CLASS GUY

Artur Świniakowski, as usual, sat in the front row in front of the teacher's desk. He was short for a second-year high school student—a mere 162 cm tall—and most of his classmates were at least half a head taller than him, and as for the girls, only two were shorter than him. He had fair hair with bangs that almost reached his blue eyes, hidden behind thick, oversized glasses. His very pale face was clearly marked by numerous large pimples, the largest and ugliest of which was the one on his large, broken nose. Artur was frail, almost scrawny, and his tight, worn-out jeans and old, equally tight turtleneck only accentuated his puny build.

The geographer, as usual, was late, so the boys sitting in the back, taking advantage of the teacher's absence, began tossing paper balls made from pages torn from notebooks at Artur.

"Kid, get your bearings," Kuba said, hitting Artur in the head.

Artur turned around and was hit in the eye with a paper ball.

"Little dwarf, you need to work on your reflexes," Marcin laughed, pleased with his accurate throw.

"Piggy, I have a present for you, it's a surprise!" Seba took a swing and hit Artur in the nose, though he tried to dodge.

At that moment, the geography teacher entered, and everyone immediately calmed down. The geographer looked at Artur's desk and, seeing the paper balls on it, asked,

"Piggy! What have you made such a mess again? Clean this up immediately!

" The class roared with laughter. Although Artur was by far the best and most talented student in the class, he wasn't popular. On the contrary – because of his appearance, name, ridiculous behavior, awkwardness, and the fact that he was the top student, he was often the butt of ridicule, nicknames, and stupid jokes. He was simply the laughingstock of the class.

*****

Artur hated recess. When he heard the bell ring, signaling the end of class, he'd almost sink into the ground and only reappear in class after recess, because only during lessons—if there was a teacher—did he feel safe. Every recess was a nightmare for him.

As soon as geography ended and Artur left the classroom, Paweł ran up to him, slapped him on the neck, and shouted,

"Konus, give me your math notebook, I don't have an assignment."

Artur obediently handed him the notebook and sat down on a bench in the hallway. Two classmates sat down next to him and immediately started making fun of each other.

"Kid, is it true that your erect penis is only ten centimeters long?" Kasia asked with a mocking smile.

Both girls laughed and watched Artur's reaction closely.

"No, it's over twenty," he replied calmly, though his insides were seething.

"Is it true that you jerk off at least five times a day?" Kasia continued the interview.

"Nonsense," he snapped.

"How is that nonsense? Seba told us you told the boys that."

At that moment, Sebastian, his biggest tormentor, a tall, well-built boy, joined them. He was seventeen, but he was in their class because he was more interested in girls than studying, and he stayed in the same class for a second year.

He nudged Artur and nodded at a tall girl standing with her back to them, engaged in a conversation with a friend. It was Aneta, the prettiest girl in the class, maybe even the entire school. She had waist-length blonde hair, blue eyes, and nice breasts. She was wearing a short miniskirt that exposed almost all of her sexy, slim thighs, and a dark shirt with long, white stripes. She looked like a typical blonde from a Playboy centerfold.

"What, you'd fuck Aneta, wouldn't you?"

Artur smiled slightly but didn't reply. Aneta was indeed a very attractive girl, the kind any boy would want to date. He hadn't told anyone, but he'd had a crush on a pretty classmate for a while now.

"Aneta! Aneta!" Seba exclaimed, and the blonde turned to them.

"Do you know what the little guy said about you?

" "What?

" "That you have a nice ass, amazing tits, and he'd love to fuck you. And that every time he jerks off, he imagines fucking you from behind or giving him a blowjob!

" "I didn't say anything like that," Artur denied desperately, his face turning red.

"You little pig! You fucking, perverted prick!" Aneta walked up to him and slapped him across the face with her open hand, almost knocking Artur's glasses off his nose.

Tears welled up in the boy's eyes. He stood up and walked briskly toward the bathroom.

"Don't cry, you perverted little man!" Seba shouted after him. "Don't jerk off in the toilet again!

" *****

There was a long break after math. Artur wanted to hide somewhere to wait it out safely, but before he could escape, Seba and Kuba were already there.

"Karczycho, you cockroach! Don't slouch!" Kuba slapped him on the neck with his open hand.

"Come to the toilet. You'll be trained," Seba said calmly.

"I'm not going anywhere!

" "You're coming, you're coming!" They grabbed him by the arm and dragged him to the toilet. On the way, they were joined by three more classmates, Aneta, and Marta.

