“Watch it, idiot!”

I stumbled forward, trying to ignore the person I had run into, but he grabbed me by my arm and forced me to stop. Without looking back at the guy who was holding me, I tried to yank myself free, but his grip on me was painfully strong. I knew it couldn’t be anyone friendly. I had no friends in that place.

I looked at him, and shivers ran down my spine when I saw who was glaring back at me. Everyone knew his hostile brown eyes. It was Deon, and he looked pissed when he grabbed me by the front of my hoodie and threw me hard against the wall. The air cleared out of my lungs, and all I could see was a flock of stars dancing around me.

Deon kept me pinned against the wall, almost strangling me with his tight grip. I couldn’t see his face, but I knew he was angry. I prepared myself for getting my ass kicked, but then I heard Sean, Glen, and Drake stopping next to us.

“Nice catch, D,” Sean cheered and laughed. “You can go now. We need to have a little chat with the fag.”

“D?” Deon spat at him. “Don’t you talk to me like we’re friends,” he continued, loosening his grip on me.

He was still holding me against the wall, but at least now I could breathe. My vision became clear, and I could see what was going on. My bullies stood by the corner, glaring at me and Deon. I was scared to death, but I didn’t try to fight myself free from Deon’s grip. I feared it would only make him angrier with me. Deon was a pretty big guy, and he was known for his angry nature.

“My bad, my bad…” Sean muttered, lifting his hands up as a sign of truce.

“I need to have a word of my own with this little brat. You three can piss off,” Deon hissed at them and turned his attention back to me.

I stopped breathing when our eyes met. He looked like he wanted to hit me. He was about to open his mouth, but then Glen cut him off.

“What? No way! We saw him first!” he snapped angrily.

I watched how Deon blinked slowly, like he was trying his best not to kill everyone in the hallway at that very instant. The classes had already started, but there were plenty of people watching us, and no one cared to help me. I was between the two parties like a prey, completely helpless and defenseless. Everyone knew not to get involved when Deon and Sean started to fight. Deon would always win every one-on-one fight they had, but this time Sean had company.

But that didn’t seem to bother Deon.

He turned his eyes to Glen, who stepped backwards. He didn’t look so brave anymore.

“There’s three of us,” Sean noted. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

I looked at Deon, and the expression on his face gave me shivers. Sean and his buddies were like a bunch of hyenas, but Deon was a lion. He had a small, crooked smile on his face when he stared at the three of them. He looked pissed even when he was smiling.

“Try me,” Deon spoke softly with a challenging look in his eyes.

Everyone fell silent in the hallway, waiting for Sean’s reply. Sean and Deon didn’t get along. At all. They never had, and never would. They were like two roosters in the same henhouse, and the school was too small for both of them.

And they both hated me. It didn’t really matter to me which one of them would have the right to kick my ass this time. I was going to get beaten up again. I knew I would… Why was I stupid enough to even try? I really was stupid for coming back to this place every day.

Sean finally snorted with narrowed eyes. He turned to look away from Deon, and backed away, leaving the hallway with his buddies. I knew he would seek revenge for being humiliated like that in front of so many people. I could only wish he wouldn’t take it out on me. Even Sean would think twice before pissing off Deon, so they retreated this time, but I feared it only meant more pain for me.

Deon chuckled as he watched them leave, but his amusement vanished when his eyes met mine again. I wanted to run and hide from his wrath. He pulled me away from the wall just to slam me back against it. I let out a small groan of pain when my aching body hit the wall once more, but Deon didn’t show me any mercy. His grip grew stronger around my throat, nearly choking me.

“You look like you’re having a really bad day,” he growled at me. “Aren’t you going to thank me for saving your pathetic little ass?”

“I – I… T-Thank…” I muttered with watery eyes, fearing for my life. “T-Thank y-you…”

He looked annoyed when I dared to speak to him.

“That was a fucking joke! Don’t get any stupid ideas in your head!” Deon spat at me in an angry voice.

I nodded furiously, hoping it would satisfy him. I was sure I’d get my ass kicked again, and that thought made me shiver. I wasn’t sure if I could survive another beating, so I tried my best to please him. But he surprised me by suddenly releasing me. My aching body couldn’t support itself, and I fell on my knees in front of him.

“You owe me one – bitch,” he hissed at me before walking away, leaving me sitting next to the wall with a spinning head and a racing heart.

