Chapter 7: Punch harder

"What the hell is she doing…" Vinh couldn't help but murmur under her breath as she watched Loire sneak out of the bushes and into the open clearing. It was stupid, how can she get away once in? Once she's back in, no one could help her come back out. She knew Kim Seo wasn't that stupid.

So what was he planning?

Loire didn't bother to try and sneak when she was in the clearing. She made her way over to a group of boys that were close to the teachers, they were all standing up and ignoring the small children. They had gotten all of their lunches, now eating and waiting for the trip to be over.

Loire could tell they were bored, and she had a plan to fix that problem. The delinquents needed a bit of fun, something to release their energy. 

-And what's better than fighting to solve that? Nothing is better.

She tightened her shoulders while stocking forward with a pleasant smile on her lips. When she was close enough to one of the guys that was in the middle with his back turned, she winded her hand back before smacking the back of his neck.

The boy turned with a furious expression on. "WHAT THE FUCK!?"

Loire giggled, seeing his face turn red at the mere sight of her. He flew his fist forward at her, but the short girl was quick, ducking under the hand and making the angry boy strike another boy that was behind them. He flew forward, catching himself as he turned to the boy and Loire.

He screamed, launching himself at the first boy and completely ignoring Loire who ducked once again. They got into a brawl, ripping each other's uniforms and clawing with their fists. Soon, the other joined in the fun, hitting whoever they wanted to all the while shouting curses.

The guards jumped in, joining in the fight while trying to calm the children down. The kids ran to the female teacher as she hid them and ordered more guards to deal with the growing fight since more delinquents joined in. 

It was what Loire was going for. It was easy to get lost in the chaos, she slipped through unnoticed, though she started it. At least the boys and girls with issues were able to cool their heads and have fun on this boring trip.

As she made her way back to where she came, Kim Seo met up with her with his hands full. They hid in the bushes without being discovered as they made their way to Vinh, she rolled her eyes at them while she helped carry some of the bags. The two laughed at the chaos, unknowingly causing a few eyes of a group to catch their escape.

They didn't turn though, jumping over some rocks as they made their way to Marie and Cameron. Loire came forward to hit the boy's head. He pushed her away, "what the hell?"

"Let's go, come on!" She pulled him up just as Kim Seo swung two brown paper bags their way. They caught it as they began to run off into nowhere. Vinh had picked up Marie, putting her on her back since her hands were pulled with the brown bags. 

They continued to run, run until their legs began to hurt and they had to stop to catch their breath.

"I'm pretty sure we're far enough away now." Kim Seo sighed, plopping down by a river to smash his face with the running water. He cooled off as the group also began to sit down and catch their breaths. 

Loire was still laughing like a maniac. "Did you see how quick it happened! Oh my god, boys are such idiots."

"Hey!" Cameron glared at her, she just laughed, ruffling his hair.

He pushed her away, pulling out the lunch like Vinh had done with Marie right across from them. Loire and Kim Seo soon followed the lead to eat their own food, munching silently on the sandwiches and bag of chips.

The bag didn't have that good of food, but it will fill their stomachs enough for more adventuring. A different variety of bagged chips, some oranges, a sandwich the size of the bag of chips along with some raisins. 

Loire made a face when she had noticed the dried grapes. "Bleh- they must really hate us for feeding us this dog shit!"

"It's not that bad." Cameron mumbled from his sandwich.

"Try actually eating dog shit." Kim Seo stepped in.

"What? Have you actually?" 

Everyone turned to look at him, causing the tall boy to stop his eating and to let out a small smirk. "No- the worst thing I ate actually had to be worms and ants."

"Ew." Vinh shook her head.

"Why did you eat those?" Loire took a bite from her orange when she leaned forward over to Kim Seo.

The tall boy scoffed, "it was the only food around. I had to eat something." His face turned slightly pale, only Cameron noticed the change. Before he could say anything about it, Kim Seo looked over to Loire. "What's the worst thing you had to eat?"

"Well-" She thought for a second. "Does it count if I didn't HAVE to eat it?"

"Sure?"

She giggled to herself, "well then it would have to be a rock."

"What?" The group all said together, all the attention turning to her. Loire looked on, proud with a glint of embarrassment hiding in her cheeky eyes.

"Yep, I ate a rock."

"Why the fuck would you want to?" Cameron looked at her with his head tilted.

"I just wanted to know what it would taste like honestly." The girl shrugged, not thinking much about her answer. It made the group go silent, forcing Lorie's head up to peer at her friends. "What?"

"You're just so full of surprises." Kim Seo chuckled, shaking his head.

Loire smiled back, feeling happy at the somewhat complement. It felt nice, she wasn't used to the feeling so it was nice to remember the feeling. The feeling of being liked, it was something she used to crave when she was younger, it's what forced her into becoming what the school deemed as a delinquent.

