Divided

:Chapter Twenty-One:

*****

Though I don't remember falling asleep, I know I did. I don't wake up until 7:27, which means I missed breakfast. This day sure it's off to a crappy start. I throw myself off my bed and sprint out of my cabin and down the trail to the yard just as everyone is walking in. I spot Nick and slow down to a walk on his left.

"Lib are you okay? I didn't see you at breakfast." He says looking at me concerned. My stomach hurts, but there's nothing I can do about it.

"Yeah, I just overslept." I say panting.

Someone puts a hand on my shoulder as we walk, but I don't look at who. Since we've reached the yard, I don't block anyone's path so I freeze. I grab the hand on my shoulder and jerk it to the side, flipping the culprit on his back. Derrick moans and lifts a hand to his back as he sits up. Nick steps between me and Derrick while he stands. In any normal situation I would not like somebody else fighting my battles for me, but these circumstances are so horrid and twisted I can't afford not to.

My breath shakes and my shoulders sink in. Stand tall you idiot! I tell myself in my mind but it doesn't help. When you've beaten someone down enough, not much can motivate them to pretend they're strong. There's just no use in it now.

"Would you look at that, Lib's getting feisty!" Derrick taunts while he stands.

"Back off you coward." Nick hiss at him, putting a hand behind him to keep me in place.

"Who's this Lib? Your bodyguard?" Derrick laughs looking around Nick to catch my eye. I stare blankly at the ground.

"If you take one more step I'll beat you so bad not even your own mother well recognize you. I doubt she would even want to if she knew the kind of person you turned out to be." Nick spits and Derrick's eyes go cold.

He throws himself at Nick while he pushes me away. I fall backwards, hitting the ground hard and watching them. Nick grabs Derrick by the neck and forces him to the ground, then crawls on top of him and hits him in the Adam's apple. Derrick coughs loudly and punches Nick in the jaw, throwing him off balance. He falls to the side and grabs his mouth with his hand, coming back bright red. Blood. I think as he pulls back his hand that's now coated in red. Someone gives me their hand to help me up and I take it before realizing that it belongs to Matthew. His eyes search mine for a second, than he walks over to the fight calmly and steps lightly on Derrick's neck so that he doesn't move.

"You can't do this here. Not while I'm watching. It makes me look bad." Matthew says looking at Nick as he stands up. "And you. You've gone through more warnings than anyone deserves, let alone somebody of your kind. If you bother her again, even so much as take a step to close in her direction, you will resume this fight, but with me and my gun." Matthew spits at him, stepping on his throat hard and then releasing him. Derrick wheezes and coughs as he pulls himself up and runs over to his side of the yard, where the rest of his group has already started. Nick walks over to me and half smiles.

"Your lip..." I say quietly.

"I'm fine." Nick says turning back to face Matthew, who looks a little jealous. He walks over to us and reaches a hand out to touch my shoulder, and I flinch. He pulls back watching me sadly.

"Are you okay?" He asks in a low voice. I look into his eyes, searching for something, but I don't know what.

"Um, yeah. Yeah, I'll be fine." I finally manage to get out. Matthew gives me a troubled look.

"Lib if you're scared of me, you have to know that I would never do anything to hurt you..." He says leaning his head in a little. Part of me wants to kiss him and part of me wants to smack him. Guess which part is stronger.