“Shush and let me handle this one okay? Afterwards we’ll talk.” I smiled at her to show I wasn’t mad and turned to face Derrick and his crew. “Look! The nerd thinks he’s tough!” Derrick said to his crew. “Look Derrick, I’ll make you a deal,” I said my eyes flashing in rage causing his buddies to back up. “I’ll meet you after school at my old lunch place and we’re going to settle this. If you win, I’ll do t you want for the rest of the year,” At this derrick smiled again. “BUT! If you lose, you have to swear to leave both me and Jo alone and quit bullying everybody around here. Forever.” I stared him straight in the eye as he thought about my offer. “Okay squirt I’ll play your little game.” he said grasping my hand and shaking it. “ But don’t start complaining when I have you sing the national anthem naked at the next game.” he whispered in my ear.
He and his pack returned to class, laughing and making ideas about what they’ll want me to do. I took a deep breath calming myself when Jo spoke. “Why did you do that? You’ll get murdered out there!” She asked. “So my sister wouldn’t end up dating the biggest prick in school and possibly the world, just to save my neck.” I explained looking up at her. “But you’ll get killed!” She screamed as I started walking back to class. “Not this time,” I turned and had answered grinning. “I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeves.” And I walked away without another word, leaving her standing in the middle of the hallway
The story had spread by throughout the whole school by the time the final bell had rung, ending school. People whispered and pointed as I walked towards the school garden. I caught pieces of conversations I walked down the path: “Did you hear? J.P is going to fight Derrick!” “No way, that’s J.P? What happened to him?” “Some say he was struck by lightning when he was going out for a jog, left him in a coma for two weeks!” “I got my bets on Derrick.” “No way, J.P definitely got this.” “You know he looks kinda hot now.” I smirked as I heard that last one.
Finally, I entered the garden where Derrick was waiting and a bunch of kids were looking through the windows, whispering amongst themselves and placing bets. “Looks like a lot of people how come to see you get your ass whipped, so be a sport and don’t go down to quickly okay?” Derrick taunted. I said nothing, I just focused on the changes I was making before searching for Jo and finding her standing next to the tree,nervously chewing her nails. I smiled and waved before turning back to Derrick who was hopping around throwing punches. “You ready for this?” I asked. Derrick laughed before nodding and slamming his fists together. Suddenly it was deathly quiet as nearly everyone took out their phones and started recording.
Both Derrick and I stepped forward and started circling each other. I stared at that stupid grin Derrick always wore as I felt my anger increase. Suddenly, Derrick swung a Left Hook that should’ve caught me in the jaw and sent me to the ground.
But I was no longer there.
I had ducked under his arm and hit him three times in his side before sliding out of range of his fist. Once Derrick had realized I wasn’t on the floor and that his side was stinging like crazy, he turned and approached me, more carefully now. I waited for him to make a move, when he swung an uppercut. I just leaned back before swinging back around and hitting him twice in the stomach. Hard. To his credit, Derrick didn’t clutch his stomach or gasp for breath as I thought he would, instead he just gritted his teeth and started coming at me harder and faster. I easily avoid all of his punches and kicks, squeezing in a few jabs and punches here and there.
After a few minutes, derrick was bent over trying to catch his breath, and sweating hard. One of his knuckles were split and his right was blackened while I stood perfectly unharmed and barely breathing hard. “I’ll give you one chance Derrick,” I said standing over him. “Give up and you can walk away with only those few bruises and scratches. But if you continue, It’ll be way worse than that.” “Don’t…..Don’t try and feed me that Bullcrap!” Derrick roared throwing a straight punch towards my face, which I caught in my palm. “You should’ve walked away while you could.” I said as I grinned evilly.
I swung my fist around and punched him in the side of his head, then I swung on my heel, bringing up my foot which I planted firmly in his stomach. But I wasen’t done just yet, I turned my body flipping over to my other foot which I slammed into the back of his head. Derrick slammed on the ground hard. He stubbornly rose to his feet and threw a drunken hook which I slapped away and crouched down low swing my foot around tripping him and causing him to fall backwards, but was stopped when I grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him forward headbutting him savagely.
Everyone groaned in sympathy as Derrick staggered away from me. I walked towards him slowly, enjoying the moment before I was straight in his face. “This is for my sister!” I yelled as I kneed him in the crotch. As he bent down to clutch his package, I brought my other knee up and hit him straight in the jaw sending straight back on his feet. “That was for the school,” I said tightening up my fist “And this is for four years of putting up with your bullshit!” I punched him squarely in the nose, Letting him fall backwards on his back. At first it was silent as Derrick’s goons rounded him up and took him somewhere, their tails between their legs.
Then somebody started doing the slow clap and soon enough everyone around me was applauding and cheering. I turned around to see Jo running toward me and tackling me in a hug. “Since when could you do all of that?” She asked looking at me with wide eyes. I grinned. “I told you I had a few tricks up my sleeves.” I answered completely dodging the question. Actually, I had just copied some stuff I saw online and had read and practiced them super early in the morning before I left for school. I also increased my agility, balance and accuracy for a moment to hit his pressure points that caused him to tire quickly. That last punch was all me though.
As I pulled away from Jo, the crowd had now swarmed the area, congratulating me and patting me on the back. the school journalist came up to me camera flashing. “J.P! Do you mind telling me what you thought your chances were of beating Derrick?” I smiled at the camera before giving my answer. “One in a million.”`
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