***
As Gabriel returned from his locker and preemptive meeting with his instructor, he paused at the top of the stairwell. He checked his cell phone to see if there were any messages from Dr. Terzini. There were none. As he placed his foot on the first tread, he heard a voice; Melissa’s voice. It was shrill and distressed. His body immediately and inexplicably responded to her cries sending a surge of adrenaline through him. It activated every cell in him. He ran down the three flights of steps with dexterity and ease, descending them at full speed three at a time.
Reaching the last step then finally the landing, he ran and rounded the corner of the vestibule. He immediately saw the large group that had formed. In the center of the chaos, Eric Sala and John DeNardi stood.
“Hey!” Gabriel yelled as he approached the horde. He knew who was at the center enduring their verbal brutality before he even saw her. Melissa, fragile, vulnerable and with tears streaming down her face, was cowed before them.
Enraged, he screamed, “What tough guys! Picking on a hundred-pound girl!” as he shoved past the outer-edge of the crowd. Gabriel stepped up to Kevin Anderson’s two disciples.
Toe to toe, with his face just inches from theirs, he growled, “This ends here!”
Gabriel’s intensity and posturing forced both Eric and John to instinctively back away.
“Let’s do this right here right now!” Gabriel confronted.
Eric and John, stunned, offered no response. Stifled and silenced, they stood shiftlessly.
Talking through clenched teeth, Gabriel challenged and spread his arms, “What, nothing to say now, you friggin’ cowards?”
Still, neither Eric nor John spoke.
“Where’s Kevin?” Gabriel demanded once again. “I am ending this, with all of you, today, right now!”
John and Eric remained quiet and gestured, rather, to the double doors at the rear of the hallway that led to the back parking lot. As they did so, the mob that gathered to witness Melissa’s verbal bashing began to break up. Unflinching, Gabriel glowered at the set of followers. Most squirmed with discomfort before lowering their gazes to their feet and turning to walk away.
“I will see you both in the parking lot,” Gabriel resolved, addressing John and Eric.
To Melissa Gabriel asked concernedly “Are you okay?”
When she answered him, her voice was overwrought and quavering. “Let’s just get out of here.”
“No! I am ending this now!”
“Please Gabriel, just let it go.”
“I can’t let it go. It’s not going to stop. It’ll keep getting worse.”
“Please!” Melissa begged as she trailed Gabriel down the hallway.
Although Gabriel suffered at hearing her emotional appeals, he knew he must not be swayed. He recognized the necessity of confronting Kevin in front of his followers. He needed to be shamed the way he and his friends continually attempted to shame Melissa; he needed to agonize as she had over his many abuses.
Rallied further by his irate thoughts, Gabriel slammed open the metal doors and stalked out into the rear parking area.
Across the lot, he had a clear view of Kevin holding court beside his sleek Infiniti G37 Sport Coupe, likely regaling a group of his adoring peers with tales of his many sports-related achievements: game winning touchdowns, expertly executed three-point basketball shots and complex wrestling maneuvers.
Smiling smugly as he spoke, revealing his signature set of blinding-white teeth along with his trademark solitary dimple on his right cheek, Kevin seemed to hold his audience spellbound. He gestured vigorously as he addressed them, giving emphasis to his every account. Every gaze remained fixed on him.
The group of eyes veiled by adulation for Kevin proved beneficial for Gabriel. It gave him an advantage. Kevin’s admirers did not take notice of his advancement toward them; they did not warn him.
Utilizing the benefit of surprise, Gabriel strode with confidence and purpose as anger coursed through his veins. But he did so unnoticed. As he drew near, Kevin, as if possessed by his bloated and distorted sense of worth, did not even bother to look up until it was too late and Gabriel was before him.
“Hey, Anderson!” Gabriel shouted. “I thought I told you to leave Melissa alone!”
A faint expression of surprise flashed across Kevin’s face before he regained his composure and retorted. “Let your little whore fight her own battles.”
