For The Love Of A Bad Boy

XXXVII

I heard about the fight from someone in the hallway. Everyone was rushing past me on my way to class. I followed the commotion to the main hallway, where everyone was crowded around two people fighting.

I knew immediately it was Mike and Anthony.

I heard myself yelling Anthony's name. Mike's little spy, Drew, held me back so I couldn't break up the fight. Mike knew he wouldn't hit me in public.

I struggled and thrashed as hard as I could, but Drew was stronger than me.

Mike was throwing punch after punch at Anthony's face, and Anthony was just laying there. He made no attempt to fight back.

The sight was breaking my heart in two.

This was the talk Mike meant to have with Anthony. Mike said I could be there, and I was.

Mike administered blows to Anthony's head. I couldn't let the fight continue.

"Anthony, fight back!" I screamed over the shouts of the crowd.

Right away, Anthony pushed Mike off of him and slammed his body onto the floor. Anthony punched and slapped him just like Mike did to him.

I almost cried. I prayed one day I could fight Mike back, and Anthony did it for me. Mike was knocked out quickly. Anthony stopped, because he couldn't beat up someone who wasn't able to defend themselves. He was a true knight in shining armor.

The cheering ceased as Anthony stood up and quietly walked away from Mike's crumpled body. He didn't even look at me.

Drew released me. Him, along with Mike's other followers, helped Mike to his feet.

I stood there, frozen in place. Mike finally got what he deserved.

I loved Anthony with all my heart.

I raced after him. I knew where he would be. No one noticed, Mike's friends were too busy convincing him he won the fight.

I rounded the corner from the main hallway. He was standing at his locker, spinning the combination as if nothing happened.

"Anthony," I called out.

He paused.

I ran to him, jumping into his arms.

He wrapped his arms around me tightly. I buried my face in his shoulder and held him to me securely.

"I love you." I said desperately.

"I love you too. I thought you gave up on me."

"I could never."

Anthony drew back. He kissed me, his lips tasting like cigarettes.

I didn't care. Anthony was in my life again and I'd make sure he stayed that way.

"I can take my lip ring out if you want." He said, smiling.

"No, I like it."

Anthony's face wasn't nearly as ruined as I imagined. Mike's punches didn't effect him like they did me.

"I want to be with you." I told him. At that moment, I didn't have a filter.

"We have to get you away from Mike. Then we can be together again."

"Okay....but I might to kiss Mike a few more times before we break up." I reminded him.

"I know. I'm fine with it because you'll come back to me in the end anyway."

I kissed him again, "I love you. Text me when you get home."

"What about Mike? What if he hurts you?"

"Don't worry about him. I'm safe now. You saved me."

~

Mike was in my room a whole ten minutes without speaking. Jeremy and Noah were out, so it was just the two of us. I wasn't the least bit afraid of him.

We had a silent understanding that day. He didn't test me, I wouldn't test him.

He couldn't hit me anymore. Anthony beat him up so badly, there wasn't a single thing for him to prove.

There was someone out there stronger than him.

Mike wasn't the higher power he made himself out to be. It was pointless to act like he owned me now.

He was in my window seat, but came over to the bed where I was. He gave me another picture.

"You should have your face checked out." I said, smirking as I unfolded the picture.

He went back to the window seat.

"I know what you're doing. It won't work." He said adamantly.

"What won't work?" Despite the day's events, I still needed Mike's pictures tacked on my bulletin board above my bed. The newest one was a daisy.

"You won't leave me after this. I still own you."

I rolled my eyes, "First, you never owned me, no matter what you thought in your twisted mind. Second, if you really did own me, it would have been over because you got your ass whooped."

He was speechless.

I let Mike copy my homework again. He couldn't afford to fail because he had an important football event. I said he could cheat off me during the test on Friday in hopes of my freedom from Mike. But Mike refused. He said we promised each other that we'd be together forever and nothing would change that. I belonged to him and we were connected. He said we didn't have to date anymore, but I was still his, and if he caught me with anyone else, I'd find myself right back at the beginnng, when he slapped me around whenever he wanted.

"You're out of your mind." I responded.

He grabbed me, pinned me to the bed, and gripped my neck in his hands. I struggled to fight him off by shoving my hands over his eyes so he couldn't see and would be forced to let me go. It didn't work as well as I thought. The choking stopped, but only long enough for him push me off the bed and kick me.

He left the attack at that.