Don't

Connor's Request

By the time the lunch bell rings, I'm exhausted. I'd been through three study guides, four  tests, and five different practice assignments.
I pad down the hallway and turn left to go down to the Commons. Loud voices yell over the clatter of plates, cups and forks. The carpet softens my steps as I turn the corner and run smack into a tall and buff figure in red.
I look up to see the snarling face of Connor, the school bully. He narrows his dark chocolate eyes and furrows his eyebrows.
"Going somewhere?" he grows, his yellowed teeth clenching tightly.
I nod and lower my eyes to the ground, but I still feel his eyes burning through the back of my neck.
"Lunch," I mutter and try to scoot past him,  but he moves back in my way.
I feel my heart quicken and my blood runs cold. The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.
"Connor, I need to get to lunch," I say calmly, my hand gripping the strap of my backpack so tight my knuckles turn white.
He use have noticed because I hear him chuckle.
"I'll let you go to lunch after one thing," he menaces, "I want you to go down to the alleyway after school and help me take care of something, be there at nine. If you're late, this will be your last day in school," he says.
I swallow and nod once, my stomach knotting into a ball.
He gives me pat on the back and moves aside. I step past him but before I can enter the lunch room, he calls out,
"Oh! And Amara?"
I turn around to face him. A smirk stretches across his face, his eyes gleaming.
"Bring your temper," he says, grinning.
I widen my eyes and nod once, then turn and stride into lunch.
***
"Amara! What took so long?!" Liz asks as I sit down beside Jake.
I shrug, deciding not to tell her about Connor.
"I got held up," I say, my eyes glued to a gum wrapper on the floor.
There's a pause and I take an apple slice in the palm of my hand, popping it in my mouth.
"Amara? What's wrong? You're really quiet today," Jake asks.
I shrug and look up to met their worried gazes.
"Nothing, just tired," I lie.
Liz nods slowly and starts a conversation about how the math teacher wants us to write a ten page essay by Tuesday.
But I'm not listening, I can't stop thinking about Connor's request. It must be a victim he wants to get beat up, or maybe he needs to kick someone's butt. But then again, why would he ask me? I'm not much help with anything. And, He said for me to bring my Temper.
When people say to bring my Temper, that means they want me on my bad side. The only people who want me on my bad side are the people who've seen it. And that includes Connor and his group of people who bully for sport.
I was walking home from school one day, when one of his idiots, Vince, decided he would stalk me the whole way there.
I got ticked off, but didn't do anything, just pretended not to notice.
Eventually, he got close enough he decided touch me. He placed a hand on my hip and just like that, the TNT was lit.
I spun around and slammed my fist into his face, my knuckles colliding with his nose, making a sickening crack.
He was thrown back by the blow and blood ran down his lips and chin. I stood there glaring at him as he stared at me with the eyes of a cornered animal.
Finally, he got up off the ground, dusted himself off, and ran high-tail away from me, not daring too look back.
I heard laughs and chuckles behind me and turned to see Connor and the rest of his guys laughing in the dirt.
I narrowed my eyes at them and clenched my fists angrily.
"You wanna be next pal?" I growled.
Half the guys stopped laughing but Connor was still chuckling.
"What's your name sunshine?" he asked, a smile rising at the corner of his cooked lips
I stood there for a moment, hesitating, but finally unclenched my teeth.
"Amara," I said.
He nodded and pointed his pinky finger at me.
"You got some spirit kid," he said, walking past me and patting my shoulder, his guys traveling close behind, giving me grins and nods of approval, then disappearing behind an alleyway.
"...and then we can head back there after school, sound good Amara?" Lizzie's voice bringing me back to reality.
I look up to see both Jake and Liz staring at me with an excited grin on their faces.
"Actually, I have to uh, go, uh, do something after school today," I say nervously.
Liz's grin fades and she lowers her eyes.
"Oh," she says, disappointed.
"maybe we can do it next weekend?" Jake offers.
"Yeah, next weekend," I agree, still clueless of what they're talking about.
Liz sighs.
"Alright, next weekend," she sighs finally.
The bell rings and everyone gets up to head  to fifth period.
I clean up my uneaten lunch and wander off to class, my head swimming with unanswered questions.