Behind These Refuge Walls

"What's going on between you and Ryan?"

That made me glare at Max. "What are you talking about?"

"He's looking your way." Briefly glancing at the subject's table, I remained unfazed. "And in all the years I've known Ryan McCarthy, he has never stared at a girl for so long."

He wiggled his eyebrows, only to be met with an 'you've got to be fucking kidding me' look. "How look have you known Ryan for, Max?" I asked with pure smugness, ready to prove him how little he knew about the spawn of Satan.

The ignorant Cooperman shrugged with a casual smile. "We've been going to this school since...forever. Of course I know him. I mean, we haven't really talked, but lately he's been giving me the time of the day, 'cause I'm interested in some fighting and he..."

The air froze around me. My face fell. Max blinked once, twice, then looked down at his tray with the face of someone who had been caught saying something he shouldn't have. For the briefest of moments I sat there, staring at him with a shocked and quite hurt expression. Then I frowned and leaned with my elbows on the table.

"I was talking about wrestling games," he rushed. The futile attempt didn't clear the atmosphere. Max looked around desperately, his curly hair bouncing from one side to another as he tried to find Janice or Jake. No such luck. "Look, Charlie, this is a really big thing and I'm not supposed to tell, you know." He crossed his arms on his chest, trying to ooze coolness in that 'strictly confidential' kind of way.

"Since when are you a part of Ryan's crew?" He looked mainly shocked that I was the holder of such a vital information, but at the same time guilt and false hopes seemed to flash in his eyes. Putting the pieces together, I gasped. "Is that why you went to Gerry's gym?" I did my best to keep my voice in place. "My God, Max, you're not seriously trying to be one of Ryan's suck ups?" The question was met with silence. Guilty silence. "Please tell me you're kidding."

"I can't be a wuss for the rest of my life!" he eventually defended. "And I have a reputation to mantain."

"So, instead of taking it down the right path of making people respect your persona, you jump in the nearest arena? The Underground isn't for kids who try to win a pat on their back."

He paled and it took me a short while to figure why. 'The Underground' was the largest network of illegal fights existing in the country. You fought in your backyard to get to the nearest warehouse. You fought for years in that warehouse to get your name plastered on The Underground's walls. It was like a big web, controlled by spiders in every corner of every state. The giant spider, however, almost never showed his face due to security reasons. It was those spiders that had caught me in their webs and it was those webs that still hung on to me.

People worshipped The Underground and they idolized 'the spiders', but there were few who actually made it between their ranks without getting their heads chopped. That's why not just anyone knew about The Underground - people soon started to fear the simple implications that name brought. If you were good and really interested, you made it there.

'Youngsters' weren't interested in the network because it meant all too much for their little brains. It took me a while to figure out that most of the kids my age who fought were only there for the fame. They were only there to get chicks and smash someone's head. If you wanted to be a spider, it meant you wanted power, control and that you didn't need a nice set of abs to get the attention.

Max was one of the people who had heard about it, I assumed. And I realized the mistake that I had made in front of him.

"How do you--"

"Just don't suck up to McCarthy," I retreated. "He's not worth it, Max."

All of a sudden, he frowned, changing from the victim to the predator. "Charlie, what do you know about The Underground?"

I wouldn't budge. "Enough to want to keep you in your seat. Stop this, Max."

There was a long moment of silence and then his frown disappeared completely and realization dawned on him.

"You're a fighter, aren't you?" He was like a little kid who had just found out that Santa Claus was real. I groaned in frustration, but at the same time, I knew there was no turning back. If I didn't tell him the smalles of things, he would start asking other people about me. And that was just as good as signing me a death contract.

"Was, Max, was. I--"

"So that's why Ryan's been talking to you! You're in his crew, right?"

"No!" I boomed, loud enough to catch the attention of a few sophomores at the nearest table. They looked at us strangely, but averted their gazes when I shot them a death glare. Max looked at me like I had just grown three heads.

"What do you mean, no?"

"Will you just listen to me?" I gestured with my hands around me, probably because of my increasing frustration. He indicated me to continue. "I used to fight. Not anymore. I gave up about a year ago. I didn't find out about Ryan's little crew until a while ago and although he asked me to hop in the boat, I refused. Alright? That's it." Well, not really, but it's all you're getting.

