The Bullworth Never Ending Story

[BloodChuckZ]

In the Auditorium, Derby had had enough.  Seething through the past hour, he could take it no longer.  As Kurt sang through the song “Bodies”, Derby felt his hate focus on the bastard who was now apparently doing ‘his girl’, as Derby still thought of her, even though Pinky had broken it off with him.  She was his property, and no little dirty sawed off Pauper was gonna have her.  Before Bif or anyone else could stop him, Derby suddenly leapt up, jumped over the row of seating and charged the stage. The song continued thumping as he did so.

“Skin against skin, blood and bone
You're all by yourself, but you're not alone
You wanted in, now you're here
Driven by hate, consumed by fear”

“Let the bodies hit the floor
Let the bodies hit the floor
Let the bodies hit the floor
Let the bodies hit the floor....”

Derby leapt up on the stage and ran at Kurt, who was turned sideways to him, deep in the song’s performance.  Derby unloaded a hard left hook to Kurt’s jaw, and Kurt went down in a heap.  The music jangled raggedly to a stop as the other band members took in what had just happened.  Derby moved over to where Kurt lay.

Standing just to the side, Pinky screamed, “DERBY, NO !!!!”

Before Derby could lean down to grab a senseless Kurt and haul him up for a beating, Tibo unslung his Electric Guitar, and holding it by the neck, swung it like a club, connecting with the back of Derby’s head and neck.  The Guitar made a harsh amplified twanging sound at just the same moment the Incinerator Timers above their heads flashed into flame and burned through the twine, dropping the liquid-filled balloons towards the stage.
____________________________________________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

Standing directly underneath one of the falling missiles, Pinky was hit square on the head with a balloon containing five pounds of fluid.  The blow staggered her, and the balloon exploded, showering her with congealed blood from the barrel that Jake had found at the Wonder Meats Warehouse.  She slumped to her knees, the blood running from her hair down on her clothing.  As she regained her senses from the blow and opened her eyes, she saw the red blood on herself, and began screaming anew.

Others on the stage had been hit as well by the liquid-filled balloons.  Every Rocker member, save for Grungy, was hit either directly or indirectly.  Kurt and Derby, laying unmoving on the floor, took the most hits.  In just a few seconds, the stage ran red with blood from all the popped blood-filled balloons.

In the audience, initial confusion turned to shock as they watched what was unfolding in front of them.  Bif and Chad, who had started towards the stage after Derby, came to a halt.  For long seconds, no one moved, as they took in the scene before them.

Suddenly, Tony and Nick leapt to their feet.  At that, horrified yells and screams burst from the rest in the Auditorium like the water from a dam.  As one, they began a panicked exodus toward the Auditorium entrance.

On the slippery stage, Tibo dropped the remains of his broken guitar, and pulled out the group's Spud Gun.  Leveling it at Bif and Chad, he emptied the entire load at them. Hit with multiple rounds, they both went down in a heap.  Bryce, who hadn't run to the stage, thought the better of doing that, and joined the mass of kids trying to exit the Auditorium.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Jake, waiting outside, suddenly heard the thumping music cease abruptly. He counted 30 seconds, and depressed the button once more, this time holding it down until he heard the first screams from inside.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The doors to the Auditorium burst open and a rush of terrified Students rushed out, nearly knocking over Seth.  As the crowd suddenly flooded the Great Hall, the Students there looked on in confusion and surprise.  The Chaperons began moving from out of the corners, and Edward moved in from under the stairs where he had been keeping watch, ready to bust any troublemakers.

The Incineray Timers above their heads flared, burning through the twine, and 60 blood-filled balloons dropped on the crowd below all at once.
_______________________________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

All at once, it seemed, the World exploded in blood.  Scores of Students were suddenly rammed to the floor as the five-pound blood-filled balloons, falling from an even greater height than in the Auditorium, smashed into them.  Ms. Phillips took a direct headshot and went down in a heap.  One burst as it hit Edward the Prefect’s shoulder, making a stark red contrast against the blue of his suit coat.  Russell, who had just a moment ago been laughing happily at a joke that Ted was telling him, was so big that he was actually hit by two balloons.  Christy, standing close, took a near-direct hit that pushed her sideways into Gloria, as the blood splattered them both.  Eunice, soaked with blood, was sitting on her fat ass, howling like a wounded Buffalo.

All about the Great Hall, screaming Students and Staff alike were awash in pools of blood.  Those who could tried to run, only to slip and fall face-first into the gory mess.  Flailing arms and legs connected with other bodies, and soon fights broke out as the frightened Students began to loose their sense of reason.  Several Students who had escaped unscathed climbed the barricades made of crates or knocked them over, seeking to get out of the building through the other three exits, only to find them locked.  The beat fruitlessly against the doors in their panic. In the Great Hall, many who were blinded by blood and their panic began smashing the food and decorations, then breaking the tables themselves.  Within a few minutes, as the coppery stink of the blood became overwhelming, the weaker Students began to throw-up, adding to the slippery mess on the floor.  Soon enough, the others began to barf as well.  In no time at all, the pungent smell of fresh vomit mixed with the smell of blood, creating an even worse smell than a Stink Bomb.  In short order, everyone was retching and gagging, even the adults.  Coach Burton, un-hit by any balloons, unloaded a huge upchuck of vomit right into the hair of nearby Miss Peters.

Several Students had found their way to the front door, elbowing and punching others out of their way.  Too many attempted to jam themselves through the door at once, so that for several minutes, no one could leave.  Max and Karl, alerted by the screaming, were at the same time attempting to enter the building.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

In the Auditorium, Tony and Nick gained the stage, but there was nothing they could do.  Benny had moved in to try to calm down the crying Pinky, and Tibo, Winkie, and the others were attending to Kurt, who was regaining consciousness.  Tony looked up at the Catwalk above the stage, where several harmless-looking Red and White balloons remained. 

