MOMENTS BETWEEN US: PART 11

I stood there, frozen, as I watched the scene unfold before me. The senior leaned in close to Lora, his breath hot against her ear as he whispered his demand. My heart sank as I realized what was happening—the senior was blackmailing her, using the threat of public humiliation to get what he wanted.

Lora’s expression flickered with a mix of fear and defiance as she squared her shoulders, her jaw set in determination. “I’m not going to do that,” she said, her voice trembling slightly but firm. “You can’t force me to do something I don’t want to do.”

I felt a surge of anger rise within me, hot and pulsing like a volcano on the brink of eruption. How dare he? How dare he try to manipulate Lora like this, to take advantage of her vulnerability for his own selfish gain? Every fibre of my being screamed for me to intervene, to step in, and to put an end to this charade once and for all.

But as I stood there, my mind whirling with conflicting emotions, I couldn’t help but hesitate. The memory of my last confrontation with the senior flashed before my eyes, the punishment I received after that, and how my housemaster warned me to behave well in the same. The thought of facing another senior filled me with a sense of dread that threatened to paralyze me where I stood.

I glanced at Lora, her eyes pleading for help, and I knew that I couldn’t just stand by and watch as she suffered at the hands of this bully. With a deep breath, I squared my shoulders and stepped forward, my voice steady despite the nerves that churned in my stomach like a stormy sea.

“Hey, back off,” I said, my tone firm and unwavering. “Leave her alone.”

The senior’s gaze snapped to me, his smirk faltering for a moment before returning in full force. “And what are you going to do about it?” He sneered, his voice dripping with contempt.

I took another step forward, my fists clenched at my sides as I met his gaze head-on. “I’ll do whatever it takes to protect her,” I replied, my voice steady with resolve. “Even if it means taking you down.”

For a moment, there was a tense silence as we faced off, the air thick with anticipation. And then, without warning, the senior let out a mocking laugh, his shoulders shaking with amusement as he turned and walked away, leaving Lora and me standing there in the fading light of the evening.

As the adrenaline slowly began to ebb away, I turned to Lora, a mixture of relief and uncertainty swirling in my chest like a whirlpool. “Are you okay?” I asked, my voice softer now, tinged with concern.

She nodded, a small but grateful smile playing at the corners of her lips. “Yeah, thanks to you,” she replied, her eyes shining with gratitude. “I don’t know what I would have done without you.”

I said goodbye to Lora, and we exchanged a gesture of blowing kisses and smiling. However, as I headed towards the dormitory, I started feeling uneasy. Something seemed off. Suddenly, I heard a commotion in front of me. I saw a group of seniors arguing with each other and approaching me. Their faces were filled with anger, and they were gesticulating wildly. I froze, and fear gripped me. I realized that I had walked into the middle of a brewing trouble.