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Clayton
She’s been seeing us both. I had kinda figured it wasn’t an exclusive thing since we had been just playing at being friends. Am I jealous? Fuck yes! Do I tell her that, though? Absolutely not! I just watched what that does. I’m taking this situation on her terms. If I wind up with an awesome girl for a best friend, then I guess that’s how it will go.
I’ll be disappointed, sure, but I’d rather have her in my life than running from me every time she sees me in the hallway. What I need to do is assure her I ain’t goin’ anywhere. I don’t really give a fuck about Vic. I left him sitting there as soon as she walked away. He can do as he pleases. It’s his loss if he’s gonna be a dick about it. She’s not married, I ain’t askin’ her to go steady, it’s the fucking twenty-first century. Hell, if she wants us both at the same time, that’s her choice. I’ll just be happy if she’s still talking to me at this point. I’m heading to class, hoping that lunch won’t be a disaster for her, that Vic doesn’t do anything stupid.
If Wayde or Adam come back and tell me she’s shed one tear, I swear to fucking God, nothing will keep me from fucking him up during practice this afternoon.
I finish up my science test as fast as my fingers fly and head out to the garden. I expect to see Abigail, but she’s not where she usually is. I only find Adam and Wayde. Wayde is eating and Adam is nose deep in a book. As I come outside, I hear a giggle and some girls smile up at me. I’m not sure what it’s about, but I smile back and they just laugh. I roll my eyes and walk over to the guys.
“Hey, have you seen Abigail?” I ask, wondering if they know what’s been going on.
“She’s probably hiding out.” Wayde snickers, not looking up. I look at Adam and he’s got a shit eating grin too. I look around and it feels like I’m being stared at from every angle.
“Okay, what the fuck, guys?”
“Just so you know, we’re Team Clayton,” Adam blurts out and Wayde smacks him on the knee.
“Sayin’ it out loud only makes it worse!” He laughs.
“Team... What? I’m so confused.”
“Where’s Abi?” Vic is standing beside me suddenly and I’m forced to step aside.
“Hiding from you two,” Adam and Wayde answer together this time.
“Welcome to the party, boys.” Harmand sneers from behind me. “I hear you been tag teamin’ little Greenwood. Seems she is just like her mother, after all.”
I look at Vic and he nods. I throw a punch as he goes for Harmand’s knees. We’ve got him on the ground in seconds, taking turns on his face. The next thing I know, we are tossing punches at two other guys trying to get us off him.
I land a jaw punch and feel it crack, or maybe that’s my knuckles. I can’t tell with the adrenaline, but the distraction is enough time for Harmand to jab me in the ribs, getting me to pop off him. But Vic is still there, and he keeps at him. Seems the boy has some rage. I regroup and manage to pull Vic up just as Mr. Killian and Vice Principal Amel come running outside. Harmand is a bloodied mess, curled up on the ground, as are two other guys from the team. Vic and I are just standing there panting like two wild dogs.
***
I’m fucked this time. Harmand’s father is bound to press charges. Harmand was taken to the emergency room, for fuck's sake. I’m sure I broke his jaw, and his nose looked mangled too. Now, Vic and I are sitting in Amel’s office and it’s way too quiet, but I really ain’t got nothing to say to him, so I just sit there staring at the floor. If he wants to talk, he’ll have to be the first one to speak.
“Abi’s out there with Amel and Killian.” Vic points past my nose, almost hitting me.
“What’s she doing here?”
“Shut the fuck up and maybe we’ll find out, book boy.”
“You know wh-”
“Shush. Just watch.”
“You don’t have any business here, Miss Greenwood.” Mr. Killian blocks her from getting to us. The rooms in the office are made of partial glass so we can pretty much hear everything if we’re quiet.
“Fuck I don’t, those are my boys you got in there.”
“Yeah, well, your ‘boys’ just sent mine to the emergency room,” Amel counters, also blocking her. We can’t see her, but we can hear her all right.
“Yes, from what I understand, your boy said something about me being a whore like my mother. I’m going to assume that what Vic and Clayton did wasn’t half of what I would have done.”
I still can’t see her, but I can imagine her standing there with her arms crossed and her hip out, that guitar slung over her shoulder.
“The words of a few boys do not amount to the blatant assault that has happened here today. Harmand has multiple bruises, possibly a broken jaw and nose. His football career is over for the season and I had scouts coming this year. What are you going to do about that... Hmm?”
“Would you like me to play my hand? If so, please give me the go ahead.” She pushes by Amel, pulling at his necktie, then smoothing it down once more. She’s speaking in a sweet tone, but there is a menace to it that makes my jaw twitch.
“Oh, Christ,” Vic smirks, “her momma’s doin’ him.”
“I sorta figured that out by now.”
“Harm.” Killian grabs him as he makes a motion toward Abigail who is making steps toward us. “Let it go.”
“Yeah, Harm...Let. It. Go.” She whispers almost sinisterly. She opens the door. “You, two! Oh, do you fucking owe me. To class with both of you...Now.”
We drop our heads and grab our stuff as we walk past Abigail, not saying a word.
Vic heads up the hallway opposite me and I stop. This is the class I have with Abigail and she is going to have to come by this way from the office. I am determined to talk to her before we are stuck in a room for forty minutes together with Killian.
I’m tucked in the corner when I hear her humming Life’s a Dance. I reach out and grab her before she can nail me in the nuts and without thinking about what the hell I’m doing, I kiss her. I wrap that little five-foot three frame into my arms and part those pouty little lips to my will. It’s as though she senses me because her hands fist into my shirt and she kisses me back, letting me delve into her. It only lasts a moment, but fuck, it damn near levels me.
I put her down. “Delusions broken,” I whisper with a curt little smile.
She tries to walk away from me, but I grab her by the hand, lacing my fingers into hers. “You ain’t gettin’ rid of me, we got a class to go to. No more runnin’ off. Every time you do, I get into trouble.”
“I didn’t tell you to get into a fight.”
“No, that was Vic and me all the way. Could say we may have even bonded a little.” I laugh, kissing her hand.