“There’s nothing we can do here”, Nick observed, looking around.

“What about Derby ?”, Tony pointed to his prone blood-spattered figure.

“Fuck Him”, Nick said sourly. “He started this.”

“Maybe not”, Tony said, looking around at the mess. “Not all this.”

Tony glanced toward the back of the Auditorium and saw the exit was now clear.  Suddenly he hopped down from the stage and grabbed Karen’s hand.  “Com’on, let’s go.”

“Where ?” asked a big-eyed Karen.

“Out of here”, Tony replied. He shouted to Nick, “Hey !  Get Melody outta here !”

Tony and Karen then turned and fled up the aisle toward the exit.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Out at his post in the front of the School, Jake watched the goings on through his binoculars.  He have reveled in the screams he heard coming from the School building, louder now that the students were trying to push outside.  He fingered the Bullhorn on his belt.  The time of his redemption was almost here.
__________________________________________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

As Tony and Karen emerged from the Auditorium into the Great Hall, they saw that most of the Students were packing towards the front of the building.  A bloody Bucky ran by, shouting all the doors were locked.  As Tony and Karen emerged from the overhanging Balcony, Tony looked up towards the Office area.  Standing at the railing was Dr. Crabblesnitch, who was brandishing a Bullhorn, attempting to restore order.  Beside him was a visibly pale Ms. Danvers, who had her face screwed up as if she was going to vomit.  Crabblesnitch spotted Tony and beckoned him to come up. 

Tony had to shove a couple of decorated crates out of the way, and he and Karen made their way upstairs to where Crabblesnitch was standing.  Tony had to raise his voice to make himself heard.

“Dr. Crabblesnitch !” Tony hollered.  “I might know who’s behind this !”

“Terrible, My Boy, Just Terrible !!”, Crabblesnitch yelled, seeming not to hear what Tony said. “Is There Anything You Can Do ?”

Tony looked out at the unruly crowd.  A sudden plan formed in his mind. “I Think So, Yeah !” He held out his hand for the Bullhorn. “I’m Gonna Need That !”

Dr. Crabblesnitch handed over the Bullhorn. Tony took it and grabbed Karen’s hand, and began running towards the South-West upstairs hallway.  To the left was a door marked 'ROOF ACCESS’.  Tony stopped in front of the door, and tried the handle.  Locked.

“Can you open this ?”, he asked Karen.

Karen bent to inspect the doorknob. “I think so”, she said. “It’s a cheap lock.”

“See if you can get it open !”, Tony told her. “I gotta get something !”

Without another word, Tony sped off towards his Office down the hall.  Unlocking the door with his key, he ran to the desk and pulled open the large bottom drawer.  Inside were two long cylindrical objects attached to square bases.  Tony grabbed them, then yanked open the top drawer and found a lighter, took it, and headed back to Karen.

When he got back, Karen was working on the lock with a hairpin she had pulled from her hair.  In just a few seconds more, she had sprung the lock and the door opened.  Ahead was a set of stairs.  Tony climbed them with Karen close behind.  turning a corner at a landing, there was another short flight that they climbed.  At the top, Tony stopped and looked around in the gloom.

Lighting his lighter, Tony whistled. In the flickering light, he could see hallways and rooms.  The School had a third floor !  Tony jogged around the dusty hallways, but could find no access to a roof.  It must be farther up.  At about that time, Karen made a discovery.  A rung ladder, leading up, close to where they had emerged.  She called to Tony, and they climbed the ladder, coming up through a square hole into what looked like an Attic.  Above them was the giant Bell Tower dome.  Tony made his way towards the front of the building, with Karen following.  There, he found a small access door.

Forcing it open, he squeezed his way through.  He found himself on a small, sharply-peaked roof.  Karen poked her head through the opening.  “Tony, please be careful !’, she said.

“Planning on it”, Tony remarked with a grimace.  The roof was hard to stand up on, as the peak was so sharp.  He inched out on it and took a look down towards the Patio.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

As Jake watched, the Students succeeded in finally pushing out through the front doors.  Like a cork from a bottle, as soon as the first line cleared the doors, the rest began flooding out.  Once outside, the fights began anew.  Unable to control the raging mob, Max and Karl moved back to the steps and attempted to contain what they could.  In almost no time at all, the Patio was filled with kids fighting, throwing hard punches, and kicking balls.

It was impossible for Jake to tell who was fighting whom.  Most were blood-covered and almost unrecognizable by Clique or Class.  Fueled by fear and rage, they were striking out against anyone in their vicinity, friend or foe.  The noise level grew to a high pitch, the air filled with the sounds of punching, grunts, yells, screams, and curses.

Jake move closer, and un-holstered his Bullhorn, and raised it to his lips. The time had come.  He began to recite his Manifesto.

“FEAR NOT, STUDENTS OF BULLWORTH !!!  THE DAY OF YOUR SALVATION IS HERE !!!"
_________________________________________________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

But nothing happened.  The fighting continued.  Didn’t they hear him ?  Jake took and whacked the bullhorn.  It seemed to be alright.  What the Hell was the problem ?  Jake moved closer.

Tony had gained an unsteady roof-hold.  Looking over, it seemed he was looking at the world’s biggest Hole Fight.  He had to get their attention.  From inside his tux, he pulled out one of the two  cylindrical objects he had carried up there.  A large label showed a funny picture of the face of a smiling devil, with the words ‘Little Devil’ printed below.  Digging out his lighter, he lit the fuse poking out of the top of it, and heaved it off in the direction of the front steps.  Then he pulled the other cylindrical object out, lit it too, and threw it roughly in the same direction.

The objects tumbled end over end as the made their way down the arc of the throw.  Long before they landed, the heavy square base bottoms stabilized them and they fell the last several feet unerringly to their landings by the front steps, bouncing once and coming to a halt on their flat bases.  Within seconds, the burning fuse ignited the powder within, and a brilliant shower of sparks was directed skyward, lighting up the area like daylight.

