Tatsu - The Threat

Chapter 15 - School Kingpin

A group of boys at school were severely beating a student named Billy while others in the crowd were yelling "Yeah, beat on that fool! Fuckin' faggot!"

Brian happened to be walking by with a couple of his HM guys and the crowd got quiet, the beating stopped.

"What the fuck's goin' on here? That better not be one of my guys!" said Brian. He walked up to Billy and looked at his face. "Why they beating the shit outta you?"

"I don't know!" said Billy angry, but scared.

Brian looked at the crowd and spotted the guy who was beating on Billy the hardest. He walked up to him and asked "What he do?"

The scared young man went by the name of Sam and jittering all over he responded, "That gay faggot touched me!"

"That's a demeaning redundant statement, but I don't expect you to understand what I mean. I can tell you're a dumb fuck."

Brian went back to Billy and assisted him. "Get up my friend," said Brian fixing Billy's collar. "Ya hold that muthafucka for me," said Brian to his guys pointing at Sam.

Brian put his arm around Billy and took him to where Sam was being held. "Touch him! He said you touched him and that's why he was beating the shit out you, so I want to see what happens when you touch him that is so horrible."

Brian knew exactly what Billy was feeling. Total insecurity on the next move. Afraid the beating was going to continue at some point. But Billy was a brave kid. With his shaky hand he touched Sam's shoulder staring at Brian as he did. The crowd was quiet.

"There, he touched you again. How did that feel?" asked Brian staring at the crowd.

Since he was getting no answer from Sam, Brian gazed furiously at him and asked again, "How the fuck did it feel?" Sam just stood there petrified.

Brian walked toward Billy again and said, "These fools hate what they don't understand.  None of them understand me either.  I may not understand you and you may not understand me, but let's not judge each other. Let's not reject each other." Brian walked back to Sam's face but directed his words at Billy "My mom's a good Christian, something I can't be. And she would tell me to love you even if you're different.  And I would listen to her. But this little girl here! He's afraid of you. He calls you a faggot, but he's the only faggot around here."

Brian looked at the crowd as he pulled out his gun, "Anyone touch a hair on my friend again and HM will come for you!" He then turned toward Sam and told his guys "Kick his ass till he cries."

Billy was staring at Brian's gun with curiosity startled by the thrashing on Sam's humanity "You ever hold a gun?" asked Brian.

Billy nodded.

"Here. Point it at Sam." The HM guys continued to beat on Sam. "The challenge here is to not shoot him. You understand?" said Brian. Billy took the gun and pointed it at Sam. His heart was racing. He felt deep compassion with every blow to Sam's body. The mere thought of shooting a person, even such an insensitive bully, seemed so horrifying.

"Here take your gun back!" said Billy very upset. "Stop, please stop hitting him!"

Brian signaled his guys to stop. He put his gun away and slowly began to walk away from the crowd. He then made an unexpected pause to say, "Oh and by the way. Welcome to HM Billy!"

Brian left for the alley that afternoon to think about the future. He had not done drugs since Los Locos but that day, he felt he needed a brief escape to find inspiration. He took a pill of something new. Something several of his counterparts recommended. A few minutes went by, and he began his delirious journey.