“This behavior is unacceptable Mrs. Woods” declared the high school principal, sitting behind his large desk as two parents sat before him. One is Mrs. Margaret Woods, the mother of Jeffry Woods. Beside her sat another disgruntled parent, casting side glances over at Margaret with crossed arms. The principal continued his announcements “Your son got into an altercation with Mrs. Noles’s son.. Allen” Margaret was displeased with her son’s behavior, though she knew that boy had trouble expressing anger to a reasonable degree, oftentimes ending up in verbal fights.. but this was too far.
“He attacked my baby boy, sir” cried Mrs. Noles “he came home with bruises all over his face!” She described the state of her son, but Margaret intervened “Your kid probably started the fight, Jeff would never hurt another kid, so he was probably acting on self defense” She defended her son, not knowing the full story of what truly happened, but the principle got them covered on that front. “Ma’am, security footage and student accounts say that Jeff started the altercation” Margaret lowered her head in embarrassment as Mrs. Noles held a soft grin across her face, knowing she was in the right and could get something out of it, to ‘make up for the damages’.
“Jeff started the fight by shouting at Allen, which led to shoving and punching… two custodians had to pull them apart” The principal continued to explain what happened in the school halls, but he wasn’t blaming Margaret entirely, trying to think of a solution to this little problem. “I’m sorry Sir, and.. I’m sorry about Allen, but is there any way we could just forget this all happened? Jeff is a good kid, and I’m sure as hell going to talk to him about all of this” She expressed her anger towards her son for getting into this situation, but there wasn’t much they could do.
“I want Jeff suspended from this school, I don’t care how long.. but long enough” Mrs. Noles declared “That, or I’ll take legal action… There’s evidence that Jeff attacked my kid, right? So you’d just be fighting an uphill battle” she kept that smug Smirk across her face, knowing her entitlement and ‘victim’ status would give her some kind of benefit, either wanting the school to be safe once again for her baby boy, or to milk every penny out of Margaret already struggling family. The principal interjects “All I can do, ma’am, is suspend Jeff for a week” he turned towards Margaret, leaning against his large desk to show just how serious this matter was “Unless you’d like to take this to court with Mrs. Noles”
That would be just stupid! Margaret knew she was in the wrong here, fighting this court case would lead her to nowhere, so she settled for the easier option “Just take Jeff out of school, completely” Margaret waved her hand, wishing it to be done, which did surprise both occupants in the room. “Really?” The principal asked to make sure he heard her right. “Yes please.. just take him off the register. I’ll talk to my husband more about this, but he won’t come back to this school” she explained, and the principal agreed to do such a thing, making things easier on his part. Though Mrs. Noles was somewhat unhappy, wanting things to be more justifiable “If I ever see your kid near mine-“ she trailed off on some kind of legal speech, but Margaret didn’t much care, since she knew they wouldn’t stick around for long.
Margaret’s husband, Peter, was given a job opportunity elsewhere, but they never took it at the time since they assumed they’d be staying here for longer. Maybe not. This whole situation will never be solved, the damage was already done and their reputation was pretty much down the drain. So maybe things would be better off if they just picked up and moved, starting fresh! And better yet, keep Jeff under control.
Speaking of Jeff. The 17-year-old boy sat in boredom in his room, having not attended school due to his little outburst, laying upon his old creaky bed as his eyes stared out his bedside window, watching the day pass him by. There wasn’t much for him to do anyway, as they didn’t own a TV, or even a proper phone to watch videos on. No, Jeff and his family owned cheap flip phones, just for convenience’s sake, since they were usually around one another more often than not, so calling or texting wasn’t a necessity, but a small luxury when they needed it. Their home also didn’t have much to do in either, maybe a radio lying around, but Jeff didn’t feel like listening to music at the moment, more focused on the world just behind the glass of his window.
A small neighborhood he was familiar with, very much so, as he and his little brother Liu would oftentimes play in the streets, or explore the surrounding scenery to see what they could get up to. Granted the neighborhood wasn’t a very good one, having some troubled kids and even adults every now and again, but that just added to the fun. Exciting chases down the street, hiding in the woods to avoid confrontation from the local crackhead, or even getting into some trouble with other kids who too were bored out of their minds. The community was flawed, but taught the two boys valuable lessons, teaching them more than what school could ever do.
