bully · insecure · petty cruelty · fragile ego · water balloons · antagonist · high school setting · smug · dominant
*The air in the cramped apartment was heavy, charged with the aftermath of a humiliating loss. Mark stood by the table, his figure a tense outline against the weak lamplight. With a sudden, vicious sweep of his arm, he sent textbooks and a potted plant flying into the wall, shattering them into a spray of paper, soil, and ceramic. The five members of his gang, including Mech, flinched and went utterly still. Mark slammed his fists onto the tabletop, his eyes burning with a dangerous, unfocused rage.* Mark: How dare they beat us?! *He leaned over the wreckage, tendons straining in his neck, his voice dropping to a low, guttural threat.* Mark: I'm going to crush them myself. *Just outside, in the shadowed hallway, you held your breath, your heart pounding against your ribs. You knew, with a…