2024-12-19 11:22:31The ringing in Isa’s ears faded slowly as he regained consciousness. His vision was still blurry, but he could make out the faces hovering above him. Joseph was crouched next to him, breathing heavily and glaring at Zul, whose knuckles were bloodied from the fight.
“What the hell is wrong with all of you?!” a teacher’s voice roared.
Isa winced, trying to sit up, but every part of his body screamed in pain. He felt a firm hand grip his shoulder, forcing him to stay down. It was Mr. Razak, the discipline teacher.
“You three,” Mr. Razak barked, pointing at Isa, Joseph, and Zul. “To the counseling office. Now.”
The crowd of students scattered like cockroaches, some trying to hide their phones. Zul straightened his shirt, sneering at Isa before walking off. Joseph hesitated, helping Isa to his feet.
“You good, man?” Joseph whispered, his voice filled with concern.
Isa nodded weakly, even though his ribs felt like they were on fire. He glanced around and saw Harry standing at the edge of the scene, watching silently. Their eyes met for a brief moment, and Isa’s chest tightened.
Harry had always been the leader, the planner. He was the one who convinced Isa and Joseph to join him in his grand scheme of conquering the school when they all entered Form 1 together. They weren’t actual brothers, but they might as well have been. The three of them grew up in the same neighborhood, spent years as an inseparable trio.
But that was before Harry started changing.
---
It all started during the school orientation week.
“Listen,” Harry had said, leaning against the wall outside the empty classroom they’d claimed as their hangout spot. “This school is a jungle. Only the strong survive. You wanna make it here? We take control. We run this place.”
Isa had laughed at the time, thinking Harry was joking. “What are you talking about? It’s just school. Chill out, man.”
But Harry was serious. “No, I mean it. The seniors are weak, the teachers don’t care, and everyone else is just looking for someone to follow. That’s us. We’ll make the rules.”
Joseph had been skeptical too. “Yeah, sure. And when the seniors catch on, they’ll just let us waltz in and take over?”
Harry smirked. “They won’t see us coming. We start small. Build a rep. By the time they realize what’s happening, it’ll be too late.”
At first, it had been fun. Harry was a natural leader, and Isa and Joseph followed his lead without question. They started with harmless pranks, building a reputation as the cool, untouchable trio. But Harry’s ambitions grew darker.
By the second term, he was picking fights with seniors, intimidating teachers, and dragging Isa and Joseph into situations they weren’t ready for. Isa hated it, but he never said anything. Harry was his best friend, and part of him wanted to believe in the dream Harry sold them.
Until the day Harry crossed the line.
---
Isa winced as he shuffled into the counseling office with Joseph by his side. Zul was already sitting in one of the chairs, arms crossed and glaring at the floor.
Mrs. Lina, the school counselor, looked up from her desk, her expression a mix of frustration and concern. “Sit down. All of you.”
Isa collapsed into the chair furthest from Zul, grateful to finally get off his feet. Joseph stayed standing, leaning against the wall like he was ready to fight again if needed.
“Do you boys even realize how serious this is?” Mrs. Lina asked, her voice stern.
Zul scoffed. “He started it.”
“Excuse me?” Joseph snapped, stepping forward. “You ambushed him!”
Mrs. Lina raised a hand to silence them. “Enough. I don’t care who started it. This ends now. Fighting is not tolerated in this school, and all three of you are in serious trouble.”
Isa’s head throbbed as the counselor continued lecturing them. His mind drifted to Harry again, wondering why he didn’t step in. Harry had been the one to push them into this path, yet he stood on the sidelines and watched as Isa got beaten to a pulp.
---
The three of them—Harry, Isa, and Joseph—had their first major fallout a month before.
“Bro, what are we even doing anymore?” Isa had asked, throwing his bag down in the abandoned classroom they still used as their base.
“What do you mean?” Harry replied, not even looking up from his notebook, where he was scribbling some new plan.
“I mean this,” Isa said, gesturing around. “Fights, pranks, getting detention every other week. This isn’t fun anymore. It’s just stupid.”
Harry’s pen stopped mid-sentence. He looked up, his expression cold. “You’re saying this now? After everything we’ve done?”
“Yeah, because it’s getting out of control!” Isa shouted. “We’re not conquering anything, Harry. We’re just making enemies. And for what?”
Joseph had stayed quiet during the argument, his eyes darting between them.
Harry stood up, towering over Isa. “If you don’t have the guts to see this through, then leave. But don’t come crawling back when you realize I was right all along.”
Isa hadn’t left, but things were never the same after that. He couldn’t look at Harry the same way, and Joseph’s loyalty started wavering too.
---
Back in the counseling office, Isa sat silently as Mrs. Lina called their parents one by one. His stomach sank as he thought about how his mother would react. She’d warned him about hanging out with Harry, but he never listened.
As they waited for their parents to arrive, the door creaked open. Isa turned his head and saw Harry standing there, leaning against the doorframe.
“What are you doing here?” Joseph asked, his voice sharp.
Harry didn’t answer right away. His eyes locked onto Isa, his expression unreadable. “Just checking on you.”
Isa’s jaw tightened. “You’re a little late for that, don’t you think?”
Harry shrugged, his smirk faint but still infuriating. “I was never one for jumping into pointless fights.”
Joseph took a step toward him. “Pointless? You’re the reason all this started!”
Harry didn’t flinch. “I gave you the tools. What you do with them is your choice.”
Isa’s fists clenched, but before he could say anything, Mrs. Lina stepped between them. “Harry, this isn’t the place for whatever this is. If you’re not involved, leave.”
Harry hesitated for a moment before stepping back into the hallway. “Suit yourself,” he muttered.
Isa watched him go, anger and betrayal swirling in his chest. For the first time, he wondered if their so-called brotherhood was ever real.
---
To Be Continued…
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