Rae whipped around. “Not a chance in hell, you womanizing, abusive dickwad.”
Everyone cheered as the three of them scampered off. But her words cut deep. I watched them rush off as someone tugged at my arm, trying to get me inside the school. Girls kept looking on, smiling and cheering my victory. I shook myself away from whoever the hell had a grip on my elbow before I scurried into school. The last fucking thing I needed to be caught doing after seeing my father yesterday was fighting. Because I knew damn good and well that selfish asshole would toss me out on my ass the second he got the chance. The second he found any reason to deem me a threat to his new wife, or to him, or to him, or to that bullshit prison I called home.
But I couldn't shake the way Rae handled herself. The way she handled me. It was reminiscent of her putting me into that damn stairwell wall.
And for a split second, I wondered where she learned how to handle herself like that.
9
Raelynn
The second I heard Clint’s words, I saw Michael snap. I saw it in his eyes, and his fist flew like wildfire. I didn’t even know Michael knew how to throw a punch like that. But when I saw Clint wrap his hand around Michael’s wrist, I knew he was in trouble.
I shrieked. “Michael, no!”
Allison kept screaming as the fight continued. Clint’s fucking goonies closed in the fight, and I struggled to get through the crowd. I heard them tussling around, punches being landed and grunts filling the air. Someone gasped and I heard something drop to the ground. And as Roy physically shoved me back, I jammed the heel of my hand directly into his ballsack.
Marina gawked. “What the fuck?”
I shook my hand out as I stepped around Roy. He could die, as far as I was concerned. I started charging Clint, with Allison hot on my heels before the sea of people closed again. I leapt into the air, feeling them catch me and hold me back. And that was when I realized Michael was the one gasping for air.
Shit. Shit shit shit shit shit.
“I mean, really. If you’re going to be a man’s man, at least man up a little bit. You of all people should know gay dudes don’t like pussies.”
Clint’s words fired me up like nothing I’d ever experienced before. And I found a renewed sense of vigor to tear through that damn crowd. I saw Michael practically toss him over his bike and I heard Allison cheering him on from behind me. I scrapped with a few people in front of me, trying to get them out of my way. And the more people I tossed to the side, the more adrenaline I felt rushing through my system. My vision bounced between Clint and Michael and D.J. and my mother. It was hard to focus. Hard to see straight. Hard to keep things in line as faces morphed and changed right before my eyes.
Then Allison’s voice pierced my hazy thoughts.
“No! Stop it! You’re going to kill him!”
I looked up, only to see Clint hoisting Michael in the air. I gawked at the scene as kids cheered and clapped, chanting for Clint to slam him into the ground. Michael had his hands around Clint’s forearm, and fear gripped my chest. And the second Michael went plummeting to the ground, I knew I had to get to him.
Otherwise, we’d be in a hospital later.
Everything happened so quickly after that. First, Michael was in the air. Then he was punching Clint. Then Clint was somehow on top of him on the ground. I took one last charge through the crowd, physically shoving girls and guys alike to the concrete. Sirens wailed in the distance as teachers rushed over to see what was going on. The last thing Michael needed was to get caught fighting, and the last thing any of us needed was to be seen as cohorts in the matter.
“Get. The fuck. Off him!”
My hands came down on to Clint’s leather jacket and I tugged. I wrapped my hands up in the worn material and felt something akin to a god take over my body. I tugged at him once. Twice. Three times, before I felt his body move. I tightened my grip into his jacket so tightly I felt my knuckles dragging across his skin. I gnashed my teeth together as Allison rushed around us. I growled out like a wild animal as I felt his body budge. I pried him off Michael, watching as Allison helped the poor boy to his feet.
Then I tossed Clint to the side.
Like some discarded paper plate of useless food.
I rushed to Michael, who was foaming at the mouth with anger. His eyes bulged and his nose was bleeding, but overall, he looked good for going a few rounds with Clint Clarke. Which was always a bad idea, given how massive Clint was in the first place. I placed my hands against his chest while Allison tugged at his wrist, trying to pull him away from the fight as I tapped my hands against him.