Hearing Kevin supplant Melissa’s name with such a revolting euphemism evoked a resurgence of rage in Gabriel. He longed to release his wrath on Kevin, to free the contempt he’d carefully harnessed at their last encounter in the woods.
“You better watch what you say about her, Kevin!” Gabriel warned.
“Yeah, what’re you gonna do about it asshole?” Kevin challenged.
Gabriel could tell it was fake confidence. He could see sweat trickle down from his hairline and the wild pulsation of his carotid artery. Gabriel assumed Kevin was hoping he would not accept his challenge.
“You want to settle this right here? Let’s go!” Gabriel accepted.
“Go away, Gabriel,” Kevin said. “Don’t make a fool of yourself. You’re not catching me off-guard now like you did at the bonfire.”
The mention of the bonfire, the night when Kevin drugged Melissa and struck her repeatedly and tried to rape her, was all Gabriel needed to incense him.
“If by off-guard you mean when I interrupted you attacking a defenseless girl you were trying to rape, then yeah, you were off-guard! I’m not going anywhere! This ends right here, right now!” Gabriel contested.
Gabriel remained, readied to jump at the first sign of aggression. With his shoulders squared, and feet planted, every muscle in his body yearned to attack. He listened intently and waited for Kevin to accept his challenge, and act.
“No, man. Another time, another place,” he faltered. “Don’t embarrass yourself. You’re new here. I’ll give you a pass. Just go inside.”
Gabriel scrutinized Kevin as he spoke. His calm façade was just that. Gabriel guessed he was not the only one able to see past the thinly veiled fear imprinted on his every feature. He decided to exploit his opponents dread.
“What’s the matter, Kevin? All talk? Are you afraid or something?” Gabriel taunted. “We both know what would happen if we fought again, the same thing that happened at the bonfire. I’d kick your ass again like the little punk you are!”
“Shut up asshole!” Kevin whined.
“Why don’t you come over here and shut me up! I’m standing right here!” Gabriel outstretched his arms. “Come on Kevin. What are you waiting for?”
It did not surprise Gabriel when Kevin did not move toward him. Predictably, Kevin just stood, astonished, unable to speak.
“Nothing to say now Anderson? Cause all you’ve done for the last few days is run your mouth about how you were jumped, how I, alone, couldn’t have messed you up like I did while you tried to rape Melissa in the woods! Well, put your money where your mouth is!” Gabriel shouted. “Let’s go! Right here right now! Prove to everyone what a badass you really are!”
Still, Kevin remained silent.
“Oh! That’s right. I forgot. If I were a drugged and defenseless girl, you’d be all over me. But I’m not, am I?”
The crowd that moments ago stood captivated by Kevin Anderson, began to slowly distance themselves from him. Gradually, the pack started to thin as onlookers became painfully aware that Kevin would not answer Gabriel’s challenge.
“See Kevin, even the sheep who worship you here are seeing that you’re not just a coward but a liar!” Gabriel yelled.
Kevin’s posture degenerated right before Gabriel’s eyes. Instead of standing proudly erect before a captive of audience, he slouched alone. With rounded shoulders, he hunched slightly. His hands were now stuffed in the front pockets of his jeans.
More students departed. Some muttered negative comments about Kevin as they passed. His self-serving anecdo
tes would no longer have the potency they did earlier. Kevin had been humbled, shamed.
Gabriel suppressed a triumphant smirk as he witnessed the effectiveness of his public chastisement of him. Kevin turned toward the driver’s side door of his black sports car and, careful to not meet Gabriel’s stare, climbed in. After starting the engine, he shifted into gear and accelerated quickly. Dirt kicked up and scattered as his tires spun. He left, unceremoniously, quickly.
Gabriel watched as Kevin sped off before turning to Melissa who had nervously witnessed the entire scene unfold.
Half-expecting Melissa to turn and run from him, Gabriel was pleasantly surprised when she approached him and wordlessly wrapped her arms around him