Looking back at Max, I felt like I had just shot his dog. Wait, no, I wouldn't hurt Hitler for anything in the world. That mad Nazi is just too damn destructive. Just as Max opened his mouth to speak, two figures - one blue haired and another wearing a plain white t-shirt - took their usual seats at our table. Jake radiated happiness, whereas Janice looked as bored with life as ever. For the first time since I had closed down, I felt the need to spill out everything I knew. I felt the urge to let these three people know me and all of my deepest secrets. Something tugged at my heart and I reminded myself that later on, I might regret this. I might feel too vulnerable.

"CJ? You there?"

I looked up from my apple and gave Janice a confused look. Ah, dear Janice. Her and her supernatural academy. What had I gotten myself into?

"I need to tell you something," I blurted, stealing a glance at Max, who understood what I was about to tell. After a deep breath, the same words regarding my hobby filled the air around us. Then, silence. After five seconds, I actually began to enjoy the lack of chatter at my table, so I leaned back in my seat, fixing anyone who passed us with a death glare. That came as a sort of relaxation.

Jake was the first to react, watching me with a frown. "I realized you were into sports, but not to this extent. That means you're like Ryan, then?"

My head snapped in his direction and I think I saw disappointment in his eyes. That alone made my heart sink. "I'm nothing like him! And how the hell do you know about what Ryan does?"

He hesitated before leaning forward in his seat, facing me. Janice sat between us, glancing from one to another, trying to decide who should be the first she should save. Max looked amused by the whole situation.

"We talked at his party. That and I saw him teaching Max some moves in the gym." He spat the words in the direction of Max, giving him a hard stare. Glancing from one to the other, I took over.

"What is he talking about, Max?"

The chubby boy's amusement died as soon as three sets of eyes were fixing him in his seat. "I...well, uh...we...I kinda...asked him to teach me something. And then Jake came in and stepped up. Which he shouldn't have!"

"Ryan was beating the fuck out of you," I deducted, looking back at Jake, who nodded. Great. So the idiot was on Ryan's bad side. And Max was trying to suck up to him like a ten year old. All that was missing was Janice declaring her undying love for McCarthy and all would be perfect.

Turning my head in her direction, I was met with a disturbing sight. Janice seemed lost in thought - too lost. There was an eerie flash of understanding in those hazel eyes that threw me off.

"I figured you were involved in something like that. Does that mean you're signing up for his crew?"

I looked at her like she had turned green and she was smart enough to take that as a 'no'.

When the bell rang and everyone parted for their classes, I lagged behind with Janice, trying to think of a subtle way of approaching her.

"What exactly does this whole Protégée thing imply?" So much for subtlety.

Janice cautiously glanced my way. "Well...it basically means that for a period of time you follow around either a senior or a teacher and they teach you all sorts of things and you have to do everything they say." She paused. "Why?" The tone in her question had me watching her suspiciously. There was something she wasn't telling. Or more than just one thing.

"Just asking." I stopped her before she entered her class. "What's going on?"

She initially thought she could work her way out of answering me, but with one look straight into my eyes, she knew there was no other choice. Her gaze went in two directions. From the door to me. From me to the door. From the door to me.

She dragged me further down the hallway in an empty branch of the school. Then she seemed rather stuck, not exactly knowing how to start the conversation. I took that weight off her shoulders.

"Is it about the...thing about the...about me being involved in illegal fights?" True, I wasn't a mistress of coherence, but she seemed to understand, so I paid no further attention to the arrangement of my words.

She hesitated. "Well, yeah...And no."

What was that thing about coherence?

"Care to elaborate?"

"Yes and no," she elaborated.

"Janice," I warned, in my usual cold tone. I sort of lacked control over my tonalities, I realized. Not that I had too many. Usually there was just one: the 'cold angry bitch' tone (that went along with the similarly-named behaviour). I didn't necessarily mean to be a lousy person and it most certainly could not be helped that I came across like that.

I gave Janice credit, however, for being the smart witch that she was and figuring that, around them, I was harmless. Well, sometimes.

"First things first: why were you asking me about the Protégée thing?" And thus, I found myself in the hot seat.

"Wha--what? Michael and I talked about it." Then came the question that really threw me off: Should they think you are a liability, why would Michael think differently? Had he given up on the whole thing?

She made a slow nod of her head, in a very 'A--ha!' kind of way (with a long pause between the syllables).

