—
“Sixteen out of twenty,” I said, glancing at Kailey, who sighed and slumped into the bed. “You did well. Just make sure to review the corrections.”
“I will,” she murmured, rolling onto her side and taking a cookie from the plate. She bit into it, then mumbled through her mouthful, “Like I said, I don’t want you blaming me for taking second place later or something.”
I chuckled, leaning back against the headboard. “I’m good, alright? I study diligently.”
Kailey arched an eyebrow, scepticism clear despite the cookie in her mouth. She wouldn’t say it outright, but I knew she was checking to make sure I was keeping up with my studies, too.
“You were thinking something annoying just now, weren’t you?” she said.
I blinked, shocked by how accurate she was. Was she psychic or something? “You’re imagining things,” I replied, grabbing a cookie.
“I call bullshit,” she shot back.
I sighed, but before I could answer, my phone buzzed at the far end of the bed, just out of reach.
“Can you pass that over?” I asked Kailey, nodding toward the phone. To my relief, she handed it over without complaint.
I glanced at the screen at the unfamiliar number. After a brief pause, I answered. “Hello?”
“It’s Cohen,” a voice said. Before I could respond, he continued, “Come to the bridge overlooking the pond. Now. She’s coming too. You'd better hurry.”
The call ended abruptly, leaving me staring at the screen. Why did he want to meet me? And who was ?
“What’s wrong?” Kailey asked.
I turned to her, realising I had entirely forgotten she was still in the room. “Something just came up. I need to go.” Kailey frowned, apprehension on her face as she sat up and began gathering her things. “Don’t worry; I’ll be fine,” I reassured her.
“I’m not worried about you, idiot,” she said, slinging her bag over her shoulder. “Don’t forget we’re studying again tomorrow.”
“Got it,” I said, walking her to the door.
She paused at the doorway, back turned. “Good luck with... whatever it is.”
“What was that? Could you repeat yourself?” I teased.
She flipped me off before quickly stepping out the door. I laughed, but Cohen’s words echoed in my mind.
“If my predictions are right…” I muttered, scrolling through my contacts and tapped a familiar name.
“I was just about to call you,” Amelie said. “Looks like the group’s making a move.”
“Yeah. Cohen just called and told me to meet him at the bridge over the pond,” I said, pacing. “I have an idea what they might be planning since they chose there, but I need your help.”
Amelie paused, then said, “We probably have the same idea. That place is a blind spot. Anything could happen, and that’s exactly what they’re counting on.”
“Exactly,” I said, slipping on my jacket. She easily understood the situation and was on the same wavelength as me.
“I’ll look around and keep watch; you go meet up with him and remember to be careful.”
“Got it. You too.”
I hung up, shoved the phone into my pocket, and headed to the bridge where Cohen was waiting.
—
—
I reached the bridge, breathless, and found Cohen gripping Hazel’s hair. Her face twisted in pain as she struggled weakly.
“Finally, you show up,” he said, then threw her against the railing. She gasped and collapsed to the ground, her body crumpled like a discarded doll.
“Marcus,” she whispered.
I clenched my fist. This guy… if my suspicions were correct, this was all orchestrated to provoke me into fighting him.
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“Cohen, what are you doing?” I said, my voice steady despite the fury rising inside me.
He glanced at me, a grin spreading across his face, before turning to Hazel, who was still on the ground. “Just having a little fun,” he said. “A bit of chaos before I leave this place for good. That’s what I need right now.”
A little bit of chaos, he says.
Cohen laughed, tossing his head back as if I'd just told the funniest joke. “Do you think that applies to me? I’m not a student anymore.”
“Even worse,” I replied. “That makes this assault. You can be sued for attacking a member of the student body. And there are cameras everywhere.”
Nobody would try to do something like this out here unless they knew—
“Cameras?” he scoffed. “Let me tell you something, Marcus... there are no cameras out here.”
So I was right; they chose this spot deliberately. I kept my expression neutral. No need to tip my hand yet.
“That still doesn’t give you the right,” I said, moving past him toward Hazel. “Are you okay?”
She looked up at me as I crouched down to her, her voice weak. “I…”
“Think you can just walk away?” Cohen snapped.
I gave him a cold glance. “Of course. Or are you suggesting I can’t?”
I turned my attention back to Hazel, who suddenly gasped and shouted. “WATCH OUT!”
