Free The Perfection Paradox by LaurenVDW

ever answer back. You do
not want to mess with that guy. He beat up my older brother a few
years ago even though my brother was a senior at the time and
Hunter was a freshman. My brother was in hospital for two
days.”
    All the light
heartedness of the evening had disappeared now as Marie peered into
her eyes earnestly, pleading to Hannah to never allow herself to be
in such a position again.
     
    10.
    “ Look who it
is…” Matt heard a deep voice boom from behind him.
    His stomach
flipped unpleasantly.
    He pressed
his lips together and tried to enter his locker combination
shakily.
    “ Hey
loser… ”
    The lock
slipped out from between Matt’s sweaty fingers. He closed his eyes,
trying to calm himself.
    Suddenly he
felt someone tug his school bag and he stumbled back.
    Hunter pushed
him up against the wall of lockers ferociously.
    “ Don’t ignore
me you little bitch. Give me your lunch money, now !”
    Matt stared
down at the floor.
    “ I don’t have
any money…”
    “ Bullshit! ” Hunter interrupted,
“Don’t lie to me…” he threatened, shoving him against the lockers
again. Matt’s head snapped back, colliding loudly with the locker
door behind him.
    “ Please just
let me go” Matt whispered.
    “ You going to
go running to Mommy again?” Hunter sneered, “Give me your money you
faggot!”
    He waited
several seconds and when Matt didn’t respond he pulled his
schoolbag off his back, unzipped it and dropped its contents on to
the linoleum.
    Textbooks,
binders, a calculator that’s screen cracked on impact, lay
scattered.
    A few dollar
bills wafted out to the floor.
    Hunter threw
the empty bag to one side and picked up the money.
    “ What did I
say about you lying to me asshole?” He asked dangerously, waving
the crumpled notes slowly in Matt’s face.
    “ Taylor!” he
roared, without taking his eyes off Matt, “help me teach this
Momma’s boy a lesson”.
    Matt
scrambled to get out from under his strong arms, but to no
avail.
    “ No… no… ” he whispered,
desperately trying to free himself.
    Taylor
scoffed at Hunter, “you’ve taught him a lesson every day this
week!”
    Hunter shot
Taylor an aggressive glance and Taylor tossed his schoolbag into
his locker, sighing, before helping Hunter drag Matt to the boys’
bathroom.
    Hunter kicked
open a cubicle door and pulled Matt in with him.
    “ Looks like
someone’s left a treat here for you” He snapped before grabbing
Matt’s collar and shoving him head first into the toilet
bowl.
    Matt
spluttered and struggled, water filled his mouth and stung his
eyes. As Hunter yanked his head out, Matt gasped for air, inhaling
the odour of the excrement that filled the toilet.
    He gagged
loudly, trying to hold his breath to block out the smell, but it
filled his mouth and his nostrils, inescapable.
    As he tried
to cover his mouth with his hands his body convulsed and he
vomited. It dribbled down his chin, dripping down on to his t-shirt
and jeans.
    Hunter had
let go of him and was standing outside the cubicle, howling with
laughter. He just managed to take out his phone and snap a picture
of Matt bent over the toilet seat, rancid yellow spew covering the
floor and seat, before slamming the cubicle door shut and strolling
out of the men’s toilet triumphantly.
    Matt sat
there for several minutes catching his breath, letting his
breathing slow. He got to his feet and stumbled to the row of sinks
and mirrors. He glanced up, there was a bruise developing on his
forehead from where he’d hit the hard surface of the toilet bowl
and his lip trickled scarlet bloody tears. His wet hair was
plastered to his forehead.
    He turned on
the tap, his hand shaking violently, his stomach still twisted in
knots of dread and fright. He poured lukewarm water on to his face
and then over his head, trying to rinse out the remains of shit and
toilet water.
    Matt slumped
through his front door wearily that afternoon, dropping his
schoolbag on to the floor and heading up