Behind the Bad Boy

2.

They cancelled my softball game tonight because there is supposed to be bad winds. Sure, I'm bummed, but I'll get over it. It's Friday anyways. I'll just go to the beach.

I'm heading to seventh period, and when I turn down the hall that my class is in, I see a crowd surrounding the lockers.

People are crying out for someone to stop.

Frowning, I shove my way through the crowd and I see Mason beating the daylights out of Cole, the quarterback.

As I said earlier, everyone fears him, even the jock of the school.

Nobody has the balls to stand up to him.

"Stop!" I join the yelling. He completely ignores everyone. Cole falls unconscious, unable to defend himself. I drop my backpack. He's beating Cole's lifeless body.

I take a deep breath and shoot forward, grabbing the back of Mason's shirt, I yank, hard.

I guess swinging a bat and running around bases my whole life has taken a toll on my muscles, because Mason jerks back when I pull him, tripping over Cole's backpack. He falls on his ass.

The screaming stops and everyone gapes at me.

"Melody, are you insane?" Francesca May asks.

Mason stands up. I'm only five three, while he's easily six foot.

"Who the fuck do you think you are?" he snarls, taking a step closer to me.

I don't even flinch. I glare right into those night blue eyes with confidence.

"Who the fuck do you think you are?" I snap. "You knocked him unconscious."

"This doesn't concern you, Mindy." He hisses, taking a step closer to me.

I put my left hand on his chest and push him back. "It's Melody, Adams." I snap. He narrows his eyes to slits.

"Okay Minty." He says.

I narrow my eyes back at him.

"Now let me finish my job." His voice is deep and threatening.

"I think your job is done." I snap.

"I don't think that's your decision." He snaps.

"Well I think I've made it anyways. Now make yourself useful and carry Cole to the nurse."

"Bitch, I'm not carrying him." he snaps.

I hear a groan on the ground and both of us look down.

"Oh look, he's conscious. Looks like I'm not done after all." He takes a step close to him, but I block the way, crossing my arms stubbornly.

"What is going on here? All of you are late to class!" Principal Jackson screeches in her nasally voice. People make way for her.

She looks at me, and then at Cole, and then at Mason.

"You three." She seethes. "My office. Now."

"Whoa, wait up!" Megan, the girl from this morning says. "Melody didn't even do anything. She stopped Mason from killing Cole." She defends. The crowd murmurs in agreement.

"Fine. Mason, pick up Cole. Miss Jane and everyone else, get to class!"

Mason shoots me a deathly glare. I ignore him and pick up my bag. Cole's half-conscious eyes follow me as I walk away from the crowd and into my Economics class.

________________

"Melody?" Mom calls right when I open the front door. We have a screen door, and then we have the wooden front door, and the screen door creaks so it's impossible to open it without being noticed unless the TV is on.