“So…you look terrible.”

Jason choked at his food.

Lucas and Jason were the first people in school who asked him what happened after he met Blake.

Thanks to Asher’s communication skills, he nailed that.

“I went…and we fought for a bit….and then I came back.”

‘This is literally what happened, and I mean, screw the details.’

“Are you okay now?” Jason asked, while looking at him.

“Fine.” Ash replied, while looking at the lunch in front of him.

‘This food is going to get cold if they don’t shut up-’

“Man, you just love getting into trouble, don’t ya? I told you to stay safe, didn’t I?” Lucas asked, his eyes twitched.

“Yeah.” Ash said quickly.

“Eh?!” Jason shrieked, “Why did you go alone there? I mean, I didn’t want to go, but still, you should’ve brought a teacher or someone else?”

“I didn’t want to.” Asher replied, quite amused by Jason.

“So, are you gonna give up now?” Jason asked, mentally praying that he does.

Jason was afraid of Blake too, that’s why he was asking Asher to quit.

“...No.” Asher replied, stopping himself from rolling his eyes at Jason’s obviousness.

“But you should!” Lucas and Jason said at the same time.

“Can we drop this topic?” Ash sighed.

“..Sure, man.” Lucas said while going back to his table, but his expressions looked kind of disturbed.

“So, did you eat the sushi from the cafe?” Jason was back to his normal self.

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Blake has to stop.

Yesterday, I came in time when Asher was laying there beaten and battered, but sometimes, it’ll be too late.

I’m going to confront Blake right now.

Alex was passing through a gallery, wind brushing past his hair, the light finding its way through the window.

But Alex was too caught up in his thinking to actually enjoy his surroundings.

Alex was once bullied by Blake too, but unlike some others, he stood up to him.

Not because of himself, but because he was the class rep, and it was his duty to keep the atmosphere of his class calm.

Where every student stays calm, instead of tensing on the sight of a certain figure, Blake.

Alex was now outside a class, bickering from inside enough to verify who was inside the very classroom.

Blake and his lackeys.

Alex went inside.

Blake’s eyes darted towards him.

“Blake,” Alex called out, his voice firm but steady. “We need to talk.”

Blake turned, his usual smirk plastered on his face. “Oh look, the class rep wants a chat. How cute.”

The tension was thick. The whole cafeteria seemed to notice the confrontation now, whispers spreading like wildfire.

“I’m serious, Blake,” Alex continued, stepping closer, his jaw tight. “This bullying crap has to stop. It’s not just Asher, it’s everyone. You think you own this school, but you’re just a coward hiding behind your gang.”

Blake’s smirk faded, replaced with a cold glare. “Careful, Alex. You don’t want to make this your problem. Keep your nose out of things that don’t concern you.”

“It concerns me when you’re hurting people,” Alex shot back, his voice raising just slightly. “You think picking on someone smaller than you makes you tough? That’s not power, that’s weakness. Real strength is knowing when to walk away, Blake.”

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Blake stood up.

Blake took a step closer to Alex, the sneer back on his face. “You’re starting to sound like one of those heroes from the movies, Alex. Too bad this isn’t a movie. This is real life. And in real life, the strong survive.”

Alex wasn’t backing down.

“You’re wrong,” Alex said, his voice lower now, but more intense. “Strength isn’t about how many people fear you. It’s about how you use your power to lift others up, not tear them down. You don’t scare me, Blake. And you won’t keep scaring people forever.”

Blake’s face twisted with anger, his fists clenching. “You think you’re some kind of hero? You wanna save the school, Alex?” Blake spat. “Let’s see how tough you really are when I knock you off your high horse.”

For a moment, it seemed like Blake might swing at Alex right then and there, but Alex stood his ground, unshaken.

“Think about it, Blake,” Alex said quietly. “Is this who you want to be?”

There was a beat of silence before Blake scoffed, turning away with a sharp laugh. “Stay out of my way, Alex,” he muttered. “Next time, I won’t be so nice.”

He walked off, his gang following behind.

Alex stood there for a moment, watching them leave before letting out a breath.

He won’t understand.

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ash lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, the events of the day replaying in his mind like a broken record.

How Jason said to give up, and Alex asked him to keep going.

But Alex was the one who stirred something in Ash.

The idea of keep going.

‘Could I do that?’ Ash thought, feeling the weight of the idea settle in his chest.

He closed his eyes, trying to imagine it, himself, standing tall, defending the kids who were too scared to speak up, just like Alex.

In his mind, it looked like something out of an action movie.

But reality wasn’t like that, was it?

Lucas’ voice echoed in his head.

.

.

"This isn’t an action movie, Ash. Stay safe."

.

.