"He mentioned it to Vallin." Again, a long hesitation. Then, seeing my expectant stare, she sighed. "And it kinda backfired."

What? "And I'm supposed to decrypt whatever you say or...how exactly does this conversation work?"

"Michael asked Vallin to grant him the permission to take you as his Protégée. If you wanted, of course. No one's forcing you into anything." She sighed and forced her back against the wall, disappointment written across her features. "I mean, Charlie, do you have any idea how cool that is? Michael never takes anyone under his wing. It's a bummer, 'cause he's one of the cutest older guys around there, but I guess you can't blame him for being all broody and whatnot."

"Oh." I somewhat understood that. Michael did seem like the kind of vampire who lurked in the shadows and preferred to watch rather than to partake in anything. He seemed dangerously aware of the peril coming with his persona. Still, he wanted me to be his Protégée. "We talked about it and he said that if he gets the approval, we're on. So did he get it?"

She seemed shocked that he had discussed things with me. "Yeah, he did..." I sighed, ready for the blow of that sharp 'but' in her sentence. "But Cain intervened."

"What? What the fuck?!"

She cringed at my lame attempt of covering up that last shriek. "Vallin was all happy and stuff because he really thought it was a great idea. And I mean, it is. But that dickhead stepped up in that all high and mighty way of his." Hey, that sounded so Charlie-esque of her.

"What did he say?" My voice stayed on a dangerously calm level, despite the annoyance building up inside me. It seemed like I was simply contemplating over Van Gogh's work.

She shrugged. "I wasn't there for all the conversation, but I think he might have implied that you're not trust worthy and stuff. Honestly, I don't know what he told Vallin and Michael. All I can tell you, Charlie, is that Michael's going to drop the whole Protégée thing."

It was unfair, to say the least. Michael had seemed so enthusiastic about the whole thing and I couldn't help but wonder why in the world anyone would want to cut that sort of good feeling. It seemed to me like the vampire could use more of it. And then the answer was simple: Stone was a selfish, careless, arrogant moron.

Noticing my slowly (but surely) offensive posture, Janice patted my shoulder. "I'm really sorry. I wish I could have done something, but Stone's like a god around the school. He's Vallin's right arm and besides that, what he says goes." While sharing her disappointment with me, she also seemed to have a good deal of anger directed at Stone.

"Don't worry, Jan. I'm more pissed off because of Michael. I mean, he was really excited about it."

"Yeah, I know." She sighed. "Neither of us had seen him like that in a good while." The way she spoke made it clear that something had happened a long time ago that had changed him. I figured it wasn't his...change or whatever they called it. "Even Liam seemed to agree."

I snorted. "Yeah, I'm sure he wouldn't mind having me around."

That had her chuckling, amused by the prospect of Wolfe hitting on me. "Do you think I could tell James about you and your fighting?" I looked at her strangely, not entirely used to that meek voice. I had met few people who actually put honesty into their words. Janice proved to be one of them.

"Sure." I went to leave, figuring that we could now return to our class, but as I briefly glanced at the blue haired girl, something made me stop. "You should know, though, that what I told you at lunch isn't all." She looked up at me, eyes narrowing in confusion. I sighed, running a hand through my thick black hair. "Look, Jan, I'm really not comfortable talking about myself, but..." I need to talk to someone.

Her frown dissolved, as if reading my thoughts. She nodded and no later did we sit ourselves on the front entrance's steps.

Janice, I figured, was the kind of girl you could pour your heart out to and not have to worry about being judged. She'll criticize you, alright, but she won't deem herself as higher and holier than you. I think that's what drew me to her. I had never had anyone like her around me before. Gerry was like a father to me and Nathan was my brother, fine. But Nate was rarely one to give you enlightening advices and (unfortunately) had the same trait as myself: we grew terribly awkward around people who were looking for support. Gerry was older and that meant experienced in life and although his advices were sometimes better than food to me, I also felt guilty around him. Guilty because in the back of my head, I always realized how immature my problems often were and how inexperienced I was compared to him. I needed to talk to someone closer to my age who didn't preach about how to be good and how to be holier. Someone who would just listen. Someone like Janice.

"I used to be part of a really nasty network that was pretty strict. I got involved with many people."

"Bad?"