"Come on, girls. You'll have a good laugh at the little colt." Seba invited them into the men's room, opening the door as if it were the entrance to a theater.

The eight of them entered the restroom. Kuba lit a cigarette and then offered it to the girls, who eagerly took advantage of both the cigarettes and the fire.

"Come on, kid, do some push-ups. Because if not, then fuck you," Seba threatened.

Artur did a few push-ups, but quickly weakened.

"What's so thin, you weakling? Fine. Now run in place."

Artur jogged in place for a moment, but Seba quickly grew bored.

"Fine. Get down and do ten push-ups."

The frightened boy only did four, and despite his efforts, he couldn't straighten his arms on the fifth. He fell to the floor, exhausted, and tried to get up. Seba pinned him down with his foot and growled menacingly,

"Lick my shoes, you bastard!

" "Fuck off," Artur replied quietly.

"What did you say, you bastard?" Seba kicked him in the ass.

"Fine, Seba, leave him alone," Aneta said.

Artur stood up, and then the blonde came very close to him. In her high heels, she was almost a head taller than him. She stuck out her breasts and said in a sweet, seductive voice,

"What, Artur?" Would you like to feel them a little?

The boy didn't answer, just looked down, embarrassed. Aneta leaned over him and brought her lips so close to his that he could feel her breath.

"Should I give you a blowjob right here?"

She took a drag on her cigarette and blew the smoke directly into his face.

"You wish, you little punk!"

Suddenly, she kneed him in the groin. Artur doubled over, hissing in pain. The entire group around him laughed loudly. After a moment, Artur recovered and straightened.

"Now, you fucking blind man, thank Aneta for not kicking you harder. She could have," he laughed. "Say: 'Thank you, Mrs. Aneta, for not kicking me harder in the balls, even though I deserved it because I'm so hopeless.'"

"Fuck off," Artur muttered under his breath.

"You son of a bitch!" Seba said angrily.

He took off his glasses and slapped him hard across the face. The boy flew into the wall, and immediately Kuba pushed him so hard that he landed on the floor. Then Seba kicked him several times in the butt and side.

"Just try to tell anyone about this, and I'll kill you like a dog!" he threatened.

They left Artur sobbing quietly on the floor and went out into the hallway.

He didn't understand why they hated him so much. He'd never done anything to them. He'd always been helpful and friendly, never gossiped about anyone, never reported anyone. Was it his fault his name was Świniakowski? Was it his fault he was so small and ugly, that he wore glasses, and that he was a very good student? He hated his entire class. Most of all, that boor, Sebastian.

When Artur entered history class, class had already started. He apologized for being late, but the teacher, seeing the bruise under his eye, wouldn't let him sit down.

"What's with being late for my lesson, Świniakowski? And what's with the limo under your eye? What happened?"

- Nothing, professor.

"What's that? I can see! You're a good student, but you crash too often and you're always bruised. Who did you fight with?

" "Nobody, Professor. I fell on the stairs.

" "What are you doing, an idiot? I can see it was from the impact. I repeat – who did you fight with?

" "Nobody, I fell on the stairs." Artur watched Seb from the last desk as he ran his finger horizontally across his neck, hinting that if he spoke up, he was finished. "Professor, how could I, with my physical condition, fight someone? Anyone could handle me."

The class roared with laughter.

"Indeed, you're not an athlete," the historian looked at him with a slightly more benevolent look. "So someone hit you? Tell me, who did it?

" "Nobody, I fell on the stairs." The boy stubbornly stood his ground.

"Fine. If you don't want to say anything, that's your business. But I don't like the fact that you're lying to the teacher." I think I'll insist on lowering your conduct grade at the Council, because I absolutely disapprove of your behavior. Sit down, Świniakowski!

*****

When Artur returned home, he anxiously glanced around the small, poorly furnished, two-room apartment. Fortunately, his father was not home, and his mother, Barbara, a nurse at the local hospital, was sleeping off the night shift. Artur was an only child, because after Barbara miscarried her daughter, she decided against having a second child because of her alcoholic husband. She ended her next two pregnancies with an abortion, and then underwent tubal ligation.

His father's name was Czesław, and he had once worked for a private contractor as a locksmith, but ever since he was fired for drunkenness, he couldn't find a permanent job and only worked part-time, not bringing home much money. However, this didn't stop him from getting nearly blackout drunk every day on cheap wine or moonshine and squandering almost all his earnings.

