodded.

            “Well, let’s not let our egos take control then.” He whispered.