𝐚𝐭𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐜 • 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐛𝐲 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐤

seven

The weekend was a long one. I had to apologize to Hero, I felt about a thousand times, for leaving the party on my own. And to be fair, I had put so much fight into the one I had with Colby that I didn't have anything left for Hero - so I just kept on saying 'sorry's and 'I won't do it again's.

I hadn't told him about the whole scene with Colby. God knows what Hero would do - and Tyler once Hero had told him. And though I knew Hero and Tyler were tough guys, they had barely anything on Colby if he was capable of breaking Liam's nose. Liam had literally been taking self defense classes from the age of six all the way until last year. Of course I didn't  for sure know who would win, but I definitely did not want to find out.

Right now, I was in Hero's car, on our way to school. I was dreading first period - math, with Colby. I had no idea what was going to happen. Maybe he would ignore me. Maybe he'd cause a scene. Maybe he'd plotted my murder out already, waiting for a chance to get through with it.

"What are you so anxious for?" Hero asked, looking over at my bouncing leg.

"Oh," I chuckled. "Nothing. I have a big math test later."

"Let me guess, you didn't study for it and that's why you're nervous?" he grinned.

"Yeah," I lied through my teeth. We only had to do homework for math today, there was no test. "Exactly."

He shrugged. "Man, don't worry about it too much. You'll make up for it, I know you."

I nodded. "Yeah, I will."

Hero parked the car and I climbed out of the truck, waving at him. "See you at lunch."

"Yeah, def, it's pasta pesto by the way!" he laughed.

"Hallelujah," I chuckled, before slamming the car door shut and making my way into the building.

First period on Monday meant math. Math meant I'd have to deal with Brock. I made my way over to Emilia's locker but she wasn't there. I frowned and looked across the hallway, I walked over to Jenny.

"Hey girl," she smiled at me. "What's up?"

"Hey, do you know where Emilia is? She should've been here by now," I asked.

"Oh! She's sick at home, the doctor said she's got the flu," she replied, pulling a painful face at the mention of the flu.

"Oh, poor girl," I answered. "Well, I hope she gets better soon."

"Yeah, me too," she chuckled. "Well, I'll see you around, I have to get going."

I smiled. "I'll see you around."

As I watched Jenny walk off, I let out a sigh. If Emilia wasn't here, it meant I'd have to go into math alone.

I'd have to face Colby Brock alone.

I readjusted my backpack over my shoulder and headed towards the classroom I needed to be in, the bell ringing just as I walked through the doorway.

"Ah, you're early," Mr. Williams spoke up ad he saw me enter. "I need to talk to you."

"Oh?" I replied as I set my backpack down on my desk. "What about?"

"So, I've been talking to some of your previous teachers and your math teacher from last year told me you're really good at math," he explained.

"Yes?" I urged him to proceed, but I already knew what was coming.

He stepped a little closer to my desk as students were now piling into the room. "Would you mind helping out Colby Brock with his work? Of course I would give you extra credit - if he passes, that is."

I chuckled, shaking my head slightly. "I'm sorry, Mr. Williams, but I'm pretty sure Colby hates my guts and if I'm honest... I'm not too fond of him either."

"Oh," he said. I could almost see the cog wheels turning in his head. "I might need to have a word with him then. Anyways, if you change your mind, let me know."

"Will do," I nodded and sat down, and just then Colby walked in.

I don't know what I was expecting, really. Maybe I thought he'd come lunging at me as soon as he saw me, or that he'd at least give me such a masty look I'd probably die from the bullets from him eyes. But he did neither, he didn't even do so much as look at me as he sat down in his seat in front of me.

It almost felt wrong that I received no reaction from him at all. At lunch, I realized why he had been so quiet, and not focused on me at all.

"Colby did that?" I asked Liam as I shoved one of my cherry tomatoes into my mouth. I was starving.

Liam took the ice away from his forming black eye, sighing as he looked up at me. "Well, yeah, I didn't do it myself."

I raised my eyebrow, ignoring his attempt at being witty. It really did explain why he hadn't had any energy for me. "Shit, man. What did you do?"

"The usual," Hero rolled his eyes. "Though that motherfucker shouldn't have punched him in the face like that. Maybe it's time we do something, man, this is the second time he's punched Liam in the face."

Tyler looked at him as if he was actually thinking about it, and that was what worried me. I hadn't forgotten about Colby's threats towards my friends from Friday.

"Absolutely not," I pointed at Hero, and then at Tyler. "You guys are not picking fights. If I do so much as hear about the possibility of a fight, I will end you two before you have the chance. If Liam did 'the usual', he probably fucking deserved it. And no offence Liam, but you really need to learn when to shut up."

"Hey!" Liam pouted.

"Jeez," Hero said at the same time, putting his hands up in defense. "Fine. But he does need to back down."

Tyler nodded. "Yeah, it's getting out of hand. Though she's right, Liam. If you'd just shut up about the whole thing and never talk about it again, we wouldn't even have to talk about this."

"What thing?" I asked, but they ignored me.

Liam rolled his eyes at Tyler's words. "You guys are a bunch of fucking pussies, taking orders from Arabella."

"Watch your mouth, pal," I hissed at him. "I don't care for how long my brother's known you, I will have you kicked out of the football team."

Liam's eyes darted to Hero in a panicked rush. "Y'all wouldn't do that, right?"

Hero shrugged, grinning. "Maybe I'll just be a pussy taking orders from Arabella in that moment."

"You're a bunch of dicks," Liam sighed. "But fine, I'll stop bringing it up."