Brad

*1 hour earlier.*

"Cade, what is the net gain of ATP in this reaction?"

'Oh great, that has to be the third question you've asked me today. What did I do to piss you off?'

"It's four, miss," I answered quietly, trying not to let my annoyance seep into my voice.

After answering I felt another rubber bounce off the back of my head. Turning around I glared at Brad who stared back, a smirk on his face.

'Just wait until this class ends, dipshit, your own mother won't be able to recognise you once I'm done with you.'

I clenched my pen so hard I thought it might snap, fuming that some asshole had decided to chuck stuff at me for the whole period.

The string was tense.

The teacher was still droning on about mitochondria and the nucleus as I glanced at the clock.

Five minutes left.

'I should probably leave quickly, don't want to get kicked out of another school for fighting.'

I rested my head on the desk and watched the minutes tick by, not bothering to listen to the teacher.

Five minutes later, the sound of the bell pierced my ears - why is it so loud? - and I quickly picked up his bag and walked out of the class.

'Ugh, English next, this crap is pissing me off, I might just skive.'

Whilst I contemplated skipping, I felt two meaty hands shove me from behind. I fell forwards, stumbling, but managed to stay upright. I pivoted on my heel, spinning around to come face to face with Brad's ugly mug.

Brad was a freak of nature, six foot five and so fat it was a shock he could even stand. He had greasy brown hair and a spotted face. I grimaced as I felt Brad's breath on my face.

'This asshole did not brush his teeth this morning.'

"What's the matter tiny?" Brad goaded, "going to go crying to daddy? Oh wait, he left. Hahahaha!"

I felt the string snap.

'Oh fuck it, this guy's dead.'

I reached into my pocket, gripping a bic lighter in my hand to use as a fist filler.

'This asshole may be twice my size, but I've been in countless fights. He looks like the type of guy who just picks on little people who won't fight back.

Glancing at the window I saw my reflection staring back. I was sixteen and only five foot six, but I worked out regularly. I was no bodybuilder, focusing more on callisthenics with a bit of powerlifting to help with my regular fights. As a result, I was lean with well-defined muscles that I was quite proud of.

Staring at the asshole, I put my left foot forward, standing with my heels raised slightly off the ground. Relaxing my right arm, I pulled my fist up to my side. Without giving any warning, my fist shot forward as I stepped forward with the punch, putting my entire body into it.

I kept my fist loose at the start, not clenching it until it was inches from his face. I twisted my fist as I punched so that only my frontmost knuckle connected with his face.

I smiled with glee as I felt the satisfying snap of his nose breaking.

The idiot shouted in pain as blood gushed from his nose. Glaring at me, he shouted, "you piece of shit, you're dead!"

The idiot swung his fist in a wild arc around his body, giving me plenty of time to step out of his reach. His body spun with the momentum and he ended up facing away from me, towards the window.

Seeing my chance I ran forwards, sending another punch crashing into his gut. The idiot keeled over gasping for air, like a deflated balloon. I smiled, any chance of me holding back gone as I gave in to the rush of the fight.

I imagined this was what drugs were like; a euphoric rush of adrenaline.

Dropping the lighter I grabbed both sides of the idiot's fat head with my hands, pulling his head down as I raised my knee, slamming it into his already broken nose.

Crunch! Crunch! Crunch!

Three times I slammed my knee into his face, with enough force to make my knee bleed from hitting it off his teeth. I grinned, this asshole going to be missing more than a few teeth after this.

Letting go of his head, I kicked at his legs, sending him tumbling to the ground with a tremendous bang!

Looking down at the pitiful, blood-soaked piece of shit I smirked and gave him a kick to the ribs for good measure before looking back up.

'Fuck!'

In my mad rush, I hadn't noticed the crowd of people gathered around. Some were standing shocked at the brutal scene, whilst the more rambunctious were cheering and jeering. A few were even filming.

Glancing at his bloody knuckles and still bleeding knee, he let out a tired sigh.

'Damn it, if people just left me alone I wouldn't keep losing control like this.'

He walked towards the crowd, which thankfully parted like the red sea.

I quickly rinsed off my knuckles and knee in the bathroom and began walking towards the school gate before any of the faculty could find me.

"Hey Cade," a sweet voice called out to me, "heard you got in another fight."

I turned to look at the energetic girl approaching me. She was even taller than me at five foot nine and had long and curly red hair. Her eyes wear an entrancing light blue, and her face was a perfect mix of cute and mature features. Her body was suitably mature, with decent curves that were small enough to still let the young schoolgirl side shine.

Her name was Alyssa and she was my only friend.

"He was asking for it," I replied happily, my mood already improving.

"I'm sure he was," she said turning to look at me with her magnetising eyes, "but if you tried to actually make some friends you might not end up fighting everyone."

I sighed, 'this again.'

"Well there's no point making friends now, even if I don't get expelled, my latest foster parents are on the verge of giving up on me already."

"Come on, maybe these ones will be different."

I snorted, 'ever since my parents abandoned me when I was a toddler, I've spent my whole life bouncing between foster families. They would all try to 'fix' me, and when realised they couldn't, they'd kick me out and send me to the next family.

Somewhere along the way, I had stopped bothering to make friends.

Yet for some reason only she knew, Alyssa had actually taken the initiative to approach me.'

"You should try and convince them to let you stay, or else you'll have to leave me."

I frowned, 'this is why I don't make friends.'

Despite that, I really didn't want to leave Alyssa.

"I've got your number, we can still keep in touch," I said.

'It won't be the same, though.'

"I could run away."

"And do what? Live in the streets?"

"I've done it before."

"Yeah, you've even got the scars to prove it."

"How was I meant to know the homeless guys would all have knives?"

Alyssa giggled softly, and then stopped walking.

We had reached the gates.

"I've got to go to class now," said Alyssa, "try and think of something to convince your foster parents with."

Without waiting for my reply, she turned around and walked off towards the school building.

I watched her go before turning around and walking out the school gates.