The fighting slowed as the light-show increased.  Those closest to the objects moved back, as they remembered the explosive power contained in the old Volcano 4000's from the year before.  In their confused minds, they expected that the objects would blow up and send out a concussion shock wave.  But these were not last year’s faulty Volcano 4000.  These were, instead, a Nerd-improved version created over the Summer they dubbed the Volcano 5000, and it was very similar to the Black Cat Artillery Shell, a Firework Tony knew well from his childhood days.  Tony had obtained these from Jimmy’s stash in the Cave a few weeks back.  Jimmy had told him to use them for crowd control, if he ever needed to, but to light the fuse and “Get Away”....As he said with a hearty laugh. 

As the light shower fizzled, the Volcano 5000's began to belch skyward mortars, one after another. These exploded into a spectacular multi-colored light show of reds, greens, blues, yellows, oranges, and pinks, recalling to many the gala Independence Day Firework shows they had seen.  All fighting came to a halt as the bloodied Students watched the stunning light-show above them. The very last mortar fired from the cylinders emitted a near ear-shattering noise above them.

BOOM !!!!!!  BOOM !!!!!!

The sound rolled off the heavens, and the waves were carried towards the Towns.  As the last echos ebbed, Jake took his opportunity, and again raised the Bullhorn to speak.

But here Jake’s incredible run of good luck at last failed him.  The Bullhorn quit working.  As he began to speak, only squeaks sounded forth.  Jake whacked the reluctant Bullhorn again, without success.  But there was a Bullhorn that did work.  Suddenly the Students heard.....

“HEAR ME, STUDENTS OF BULLWORTH !!!  YOU HAVE BEEN TRICKED !!! TRICKED BY A VILLIAN !!!”

Startled, the Students looked up, drawn by the source of the sound.  Jake looked up too.

“A VILLIAN WHO HAS SET YOU AGAINST ONE ANOTHER BY HIS VILE DEEDS !!!  A VILLIAN WHO HAS PRETENDED TO BE SOMEONE ELSE, TO GAIN YOUR TRUST !!! HE HAS USED YOU AS PAWNS IN HIS GAME !!!”

Jake stared.  Who the fuck was that ? He raised his binoculars and sought out the source.

“HE IS HERE AMONG US NOW, TRYING TO TAKE OVER THE SCHOOL !!!"

Tony !! It was that God Damn backstabbing punk Tony !!  Enraged, Jake threw the useless Bullhorn to the side and unslung his Air Rifle.  Looking through the scope, he took dead aim on Tony’s head and pulled the trigger.

At that instant, Tony’s footing on the roof slipped, and he moved slightly. The Pellet intended for his head slammed into his shoulder instead, causing him to lose his grip on the Bullhorn.  Attempting to grab for it, Tony lost his balance and fell off the peaked roof as Karen screamed.
____________________________________________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

A blood-soaked Ray Hughes stood directly outside the front doors, looking up with the others, when the shot sounded and Tony pitched off the 40-foot roof above him.  A single thought flashed through his mind....He must save his new friend Tony !  Ray spread his fat arms wide.

Tony fell at a slight angle, barely missing the Gargoyle-looking thing with wings perched on another peaked roof over the main doors.  Arms flailing, he fell into Ray with a sickening audible crunch, and both boys slammed down hard on the paving stones. 

Nick, Laurent, and Constantinos raced to where Tony and Ray laid unmoving.  Taking a quick look around, Nick spotted Jake still standing with his weapon drawn. 

“That Asshole Shot Tony !!”, he yelled in the sudden stillness. “GET HIM !!!”

Nick’s words galvanized the Students to action.  As one, the suddenly surged towards the front steps, overwhelming Max and Karl and trampling over them.

Jake saw the Students coming for him. “Oh, Shit !”, he muttered, then turned and rapidly ran back towards the School Gates as he re-slung his Air Rifle and threw two Stink Bombs behind him.  Running full tilt through the stone arches, he collided with Trent, who, having heard the booms of the Volcano 5000, was just jogging in to see what was going on.

Jake was staggered, Trent was knocked on his ass.  Leaping to his feet, he said, “Hey ! What’s the Dealy-O, Dude ?”

“I ain’t got time time for your shit, Asshole !”, Jake snarled, as he drew his Spud Gun and leveled it at Trent.

“Jake ?”, Trent said in surprise. “Is that you ?”

Jake shot Trent in the guts, and Trent doubled over and went down.  He took a few more off-balance steps and leaped into the Go-Kart, fired it up, and tore out into the street just ahead of the advancing Students.

A Cop Car was speeding over the short bridge from the Vale.  Jake skidded and reversed course, heading for Bullworth Town.  As he crossed the Iron-Truss Bridge, he dodged another Cop Car and sped as fast as the Go-Kart would go towards the Town Square.  He took a screeching left here, and zoomed West, with the two Cop Cars in pursuit. As he crossed the North Bridge by the Bullworth Dam, he began to put a bit of distance between them.  He floored it and zoomed along the Bullworth-Vale Avenue until reaching Happy Endings Retirement Home.

He was close to his house, but he couldn’t go there, not with these dumb dicks tailing him.  He hung a sharp right and proceeded to speed around the Circle Road around Happy Endings.  The Cop cars followed.  Jake just kept going around in circles, twice, three times, four times.  On the fifth time around, he suddenly cut through the path by Russell’s house that led to the Vale Park. 

He made his way through the Park and exited onto Vale Valley Road, taking a right.  He was no longer being chased.  He zoomed past Harrington Estate, Hattrick Manor, and Spencer Mansion on the twisty, curvy road, finally coming to his place.  Glancing towards the Nursing Home, he saw the Cop Cars still speeding around the circle where he had left them.

