2008.
Matt was sitting on the couch, lost in his thoughts when the front door creaked open. When Basil and Monique entered with a small basket, he jumped. He was wearing a yellow hoodie that wasn't too baggy and dark blue sweatpants.
He was wearing a yellow hoodie that wasn't too baggy and dark blue sweatpants [https://img.wattpad.com/366ccd02b4083ea6002f937cfe8866d200ef9204/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f455a594e37386d347078343272673d3d2d313438313039373433392e313830636266343530303161386637333737363732393131393838312e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
Monique had hazel eyes and medium-length dark brown hair. She was very slender, and her features were sharp. She was wearing a pink crew-neck shirt and light jeans.
«Surprise for you, Matt!» his mom said, grinning as she spoke [https://img.wattpad.com/db38a5739c335c7a1991441b750f7014777eeff0/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f486a6949586161797456593869673d3d2d313438313039373433392e313766653833393965613734393463323130373332323931363438312e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
«Surprise for you, Matt!» his mom said, grinning as she spoke.
«What's up?» Matt asked, turning toward their figures.
«Come here, son,» Basil said, gesturing with his hand. He was wearing a short-sleeved striped shirt and dark jeans.
Matt had no clue what to expect. At first, he thought it was a giant chocolate egg. But when he peeped into the basket Monique was cradling, he spotted a tiny Jack Russell Terrier puppy.
«Oh God!» he exclaimed, his eyes going wide as he smiled at the puppy. He then gave its forehead a pat. «Where'd you get this cutie?» he asked, looking up at his mom.
«A friend of ours hooked us up with it,» she replied.
«She's a girl, by the way,» his father added.
«Oh,» Matt said, taking a moment to carefully observe the puppy.
«We should call her Jackie then, in honor of Grandpa Jack!» the boy suggested, glancing first at his mother and then at his father.
His parents exchanged approving glances, and Basil nodded.
«Jackie it is, then!» he replied, casting a fond look at Monique.
Jackie zipped around everywhere, and with her in his corner, Matt started feeling way less lonely.
Jackie zipped around everywhere, and with her in his corner, Matt started feeling way less lonely [https://img.wattpad.com/a9610bee5ecc51884691dbefc00f7fbb204f638a/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f34424a4c64656e755636313247673d3d2d313438313039373433392e313766653833396336363862616536653433313433323534333335312e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
One day, Jackie was licking her paw on the bed, and Matt noticed. He sat down next to her.
«Y'know, Jackie, sometimes I feel like my parents just don't get me,» he said, squinting and glancing off to the side.
Jackie looked at him with those sweet eyes, and Matt sighed, leaning closer. «I mean, I know they love me, but sometimes it feels like they're in their own little world, y'know?»
Jackie seemed to say, «You're not alone,» as she wagged her tail.
Matt began to pet her fur and smiled while doing so.
«It's like you totally get what's going on in my head!» he chuckled. «I wish I could take you everywhere, though,» he went on, making goofy faces at her.
Jackie's ears perked up, and she licked his hand.
«Imagine if one day you started talking!» Matt said, smiling at the thought. «They'd probably think I've gone crazy.»
When Matt started middle school, his life took an unexpected turn. He found himself in a class of eighteen students, mostly boys, many of whom belonged to the Cobra, the most feared gang in town. Since they were kids, these boys had been running errands and doing dirty work for the mafia.
Since they were kids, these boys had been running errands and doing dirty work for the mafia [https://img.wattpad.com/80771feab59980c58c7222c8c395ec8730b1be35/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f4878314439346368627735744c773d3d2d313438313039373433392e313830636666633432613939323465343935323632343937363930312e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
Among them was Jacob, Johnny's kid, who was meant to be the future leader of the Cobra. Right there with him were Oliver, Bruno, Manu, and his best bud Enzo, all sons of gangsters.
On an October day, while Jacob and his friends were in the school hallway, their gazes fell on Matt, who was walking in front of them. The hallway, crowded with students and adorned with school projects hanging on the walls, didn't distract Jacob, who was struck by something unusual in Matt and observed him closely. Matt wore a light gray t-shirt, quite plain compared to his watchers.
«Who's that kid?» he asked, eyeing Matt as he stuffed his stuff into his locker.
Jacob wore a light blue Adidas shirt, had green eyes, and neatly styled blonde hair. He was slightly taller than his friends, who regarded him as their prince, and his arrogant demeanor and statuesque physique made him even more intimidating.
He was slightly taller than his friends, who regarded him as their prince, and his arrogant demeanor and statuesque physique made him even more intimidating [https://img.wattpad.com/97556faef6c7aec318b0362be2d50429bbab5035/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f66496b737441616471586e6e42513d3d2d313438313039373433392e313766653833396662643763623237303132393333363230343130382e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
«The new kid; he just rolled in yesterday...» Enzo replied with a grin.
Enzo was slender, wearing a black polo shirt, with very short raven-black hair and eyes of the same color; despite being only thirteen, he already had tribal tattoos on his arms.