"Well, let's just say they weren't the kind of people you'd want as your enemies. And as friends...well they don't do friends. I was pretty..." I paused, searching for a word that wouldn't sound lame, but failed. "I was kind of lonely, per se. So I got really into fights. With that dedication came a lot of attention. Being so young, people became interested in me. And I was good. I mean, man! I loved it and I showed it, you know?"

"How old were you?" She watched me with a calm look - disturbing, really.

"Sixteen." I noticed her eyes widening slightly, her lips parting and I allowed myself to chuckle lowly, but honestly. "I know. By that time, though, I had been practicing martial arts for six years. So when I witnessed one of those fights, it didn't take me long enough to want to do that. So I got in the ring and learned everything I could."

"And you stayed."

"Yeah. And after a while I made it to the top ranks. And that's what pissed off many people." I paused before correcting that. "No. Actually, some were pissed, others were pleased. See, it was a big thing at the time for someone so young to make it so far. It meant that the network wasn't dying and that more fighters were to come."

"A rising star," she mused and I nodded. Though the silence around us was peaceful and by all means enjoyable, I felt my defences kick in. All other information that had been bottled up inside me was stuck in my throat. The fact that I didn't talk to anyone about myself was because I didn't want to hear things about myself.

“So...yeah...But, look, Jan, whoever you tell, just don’t...make a big deal out of it. I kept it hidden for a while, but a couple of days ago, I kinda got...discovered, so to say. People know I’m around...” And it’s going to turn ugly. “So don’t tell anyone you don’t trust.” Don’t tell anyone, for that matter.

She frowned, placing her chin against her knuckles. “You’re in pretty deep in this stuff, C.” I felt like telling her that yes, I knew and yes, I regretted being in so much shit, but I couldn’t force anymore words out of myself. Regret, I learned, only helped bad luck to come back and bite you in the ass.

One of the guys following Paige around like a lost happy that just so conveniently happened to be in my class wiggled his eyebrows when saw Janice and I walking in the classroom. His eyes held the stupid spark of a ten year old who had just discovered something crucial. In his eyes, me being late at the same time with Janice meant that we had gone and done the nasty in the bathroom. I didn’t even get to reach my desk before he pulled out his phone and texted away furiously. No doubt Paige was receiving info on my various activities. This boy seemed all too convinced.

I always found it weird and plain disturbing how guys accepted gossip so much easier than girls. They will fall for nearly anything you tell them (because, after all, that’s the way males are), but when it comes to gossip, if a guy will hear some newly created rumour (a rumour that hasn’t necessarily reached everyone’s ears yet), he will fall for it. And he will start believing it as soon as other people (more especially vindictive selfish bitches) will repeat it. Even if you tell them as honestly as you can that it’s not true, they will still have doubts in the backs of their poorly illuminated minds. That’s why I never bothered to fight against gossip.

I wondered, though, why the boring idea that I was a lesbian. Hadn’t they seen me supposedly hitting on Damien, Ryan and Sean Pierce at the party? A slut I am.

My sneakers made screeching noises against the hallway’s floor. Janice was looking at her phone while holding on to Max’s t-shirt, trying to make sure she didn’t bump or trip. We were nearly outside when a tall form caught my eye.

Ryan straightened against the lockers as soon as I locked eyes with him and watched me expectantly. I nudged Jake, who seemed to be the only one paying some sort of attention.

“Wait for me outside?”

“You sure?” His eyes then narrowed as he noticed McCarthy’s buzz cut hair. “Don’t.“

“Jake, it’s fine. I’m not doing anything.” I didn’t know exactly what it was I was doing, but worrying him was definitely not it. Finally, he nodded and escorted Janice and Max outside.

Ryan pushed open the door to a small, but empty art classroom. I saw the light concern in his eyes, but it was too late to question it.

"There's a match tonight. It's a last minute thing for all possible candidates." He rushed into handing me a small sports bag. "I signed you up. The--"

"You son of a bitch!" I barked, panicking. "You have no right, Ryan!" I think my fingers shook, but I didn't dare look at them. "I'm not doing this!" I hated, hated and utterly loathed when people forced me into something. All sorts of defensive, offensive and whatnot mechanisms were triggered inside me at these actions.

He grabbed my wrist the second I tried to walk away. "Charlie, right now half of the network is buzzing. They're either assuming you're here to join or you're here to spy and/or sabotage us. You come to the match tonight, do your thing. All you need to do is make sure they see you in that ring. Otherwise people will start talking and your head will be on the line. If you're so sure that you shouldn't be a part of this, then let the other guy win."

