You're My Sol

Chapter 26

Trigger warning: Minimal violence, homophobic slur

* * *

For the rest of the weekend, I tried to hide my black eye from my parents, to no avail.

"What happened to you?" My mom asked the next morning.

"Oh, I... uh," I stumbled over my words.

"She fell down the stairs last night and face planted on the railing. She's just embarassed," Andrew said, chuckling. "It was pretty funny."

I silently thanked him for covering for me.

"Andrew!" I said, fake annoyed.

"Penelope, you have to be more careful!" My mom said.

I nodded. "I'll won't run down the stairs next time."

My mom nodded. "Good."

I sighed in relief, grateful they believed the lie.

* * *

The next day, Andrew and I walked into school together. My heart was pounding. Did Jake tell everyone? Would he try to hurt us again?

People's stares followed me throughout the hallways. My classmates whispered wherever I went. I heard fragments of sentences, most including the word "lesbian" and "black eye."

I suddenly became self-concious of my face. What did they think happened?

I tried not to let it get to me. I was too busy looking for Marisol. I didn't want her to deal with this alone.

As I walked through the hallways with Andrew, I spotted a crowd forming. It was farther ahead. Shouts came flying towards my ears and people chanted. I pushed through the students, dread pooling in my stomach.

"Get away from me!" Someone screamed.

My heart dropped. I recognised that scream. Marisol.

I shoved everyone out of the way in a blind panic, running towards the center of the crowd. Andrew followed behind me.

I stopped short when I saw it. Marisol was shoved up against a wall, unable to move. Jake was leaning over her, holding her wrists.

"I'm gonna kill you, bitch," he said quietly.

Most people didn't hear him, but I did. Silent tears leaked out of Marisol's eyes.

"Please," she sobbed. "Get away!"

I stepped forward. Before I could do anything, Andrew was there in a flash.

He ripped Jake away from Marisol, whipping him around.

"Wh--" Jake started, but was cut off by Andrew's fist cracking against his jaw.

The crowd gasped and cheered as Jake staggered back.

He got his grounding and looked up at Andrew. After his initial shock wore off, Jake ran forward, slamming my brother against a locker.

I dashed to Marisol, trying to drag her away from the fight.

Andrew shoved Jake back, punching him again.

"Fight! Fight! Fight!" The crowd chanted.

"Are you okay!" I yelled over the crowd. Marisol nodded, but her eyes told a different story.

I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her away from the boys. I bit my lip, looking back to the fight.

Jake was on the ground, Andrew kicking him. Not for long, though. Jake sprung up and punched him, catching Andrew off guard. He stumbled back and Jake used it to his advantage.

The crowd was still chanting. Marisol was trembling beside me.

My head pounded. I could barely breathe.

"Stop it!" I screamed.

No one could hear me.

Jake punched Andrew in the gut, causing him to reel in pain. I screamed out.

Half of the students watching cheered. It seemed that the audience was taking sides.

Marisol gripped me tighter. "It's okay," I whispered in her ear. I wasn't sure if it was, though.

Jake pulled his head down, kneeing Andrew in the face. Fear spiked through my heart. Andrew pulled away with a bloody nose.

"Stop fighting!" I yelled, but nobody paid any attention to me.

Andrew wobbled for a second. Jake used this to go for another punch, but Andrew ducked out of the way. He twisted Jake's arm, pulling him back.

"Fight! Fight! Fight!" Screamed the crowd.

"Stop!" I yelled, just as the crowd went silent. The boys stopped fighting, their eyes snapping to the person who parted the crowd.

The principal.

"What in God's name is going on here?!" Principal Williams exclaimed.

Jake staggered back from Andrew. "He started it," he said. While technically true, it made my blood boil.

"I don't care. The two of you, to my office. Now!" She yelled. Jake and Andrew walked through the crowd and towards the principal's office.

Principal Williams looked towards me and Marisol. Her face softened. "I think you two should come too."

I nodded, still holding Marisol. What she needed right now was comfort. She had just gone through something terrifying. I had to be there for her.

We walked through the crowd silently, Marisol looking at the ground. I glared at anyone who dared make a comment.

We trailed after the boys and the principal, finally making into the office. Andrew was given a box of tissues for his bloody nose. He probably should have been in the nurse's office.

Principal Williams sat behind her desk. She gestured at the seats in front of her.

We all slowly sat down. We looked over at each other, bewildered at the situation. How did it come to this?

Principal Williams cleared her throat. "You two got into a fight at school. I've also heard some things about these two girls. It seems the incidents are connected. Care to explain?" She said, turning to Jake and Andrew.

Marisol and I were bright red. What had she heard about us?

Andrew coughed. "Well, Principal Williams. It's pretty simple. Jake assaulted my sister last weekend. Then he threatened Marisol. So I beat him up."

"Why are you making me out to be the bad guy! You started it!" He screamed.

Andrew fumed. "You are the bad guy! I'm just defending my sister and her g--I mean friend."

Jake rolled his eyes. "Yeah. Her 'friend.' More like her whore."

"Jake, we do not insult other people--" Principal Williams started.

"They're dykes. They deserve it," Jake scoffed.

"Jake Peters! We do not tolerate hateful language in this school!" Principal Williams shouted.

"C'mon. No need to be so PC. They're just gross. Besides, Marisol dumped me for that bitch. So it's reasonable I'm mad," he said calmly. It was terrifying how he could present something so awful as a normal thing.

Principal Williams was undeterred, thankfully. "I do not care what they did to you. You should not have assaulted Penelope, you shouldn't have threatened Marisol, and you definitely should not have gotten into a fight with Andrew."

She turned to my brother. "As for you, I understand you were defending Penelope and Marisol, but fighting is unacceptable--"

"What was I supposed to do, let him assault her?" Andrew yelled.

Principal Williams shook her head. "You should have gotten an adult. We do not tolerate violence in any form." She turned to me and Marisol. "Do you girls have anything to say."

I looked to Marisol, who was still shaking a little. I stared Principal Williams straight in the eye. "I think Andrew should have beat his ass."