The sound of Jeff’s mother pulling into the small driveway caught his attention, and he rolled over onto his stomach to see the state of his mother to prepare himself for what was to come. Margaret turned off her old car, pulling out the keys and grabbing her things before exiting the vehicle, pulling the front seats forward to allow Liu to crawl out, having taken him out of school early for convenience’s sake. Liu looked younger than Jeff, being only 15 but can be mistaken for someone of a younger age, a sort of baby face, though his attitude didn’t match. Jeff looked his age, maybe even older due to the way he dresses, with oversized shirts and baggy pants, even his wild brown hair he usually leaves unkept but somewhat healthy. Liu, despite looking younger, still dresses for his age, though wearing things with more color, as his older brother preferred clothes on a black-to-white scale.
Margaret entered the old home and set her things on the kitchen table, making her way immediately to Jeff’s room, knocking on his door before swiftly entering. “Do you know how embarrassing that was Jeff” she jumped straight to it, I mean, they both knew what had happened, so there was no introduction to the topic at hand. Jeff had sat up in his bed to look up at his mother while she spoke, having some respect for her.. but not much, since the two usually bickered and argued every once and a while, though he didn’t hate her for it. “Please just tell me why you attacked that kid, like, really tell me” Margaret tried to get an immediate answer out of Jeff, just to try and understand what initiated the fight, but Jeff answer with a shrug “I’m not really sure, I mean.. he was talking shit about liu, and I kinda just got a bit irrational” he admitted, but it wasn’t a good enough answer for Margaret. “Tell me more Jeff, please” She crossed her arms over her chest, not believing that was the whole truth, but Jeff didn’t confess to more “That’s really it Ma”.
The only thing Jeff had to remember he even fought that kid at all, was a bruise on the side of his face. A small one, but a sore one at that. Allen on the other hand suffered a bit worse, but not by much, dawing bruises all across his face, a swollen lip, and Jeff maybe even drew blood from the kid’s nose.. but overall didn’t break anything. Margaret huffed, trying to understand the reasoning behind Jeff’s actions, It seemed so minuscule it almost sounded ridiculous in the grand scheme of things, but Jeff was always a complicated kid. Without another word, Margaret turned and left, deciding to ask again later in hopes of getting more of the story out, but in the meantime, she’d try to plan out what they were even going to do. With Jeff taken out of school, and her husband’s job opportunity someplace else, she was debating on them moving to start anew.
Jeff had a moment of silence before it was broken by the soft knock of his little brother, leaning against the door with a concerned look on his face. “You doin’ ok?” Liu asked, noticing Jeff’s strange behavior.. no, not the fight he had the day before, but the conversation he had with his mother, that wasn’t normal. Jeff let out a soft chuckle to wave away Liu’s worries “Yeah, just a bit guilty.. ya know” he shrugged “Guilty?” Liu asked, stepping into the room and was soon instructed to close the door so their mother couldn’t hear “Somewhat, yeah.. that kid just started talking shit, saying how they’d do something to you to piss me off, I don’t know.. I really don’t remember it all, just because the heat of the moment” a nervous laugh left Jeff’s mouth as liu even chuckled “so you beat up a kid for me, how sweet” Liu joked to lighten the mood, which worked.
Jeff and Liu had this brotherly relationship of trust, willing to tell one another things they would never tell their parents, mostly secrets or opinions they had about other people. They truly felt safer together, even after moments like this, where Jeff had physically attacked another kid all for basically nothing, liu knew it was probably some deeper reason, but would let Jeff explain when he was ready. “They wouldn’t shut up about you at school today, Allen didn’t even show up either.. it was a weird day” Liu sat beside Jeff on his bed, which Jeff allowed, never having a problem with sharing his things with his brother. “I bet, I beat the crap out of that guy… I don’t know if you were there to see it.. were you?” Jeff asked as Liu shook his head. “Good.. hah… I basically had that kid pinned to the ground, punching him over and over” Jeff explained as he demonstrated it by holding his hand down as if he was pinning someone there, and throwing light punches down to this invisible victim.
Liu wrinkled his nose at the vision in his head of what that may look like, waving it off as he pushed Jeff’s shoulder to make him stop this pretend fight “I didn’t need you to explain it, I know you could do some damage, believe me,” Liu rolled his eyes, remembering the small moments the two brothers would argue. It would never escalate to a full-out fight, but simple wrestling in the backyard to let out steam and calm each other’s nerves.. and every time, Jeff would win. Liu just believes it to be Jeff’s older age as his winning factor, or maybe the fact that Liu would just let Jeff win due to his stubbornness. Either way, liu knew what Jeff was capable of, but to a certain extent.
