Tied Together

Chapter 1: Introduction

I spit blood on the ground, my eye black, my bones bruised. "What's the matter, punk? Not going to cough up your lunch money?" Once again, beaten to a pulp by Jackson Mikal, I often wondered how a kindhearted appearance can be so misleading. His brown hair was spiked on top, his jawline soft yet toned, his eyes brown and gentle. Definitely the best-looking guy in the school. Yet he's so ugly on the inside.

I'm punched in my stomach once more, leaving me to drop on my knees, the wind knocked out of me. I cough up saliva, gasping for air. "Listen here, this is what you get for sticking your nose in other people's business." Oh, that's right. I was protecting my friend Peter Keen. I turn my gaze to the left. His glasses are broken, and he's on the floor with a bloodied lip.

I chuckle slightly to myself, realizing that a thin-framed guy like me sure does talk a big game when defending my friends, but I'm clearly not that strong. I look up at Jackson, clearly pissed off at my sudden chuckle, taking offense. "Why you..." As he attempts to punch me once more, the sound of a door opening and voices echo in the hallway behind me.

"Quickly! I think they turned here!" I smile softly, recognizing that voice with its subtle soft tone. There's only one person whose voice can be that gentle. The doors open wide; it's Tina and Amelia. They notice me and Peter on the floor, witnessing Jackson and his crew walking away scoffing. "This ain't over, dweeb."

I let off a soft smile, things starting to turn in a blur. Ame is running towards me, crying? Why is she crying? I fall unconscious.

"Hello! I'm Dante Davis. I am tall for my age and I like playing video games and reading manga! I also like anime too! I have brown eyes and I love yummy foods!" What is this? Why am I remembering my introduction from when I was younger suddenly? Oh, Ame is laughing at me. She's smiling? I forgot how lovely that smile was; it always made me want to make her smile more.

"Dante! Dante! Wake up!" I open my eyes, seeing Amelia crying above me. Oh, that's right, I tried to protect Peter. "Dante! You're awake! Are you okay?" I lean up slowly, Ame grabbing my arm to slow me down slightly but helping me upwards.

"Peter, you okay?" Peter smiles, looking a bit shy. He's holding his broken glasses in hand, cleaning his bloody lip with the back of his hand. "I'm fine, Dante. Thanks for your help. I'm so sorry you got dragged into it." His voice is filled with concern and guilt, even though I deliberately stepped in to help out.

"Sheesh, look at you, worrying about others rather than yourself. I ought to give that Jackson a piece of my mind." Tina scoffs, looking angry, tensing her arms in frustration. Tina always was a bit of a tomboy. Despite her feminine figure, she's incredibly strong and educated in judo. She can be pretty scary at times.

Ame was still crying above me, cleaning her tears, then grabbing a napkin from her blazer pocket. She dabs the cut on my lip. "You're such an idiot! Making me worry like that." And there it was, the less soft side of Ame. I chuckle softly before Ame presses a little harder on my wound. I pull back in pain. "This is no laughing matter! You got seriously hurt! What if me and Tina weren't around?!" Ame scoffs and gets up, storming off back out the exit.

"Ame, wait," Tina calls out. "Sheesh, that girl. I'm going to chase after her. You both going to be okay?" Peter and I give a reassuring nod before watching Tina run after her. I sigh, letting out a slight tensed sound of pain after moving to stand up.

"You going to be okay, Dante? Your ribs." Honestly, I probably need a week's rest after that sort of beating. However, I prefer it if people didn't worry about me, so I'm going to put on a brave face for the time being. I throw my blazer over my back, holding it with my finger as I walk towards the exit.

"I'll be fine. Don't need to worry about me, Peter. Although, you should probably get your glasses fixed." I start heading downstairs, walking through the school halls to head to my next class. History. Throughout class, I feel Ame's dagger stare at my back the entire time. Whenever I look at her, she pouts and turns her head away like a child. I've clearly upset her. This is bad.

Last time this happened, she ignored me for a week straight. I'll have to buy her an apologetic lunch, I suppose. Good thing I didn't hand over my lunch money after all. After receiving scary glances throughout class, I approached Ame as class came to a close and asked her about lunch. "Why would I wanna go to lunch with an idiot like you?" Ame is as honest as ever. I chuckle nervously.

"I'm buying lunch. It's on me." Ame grunts her teeth, followed by dashing towards the cafeteria and grabbing a cupcake. She smushes it into my hair and lets out a subtle chuckle. "I guess it really is on you!" Peter and Tina watch from afar, stunned. "Don't think you can bribe your way outta this one! Dumbass." Ame storms off, leaving me with crumbs and icing stuck in my hair.

I head to the bathroom, getting strange looks from different students. I lean down by the sink, washing the cake from my hair. Tina soon follows, uncaring that she just entered the boys' bathroom. "She really did a number on you, huh? This is really unlike her." Tina helps clean my hair, getting into close proximity.

"Tina! This is the boys' bathroom. What if a guy comes in?" I have a subtle blush on my face. I always saw Tina as scary, yet seeing her curves close by, having her gently wash my scalp, it was kind of comforting. "Like I care! Anyone who interrupts will get punched!" And just like that, I'm terrified again.

After a bit more scrubbing with my fingers along with Tina's help, I manage to clean my hair, rising up and drying my head with the dryer on the wall. "You have any idea why she did that? You're both close, right?" I ask.

"We're close? I mean, yeah sure... but aren't you guys supposed to be best friends? What happened to that?" Tina makes a very good point, my face trying to hide the gloom in my heart. It's true, ever since that day... we've never been the same.