I spun, barely dodging Cohen’s sweeping kick to my back. His foot missed by inches. I stepped back, facing him.
“A sneak attack? Are you really that much of a coward?” I said.
Cohen grinned. “It doesn’t matter how it starts. What matters is that I win.”
I exhaled. “I’m not going to fight you.”
“We’ll see about that,” he growled, lunging forward with startling speed. His fist shot toward my abdomen, but I stepped back, just avoiding the strike.
He immediately threw his left leg forward, and I raised my right arm to block it. The power of the strike was real, which meant that he was serious about wanting to actually start a fight.
“Come on, Marcus. Show me what you’re made of,” he taunted, swinging his fists faster, and I responded by dodging and blocking as best I could. I took multiple steps back, as I had to readjust myself each time. I had less than a second to do this, redistributing my weight with each movement to avoid taking a full hit.
Then he opened his palm for a grab as he went for my collar, but I smacked his arm away before grabbing onto it to his surprise and pulling him in, using his own momentum to go past him, releasing his arm and sending him in the opposite direction.
“I’m warning you. Stop this,” I said sharply.
He froze for a moment, then glanced at Hazel, who was now sitting against the railing, and I knew instantly what he was about to do.
He charged at her. So did I.
Just as he raised his knee toward her face, I threw myself in front of her and caught the blow with both arms.
“Marcus!” Hazel cried out.
I watched as Cohen lifted his arm in the air and brought it down on my shoulder. I released his knee and quickly blocked the other arm, which was coming up at my face.
Right now, I am in a worrying predicament. I needed to protect Hazel, but he was clearly using that to his advantage. This forced me to make a move that I would have wanted to avoid, but given the circumstances, this was needed.
I clenched my teeth, dropped my guard, and took a heavy hit to the ribs. Grabbing him, I spun us away from Hazel, putting distance between ourselves and her.
My guard was still purposely let down as he kept swinging, but I deflected anything aimed at my head.
From his fighting style, I could tell it was rough and unrefined, the kind born from countless street fights. His attacks lacked rhythm or technique, relying instead on brute force and his larger frame to deliver power and force to his strikes.
He swung a kick, which I blocked, but the impact still knocked me off balance, and he seized the moment to land a punch to the side of my face. I staggered, catching myself with my hands.
“Come on, Marcus, don't tell me that's all you got,” Cohen taunted, approaching slowly.
“I’m warning you. Stop this,” I said, straightening and touching the spot he’d hit. “This won’t end well for you.”
“Marcus…” Hazel’s voice pulled my attention as she looked at me, eyes filled with distress. “Please, get away from here.”
“I’m not leaving without you.”
Cohen charged again with a right hook, which I dodged and caught.
“MARCUS!!!” a voice rang out.
We both turned. Across the water, Amelie came sprinting into view with someone chasing her.
That split-second distraction cost me. Cohen’s fist slammed into my gut, knocking the air from my lungs, and I staggered, vision swimming.
Think, Marcus. Amelie had the camera. Their plan to manipulate the evidence was over.
Now I could act.
Cohen was about to pull his hand from my abdomen in preparation for another strike, but I caught it with one hand. He was too close, and in one swift motion, I drove my elbow into his gut, making him double over, then landed a clean blow to the side of his face.
He staggered back, and I didn’t hesitate as I immediately closed the distance. A right hook landed in his ribs, and a second blow clipped his jaw. I unleashed a flurry of blows, finishing with a powerful uppercut to his midsection that lifted him off the ground. As he bent forward again, I locked his head in a firm hold.
He wrapped his arms around my waist, muscles straining as he put all his power in his legs in an attempt to shove me toward the bridge’s railing. He wasn’t going down easily. I had to end this fast so I could get to Amelie. Physics was a beautiful thing, and I was about to use it to its fullest extent.
Using his momentum, I shifted my stance and drove my knee into his unguarded chest—a quick, brutal strike that knocked the air out of him and stunned him even if it was for half a second. This was enough. I adjusted my grip, locked my arms around his torso, and pivoted hard, lifting him with his own force. Gravity did the rest as he came crashing down to the ground with a heavy thud, the impact reverberating through the bridge.
I stood over him, breathing hard. He groaned, clutching his side. His attempts to stand were feeble, and I knew he was out of the fight, at least for now.
I turned to Hazel, who stared at me in shock, one hand over her mouth.
“I’ll be back, alright?”