01/11/2025
Student Pours Coffee Over the New Black Classmateâ Unaware Heâs a Taekwondo Champion...
The cafeteria at Lincoln High School in Chicago was alive with chatter as students crowded around for their morning drinks and bagels. Among them was Marcus Johnson, a sixteen-year-old new arrival from Atlanta. Marcus was tall, lean, and carried himself with quiet confidence. He had moved in with his aunt after his mother accepted a demanding nursing job that kept her traveling across the country. While Marcus was no stranger to switching schools, he knew all too well that being the ânew kidâ often meant attracting the wrong kind of attention.
With a carton of milk and a small breakfast sandwich balanced on his tray, Marcus was making his way through the bustling cafeteria when a voice cut through the noise.
âWell, well, look whoâs hereâthe new guy,â sneered Tyler Brooks, a notorious troublemaker known for tormenting anyone who didnât fit his idea of âcool.â Flanked by two friends, Tyler strutted toward Marcus with a steaming cup of coffee in hand.
Marcus kept walking, choosing not to engage. But Tyler wasnât the type to be ignored. As Marcus reached a nearby table, Tyler stepped in front of him, blocking his way.
âYou think you can just walk in here like you own the place? Nah, man. We run things here,â Tyler mocked, his friends chuckling behind him.
Marcusâs calm brown eyes met Tylerâs, but he didnât say a word. That silence only infuriated Tyler more. Then, in a flash meant to embarrass, Tyler tipped the coffee cup and dumped it all over Marcusâs shirt.
The room fell silent for a moment. Gasps broke out. Students stared, unsure whether to laugh or look away. The hot liquid soaked through Marcusâs clothes, dripping onto the floor beneath him.
âWelcome to Lincoln High, rookie,â Tyler said with a smirk, tossing the empty cup aside.
Marcus clenched his fists, feeling the burn on his chest. Every instinct screamed at him to retaliate, but years of discipline held him back. Eight years of Taekwondo training had taught him more than just how to fight. He was a black belt, a regional champion. And above all, his coach had drilled one lesson into him: Taekwondo is for self-defense, never for re:ve:nge.
He took a deep breath, wiped at his shirt, and walked away without a word. But as he left the cafeteria, one thought echoed in his mind: This isnât over.
What Marcus didnât know was that the incident would spark a chain of events that would test not only his self-control but also reveal the strength of his character in front of the entire school..To be continued in C0mments đ