Enzo was slender, wearing a black polo shirt, with very short raven-black hair and eyes of the same color; despite being only thirteen, he already had tribal tattoos on his arms [https://img.wattpad.com/259b9dd7dc4470e2b3b374811975f28998fbcced/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f6732555175772d7648356a4d42673d3d2d313438313039373433392e313830633834396536373364626637353238303337393031323138372e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
«He looks like a total weakling,» Bruno commented, inching closer to Jacob and Enzo to get a better look.
Bruno was wearing a dark green shirt with designs of Ken the Warrior and had messy brown hair and dark green eyes. He was slender and seemed to wash very little.
He was slender and seemed to wash very little [https://img.wattpad.com/a30e396d92fd7106afee1a53ba9e6713e07510d5/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f303851507a3975324a54556a55413d3d2d313438313039373433392e313830633834643838376432633162613130373134373835323634382e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
«Check out his features. I don't think he's from around here...» he continued, sliding in next to them.
«A foreigner, huh?» Jacob replied, still sizing up every inch of Matt.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
Attracted by the conversation, Manu and Oliver quickly stood behind Enzo. Manu had his head shaved and was wearing a white Nike t-shirt. He was known for often beating up the model students. Oliver had wavy golden hair and green eyes, wearing a yellow shirt, and was somewhat stocky.
Oliver had wavy golden hair and green eyes, wearing a yellow shirt, and was somewhat stocky [https://img.wattpad.com/4930d6342a9cefc061fd4974f412e50f208e22b2/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f50456c746d5f48487463645554773d3d2d313438313039373433392e313830633835383762393134366630383536383832313930383234312e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
«Why don't we use him to blow off some fuckin' steam? It'd definitely make these days way less boring,» Manu suggested, glancing at both Jacob and Enzo [https://img.wattpad.com/3b9c312eaa744da8277dc386990e43e27cd09ae4/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f5f4c7a484e6755474770476f46773d3d2d313438313039373433392e313830633835336363613830336633393734393734333035323333332e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
«Why don't we use him to blow off some fuckin' steam? It'd definitely make these days way less boring,» Manu suggested, glancing at both Jacob and Enzo.
«That's not a bad idea,» Oliver chimed in, turning to him. «Oh, Jacob,» he went on, shifting his gaze back. «I heard he's decent at math; why don't we make him do our homework for us?» suggested the golden-haired kid.
Jacob crossed his arms and tilted his head toward his crew.
«Sounds good,» he said with a smirk. «Yeah, my hands are itching. Let's see what he's made of,» he added, nodding to Enzo as they sauntered over to Matt.
«This is gonna be a blast!» Enzo agreed with a grin, and the two closed in on Matt.
As Matt walked past Enzo, he suddenly stuck out his foot, causing him to trip and fall to the ground. Matt quickly got back up and turned around, giving Jacob and Enzo a glare, which they noticed.
«Hey, watch where you're putting those feet, jerk!» Jacob taunted, inching closer to him.
«What the hell? He just tripped me!» Matt shot back, gesturing to Enzo.
«What's your problem, cunt?» Enzo added as he approached and squinted at him. «Don't you know this is Cobra territory?» he asked, getting face-to-face with Matt.
Still shaken, Matt looked at the two bullies who were too close for comfort, and at Manu, Oliver, and Bruno who were approaching as well. Realizing he was outnumbered, he softened his gaze and tried to calm down.
«I was just going to class,» Matt replied, quickly shifting his gaze away.
«We don't care where the hell you're going, nerd,» Jacob scoffed, leaning down toward him. «You need to learn your place here.»
«My place?» Matt asked, raising his eyebrows and slightly glancing at Jacob, but Enzo stepped in close, his face just inches from Matt's.
«Hey!» Enzo exclaimed, leaning in. «You think you're at home or something?» he cheekily asked, shifting his gaze from one of Matt's eyes to the other.
«Yeah, watch out, outcast,» Jacob added from behind Enzo, giving Matt a sidelong glance. «Or things will get very bad for you.»
Outcast? Matt wondered, taking a small step back to look at Jacob and Manu, with Oliver and Bruno beside them. «I go to the same school as you. And how do you know I'm not from here?» he asked again, raising his eyebrows.
«You're not part of the family, idiot!» Manu replied, standing next to Enzo and furrowing his brow.
«Family? What are you talking about?» Matt asked again, still perplexed, looking at Manu.
«It's us. The Cobras!» Enzo exclaimed, bringing Matt's attention back to him. «And we do the fuck we want. Now move your ass before I kick it!» he warned, gesturing with his hand.
Matt didn't respond. He merely nodded and walked away, still confused by the aggression of the young Cobras. He had no idea how difficult things would become in Vicary City; their brutality was just the beginning.
As soon as Matt tried to make friends, he realized something was wrong. His classmates excluded him from conversations and ignored him. He overheard fragments of their «business»: they talked about loan sharking, debtors, tributes, knives, guns, and violent methods for collecting debts. After a week, the boys he had encountered in the hallways began to make fun of him in front of others, especially in front of the girls.