She hummed, her eyes looking off into the distance. "Do you guys want to know something?"

"I'd like to hear a tragic backstory." Kim Seo hummed, Vinh smacking his chest as a warning. He nodded, putting his hands up in defense.

"Go ahead, just no cursing anymore." Vinh nodded to her.

Loire giggled, agreeing with the older girl before she began the 'story'. "When I was about 5 to 6, I remember stealing stuff like lighters and fireworks. I don't know why I started, but I just knew I liked to get noticed, to be loved and liked by those around me. My mom and dad didn't give a shit about whatever I did, so it gave me freedom to do whatever I wanted."

She laughed to herself before continuing. "One time, I lit as many fireworks as I could at once. It was awesome, but I was too close to it when they went off. I think I was trying to show off how fearless I was or something, but it backfired. The fireworks dropped and aimed for me. I was hit only once but it was enough for me to run off with tears in my eyes. It scared the sh-" she coughed, "-crap out of me.. heh… Well, after that, everyone made fun of me for that. I stopped trying to be 'cool' or whatever and just began to let loose. Do whatever came to my mind, which was mostly start fights or play with my boys fluffy hair."

"So.." Kim Seo made her look up at his voice, "what we're getting out of this is that parents should always give attention to their kids."

"Or else they will turn out like you." Cameron huffed.

"Yep!" Loire replied with a smile. "I mean, they weren't bad parents, they just didn't pay me any attention."

"That is bad parenting Loire." Vinh suddenly said seriously. The group looked over to her, seeing the truth that shook in her eyes. Loire gulped, feeling the pressure the older girl looked at her with. "Parents are responsible for their child's outcome.." She shook her head, "for my outcome at least."

The group went quiet, all of them feeling the sudden change in emotions. Marie rested her head on Vinhs shoulder. 

All of them had finished eating, now sharing their feelings through the silent movements of their eyes. 

"Them and Derek," Kim Seo Leaned on her shoulder, the girl looked up at him with a small glare. He laughed, giving a soft expression. "Don't let them take all the credit now!"

"Hmp." Vinh nodded, looking bored at the boy's truthful words.

"Derek?" Loire sat up, forgetting the half eaten orange. "He sounds shitty. Is he? He was, wasn't he? A guy named like that sounds stupid in general!"

Vinh cracked a smile while Loire continued to lighten the mood. The group had moved closer into a circle since Loire had shared her story. They didn't realize how nice and comforting it felt to share something so personal. It was only Loire yes, but it still made everyone in the group feel somewhat nice.

Cameron heard a shuffle from behind him, he turned to see a parting of bushes off near the trees. He could have sworn he saw someone move the leaves back, as he also heard the small movement from the bushes. He felt himself shiver, thinking back to a stranger possibly watching them without them knowing. But that wasn't possible, they were alone. Who would be out in the forest at this time with them?

Even if those thoughts made him feel better, he couldn't shake the feeling.

Loire looked at him and then to the bushes. She slung her arm around his shoulders, giving the tense boy a jump scare. "What are you so scared of?"

"Get off!" He pushed at her, but she ignored him, standing up with her hand tight around his arm to pull him up. "Loire!"

"Come on! Let's go check it out you scaredy cat." She pulled him forward in the direction, looking over to the other three, "be right back!"

"We'll be done eating by then, be quick." Kim Seo waved them off, moving closer to Vinh who was forcing Marie to finish her sandwich.

Loire didn't respond, she continued on with the boy in her arms. Like always, he gave up and allowed her to pull him along until she suddenly stopped when they were out of earshot of anyone else. They were a bit further from the bushes, Loire looking around for whoever Cameron had seen.

She seemed to actually be looking for whoever Cameron saw, it made him wonder if she saw it too.

"Did you see anyone?" He decided to ask, looking around with her.

"Yeah, don't know who it was but I think they followed us here." She growled under her breath, her voice far off from her sarcastic tone like usual. It made Cameron stiffen. "It might be a guard or some shit. If so, we're screwed, so do me a favor and look to see if you can find any evidence of someone here?"

"This isn't some detective case!"

"Shut up," Loire waved him off and turned to look around. 

Cameron rolled his eyes but did what was told to do. Like he noticed before, there was no evidence that someone was even here, he started to believe that maybe there isn't someone there. But Loire saw it too?

Loire knelt down, turning her head when she heard more of the rattling coming from the bushes. When she stood back up in that direction, someone from behind grabbed her and locked her arms around her so she was trapped. Her surprised yelp was cut off by a fist smashing into her face. 

Cameron turned to the loud commotion, catching a boy he noticed was with Damian held onto Loire from behind. She thrashed, even while being hit in the face a few times. The small boy ran forward, calling out for Loire.