Stupid Pigs, he thought as he pulled the Go-Kart into the Garage and killed the motor.  He jumped out and closed the Garage door before collapsing against it, breathing heavily.

He had failed again.  All this, and he had failed.  And just barely escaped this time.

This was it, he decided.  No more fucking around.  Next time, he would take the School over with force.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Back at the School, Tony’s friends gathered around him.  Karen had made her way down from the School’s attic, and now cradled Tony’s head in her lap, softly crying.  Ray lay a short distance away, and Eunice was stationed over him, moaning like a cow.

Order had been restored.  Kids were helping other kids to the School Clinic.  Some were being led off to the showers.  Where just a short while ago they had been fighting each other, now they were helping each other, regardless of Class or Clique.

Tony stirred, and regained consciousness briefly for a moment.  Karen covered him with kisses.

“It...Was Jake...”, Tony muttered. “The Bombings.....Shot Pete......It was him....”

“Shh...Don’t try to talk”, sobbed Karen.

“Mon Amie, try to hold on !”, Laurent urged.

“Gonna take care of you, Boss”, added Constantinos.

“We’re gonna get that dirty bastard”, Nick said tightly.

“It’s....Gonna be.....Alright...”, Tony said, and then passed out again.
_____________________________________________________________________



                      {{End Of Chapter Three}}

[Mike_W]

                           THE BULLWORTH NEVER ENDING STORY

                                                       {{ CHAPTER 4 }}

                                                     The Townie Assault


After the recent assault to his new friends, Russell became more serious about his new business.  This would mean some better Weaponry.  Russell decided to send his best member, Tom, to purchase the goods.  Due to their recent influx of funds, the Bullies now had the option to utilize the local Explosives Shop to buy the latest in non-deadly Weapon technology.  The place that Tom was assigned to visit was the local ‘Rocket In My Pocket’ store.  The Students usually could not afford to shop there, due to the expense of the Weapons inside.  The stuff in the Dragon's Wing was much cheaper , but lacked the variety that was offered at Rocket In My Pocket.  Besides, without Alfred Owens there, it was hard to find someone available to ring up a sale.

Tom made his way down the street on a stolen bike.  He couldn't let the Greasers see him, as he was only armed with a Slingshot and couldn't afford to get his ass kicked on such a crucial mission.  As Tom crossed the Steel-Truss Bridge, he began to hear the sounds of the city.  While any new Student could easily get lost in Bullworth Town, Tom knew exactly where he was going.  Tom pulled up next to the store.  He carefully hid his bike in the alleyway between the Rocket In My Pocket store he would enter and the Shiny Bike store.

Tom entered the store and was amazed at all the different Weapons that lined the walls of the store.  It was an amazing sight indeed.  Bottle Rockets, Stink Bombs, and Firecrackers galore.  Tom felt like a kid in a candy shop, so where to start ?  Tom approached the counter and asked the Clerk if he could buy enough Weapons to supply his Clique.

"Sorry kid, you gotta be 18 or older to buy, store policy", said the Clerk.  Tom's world suddenly collapsed around him.
 
"What kind of BULLSHIT is this ?!", hollered Tom.
 
"Look kid, no ID, no merchandise.  Now get lost before I tell your Teachers, or better yet, call the Cops", threatened the Clerk.

Tom angrily stomped out the front door.  As he exited, he noticed his bike was gone.  What Tom didn't remember was that the alleyway was a popular hangout for Greasers and they wanted their bike back.  Tom was furious.  He waited around for Troy to meet him in front of the store, as he’d told Troy to meet him there and help carry off the goods.  Now, plans had changed.  Angrily, Tom waited.   He was going to get what he came here for.

After a few moments, Troy rode up on a different stolen bike.  Tom laid his plan on Troy, instructing to him his new role.  As Tom and Troy strolled into the store, Tom reached for his Slingshot.

"Hey Kid ! I thought I told you to beat it !", said the Clerk.  Tom whipped out his Weapon and aimed it at the Clerk’s face
 
"This is a stick up, Asshole !", announced Tom.  At this, Troy rushed the shelves with a sack and began to shovel various Weapons into it.  When the burglary was complete, the two boys fled from the Store.  As they mounted the lone bike, Tom pulled back on his Slingshot and blasted the glass windows of the Shop.

"Ha-Ha, I bet those stupid fucks will think twice about messing with us !", said Tom.  The two boys rode back to School quickly, as the Cops would surely arrive soon.
____________________________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

“How’s the jaw, Boss ?”, asked Tibo as he came into Kurt’s room.

“Still sore as hell”, Kurt said, rubbing the place where Derby had clocked him.

“I brought’cha some more ice”, Tibo said, handing over a bag full of ice cubes.

“Thanks, Tibo”, replied Kurt.  He placed against the side of his face.  “Ahh...That’s better....”

Kurt looked up at Tibo. “What happened to that Prep Fuck, anyway ?”

Tibo smirked.  “In the Infirmary, probably....I clocked him a good one, Eh ? Wrecked a damn fine guitar doing it,too...But it sure was worth it.  Got a couple of his asshole friends too.”

“We’ll have to get you another one, for our next gig”, Kurt said, looking out the window absently. “Where’s Pinky ?”

Pinky hadn’t been seriously injured from her encounter with the blood balloon, although at first it seemed she would never get over her shock and horror at being attacked in such a crude manner.

“Downstairs, fixing some dinner”, Tibo said.  “She’s really turned out to be some kind of Heidi Homemaker, she has.”

“Yeah, go figure”, Kurt mused. “Lola was always such a slob.  She looked fine, though.”

From his vantage spot, Kurt could make out both the Harrington’s House and the Spencer’s House. He knew about the split in the Clique, but seeing as how he had beaten up Tad, and Tibo had put Derby in La-La Land with his guitar, Kurt was sure that retaliation would be coming, just as soon as the Preps could get their act together.  It was as sure as the law of the street.  The fact that nobody had showed up at their door with an arrest warrant for assault and kidnapping only served to convince Kurt that some powerful people were indeed watching over him and his group.  Perhaps even more powerful than Harrington, Spencer, or Crabblesnitch put together.