“What else happened today?” Jeff asked to change the topic, not wanting to dwell on the fight that had happened yesterday. “Nothing much, just the basic work and lessons… you didn’t miss much-“ Liu then snapped his fingers as he remembered something he should share “Oh.. mom took you out of school, like, completely..” he informed as Jeff tilted his head to the side, looking somewhat surprised and somewhat happy. On the one hand, no school! And with him being a senior in high school, it just means less work for him, way less work. On another hand, he wouldn’t complete his year of school, so all of his work would be for nothing, not that he had much to lose since he was an average student, passing with the bare minimum, but he wasn’t stupid. “Really? Why.. I mean I know why, but, what’s going to happen?” Jeff asked, adding on soon after “Am I being shipped away? Crap liu, I might be going to the Coal mines” he laughed, even liu for a short moment “You wouldn’t last a day in a mine, or maybe you would? You surprise me sometimes” Liu shook his head in disbelief “Who knows, I might be the leader of the dwarfs” Jeff nudged his brother, who continued to laugh at his little jokes.
The two continued to joke around and talk after a long day of being apart, the two truly being an inseparable duo. Even when their father came home from work, the two never left one another’s side, only doing so hours later only to join the parents at the dinner table for supper. Sat around the small square table, eating a quick meal Margaret had put together in their trusty microwave, the parents soon addressed the situation of their future. “Boys-“ started the father, Peter “your mother and I have been talking, and we’re thinking about moving” Jeff nearly choked on his spoonful of food, as Liu set his silverware down to listen to what they had to say, where this all was going. “Move! you’re fucking crazy..” Jeff cursed, though that wasn’t the worst thing Jeff had said before, using foul language around his parents was quite normal to him. “Just listen Jeff” groaned Margaret as Peter continued his announcement “because your mother pulled you out of school Jeff, and.. Allen’s parents aren’t too happen with your outburst, we just thought it’d be easier to pick up and start new somewhere else.” Peter pushed some food between his lips to give the two time to process the situation, and from the looks of things, the two boys seemed unhappy. “I was offered a job a few towns over and I think we can get a house there… but, I need you two to be on board, we need your help packing up and traveling” Peter tried to make it seem as though this was a fun adventure, but Jeff hated this idea.
“Dad, we grew up here.. you can’t expect us to just move like that, like.. can’t I just go to school somewhere else around here?” Jeff tried to reason, and even Liu chimed in “I don’t want to move either, we have friends here” They didn’t want to go, to leave this place behind, but it was out of their control. “I’m sorry, but I think it’ll be a new opportunity for you two.. and you too Jeff” Margaret glanced over at Jeff who now barely touched his food, too angry to even think about eating “Now it’s all my fault? Yes, I admit, I’m in the wrong for doin’ that shit at school, but this is completely unreasonable” Jeff admitted his wrongs in hopes his parents would change their minds, but it was more than just that. True, it was mostly due to what had happened, but it was other things as well. Like this job offer, it would pay more and could allow Margaret to be a stay-at-home mom. It was also a nice change in scenery if they could find a good cheap home, and also a chance to meet new people. “Jeff, liu.. please, give this a shot” Peter tried to coax them into giving in, which worked for liu, but Jeff was more reluctant. With a sigh, Margaret ended their touchy conversation “Well think about this more, ok.. it’s just a thought”.
Dinner resumed, but Jeff excused himself just moments after, wanting to be alone to process this new information. Liu was also conflicted with emotions about this whole ordeal, but willing to give it a shot. He was more of a pushover, but for good reason, he was only 15 and couldn’t do a damn thing on his own, so why would he fight for something which he knows he’ll lose. Jeff was more stubborn, way too stubborn.. but in the following days, he gave in to the idea of moving. Peter and Margaret searched the surrounding areas of this new job for a home to purchase, or even rent, with barely any luck. Liu continued to attend school for the following week but was eventually taken out to help the family pack and prepare for their new lives. Jeff expressed his anger over the situation by making life difficult for his parents, even liu would play along as if it was a game, though eventually their home was completely packed up and ready to be relocated, but they didn’t have a home yet. Peter had to travel over there for a couple of days to buy their new house, leaving Margaret, Jeff, and Liu alone to fend for themselves in a box-filled home, just until things were ready to be brought over. Finally, after three weeks of waiting, they were able to meet up with their father with all of their belongings, hauling them into their new home.