I tried to get back on my feet, but I couldn’t. I was too scared to even move. The pain grew worse by the second, and for a moment, I thought I was dying.

I was definitely stupid enough to even try to stay alive.

I’d already missed the beginning of my class, but I couldn’t get up, not even if I wanted to. I was too weak to get up from the cold floor where Deon had left me. I stopped trying and leaned my head against the wall. I was shaking and shivering, and I knew my fever was getting really high.

Maybe I really would die in that hallway without anyone noticing it. People would kick me, hit me and laugh at me while passing by, but no one would help me get up. Maybe the janitor would pick up what was left of me at the end of the day and throw my body into a trashcan where I belonged.

I was so tired, both physically and mentally, and I didn’t care what happened to me. I’d be better off dead, anyway.

My sight started turning blurry after a while, and my breathing turned shallow. I could hear my heartbeat banging loudly inside my head when I collapsed on the ground. Just before I passed out, I saw a pair of legs coming in my direction. Whoever the person was, he stopped right next to me. I was sure they would only make my pain worse.

But the person didn’t hurt me. Instead, I could feel a warm pair of arms around me as he picked me up from the floor and started carrying me. I tried to see his face, but my hazy mind gave up, and I fell unconscious.

*****

When I woke up, it took me a while to understand where I was. I was lying on a narrow bed, with another one right next to mine. There were dark-blue curtains around both beds, and I could see a small desk behind them with a few small medicine cabinets next to it. It was the nurse’s office.

There was no one else in the room. I tried to get up, but it hurt too much to move, so I gave up and lay back down. I was still feeling dizzy, and I had to take a few deep breaths to stop the room from spinning. When it didn’t work, I just closed my eyes.

And then I remembered the guy who had picked me up from the floor, and my eyes flew open again. I stared at the ceiling, trying to figure out who would want to help me. I couldn’t think of anyone. No one cared enough to help me… But maybe there still was someone who couldn’t just leave me lying on the floor, unconscious and alone.

I shook my head. That didn’t make any sense. Everyone hated me!

Then the door opened, and the school nurse, Mrs. Gale, stepped in. She squinted her eyes when she saw me. She didn’t look pleased.

“You’re awake,” she said pointlessly.

Mrs. Gale was probably the most hated nurse to ever step inside the school boundaries. She was a mean old hag who had grown to hate kids over the many years of being a nurse. She was a short woman; her gray hair was always in a tight bun; her goggles were thick and round, and they didn’t suit her elegant face at all; and she was old. She looked older than any other human being.

Everyone hated her, and she seemed to hate everyone else in return, but she was nice to me – sort of – and I liked her. She was the only person who didn’t want to harm me, but she hated mingling with the students, so I couldn’t just come to her office and have a chat with her.

“You better save your crap,” she spoke harshly. “I know someone took a few good swings at you, so try not to lie to me. Who was it?”

“I uh… It was outside the school,” I muttered. “You don’t need to worry about it…”

“Stop lying to me,” she said, sitting down on her chair next to my bed. “You were lucky since nothing seems to be broken.”

“I was in a fight last night… You don’t need to worry about it…” I tried again, but she snorted at me.

“Fine, don’t tell me, but I will keep my eye on you. Next time someone drags you here with bruises and cuts, I won’t let it slide. If I have to, I will whoop your ass just to find out who did it,” Mrs. Gale said in an annoyed tone.

“I promise to be more careful,” I said quietly.

“You’d better be,” she scoffed.

I couldn’t tell her about Sean, or Deon, for that matter. They’d kill me if they ever found out…

I waited for a moment, but when she wasn’t going to continue, I asked the one question that was burning in my mind.

“How did I get here?” I spoke timidly.

“Mr. Silver brought you here,” Mrs. Gale said and crossed her arms over her busty chest. I stared at her with wide eyes. I was sure I had misheard the name.

“Beau?” I whispered in shock.

“He found your unconscious ass laying in the hallway,” Mrs. Gale said and got up from her seat. “He brought you to me. It’s a real pity you two don’t get along anymore. He used to keep you out of trouble.”

“Yeah…” I breathed out.

I couldn’t believe her, but why would she lie to me? It was difficult for me to understand why Beau had helped me. He was the one who had shut me out of his life. He was the reason I was in pain all the time. He had never, not even once, helped me. So why now? Why did he suddenly help me? Did he get scared that I might die, and he’d get into trouble for letting it happen?

Or… Did Beau still care… after all?