Complicated People, Complicated Love

He's Dead Meat

Maya

I get to school with Riley and Lucas, having come straight from the subway, and when we walk through the doors double doors there's a lot of whispering going on. The whole hallway is is quiet except for the hushed whispers. Very different from the usual boisterous noise. Nobody even looks up when we enter the hallway. The three of us exchange confused looks.

I spot a group of our class mates and tap Sarah on the shoulder as we approach. She looks towards us with a wary expression when I ask her what's happening.

"It's Farkle," she says. I sense Riley tense up at my side."Billy apparently told him to kill himself."

"What!?" I screech. People look up from their whispers at my sudden outburst. Riley gasps.

"Yeah, he's in Mr. Matthews's room and he won't talk to anyone. Billy said that no one likes him or something like that," Riley immediately takes off for her dads class. Not giving Sarah a second glance. Lucas and I follow her.

When we get to the classroom, Farkle is sitting in the corner of the room with his knees drawn up, his head resting on them. Riley is next to him already, her arm around his shoulders and a worried look on her face. Lucas bends down in front of him but Farkle still isn't acknowledging us.

"Billy said this to you?" Lucas asks him. I feel anger building up in my stomach. I rising tide waiting to crash down. I try to control it, knowing it could end with me having another episode. But it's really hard. I ball my fists, trying to redirect some of my energy.

Farkle nods his buried head. I grab Lucas's arm, bending down to move my head closer to his.

"Do something," I whisper in his ear, knowing that it's too risky for me to do anything. Not in my current state.

"Oh you bet I will," he whispers back. He's up just like that, storming out the door and I closely follow, leaving Riley to comfort Farkle. Maybe he'll talk if it's just the two of them. We walk fast through the halls, me a little slower than him because of my bruises that are screaming at me to stop. My ankles are especially killing me. I don't know how but they are covered in more bruises than my arms. I think I was raising my leg every time the belt came down, trying to protect my stomach. I don't care though, Farkle doesn't deserve any of this. Friends are more important than I am. I pick up my pace.

"Billy!" Lucas yells in a deep voice that I've never heard before. It startles me. I see Billy ten yards away look at us coming at him, he flash us a smile, one that says he knows exactly why we're here.

"Why?" Riley asks, appearing from behind me. I turn to look at her. I hadn't even heard her approach. She just have sprinted from the classroom. "Why would you say that to Farkle?" Her voice cracks on his name and my heart does too.

"Because it's the truth. No one else would tell him, so I just said what everyone was thinking."

"No one was thinking it because no one is that much of an ass," I snap back at him, squeezing my fists harder.

"Hey, Farkle's a nothing, he doesn't deserve to have friends, or anything really," Lucas moves as fast as lightning, grabbing Billy by his shirt collar and pushing him against the lockers. Hard.

"So you snapped first huh? My money was on blondie," he says with a smirk in my direction. Lucas's face is turning red in anger and he raises his arm. His hand tightening into a fist. Good, do it.

"Lucas, no," I whip my head to look at Riley, shocked. "If you do that you're no better than he is." Lucas looks down, his arm wavering. She's right, he knows it and I know it, but it still doesn't make this fair. Lucas puts down his arm and then reluctantly lets go of Billy. I can feel my anger getting stronger, knowing that Billy thinks he's won. He's had no punishment while Farkle is hurting. He's Farkle, he should never have anything hurt him in his life. He's pure and thoughtful and everything good in this world. Everything that Billy isn't.

"So, you let little miss air head talk you out of it did you?" Yeah, that's my snapping point. Riley is my soulmate, my best friend, the literal best human being on the face of the universe. And this guy had the nerve to say anything bad about her? In my presence no less.

"That's it!" I yell and run straight at Billy. I'm not sure what my plan is, but I've been in plenty of fights and my hands are still in perfect fists. Sounds pretty self explanatory. Im ready to go after him with everything I've got. I see Billy's face flash with a look of fear. Good. I wind up my arm as I run, ready to relish the pain that's coming . But right before my fist can reach his face, I feel strong arms that can only be Lucas's wrap around my waist and pull me away. I yelp in pain as his arms touch a dozen bruises, too surprised to have time to temper my reaction. He sets me down seconds after he grabs me and we're already a ways away from the crowd that has formed around Billy.

"Are you hurt?" He asks worriedly. He must have heard my weird noise of pain. His hands are on my arms and he's bent down so that our faces are at the same height but his eyes are scanning my skin worriedly. My face is contorted and I'm hiding my stomach where his arms were holding me. My ankles and calves hurt like hell from running and I don't know if I can walk well.

When I don't answer he straightens himself and looks around. No ones looking. He scoops me up gently in one swift motion, but I still have to bite my cheek around the pain of his arms. And then he's hurriedly carrying me into the girls bathroom. Once in, he sets me down on the floor, locks the door, and makes sure no one is in here.

"Maya," he says in a worried voice once he's done checking the stalls. I've stood up now, not wanting to look weaker than I already do even though my legs are screaming in pain and soreness. "Is it your dad?" He asks quietly with furrowed eyebrows. I'm in too much pain to deny, so I just nod. I know I'll regret it later but right now I'm just so tired of dealing with everything alone. He doesn't hesitate. He gently wraps an arm around my torso and one around my head, pulling me softly to him. I free my arms from around my stomach and hug him back.

After a few seconds he pulls away but keeps his hands where his arms were, one on my back and one on my cheek. "I'm gonna take a look okay?" he asks.

"Okay," I croak. He takes a deep breath and looks down. He very carefully pulls up the bottom of my shirt to around my ribs and quietly gasps. He lower himself down onto his knees to get a better look and I feel his cold fingers trailing around a particularly nasty bruise and he makes a pained noise.

"Baby," he says sadly. He looks up at me with such pain that I don't even care that he called me baby, I just want him. His eyes look wet. Which of course make mine wet.

"I'm fine," I say putting my hand to his cheek. He puts his hand on top of my hand.

"I told you to never say that to me," he says. I manage smile at that. He stands and I wrap my arms around his neck. He brushes hair out of my face. "I'll kill him," he says. I laugh, but he still looks so serious.

"I knew there was a reason I liked you," he manages a small smile at that, still looking troubled. I kiss him, trying to show him that I really am okay, only to be cut short by the bell.