There was sheer panic reverberating through my limbs. The knowledge that he was right pressed against my skull like a hammer. The spiders could just as well think I was there to mess up their plans. Getting their attention was something I had done to myself, so there was no way I could fight this. Just one fight, I told myself.

Ryan's face relaxed, his features melting into concern - that alone made me want to faint. His blue eyes managed, to some degree, to soothe me. "Charlie, I swear I'm not doing this to piss you off. It's either getting you in that ring or letting those guys come after you. I'm here to help, Jinx."

I felt myself freeze at the sound of my nickname. It had been a while since that name had rolled off someone's tongue. And coming from Ryan, I couldn't deny that it felt nice. I couldn’t believe the next words that fell out of my mouth.

"Fine. I'll see what I can do." But he and I both knew I wasn't going to let anyone take me down. This meant I was going back. And I was going back to win.

He glanced behind me, where Janice, Jake and Max were looking for me. “I know you’re probably hating me right now.” Yes, yes, I am. “And I wish you didn’t. You’re really cool, Charlie, don’t let anyone take you down.”

With that shocking declaration and a short nod, he turned to leave. Despite my stunned moment, I reached out for his toned forearm. I felt like swearing the instant our skins touched. It’s not like you haven’t touched people before, Charlie, a wise voice scolded. I had touched people. But not in a while. And they were most definitely not hot kick boxers. Gaining some brave momentum, I thrust the bag back in the confused boy’s arms.

“I have my stuff at home,” I clarified. He watched me carefully for a while, before a light smile crept through his smug exterior.

“Then I take it you need a ride.”

Thinking it through, I figured I did need it. But at the same time, I had to deal with a brother who was yet unaware of my decisions. So I declined.

Max was waving around animatedly when I reached them. Apparently he had caught on tape some one on one action. I was yet to find out what one on one meant from Max’s point of view. Jake was distantly gazing at a cute red head laughing with a small group of girls next to a school bus.

“Checking her out?” I questioned lightly, making sure that Janice was too busy keeping Max’s chatter at bay.

Jake stuttered, looking at me worriedly. “I...no...well...no, I’m just...viewing from afar.”

“So that’s how they call it nowadays.”

He chuckled lightly before Janice pushed Max in our sides. “Guys, I’m waiting for someone to pick me up. Anyone feel generous enough to keep me company?”

Jake balked, his eyes discretely darting from Janice to the redhead. “I think Jake has a bus to catch,” I said, nudging the boy who managed a coherent ‘hmph’. “I’ll wait with you, Jan.”

It only hit me the reality of my actions when Max, Janice and I sat down on the steps and the blue haired girl told me that Stone and James were taking her to some class.

“I still don’t get why Stone drives you guys around.”

She shrugged. “He doesn’t, really. They come pick me up because around this time, they’re done with James’ practice. So they’re giving me a lift home, ‘cause my aunt’s house is in their way to the school.”

That explained it, then. Stone was about practicality, not sportsmanship. It came as no shock. The chaos that was caused by the mass of students slowly fell into order. Those who were making a great deal of noise had already taken off. The grounds weren’t clear, though.

“Danielle, do you think you have some change for these poor kids?”

Giggling erupted from somewhere behind us before Paige, Danielle and a select group of jerks came into our view. Max’s first reaction was to try and jump to his feet. I caught his wrist fast enough to keep him on the ground, but discrete enough so that Paige didn’t see. I wasn’t going to give them any attention today. Not after my conversation with Danielle. Something in her told me she was serious about this stuff, not like Paige who just did shit because she felt like it. No, Danielle had brain and ambition.

I continued to look ahead, at a silver car parked near us. Janice was growing restless beside me. Max said nothing, probably wondering if I had the capacity of summoning Hitler, the dog, from miles away.

“Cat got your tongues, dorks?” Was that seriously all that she had?

“Come on, Paige, do we, like, have to waist our time with these idiots? It’s not like they’re anything important.”

Paige may or may not have silenced the girl with a deathly glare – I didn’t turn to look. All I could do was grit my teeth and wait for some sort of miracle to happen. Either that, or my fist would illuminate all of them.

“Max, right?” The chubby boy nodded, his eyes not leaving Paige’s curvy body for a second. “A loser, then.” She chuckled at her amazing joke.