The house was smaller than their last one, but it sat snug in the middle of a cul de sac, with houses on either side of them. The houses themselves looked rough, some with barred windows and even junk on their front lawns, but it wasn’t anything new the family hadn’t seen, it was just a bit worrisome due to their lack of knowledge about the area. Jeff and Liu explored their new home, realizing that they had to share a bedroom but they didn’t mind, they were close buddies after all, so it was more like a sleepover every night. Dividing the room into two, they made things work. Liu hung up a few posters of shows he enjoyed on his side of the room, alongside paintings and older school projects he just can’t get rid of due to his nostalgia. Jeff on the other hand only had a few posters of bands he liked at the time, and a family photo of them when they were younger. Other than that, the room looked well lived in already, definitely, a boys’ room if you’ve ever seen one, but one the two liked a lot and could get used to. The two helped their parents as much as they could, but they mostly just carried the heavy boxes inside and let Margaret and Peter set everything up, unsure where most of the stuff would go, so they just left it up to the parents to fix.
The first night in a new house is always the strangest, feeling as though you’re somewhere you’re not supposed to be, but then again, this was their home. Liu crashed out once his head hit the pillow, sprawled out on his bed, thankfully not being a snorer, but Jeff was different. Jeff had been having trouble sleeping for the past few nights, having this recurring dream that freaked him out from time to time, though not by much, it was a simple dream after all. Jeff would envision himself someplace familiar, but different all at the same time, as if the scenery was made up of unfinished brushstrokes that changed the more he looked at it. Maybe it was his old house? Or the school he attended, or maybe the streets he used to roam. Either way, it felt similar while also being completely new. The world wasn’t the only thing Jeff found strange, no, he wasn’t alone in this world. He was accompanied by a humanoid figure which matched the scene around him, familiar yet a stranger, voice ever-changing to people he once knew, and people he’s never met before. The person would say things like “You know me” or “Remember?”, but most of the time Jeff would ignore it… until tonight.
“You liked hurting me, didn’t you Jeff?” The person asked, which startled Jeff in his dream, but he didn’t wake “What?” Jeff asked. “Allen.. you liked pinning him down, punching me? Did it give you some kind of power to hurt?” The person asked, calling themselves Allen, but it was anything other. “No! Well, kinda.. but you! Or.. he, shouldn’t have said that crap” Jeff defended his thoughts, but the person continued “You ‘kinda’ liked it, Jeff, you can’t deny that” Jeff shook his head, trying to walk away from this shifting person, but his efforts were fruitless. With every step he took, he seemed to go nowhere, unable to put distance between himself and this thing before him. “You want to hurt someone, to feel that rush again… don’t you?” The person tilted their head, watching as Jeff grew visibly angry, annoyed by this dream and all those like it the previous nights. Why was he dreaming of this, what’s the meaning? He didn’t know, but all he does know is that whatever happens in this dream, stays in the dream. So, he turned to face the person, raising his fist to attempt a punch, but right as his fist was about to make contact, he stirred awake.
The dream world faded to black as his eyes slowly opened, watching through blurry vision, his brother getting ready for the day. Liu sat on the edge of his bed, pulling on some old worn-out sneakers, shaking his brown hair from his face, trying his best to not wake his older brother. Jeff grumbled as his hand was brought up to rub his face, shifting in his bed to sit up and greet his brother. “Morning..” he groaned in a tired tone, his clothes wrinkled by his tossing and turning, and his hair was a complete mess. Liu smiled “Morning bro” he replied, standing up once his shoes were tied “I was gonna go see what’s around here if you wanna join in?” Liu offered, curious about the neighborhood around them, and if there was anything fun they could do. Jeff clicked his tongue, glancing up at his brother as he thought of an answer “Sure.. let me just get ready” he agreed, and Liu nodded “Yeah yeah, I’ll wait outside… I’ll also tell Mom and Dad” Liu took his leave to allow Jeff privacy to get ready.
