Rewrite of "Tri" by Franches Echin

A Story by suuyuwriteyunu

I rewrote "Tri" in the perspective of Tri instead of the bully.

REWRITE OF “TRI” BY FRANCHES ECHIN

They were coming. Their footsteps echoed down the hall. Three footsteps. Thump thump thump. My heart pounded in my chest. I hid behind a toilet stall.

Stupid, I told myself. That wasn’t going to help. They were going to find me anyway. I bit my tongue. I could taste the metallic tang of blood in my mouth, and the pain pierced through my tongue, but that was nothing compared to what was about to happen. It was nothing compared to what was about to happen to me.

The footsteps got closer. I bit back a scream. I buried myself deeper into the corner. Tears couldn’t help but sting my eyes and I cursed myself for it. Wimp. That’s what Greg said. You wimpy Reffo. I buried my face in my arms. I hated how I had all three of their names seared into my brain. They didn’t even know mine.

“Hey, look who’s here today,” The tallest blond guy, Neil, said. I tensed, looking up from my arms. Next to him was Greg, the shortest one, and Josh, the other tall one. They were in their sports jerseys today. Probably just came from soccer practice. That dangerous gleam in their eyes told me everything I needed to know: they had just lost a game, and I was going to get it.

My body shook. I tried to stop myself, but it only made it worse. They had found me again. No surprise there. I just have to get this over with and quickly---

“Must’ve been looking for the Chinese laundry and got lost,” said Greg. I flinched. My face heated up. I looked up at the three of them and stared at their haughty expressions. Their ruffled blond hair and blue eyes were piercing and cruel as they smirked. I hated how tiny I felt, how I cowered from fear every time they came, even when it was only their names being uttered.

The three guys circled around me. I knew the drill. They always circled around me, forcing me up from my corner. Then, someone would jump me from behind, hit me where it hurt. Over and over again until I was purple from bruises and aching from pain. But, knowing didn’t make it any easier. Blood drained from my body. My limbs were nothing but a slim piece of string. Knowing made it harder. Knowing made it more painful, more shameful. I blinked back my tears.

“Come on, Slit-eyes,” Greg aggressively whispered into my ears. “Fight. Fight this time.”

My body tensed. My breath came out in quick, panicked puffs. All the words I practiced the other day died on my tongue. I knew I would never get to use them.

“What’re we gonna do?” Josh snickered. “It’s not like the Reffo can understand English.”

I can, I thought to myself. I can understand every single word you are saying. Another tear slipped from my eye. Sweat drenched my body and my face heated from embarrassment.

“It’s about time we showed him what a little scum he really is. Hold him still, you two,” Greg barked.

I stopped myself before I let out a whimper. Still, I couldn’t stop the tears any longer. They came streaming down like a flood. Those wretched, silent, incessant tears.

“I already am!” Josh snarled, forcing me out of my thoughts. His grip on me tightened and my skin turned red. I bit back the pain that pierced through my arm. Neil’s nails dug into my skin, leaving crescent moon shapes right under my sleeve, cleverly placed so that no one could spot it. I bit back another sob.

“What’ll we do, Greg?” Neil asked. I could barely make out their words. My ears heated. The world spun around me and the urinals swam around each other. My knees buckled and Neil and Josh had to hold me still even tighter.

Please, just get this over with. I can’t do this anymore.

“Get him over here, over here!” Greg ordered. Tears stained my vision. I couldn't see what was right in front of me anymore. Everything was a mess of blurry blues and whites. The bathroom tiles under me were quicksand, sinking me, down down down.

I heard Josh say something else, but I couldn’t tell his voice apart from the deafening silence in my head. My head throbbed and my sobs caught in my throat. I waited for the usual punch to my stomach. Three seconds. Five seconds. Ten seconds. Fifteen….

It never came. I hurriedly sucked a deep breath in. It never came. The punch never came.

I flung my eyes open, frantically looking around the room, feeling the solid ground beneath my feet. Desperate, I looked up at their faces. Maybe they were done? Maybe this is the end. Maybe I can---

BANG!

They threw me against a wall. I tried to breathe, but it was like my throat was closing in on me again, leaving me to fend for myself. My previous false hope disappeared quicker than anyone could snap their fingers. It was gone, quicker than all three of them could call me a Reffo. I blinked furiously, trying to keep the tears from resurfacing. The three blond boys closed in on me again, and it was too late when I realised they didn’t hurl me towards a wall…but a urinal.

I screamed. I thrashed. My scream didn’t come out any louder than a mouse. They held me tight against my wrists. Their feet were on my legs, pinning me down. I cried and cried as Greg unzipped his pants. I looked away, furiously shaking my head.

Please please please, get me out of here. Please I can’t do this anymore!

Boiling, yellow liquid sprayed across my face. I shut my mouth and my eyes, trying my hardest to look away. The stink enveloped me and I screamed in my throat. The liquid stung my eyes and I thrashed.

Please. I’m begging you. Help.

My body wouldn’t budge. The boys held me still. I cried and cried. I couldn't tell the difference between my tears and Greg’s pee anymore. I couldn’t hear anything apart from the piercing sound of my own screams. Their cruel laughter came in snippets, and those snippets were the most humiliating seconds of my life. I sobbed. My wrists were starting to turn purple. I couldn’t feel my fingers anymore.

Suddenly, the spraying stopped. I breathed in through my nose hard, desperately taking in whatever air I could. I didn’t know why I did that. I wished I were dead instead. I wished I were dead so I never had to experience this ever again. I hung my head, exhausted.

“My turn, Greg!”

My breath hitched. What? There’s more?

“Here, you come and hold him, it’s my turn now!”

No no please, no. Don’t do this to me. Don’t do this to me---

Yellow liquid blasted my eyes. Hot, malodorous pee blinded me and I struggled. My head was faint and I could barely comprehend what was going on anymore.

I didn’t even have time to scream---I couldn’t scream. I couldn’t hear. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t even see what they were doing.

They took everything away from me. They took my voice, they took my dignity. They humiliated me and jeered at me. They took away my tears. I couldn’t even cry.

I couldn’t even cry.

And they might as well just take my life.

What’s a little yellow Reffo worth, anyway?