We're All Crazy Here, Darling

Tia Mason-Carter: The Sweetheart

           *Ryan's POV*

I walked into chemistry and plopped down in a seat. Thankfully there was no fanfare in this class when I came in. As I was taking out my book, a petite Asian girl sat down next to me and stared at me with a big smile on her face. It was slightly freaking me out but I tried to ignore her. Finally, I turned to my right and asked her, "May I help you?" The teacher wasn't in class yet and everyone was still talking around us.

"I'm observing you," she said as if it was the plainest thing in the world.

"Well, can you please stop? You're freaking me out."

She just grinned even bigger and reached her hand out, "I'm Tia. You met my friend Nicole earlier. She told me about you. Man, you're even more attractive in real life than you are in your pictures, and that's saying something. Are you as laid back as Nicole says you are? You seem like it. Not gonna lie, she was expecting you to be a stuck-up snob. Only she used a word that was a bit stronger than a snob, but I don't like to swear so I'm not going to say it. Wait, I'm sorry, I'm rambling, aren't I? Maxine says I ramble too much sometimes and....I'm boring you aren't I? I'm sorry. I'll shut up now. Sorry." She deflated a bit and lost some of her cheeriness.

I felt kinda bad after that. She was just trying to be nice after all. Maybe if I talk to her she'll perk up again, "Thanks I think. Hey, it's fine really. I-" I scratched my head, "I just don't like being stared at," I muttered the last part. I gave her a small smile which she returned with a thousand-watt grin.

She was about to say something but was cut off by a loud voice yelling, "Yo dyke, where's your girlfriend? Did she get sent home to her whore mom? She should for what she tried to pull in Health."

My eyes shot to the guy who had spoken. He looked like your average jock with his red and white letterman's jacket. He was surrounded by his friends who chuckled stupidly at his question. I immediately clenched my fists, knowing this guy had douchebag written all over him.

"Who's he?" I asked Tia who looked at my angry expression and immediately put her hand on my arm, trying to placate my temper.

"He's nobody that you have to worry about," she shrugged, "He says stupid comments like that all the time. I just ignore it, he's an idiot,"

I took deep breaths and tried to reign in my anger. My temper was the reason James and I got into so many fights. Tia was helping by trying to be as soothing as possible and I was trying to quietly do the breathing exercises that James had showed me.

Inhale.

"Who's this?" He cackled "Don't tell me he's another fag. Wait no he's your 'boyfriend' yeah?"

Exhale.

He laughed again, the sound grating against my ears, "Dude how much does she pay you? Must be a hella lot to mess with her skank ass."

That's it. The little control that I liked to think I possessed snapped in half. I flew out of my chair and turned and punched him square in the mouth. I grabbed him by the collar and pulled him up, my tall frame towering over him. I looked into his eyes as I saw fear in his eyes no matter how hard he tried to squash it. There was one thing I hated more than attention and that was homophobic assholes.

"If I ever see you," I growled with clenched teeth, loud enough so his friends and Tia could hear too but no one else, "talk or even look sideways at Tia again , I will end you, do you understand?"

He gulped than laughed nervously, "She must pay you really -"

He didn't even get to finish his sentence when I slammed him down into the desk he was previously sitting at, splitting it in half and dropping him to the floor.

I grabbed him again but now he looked a little dazed, "Do. You. Understand." I growled again.

He nodded weakly then I dropped him and returned to my seat. The whole class was silent, even Tia which seemed to be rare.

Suddenly she jumped back to reality, " Oh my god, are you okay?" She took my hand then examined it then clucked her tongue, " I think Maxine has some ointment for this you can use," she started rambling about how sorry she was that I got caught in the middle but she was talking so fast I didn't understand what she was saying.

"Tia, really stop apologizing. As you can see I'm perfectly fine but as for him, well..." I trailed off as I looked to the asshole still on the ground. I shrugged, "He'll live," I said simply.

Tia was about to respond when she got cut off by the teacher walking in. She didn't notice him for a minute then noticed the class was too quiet and turned towards us. The teacher looked at the kid and asked shocked, "What happened?"

"He fell", Tia immediately answered, shoving my bruised hands under the desk before the teacher could see them, "You should really talk to the principal about getting sturdier desks, these seem to be really fragile," the lie rolled out of her mouth as if she had practiced it before.

Is she covering for me?

No one else spoke up, probably out of fear and I knew the guy was not going to tell. Huh, I didn't even know his name.

I mentally facepalmed when I thought about James.

He's going to kill me.