“Bitch,” Janice mumbled.

“What was that, pixie stick?” Paige mocked and by the edge of her tone, I knew she’d been irked. Hell, I think our simple presence irked her. “Said something? I’m sorry, I didn’t hear that. I don’t speak Lesbian.“

Just as I was about to answer, Janice’s bag was pulled away from her side and only then did I realize that Paige had two or three guys by her side as well. And from the corner of my eye, I spied a face that I had been hoping to see.

With an oversized blue baseball hat and baggy jeans that hung loose around his skinny legs, Sean looked like the kind of guy who would do anything to please the girl beside him, lacking any form of spinal chord.

I don’t know what Paige had told Sean – maybe she had assured him that she’d keep him safe if I’d go anywhere near him. As if.

My temper flared as they passed the girl’s bag from one to another, making jokes about her badges.

The roar of a Chevy engine reached my ears before it reached Janice’s – then again, I doubt she was really used to car engines. That, I triumphed to myself, was my escape. Whatever danger lurked inside me jumped the instant I raised my gaze to Paige. Janice could now leave and I could take care of this without her being here. This was it, my window. My opening window.

“Fuck off, Paige.”

The guys behind her went stiff as soon as my butt left the ground. I finally stood up, anger blazing through my eyes. Danielle, too, expected war, because she’d gone silent and watched me intently. Only Paige and two other girls that I vaguely remembered were still giggling.

“Trying to play hero for your Tinkerbelle?” Paige smirked.

Max abruptly stood up, his eyes darting from me to Paige. Was I that scary around that damned school? He jumped behind me and pulled Janice away, despite her muffled protests. He took the hint that I was dropping. Janice had to leave.

Paige saw this and cackled. “You gonna abandon your bag, sweetheart? Surely you’ll need this piece of crap later on!”

“That’s it, Paige? Those are all the insults you’re capable of?” I’d never hit Paige before, was my sudden (dangerous) realization. And after so much time of putting up with her lack of creativity and obsessions, I felt like it was time for something or someone to silence her.

The bag landed in Sean Pierce’s hands, who kept looking at me as if I might go crazy within seconds. Sean glanced around warily and all I could think was that finally, finally I got this asshole in front of me. Got you now, you ass. Paige noticed my lingering gaze all too soon, having been watching me with eyes that would put a hawk to shame.

“Oh, right! You remember Sean, don’t you, Charlotte?” She looked around, smirking and shifting from one foot to another. “You know, the guy you couldn’t keep your hands off of.”

“As far as I recall, he was too close for his own good.” In order to get the point across, I pointedly glared at the boy. He sighed heavily, his chest rising with his yellow t-shirt. “It’s not like you got lucky, is it, Sean?””

He frowned and for spoke for the first time, giving me a good idea of how much he had been smoking – his voice came out rasped, as if something was clawing at his throat. “I was drunk. With a bitch like you, Satan wouldn’t want to get lucky.” He smirked proudly as Paige giggled by his side. On a first sight, one would have thought of Sean as bold, but the insecurity lying in his eyes was clear. He was not Damien. The only safety blanket he had was Paige.

That had to go.

With a step forward from my side, Sean’s face went pale. Paige glared.

“Give me that bag.”

“Charlie, let it go!” came Janice’s distant call. Seeing as she seemed to be farther away, I made no attempt at looking in her direction.

“We were both drunk. It’s fine, really,” Sean amended.

“Really?!“ And finally, I let out all the rage I could muster. “Drunk, Pierce? Did I look like I was fucking drunk to you? Even so, you made no fucking move to help me out of that state, you son of a bitch!” I stepped closer; in one final attempt to win, he straightened, making sure to remind me of the (albeit small) difference of height between us.

"Knock it off," one of Paige's boyfriends growled.

"Fuck you! I was not fucking drunk, Pierce! Get that through your thick skull! Instead, your little girlfriend here," - I pointed at Paige - "got me stoned. Funny, huh?"

“Lay off this, Sanders!” Paige nearly growled, but made no move to stand up to me. By her side, Danielle seemed ready to plunge. No one else, though, showed signs of wanting in on the fight.

“Shut your fucking mouth! I’ll deal with you later!”

My voice had reached a tone that gave everyone the clear impression that I was about to hit someone. Paige, the coward, had taken a few steps away from us. The blanket was gone.