And when Artur's father was drunk, he was terrible. He screamed like a man possessed, called his mother and son vulgar names, and beat them with all his strength, which was surprisingly strong for an alcoholic. Whenever he was drunk, he tried to get his wife into bed. Barbara never wanted sex with a stinking drunk who insulted her in such a crude way, so it usually ended with her being beaten and then raped wherever Czesław happened to catch her. The wicked father didn't care whether their teenage son was home or watching what he was doing with his wife.

Several times, neighbors, alarmed by the screams coming from their apartment, sometimes even late at night, called the police. Czesław then spent the night in the sobering-up station, but the house was quiet only until he returned home. Things got even worse, because Czesław accused his wife and son of calling the police to take him away, even though he was so kind to them. He alternated between vulgarly calling them names and beating them. He kept doing it until he was exhausted. The excuse that the neighbors had done it didn't sink in. He refused to accept that they couldn't call for the simple reason that they didn't have a phone.

Wanting to take advantage of the family tyrant's absence, Artur quickly finished his homework and then studied for tomorrow. It took him less than an hour. Then he lay down on the couch with a book in his hand. Only when he read books was he truly happy. It was practically his only pleasure. He always immersed himself in the novels and imagined himself as the hero of the book he was reading—usually a huge, strong, and tough man—that he almost forgot about the world around him. That's why he loved reading so much. He read in every free moment, practically devouring page after page. He

was reading "Conan the Warrior," a book by his favorite author, Robert E. Howard. The titular hero was a giant man who lived centuries ago in a fictional fantasy world. Sword in hand, he was invincible and traversed vast spaces, slaying monsters, acquiring treasures and the most beautiful women. Arthur undoubtedly considered Conan his idol, even though he was only a fictional character—he would give anything to be that big and strong man. Only then would he show them all. They would have to fear him, especially that son of a bitch, Sebastian.

*****

Czesław didn't return home until evening. Of course, he was dead drunk. He slammed the door so hard it almost flew off the frame. Then he stormed into the kitchen in a rage, slammed his fist on the table with all his might, and shouted,

"Basia! Bacha, you bitch! What the fuck is wrong with dinner?!

My father ran to the living room, but Barbara wasn't there because she'd gone to a friend's. Unable to find his wife, Czesław went to Artur's room.

"Where's your mother, you piece of shit?

" She went to a friend's.

"Why are you staring at me like that, you bespectacled guy? You must be ashamed of your father?

" "No, I'm not.

" "Don't lie! I know what you think of me! That I'm a drunk and an idiot. And who's raising you, who's earning money so you can eat? You damn ingrate!"

The man punched his son in the jaw. Artur fell onto the couch. "Get up, you weakling! I'm not finished with you yet, you freeloader! "

he heard his father's furious voice.

The next day, Artur had six lessons. The last one was physical education, the only subject he didn't like. Not only was he very weak in PE, unlike other subjects, but it was also during this lesson that his classmates had the most opportunities to tease him. He remembered very well the embarrassment he'd felt in PE three weeks ago.

In the winter, all classes always took turns with physical education—the girls in the gym all week, the boys in the hallway, and the next week the other way around. There were too many classes for everyone to have PE lessons in the gym all the time, so the principal came up with this solution. Three weeks ago, the boys were practicing in the hallway, and as usual, the teacher told them to warm up first. They ran one after the other down the hallway, waving their arms energetically. Seba ran after Artur, and when the girls from their class, who had already finished their lessons, came from the opposite direction, he made fun of him. He suddenly lunged at the boy and, with a quick, forceful movement, pulled his sweatpants and underwear down to mid-thigh. For a moment, before he pulled his pants up, Artur ran with his penis exposed. Everyone laughed at him so loudly and for so long that the PE teacher started shouting for them to calm down. The girls laughed the loudest. Artur wanted to sink into the ground with embarrassment. And the very next day, the entire school was pointing fingers at him.

That day, they had PE in the gym and played basketball. That was the beginning of Artur's tragedy. To say he was weak at basketball would be an understatement. He was, in short, hopeless. Due to his short stature and poor jumping, he couldn't catch a ball under the basket, was far too slow to intercept any, and his shots were so inaccurate that he never scored a point. Every pass to him was a sure loss. No one wanted Artur on the team because it was the same as having one less player than the opponents.

