Bully's Proposal

I

"Jake, I'm sorry I chose you." I said as soon as the class ended.

"What? Why?" He asked.

"Ashton, your friendship with him." I said like it was something very obvious.

"Ash will get over it. There's a lot you don't know. Plus I have watched everything from the sidelines for too long." Jake said and he sounded so disappointed in himslef.

"Hey, you've always helped me the best you can." I smiled at him.

"That's not true. All those times I could have stopped him you know, but I didn't. I didn't because I owe Ashton my life but I can't see you suffer anymore. I'm going to make him see the error of his ways." Jake promised.

"You can't change Ashton. He hates me and that's never changing."

"You couldn't more wrong." Jake smiled and I decided not to pursue that line of thought. Jake and I walked out of class together and went to the cafeteria. There we were greeted by a seriously angry Ashton.

"You fucking asshole." Ashton growled  and grabbed Jake by the collar of his shirt.

"Ash you're making a scene." Jake said calmly.

It was true, everyone in the cafeteria was watching us. Ashton noticed that too and pulled Jake outside with him. I felt obligated to follow. As soon as we were outside I saw Ashton punch Jake in the stomach.

"No! Please!" I cried out and asked Ashton to stop.

"You little bitch." Ashton said and turned his anger towards me. He was livid. I could see he had lost control, I could feel the power he was radiating and I knew in that moment that this wasn't a time to mess with him.

"Ash no, it's her." Jake said and suddenly something within Ashton clicked. He was still angry but the madness to his anger was gone.

"Fuck." He muttered under his breath and punched the wall next to him.

"I--I'm sorry." I whispered.

"I have detention today because I walked out of class. If you're not there  in the 3rd floor storage room after school with me, I will crush you." Ashton warned me and then stormed away.

"You don't have to go." Jake said and I just nodded.

"Are you okay?" I asked refering to when Ashton had punched him.

"I don't know." Jake lifted his shirt a little and I could see that the right side area above the waistline was already bruising.

"Let's get some ice." I said and he nodded. We went to the nurses station  and the nurse handed me an ice pack and asked me to ice the part where he was hurt because she had to take her lunch break.

"Wait, let me take my shirt off."

Well fuck. The boy I had a crush on took his shirt off in front of me and boy did he meet my expectations. You could clearly see his abs and all the muscle he had was not a bad sight either. My hands were practically shivering when I placed the ice pack where he was hurt.

"Does it hurt?" I asked.

"A little." Jake said but it didn't show on his face. The pain looked like it was no big deal, it was a feeling I was all too familiar with, it was an expression that said I've seen worse.

"What happened to you?" I asked.

"That's a story for another time." Jake smiled and I nodded.

"I'm going to go to him after school." I said.