TJICPC Bonus Chapters

• bonus chapter 4 •

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. It's been a pretty uneventful day. Deacon was allowed to skip school cause his parents need help with the diner, and Eden fell sick recently. I couldn't tell you where Connor is. He didn't say anything, but he isn't here today. I wouldn't be surprised if he ditched school.

I dodged people tiredly as I made my way to my locker. It was a rainy, cold day, so all I really want to do is curl up by my window with a good book. I tugged out my books and switched them out.

I tucked a lock of hair behind my ear and pulled my sleeves down before making my way to my next class. Or at least trying to. There was a huge crowd in the middle of the hallway that stopped me from moving.

I groaned in aggravation and pushed past everyone desperately, too annoyed to even apologize. I stumbled into the front and gasped.

Everyone had surrounded the resident bully of North River High, Chase as he slammed a smaller boy against the lockers, growling in his face. Anger bubbled inside of me. Before I could even think it through, I had already dumped my books to the floor, stomping over to them.

I pulled the large boy by his arm, shoving him back. I stood in between the two and looked sympathetically back at the boy who turned out to be Jimmy Kingston. My gaze snapped back to the bully in front of me.

"What the hell is your problem?!" I spat. "Do you have nothing better to do than pick on people to make yourself feel better?!"

He snatched my wrist and pulled me close to him, making me wince in fear. "If you value that pretty little face of yours, you'll get out of here and leave me to my business. This is what happens to dweebs that don't know their places."

Confidence and rage built up inside of me once again, pushing me to continue to protect the boy behind me. I pushed Chase again to distance him from Jimmy.

"Dweebs? Oh, wow! You learned a new word, didn't you? You want a treat, boy?"

He growled in anger again as I distracted him. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jimmy scramble to his feet and run to his friends, making me breath a little easier. Just a little.

I turned my back on Chase, walking away. "Right, you neanderthal. If you're finally done, it's taco day. I'd rather-"

I cut myself off with a yelp when a hand grabbed at my sweater and yanked me back. He wrapped his hand around my neck, cutting off my breath as he beat me against the lockers just as he done to Jimmy, but with even more vigor. The crowd surrounding us chorused with gasps and murmurs.

I clawed frantically at the hand around my neck as black began to dust the outside of my vision. His grip only tightened. My legs began to kick and flail in hope of nailing him somewhere, anywhere and making him drop me.

"You think you're so smart, huh?!" Chase yelled. "You think you're so good that you can just move here and mess everything up?! WELL YOU CAN'T!"

Tears began to well up in my eyes as my body got weak. I closed my blue orbs until a fist drove itself into my stomach and knocked all of the remaining air out of me. My eyes shot open and the tears escaped, cascading down my cheeks.

"Hey!" A familiar voice called out.

By then, blackness had consumed all of my vision even though my eyes were open. I heard a fist come into contact with a body and half expected to feel more excruciating pain until the hand released me. I collapsed to the floor, coughing. My vision came back as I held myself up on all fours, eyes focused on the floor. I winced when I heard bones crack and a spitting noise. I felt my chest tighten up and more tears spill over my cheeks.

My body began to shake as sobs echoed through the halls. Were they...mine?

"Break it up!" The same voice yelled. "Get out of here, you sick bastards!"

A hand rested on my back, but I knew I could trust it. It lead me into a pair of arms and as soon as I buried my face into the person's chest, wailing, I knew who had saved me.

Connor.

"Shh, it's okay, Aus," he whispered into my ear as his hands stroked my hair and brought me to sit in his lap. "Everything's alright..I'm here. I'm always gonna be here."