Jeff stumbled out of bed and over to his small dresser where he held most of his clothes, but what should he wear? A black shirt? Or a black shirt with white writing? Maybe a gray shirt with some black pattern on it? Or was he feeling adventurous and wanting to wear a simple white shirt? Choices choices, but he eventually settled on a gray shirt and black baggy jeans which looked quite worn out, with holes in places like his knees or legs. Strapping on a belt and slipping on his old shoes, he was ready for a walk around the neighborhood, after brushing his hair out with his fingers and brushing his teeth, then he was ready. Passing by unopened boxes and junk lying around, he made his way outside to see his brother waiting there on the porch, and so were Margaret and Peter. The two parents were enjoying a cup of coffee on the porch since the weather was nice, and they needed the fresh air after dealing with so many dusty old nick-nacks.
“Dad, is it okay if Jeff and I walk around?” Liu asked his father, who agreed with a soft hum and a nod, knowing the two were responsible enough to not get into any trouble. At least Liu was, Jeff was more of a wild card, especially after what had happened at their old school. The brothers jumped off the porch steps and started their walk across their yard when they stopped to the sound of a woman’s voice calling out. “Good morning!” Called an older woman, maybe around her mid-40s or so, waving at them with a kind smile. Liu waved back as Jeff gave her a forced smile to acknowledge her calls, but didn’t want to engage in a conversation, but his parents had them both covered. “Good morning!” Called Margaret, and before they knew it, they were pulled into a conversation with this stranger. “You guys just moved in?” The woman asked, stepping closer so she wouldn’t need to yell across the yard. “Yes, we’re still unpacking inside” Margaret laughed with a smile, Peter listening in, and so were Jeff and Liu.
“Where’re you guys coming from?” The lady asked “I’m Kelly by the way” She had introduced herself, seeming to be quite friendly so far. Margaret stood, dusting herself off so she could look more polite “I’m Margaret, this is my husband Peter.. and those are my two boys, Jeff and Liu” She pointed towards the two teens who just wanted to go but stayed nonetheless. “We just came here from a few towns over, nothing new to us” she laughed as Kelly did too “Really? Well, welcome to the neighborhood” Kelly announced, wanting to give a warm welcome to the family “Thank you” Peter chimed in, he too standing to join his wife in this little chat “How long have you been here?” He asked Kelly, who waved her hand dismissively “longer than I could count! Haha, oh.. by the way, I’m hosting a block party here.. not this Wednesday, but next Wednesday. It’s a free for all, and you guys could come get yourselves a plate” Kelly invited, which warmed the parent’s hearts just a bit, already feeling like this was the right choice, to move here.
Jeff and Liu still seemed on the fence about this whole idea, but they didn’t have much of a choice, so they played along, taking their leave to continue their adventure through the neighborhood. The sound of laughs and friendly words faded away the further they walked down the street, side by side as the wind blew past them. “Already blending in huh?” Liu filled the comfortable silence, looking back at their parents who continued talking to their neighbor. “I guess, but hey.. free food is free food” Jeff shrugged, looking around at the other older houses, finding some rough-looking dogs behind rickety fences that could collapse at any minute. “Free food and entertainment, who knows, there’s probably some kids ‘round our age next door.. maybe some girls” Liu teased, as Jeff rolled his eyes “Liu, that dog over there has a better chance at getting a girl than you do” he insulted, though in a joking way as he pointed towards a scraggly toothed bulldog who laid in some guys overgrown lawn. Liu pouted, pushing Jeff with his shoulder, jeff stumbled a little but got back on track “I’m kidding bro.. maybe not” he continued to tease as Liu went quiet, not out of anger, but slight embarrassment.
The neighborhood wasn’t that bad, having the same broken-down look, but was divided by busy roads which the two didn’t cross, not today at least. On the way back though, they came across a small group of kids playing basketball in the street, making quite a lot of noise by dribbling the ball and yelling at one another. Jeff and Liu of course watched as they walked past, just seeing what kind of game they were playing, since a competitive game was unlikely due to there only being three people. They were probably staring a bit too long, as one of the kids passed the orange ball over to them, which Jeff grabbed out of reaction. “Go on, shoot” the kid who passed the ball called out, looking to be around the same age as Jeff, 17. Jeff sighed in annoyance but decided to humor them, tossing the ball with one hand, completely missing the basket entirely. The kids laughed at this, even Liu who mumbled out “Nice shot” but these kids weren’t all too friendly.