He was pushed from behind, Damian was the one that made him fall, he put his whole weight down on the smaller boy so he was completely pushed deep into the hard ground below. He tried to shove himself to get the boy's large build off him, but he was kicked hard in the chest. It made him stop squirming immediately. He curled up when another kick came in at him.

"Stop it you fuckers!" Loire screamed from behind. She had ducked, trying hard to evade the punches. She managed to get loose from the boy behind her, hitting him in the stomach to make him curl over, she turned over on the ground to kick the other boy away.

She was up again, her nose bleeding and sore, but she brushed it off to run forward at Damian. Another boy came in front of him to swing at the girl. But she saw red, turning her head as she kicked his chest hard. He fell over immediately, but Damian was behind right after him, kicking her in the chest just as he ran forward to knock her out.

She was quick to recover, but the boys around her were quicker, too many of them overpowered the short girl. She tried to pull away, using her strength as much as she could, though the fact that three boys were holding her down she couldn't do much. She was just wasting her strength, but she didn't care, still fighting back hard and feisty.

"Fucking shit, you punch hard for a girl." Damian wiped his chin and smeared the blood. He turned to spit the blood near Cameron who was still curled up on the ground. He stayed quiet, hearing the hard steps near his head from the boys who circled him and Loire. "-And you cry like a bitch."

He was now kneeling over the small boy, grabbing his hair to force his face up.

"Let him go Damian or else your fucking dead!" Loire pulled hard to get free, only to get yanked back. But she still pulled away, yelling and forcing her rage at the boy in front of her. "I swear when I get loose you're dead!"

"Shut up!" Damian pushed Cameron away, the small boy's face falling into the dirt. He stayed quiet, hearing the taller boy move over to Loire. "I am gonna make you fucking pay for all your stupid shit!" He punched the girl in the chest, causing her to topple over. The boys who held her just pulled her back up for Damian to keep punching her in the gut. "Your fucking annoying! Fucking over confident!" He hit her again, striking the smaller girl. She hung her head, the pain consuming her energy that felt drained from getting hit repeatedly.

"You're nothing but a bitch!" Damian yelled out, a smile on his lips with his knuckles red. "Nothing-"

"Shut up!" Cameron yelled out from behind Damian. The taller boy turned over to see the smaller boy pulling himself up, he made eye contact, a look of fury in his eyes.

Damian began to laugh, walking forward to Cameron without a care or fear. Just as he was close enough, Kim Seo and Vinh burst through the foliage by their side, stopping when realizing what was happening. Kim Seo was the first to walk forward, seeing Loire held and beaten while Cameron was holding his chest in pain. 

Damian's friends came at him, though Kim Seo was able to see it and fight back easily, pushing the two boys away while yelling out to Damian. The other boy was distracted, still standing in front of Cameron, the shorter boy felt so angry. More angry than he had ever felt before. 

None of this felt fair, he was tired of being the one on the ground, the one looked over while others got hurt. 

He didn't like Loire, but at the same time he did. She was annoying, but loyal. To him at least, he never did anything for her or anyone. He was useless.

"Your fucking dead Damian!" Kim Seo smashed his fist into another boy, coming forward to the boy he never looked away from. Damian was ready, pulling his fists up at the ready for Kim Seo who could easily hurt him unlike Cameron or Loire.

But to his and everyone's surprise, it was Cameron who hit him first. Out of nowhere as the other boy was turned, Cameron hit him from behind. When Damian turned to fight back, Cameron was on him in a second.

"You're an asshole!" He screamed, using his small fist to smash his face in. He had never got into a fight, never really hit anyone before so he didn't expect the hit too much. It only stunned the other boy, forcing him a step back. 

Cameron wanted to hurt him, to make him feel the pain he put him through. The boys who had held Loire were now behind him, grabbing at him just as Damian was turning to the attacker. Cameron didn't think when he was pushed to the ground, so he used his leg to kick at the taller boy, he hit him right in the junk. 

That was enough to cause a scream and for him to fall over. The taller boy was hunched down on the ground, holding himself in pain while his friends and everyone there looked on in shock. Cameron was feeling the adrenaline, looking at what he had done and not realizing it until Loire was next to him. She looked happy, even with a tooth missing and her nose busted and bloody.

"Fucking awesome!" She pulled him up, running around the hunched boy, she kicked him before running over to Kim Seo and Vinh. The girl helped Loire out, helping Cameron as well who was still shell shocked, Kim Seo looked slightly confused with a tint of uneasiness when he looked at what Cameron had done.

"Let's go idiot!" Vinh had to grab Kim Seo as well, helping the whole group run back to Marie who hadn't moved. They ran off, only Kim Seo looking back at the boys who watched them flee. 

They didn't follow, only standing over Damian who was now crying.