Ash sighed, rubbing his temples.

He knew Lucas was right. This wasn’t some heroic battle where the good guy always wins. People like Blake didn’t just back down because someone told them they were wrong.

‘But if I don’t do anything… Then what? Do I keep letting him walk all over me? Walk over everyone else?’

The thought of doing nothing, of just staying silent, made his stomach twist.

But the idea of standing up, of making himself a target again, wasn’t any better.

He wasn’t like Alex.

He wasn’t fearless.

He was just… Ash.

A guy who barely survived being a target by the king of bullies.

‘If I stand up for others, will I be strong like Alex? Or just foolish, like Lucas thinks I am?’

A part of him wanted to believe that he could make a difference.

That standing up, even in small ways, was better than doing nothing at all.

But another part of him, the part that remembered the pain, the punches, the way Blake's fist had felt against his face- knew how much it would cost him.

‘Is it really worth it?’

That’s right, is it really worth it?

He sighed again, sinking deeper into his pillow.

The question gnawed at him.

What did it mean to be strong? Was it about fighting back, or about choosing your battles? Did standing up for others make you brave, or just reckless?

His thoughts swirled like a storm in his head.

He didn’t know what to think anymore. Maybe Lucas was right, maybe this wasn’t a movie, and the good guys didn’t always win. Maybe being strong was about surviving, not about fighting back.

But then again, if no one stood up, how would anything ever change?

‘It’s not about being a hero.’ Ash thought, staring up at the ceiling. ‘It’s about not letting people like Blake win.’

But at the same time, the fear of what would happen if he did stand up crept back in.

He had tasted what it was like to face Blake's wrath, and it wasn’t something he wanted to feel again.

‘Maybe I’m just fooling myself.’ he thought. ‘I’m no hero. I’m barely keeping it together.’

The silence of the room seemed louder than his thoughts now, wrapping around him as he lay there, torn between wanting to be strong like Alex, and wanting to stay safe like Lucas had warned him to.

‘What if I’m just not cut out for this?’ Ash wondered, feeling the weight of indecision press down on him. ‘What if… standing up only makes things worse?’

Ash shifted under his blanket, the conflicting thoughts still swirling in his head.

The idea of standing up to Blake, face to face, still terrified him.

But what if there was another way?

A quieter way. Something that didn’t involve fists or confrontations in front of the entire school.

He pulled the blanket down just enough to peek out at his desk across the room.

His notebook was sitting there, open to a half-finished page of doodles.

That’s when it hit him.

‘What if… I didn’t have to do it directly?’ Ash thought, sitting up in his bed. ‘What if I just… wrote him a note?’

It wasn’t much of a plan, but the idea was growing in his mind.

He could write something anonymous. Something that would freak Blake out enough to back off. No physical fight, no public standoff, just words.

Words were powerful, right?

‘It’s not about being brave or anything, just… making him think twice.’

Ash swung his legs over the side of the bed and grabbed his notebook.

His hands felt jittery as he flipped to a blank page, a strange mix of excitement and doubt bubbling up inside him.

He could threaten Blake.

Not outright, but subtly, enough to make Blake wonder who was behind it, enough to make him paranoid.

‘I’ll tell him to stop the bullying. Maybe say something like… “I know what you’ve been doing, and it needs to end. If you don’t, there will be consequences.” Yeah, that could work.’

He scribbled a rough draft of the note, each word making him feel a little bolder.

But then, as he finished the last line, doubt crept back in.

‘What if this just makes things worse?’

He stared at the paper, biting on his lower lip.

It was a risky move.

What if Blake found out it was him? What if the note wasn’t enough to scare him? He wasn’t exactly some mastermind who could pull off elaborate schemes.

This was a far cry from standing up to Blake like Alex did. But… maybe it could work.

‘It’s not like I’m threatening his life or anything. Just… giving him a warning. Maybe it’ll make him back off. And if he doesn’t know it’s me, I’ll be safe, right?’

Still, the uncertainty gnawed at him. What if Blake just laughed it off? What if he got even angrier?

Ash wasn’t sure he could handle another round with Blake and his lackeys.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair.

‘It’s not a great plan,’ he admitted to himself. ‘But it’s better than doing nothing, right?’

He wasn’t entirely convinced, but it was something.

At least he wouldn’t be standing by, waiting for Blake to come after him again.

Maybe this note, tucked into Blake’s backpack or slipped into his desk, would shake things up. Maybe it would make Blake second-guess his actions.

But as Ash folded the paper and slipped it into his school bag, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was walking a very dangerous fine line.

‘Let’s just hope this doesn’t backfire.’ he thought, lying back down and staring at the ceiling again, his mind already racing with what might happen next.