Tolkien University (Modern LOTR AU)

Chapter 17 ~ Discoveries

~Sam's Point of View~

Song: "To Be Human" by Sia

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Callie was explaining to Haven what New York was like in winter when someone came over to our table, two other guys with him.

I looked up at Brandon and scowled, taking a sip of water and nudged Callie's leg. She looked up from her laptop to smile at me, and that's when she saw Brandon. Her smile faded and her face went ashen.

Brandon held a hand out to her. "C'mon, Callie. I'm sorry. Let me make it up to you. Just come away from them."

I looked at her, watching her stare Brandon down. She turned to face him more, swallowing back any previous fear she had exhibited and asked with mocking anger,

"Or what? You'll hit me again?"

Brandon clenched his jaw. "I apologized for that."

"Did you? I never heard an apology from you. For any of it." She said and moved closer to me, rising up on her knees to lean into me, her arm around my shoulders. I had mine around her waist, and took note of her body language, her tight grip on me, and I realized with a start that she was protecting me. Her arms were around my neck and shoulders. At Brandon's hip was a sword. I tightened my hold around her, narrowing my eyes at the creep.

Brandon glared at us, wrinkling his nose in disgust. "I can't believe you're lowering yourself to his level, Callie. You're a Tolkien. Have some respect for yourself."

She looked up at Brandon, a look of anger I had never seen from her before spread across her face. "Come on now, Boromir. Do you really want to go there? I know how your story ends. Don't you ever insult anyone at this table, or attack anyone at this table, or I might just have to grab a pen and paper, yeah? You were controlling, and even took me to bed twice when I didn't want to. You never once respected me. You just wanted what I could give you. Now get out of my face before I decide I'm tired of Boromir of Gondor's role in this school."

Silence. I tightened my hold on her, my anger and hatred growing towards Brandon by the minute. He had done more than just act controlling- far more. And he had gone far enough. He had put his hands on her when she didn't want them there. He'd pay for that. For everything. And more.

The whole cafeteria was staring at our booth in stunned silence. I tightened my hold on Callie's shirt. Haven and Imara were staring at her in shock.

She had outed him for everything in front of the whole school. And threatened his life.

Brandon glared at her and slammed his fist on the table and she jumped, her whole body going rigid against me. I tightened my arm around her and glared in hatred at him. "You're pathetic, Callie, thinking you can threaten me! You're taking the side of these villains- these monsters!- and you-"

"That's enough." I snarled and stood up, moving Callie behind me protectively and got in Brandon's face. I shoved him back from the table and he stumbled, his friends coming up behind him. Imara stood to join me, her gray eyes narrowed down at him as the two of us challenged the three of them.

"You don't think you've caused enough pain to the people at this table already? If anyone in this school is pathetic, it's the man who takes what he wants from women, with or without consent and raises his hand to do harm. You are disgusting, and I'm almost eager to get back to our world, just to watch you die as your story ends. To watch you die a coward, betraying all your friends."