“You know what we oughtta do, Tibo ?” Kurt proposed.  “We should start posting lookouts.  As soon as Derby and his butthole pals are able to, they’re gonna try to attack us.  Especially since Pinky’s here.”

“I agree”, Tibo said. “Those shits will be out for revenge, for sure.  I’ll get a schedule worked out.”

“Yeah, do that”, Kurt said. “We’re gonna need to keep watch.”
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Tony woke up in the Clinic at Bullworth Town the day after what was becoming known as 'The Valentine Bloodbath’.  He had a concussion, several cracked ribs, a sprained neck, various bruises, and a wounded shoulder from where the Pellet hit him.  School was closed today for cleanup, a jobs that the Prefects were doing at the direction of Ms, Danvers, since Mr. Lutz had still not returned.  Dr. Crabblesnitch has vowed there would be an investigation, but Tony was convinced that Jake was behind this latest assault.  All he needed was proof.

Karen and Laurent had been at his bedside as he woke up.  After regaining his senses, Tony asked what had happened.

“Ray tried to catch you”, Karen told him.
“Ray ?”, Tony said, astonished.
”He just...Spread open his arms....”, Karen pantomimed.
“He saved your life, my friend”, said Laurent.
“Damn”, Tony marveled. Then, “How is he ? Was he hurt much ?”
“He was hurt bad”, Laurent said. “Lots of broken bones, maybe some internal injuries.”
Tony let that sink in.  “Where’s he at ?  He gonna be OK ?”
“He’s here, too”, Laurent jerked a thumb over his shoulder.  “Hasn’t come to yet.  Might not for a long while.  If he hadn’t done what he did....”
“I’d be dead”, Tony whispered.

The trio was silent for a moment, considering that. Tony was thinking, right then and there, that when Ray recovered, he would bring him into their inner circle. He had certainly proven his loyalty.

They then spoke of other things, of what had happened to the others, and Tony learned all of what Karen and Laurent could tell him, as much as they knew so far.  The mood was subdued with the Cliques, at least the ones they had been able to speak with.  Tony’s words had resonated with them, his electrifying announcement that they had all been tricked, fooled and deceived had stunned them.  There was an air of uncertainty about the whole School, and some disbelief that just one person could have engineered so much pain and destruction.  Tony knew the lull wouldn’t last long.  The Cliques would get restless once more when the shock wore off.

“Take my keys”, Tony told Laurent. “Try to hold things together until I can get back.  There’s sure to be more trouble.  And we’ve still got lots of work to do.  Beyond Jake, there’s reasons just why the School is so rotten.  We gotta find out why.” 
____________________________________________________________________

[Mercury]

Melvin walked through the streets of Bullworth Town.  He had planned to get back from School on his bike, but of course, it had been stolen.  He wondered for a moment why he kept making ‘new’ bikes from rusty pieces he found in the Greasers dump, if it was for it just to be stolen the next day.  Now the Grottos and Gremlins game of the evening would have to be finished without him.  He kicked a paving stone, and crouched to get the key of the Dragon Wing's front door under the dark mat.  After several tries, he found the proper key and inserted it in the door lock.  He glanced nervously over his shoulder and pushed open the heavy door.  As the new Shopkeeper, known as ‘Falco‘, went to sleep right after work, he trusted the Nerds that occupied the Basement of his shop about the keys, him being new to the Vale Valley and all.

As Melvin shut the door, his old fear of the dark began to catch him.  By chance, the new display decorations were partially phosphorescent, which allowed Melvin to find his way through the store.  With the help of his hands, he recognized One-Per-One, the robot that said ’HI !’ and occasionally talked when you passed by him during the day, the showcase containing the new G&G field items, and finally, the glass counter.  He got around it and pushed the metal door that produced an horrible squeak in response, leading to a set of stairs to the Basement.  As he went down, he saw that Fatty was randomly playing with cards, visibly bored.

"Hi, Fatty. You're not asleep yet ?", Melvin inquired.

"No rest for this warrior tonight.  I'm thinking", Fatty said dully.

"What is your mind so focused about ?" Melvin asked, while sitting in front of Fatty.

Fatty remained silent for the moment, and gathered several cards together and started to distribute them.  Melvin stood up and shut down the general lighting, preferring the ambiance created by the soothing green light.

"Well... I'm afraid our minds has led everyone to destruction”, Fatty began.

"What do you mean ?", questioned Melvin.

"I'm talking about the Weapons”, Fatty said with his most serious face.

"But... They help in defending ourselves !", Melvin observed, before throwing a card in the middle of the table.

"And now this technology is....Everywhere... I'm afraid someone stole our ideas." Fatty threw another card.

"This is impossible, Fatty. We.…." Melvin started.

"Look at this." Fatty suddenly stood up.  The fat Nerd hobbled over, and unrolled a big paper hung up on the wall.

"The Spud Gun." He announced. "A pearl of technology.  Remember that year ?   First days of creation.  We disassembled more than ten lighters to get the perfect piece we wanted -- The Taser.  Once we had what we needed to produce a spark into the combustion chamber....." He showed a huge rectangle on the schematic.  "First try, the Spud kept getting stuck in the cannon barrel.  The whole Gun exploded, all wires were burnt, plus Algie's glasses.  We made things more perfect.  We added a pneumatic system to load the next Spud after each shot.  Once again, a system to evacuate all the hot air inside in less than two seconds."  He readjusted his glasses. "Melvin…This shouldn't have ever been given to anyone else other than us."

Melvin took a short look at the cards he was holding in the hands, and put them on the table, manipulating his collar. "You're right, Fatty..." he paused. "But..."

