"Don't stand like that," I muttered to my partner and glanced over at the instructor. "I can just kick your knee in and then you're down."

The bird I was partnered up with looked down at his legs and frowned. "How should I stand then?"

"Don't lock your knees, and stop hunching you back. You're big. Use it." 

"I'm just big compared to you," he shot back. 

"Aren't you big then? You're fighting me."

"Mr Creed." 

I took a deep breath and turned towards the instructor. He was coming towards the bird, who I never could remember the name of, and me.

"Mr Trainer."

"Is this talking time?" he asked. I wasn't supposed to answer that. "Are you trading recipes ladies? Hair products? Because I'm sure, you're not actually training here. Get back to it ladies!" 

I turned back to the bird. "Hit me." 

"What?"

"Just do it. That guy is never going to get off my case unless somebody actually hits me. So hit me!" I growled and took a step forward. The bird slammed his fist right on my cheekbone. It didn't even break or anything. "You call that a punch?"

He punched me again, harder this time. I caught the instructor looking over at us again with a wide smile on his face.

"I really don't want to punch you again," the bird said with a low voice.

"He saw it. We can go back to normal training now," I muttered.

The bird was getting better the longer we went at it. We finally stopped and sat down on the mat to stretch.

"That guy really hates you," the bird said quietly and nodded towards the instructor.

"A lot of people here do," I replied and shrugged.

"I bet. Don't take it too seriously though. This might be military, but it's still high school." The bird rose from the mat and nodded to me. I nodded back. Nat dropped down next to me and placed her foot in my lap.
"Help me stretch," she just said, not looking like she was in the best mood. 

"How was training?" I asked and started bending her foot down. She winced and growled at me. I guess that was enough of an answer. Something cracked in her foot, and she groaned. "What's wrong with your ankle?"

"Nothing."

I bent it, and she jerked it out of my hands. "You should tell Birdie about it. He can take you to a doctor."
"I don't want to talk to any of those brothers, all right? Back the fuck off, Nathan!" She rose to her feet and stalked out. Ryan was with us today and sent me a look. I just waved my hand and motioned him to go after her. I rose too and walked out in the locker room. Nobody ever used them, since all the students lived in the dorms right next to the gym, leaving them free for me to get changed.

The minute I walked out there though, I knew something was wrong. The door slammed behind me, and four guys from my class appeared from behind the lockers.

"Hey Creed," one big dog said. Always the fucking dogs.

I didn't say anything back. I had been in enough brawls to know when one was starting. They were definitely out for blood. And I couldn't touch them.

I took a deep breath and tried going to a happy place in my head. I wasn't going to touch them. I wasn't going to touch them. I wasn't going to touch them.

"So, how many of ours have you and your feral friends killed?" the big fish said.

"I'm not feral," I just replied.

"You're not? Then why were you in prison? Was it because you're such a tiny little bitch?" The dog walked forward and towered over me. "Or because you're a faggot?"
I slowly clenched my fists. They were just trying to rile me up. They didn't know shit about me.

I just sighed deeply again and looked up at him. I wasn't afraid of them, I had tried so much worse than this. They were probably going to punch me in the face and then stomp a couple ribs in. I would be fine in less than a week.

The fish and the smaller dog started towards me and grabbed my arms. They slammed me against the wall and got me down on my knees. The one who had slammed the door behind me walked over and grabbed my head.
"Turn it to the side. We're going to make sure this little shit never forgets what he is." The dog had a knife in his hand.

"Fucking Yankee arseholes," I growled back.

"Shut up, kittycat," the bird said and dug his fingers into my arm.

The dog bent down and put the blade against my cheek. "You better not move. I have such slippery fingers. Wouldn't want to take an eye out."

I had been here before, and that was a dog too. Arseholes all of them, I was sure.

I didn't try to fight it, I just stared up at the dog. This place... Was exactly the same as prison. These kids were just as feral as the prisoners. There was no difference.

The knife dug into the skin on my cheek, leaving a burning crease in its path, but I knew how to not show I was in pain. I knew how to be strong. This was nothing compared to getting beaten in that bathroom back in prison.

They finally let go, but I stayed on my knees. I could feel the blood trickle down my cheek, but I didn't wipe it away. 

