"Then we should mention Sir Walter Raleigh, and how he was held in the Tower of London," Ryan suggested, flipping his bronze mop of hair away from his eyes.

It'd been about a week since we'd been assigned the project, and we'd almost finished - although we had been implementing it every lunch period.

We'd regained my 'spot' on the wall, as Charlene had gotten a new boyfriend and spent most of the time hanging out with him. His name was Nathan, and he'd played for the school's basketball team. Herculean and brawny, he appeared to a be a guy that you just don't mess with; almost entirely because you daren't.

"Hey, shall we take a break? We've been at this for almost a half hour, and I'm bored," Ryan let out an exaggerated sigh.

I nodded, picking and nipping at my fingernails. Something wasn't right, as it felt - the atmosphere; too tense.
I'd felt eyes on me - millions, trillions, all staring intently, hanging on the edge of my every move. Like they'd follow my every action. Like their eyes were locked onto me, under no condition releasing me from their gaze. I froze, my eyes still, forgetting even how to breathe.

***

"Izzy? Izzy! Hello, in there!" Ryan waved his left hand over my face, pausing to chuckle every few moments.

"Y-yeah?"

"You look like a freakin' statue! You haven't moved for like ten minutes!" he giggled once more.

"Oh. Sorry 'bout that."

"What's up?"

"The sky," I replied, my voice sarcastic - more so than I ever believed I could disburse.

"Stop with the lying, Izzy!"

"I don't know... It's stupid."

"Hit me with your best shot."

"Okay, fine," I reluctantly gave in to him, "I just feel like... Something's wrong. Like someone's just... S-s-spying on us or something."

"Oh, don't be so-"

"That's because we are, you stupid hoe," a familiar, sinister and narcissistic voice remarked.

Charlene.

"Have you forgotten the warning I gave you last week?"

Oh no. Oh no. I recalled it in a perfect manner.

With Nathan by her side, a flagitious, foul grin upon her complexion, she cackled as the horror from realisation of the oncoming situation flooded onto my face.

Nathan's eyes were intent on me, clicking his knuckles and smiling insidiously.

"Now, we are going to fulfil my little promise. Nathan, you have the boys ready?"

Nathan nodded.

"P-p-please... No," I barely whispered, my voice hoarse.

"Paha! You're so pathetic. What are you, five?" she tittered.

"Hope he likes knuckle sandwiches," Nathan's face lit up in excitement.

Out of nowhere, Nathan's 'gang', circumcised, confined us to a small corner, a chorus of chuckles filling the air. And as I came to the conclusion that our fate was sealed, I clutched Ryan's hand, and he mine, as I prepared for the first blow...