"The Bottle Rocket Launcher." Fatty said, unrolling another plan. "A tube.  Three circles of metal around an axis, with the perfect dimension for the Little Devil's Fireworks.  A constant flame from a minimum of gas.  First try in this basement.  The rocket kept getting stuck in the metal circle.  Everything had to be started up again, adjusted to have, like the Spud Gun, the perfect mix."

"Fatty..." Melvin started.

"The Stink Bombs", Fatty continued. “The Firecrackers....All of it !”

Fatty seemed to have lost his reason, unrolling all the plans hung up all around the Basement. Once he was done, he sat back down in a chair against the wall.  “We gave it away.  We gave it all away.”  Shaking his head, he closed his eyes and remained silent.
_________________________________________________________________

[Mike_W]

"You got duh goods ?", asked Russell at the sight of Tom and Troy returning.
 
"Yeah, we got the stuff", confirmed Tom.  He lifted a heavy sack from his back, as did Troy.  The bags were loaded with all sorts of interesting contraptions from Stink Bombs to Firecrackers, and even a few Volcano 4000s.  The Bullies now faced a problem.  They needed a place to store all their new goodies, but they did not have any sort of structure they could call their own.  Every other Clique on Campus had secure places to keep whatever they wanted, the Bullies simply had a Parking Lot.  Russell took it upon himself to give Davis the task of finding a good stash location.  Davis would be perfect for the job, he was smaller than the other Bullies and could easily sneak around without drawing too much attention.

After hours of searching, Davis reported back to his Leader.  He informed Russell of a possible location to store the goods, and asked that everyone meet him outside the Library at midnight.  Davis had chosen this time to regroup to avoid any confrontations with the Nerds.  At the stroke of midnight, Davis was first to arrive.  After a few minutes, Russell and the rest of his crew climbed the steps outside the Library to meet Davis.

"Alright, follow me.", ordered Davis.  He led them around to the side of the Library where they climbed over the low broken wall near the locked Nerd’s Gate.  Davis wasn't aiming for that though, as he led his group to the right, over another broken wall that connected to a path that wound up eventually next to the Prep‘s side yard..  After a few more steps, Davis stopped. "Right here guys, among these rocks.", he said.

"Why the Hell would we leave our valuable new Weapons out here in this pathway?", inquired Ethan.
 
"Because, this path leads to the Harrington House", explained Davis, "The Nerds never use this path, Chad's dog Chester is on the other end in the side yard, and that dog packs a punch..er..bite", corrected Davis.

"Russell Get It Now, It Perfect !", the Bully boss agreed.  The Bullies began to unload their goods out of the sacks and into crevices between rocks.  Although the location was fairly safe, they made sure to hide every last piece of ammunition and covered their tracks as they departed.

This was going to be good.  After that mishap in the Bathroom that resulted in a bust, the Bullies were well prepared for the next time.  Nobody would fuck with them....If they were smart, that is.
_____________________________________________________

[Mike_W]

"Peanut, heh, call me Peanut", the Greaser sighed as he walked across Campus, kicking some pebbles, all by himself.  Peanut, aka Larry Romano was miserable after getting his ass handed to him by his one-time friend, Norton Williams.  He couldn't get over the fact that the prick had stabbed him in the back, in front of his own pals.
 
"They think they're so big, but they're just....Pigs !", remarked Peanut to himself.  Without anyone to hang around with, the last couple of days were getting more boring by the minute.  He began to remember the good old days.  He remembered days of skipping School, fixing cars, and being cool....an old Bon-Jovi song began playing in his head.  Peanut longed for the days of fun last year and Summer. The Greasers had spent the previous Summer doing exactly what the Bullies were doing now, pushing drugs around for the Townies.  However, it didn't last very long.  Peanut's boys had been too eager to play with the drugs themselves, rather than sell them.  The lack of income return to the Townies had lead the self-proclaimed ‘King Pin’ of the Townies, Omar Romero, to revoke the Greaser's drug-selling privileges.  Before the Summer was over, the deal was off.  This, Peanut remembered, was the end of the ‘Greaser's Golden Age’, as he came to think of it.

Peanut suddenly felt as though a lightbulb had burst through his greasy head.  What if he could destroy the Bullies' little organization and take back the good old days ?  His former friends would have to take him back.  As Peanut's brain formulated ideas on how he could make it work, he took his attention away from where he was walking and bumped into Davis White.

"Ouff !!!", said Davis. "Hey, why don't you watch where the frig you're going, pin-dick !"
 
"Um, its Peanut to you, HERO", mocked the Greaser.

"Oh, a funny guy huh ?", insulted Davis.

"Your move, asswipe", threatened Peanut.  But before the two could take swings at each other, they both realized that Max the Prefect was a short distance away.
 
"This isn't over", added Peanut, "We're going to settle this, Western Style, this afternoon, at the Great Hall.  Be sure to bring your A-game, and a Slingshot.”

Although Peanut had been vague, Davis had a good idea as to what Peanut meant by ‘Western Style’. The Greaser was referring to a duel.  While not a proper duel due to the lack of Pistols, Slingshots would be perfectly suitable for a dual between High School Students.  Davis was not about to lose to this recently rejected piece of crap, he was going to bring his A-game, and by that he intended that he was going to have someone take his place.  Peanut said nothing about substitutions.  While Davis was good with the Slingshot, Wade happened to be just a bit more skilled with the Weapon.  The show would begin to start at 4 PM sharp, in the Great Hall of the School.
_________________________________________________________

[Mike_W]

A half hour after Classes had got out, Peanut moved to the recently cleaned Great Hall.  From behind a pillar, Wade emerged carrying a Slingshot, Davis at his side.
 
"What the fuck is he doing here !?", asked Peanut.

