Falling For You

Chapter 12: Punches and Promises

I follow Mateo as he walks in silence, side by side with Aaron. Mr. Grimdall leads the way with an angry expression plastered across his face, his posture stiff as he opens the office door with a sharp motion. Once we reach the school office, Mr. Grimdall ushers them to wait outside, while he heads in to speak with the principal. Mateo sits on the wooden bench just outside the office, and I follow suit, perching beside him, our knees almost brushing.

I can feel the tension radiating off him. He’s clearly rattled, his jaw tight, and his hands clenching and unclenching as if still wound up from the fight. I ask him softly how it all started. Mateo sighs and rubs the back of his neck, staring ahead at the ground before explaining what happened.

After I’d gone to cheerleading practice, he tells me he was sitting in the cafeteria, working on our science project when Aaron approached him out of nowhere. Mateo tried to ignore him, but Aaron started asking questions about us, poking at our relationship. He wanted to know if we were serious or just playing around. Mateo didn’t bite at first, but then Aaron crossed the line. His voice drops as he tells me the words Aaron used to provoke him—calling me names like "slut," saying I enjoyed flaunting myself around. Mateo’s eyes darken at the memory, and my stomach churns with rage.

“Aaron said that about me?” My voice trembles with the effort of holding back tears and anger. The audacity, the vile disrespect—Aaron had sunk to a new low.

Mateo nods, his fists clenching again. “I wasn’t going to take it. So, I told him if anyone here was looking for attention, it was him. And that’s when he swung first. I was just trying to have your back... like we promised.”

The weight of his words hangs between us. He protected me—just like we agreed when we made our deal—but somehow, this feels more personal than that. Mateo doesn’t say it, but I can sense his frustration, not just because of the fight but because it involved me. He feels responsible, even though he shouldn’t.

Before I can respond, the loud clatter of heels interrupts us. Roxanne comes storming down the hallway, her face red with fury, her eyes zeroing in on Aaron. The second she sits down next to him, she starts berating him. “How could you be so stupid?” she hisses, not even bothering to lower her voice. “Do you know what this will do to my reputation?”

I almost laugh at the absurdity of her priorities. Not a single word of concern for Aaron—no "Are you okay?" or "What happened?"—just straight to worrying about her precious image. The thought slips out in a quiet chuckle before I can stop it, and that’s when Roxanne’s hawk-like gaze swivels to me.

“What’s so funny?” she snaps, glaring at me with daggers. “This is your fault! You and Mateo are always jealous of Aaron and me. You’re just trying to bring us down because you can’t stand how perfect we are together.”

I blink at her in disbelief, anger bubbling up. “Are you serious right now? This happened because Aaron can’t keep his mouth shut and thinks the world revolves around him. Not everything is about you, Roxanne,” I fire back, keeping my voice steady.

She’s about to respond, her face twisted with indignation, when Mr. Grimdall steps back out of the office, silencing us with a stern glare. He informs us that Principal Edward is calling our parents. Aaron shoots Mateo a smug look and leans closer, whispering, “When my dad gets here, you’re going to pay for this.”

The venom in Aaron’s voice makes my skin crawl, but I smirk sarcastically. “Oh, I’m shaking,” I mutter under my breath, knowing full well that Aaron’s father is nothing but a coward. During our relationship, Aaron had once confided in me about his dad’s infidelity and how easily he dropped his affair when his wife threatened to cut off his money. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

As the minutes tick by, tension fills the air. I glance over at Mateo, and his face looks pinched, a hint of worry creeping into his usually calm expression. He’s nervous about his father coming, I realize. Mateo had mentioned before that his dad is strict, and I imagine he’s dreading whatever punishment might come his way. Despite his father’s cool exterior, I can see that the thought of disappointing him frightens Mateo.

A while later, Aaron’s father, Mr. Walters, bursts into the office, his face full of concern as he rushes to Aaron. “Are you okay, son?” he asks, ignoring everyone else around. After checking on Aaron, he turns to Mateo, his expression hardening. “Did you start this?” he demands, not even waiting for Mateo to speak before continuing, “Of course, you did. With a father like yours, it’s no surprise.”

Mateo stiffens, about to respond, but I’m quicker. “It was Aaron who started it, not Mateo. He’s just defending himself,” I say, glaring at Mr. Walters.

But before I can say more, Mateo places a hand on my arm, a silent plea for me to stop. I bite back my words, watching as Mr. Walters sneers, “Like father, like son. Your dad’s nothing but a criminal, and you’ll end up the same.”

The words hit harder than I expect, but before I can react, the door to the office swings open again, and in strides Mateo’s father, David Hernandez. He walks straight over to Mateo, his eyes full of concern, and asks, “Are you okay, son?”

Mateo nods, his voice low, “Yeah, Dad. I’m fine.”

David turns to Mr. Walters, a sharp edge to his voice as he says, “My son isn’t the problem here.” Mr. Walters opens his mouth to protest, but before he can get a word out, David pulls out his badge—a police ID. “I’m no criminal,” he adds, his voice icy.

The room falls silent as everyone, including Aaron and Roxanne, stares at the badge. Their expressions are priceless—pure shock and disbelief. Mr. Walters stammers something incoherent before falling silent.

David and Mr. Walters are called into the principal’s office for a discussion. After what feels like an eternity, Mr. Grimdall comes out and calls Mateo and Aaron in. I sit there, my heart in my throat, waiting anxiously for the outcome. When they finally emerge, Principal Edwards gives them both a stern warning, advising them to steer clear of each other. It’s a relief to know that this won’t go on their records, but as we leave the office, I can’t shake the unease gnawing at me.

Aaron glares at us one last time before stalking off with his father, while Roxanne trails behind them, her face a mix of anger and embarrassment. Mateo’s dad pulls him into a brief hug before heading off to work. Mateo and I walk to the parking lot in silence, my thoughts swirling.

As we get to his car, Mateo looks at me with a heavy sigh. “Thanks for having my back,” he murmurs.

I nod, smiling faintly. “We promised, didn’t we?” But as I climb into the car beside him, I can’t shake the feeling that things between us are shifting, that maybe—just maybe—our deal is becoming something more.