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“Someone goes over,” Greg said. He tilted his head toward where the balcony overlooked the main hallway below.
“What? Why?” I asked.
“Someone always does.”
Friday Fall. Someone gets thrown off of the second floor? Did it happen every Friday? How sick and twisted were these students? If Kota went over after being thrown, he might land on his back. He’d break his neck.
The group around Kota started moving in unison. Kota thrashed. His glasses were gone. His cheek was red and swelling. It took five of them to hang on to him and walk toward the balcony’s edge. People were yelling, some cheering. Most were watching, phone cameras recording. The group had a hard time keeping Kota up off of the ground. He fought them every step and he was hard to hang on to.
“I’ll go,” I shouted. “I’ll go over.”
“Shut up,” Greg said. “We can’t throw a fucking girl over.” Greg shot a hand out toward me, his fingers pushing against the middle of my chest, pressing my t-shirt up against my breasts.
“Sang!” Luke shouted.
North swung his body. Another student kicked him and jumped on his back. North went down next to Silas. Victor and Luke were thrown to the ground nearby.
Where were the teachers? Were they all outside? Why didn’t anyone standing by stop this?
“We have to hurry,” someone bellowed over the noise. “They’ll let them back inside in a minute.”
The group progressed, hoisting Kota above their heads again.
“Kota!” I called out. I elbowed Eric. He let go of one of my arms. His wrist crossed in front of my face.
I grabbed it with my free hand and clamped my mouth down on his arm. The taste of dirt and skin assaulted my tongue.
Eric cursed, dropping me to the floor. A kick landed on my thigh, hurling me down against the floor.
North howled. Luke bellowed. Victor was screaming my name.
The pile on top of Silas shifted up. “Sang!” Silas called out. “Fuck… shit…” I knew he couldn’t see what was going on but the hollering around him was enough to get him going.
It wasn’t enough, the guys on top of him regrouped, sending him to the ground again.
Greg gripped me by the hair, pulling me to my feet. “Stop it, bitch,” he said.
I crumbled under his grip, biting back a cry. I clawed at him, at his chest but he pulled tighter, swinging my head around where he wanted.
He smirked, his menthol breath getting close. A hand pressed against my butt, pulling me closer to him, the grip pressing into my skin. His mouth hovered over mine. “I like a fighter.”
I struck up against his jaw with my palm. I meant to slap him but that was better.
His eyes widened in surprise. He pushed me away, dropping back. I didn’t stop to see more. I flew across the hall toward the crowd, flinging myself against someone holding on to Kota. I jumped on his back, reaching for his grip on Kota’s foot. I dug my nails into his arm. He let go of Kota long enough to turn around and push me away.
It was enough. Kota was fighting again. He kicked at the person who had his other leg. He disappeared into the group around him.
“Greg, hold that damn girlfriend of yours,” Eric hollered.
I was grabbed again. I was hoisted up, pushed hard against the balcony, half of my body hanging over. A hand had me by the throat again.
“Sit still, bitch.” Greg spat at me. He pressed me against the half wall. His hands caught both of my wrists and he held them away.
He dropped a hand down to my breast and squeezed. His leg pressed up between my thighs against my crotch, he ground his knee into me hard.
Pain radiated through me, trailed heavily by disgust to make me cringe.
I wrestled with him, and pulled a wrist free. I flung a fist out blindly, striking against the center of his throat, knocking into his Adam’s apple.
Greg screamed. He pushed me away and I was going over the balcony.
“Sang!” a chorus of male voices shouted at once.
I was falling. I twisted, readying myself.
I knew before I hit the ground where I was going. The balcony wasn’t that high up, not for someone like me. I struck it feet first, my right foot getting a sharp hit. I wasn’t expecting how hard the floor of the hallway was. I sunk to my knees the moment I touched down, tucked my elbow in and forced myself into a roll, spilling out across the floor in front of a vending machine.
It took only a minute for me to recover and I was on my feet again. As I stepped forward, my right ankle bit back, letting me know it was probably sprained but I ignored it. The landing shook me, but I was fine.
From the time I fell to when I spilled out on the floor, the hall seemed to be in a dead silence.
When I started limp-running back across the hall, shouts erupted around me. I became aware of the people closing in, including from the administration offices. Somewhere among the crowd I recognized Nathan’s and Gabriel’s voices calling my name.
I didn’t stop. I zeroed in on the stairs again, leaping like a tiger up a hill against the steps to ease the bite in my foot. I was coming back for Kota and the others. No one could stop me.
A surge followed me. I sensed it like being chased in one of my dreams. Was the group chasing me going to try to stop me? I wouldn’t let them. I’d already done the Friday Fall. No one else had to go over.
Upstairs, Kota was no longer in the air. More kids were struggling against each other in the confusion, as if they were going to try to hurl anyone else over, the easiest one first.
Silas and the others were still on the ground. I jumped on one of the guys on top of Silas. I gripped at his shoulders, pushing my knees into his back to try to catch him off balance so he’d spill over. The boy pulled back off of Silas to push me away. This distracted a couple of the other guys around us and they struggled with me instead, trying to push me off.
It was all Silas needed. A foot flew out, followed by a fist. The guys on top of him started backing away. Silas was getting up.
Others that followed me from downstairs flooded around me. Fists flew. Kids holding camera phones, who were only there to watch, started running. The mob was cornered.
I struck out again at someone going after Silas. When I pushed him, he turned and hoisted me slightly as he pushed back, throwing me. I was flung across the floor. My phone sailed away from my pocket, disappearing amid the swarm. I tumbled, skidded, colliding with other students. My breath was knocked out of my lungs. I clutched at my chest, trying to will myself to breathe.
I was picked up. I struggled, clawing, biting.
The arms held strong around me. “Easy, girl,” a voice called into my ear. “We’re on your side.”
The familiar voice was enough to get me stop. Rocky held me, pressing me to his body. I coughed to get my lungs working again, sucking in air. He pulled me away from the crowd. He turned and I caught the collection of students that had joined us from downstairs. All male. All angry.
Greg was on the ground, trampled, his hands covering his throat. I wasn’t sure if he was breathing.
Kota was on his feet. One of the students that had lifted him into the air was now swinging punches. Kota raised a foot, dropping the kick against the kid’s chest. The student reeled back against the wall.
Nathan stood behind Kota, taking a defensive swing against someone else. Jay, Rocky’s friend, stood beside them, pushing another guy away.
Silas and North were up off the ground. A group of large guys tried launching at them full force to knock them against the wall. Silas and North held them back. Silas swiped at their feet, knocking two guys down. North grabbed some guy’s head and pulled him over his shoulder. The guy landed on his back at North’s feet.
Mike, Jer and other students were fighting alongside Luke and Victor and Gabriel. Other angry guys were pushing students toward the stairs. The shouts were accusing.
“Who threw her?”
“Fucked up tradition.”
?
?Chicken shit motherfuckers!”
I clutched at Rocky’s arms, wanting to get in there with them. He held me back, pulling me against the wall. “Hang back,” he commanded. I couldn’t fight him as strongly since he didn’t mean any harm.
The mob that started the mess receded. They were outnumbered now.
Kota and the others slowed as those left fighting started backing away. There were a handful of students knocked out on the ground, Greg was among them. Eric had disappeared.
“Let her go,” Silas boomed. He surged toward us against the wall.
Rocky gripped me, not understanding why Silas was so angry and coming after us. I couldn’t blame Rocky for being confused. He didn’t know us. I wrestled with Rocky to get a hand out, I held up a palm toward Silas. “Wait,” I called to him.
Silas stopped dead at my command. His fists still clenched, he gritted his teeth.