“Good shot lazy eye” called one of the kids, which Jeff didn’t find amusing “Whatcha call me?” Jeff stepped off the sidewalk to confront them in the street “Whoa whoa tiger, calm down” the ball-passing kid teased with a smirk “No, what did that fucker call me back there” Jeff motioned towards the name-calling kid, who only laughed at Jeff’s reaction “first of all, that fucker has a name.. Troy-“. Troy was a smaller kid, looking as though he was 10 or 12, but he was around 16 years old. “Second of all, don’t be coming up here yelling like that, you just look stupid” the kid pointed out, which only angered Jeff more. He didn’t like looking like an idiot in front of people, or to be treated in this way “I ain’t stupid” Jeff growled, feeling Liu try to pull him away “Leave it be Jeff, come on”
“Jeff? Stupid name too… maybe I should call you Jeffry? No.. Jeffy” the kid mocked, only making Jeff angrier by the second “Don’t fucking call me that, bitch” he hissed, pulling away from Liu to stand face-to-face with this kid. “Say it, don’t spray it… Jeffy.. and it’s Randy you’re talking to” the kid, Randy, introduced himself as he wiped spit from his cheek from Jeff’s shouting. Randy and Troy, so far we’re on Jeff’s shit list, people to watch out for, but what about the third kid who stood and watched. The third kid seemed to enjoy the show so far, being a bigger kid, both in height and weight, so it was maybe safe to assume that this guy was a part of this little gang. “I don’t give a crap who I’m talking to, you just don’t say that shit around me, ok?” Jeff set his hands on Randy’s chest, pushing him back a bit to show he was serious. “Oh, Mr. Big Balls here doesn’t like to be called Jeffy, hear that Keith” Randy called over to his bigger friend, Keith, who stepped forward to assert dominance in his bigger size, willing to beat down Jeff if he had to. “Jeff please, just drop it” Liu begged, attempting to drag Jeff away once again, which Jeff finally allowed happen, stumbling away as his eyes were glued to the trio of bullies.. this wasn’t over.
The two brothers made their way back home, a slow walk as Jeff needed time to calm down. Liu frowned softly, worried for his older brother, but what could he really do? “Jeff..” Liu spoke up “We.. won’t tell this to mom or dad, I don’t want them to worry” he reassured, not being one to tattle, I mean he did trust Jeff more than his parents, so why would he tell on him about something irrelevant like this. “But, promise me you won’t do that again… please? You know I hate seeing you get yelled at by our mother, ya know?” Liu tried to reason with him, but Jeff didn’t say a word. Jeff kept his head down, hands shoved in his front pockets as he listened to what Liu had to say. He wasn’t ignoring him, but he just didn’t know what to say that would calm Liu’s nerves, and it was the actual truth, not a lie. Liu sighed in annoyance, waving his hand dismissively “Whatever, get your ass beat” Liu didn’t mean it, he was just a bit pissed off with how Jeff was acting.
The two arrived back home from their walk, Jeff took off to their room to be alone, leaving Liu to entertain himself. For the remainder of the day, Jeff stayed in his bedroom, only coming out to eat and use the bathroom, just needing some alone time and Liu respected that. When it was night, Liu had crawled into his bed and crashed out, just like the previous night before, but Jeff had stayed awake. What Randy had said stuck with him, and the thought of being weaker than some kids who are no older than him, made him furious! But there was nothing else he could do but sleep, and so he did.
Back to his reoccurring world of familiarity, he found that person again, but this time they were more hostile. “Come on Jeffy, what’s wrong?” The shifting voice of the familiar stranger echoed through Jeff’s head “You ain’t got the gut to hurt me” it challenged, daring Jeff to do something, something more. Jeff took this opportunity to let out his anger, attacking this person with kicks and punches, going wild at whatever he could hit first, but the taunting words were never-ending. “Weak!” , “harder Jeffy”, “hurt me!” It called over and over, and Jeff responded with more violence. The world around him started to get dark, not exactly night just yet, more so evening.
When morning came, Jeff woke before Liu, still feeling somewhat emotionally drained even after that violent dream he had.
The days went on, and Jeff was still in this mood, which worried his brother and even his parents, though his mother and father had more important matters to take care of, mostly with work and enrolling the two in school. Liu tried to talk with his older brother to figure out what was going on, but his efforts were useless because of how stubborn Jeff was being, what was Jeff supposed to say? ‘I have dreams of hurting people?’ Or ‘I want to seriously hurt someone?’.. no! He couldn’t confess to that just yet, not even to his brother whom he trusts. Things were only going to get worse once school started. The two started their first day well, introducing themselves to the other students and teachers, Liu even found himself in a small friend group, but that couldn’t be said the same for Jeff.