"You didn't say we couldn't substitute !", said Davis.  A crowd of Students had began to gather around, they had sensed the impending fight and wanted to watch.  The Students of Bullworth could never get enough entertainment.  To make sure the little kids wouldn't tattle on this little showdown, Peanut fired a rock into the floor at their feet.  The nervous wrecks in the group, Sheldon and Pedro,  took off running, screaming bloody murder as they went.  The stage was set, all they need was someone to give them the signal to begin.

Fatty was present, and emerged, limping from the crowd and whistled, followed by a "Wah-Wah-Wah !" to add the cheesy Western music.  Unamused by this failed attempt at comedy, Wade shot the Nerd in the balls to shut him up.

THUD !! "Ugh....No, please....My Legacy !", moaned Fatty as he clutched his nuts and fell on the floor.  Ivan Alexander had stepped forward to act as referee.  He made sure the two duelers were at an appropriate distance and gave the signal to draw their Weapons.  Both boys aimed and pulled back on their Slingshots.

"Fire!", shouted Ivan.  When both boys let go, only one rock met its target.
 
THUD !! "Uhhhh....friggin' balls", moaned Wade as the rock made contact with his grapes.  Wade had missed his mark and his rock began to ricochet of the walls, finding a new target.

"GWACK !!", sputtered Cornelius as the rock smacked him square in the neck.  The scrawny Nerd collapsed to the floor, choking.  Wade was quick to reload, as he sent another rock towards it‘s target, this time hitting Peanut in the shin.  Peanut retaliated and the next rock hit Wade right in the forehead.  The force of the blow caused Wade's head to snap back, almost causing whiplash.  The Bully's next shot missed, just like the first.  But instead of hitting a Nerd, this rock went straight for Christy and grazed her belt buckle.  With a pop, the buckle came loose, and Christy's skirt tumbled to the floor.  Taking a few seconds to notice, she gasped as she realized she was standing in the middle of the floor in her panties.  Soon, the crowd attention was on Christy's wardrobe malfunction rather than on the duel.  Peanut figured he'd try and finish it up.  He pulled back on the elastic of his Slingshot one last time.  As the rock was released, Wade seemed to freeze in panic. The rock sailed across the hall, almost as if in slow motion.  It finally met its target with a blood curdling CRACK !!! as it hit Wade directly on the nose.

The duel was finished, Peanut had come out of it victorious.  Simply through luck, he had defeated Bullworth's best slingshot marksman.  Peanut casually walked away, leaving Davis hunched over Wade, trying to get a response out of him.  Meanwhile, Christy had began to stalk off towards the Girl’s Bathroom just as the Students who had just come from Photography Class began taking pictures of her half-dressed body.
___________________________________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

In the day following the Valentine Bloodbath, the splattered and pooled blood had been cleaned up by the Prefects, who began to chafe under all the extra duty that had been thrust upon them.  Since Mr. Luntz had not yet returned from his visit to the big city, getting everything back in order required an almost superhuman effort, and none of the Prefects were going to be in a very forgiving mood for quite some time to come.  The cleanup effort also had the effect of lessening their patrols for a few days, a fact that worked in favor of Peanut as he was able to win the Slingshot Showdown, as it had become known, in the Great Hall without the interference of being busted.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Laurent and Constantinos had secured Tony’s Office at the School, and were now charged with the task of proving Jake was behind the balloon attacks as well.  Looking in awe at the huge list on the wall with all the connections drawn in, they wondered just where to start.  Constantinos finally came up with an idea....Ask the Shopkeepers in Town who had bought a large quantity of Red and White balloons recently besides Mandy.  This sounded like a brilliant idea to Laurent, and the boys soon embarked on their mission.  At the third shop they checked, the Clerk told them that indeed he had sold a packet of balloons to a stocky, swarthy fellow who roughly matched what they were able to remember of Jake’s approximate height and weight.  While not proof positive, it seemed to go a long ways in providing circumstantial evidence pointing to Jake as the culprit.
__________________________________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

Mandy had fled the scene of her grand-party-turned-disaster just as soon as she was able.  With kids milling around after Jake’s escape, she had slipped off to the Girl’s Dorm.  There she shed her blood-soaked dress and showered in solitude, afterwards locking herself in her room and refusing to come out, even to eat or return to Class.  In the confusion that followed for the next few days, nobody even thought to notice she was missing....Nobody, that was, but one person.

Ted Thompson showed up at the Girl’s Dorm on the third day after the debacle, right after class.  He prevailed on Mrs. Peabody to have Mandy come out.  It took a bit of convincing, but finally Mandy appeared at the front doors to meet Ted.  Her face was puffy and miserable.

“What do you want, Ted”, Mandy said stiffly.

“I...Just want to talk....Come sit with me here”, he said, indicating the steps.

“Why should I”, Mandy said. “So you you can make fun of me ?”

“No...No”, Ted pleaded. “Just...Come’re....Please ?”

She hesitated, then plopped down on the step with her face in her hands. Ted sat down beside her.
“Look, Mandy”, he began, “Nobody’s blaming you for what happened.”

“Sure they are”, Mandy said glumly. “It was a disaster.”

“No...No it wasn’t”, Ted replied gently.  “In fact, everyone is saying how great it was, before all that bad stuff happened.”

Mandy gave Ted a sidelong look. “They are ?”

“Sure”, Ted went on. “They were raving about the good food, the great music, and all the decorations and all, everybody is saying that it was the best in years.”

“I’ll bet they hated how it ended”, Mandy observed. “Now they hate me.”

“Not at all”, Ted said forcefully, “Not at all, nobody is blaming you...They’re all hating the bastards who did this.  They all LOVED the party, until that happened.”

“That so ?”, Mandy said, unconvinced.

“Yes...That’s so” Ted replied. “They loved it. They think you’re great.....I think you’re great.”

Mandy turned, facing Ted. “If you think I’m so great, why did you bring Christy for your date ?”

