𝐚𝐭𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐜 • 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐛𝐲 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐤

fifteen

"You were gone from the party quickly," Emilia said as I met with her before school again on Monday.

I shook my head. "Not gone, just chilling in Tyler's game room upstairs. I would've asked you to come but I couldn't find you anywhere, sorry Ems."

She chuckled. "It's fine, I was having a good time. Why were you there?"

"Something happened," I replied, and saw her curious face urging me to explain. I rolled my eyes but continued anyways. "Someone tried to force himself onto me but he got his ass beat before he could."

Her face fell a little. "What? Who?"

"Jackson. The guy from the football team," I replied.

"Previously on the football team," I heard Tyler's familiar voice ring through my head. "Your dear brother spoke to coach and kicked him out."

Emilia scoffed. "He better did or I would've had to make sure his pathetic ass could never run again."

I giggled at her protective words and shook my head. "Don't worry, Ems. I'd be surprised if he had recovered enough to be here today already."

The bell rang, but she made no advance to walk into the classroom that we stood by. Instead, she raised her eyebrows, putting her hands on her waist. "That bad? Who lashed out on him, Hero or Tyler?"

"Neither," Tyler snorted. "The notorious mister Brock did."

I watched her as her eyes nearly fell out of their sockets, her mouth agape. "Are you serious? Colby Brock?"

"The one and only," I heard Colby mutter as he passed us without looking our way, walking into class.

"Wait, what the fuck?" Emilia spoke, not taking her eyes off him. "Why would he do that? He doesn't even know you."

I cleared my throat. "Let's just be thankful he did what he did and move on."

"Yeah," Tyler agreed. "Besides, why does it matter if he knows her? I'd do it for any girl I don't know if I saw a guy pull shit like that."

I sniffed and nodded. "Anyways, we gotta go. And you too, Ty. See you at lunch."

"See you at lunch," he repeated back to me before walking off.

Emilia and I walked into class, sitting down in our usual seats. My mind drifted off as our math teacher babbled on about some trigonometric formula I couldn't care less for. I thought about my friends from my previous school and how none of them had been bothered to ask me how I was doing. It kind of hurt a little, knowing I considered them to be my friends, but it also made me realize how much better off I was without them. I glanced over at Emilia, who had her glasses on so she could read the blackboard and all off the teacher's squiggly handwriting. I was thankful she'd taken me in the first day I was here, having a friend of my own instead of just my brother's friends. I then shifted my vision over to the back of Colby's head in front of me. This guy, who everyone told me to steer clear of. Who everyone told me not to mess with. This guy, had beaten up a guy for me, and he was supposed the be the worst person around this school.

It left me wondering, though. Perhaps it was just because I hadn't been here for long, and I had no idea of what other shit he had done when I wasn't enrolled here yet. Maybe he just behaved fairly neutral to me because, well, who else was going to make sure he passed his math exam. Sure as Hell wouldn't be Emilia, or anyone else. Hell, I probably wouldn't have done it, had I been here for longer and known what else he did.

Despite everyone being scared of him, I had seen how girls threw themselves at him. At parties, in the halls, even at the football game, but I had yet to see him say one word to them. I mean, I didn't blame them for trying - I wasn't going to deny he was good looking and I suppose some people would be attracted to the whole 'bad boy' aura. Sometimes it made me a little sad that he just seemed to want to be alone, but then I would remember the shit he's said to me and how much I had to take from him, and I was helping him. I couldn't even begin to imagine the way he'd treat the people he had no use for.