“I’ll only tell you this once, Sean: never, ever in your entire life try to touch me again.”

He didn’t even have the time to react to my fist before it collided with his ribcage. A loud shriek came from Danielle, but to my luck, Max was already there, keeping her back. I pushed Sean against the nearest wall, his breath uneven as he tried to hit me. His fist narrowly missed my shoulder, my attempt to block proving itself successful. Two hits came next from my side, one catching his jaw, the other his eye. He caught my wrist before I could hit his ribs again. Sean aimed for my jaw while I aimed for his groin. My aim proved to be better.

Without warning, a set of strong arms pulled me away, leaving Sean to fall to the floor, panting. I couldn’t turn to face my capturer, but I was positive that his identity was quite irrelevant at the moment. While clenching my fist for a firm hit, I counted the people around us. Max looked like he was having the time of his life, despite the blue haired girl scolding me from his side. Danielle stood by the side of a boy I didn’t know, while Paige was cooing things in Sean’s ear. Both girls stared intently in my direction, but I quickly learned that it wasn’t at me, but at the people behind me.

“Charlie, relax, relax! You’re in a fucking school!”

Despite his lean physique, James had a steel grip. By my third struggle, I was already silently begging that he would just drop me, because I was getting tired. True, had I not been putting so much effort in breaking Sean’s bones, I could have forced my way out of James’ grip, but as it was, I could only growl.

“Let the fuck go! I’m done, alright?!” He paid no attention to my words.

“Drop her, James.”

All movement ceased as the deep masculine voice reached all of our ears. Stone stood at the bottom of the stairs, looking up at us with a frown. His right foot was placed firmly on the bottom step, but it didn’t seem like he was ready to come to us. The tension in his posture was not something I could (or wanted to) comprehend. His tightened fists and tensed forearms gave away his frustration with our childish behaviour.

James cautiously let go of my waist, pulling his arms slowly by his side. I jumped to my feet, forgetting the disturbance that had been caused by Stone. Paige and Danielle were the first to recover from their staring at the older male and in the short time they took to regain their composure, I saw doubt reflecting in their eyes. Sean was staring in fear and recognition at the man. There was something in his eyes that expressed his submission to Stone. Then the boy by Danielle’s side scoffed, Sean looked up and they turned all their attention to me.

Although my body was aching for more fight, I soothed my muscles. Paige stepped closer to me, throwing Stone a wary glance. He remained unfazed, though something in his stance told me he wasn’t exactly bored with the scene.

“She’s fucking crazy!” Sean wailed. I fixed my glare on him, then nodded to Janice.

“Give her the bag.” He obeyed, my cold tone leaving no room for disagreement.

James stepped closer to me and just like that, my colleagues were put into motion. Danielle helped the other guy pick up Sean and led Paige to their cars. She didn’t hesitate in throwing me a disgusted look and Sean, in all his pain, looked at Stone with unspoken apologies. I frowned in confusion, unsure of what was going on.

Then the only noise that broke the silence around me was my heavy breathing and the twisting wheels in my head.

“You need to work on your jab,” Max said as he offered me my bag.

It took me a second to understand what he was saying, then to let his casual tone sink in. In response to his suggestion, I frowned in annoyance and grabbed my own messenger bag. I suddenly hissed as something touched my shoulder. James quickly withdrew his hand.

“Chill, I come in peace. You alright?” Shit. When did I hit my shoulder? “Charlie?”

“I’m going home,” I stated, careful not to apply pressure on my left shoulder.

“Are you out of your mind?” Janice shrieked even before my foot reached the first stair. I didn’t stop. My feet kept carrying me away. I couldn’t stop and talk. I didn't want to. While still angry at the people that made my life a living hell, I was satisfied that I had one less baggy-pants-wearing asshole on my list.

So stupid, a voice in my head said.

In that blurry vision of mine, I froze in front of Stone, having forgotten entirely of his presence. Facing him, I felt my inner workings shrink. The large physique blocking my way radiated hate. His steely eyes showed no emotion and I saw him tense as well the second I paused.

In the next five seconds that followed, we both stared at each other - though I wouldn't dare look him in the eyes. Then, realization struck us both and it seemed like we snapped out of the same reveries.

So I widely walked around him and bolted.

"Charlie, where can I find you?" Max yelled.

"Gerry's," was my final reply. But I don't want to be found.