Coincidentally, Artur was on the same team Sebastian played for. Of course, the boy was constantly being abused by his teammates because he kept spoiling every ball that occasionally fell into his hands. From all sides, he heard insults:

"What a game, you idiot!

" "Are you blind or something?

" "An anemic like you should be killed at birth."

The game remained tied throughout, with one team taking the lead alternately. Seba's team was winning by one point, and there were only a few dozen points left in the game when Artur miraculously caught a loose ball. He looked around and noticed that none of the opponents were approaching him. They had clearly completely ignored him, knowing he couldn't pass, let alone shoot.

"Play for time, you little man!" Seba, always determined to win, shouted at him. "The game's almost over."

But Artur didn't listen. Seeing that no one was around him and everyone was sneering, he thought he'd finally try to score. He ran with the ball toward the backboard, unchallenged. When he was about five meters from the basket, he took a shot, but didn't even make it to the backboard. Jacek, a player on the opposing team, gathered the ball and made a long pass to Piotr, who ran halfway across the court and brilliantly dunked the ball into the basket. This decided the game, because immediately after this play, the teacher blew the whistle to end the game. Seba and Artur's team lost by one point, and Artur was the main culprit.

In the locker room, his teammates were shoving him, pushing him, giving him "mooks" and "necks," calling him an idiot and a mutant. Seba was the most upset.

"Listen," he said to Kuba and Paweł. "Now I'll take a shower, and you two keep an eye on the little guy so he doesn't run away. I need to talk to him."

He slapped Artur over the head with his open hand and stepped into the shower. After a few minutes, he turned off the water, dried himself, and, without getting dressed, naked as a Turkish saint, approached Artur, who was sitting on the bench between Kuba and Paweł.

"Listen, you idiot!" he said angrily. "If I tell you to play for time, you fucking play for time, not clown around." He took off his glasses, placed them on the bench, and then slapped him hard across the face.

"Only a mother could love a face like yours. Or maybe not even she." He slapped him again, this time with his second hand.

"Tell me who did this to you and fucked you up like that, and I'll avenge you," Kuba laughed.

"Because we lost because of you, you're going to give me a blowjob now." Seba got so close to Artur that his penis was practically touching his face.

"Come on, take it in your mouth," he said sharply. "You're a fag, aren't you?"

Artur turned away and closed his eyes.

"Of course the guy's a fag. Nobody's ever seen him with a girl, right?" Kuba said.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you, you idiot!" Seba yelled, and Artur opened his eyes, terrified.

"Either you suck me off now or you'll get your ass kicked!" he added sharply, spitting in his face.

"Fuck off, faggot," Artur replied quietly, his voice trembling.

"Oh no! You've really pissed me off now! Do you think I'd really give you a blowjob?" He slapped him across the face again. "I just wanted to check you out, because you're the fag, not me!

" "I'm not a fag," he denied quietly, tears streaming from his eyes.

"Take off your clothes!" Go ahead, take off your shirt.

Fearing further beatings, Artur took off his shirt.

"Take off your shoes and socks."

The terrified boy obeyed without a murmur.

"Now pants! I said pants! Because fuck you!" Seba shouted, seeing Artur hesitate.

"Now pants!" he yelled at the tearful boy standing there in his underwear.

"No. I won't do that," Artur replied, wiping away his tears.

"No?" Sebastian smiled sinisterly. "Hold him!"

Kuba and Paweł grabbed his hands, and then Seba took off his underwear and threw it in the corner. Then he took a digital camera out of his bag and took a few pictures of the naked Artur.

"I'll take some pictures of the little guy. Let the girls laugh too," he said, clearly amused. "Or I have a better idea. We'll put these pictures on the school newspaper."

Artur cried with shame and helplessness. Seba got dressed and put Artur's underwear in his bag, saying,

"If you can't play basketball, you'll be going barefoot, loser. And that's goodbye!"

He knocked the boy to the floor and kicked him.

Everyone left the classroom, ignoring Artur, who was lying on the floor, tears streaming down his face.

*****

After a few minutes, Seba remembered he'd left his bag with his sneakers, so he returned to the locker room. He thought he'd see Artur again, and smiled to himself at the thought of him teasing him some more. However, no one was in the locker room. He grabbed his bag and started to leave, but then decided to relieve himself first. He entered the restroom and stopped dead in his tracks. He immediately felt cold and goosebumps appeared on his skin. Artur was hanging from the ceiling. He'd hung himself by his belt, which was attached to a pipe running along the ceiling.

