Chapter 3: Chapter 3. School Trip
A week passed by and the day of the School Trip arrived.
At The K.D. International School of Education, Mumbai. The ground was crowded by the Students of all the sections in 2nd grade, their class teachers, their family members and with 7 transport buses.
The time of departure was at 12 pm but Leo arrived at 10:30 am. He was standing in front of the main gate of the school; waiting for his brother and Uncle to arrive.
Leo's phone rang when he was waiting for them. It was his uncle Lee. He picked up the phone then spoke-
"Hello, Uncle Lee."
"Son we are in the middle of heavy traffic. Can you wait for some more time?"
"Yes, uncle Lee. The time for departure has been delayed by 1 hour. You don't have to worry about time."
Leo replied.
"That's a relief. We will make it on time until then."
Lee Hyun-jin sighed in relief.
"Drive safe uncle."
Leo said then ended the call.
"Haaa... Let's go inside then."
Leo sighed while walking through the gate.
As he was about to step into the campus a long arm grabbed him from his neck; then dragged him outside of the campus.
Leo somehow freed himself. He was coughing his gut out. Then a grating voice filled him with fear.
"Yo, how are you doing, you Silver Shit? Looks like the gift I gave you on the face healed already."
A shifty looking guy smirked at Leo.
This guy was Kenny Matthews, a school bully from 2nd grade section B who was responsible for the bruises that Leo received.
He threw leo against the wall and grabbed him from his chin.
"I asked you a question. didn't i? Hmm?"
He said while tightening his grip.
Leo was struggling to escape but the grip of that muscular hand was not easy to deal with.
"Pl....se...me....o."
Leo said in a broken voice.
"What was that? I don't understand. What are you trying to say?"
Kenny laughed.
Leo's eyes started to roll up. He was unable to breathe.
"Hey what are you doing to him?"
Leo's class teacher Ms. Bianca said fiercely.
"Tch... You're Lucky silver but you don't know the future. Hehe"
Kenny released Leo and then he went inside the campus. Leo's legs gave out and he fell.
"Leo are you alright? We must report it to the principal. Come on let's go...."
"No."
Leo said interrupting miss Bianca.
"I'm okay Ms. Bianca. We were just playing haha."
Leo said while avoiding eye contact.
"Okay....if you say so."
While saying that she knew what he was going through but she was unable to do anything in that matter.
"Were you waiting for someone?"
Ms. Bianca asked.
"Yes, my broth....."
Before Leo could say something a familiar voice interrupted him.
"HYUNGGGGGG..... I'M Here....?"
Surya shouted out of the window of Uncle Lee's car coming from a distance.
The car stopped near Leo. Surya jumped out of the window and hugged Leo. Mr. Lee got out of the car and greeted Ms. Bianca.
"Please take care of both of my sons."
Mr. Lee said sincerely.
"Yes, of course."
Ms. Bianca replied.
After dropping Surya, Mr. Lee went back. After some time the principal assembled everyone and divided them into sections according to the buses.
All the teachers were kept in the first bus. Sections (B) and (D) were kept in the second and third buses. Sections (A) and (C) were kept in the fourth and fifth bus. Relatives of the students were kept in the sixth and seventh buses.
"But I wanted to enjoy the ride with you. Why am I being kept with these kids?"
Surya said while throwing a tantrum.
"There is nothing we can do about it. The principal divided our buses according to our number count.
You just enjoy the ride. I will come to you as soon as we reach our destination. Okay?"
"Ha Fineeee...."
Surya said with a big sigh.After making Surya sit in the bus, Leo started towards his bus.
Leo was in section (C) so he started walking towards his bus accordingly.
First he got into the fourth bus but the seats there were full. He came out and headed towards the fifth bus.
He was about to board the bus when that familiar grating voice filled him with fear again.
"Going somewhere little silver?"
Kenny was waiting for Leo while hiding behind the bus with his two shady looking goons.
As soon as Leo came near the bus Kenny caught him from behind.
"I told you. You don't know the future."
Kenny said with a horrifying smile.
He was about to beat Leo when someone caught his hand from behind.
"Huh? Who is this mother...eek."
He flinched as he turned around. His legs were trembling as if he saw a ghost.
"Hey.... Isn't that.... A..Arthur Maze from section (A) ?"
One of the goons said with a trembling voice.
When Leo opened his eyes he saw a black haired, 6 feet tall, fair skinned and handsome guy holding Kenny's hand like a matchstick and Kenny was trembling like a rabbit in the paws of a lion.
" H...H...hello may I help you?"
Kenny said in a trembling voice.
"You're in my way. Get lost."
Arthur said with a resonant voice while letting go of Kenny's hand.
As soon as Arthur let go of Kanny's hand, he ran away with his friends like a mouse running away from a cat's mouth.
Leo couldn't believe what his eyes had just seen. He was lost in thoughts, when the sound of the bus starting snapped him out from deep thought.
The journey began and as soon as it began Leo said to Arthur who was sitting alone next to him-
"Ah..... Excuse me? Thanks for earlier. If you hadn't stopped him, I would have had more bruises on my face. Oh by the way, my name is Leo. Leo Parth. And what is your name?"
Leo said smilingly with sparkling eyes.
Arthur remained silent and did not give any response to Leo. But Leo kept looking at him with sparkling eyes and smiling.
"What do you want?"
Arthur asked, glancing sideways at Leo.
"Ah.....was i staring so much. I'm sorry I don't know how to behave around friends. Haha. Actually I never had a frien...."
"Friends?" Who is your friend?"
Arthur said, interrupting Leo.
"listen dude, I have never been friends with people like you in my entire life and I will never do so. Because people like you always take help from others to solve their problems. People like you stay together in good times but when trouble comes they run away. If I tell the truth then the people are better than you are those who handle their enmity with honesty, at least those people don't turn their back on you. And you know what I really despise people like you.Now you tell me should I befriend such a pathological loser who can't even protect himself? Ha... I am already in a bad mood, don't make it worse."
Arthur went on speaking bitter words and Leo kept on listening to him. Arthur's bitter words made Leo so helpless in front of everyone that he could neither say anything nor raise his head and look. Till date Leo had never suffered such humiliation. Arthur's harsh words shattered whatever little self-confidence of Leo was left.
Leo did not look up from the bus for the rest of the journey. If he had looked, everyone sitting in the bus would have seen tears flowing from his eyes. And after some time Leo's eyes closed. But at that time he did not know that this journey would completely change his life.
"Hy...
Hyu....
H...p....m...e...
Whe....re...u.....
(A muffled voice keeps echoing and then it bursts)
HYUUUUNNNNGGGGGGG...
Leo woke up with a huge GASP.
"What.... was...that?