The sun arose and Mark prepared himself to go to school. The cuisines were prepared at the table and they ate. Mark ate the fried fish, his father ate the fried egg, and her mother ate fried fish.

When they have done eating, they got in their vehicle and rode. They brought first Mark to school.

When they arrived at Mark’s school, his father stopped the vehicle at the gate of the school.

“Bye, kiddo. Excel well in school.”

“Yes, dad.”

As Mark was about to get out of the vehicle, his mother grabbed his arm.

“Markie, have this.”

“What?! 500 pesos?! Are you sure mom that you’re gonna give me this?”

“I know that you will use this for good.”

“Thank you ma.”

He hugged his mom and got out of the vehicle. Mark went into the school and was met by Ruth.

“Hi, Mark! How are you?”

“I’m ok. There are a few difficulties but I pushed through. What about you?”

“Ah, could you tell me what are your difficulties?”

Mark sighed.

“I like Samantha but she doesn’t like me.”

“Oh, it’s only that. I’ll help you.”

“Really? You’ll help me?”

“Well yes. I know how we females think.”

“Thank you so much, Ruth! You’re like a defibrillator.”

Ruth laughed.

“You’re weird.”

“Why’s that weird?”

“Why’s that weird?” Ruth imitated Mark. “It’s weird to be called a defibrillator.”

“Oh, I’m very sorry.”

Ruth laughed.

“Why are you saying sorry? What was your fault?”

“You’re just playing with me.”

“Hey, I’m sorry. You’re suitable to be played with anyway.”

They walked towards their room when they saw Justin. Justin’s head bowed down and his back was facing towards them but Mark knew it was him because of his orange bag and puso' souvenir. Mark went after Justin and grabbed his shoulder so that Justin would face him. When Justin faced him, he saw Justin with a black eye, a bump on his forehead, swelling in his lips, and a gash on his chin.

“Justin, what happened to your face.”

“I got ambushed by Junrey and his friends.”

“Did you report it to the barangay?”

“Done, Mark. I’m just waiting for them to get arrested.”

Ruth went to Justin and she inspected his bruises and wound.

“Did you put first aid over the gash on your chin?”

“Not really, I just washed the wound.”

“Let’s put Betadine and Hydrogen Peroxide. Will you allow me to?”

“What are those?”

“So that your wound will not get infected.”

“Ok, put it, Ruth.”

Ruth took out her first aid kit so that she could treat Justin’s wound. Ruth took a piece of cotton and poured out a little bit of Hydrogen Peroxide. She went near to Justin’s face and applied it to his chin for disinfectant. After she applied the disinfectant, she took a piece of another cotton for the Betadine, she did not throw the piece of cotton with Hydrogen Peroxide in it. She poured into the piece of cotton Betadine. She went near again to Justin’s face so that she could apply the Betadine on his chin. While Ruth is treating Justin, Cesar arrived along with Samantha.

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“Hello guys, how are you?”

Mark looked towards Cesar and Samantha.

“Oh, hello Cesar.”

Samantha looked towards Justin and was shocked.

“What happened to the face of…”

“Justin, his name is Justin?”

“Why is Justin’s face like that?”

Cesar looked at Justin’s face and inspects it.

“Who did this to you, Justin?”

“Junrey did this to me. You know, the one you posterized yesterday.”

“Oh him. I will beat him up, I tell you.”

“No, don’t do it. He has many friends, even though you will beat Junrey up, his friends are always there to help him. They will gang up on you.”

Samantha held the arm of Cesar.

“He’s right, don’t do it, let the authorities handle it.”

“No, I will do it. He beat up an innocent man for no reason, he should fight me instead.”

“Please Cesar, don’t do it.”

Ruth inspected the lip of Justin inside his mouth and found that there is a cut on his lip.

“There is also a cut on his lip.”

Cesar looked at Justin’s lip.

“That’s it. When I see Junrey and his gang, I will beat them up.”

Cesar was furious towards Junrey when the devil himself arrived with his thuggish friends.

“Hey, Cesar!”

Cesar looked towards Junrey.

“You!”

“You want to fight me?! Come get some!

Cesar walked towards Junrey but he was held back by Samantha.

“Cesar, don’t fight him. Please.”

“No, I don’t like people taking advantage of the weak.”

Samantha can’t persuade him and she just lets him go so he could walk towards Junrey. Junrey went towards Cesar, then they stopped when they are near to each other. Junrey made a line on the ground using his shoe.

“Cross this line and you’re dead.”

Cesar stomped the line and smiled at him. Junrey was filled with rage towards Cesar and punched him, he was hit by the punch. Cesar punched Junrey but he dodged and punched back at Cesar on the liver.

“Ahh!”

Cesar kneeled in pain. He can’t get up.

“Is that all you got, slave?!“

Mark ran towards Junrey. Ruth noticed that Mark is running towards Junrey.

“Mark! Don’t!”

Junrey noticed that someone was running behind him and turned around. Mark punched Junrey, and his punch hit him on the chin, making him wobble. When Cesar saw this, he stood up and punched Junrey’s stomach.

Junrey’s down!

When his thuggish friends saw this, they ran towards Cesar and Mark. One of the thugs tried to punch Cesar but dodged the punch and punched the thug on the chin, the thug was out cold. One of the thugs dashed towards Mark and punched him, he was hit and went down. When Cesar saw this, he punched the one who punched Mark, the thug was out cold turkey.

The three of them went down and the others ran when they saw that their leader and their two friends went down. Then the police arrived at their school.

“What’s going on here?”

Ruth approached the Police.

“Junrey and his thuggish friends were looking for trouble.“

One of the Police looked towards Justin.

“What happened to your friend? Who beat him up?”

Ruth turned her head to look at Justin and turned back at the Police.

“He was ambushed by Junrey and his thuggish friends.”

“Which one is Junrey here?”

Cesar grabbed Junrey’s arm and made him stand up.

“Here he is Sir.”

The Police officer looked at Junrey.

“Really, so these who are lying on the ground are his accomplices?”

Cesar looked at them lying on the floor then to the police and says, “Yes Sir.”

“Well done my friend.”

They captured the thugs but they included Mark since he was lying on the ground.

Cesar noticed this.

“Sir, he’s one of us.”

“Who? Him?” Said the Police officer who is holding Mark.

“Yes Sir.”

The Police officer looked at Mark.

“Your cheeks are swelling, brother.”

“Hehe, the punch was somewhat strong.”

Ruth went towards Mark and the Police officer.

“I’ll take care of him, chief.”

“Ok, take care of him.”

The Police captured Junrey and his thuggish friends.

Ruth treated the swelling of Mark’s cheek with ice.

“Tell me if it hurts, ok?”

“Ah, my cheekbone hurts.”

“Check up to the clinic, ok?”

While Ruth was still talking, Mark was looking at Samantha. Ruth looked at what Mark was looking at. Ruth saw that Samantha was talking with Cesar.

“It’s ok Mark.”

Mark sighed.

“She doesn’t like me.”

“Don’t be a sadboi. Others are available in this world. There is plenty of fish in the ocean. If a fish seems to be close to you, take it.”

“Thank you, nevertheless.”

“You’re welcome, Mark.”