Please Don't Take This Out on Me

I stared at Vic for a second before I walked slowly to the desk. I saw Vic smirking evilly at me and if I could have I probably would have run away screaming. Quickly, I dropped my stuff down next to the desk and slid in it ungracefully.

"Class, you'll be doing a project on a war of your choice. You'll be working with partners," the class started whispering excitedly. "But, I have them already assigned." Our teacher said snootily.

Everyone groaned. I even saw Vic roll his eyes.

"After I call you and your partner's name please meet up and discuss. You have until the end of the period to tell me which war you'd like."

Involuntarily, I started to shake. I always got like this when I was nervous, if I didn't calm myself down, I'd have a full-on panic attack. And I really don't want another one of those fuckers.

Ms. DeBoer started rattling off names quickly and soon students were shuffling around and switching desks to sit with their assigned partner. I grabbed my water and took a sip when my teacher read my name.

"Kellin Quinn and Victor Fuentes."

Me, being the dip shit I was, actually spit my water out, spraying the kid in front of me.

Oh...fuck.

Everyone either gasped or giggled quietly. Even Ms. DeBoer stopped talking to gape at us. The kid stood up slowly, towering over me and turned around to look down at me.

"Was that you, faggot?" He spat.

I couldn't say anything and just braced myself for the inevitable punch.

Suddenly something that felt a lot like a rock being smashed into my jaw, hit my face and knocked me out of my chair onto the floor.

I fell face first and smacked my nose so hard on the floor, it started bleeding. I laid on the floor and I'm pretty sure everyone was staring at me.

Vic mumbled something and grabbed me by the arm pits, hoisting me up. "For the love of God." He muttered angrily.

The guy who punched me looked satisfied with himself and I couldn't help but lean down a bit and punch him in the balls. He groaned and fell to his knees. And if I do say so myself, I want easy on him. Hitting him in the nads was so much better than being knocked out of your chair. "Take that, you stupid prick." I stood over him and pushed myself away from Vic. "Show's over fuckers." I said. What I did must not have been ordinary because even Vic had a mildly impressed look on his face. Without asking, I went to the teacher's desk, wrote a few quick things on a pass and handed it to her motioning for her to sign. She didn't take her wide eyes off me and signed it quickly shoving it back to me. "If anyone of you bitches needs me, I'll be with the nurse. Have a bad day children." I called, slamming the door behind me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I stayed in the nurse's office until lunch. I didn't want to go back to class and she didn't make me.

Slowly, I trudged to the cafeteria. Someone grabbed my arm and dragged me into a room. They shoved me in and slammed the door.

The light turned on and I was momentarily blinded. I reopened my eyes and saw Vic leaning against the door.

He had a cocky smirk on his face and I couldn't decide whether I wanted to punch him or fuck him on the floor.

I crossed my arms and tried not to wince. "What do you want?"

"Don't worry sweetheart, I just want to talk."

Oh, NUH UH I don't think so, bitch. You cannot be trusted. "About what?" I asked cautiously.

"Before anything else, I'm gonna ask you some questions. First question. It's almost eighty degrees outside, why are you wearing a hoodie?" Vic glanced at my arms before looking back at my eyes.

Unconsciously, I tightened my arms and made sure my sleeves were covering my wrists. "I'm always cold. I start wearing sweaters in July." That wasn't a lie. I was one of those people who were always cold. No matter what.

"It's something else. That can't be the only reason." Vic narrowed his eyes. "Oh my god..."

Vic took a step towards me and I naturally covered my face and turned away.

He grabbed my arm and pulled on it. "Kellin. Let me see."

"No, it's none of your damn business!" I ran around behind a desk and wrapped my arms around myself.

"Kellin, show me your god damn arms." Vic ordered. "If you don't, I'll have to do it myself, and I d rather not do that. And don't try and run away either."

"What difference would it make, you'd just drag me back in here."

"Well, yes, but that would cause a scene. I like to be discreet in my private affairs." Something about the way he said that made me think there was some kind of sexual reference there, but I couldn't figure it out.

"I don't know if that was supposed to be a sexual advance or not so I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that. Either way, you can't make me." I tried to run past him and he grabbed me around the waist and pushed me to the floor. My back and shoulders hit the floor with a thump and my bruises were screaming.

I started to curl in on myself when Vic sat on my thighs, eliminating the use of my legs.

"Ow, Vic, stop. That hurts." I pushed against his chest, trying to get him to move off me. Vic took the opportunity and grabbed my hands, pinning my arms over my head.

Now I was really freaking out. He was going to find out. About everything. That my dad hits me and that I cut myself and he's probably gonna try and look at my stomach and he'll see how fat I am. He had a strong grip and was putting a lot of pressure on the bruises on my legs, and it really did hurt. Also, I could feel the cuts on my thighs opening and my legs were burning. I was in a lot of physical and emotional pain because of this and I don't think Vic even realized it.

