Belonging to the Bad Boy

Chapter 2

The rest of the morning flowed smoothly, nothing even close to interesting happening to me again. I have my head in my locker, digging through the mess of books and clothing items to find my lunch as the bell had just rang. I finally felt the paper bag in the back of my locker, clasping my hand around it when a loud thud emanated from the locker beside me. I gasp loudly, almost choking on the breath and hit my head on the top of the locker, groaning in pain. I pull myself out of the locker, my lunch no longer in view only to hear Damon laughing loudly next to me.

"Alex, oh my gosh!" These are the only words Damon can struggle out through his laughter. He holds his stomach in pain as I respectively hold my head in pain.

"Thank you," I comment sarcastically, rubbing the small bump forming on my head. I reach back into my locker and thankfully find my lunch quickly, closing my locker as Damon's laughter subsides.

"Come on, you're taking forever," he complains, already beginning to walk to the exit of the building. I roll my eyes, feeling a headache coming on from the bump and the anticipation of the questioning I'm about to receive. I follow him out of the building and around the side of the school, eventually climbing the bleachers to the midsection and setting my lunch down beside me. I pull out an apple and look out to the field. All sorts of sports were being trained for, but the schools most noticeable sport was football.

Now holding a sandwich and taking a large bite, Damon nudges my shoulder and raises his eyebrows at me, snapping me out of my thoughtless daze with expectation for answers. "I told you everything, and nothing else happened," I huff, not wanting to think about it.

"Oh, come on, Alex! You came out unscathed from an encounter with Ranger! No one has before, so you can't tell me nothing happened!" I roll my eyes for what seems like the hundredth time at my best friend, wondering where his friend group were.

"It was strange. He sent his sidekick away and spoke quietly but condescendingly. That's about it, Damon. I really can't tell you anymore because I don't fully understand myself."

Damon sat quietly, chewing the last piece of his sandwich with an unsatisfied scowl on his face. I take a bite of my apple, returning to staring at the sports field with an absent-mind. As if on que, Ranger and his two goons run into the middle of the football field, their uniform clinging to them from sweat. They were among the best players on the team, with Ranger being team captain. Damon and I, as if in sync, tense, feeling the tension building rapidly. From my seat I felt Ranger's emerald eyes pierce mine, my heart racing as the gaze never broke.

"Dude," Damon mumbles, gently nudging my thigh with his elbow. I simply gulp in response, my whole body stiff in fear. Ranger's friends were talking with the coach. Ranger held power over me, I could feel it. I had no control over myself, I was stuck; Ranger, with a mission to make things worse, removes his shirt, never breaking eye contact.

Suddenly, I am snapped out of my daze by a violent shake. I blink rapidly, trying to control my heart rate as I turn to face Damon again, worry obvious in his eyes. "Shall we go?" He asked, his tone low and concerning. I nod meekishly and begin to pack my things. Damon stands and begins to walk away, and I begin to follow. I felt compelled to look back at Ranger, with no reason behind this feeling, and as I do I see the anger festering in his eyes and body. His gaze was cold and his shoulders tense, with his fists clenched tightly around his shirt. I shiver, tearing my eyes away from his and hastily following Damon back into the school corridors.

"I don't know what you're not telling me, or what you haven't noticed yourself, but there is definitely unfinished business between you and Ranger, Alex." I stay silent, eyes trained on the ground as he leads me to my locker. Unfinished business. Business I wanted no part of. I had tried my whole High School life to remain invisible, yet here I am, the target of a boy who I didn't even know knew my name. "I'll see you after school, okay? I'll give you a ride to your dads garage." Damon left, heading to his next class, presumably to meet some friends before teaching resumed.

I stood silently at my locker. The door was open and I had began sorting through my things, swapping my lunch out for my afternoon classes. I had began to regain my composure, my heart rate slowing and my mind blocking out all thoughts of Ranger. Once again there was a loud thud next to my locker, causing me to hit the front of my head on the door. Now anger coursed, rather than fear. "This is the second time today!" I yell as I slam my locker door closed, freezing before anymore words could slip by my lips.

"It really is not, but I'm flattered to know you've been thinking about me," said a voice that was certainly not Damon's. His green eyes bore deep into mine, my heart freezing this time. So, not the second time Damon has scared me, but the second time I have done something stupid in response to Ranger.

"Oh, I'm sorry," I mumble, instantly darting my eyes to the ground. My face flushes red and I begin to chew on my lower lip.

My anxiety is only heightened when a strong hand grips my chin, forcing me to look up at the terrifying boy towering over me. "I'm talking to you," his voice grumbles, and an incomprehensible emotion flashes through his eyes once again before returning to normal. "Look at me when we're talking."

I had no idea how to respond, any form of confrontation in my being disappearing as our eyes met once more. A frown forms on Ranger's lips as his eyes flit over my face. His hand moves from my chin to my forehead, his thumb gently brushing my skin. Only then do I wince, feeling the pain raise. Ranger pulls his thumb back, inspecting it briefly. "You're bleeding," he grumbles, using the waistband of his shirt to wipe the rest of the blood away from my head.

I take in a sharp breath, retreating from his hand this time. I see it this time, it's hurt that flashes through his eyes and all emotion suddenly becomes void and his face returns blank. "Whatever, beat it." Ranger's voice was cold, and I immediately obeyed, scrambling away to my next class which I was definitely late for. I just hoped that this day did not get any worse.