Safe

-50- The Devil Smacks

Hannah "Birdie" Morrison

I meet Holt outside school in the morning even though it's freezing. My dad warned me that the article might not go over well at school and to keep an eye out for Holt's sake. He gives me a small smile as he nears, his cheeks rosy from the cold and together we mix into the mass of bodies trying to enter the building.

"So how was ball with your dad?" I ask Holt, hoping to keep his mind focused on me rather than the tight corridors we're currently in. "Is he good?"

He nods his head.

"We should get our dad's together and do like a dad's versus kids. I'd bet we'd smoke them."

We turn into one of the hallways, slightly less crowded than the main one we left. Holt's tense and on edge.

"I bet no one's even going to-." I don't get to finish my thought because the only living soul that would ever dream of calling out someone they don't know appears in front of us.

"Hey...what's your name again?"

I almost roll my eyes. My encounters with Sydney are small on purpose but I know all about her and her mean girl act.

"Birdie." I tell her trying my hardest to keep the annoyance from my voice.

"Mmm, that's right." Her eyes shift to Holt, a devilish smile on her face. "So you must be the guy everyone's talking about then."

I'm watching Holt, his head is down, his fists clenched tight around the straps of his backpack.

"I don't mean to be rude but we need to get to class." I say, stepping closer to Holt because I know as soon as I do he'll step away from me.

"Juvy huh?" Sydney says. "You don't look like you'd last a day in detention let alone juvy."

"Alright well we're just going to-."

"You're cute though." She ignores me, tossing her hair over her shoulder and I step toward Holt again in hopes we can maybe sneak past her while she's busy putting on a show. "I could make you popular."

But Sydney shifts with us, raising her hand toward Holt like she's about to wrap her claws around his arm and alarm sounds within me but I can't for the life of me figure out how to stop it. I can tell Holt is barely hanging on and Sydney touching him will surely send him panicking.

It's like the world around me slows down for a fraction as I watch her hand inch closer and I hear the breath that Holt sucks in and just as I think there's nothing that could possible save the situation a hand intercepts Sydney's.

"He'll pass." Drew smirks as Sydney wrenches her hand from his.

"Fuck you Drew." She barks.

He throws his arm over my shoulder, his fist out toward Holt, holding it there even though it takes Holt longer than normal to respond.

"Yeah I'll have to pass too." Drew tells her. "I'm not into slumming it. But you know who I bet would definitely say yes?" And without batting an eye he shouts "Hey Kenny! Sydney wants to fuck your brains man!"

The hallway erupts in chaos but the sound of skin smacking skin pierces through the noise and I look over at Drew who's head is turned toward me, his cheek already growing red and angry.

"You prick!" Sydney screams.

I look past Drew, surprised to see Holt still standing there.

"Yeah, yeah." Drew dismisses her. "Get over it."

And then he pulls me with him as he turns.

"You good man?" He asks Holt. All Holt manages is a shake of his head. "You will be, just breathe."

I'm amazed at what just unfolded, a little shocked that it happened, that I'm still standing.

"I can't believe she hit you." I blurt.

"Wouldn't be the first time." Drew muses. "Probably won't be the last."

Pulling him to a stop, I carefully grab his face and turn his head to inspect the perfect handprint spread across his cheek.

"It's fine, Birdie, don't worry about it." He tells me. "I told you I'm like a pro at being bitch slapped by Sydney."

I glance at Holt, every time we stop, he stops and I'm glad.

"You should at least get some ice." I suggest. "Come on, my dad will have something."

I start off but I'm instantly stopped.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Drew's laughing. "Slow down there nurse Birdie." My hand is in his, his blue eyes bright as he smiles down at me. "Let's make sure Holt gets to class incident free and then I promise, I'll get some ice. Deal?"

I feel my cheeks burn, my skin tingling where his hand is on mine and I remind myself that although Drew is actually quite awesome, he is just a friend. Besides he doesn't do girlfriends anyway.

Pulling my hand from his, I roll my eyes to hide the fact that even though we will only ever be friends, he still has the ability to charm me without trying. It's like he can't help it.

"Fine." So I decide to focus on Holt. "You okay?"

"Who was that?" It's the first thing he's said today and I smile.

"The devil." Drew says as I say "Sydney."

I shoot him a glare, even if she is he should probably refrain from saying it alas get smacked again.

"Listen man, everyone's gonna forget about the article in a few days, trust me." Drew says.

"How do you know?" Holt asks quietly.

I'm just as curious. Drew seems confident in his words.

"Yeah how do you know?" I press.

He shrugs his shoulders, "Owen's coming back."

My eyes widen at the information. Gaping at Drew but he's sharing a look I don't understand with Holt.

"When?"

"Start of next week." Drew answers.

"Wow. Honestly I didn't really think he'd be coming back." I confess.

Drew looks down at the floor, his shoulders sagging a little and I'm thrown off. He looks upset maybe but I must be wrong. Owen and Drew are best friends, Drew has to be happy that Owen will be back.

"Yeah, me neither."

                           ————————

I know I just said this but what!? 50!