I wriggled underneath him trying to get him to move off me but he wouldn't budge. This was actually terrifying. He could know everything wrong with me in about three seconds if he looked in the right places. I couldn't hold it in anymore. I burst into tears.

Vic's face changed. "Don't cry. I didn't mean to make you cry. But I'm also not gonna stand by and watch you get hurt."

"Why do you even care?" I snapped through my tears

He loosened his grip on my hands. "I don't know." He paused and sat back a bit. "Since you obviously are gonna get all bent out of shape about this, I'm not gonna bother."

Vic got off me and hoisted me up to standing. He turned and went to the door. "But don't come fucking crying to me when things really go to shit."

I felt violated. The fact that Vic could tell so much was wrong with me by one look, scared me. No one was supposed to find out. I grabbed my backpack and slowly left the room. The dismissal bell for lunch hadn't rung yet so I wandered down the hall to my next class when I saw Austin turn a corner and come towards me.

I froze and turned around walking back the way I came.

"Kellin!"

Nope nope nope. Not gonna say anything. I'm just gonna stop talking because my words are what get me into this mess. It's easier if nobody gives a shit about me.

"Kellin wait! I need to talk to you."

"Kellin, please stop. It's serious." Oh shit. That was Matty. Now I really had to go.

I ran down the hall not knowing where I was going. Seeing the doors going to the gym, I ran faster for them. Bursting through the doors, I stopped when I saw four guys sitting on the bleachers.

Vic and the rest of the Mexican mafia were lounging around and all of them simultaneously turned and looked at me.

"Shit." I muttered. I backed away and saw Austin and Matty getting closer to the door. "Shit." Vic and the other three had stood up and were making their way to me. "Shit shit shit." I noticed the doors to the lockers rooms on my left and dropped my backpack making a sprint for it.

How the fuck did I get myself into this mess?!

I heard feet pounding behind me and threw the locker room door open. Without anticipating the consequences, I opened the nearest locker and stuffed myself inside.

A few seconds later the door banged open and I heard voices making their way towards me. "Kellin?" Vic asked coldly.

Oh damn I was so dead.

"Kellin?" It sounded like Jaime and his voice was a little softer.

"Vic?" That one was Matty.

"What do you want, Matt?" Vic snapped.

"Calm down, we just want to find Kellin." Austin said. Why were all these people looking for me? I was NOT this special. Like, sorry but I ain't that great.

"You aren't the only one, tree legs." Someone who's voice I didn't recognize said.

"Chill out Tony. We'll help you if you promise not to fuck him up. What do you guys want with him anyway?" Matty asked.

"The kid is messed up, he needs help." Vic said matter-of-factly.

"What difference does it make? We don't know him." Someone who's voice I didn't know said.

"Mike, what if It was me? That's why." Vic snapped.

"Kellin, please come out." I saw Matty out of the slats in the locker coming toward the one I was in. Vic and the rest of the guys went off in separate directions and they weren't seeming to notice me.

Uh oh. Oh no, not now.

God DAMN I had to sneeze. Shit. No, no sneezing.

I closed my eyes and pinched my nostrils together trying to not sneeze. Oh God...I couldn't hold it in anymore. I sneezed. Loudly.

Vic came around in front of my locker and beat on it a few times until it swung open. He took a hold of my shirt and yanked me out, holding me by my waist against him. "Found him!"

Everyone walked into the space we were in and looked at us both expectantly.

"Do you want to tell them or should I?" Vic looked me in the eye.

I didn't say anything. I wasn't going to. They couldn't MAKE me talk. I just shook my head.

"I can tell everything, you know." He said simply.

Oh hun, you don't know the half of it.

Vic grabbed both of my hands in one of his, so I couldn't use my arms.

He let go of my waist and yanked my sleeves up, exposing my arms. They were covered in cuts and bruises some from me, but most from my dad. I didn't look at anyone, I just kept my eyes trained on the floor.

"This is why he needs help. Whether these are self-inflicted or not, I don't know and honestly, I don't care. But someone needs to take care of this. Before it really gets out of hand." Vic stated.

"We can handle it." Matty seemed sure they could magically fix me.

"You better. Or he's gonna end up dead." Jaime added.

I just love how they talk about me like I'm not even here.

Vic went to pull my shirt up, but I jerked away from him. I looked him in the eye and shook my head slowly. "There's obviously something under there." Vic told me.

No shit.

He took another step toward me and I tried to pull myself out of his grasp. He took another step towards me and I did the first thing I could think of to get him to let go of me. I elbowed him in the face.

"Fuck!" Vic held his nose and I ran.

I shoved out of the locker rooms and swiped my backpack off the floor, heading to my next class.