"You feel better now?" I asked coolly. 

The guys looked at each other, but nobody answered. I snorted, rose to my feet and pushed them aside, grabbed my stuff but stopped at the door. 

"You know, next time it's a lot more intimidating if you don't need three people to help you hold down one guy," I said, aimed at the dog.

I knew how it looked. They had just carved my face up, and I didn't even react to it. Didn't even wipe the blood off as it kept hitting my shirt.

I just snorted again, when none of them said anything and walked out. Ryan came walking back in the same time with Nat. 

"What the..." Ryan said and stalked towards me. He grabbed my chin and tipped my head to the side. "What happened?"

"I slipped," I replied.

"You slipped? And the 'F' carved into your cheek just happened?" 

"Yes." 

"Nathan, this is assault. Someone assaulted you, do you understand that? You're going to tell me who did this to you!"

"The floor. I slipped." 

"Nathan, stop! Seriously! This isn't prison. Just tell him who did this!" Nat growled and grabbed my hand.
I looked down at Nat and finally wiped the blood off, my cheek starting to burn and sting. "This isn't prison? Then why are they acting like ferals?"

She frowned and let go of my hand. She pulled her sleeve down and wiped the blood off my face. 

"You need stitches," Ryan said a lot softer. "Come on, I am taking you to the infirmary. Just let me get some paper or something."

He walked towards the toilet. The guys from my class came walking out from the dressing room. 

"Nat, have I ever told you about that time I stabbed a guy in the throat for looking funny at me?" I asked loudly. I caught the gaze of the dog and smirked. "He didn't survive." 

Nat frowned at me and looked over at the guys. "Oh really? I had something similar happen to me in prison. Sometimes it was hard to differentiate between all the inmates, but I never forget a face." She waved at the guys. "Never."

Ryan returned, and the guys were fast to shuffle out. Neither Nat nor I mentioned what just went down. I was going to take care of them myself. If they wanted to act like prison, I was going to give them prison.

"Mom? We're home," Ryan yelled out through the house, the minute we entered. Jake came walking out from the kitchen and paled the minute she saw me. I had a big plaster on my face and had 32 stitches on my cheek. 

"What happened?" she looked at the shirt and then at my face. I just clenched my jaw and slowly walked around her. 

"Is Che out running?" I asked instead of answering her. 

"No, sweetheart, he's in the living room."
"Cheers," I muttered and headed there. I might as well get it over with.

I opened the door and looked in. Che was lying on the couch, the remote control in his hand. He looked up at me smiled and then his smile paled.

"What happened?" he asked coolly and rose from the couch. I could tell him the truth, but then he would have to tell Ryan and Birdie, and then I wouldn't be able to handle it myself. And I still had this feeling of never telling anybody about shit like this.

He started peeling the plaster off and took a step back. "What the fuck is that?" 

I looked to the side and bit down on my lip. 

"Nathan! What the fuck is that?!" 

"I slip-"

"Don't fucking tell me you slipped or something stupid like that." He took a closer look at my cheek. I hadn't even seen it myself yet. I wondered how big it was. "Who did this?"

"I am taking care of it, Che."

"No, you fucking aren't because when you take care of things, people end up either missing an eye or dead! Now tell me who did this!" 

"Che." Ryan was standing in the door with his arms folded over his chest. 

"Where the fuck were you when they carved his face up?" Che growled angrily and turned to his brother. 

"I am not appreciating what you're insinuating right now." Ryan frowned. 

"Che," I muttered. What the fuck was he doing? He was going to blow it all up because I got cut a bit?

"We're supposed to protect him! You were supposed to protect him!"

"Calm down, Che, he didn't die." 

Che just stop! Stop stop stop! This is an overreaction. Ryan didn't react like that, and Birdie wouldn't. I knew where Che was coming from, if anybody had done that to him, I would go fucking nuts too, but not in front of a person who could potentially kill me! For sleeping with his brother! Not to mention Che's entire future would be ruined. 

"Instead he has a fucking 'F' carved in his fucking face, Ryan!"

"I was gone for less than five minutes, Che. There haven't been problems with Nathan going to the locker rooms before."

