Chapter 34

The next morning at lunchtime, the cafeteria was buzzing with the usual noise of students chatting and laughing as they ate. Freshman students clustered at the far end of the room, nervously eyeing the older students, especially those like Victor, who had a reputation for making their lives miserable. It was an unspoken rule that lunchtime was when Victor and his gang liked to assert their dominance.

Victor was standing near the middle of the cafeteria, his eyes scanning the tables as if he were a predator sizing up his prey. He locked onto a lone freshman boy sitting at the corner, shy and clearly out of place. The boy was quietly eating his sandwich, trying not to draw any attention to himself, but Victor wasn’t about to let him go unnoticed.

With a cruel grin, Victor motioned to Jake and Emily, his ever-loyal companions. “Watch this,” he said, striding over to the freshman’s table. The boy froze, his eyes widening in fear as Victor towered over him.

“Hey, loser,” Victor said, leani