Ever After

Plan A

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This chapter is in Mark's perspective.

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"Stay here," Jack muttered, his grip firm on my shoulders as he set me down and onto the wet, dewy forest grass. "Don't move until the time is right."

Nervously, I nodded, not daring to even breathe as he let go of me, his grip leaving a sensation of abstinence to crawl up and down my body. It felt lonelier where his hands had once been, as if they had the power to accompany me and make me feel inexplicably eased, despite the amount of tension I always felt surging between the two of us. As much as I loved every second with the irresistible man, every glare from his piercing blue eyes made me shrink to one tenth of my original size - it made me feel as if I were the only person he really paid attention to, and that was a lot of weight on my shoulders, more than the ugly, puke-green backpack I wore, tearing at the seams.

I kept hearing his voice echo in my mind. "Don't move." How hot was that!? Ugh, he was so cute...

I didn't quite understand how Jack had managed to concoct such an odd plan: accordingly, Felix was to chase him from the school and into the forest with Killian and his friends, when Jack would take a shortcut that only Felix knew of (ensuring that he and Felix were alone), which is when I would attack, allowing Jack to steal the script and run off - I don't know how he'd managed to get out of school early, but somehow he'd managed to find the perfect day, one when my study hall was the last period, enabling me to tag along, our coordinating schedules written in the stars. As much as my father had warned me never to get into a fight with my peers and as badly as I wanted to hang low and be unnoticeable in a crowd, I couldn't help but feel my heart leap out of my chest as I knelt behind a log, my leprechaun-like size (for once) a good thing. I was ready for this - so ready for this.

At least, I thought I was, but that was before I'd gotten to thinking of my father. What if he was disappointed in me? What if he was mad? He had bills, a career, and two kids to take care of - surely my getting into a fistfight would make his life even more of an issue.

But, again, I replayed Jack's words in my mind. He'd promised me (while we were running into the forest so that he wouldn't be late for his game of "tag" after school) that he wouldn't let me be seen by Felix, that I wouldn't get into any trouble whatsoever, and I trusted him with my life. I couldn't decipher what it was (again), but something inside of him made me feel as if he would protect me if he ever were to care about me, which I'm sure that he did. He wouldn't play Shadow Of The Colossus and invite me over to play some more for no reason, would he?

I sat, thinking of my relationship with Jack, for quite some time before the sound of footsteps erupted, twigs snapping underneath of them. I heard Killian's voice ring out, excitedly yelling for Felix to grab at him. As I heard them slowly come closer and closer, I couldn't stop myself from feeling pitiful for him, the kind of guy who would hide every little emotion, keeping himself inside, never bothering to show the world a hint of his doubt. I admired him for being so discreet, yet wished he'd been brave enough to tell an adult of the bullies chasing after him - if he had, we wouldn't be in this mess...

"Got him!"

I jumped at the sight of Felix snagging onto Jack's hoodie, sending him flying back and gawking at his throat. I let out a whimper as his face began to turn pink, his hands clawing at his throat - he looked so helpless, so fragile, so wounded. I couldn't prevent myself, couldn't hold back; within seconds, I was on top of Felix, sending Jack flying free to grab at his wounded neck as I sat on top of him, giving him a good slap against the cheek. Then, it was another slap. Then another slap - they just kept coming and coming like wildfire, shooting out of me beyond control, only to soon turn into cold, hard, rock-like punches beating against his skin, tearing at it as powerfully as they could. I could hear Jack crying out to me indistinctly, telling me to stop, but I couldn't help myself - I was beating him down, ready to rip him to shreds... at least, I was, until Felix shoved me off with an angry face, as if I were just a fly to be swatted at.