Sebastian quickly calmed down enough to think logically. He wrapped one arm around Artur's legs and lifted him up a bit, while he unhooked his belt with the other. He laid the boy on the floor, took out his cell phone, and called 911. The ambulance arrived within minutes. Artur was still alive.

*****

Fortunately, Artur was saved. He was taken to the hospital for observation, where he was expected to stay for a few days. His mother visited him once—she brought chocolate and a few books to read, but she didn't stay long because she was rushing to work. His father somehow didn't find the time to visit his only son.

In Artur's class, they weren't particularly concerned about his classmate's suicide attempt; no one felt particularly sorry for him; it was treated as a sensational event. Surprisingly, Sebastian, his greatest tormentor, was the one who felt the most affected by this tragedy. He didn't tell anyone, but he felt like the main culprit, the person who had contributed most to Artur's suicide. He was silent, sullen, and sleep-deprived. At night, he had nightmares, which always featured the image of a hanged man. He dreamed of returning home, opening the door, and Artur hanging from the hallway lamp. He took it off his belt, went into his room, and there, again, was Artur, his mouth wide open and his black tongue lolling down to his chin. He went to the kitchen, and there, Artur was hanging from a rope, slowly spinning, looking at him with silent reproach. He fled to the bathroom, and there, hanging from the ceiling, Artur was hanging by his belt, kicking his legs desperately, trying to reach something to steady himself. He would wake up screaming, drenched in a cold sweat, and when he fell back asleep, he'd dreamt of the same dream, so he tried to stay awake out of fear.

Memories from last year, when he decided to end his life, came flooding back. His girlfriend of eight months, whom he'd been madly in love with, broke up with him. She left him because she'd met another guy. For two weeks, he was terribly depressed, and life lost its meaning. He began to consider the best way to end his life. He wondered whether to jump off a bridge into the river or poison himself with pills. Eventually, however, he came to his senses and realized that life was too precious a gift to take on himself. He never again considered suicide.

When their teacher suggested they go visit a friend in the hospital, he volunteered to go. He intended to apologize to Artur for being so mean to him and secretly hoped he might forgive him. Apart from himself, no one else seemed particularly eager to make the visit. Two girls volunteered more out of curiosity than sympathy for Artur, and the delegation was completed by the class president and treasurer, practically forced into their presence by their teacher.

When they arrived, Artur was lying on his bed reading a book. Seeing them, he didn't calm down at all; on the contrary, he became very upset.

"What are you all here for!" he shouted. "Who the hell invited you here?"

"Artur, calm down," the teacher said. "We wanted to see how you were feeling, to see if you were okay."

"Sure! I know you all don't give a damn about me! You came here to make a spectacle of yourself because a little guy tried to hang himself!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. "I hate all of you. Especially that son of a bitch!" he pointed at Seba. "If I could, I'd kill you, you son of a bitch! Why did you save me, huh? Did someone fucking ask you?! I don't want to live, and when I get out of the hospital, I'll hang myself again! Get out of here, everyone, and don't come here again!"

At that moment, the doctor burst into the room, alarmed by the loud screams heard throughout the entire floor. He looked nervously at the school delegation and said in a sharp, emphatic tone,

"Please don't upset the patient! He needs peace right now, not stress and screams! Please leave immediately! Immediately!

" "But we just wanted to visit a classmate," the teacher replied.

"I don't want any visits from the school!" "Artur shouted, his face red and sweating with nerves.

"Did you hear?" the doctor asked. "End of the visit! Leave the room immediately!

" *****

When Artur was released from the hospital, he didn't keep his promise not to attempt suicide again. He returned to school, but he didn't speak to anyone and only answered questions from teachers. He became very withdrawn, and only his very sad face revealed that he was feeling very bad. His classmates didn't try to comfort him, but they also stopped bullying and making fun of him. Seba tried to apologize several times, but as soon as he started to say something, Artur immediately left.

Sebastian kept having nightmares. They tormented him more and more, until he finally decided to talk to someone about it. One evening, when he returned home, he went into his father's room and told him about Artur and his suicide attempt, and that he had been having nightmares ever since. He omitted to mention that he himself had contributed significantly to this tragedy by abusing him. Sebastian's father was very nervous and prone to hitting, so it was best not to tell him everything.

"I never told you this," his father said. "But I also wanted to commit suicide once.

" "Why?

" "I was doing very poorly in school, and on top of that, I was bullied by the boys in my upper classes. I was small and weak for my age, and they chose me as a victim to be constantly bullied.

