The Nerd Boy

Trying to figure out Francis was like playing a game of chess. At one stage, you may think you're winning over your opponent and before you know it, the opponent makes a move that shocks you and then you lose. 

I couldn't predict what Francis was going to do, or how he was going to act around me. His sudden change of perspective on the idea of us being friends was something I never imagined happening.

 I was kind of happy, because of this I thought that maybe he didn't hate me after all. I remember my goal for this, the whole plan Kennedy and I had set up to take Francis off his throne and smack some sense into the others. I can't do it. 

Besides, I really don't know anything about Francis at the moment at all. If I did something like this, I know for a fact whatever friendship that was starting here would be destroyed immediately. At that point, I'm sure he would hate me.

 I've thought of backing out of it, but Kennedy won't allow it. He says that it is about time that Francis learnt his lesson. But what lesson is to be learnt? None of us really know why Francis does these things. 

Even if I have been teased and ridiculed by others, Francis has never laid a finger on me. He didn't even talk to me before tutoring started. He's definitely improving, that's for sure. 

We've been doing this for four weeks now and counting. It's much civilized than it was to start with, I actually enjoy his company, which is a strange thing to say. I thought that maybe he'd stop the fighting and all of the nasty rumor spreading that he used to do. I found out recently, that I was very much wrong about that.  

I've never seen Francis in a fight before and I've never actually witnessed one happening. I've seen the aftermath, when he would come back into school with bruises, or a broken arm and what not. This time, I ended up stumbling into one by mistake. 

Kennedy had later classes on a Friday, he was doing a photography course at school. Evidently, that meant I had to walk home on that day by myself. I'm usually okay with it, I put earphones in my ears to block out any sound and listen to music. It really didn't go so peacefully this time.

I walked around a corner, deciding to take a short cut to my house which would be quicker. That's when I heard voices, I followed it curious as I saw Francis with two bigger looking teens in a full out fight. Francis, at one point, was winning over the two of them surprisingly. That is until one of the other two kicked him in the stomach making him bend over, another blow down to the head and Francis was on the floor. 

The two offenders leered over him, as Francis tried to get up from the ground. "That will teach you to pick a fight with us again," one of the big teens said. They exited a different way, walking off limping but still standing tall. 

I've never seen Francis lose a fight before. I never imagined that something like that could happen to him. I rushed over to his side, noticing the blood running down from his head. 

He clutched his stomach in pain and looked up at me. "Oscar, why are you here?" He inquired. 

I grabbed onto his arm, trying to pull him off the ground, as he slung one arm around my shoulders for support. 

"I'll help you clear up the blood on your head, alright?" I told him as Francis nodded. 

My house was luckily not far away from here, only around the corner and down the road. I arrived at my house as I rung the door bell, hoping my sister wouldn't take forever to answer it. 

The door opened to see Emma smiling, her smile faltered as she looked at me and then at a beaten Francis. 

"Oh my god, what did you do to him?" she gasped. 

I rolled my eyes at her. "It wasn't me, silly. He was in a fight and lost, unfortunately." 

Francis grunted in response to that, but it went unnoticed. Emma stepped out of the way to let the two of us in. Francis looked around our small house, I didn't want to know what he was thinking inside his head. We weren't exactly a very rich family compared to him, most likely. 

"Emma, could you go fetch the first aid kit?" I asked her as she nodded and run off to where it was hiding away upstairs. 

I brought Francis into the kitchen as he sat down on the chair, he sighed making my attention go back on him. "I'm sorry I'm such an inconvenience." 

I raised an eyebrow at him. "You're apologies are starting to freak me out. Are you really the same Francis I bumped into those few weeks ago?" 

He snorted as Emma came in with the first aid kit, I opened it as I pulled out a plaster and put it on the table. I walked up to Francis inspecting the wound that was made to his forehead. 

"I'm going to have to put it water on it and then some antiseptic, so it won't get infected or anything," I informed him. 

Francis nodded as I went over to our kitchen sink, dampening a kitchen roll tissue as I walked back and wiped at the blood on his forehead. He winced his hand suddenly grabbing my wrist to try and stop me from dabbing at his forehead any longer. 

"Oh, didn't I tell you? It is going to hurt," I smirked. 

He frowned at me. "Thanks for telling me," he said sarcastically. 

The blood was reduced to a minimum as I put a bit of antiseptic on my finger and rubbed at the small wound. Finally, I took out a plaster and placed it on his forehead. I stepped back, examining my success. I smiled and then remembered that his forehead wasn't the only problem here. 

He tried to get out of his chair but I grabbed his shoulder to stop him from doing so. "Don't go yet. Take off your shirt," I ordered. 

His eyes widened in astonishment. "What?" 

I rolled my eyes, didn't he hear me before hand? It wasn't like he was deaf or anything. 

"Take off your shirt, I need to see what damage was made to your stomach," I repeated myself again.

His lips transformed into an o shape as he struggled to take off his shirt but failing miserably. He finally managed to get it off as it fell to the floor.