There was a crowd outside of the cafeteria, they were facing away from it, towards the hallways. The crowd was all students, not surprisingly, teachers don't tend to watch fights. There were no school administrators anywhere in sight, though they weren't completely oblivious, I had heard the dean nervously telling the vice principal that he had called the police.

I could hear someone yelling forcefully at someone else, but I could not hear a reply. Curious, I worked my way into the crowd, the people in my way moved without argument, not because they were afraid, but because they did not want to ruin a chance to see more action. The police were already here. I could see them standing by the doorway, facing the fight. They did not do anything though, as if they had to survey the fight before breaking it up and arresting anyone. I wondered if they were like this in other places too, if the were it was no wonder crime rate was so high.

I had now woven into the front of the ring of curious onlookers, and could see the unfair dispute. In offense was Dominic, a six foot tall, two hundred pound chunk of meat; on defense, or rather just receiving the offense,was Peter, scrawny, four foot tall new kid. He was standing, barely, with half of his body trying to drag on the ground and the other battling to keep up right.

Still no one did anything. They just watched the event that would later be simply everyday gossip. It made me sick how they could just stand there and do nothing. The students, the staff, the honest-to-goodness police! They stood there convivially, as if the quarrel before them was just for entertainment.


What are you waiting for then? I heard a voice in the back of my head ask.


My eyes were still glued on the not-so-classy take down; my feet to the floor. My mind was elsewhere though. I could not stop the fight, I was not strong nor was I a popular person that would be backed by dozens of eager to please classmates. If I got into the fight I would only make matters worst.


If not you then who? The voice asked.


Anyone! The staff! It was there job to stop this sort of thing from happening. If anyone was responsible for taking action it was them. And the cops. They enforced the law! They were the ones who should take action! Not me!


But they aren't. The voice said matter-of-factly.


The “voice”, which I had long since come to realize was my conscience and not some intruder that would mark me off as insane, was getting irksome. It was not my problem that that the cops were lazy. And even so, that did not mean I had to play hero. Why couldn't someone else do it?


Some one else can do it, but they won't.


Peter was still on the ground, and everybody was still just watching. It wasn't fair to him, as a new kid it was hard enough to get an acceptable reputation without getting beat up on your first day. I had been going to this school for years and my rap was still at blank...

I took a deep breath, unable to believe what I was about to about to do:

“Hey fathead!” I said, louder than I had meant to. Apart from a few glances, though, there was no reaction. “Dominic I'm talking to you!”

For the first time I noticed that Dom did not look angry, he wore a smirk that got wider with every punch. He was enjoying himself. I knew he would ignore anything else I said, so I stopped talking. I walked up behind Peter and stood there. Dominic froze.

“What, you wanna get beat up too?” he taunted, though he still didn't move. No one said anything. Not the students, not the school staff, and not the cops. It seemed as though time itself had frozen.

I gulped. “Just leave Peter alone.” Dominic barked a laugh, “Well if you say so...” he advanced towards me and met my stomach with his fist.

“Get lost James.” he said threateningly. I stood my ground He punched me again, and it took all my strength not to crumple over and cry. He raised his fist again, but he didn't punch. From behind me, someone put their hand on my shoulder. I looked over and saw Micah, one of my few friends. His charcoal colored eyes stared coolly into Dom's. To my other side some else let their had rest on my shoulder. It was a girl I didn't know, but she probably knew Micah.

Dominic took a step back. Then another. And another. Which was when the police finally took over. Grabbing Dominic and slapping hand cuffs on his wrists.

“Go back to class kids!' the dean said suddenly, as if he had everything under control. The students didn't move at first, but then, reluctantly the multitudes shifted back to their everyday schedule. Micah, that one girl and I were the last to leave. Dominic stared at us as if it was our fault he was going to juvie, which I guess I could live with.

Before I melted into the crowd of students, I felt some one tap on my shoulder. It was Peter.

“You okay?' he asked. I grinned and nodded. “You?”

“I guess...”

Neither of us knew what to say then, so I just turned away.

“Hey,” Peter said.

“Yeah?” I asked, turning around again.

“Thanks.”

I grinned. Thinking about how I almost let him get trashed by Dominic. “No prob.”