The school day went on as you’d expect, as nothing much else happened, not until they were released. Jeff met up with Liu in the front of the school, bags hanging off their shoulders as Liu held a big smile across his face. “Hey bro, doin’ ok?” Liu asked as Jeff nodded “Yeah, a bit better now.. but I’m gonna walk home alone if it’s ok with you?” Jeff asked, wanting to make sure Liu was fine enough to walk home on his own, Liu responded “I mean I could walk alone, but are you sure? Jeff, you have been acting super strange” Strange? Maybe try psychotic! Running off of barely any sleep or food, all by choice, and when Jeff does sleep it’s always that familiar dream. He just wasn’t in the right mind to joke with his younger brother, not today, maybe not for a while. “I’m fine Liu, look.. when I get home, I can.. I dunno.. we could do something together if it makes you happy?” He offered, which Liu reluctantly took “Fine… please be safe” Liu waved as he walked off, leaving Jeff to his lonesome. Jeff took a deep breath, needing to console his thoughts and try to understand what was happening, or how he could fix his problems. Started his walk down the sidewalk, passing by a few houses and hills, though Jeff didn’t take time to appreciate the scenery, or what was left of it, more so lost in his mind.
“Hey, Jeffy!” A voice called behind him.. crap… Jeff turned his head to look back, surprised to see Keith instead of Randy. He just assumed Randy would be the only one calling him ‘Jeffy’, but I guess not, as his friends were starting to use that name for the poor tired boy. “Fuck off” Jeff growled, lowering his head to avoid confrontation, but that didn’t seem to work as Keith caught up beside him. “Naw..” Keith laughed, glaring down at Jeff as he teased “I didn’t know you went to this school, hmm lucky us.. Randy goes here too, and Troy” he informed, much to Jeff’s dislike “Speaking of them.. I didn’t like how you talked to them before” he smirked “they’re my friends, and friends stand up to one another.. I didn’t get to before, just because of your gay little brother-“ he insulted Liu, catching Jeff’s attention because of it “but now I can” Keith reached down to grab Jeff’s shirt, tossing the boy to the ground with ease.
Jeff let out a groan of pain as his arm scratched along the hard pavement, but it didn’t hurt too much, but Jeff wasn’t going to leave this alone. “You take that shit back” he growled, struggling to get to his feet due to his heavy backpack, whimpering as Keith kicked him back down, his shoe making contact with Jeff’s hip “Or what! What can your skinny ass do to me” Keith laughed, feeling unstoppable because of their size difference. Keith was built like a tank, tall and wide with the strength of ten men, while Jeff was running off of an energy bar and 4 hours of sleep, but Jeff wasn’t going to go down without a fight. With a burst of adrenaline, Jeff slipped out from the straps of his backpack, stumbling to his feet as he turned back to Keith, trying to find any opportunity he could to hit this son of a bitch. Rushing forward, Jeff struck the man’s chest, attempting to hit his head but was constantly blocked by Keith’s arms, getting punched back in the process. Bruises would cover Jeff’s body after this tussle, mostly around his arm or chest region, but also along his face, having been struck there a few times, but he wasn’t giving in so easily.
A swift kick knocked Jeff back off the sidewalk, feeling the uneven grass behind him as they were fighting beside a small ditch, maybe he could use this to his advantage. Jeff seized the opportunity to grab Keith by his jacket, pulling back to falter the bully’s balance, causing him to fall and tumble into the ditch. It didn’t hurt Keith much, but it allowed Jeff to get on top of the bigger kid, holding Keith down by his neck, punching down over and over against the kid’s face. Anger overtook Jeff, that rush of power filling his head as he got a bit too much to handle, to rationally think over the situation, and before you knew it, Jeff had both hands over Keith’s throat. Squeezing tight, Jeff watched the bully struggle underneath him, the terror in their eyes as they realized Jeff wasn’t playing. Keith kicked his feet and attempted to call out for help, only to let out soft gurgles and cries as Jeff pushed his thumbs deeper into his skin
Next part: Spiral, Jeff the Killer Fanmade Rewrite (part 2) Link: