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Description
Inlé woke in the same position he had fallen asleep in. For a few moments, he sat tightening and loosening his muscles, forcing sluggish muscles to move awake.

"Women," he muttered, rising.

Looking to the small window in his room, Inlé saw that sunrise was upon this world. He reached one hand into the other sleeve, and pulled a backpack out of it.

Sitting, he rifled through it, pulling out a notebook, a textbook, and a pencil. Resting the textbook on one knee and the notebook on the other, Inlé began his homework.

Exhausted, Inlé sat in class only a few hours later. He tried to rest, but his teachers kept him from falling asleep. So when lunch came, he thought he could get in a catnap. Just enough sleep to tie him over.

Sitting in a hallway near the cafeteria, Inlé leaned his head back against the wall, shut his eyes and tried to shut out the world. Despite the murmur of lunchtime conversation, he found the area quiet enough.

Suddenly, the peace was disturbed. "C'mon Jim. Where's my money? You owe me five bucks from the other day, remember?"

Looking over, Inlé saw a boy holding another against the wall. They were of similar build and appearance, but one looked mean, while the other--pinned to the wall--was pathetic. "I don't have any money right now, Brad. I can't even buy lunch right now! Please. I'll pay you later."

The rough one, Brad, smiled viciously. "Jim, don't hold out on me. I know you got some money, don't you?

"Even if it's a little change. Just fifty cents and I'll leave you alone. C'mon!"

"I don't have any money!" Jim the pitiful wailed.

Inlé rose and approached, all hope for rest gone. He walked up to the two as Brad whispered something quietly into Jim's ear.

Inlé interrupted to bluntly join the conversation, "Hey, Jim."

The two look over at Inlé in surprise--Jim scared, Brad put out. Inlé placidly said, "I need to borrow a few dollars from you."

Brad too a step back from Jim to better face Inlé. "Look pal ..." he began before being silenced by a withering gaze from poker-faced Inlé.

"Did I say something to you?" Inlé said impassively. Brad closed his mouth and kept it shut.

Turning back to Jim, Inlé asked, "Well?"

Jim, flustered, answered, "But.. I don't have any ..."

"'Don't have any?'" Inlé cut in. Then he reached into Jim's pocket, "Well, why not let me take a look for myself, then? Hello, what is this?"

Inlé pulled a small roll of money out. "I thought you said you did not have any money?"

Surprised, Jim sputtered, "I don't--didn't! I ... uh."

Opening the roll, Inlé said, "Well, you have three fives, so I will take one, and repay you later. Thank you."

Inlé turned and walked off, as Brad behind him said, "See, Jim? Now give me my five dollars and we're fine."

Jim said, "I'm sorry, here. Now please. Leave me alone."

Brad walked off brushing the comment aside. "Yeah, sure. Whatever."

Jim looked after Inlé, seeing him pass a group of four girls in similar goth-lolita dress who stood together and chattered. "Stupid guy, why would he do that?" he muttered to himself. "Never talk to anyone, then butt in to 'help' me. What a self-righteous jerk!

"Thinks he's so cool. Bet he has it so easy. Maybe he thinks I'll tell everyone, and they'll all think he's great."

Jim crushed the five in his hand and heard an unusual crumple. "Huh?"

In his hand, attached to the bill was a little orange note. On it, in a thin, fluid longhand "Hush Money: 1 of 2" was scratched.

"What the hell?" Jim muttered, and shoved the bill into the pocket Inlé had pretended to pull it from.

After school, Inlé walked out to the sports fields behind the school. Brad stepped out from behind some bleachers and waited for Inlé to approach.

"You got some balls, calling me out like this. What the hell do you want?" Brad asked gruffly.

Inlé answered, "I want you to stop pushing others around around me. It annoys me, because I want to rest, and those sorts of things ruin my sleep."

"So you butt in and threaten me?" Brad accused.

"I never threatened you," Inlé replied.

"Don't give me that shit!" Brad yelled. "Why are we here now, then? That note told me to ..."

"Meet me behind the school after classes. It was neither threat nor challenge. I just wanted to ask that you keep your childish bullying away from me. We are in high school. You could at least attempt to have some class."

"What?" Brad yelled, charging Inlé, swinging wildly.

Stepping under and inside the punch, Inlé looked Brad in the face two inches away and told him coldly, "You do not want to fight me."

Description
Inlé woke in the same position he had fallen asleep in. For a few moments, he sat tightening and loosening his muscles, forcing sluggish muscles to move awake.

"Women," he muttered, rising.

Looking to the small window in his room, Inlé saw that sunrise was upon this world. He reached one hand into the other sleeve, and pulled a backpack out of it.

Sitting, he rifled through it, pulling out a notebook, a textbook, and a pencil. Resting the textbook on one knee and the notebook on the other, Inlé began his homework.

Exhausted, Inlé sat in class only a few hours later. He tried to rest, but his teachers kept him from falling asleep. So when lunch came, he thought he could get in a catnap. Just enough sleep to tie him over.

Sitting in a hallway near the cafeteria, Inlé leaned his head back against the wall, shut his eyes and tried to shut out the world. Despite the murmur of lunchtime conversation, he found the area quiet enough.

Suddenly, the peace was disturbed. "C'mon Jim. Where's my money? You owe me five bucks from the other day, remember?"

Looking over, Inlé saw a boy holding another against the wall. They were of similar build and appearance, but one looked mean, while the other--pinned to the wall--was pathetic. "I don't have any money right now, Brad. I can't even buy lunch right now! Please. I'll pay you later."

The rough one, Brad, smiled viciously. "Jim, don't hold out on me. I know you got some money, don't you?

"Even if it's a little change. Just fifty cents and I'll leave you alone. C'mon!"

"I don't have any money!" Jim the pitiful wailed.

Inlé rose and approached, all hope for rest gone. He walked up to the two as Brad whispered something quietly into Jim's ear.

Inlé interrupted to bluntly join the conversation, "Hey, Jim."

The two look over at Inlé in surprise--Jim scared, Brad put out. Inlé placidly said, "I need to borrow a few dollars from you."

Brad too a step back from Jim to better face Inlé. "Look pal ..." he began before being silenced by a withering gaze from poker-faced Inlé.

"Did I say something to you?" Inlé said impassively. Brad closed his mouth and kept it shut.

Turning back to Jim, Inlé asked, "Well?"

Jim, flustered, answered, "But.. I don't have any ..."

"'Don't have any?'" Inlé cut in. Then he reached into Jim's pocket, "Well, why not let me take a look for myself, then? Hello, what is this?"

Inlé pulled a small roll of money out. "I thought you said you did not have any money?"

Surprised, Jim sputtered, "I don't--didn't! I ... uh."

Opening the roll, Inlé said, "Well, you have three fives, so I will take one, and repay you later. Thank you."

Inlé turned and walked off, as Brad behind him said, "See, Jim? Now give me my five dollars and we're fine."

Jim said, "I'm sorry, here. Now please. Leave me alone."

Brad walked off brushing the comment aside. "Yeah, sure. Whatever."

Jim looked after Inlé, seeing him pass a group of four girls in similar goth-lolita dress who stood together and chattered. "Stupid guy, why would he do that?" he muttered to himself. "Never talk to anyone, then butt in to 'help' me. What a self-righteous jerk!

"Thinks he's so cool. Bet he has it so easy. Maybe he thinks I'll tell everyone, and they'll all think he's great."

Jim crushed the five in his hand and heard an unusual crumple. "Huh?"

In his hand, attached to the bill was a little orange note. On it, in a thin, fluid longhand "Hush Money: 1 of 2" was scratched.

"What the hell?" Jim muttered, and shoved the bill into the pocket Inlé had pretended to pull it from.

After school, Inlé walked out to the sports fields behind the school. Brad stepped out from behind some bleachers and waited for Inlé to approach.

"You got some balls, calling me out like this. What the hell do you want?" Brad asked gruffly.

Inlé answered, "I want you to stop pushing others around around me. It annoys me, because I want to rest, and those sorts of things ruin my sleep."

"So you butt in and threaten me?" Brad accused.

"I never threatened you," Inlé replied.

"Don't give me that shit!" Brad yelled. "Why are we here now, then? That note told me to ..."

"Meet me behind the school after classes. It was neither threat nor challenge. I just wanted to ask that you keep your childish bullying away from me. We are in high school. You could at least attempt to have some class."

"What?" Brad yelled, charging Inlé, swinging wildly.

Stepping under and inside the punch, Inlé looked Brad in the face two inches away and told him coldly, "You do not want to fight me."