Forever Yours

chapter seven

Later in the week, I go out to my car after school to leave. I notice my front right tire is flat; then discover a small Swiss army knife in the side of it. Someone must've done this on purpose! How sweet. This had to have been Ryan, I don't think Brooke would've done this. Well, maybe. Joel and Mia walk over laughing about something and find me staring sadly at Lisa's flat tire. Yes, I named my car.

"What the hell?!" from Joel.

"Oh my god!" from Mia.

"Oh yes, I know." I'm pissed. This is a new level of hate. I'm used to shit talking, but this is just not cool. "It had to have been Ryan."
Joel seems irritated that I brought his best friend into this. Who knows if they're even friends anymore? I haven't seen them together in a while. Joel has just been hanging out with us. While insults about me have died down because of it, I can see why Ryan did it. Out of spite and most definitely because of his brother and my friendship with Joel. Joel says, "You really think so?"

"Of course I think so. He's so pissed that you've been hanging out with me. I know this is something Jack would do, so I'm sure Ryan could do the same."

Joel then comments, "Well, it does look like his knife." I knew it.

I see Ryan on the other side of the parking lot, laughing with the other football boys. He's probably bragging about the number he did on my tire. I storm over there, ready to give him a piece of my mind. Joel and Mia close behind me. "Ryan, what the hell is wrong with you?!" I yell when I make it to him.

"What are you talking about?" He says cockily.

"You know exactly what you did, man. It's messed up." Joel butts in.

"Oh, so now you're protecting her?" Ryan says and crosses his arms. The football boys do the same. I guess they're all hating on Joel now. I feel bad, these were his friends and now they're mad at him because of me.

Joel fights back, "Yeah, so what?"

"Because she's a little bitch!" Ouch.

"Don't you dare call her that!" Joel balls his fists at his side—he is really pissed now.

"Or what?" Ryan retorts. "Go be friends with a whore, see if I care."

That word makes Joel snap, and he punches Ryan right in the jaw. Mia and I gasp, staring in horror. Holy shit! I didn't see that coming. Ryan stumbles back, but it doesn't faze him too much. He comes back and punches Joel in the same spot on his face. Not his beautiful face! Now's not the time for these thoughts Willow. They're just going back and forth, fighting each other now. Joel takes a punch to the stomach, then Ryan takes a punch straight in the nose. Blood starts pouring down his face. That doesn't stop either of them. They continue fighting and fall to the ground. Ryan is on top of Joel, beating him up. Finally, I'm over this and go to intervene. I try to pull Ryan off him—huge mistake—and he shoves me to the ground, knocking me on my ass. Ugh! My pants just ripped! Also, my ass really hurts, and I try not to cry. This snaps Joel up; he shoves Ryan out of the way and punches him so hard, he knocks him out briefly. The fight is over, and Joel comes to pick me up off the ground.

Joel softens up, "Willow, are you okay?"

"I'm alright, I just want to get out of here." Joel and Mia start to guide me away, we go into the school where Joel can clean up.

We're in the boy's locker room and I'm cleaning Joel's face off. I put some band aids on him, and I got some ice from the cafeteria to ice his jaw; he seems to be doing okay. Thank goodness no teachers saw, or we would all be in big trouble.