" "How did they abuse you?"

"They made fun of me, made me do all sorts of stupid things, like jump down the hall on one leg, pick up papers, do push-ups.

" "Did they hit you too?

" "Sometimes, especially when I resisted, and I often resisted.

" "Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"Because they told me if I told anyone, they'd give me such a hard time that I'd end up in the hospital, so I was afraid to tell on them. And no one would have helped me anyway. The teachers would have ignored me, and my father would have laughed at me. Or even beaten me for letting them beat me up.

" "How old were you when you tried to commit suicide?

" "Fifteen. It was in June, when I found out I'd be staying in first grade for the second year.

" "Is that sixteen, not fifteen?

" "Exactly. Back then, elementary school had seven grades, not eight.

" "So what? How did you try to kill yourself?"

"I slit my wrists with a penknife to bleed out. But my mother came into the room and they saved me. I'll tell you one thing: that boy, Artur, must have been hounded by his surroundings for a long time to have hanged himself." And shortly before he wanted to hang himself, something very upsetting must have happened to him, making him completely fed up. I've read a bit about suicides. They usually want to kill themselves when various problems accumulate at the same time – at home, at school, with friends, with girls, with parents, and with teachers. And they can't cope with any of these problems, and they have no one to turn to for help. It was the same with me. The teachers put me in second year, the boys bullied me, my father was very strict at home, and I was afraid to tell him I hadn't passed the next grade.

My father thought for a moment, then added,

"I hope you didn't have anything to do with that suicide attempt? You weren't bullying that boy?

" "No, no, Dad. What are you doing, no.

" "That's good. I wouldn't want my son to contribute to such a tragedy. If I'd known someone was hanging themselves because of me, the remorse would probably have kept me alive." You have no idea what terrible things someone who decided to take their own life must have gone through.

*****

After that conversation, Sebastian blamed himself even more for what had happened to Arthur. He felt like a complete scumbag, almost like a criminal, as if he'd tied the belt around Arthur's neck. He wanted to somehow compensate him for the harm he'd caused the boy, but he didn't know how. Especially since Arthur wouldn't even listen to him and had clearly told him in the hospital how much he hated him. He was determined not to let anyone abuse Arthur.

A few weeks after Artur's return to school, his classmates slowly began to forget about the boy's suicide attempt. Apparently, subconsciously, they believed that Artur's "protective period" had ended, and they began calling him names again. Artur reacted very nervously, unlike before. Seba also defended Artur, and whenever someone called him names, he threatened the offender that if he didn't stop, he would have to deal with him. This surprised everyone, because they remembered how Sebastian had treated Artur before.

One day during recess, Kuba ran up to Artur, punched him in the arm, and shouted directly into his ear:

"Copy my math homework, you little midget!

" "Piss off," Artur replied.

"What did you say, little punk?" Kuba hadn't expected such a reaction from the boy, who had always been so docile. "Do you want to get punched?

" "Get away from me, you jerk!

" "You little punk! You haven't been in school in ages!" "With that, he pushed Artur.

"Don't push me, asshole." Now it was Artur's turn to push Kuba.

"What, you little man? Are you resisting? You'll get hit!" Kuba became very angry and grabbed Artur by the neck of his sweater.

"Leave him alone, Kuba!" At that moment, Seba stepped in, twisting Kuba's arm. "He's been through enough. Leave him alone!

" "What, are you crazy? You were always the one who trained him the most.

" "I told you to leave him alone. And don't bother him anymore, because if I see you doing anything to him, you'll get a beating!

" "Okay, okay! Let go of my hand already." Kuba didn't want a conflict with his stronger friend.

"And you, Artur, remember," Seba said. "If anyone bothers you, come tell me immediately. Then they'll have to deal with me."

Artur said nothing and walked away. He didn't understand Seba's sudden transformation, and although he still held a grudge against him, he was secretly glad he'd have such a protector. From then on, Artur had peace – no one dared to bother him, because Sebastian's threats were not to be taken lightly. After all, Seba was the strongest in the class and could easily beat any of them.

*****

A week later, Artur was sitting in the hallway when a few guys from his class stood near him. They were talking about bodybuilding, and Seba was telling me he'd set up a makeshift gym in his basement.

"The old man made me a bench, a barbell, and brought in some discs from somewhere. Some lathe guy made them from scrap. I have a total of one hundred twenty kilos of weights. He still has to make me two dumbbells.

