‘How many fingers am I holding up?’ Jason asked, grinning as he pinned me to the locker.
‘Just the one,’ I sighed, bracing myself for the—
Ooof!
All the air left my lungs as he hit me with a wicked right cross, right in the gut. I doubled over, letting myself slowly fall to the ground as Jason’s friends jeered around us.
‘Guess those glasses still aren’t working right, huh four-eyes?’ he chuckled, bending over to grab the back of my shirt.
‘Yo, I need your help with something,’ he whispered when he got down to my level.
‘Huh?’ I asked, confused.
He lifted me up by my collar, then grabbed my lapels and slammed me backwards into the lockers again.
‘Yeah, I’m thinking I might need to get my eyes tested,’ he whispered, pressing himself close to me.
‘What are you talking ab—’
He wrenched me forwards and slammed me back.
‘Sorry, gotta keep up appearances,’ he shrugged. ‘But my mum keeps telling me I need one of those eye tests for kids, she just doesn’t know where to get one.’
‘Why are you asking me?’ I whispered back, eyes darting around at his friends. Their faces were becoming slightly more suspicious.
‘Hit me again,’ I whispered quickly.
‘What?’
‘Do it!’
He obliged, whacking his tree-trunk fist into my delicate ribcage. I fell again, and he followed me down.
‘Your friends were getting suspicious,’ I wheezed. ‘Look, I can recommend an optometrist near Bayside who’s good with kids, but it’ll cost you.’
‘Cost me how?’ he frowned.
‘I want all of your lunch money,’ I said. ‘For a week.’
‘But all of my lunch money is your lunch money,’ he frowned. ‘I’d just be giving it back to you.’
‘Works for me,’ I shrugged. ‘Also, I get to hit you.’
‘What?’ he baulked.
‘Not for real,’ I frowned, ribs aching. ‘I just want people to see me hit you, once. Then we can go back to normal.’
He thought it over, giving me a light tap with his shoe to keep up pretences in the meantime.
‘Deal,’ he nodded.