Blackmailed by a Bully

Christian was tidying away the brushes from his art lesson when they appeared. The most feared gang in the school, plus his ex-victim.

He'd offered to help clean up the classroom in a desperate attempt to avoid Damon and the others. Normally, they wouldn't have thought to look for him here, being a bunch of underachieving delinquents, but Nathan was different. He was smart. With Nathan on their side, the bully gang were dangerous and harder to avoid.

"Aren't you the good little boy, offering to help the teacher," Ben commented. He picked up a piece of artwork that was drying on the side, gave it a look of contention then dropped it like it was a piece of trash. After giving his input Ben turned away from the group, perching on one of the stools and scrolling through his social media as he always did when Damon had his heart set on violence. Ben wasn't much of a fighter-he wouldn't want to ruffle his perfect hair. "Why?" He asked Damon. "Why are you suddenly on his side?"

Damon shrugged and grinned. "I do what I want... when I want."

"I'm sorry, okay?" Christian tried to plead with Nathan. "Please, man, don't be like this."

"Oh, save it," Damon scoffed. "You picked on Nathan for years... and for God knows what reason. You were probably just jealous that Crystal Davis had a thing for him."

Nathan made a confused face and turned slightly pink. He clearly had no idea about Crystal's crush on him, which was shocking considering how many people Crystal had told. She'd practically put a bulletin out.

"Do you remember-" Nathan interrupted his thoughts, "...when you pinned me down in science class and threatened to pour acid over me because I told the teacher you ruined my experiment?" Christian felt his blood run cold.

'They wouldn't do that... surely to God...'

He scanned them, desperately trying to figure out if they had stolen a bottle of acid from the science laboratory. He couldn't see one... but it could be hidden in one of their bags.

The thought made his heart race. He could feel himself starting to sweat and had to wipe his face with the sleeve of his oversized school shirt.

"No, we didn't bring acid," Nathan said, following his train of thought. "But there is this."

Nathan put the plug in the sink and turned on the hot tap. The tap was notorious for having no cold option. The only choices were off or scolding. Mrs Green had tried to get the administration to take a look at it so many times but apparently, the plumbing couldn't be easily changed, and the school didn't have the funds for such a big job. So, instead of fixing the problem, the school's grand solution was to put a huge warning poster above the sink. This would cover them in case anyone ever got hurt and tried to sue.

He could feel the heat radiating from the sink before he saw the steam rising.

'Surely they won't burn me?' Christian thought. Yes, he had threatened to burn Nathan, but he'd never intended to actually do it. The intention had been to scare him. Make him cry.

"I only did that to scare you," He explained to Nathan. "I would never do it in a million years. I swear."

"Yeah? Is that so?" Nathan asked, glancing at him. He was perched by the sink, legs crossed. His style was so different from before. He looked like a slightly more edgy version of Ben with his new clothes, contact lenses and haircut. "Yeah, I wouldn't do something that horrible. I swear to you," Christian promised.

"Maybe you wouldn't... and indeed, you didn't. The more imperative question is... would Damon?" Nathan said, flashing a sly half-smile.

Christian tried to swallow the lump in his throat, but it refused to budge.

'He's going to do it,' Christian realised. He looked about the room, trying to calculate whether there was an exit he could speed to before one of them caught him. It wasn't likely. Damon was renowned for being both fast and strong, plus his body was wound up like a coil, poised and ready to pounce.

"Please, Nathan. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything," Christian caved. He realised this is what they wanted. To see him squirm and beg and cry. He knew it was what bullies wanted because he was one of them. Yet, here he was, squirming and begging. He wouldn't cry. Probably. Hopefully.

Christian usually cried tears of frustration, rather than emotional tears. His stepdad always used to say, 'Boys don't cry.'

"I'm sorry," He repeated, shaking his head.

"How sorry?" Nathan asked. From the way they were smirking, Christian guessed this was a loaded question.

"I'll never be sorry enough, will I?" he asked.

"Aww," Ben cooed. "See... he isn't that stupid."

"Tell you what," Damon sighed. "I'll make a deal with you. If you can hold your arm in there for ten seconds, I'll leave you alone forever. Refuse or fail and... I'll make your life so bad you'll wish you weren't born." Christian didn't see a choice. He rolled up his sleeve and took a deep breath.

'It's just ten seconds of pain,' he told himself, psyching himself up. 'You can do it. Heck... you deserve it.'

Grimacing, Christian plunged his arm into the boiling water.

It was just too hot. The pain was too intense. He let out an involuntary squeal and yanked his arm back, cradling the angry red flesh with his other arm.

"Oh, come on, that was a pathetic attempt," Ben laughed. "That wasn't even ten milliseconds."

Christian clung to his arm, shaking. He couldn't do it. The one thing that could save him and he couldn't do it.

'Fuck.'

"Wuss," Damon scoffed.

"Well, why don't you do it then," Christian hollered louder than he'd intended. "If you think it's so easy."

With a shrug, Damon plunged his arm into the water, made a bored face and held it there for a count of ten before pulling it out. He didn't flinch. Didn't react to the heat one bit. The chances that the water had cooled to a bearable level were slim to none. It was still giving off wisps of steam.

"Oh geez, what did you go and do that for?" Chelsea cried. She grabbed the first aid kit and was fussing over Damon like she was the nurse love interest in some war drama and Damon was the handsome, wounded soldier. She squeezed the burns gel from the sachet and plastered it over his arm.

"Do unto others as you would have done to you," Damon uttered, face twisted into a scary grimace.

Everyone fell silent at this comment as if collectively holding their breaths. Damon was scary, even to his friends.

He wasn't a normal person. No normal person would do that.