" "And how often do you train?" Kuba asked

. "Four times a week. I'm telling you, in two months my biceps have grown two centimeters, and I'm lifting ninety-five kilos for my chest."

Seba noticed Artur sitting on the bench and said to him.

"You should gain some weight too. Skinny guys like you always gain a lot at first. After three months of training, if you ate a lot of protein, you could even gain ten kilos of muscle. My dad always says, 'The bigger and stronger you are, the more they respect you.' And he's right."

Artur didn't reply, but he thought it over and started working out at home. Every other day, he did six sets of push-ups and six sets of pull-ups on a carpet beater. He also drank two liters of milk a day and practically forced himself to eat, eating six slices of bread for dinner. After two months, he noticed he'd gained three kilograms. He was happy, because it was certainly a lot for such a lackluster workout, especially without using any weights other than his own body weight.

At school, his friends noticed he'd gained a bit, which motivated him even more to train. Even Seba suggested that if he wanted, he could come work out at his basement. Artur replied that he'd think about it, but he was still wary of him, remembering how he'd been treated before.

Sebastian noticed Artur's hesitation and decided to use it to finally make peace with him. To instill the bodybuilding bug in the boy, he quietly slipped a few issues of the bodybuilding magazine "Muscle" into his bag. Artur had a hunch who might have done it, but he read every magazine cover to cover anyway. He gazed in admiration at the photos of the world's best bodybuilders and dreamed of one day being even a little like those powerful men. If he were as powerful and strong as his favorite literary hero, Conan, then no one would challenge him. He'd never have to fear anyone again; he would be feared. It's exactly as he'd read somewhere—it's better to be feared than laughed at. For

several days, he considered taking Seba up on his offer. He still didn't like him, but the urge to follow in the footsteps of the bodybuilding stars he'd seen on Muscle, like Coleman, Wheeler, and Levrone, was stronger. He finally got over it, gathered his courage, and went to Seba's basement that evening.

Sebastian was training. Artur knocked, and Seba opened the door with a smile on his face and let him in.

"I'm glad you came," he said. "It's always better to train with two people than alone."

Artur didn't know what to do or how to train, but Seba quickly filled him in.

"I'm training chest today, so you can bulk up too. Lie down on the bench and we'll see how much you can bench so I know what weight you can train with in sets."

The boy only benched forty kilos and was embarrassed by his weakness, but Seba didn't laugh at him.

"Okay. So, in sets, you'll be training with a weight of sixty percent of your personal best, which is twenty-four kilograms. Today, you'll only do four sets of ten repetitions, so you don't overtrain in your first workout. In your next chest workout, you'll do five sets, then we'll add one set at a time until you reach eight. And then we'll just increase the weight as your strength increases. You'll train four times a week. Monday for chest and triceps, Tuesday for back, Thursday for biceps and shoulders, and Friday for legs. And remember, eat as much protein as you can and drink two liters of milk a day. Without protein, your muscles won't grow. In general, eat as much as you can, because you need to gain a lot of mass first.

" *****

Artur trained hard and systematically, and was further motivated by the fact that he was making significant progress. Surprisingly, it turned out he was a mesomorph, a person who gains muscle very easily and quickly. During the first two months of training with Seba, he gained a whopping seven kilograms. Finally, at sixteen, he began to mature, which manifested itself primarily in his rapid growth. By winter break, he had grown two inches, making him taller than half the girls in his class and one boy—although he was only a centimeter taller, but that meant he was no longer the shortest of the boys.

When they returned to school after the summer holidays, Artur was already six feet tall and weighed seventy kilograms. He had a personal best bench press of eighty-eight kilograms, a squat of one hundred and twenty kilograms, and only Seba was stronger in the class. Artur loved bodybuilding.

During almost a year of training together, he became such close friends with Seba that they even sat at the same desk. Sebastian no longer considered Artur a stupid nerd. On the contrary, he began to admire him for his brilliant intelligence, extensive knowledge, and wide reading. Even under Artur's influence, he began reading books, something he had never done before, and his favorite author was also the creator of Conan, Robert E. Howard. Artur, too, changed his mind about his friend during this time. It turned out that although Sebastian sometimes had uncontrollable outbursts of aggression and could be cruel, deep down he wasn't such a bad person. He was a good, helpful friend you could count on in times of need. He had extensive knowledge of bodybuilding and was happy to share it with his friend, always being a patient and understanding teacher of the "iron sport."