“I...I was just trying to...Make you jealous”, Ted said, his face reddening. “Truth is....I never really have ever gotten over you.”

“Well, you broke up with me”, Mandy said grimly.

“Over LIES !”, Ted said earnestly.  “All Lies, I know that now, you would have never done those things...I should have known better.”

“Yes, you should have”, Mandy said. “You hurt me, not believing in me.”

“I know...”, Ted lamented, “I know, and I’m real sorry....I been so lonely, without you....I wish I could take it all back....Take us back...”

Mandy laid a hand on Ted’s arm. “That’s all I ever wanted to hear”, she said softly, “That you still care....”

They gazed into each other’s eyes for a long moment. Then, unbidden, leaned close for a long sensual kiss.  They stayed that way for several moments, just nuzzling.  Finally they broke away, and Mandy said, “We’ll do it right this time.”

“Total Trust”, Ted agreed.  “Always stand by you.”

“You better, Mister”, Mandy said playfully.

Ted grinned into her wain face, and had an idea. “Hey, You hungry ?”

“Yeah !”, Mandy laughed, “I’m Starving !”

“Whatta you say we blow this place and go get something in Town ?”, Ted suggested.

“But....I can’t go in this !”, Mandy said, looking down at her baggy sweats.

“Sure you can”, Ted said. “You’re beautiful no matter what you’re wearing.”

That decided her.  Mandy jumped up, pulling on Ted’s arm. “Let’s go then !”

“Don’t hafta tell me twice”, Ted replied, and hand-in-hand, they walked together under the arches and left School grounds, heading towards the Towns.
______________________________________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

That same evening, Zoe came to see Tony at the Bullworth Clinic.  She had hoped to find him alone, but Karen was with him.

“I just come to see how you’re doing”, Zoe said to Tony.
“What are you doing here ?”. Karen said suspiciously.
“I just said...To see how Tony’s doing”, replied Zoe.
“What’s it to you ?”, questioned Karen, growing hostile.
“Look, Karen, I’m not here to hit on Tony”, Zoe said, exasperated. “I’m Jimmy’s Girl.”
“Jimmy ?”, Karen said hotly.  “Jimmy’s in Jail.  And aren’t you with Trent, anyway ?”
“I’m not with Trent”, Zoe said. “ And we never done anything. Trent’s a queer.”
“So just what business you got with Tony ?”, Karen said, getting agitated.

Zoe looked at Tony, and sighed. “Tell her, Tony. She should know”
“Tell me what ?” Karen looked at Tony. “Tell Me What ??”
Tony waved his hand weakly in the air. “It’s all right, Karen. Jimmy’s not in Jail. He was busted out right after Christmas, and he’s been in hiding.  He asked me to take Zoe to see him. So, I did, on Valentine’s Day, after we got back from the Carnival.”
“Not in Jail ?  So that’s why you...”, Karen started.
“Yeah”, Tony said. ”That‘s why. And the Cops covered up the fact that Jimmy escaped.”
“You Should Have Told Me !”, Karen said, “I thought we were Pardners !”
“We are”, Tony said tiredly, “I was just trying to protect you.”
“I can take care of myself !” Karen shot back.
“I know that”, Tony said tenderly, “That’s what I love about you. But there’s some bad people out there, the ones who framed Jimmy and are covering that up.”
“Those....Rich people ?” Karen said wonderingly.
Tony nodded.  “That’s right. Them.”

Karen sat back in her chair, arms folded.  “Do you know...Who ?”
Tony shook his head. “Not yet.  But Jimmy asked me to find out. And, I’m getting closer.”
Karen paused awhile to let it all sink in.  Then, she looked at Zoe.  “Hey, look, I’m sorry....”
Zoe laughed. “Think nothing of it.  I can understand. Tony’s a handsome guy, I’d be jealous too.”
“That he is”, Karen said, playfully looking at Tony, “But don’t let that on to him, he’ll get a big head.”
At this they all laughed.

Then Tony said “Jimmy send you over ?”
“Yeah”, Zoe replied. “When I told him what happened to you, he insisted I find out what was going on.”
“We think it was that Jake that I told him about”, Tony said. “We found evidence that he stole those Guns and shot Pete, and did the bombings as well.  The Pellets at the Carnival are the same type that I was shot with, and all their Air Rifles were stolen.  I burned up a bunch of them in the School Furnace, but there must be others out there.  Pete made the connection that Jake was Ace Adams, and was trying to use fear to take over the School.  Jake was selling those guns to the Clique Leaders to start a Clique War.  The night he was shot, Pete was trying to tell us all that.”

“This Jake sounds like a real retard, just like Gary”, Zoe remarked. “I’m glad I didn’t know him.”
“He’s a real psycho”, agreed Tony.  “But he’s worse than Gary ever was.  We have to find a way to stop him.”
“I know the Cops aren’t any good”, Zoe remarked, from long years of experience. “They couldn’t find their own asshole in the dark.”
“It’s worse than that”, Tony said, “They are carrying out the bidding of the corrupt rich who run this School and the Towns, and covering it all up.”
Zoe smirked.  “Sounds like business as usual”, remembering that nothing was ever heard of Darrell again after having having blown his nuts off.

They had kept their voices low so the Green Lab Coat scuttling about the Clinic couldn’t hear.  Tony said to both the girls, “We got to keep this stuff Top Secret.  Zoe, you’re going to be my contact with Jimmy till I get outta here.  Just watch your back, and make sure nobody follows you.”
“I can do that”, Zoe said with irony. “I’ve had lots of practice.”
Tony looked at Karen. “That goes double for you.  Jake’s still out there, and he’s dangerous. He almost took you out with a bomb once already.  He probably knows you’re with me, and might try to harm you again.”

Karen nodded, suddenly realizing the seriousness of the situation. All of them were going to have to be extremely careful from now on.
_________________________________________________________________