"You should've had your eyes on him the entire time! Now he has to look in the mirror and look at that 'F' for the rest of his life!" Che shouted back. He put his hand on my shoulder, and I automatically grabbed it. And that's where Ryan finally caught on to what this was actually about.

He narrowed his eyes and looked from me to Che. Then his entire face kind of went longer. His eyebrows went up as far as they could, making his forehead wrinkle. He looked back at me and slowly closed his eyes. He stumbled back against the wall in the hall and rubbed his eyes. He slid down in a crouch and buried his face in his hands. 

"Che..." His voice came out muffled through his hands. "Of all the people. Of all the fucking people. You choose the one you cannot touch. The one person! One." He looked up at his brother. Che was completely pale.
"I don't know what you're talking about," he said, his voice coming out a bit high pitched.

"Ryan... Sweetheart..." Jake started, but Ryan just shook his head. 

"Of course, you know. Of course. Does Aidan know too? Am I the only one who doesn't fucking know that Che here, the incredibly smart agent, is... What? What are you doing with him?" He rose to his full length and turned to me. "What the fuck are you doing with my brother?"

"Back the fuck off!" Nat growled and stepped in front of him.

"This is great!" He laughed a dead laugh. "Absolutely great! Che, what are you doing? This is your life! This is his life! What are you thinking?! Are you even thinking at all?"

"Ryan," Jake said very firmly. "Stop now. I think we all get your point, honey." 

"Do you, Mom? Do you?" He looked absolutely desperate. "How long has it been going on? Che are you even aware of what this means?"

"Nothing. It doesn't mean anything," Che said quietly. 

"He is a legal minor! They can charge you with statutory rape!"

"That is bullshit," Nat snorted. Ryan just glanced down at her before looking at me.

"My father is in charge of the programme, Nathan. Did it not occur to you that he might not be very happy about this?" 

"He doesn't know," I said.

"You know? I just thought you were good friends. Close friends. But I didn't know you were this close! Oh my god..." 

"Ryan!" Jake almost shrieked. "Enough! You will not tell a single soul, do you understand me? Not a soul!" 

"Mom, I have-"

"You don't have to do anything! You will not jeopardise your brother or the twins! It is harmless."

"Harmless?" He looked back at me and sighed. 

"You can't tell," I said. 

"No, I know that. But you have to stop! Stop before anybody else finds out! Please, Che, for once just do as you're told." 

"They can't just stop, mate." Nat rolled her eyes and leaned up against the wall, her hands in her pockets. "And by the way, my brother got carved an 'F' for 'feral' in his face today, so maybe we should get our priorities straight."

Ryan ran his hands over his face again and nodded. "Yeah... Yeah, you're right. I have to write a report. Just... I have to report this. There are only like 15 people in your class. The choices are very limited."

"Ryan," I said calmly. "You don't have to report anything. It's nothing. Honestly, it's fine. It's just stupid kids doing stupid shit." 

"It goes beyond just stupid shit or bullying, Nathan. What they did is feral behaviour. You understand that right? You're not feral, not their prisoner. You're a person, and nobody should get away with treating you like anything less."

"I'm no one," I said flatly. "Nobody cares. Nothing is going to happen. Just don't do anything."

"Stop saying that, Nathan..." Che said. "Ryan's right. This isn't prison." 

"Go outside all three of you. I'll make some calls." Ryan rushed us out to the porch in the back yard and closed the door behind us.

I sat down on the steps down to the lawn, put my arms on my knees and rested my forehead on my arms. I felt sick, and my cheek was throbbing. Che sat down next to me, and Nat leaned her back against my legs. 

"I didn't even say anything to them," I muttered. 

"They just hate us, Nathan." Nat didn't seem very bothered by it. "So I guess you guys are out to your brother." 

"I should never have gone off on him," Che muttered the same way I just had.

I unhooked my arm from my head and laced my fingers with his. I raised my head and put my arm over Nat's shoulder. She grabbed my hand and squeezed it.

"I'm sorry." 

"Don't!" Che bristled and looked angrily at me. "Don't apologise for something that isn't your fault! You hear me? None of this shit is your fault, okay? None of it."

"He's right you know," Nat chimed in and looked at me. Again with the 'it's all their fault'. I just nodded.