This morning, everyone was in high spirits.  So high, in fact, that when Taki tripped and sent his breakfast flying into the face of a sophomore, both guys just laughed it off.  

"Sorry man."  Taki said, slapping him on the shoulder.  

 

"No problem.  I mean, I was just about to wash my clothes anyway."

"Yeah."  Taki waved his hand in front of his nose.  "You better hurry up and get that taken care of before everyone here dies from the smell."  He laughed.  The sophomore didn't.  

"Are you saying I smell bad, kid?"

"Ah...um...well..."  Taki struggled for words.  

The sophomore stood up.  Taki swallowed.  "Oh no."

The sophomore threw a punch that caught Taki in the side of his face.  Taki stumbled backward, knocked into a table of juniors, and spilled food all over them. "Get him."  They cried, and all hell broke loose.

Hans and Frans and Neil and I hurried to Taki's side.  I wasn't sure what help I would be in this food and fist fight, but Hans and Frans fought with the strength of several men and Neil was a master at various martial arts.  I kind of just stood there, in the midst of the fray, as everyone fought against everyone else.  Taki and his blunders seemed to have been forgotten.  It was each man for himself.  

"I'll protect you, Ethan."  Cole ran across the room just in time to get in the way of an incoming foot.   

"If anyone's going to be protecting Ethan,"  Taki shouted above the din, round kicking a senior.  "It's going to be me."  

"But I am his chauvinist."  

"I'm a black belt in Karate."

"Shut up both of you."   Neil interjected, stepping in front of me and throwing a charging student to the ground.  I stared on in awe.  "Taki, see the group in sweats over there."  He pointed to five boys roughly fifteen feet away.  "Flank left."

Taki saluted him.  "Got it."

"Hans and Frans?" 

The twins looked up from giving some jock a bloody nose.  "Yes?"

"Take that group head on."  

They nodded and followed Taki.  

"Ethan."  Neil turned to me.  

I felt a flicker of fear.  Would he send me out like the others?  I was too young to die!

"Let's get out of here."  He held out a hand.

Relief washed over me, and I smiled.  "Yeah."

I was just about to grab his hand when there was a loud bang.  Adam had thrown open the doors to the dining hall, and his angelic face had an expression so harsh that I was afraid that those blazing blue eyes would give me nightmares for months.  Butterfly and Damien stood two steps behind him on either side like bodyguards and looked just as menacing.  

"What is going on here?"  Adam shouted, though he didn't need to, everyone had frozen in place at his entrance and nobody seemed to want to move, let alone punch someone.  Wait, I take that back.  In the silence of the room, you could still hear Hans and Frans delivering the finishing blow to some guy in the back.  

Adam pointed a finger at the nearest person, a nerdy junior.  "Explain."

"Some freshman--"  The junior began, his voice trembling.  

"Ethan."  Adam interrupted.  "Was it you?"

What was I supposed to do?  I could tell the truth and say that it wasn't me, but then Adam would surely demand that I tell him who the real culprit.  I wouldn't betray my friends, but did that mean that I had to take the blame?

"It was me."  Neil said before I could answer.  "It was my fault."

Adam shook his head sadly.  "Come with me, Cornelius.  You too, Ethan."

Cole stepped forward.  "Allow me to accept Ethan's punishment."  He said.  "I owe him my life."

Adam chuckled mirthlessly.  "Don't be so pathetic." He said softly.  "All of you,"  He addressed the boys in the room.  "Clean up this mess.  Make it spotless.  I want this room so clean that I could eat in it."

He left, and Damien and Butterfly escorted Neil and me out after him.  

Our punishment?  Monopoly in room 222.  Adam won.