*****

In Artur's home, the terror wreaked by his father ended. The stronger Artur became, the more he resisted his father, until finally, the last straw was over, and Czesław went from being the executioner to the victim.

Returning late that evening from a heavy drinking spree at the bar, Czesław was, as usual, very aggressive. From the very beginning, he called Artur's mother a whore and himself a retard. Then he demanded money from Barbara for vodka, and when she refused, he hit her so hard that she fell over the table and cracked her forehead on the edge. Hearing screams, the dull thud of a falling body, and his mother's loud groan, Artur burst into his parents' room.

"Leave her alone! What are you hitting her for, you drunk?" he shouted from the doorway.

"Don't interfere, you little brat, or I'll beat the shit out of you too.

" "If you hit your mom again, you'll regret it.

" "Ha, ha, ha," Czesław cackled loudly. "And what are you going to do to me, you bastard?"

Completely ignoring his son, he walked over to Barbara, grabbed her by the hair, and forced her to her feet. Then he slapped her across the face with his open hand and said with fury in his voice,

"See, you bitch, how you raised your son? He's threatening his father, you piece of shit! Now I'll beat the shit out of you, and then him. Maybe this will teach you a lesson!"

He slapped his wife across the face again. This was too much for Artur. He reached his father, who was standing with his back to him, and shoved him in the back. Czesław staggered against the wall, turned, and yelled,

"You're raising your hand against your father, you son of a bitch?"

He lunged at Artur and punched him. The boy pushed him back hard. Czesław lunged at him again and tried to kick him, but Artur grabbed his father's leg and lifted it so high that he fell. Czesław, furious as a hornet, stood up, took off his belt, and grabbed the end. He hit his son painfully in the face with the belt buckle, and that was when Artur lost control. The aggression and hatred he'd suppressed for so many years erupted within him with full force. He leaped at his father and, despite being hit again with the buckle, grabbed him by the collar with one hand and punched him in the stomach with the other. Czesław doubled over, and then Artur punched him in the back of the head with his clasped hands. The man fell to the floor, breaking his nose. Blood gushing profusely, he slowly rose and roared,

"I'll kill you! I'll kill you! And then your mother!"

He grabbed a chair by the leg and swung it at Artur. The boy dodged the blow, then immediately punched his father in the jaw with his left hand and then hit him in the nose with his right. Czesław, swinging, lifted the chair over his head, but Artur was faster. He kicked the man so hard in the stomach that he fell, releasing the chair. He kicked him again, and when Czesław rolled onto his stomach and tried to stand, he pulled him back by his legs. His father fell forward onto his face. Artur sat on his back and pummeled him with his fists. Barbara, seeing her husband now defenseless, picked up a belt from the floor and began whipping Czesław across his legs and buttocks. The man tried to wriggle free, but he was too weak and drunk to do so. Finally, when his father stopped moving, his mother stopped whipping him, and Artur climbed off his back. Then Czesław suddenly came to life. He crawled to his hands and knees, got up, and opened the door. Before he could run out into the hallway, he received a sharp kick in the ass. Already on the stairs, he heard Barbara shout,

"Don't try to come back here, you son of a bitch, or you'll end up in the cemetery!"

Indeed, a few days later, Czesław found himself in the cemetery, though he never returned home. Furious, beaten, and abused, he went from acquaintance to acquaintance, from dive to dive, constantly drinking vodka and moonshine, until he met his demise. Two days after his infamous escape from home, drunk almost to the point of unconsciousness, he got into an argument with a stranger in a drinking den and was stabbed in the stomach, from which he never recovered.

At the modest funeral, attended by only a few people, Artur and his mother didn't shed a single tear. Those who knew Czesław weren't at all surprised.

*****

A few months later, Artur went to a school disco. There, he met Sebastian, and they stood together against the wall, watching the people dancing. At one point, a pretty, medium-height brunette with cat-like eyes and shapely buttocks walked past them.

"That's Marta from III b," Artur said. "I've liked her for a long time.

" "So what are you waiting for? Go and ask her to dance," Seba encouraged him .

"And what if she doesn't want to?

" "You'll see, she'll dance with you. Go ahead and pick her up! Good luck!"

A moment later, Sebastian, leaning against the wall, watched his friend dancing with Marta. Artur smiled with satisfaction and told the girl something.

"I wish he'd succeed with that girl," Seba thought. "And I wish he'd forgive me someday."