Hell-Borne

He Thou Shall Not Be Provoked

Ace had stormed down the hall, his fists covered in blood. His smoldering blue eyes blazing with pure anger.

He never felt like that about a girl.

But this girl was feisty, reserved, Lyric was like a little firecracker that gave Ace life.

She motivated him to do only the best.

It was a love hate relationship.

Now she's lost her brother. Her aunt had been shot, her father is a gang leader, and her one and only best friend had betrayed her.

He could actually talk to her.

But when Max had said something slick, Ace had lost it. Chantelle glares at him.

"What the hell?!" She snaps.

"Do I not exist?"

"Not to me you do." Ace said.

"You're still defending her?!" Chantelle yells.

"She's a crazy bitch!" Chantelle yells.

"Chantelle, do me a favor and fuck off." Ace said as he kept walking past her.

Chantelle stomps her foot angrily then she storms off the opposite direction of Ace.

----------------------------------------------------------

Lyric sat in the chair next to Naomi, Ember had stood up behind her.

"We don't wanna be here too long." Ember suggests.

"I'm not." Lyric says, tucking a strand of Naomi's hair behind her ear.

"But she's my only family I have left."

"So I want her to know that I'm here for here, no matter what." Lyric says.

"Well, we should get going..." Ember says sadly.

Lyric frowns, letting go of Naomi's hand.

Lyric puts a bouquet of roses into the vase next to Naomi then she plants a small kiss on her forehead.

"Let's go back home." Lyric says.

"Yeah, the Red Cobras are trying to track us." Ember says.

Lyric adjusts her jacket.

"I'll have to talk to Omar." Lyric says.

"He's going to, he wanted to talk to you about something." Ember says.

"About?"

"Hell if I know." Ember says.

"I appreciate you taking up for me. But don't ever do that again." Ember says.

"You're one of my good friends, I'll do it again if I had to." Lyric said.

Ember rolls her eyes. "But you're forgetting that I've been on the streets-"

"What difference does it make?" Lyric asks.

"Simple. My childhood died a long time ago."

"So did mine."

"I was a ho ho ho." Ember says.

"Ember, you only did those things to get by." Lyric said.

"You deserve the truth outta me, I'm not the most educated."

"Ember, you're the only friend I got. Like you would say, who gives a shit?"

"Fine." Ember sighs.

"We should go before Omar gets on our asses again." Ember says. Lyric nods then she follows her out the door.

----------------------------------------------------------

Ace sat in the principal's office, a man glares at him.

"Nice to see you again."

"You too, am I expelled? Suspended?"

"I can't expel you. You're one of the smartest."

"Well I'm flattered."

"But you need to raise your GPA in order to graduate." The principal says.

"I'm dropping out." Ace says.

The principal frowns. "Are you sure?"

"After I get my results from the exams, I plan to drop out."

"We'll talk about this another time." The principal says.

"Since Max was instagating the fight, I will leave you off with a warning."

"So you go ahead and behave." He says.

Ace walks out. Nathan walks up to him quickly.

"Have you checked on Lyric?" He asks.

"She's fine...but she just needs space."

Nathan looks at him. "It's nearly Christmas, I want to invite you both over."

"Are you sure? Your baby mama will be there."

Nathan rolls his eyes. "She's going to see her Mom in Georgia for the weekend."

"Without you?"

"Mom wanted to spend Christmas with me, and Nadine was mad because I was still in contact with Lyric."

"She's just gonna have to suck it up and deal with it because Lyric is your cousin."

"Just because she's preggers with my kid, she's not about to control who I can and can't talk to."

"But...after what's happened, I don't think she'll want to celebrate anything."

"I'll talk to her. It's Christmas, she shouldn't spend it alone." Ace says, crossing his arms.

"Colette would bug me if I didn't bring her."

"Well I gotta go." Ace says.

Nathan nods. "I have to take care of Nadie, since she's starting to show."

"Congrats."

"Thanks man." Nathan says.

They shake hands then they go their separate ways.

Ace had the choice to leave Lyric alone, but he couldn't and neither could she.

He found her amazing.

Free.

Lyric was strong, despite her own pain and issues, she's more worried about someone else's than her own.

She's reckless about her own well being.

A workaholic.

Ace could see the fight in Lyric. The fire in her eyes. How passionate she was with his cousins. He was quite surprised when Lyric told him that she didn't really want kids of her own.

Lyric was humble, she was one of many to look Ace in his eyes.

He loved that. Lyric had never gotten the courage to perform eye contact, in fact she hated it.

Ace considers Lyric a firecracker.

No, he considers her fire.

He could see the fire in her eyes.

Ace was addicted to looking at her beautiful face.

She had flaws. She had a big mouth, she was stubborn, reckless, she would throw her own life in a heartbeat just to save someone, she had a bad temper. She was insecure and timid most of the time.

When she gets jealous...it's rare. She'd give that person the silent treatment if she knows what they're up to.

Ace had loved it.

Because Lyric only wants to help Ace. And since Ace was still dealing with the death of Adessa, she's willing to be patient.

But now...her father has gotten a hold of her.

I should see her. She is my girlfriend after all.

Ace loved saying that, she was his. And he was hers.

No matter what anyone says.

Ace walks to the cafeteria, texting Lyric.