Nothing But Trouble

27/colton f*cking sanders

chapter 27: colton f*cking sanders
blake ren

        Jude was right. I made bank as Kyle's math tutor. We agreed to meet in the library after school for an hour Monday-Wednesday-Friday and then during lunch Tuesday-Thursday so we could work on the homework together where I was on-hand if he needed help with a problem. Which was weird for me because I never did my homework. I mostly passed on just my test grades alone— and cheating but we already knew that.

        It's starting to make me wonder what my grade would like in this class if I didn't have zeros for all my homework assignments, if I had just done them. I'd might actually have an A in that class. I only ever have a chance at getting A's in my electives, not my core classes. And it's not like I ever gave a shit. I didn't care about college. I knew I'd never be able to go. I was going to graduate high school and that'd be it.

        But that conversation didn't matter right now, because Kyle Hunter likes to pay upfront. That's what mattered to me right now. The thick white envelope weighing my bag down like a gold brick is what mattered. Four hours of work put more money in my pocket than twenty hours of working at the diner. The dollar slot machine was rolling and I hit jackpot, baby.

        Kyle and I had just finished our final session of the week and we're walking out to the student parking lot to go home for Thanksgiving Break. We furrowed our brows at each other in confusion when we got closer to the double doors, hearing loud voices and commotion from the outside. I rushed ahead of Kyle but he was close behind me as we went outside, finding a large sudden gathering of students with their phones out recording a fight happening.

        I got a fast rush of excitement and ran towards them to see the fight, ignoring Kyle's quick call of objection. I squeezed in between people until I could see who it was and felt every nerve in my body that was once alight with excitement shrivel with dread. Kyle tried to pull me back from the edge.

        Easton was bloody and unconscious as a beaten Reese sobbed uncontrollably over his body, his mouth sputtering red liquid onto the ground. There was still a fight going on. I desperately elbowed my way to the front and saw Lucas, unlike I had ever seen him, ripping his fist through the air over and over as he mauled somebody's face into the asphalt. It was horrifying and had me on the verge of vomiting, the sight was so appalling. I could barely recognize the face of the person he had pinned beneath him but fuck if I didn't know who always wore their stupid #1 varsity jacket.

Colton Fucking Sanders.

"Blake stop!" I ignored Kyle and aggressively pushed people away until I was able to make it to Easton and Reese. I didn't know what I was doing but I knew I needed to get them out of here as fast as possible.

"Help me pick him up!" I shouted at Reese, not giving him any time to process that I was here and attempting to lift Easton up with my arms under his armpits. The metallic scent of blood tainted the air like a diseased stench. Easton's face had cuts and bruises that made my stomach churn and tears well up in my eyes. I choked the tears back down and Reese had helped me move Easton out of the circle of people.

"You have to call an ambulance!" Reese cried as I put Easton in the backseat of his van.

"I'm sorry Reese but I can't," I told him as I got out my phone to call Riley. She picked up on the second ring. "Easton and Reese got into a fight with somebody I'm sending them your way right now."

"Fuck, what happened?! Bella! Take the kids to the park and go get some hot chocolate! Don't come back until I tell you to, okay?" Riley barked out her orders to her siblings as I imagine she chucked her wallet at them.