88 - bruised & bloody kiss

299 7 17
                                    

•will pov•
•sophomore year•
•not together yet but flirty•

I sit in class and tap my foot as I take notes, copying them directly from the board so that I don't miss anything. My teacher goes on and on about the importance of punctuation and I tune him out slightly, staring at the clock and counting the moments until I can see Mike before lunch.

Just as I'm thinking about our last interaction, I feel a piece of paper hit my back, and I turn around to see Troy and his friends laughing and staring directly at me.

I shakily pick up the piece of paper and unfold it, my whole body becoming cold.

We wanna talk to you after this period. If you don't meet us by the lockers outside the classroom we're gonna find you after school.

I close the note in my hand and look back at them, their eyes still on me. A few tears run down my cheeks, but they immediately come to a stop when the bell rings. I slowly pack up, leaving just me, Troy, and his other two friends in the classroom. When I put my last notebook away, they point outside the door.

I want to cry again as I leave the classroom and see that there are already few people in the hallway. Seconds later, it's just me and them standing there as I stare at my feet.

"Don't even wanna look at us Byers?" Troy laughs. I look up from my feet and at their smug faces, immediately regretting my decision.

What if Mike is wondering where I am?

"So, we've seen you and Wheeler flirting a lot lately. Are you guys boyfriends or something?" one of the other kids says.

"W - What? No we haven't!" I say, trying not to make a big deal about it.

"A bit defensive, huh?" Troy teases.

"We aren't flirting." I say sternly.

"Oh yeah? You sure about that?" he says, pushing my shoulder hard. I stumble back a few steps.

"We know what you are. A pathetic little fairy!" he says, raising his fist. I quickly brace myself for the pain, and it hits me like a ton of bricks. His fist swings into my face, causing me to fall back into the floor while the rest of his gang laughs.

I stumble to my feet, trying not to cry due to the pain.

"Please! Leave me alone!" I say. Just as he's about to throw another punch, there's a voice behind him.

"Hey! Leave him the fuck alone!" I hear a familiar voice call. Troy spins around to reveal Mike who towers over all of them.

"Here to defend your boyfriend?" Troy laughs, but the other boys grab their bags and quickly walk down the hallway, leaving just us three.

"He - He's not my boyfriend. Don't ever touch him again." Mike says, stepping closer to Troy as Troy tries to stay looking tough.

Before I can even register what is happening, Troy punches Mike right in the jaw, causing him to take a step back as blood drips from his lip.

"Mike!" I say, trying to pull him away, but Troy pushes my arm away.

"I said don't touch him!" Mike yells, punching Troy in the nose as hard as he can. Troy falls to the floor, blood gushing from his nose.

"You're fucking crazy!" Troy yells, grabbing his backpack and storming down the other hallway.

As soon as he turns his back, Mike falls onto the floor in pain.

"Shit." he says, holding his jaw as blood drops from his lip onto his pale skin.

"Oh, Mike. Let's get that cleaned." I say, taking his hand. He follows me to the single use bathroom, locking the door behind us.

"Sit up on the sink." I say, him listening to my instructions reluctantly.

"You didn't have to do that. I don't want you getting hurt for me." I say sadly, wetting a paper towel. He looks upset at my words.

"I'd much rather I get hurt than you. I just hate seeing them treat you like that." Mike says as I bring the paper towel up his lip, pressing it gently to the bloody area. He winces, grabbing my free hand in his, causing butterflies to erupt in my stomach.

"Sorry. I know it hurts." I say, wiping it as softly as I can.

"I should be taking care of you! You're face is already bruising." he says. I glance behind him into the mirror, observing the purple and black spot already forming on the side of my face.

He hops off the side of the sink and glances in the mirror, sighing at the sight of his swelling lip and purple jawline.

"We look awful." he says, causing us both to laugh slightly.

"Well, I look awful. You could never look bad." he says, turning towards me. I can feel my cheeks heat up despite the pain, and I can imagine how red they are right now.

"Oh really?" I tease, a grin forming on his lips.

"Mhmm." he hums, taking my hands in his by our sides.

"Thanks for taking care of me." he says quietly.

"Always." I say, our faces only inches apart.

"Before you got there Troy was saying how we've been flirting a lot." I say, his smile slightly fading.

"Well I hate the guy, but he's not wrong about that." he says, his smile reappearing. I slowly move my face closer, placing my lips lightly on his. He then kissed me hard, one of his hands letting go of mine so he can take my waste and I can tangle my fingers in his curls.

Our lips move in sync, and even though my face is throbbing from the pain, I barely notice it because of what's happening. I've waited for this moment for my entire life, and it's perfect. His soft lips are exactly how I imagined, and the feel of his perfect hand on the small of my back gives me the butterflies that i always hopes for.

When we finally pull away, his pale face is slightly pink, which is a rare sight.

"Finally." he says quietly, smiling at me.

"You're telling me." I giggle, wiping a drop of blood off of his lip.

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