After a week, the boys he had encountered in the hallways began to make fun of him in front of others, especially in front of the girls [https://img.wattpad.com/9b4bd77265171837d508957088c5d87fdcbf88a2/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f6f5657434e616a696765524352413d3d2d313438313039373433392e313830643030303064336136653738323137313832363039363337312e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
«Hey, Matt, how's your dead grandpa?» Bruno snickered, while the others cracked up.
«Yo, your eyes are all slanted, man. Can you even see outta those? You look like a damn Chinese, haha!» Manu cracked, laughing.
«Huh?» Matt replied, caught off guard again.
Unbeknownst to Matt, Oliver, who was right behind him, suddenly whacked him hard on the back of the head. The slap was so hard that Matt stumbled forward onto Jacob, who pushed him onto Bruno, causing him to trip again.
«What are you doing?» Matt exclaimed, trying to break free.
As he entered the classroom and observed the whole scene, the math teacher, a forty-year-old man with brown hair and a big mustache, saw the students surrounding Matt.
«What's going on here?» he asked.
«Nothing... We're just... playing...» Matt stammered, slightly turning toward him and trying to regain control of the situation.
The teacher saw everything but pretended nothing had happened and ordered the kids to sit down. Matt didn't know what to do. Even though he secretly knew he couldn't let them win, he wanted to flee and hide from the other students' gazes.
He then began to tremble when the math teacher left the room. He was unable to control the movement of his fingers on the desk.
What am I going to do now? he thought, looking around and clenching his teeth.
«Yo, rookie! Can't handle a little trash talk?» Enzo jeered as he rolled up with Oliver.
The other classmates laughed, encouraging them to continue their aggression. Matt tried to brush them off, but they kept at it, dissing him and cracking jokes about his clothes and how he looked.
«Enough! What's wrong with you?» Matt defended himself, moving closer to Jacob with an angry look.
«Oh, look at this clown tryna act all tough!» Jacob scoffed, walking up to the desk and throwing his school diary right in his face.
Matt fell to his knees after the impact, grimacing and reaching for the spot where the notebook had hit him.
«What now, huh? Gonna run cryin' to your mommy?» Enzo taunted, stepping up closer with a laugh.
Jacob knelt next to Matt, still on his knees, trying to see if he could look into his eyes, squinting.
Why are they doing this to me? Matt thought as he blinked.
«If you think this is gonna end well for you, you ain't been payin' attention, bro,» Jacob whispered in Matt's ear.
The new teacher arrived shortly after Jacob had given his warning and walked away.
How am I going to survive the rest of the school year with these bullies tormenting me? This is too much, Matt wondered as he sat down and touched his eye.
One day, after history class, Oliver suddenly grabbed Matt's notebook and held it out of his reach.
«What's in there? Your lame-ass doodles?» he mocked.
«Give it back!» Matt demanded, reaching out and almost grabbing Oliver, who laughed and tossed the notebook to Jacob.
«Try to get it, pussy!» the Cobra prince taunted.
The other kids moved closer to Matt, laughing at his attempts to retrieve the notebook. At the end of class, Jacob stole his backpack and headed toward the exit, waiting for Matt outside the school that same day after tossing the backpack in the trash.
«The Chinese guy...» Jacob said with a grin, watching Matt approach him, his fists clenched as he stopped in front of the prince of the Cobras.
«Give me my stuff back, Jacob, you're pissing me off!» Matt said, looking at his backpack in the dumpster and then directing his gaze toward the clan scion.
«I just want to have some fun,» Jacob replied before slapping Matt and then pushing him to the ground. «Is it too much to ask?» he continued, looking down at him.
«Leave me alone, Jacob. I don't want any trouble...» Matt shot back, getting back up and seeing Jacob's friends descending the stairs from the school lobby.
«Too bad!» Jacob said, grabbing the collar of Matt's shirt. «You're going to have it anyway, newbie!» Jacob continued as Enzo and Oliver positioned themselves in front of him for backup.
Matt's eyes widened as Jacob tightened his grip on him. Then he looked around again, searching for a solution.
I can't react with force, but I can fight with words, he considered in his mind as he tried to break free. Maybe this could be my way out of this situation, he kept reflecting as he looked at Enzo and Oliver.
«You know what? You can push me as much as you want, but you will never break me. Never, Jacob. You can count on that,» Matt said, almost laughing at his own words.
After a brief moment of surprise, Jacob smiled. «We'll see about that!» he shot back, pushing Matt to the ground again.
«Let's go,» he said with a gesture, addressing his friends.
«See you tomorrow, loser,» Oliver added, speaking to Matt still on the ground as Enzo laughed.
Matt got back up and approached the trash can, while the girls exited the school lobby laughing with the other classmates. Hearing their laughter, he closed his eyes and picked up his backpack, then turned his gaze toward the figures of Jacob and his friends, now far away, gritting his teeth.
Hearing their laughter, he closed his eyes and picked up his backpack, then turned his gaze toward the figures of Jacob and his friends, now far away, gritting his teeth [https://img.wattpad.com/b1e641949c511b33f06bbe1b39534cb25b3424f0/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f435f5446653449647779474361413d3d2d313438313039373433392e313830643030346438666164313265623630353535363636343639362e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]
He had no idea that their encounter was just the beginning of a series of events destined to intertwine their lives.