"May I kiss your forehead, Crimson?" She doesn't recoil or say a word, so I press my lips gently against her forehead. It's a tender and fleeting moment, but it fills me with a warmth that I can't explain.
"Just because a relationship has an expirat...
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CRIMSON DONOVAN
As I make my way towards the last class of the day, I find myself sneezing again. Damn it, who was talking behind my back? Was I catching a cold?
I descend the stairs when I hear a commotion coming from the direction of the lockers. Against my better judgement, I go towards the scene, only to find a group of boys cornering a freshman. They were clearly harassing him and the poor boy was cowering away, as if he wanted to merge with the metal locker doors.
I couldn't believe that bullying was still happening in this day and age.
However, that doesn't stop me from confronting the boys. "What are you doing?"
The three boys ganging up on the kid- I think he was a freshman- turn their heads to look at me with sneers on their faces. They assess me within seconds and the tallest one raises an eyebrow. "Crimson, aren't you? Do you have a problem here?"
"Oh, sorry, I don't remember your name but I do believe that there is a problem here."
The boys look at each other in amusement. "Maybe we can help this beautiful girl solve her problem, guys?"
"Leave the boy alone," I cut right into the chase, grimacing a little when I remembered the same way scrawny Ken had intervened with us almost two months ago. "Three people ganging up on one defenseless kid, how pathetic is that? What are you trying to prove?"
The eyes of the boy who was trembling on the ground widen as he realizes that someone is here to help him out, and he scurries away from the three bullies and hides behind my back. He peeks over my shoulder with his big doe eyes and brown mop of hair. This unforeseen reaction from the boy momentarily distracts me from the confrontation and the other three goons take that moment to let out scornful laughs. "Running away to hide behind a girl, coward? How funny is that! I admire your courage to talk to us, Crimson. But what we were doing is our business alone and you can go on your way so we can continue...our conversation... with the boy," one guy says, his tone coming out aggressively by the second.
"G-get lost!" the boy points a snappy finger at the goons, still peeking over my arm. This causes the three to cackle and the boy behind me gives an annoyed pout.
"Would you look at that, the cowards got some-"
"And what's going on over here?"
The boys straighten up as a girl appears from behind them.
"It's you," I quietly gasp in recognition of the purple-haired girl even though her face had been concealed by her cap that day at the Abandoned Bridge.
I could identify that voice, hair and stance very well. This definitely DID resemble the situation with Ken and his goons. She too seems to recognize me as she gives me a small smile before turning toward the three bullies.