“Come on. Let’s get out of here. We need to get you cleaned up.”
Clint growled, “Get the hell out of my way.”
And when I whipped around, I leveled my eyes directly with his.
“Not a chance in hell, you womanizing, abusive dickwad.”
Allison grunted. “Come. On. Michael. It’s done. Enough is enough. Walk away. Just walk away from him.”
I turned around and kept pushing at his chest, trying to get him away from all this chaos. Fighting Clint Clarke was a bad fucking idea because the boy was practically made for scrapping. Built for schoolyard fights and drawing blood from his enemies. The kids around us booed as Allison and I physically dragged Michael away from that fucking fight. Clint kept yelling after us, but I wasn’t paying attention to what he was saying. Michael kept hollering back, too. And the only thing I did was reach up and place my hand over his mouth.
“Stop it. He’s not worth the energy, I promise you that,” I said.
Some of Clint’s friends followed us, trying to block us in again. But Allison kept stepping on their toes. She jammed her heel into their feet, causing them to buckle and cry out. I was very proud of her. It made me smile as she backed up, clearing a pathway for us to get away from the chaos. The teachers were on their way, and I had a sneaking suspicion that siren call off in the distance was for us. And if Michael got caught fighting in any way, that blemish on his record might override his good grades and keep him from getting into college.
Michael grumbled, “I’m gonna bury that fucker.”
Allison sighed. “You’re making me break a sweat. Can’t you tuck it in?”
I giggled. “You’re going to be in deep shit if you’re caught. Why don’t we get this sleepover started early?”
With our backpacks practically hanging off our bodies, we dashed across the front lawn of the schoolyard. Michael had Allison’s hand tightly in his, and I brought up the rear. Just in case anyone else tried coming after us. The last thing we needed was to deal with the fallout from this bullshit drama. Because as far as I was concerned? Clint could take the brunt of it all. By himself. Since he was the asshole that started it in the first place.
But I had to work not to give him the satisfaction of looking back.
I don’t know why I wanted to look back and check on him, but I fought that urge. He didn't deserve someone making sure he was all right like that. We rushed across the street just before the schoolyard bell tolled, signaling the beginning of the day.
The day we’d all skip in order to get this party started.
We didn’t stop running until we got to Allison’s house. She pulled out her keys, and Michael’s hand instinctively fell to the small of her back. I smiled at their connection. At how this had somehow bonded them. And since Allison wasn’t brushing him off, I figured that was as good a sign as any.
That Allison returned Michael’s affections.
We all walked inside and I stood there, marveling at the grandeur of Allison’s home. It never ceased to amaze me. I slowly closed the front door behind me, taking in the beautiful staircase. The wooden banisters that glistened in the sunlight streaming through the multiple windows of the home. The hardwood floors that matched those banisters, covered intricately with plush rugs that sat underneath cushioned, comfy furniture. No matter how many times I went over to Allison’s or Michael’s homes, I was always amazed at how they looked. Large, with vaulted ceilings. Beautiful stainless steel appliances that always looked brand new every time I came over. Massive flatscreen televisions mounted on walls and expansive decorations that added a classy sort of flair to the entire place.
I sighed. “Wow.”
“I’m going to grab some things to bring down into the basement. Rae, can you take Michael down there?”
Allison’s voice ripped me from my trance and I nodded.
“Yep. Come on, Michael. Let’s go get you cleaned up. You look like hell.”
He snickered. “I feel like it.”
I shrugged. “That’s what you get for trying to take on Clint Clarke first thing in the morning.”
While Allison rummaged around in the kitchen, I took Michael’s hand. I led him down into the basement, where I clicked the light on, illuminating the beautiful expanse of one of the most perfect spaces I’d ever seen. It was practically its own apartment down here, complete with a little kitchenette area, a mounted flatscreen television, every single streaming service known to man loaded on the smart television, and bedrooms as far as the eye could see. There were bookshelves lining the walls, filled with books I wanted to read. The plush microfiber furniture was broken up with bean bags we always flopped onto when coming downstairs. The soft carpet underneath my feet caused me to toe off my shoes, just so I could feel the material tickle my toes.