Sighing with irritation, he drove his fist into my gut, and I gasped, hunching to soothe the terrible, burning pain. Laughing cruelly, Kyler dragged me into a stall, his fingers viciously pulling my hair. Being in choir taught you to take deep breaths rapidly, so I filled my lungs before he shoved my head into the chilly water of the toilet. I pushed back, even shoved my foot against his to unbalance him. His response was to tighten his fingers, so I stopped fighting.
After several moments, a boy I didn’t know spoke, “Kyler, stop it. You’re killing her.”
“I told the street rat she needs her mouth washed. As soon as she opens her mouth, she’s free to go,” Kyler laughed. “I’m not killing her. The idiot is doing it to herself. What a useless piece of trash, can’t even follow a simple order.” Hmph. Takes one to know one, hotshot. Do you really believe this is the first time my head was in a toilet? How unoriginal. Geez. Those good looks are wasted on a box of rocks. Did he screw his way into his honors classes? Because his attitude and the way he acts screams whore. I suppose there’s no point in being the loudest ram if you don’t partake of the harem within your flock.
Again, I silently apologized for my horrible thoughts. Even if they’re most likely the truth. Seconds later, someone ripped Kyler away, and I stood, pushing my soaking hair back before breathing through my nose. This was not my first rodeo, and I’ve learned from my mistakes. Blindly navigating the bathroom, I found the paper towels and dried my face before opening my eyes. No pink eye for me, no thanks.
The bathroom was empty when I opened my eyes, and I frowned. My heart pounding, I raced out of the bathroom to find Dakota wrestling Kyler on the ground. While I watched, Kyler pinned the smaller boy and raised his fist to punch him. Darting forward, I grabbed his wrist, using the pressure point to stop him. I forced his arm behind his back and pushed him off Dakota before I released him. Dakota sneered at Kyler, and I knelt between the boys, lest Kyler injured the idiot playing knight to my damsel in distress.
“Leave him alone, Kyler,” I warned, shifting into a defensive crouch. I sighed when Kyler looked about to charge. This would hurt and piss him off. A lot. My lips curled into a slight smile at that thought.
The almighty king whore of the school ran at me, and I called upon long ago lessons in gymnastics and hard-learned ones from the street. I grabbed his collar as he came, letting myself fall back in a smooth motion so my feet caught Kyler’s chest, and sent him flying over my head. He hit the wall with a loud thud, and my smile grew into the beginnings of a smirk.
Slowly pushing himself up, Kyler shook his head, his face contorted with fury when he looked my way. I shrugged where I sat, waiting for him. Baiting him, really. This time, his hands reached for my throat, and I nonchalantly blocked him, wrapping mine around his before pinning him to the floor. His breath whooshed from his lungs when his back hit the floor, and I put the toes of my boots on his wrists, pressing on his pressure points. One hand pressed against his chest while I placed the other on his shoulder, where I could reach another pressure point with ease.
Once Kyler caught his breath, he huffed and tried to buck me off only to yelp when pain radiated through his body from his wrists. “As soon as you calm down, I’ll let you up,” I informed him in a bland tone. “The way you are, so lost to your rage, you will hurt yourself if we continue to dance.” A low feral growl vibrated his chest while he glared so furiously, I couldn’t stop the grin curling my lips if I tried. “Has anyone told you how adorable it is that you think you’re a badass? You’re just a bully who believes the world revolves around him. I told you earlier that I won’t let you hurt anyone in my presence, Kyler. A man would learn from his mistake and take that to heart, which proves you are nothing but a boy. A boy who, unless he changes his tune, will never be a man. Men don’t hurt others just because they can, only boys do. Some boys never grow up, although if you ask, they’ll proclaim they’re a man and beat their chest while everyone laughs at their stupid immaturity.”
“Get off of me!” Kyler snarled, his teeth looking more prominent than they did a moment before. I blinked, and they became normal once more, and I tried to fight it, I really did. But this boy summoned the worst in me.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you don’t want girls on top of you. What’s your boyfriend’s name?” I asked with a slight smirk and a mocking tone. I hated myself for the words as soon as they escaped, but I was proud of them too. Not that there was anything wrong with a boy liking other boys. Love is love. No, I was proud of myself for not backing down and returning the favor.
Kyler’s eyes widened comically while the three boys in the hall burst out laughing. “Seriously, who is he?” I asked in a kind voice, “I want to send him
