I Will Fight For You

Chapter 20 - "Shove your male pride somewhere I don't have to deal with it."

This chapter is dedicated to @lady-kaddy who is an EPIC writer. Her book "Breaking the Bad Boy" is my absolute favourite! You should definitely check it out, along with her other book, "The Renegades". xD 

Without further ado, Here's chapter 20. 

[Cass's P.O.V]

"Cass? Where are you going?" Luke demanded, following closely behind me as I tried to hurry up. 

"I have things to do. People to see... You know, the usual," I answered vaguely as my eyes flitted across the mass of students, looking for a certain dark-haired, green eyed teenage boy.

Dean had been acting strange lately. He hasn't been talking to me or any of the guys. For at least the past two weeks, all I've gotten as responses from him have been grunts and the occasional one worded responses. And those were the days he bothered to show up to school. He'd been ditching class a lot, and always alone. If he does decide to grace us with his presence, he either showed up late or left early.

 At first I thought maybe it was because of me, he'd started acting weird right after that time he came looking for me at C's, then I realized it wasn't; he was treating everyone the same way.

Today was one of the rare days he was here when the final bell rang. I practically ran out the front doors, looking around at the mass of exiting students for Dean. I had to talk to him. Not only was he not talking to us, but he was walking weird too; Sluggish and hesitant. I was worried about him, not to mention, I was so done with his bullshit avoiding act.

Finally, I caught sight of him near the school gates. He had his hoodie up, but I knew it was him. I called out his name as I pushed into the throng of chattering students to make my way to him. 

"Cass, why are you in such a hurry?" Luke followed closely behind me, actually tugging on the back of my hoodie. I whirled around to stare at him. I hadn't noticed it in the beginning, but he was strangely clingy. Always wanting to know where I was going, with whom, doing what... He did it so discretely that I hadn't noticed before but it was becoming more apparent as more time passed.

"Jeez, Luke. Quit it. I'll see you around, alright? I got shit to do." Then I lost him in the crowd as I pushed closer to Dean. 

"Bolton!" 

He kept walking but I caught up to him just beyond the gates, "Bolton! I'm trying to talk to you!" 

"I'm busy, Winters," He said in a low voice as he made to keep walking. I was not going to let him get away that easily. I grabbed his sleeve, got a hold of his hand and yanked it back, making him hiss in pain. 

I frowned in confusion and felt my eyes widen when I looked at the hand I was holding. His knuckles were scraped and bruised. I looked up at Dean's face to find him looking away, pointedly avoiding my gaze.

I held his wrist, making sure to avoid his injury, and pulled him towards a small area, near the school but free of our school mates. No one ever came here.

I went to pull down his hood and, surprisingly, he let me. I couldn't stop the gasp that escaped my lips as I took in his black eye and bruised cheek. 

"Who the hell did this to you?" I demanded, feeling a rush of anger and protectiveness flow through me. It suddenly occurred to me that I was still holding Dean's hand but even then, I didn't let go.

"It's not important," He winced as I brushed my fingertips over his bruise.  

"Like fuck it isn't. What's going on with you?" I asked, wondering what else was hurting for him. No wonder he'd been walking so hesitantly, he must've been injured. Who was doing this to him?