the thing about revenge

29 w e n t y - n i n e : detention and forts

I was not at all looking forward to being trapped in the same detention room as Asher today. But I had no choice. Thank god there were four other delinquents who were in the same room. I didn't see Asher when I entered and immediately chose a seat near the corner of the room. The teacher in charge got my name and motioned for me to open a book to read.

"You're late." The teacher snapped at the boy that just entered. Hearing his grunt, I knew it was Asher.

All of us in the room had two hours. I sighed, already bored with everything. I pulled out chemistry to complete and I couldn't help but feel a tug in my chest. I had a deeper understanding of the basic concepts because of the help Asher had offered. I kept that thought at bay.

"I'm going to the washroom. I don't want to see this room on fire when I get back." The teacher rushed out. The four boys snickered. Asher was glaring at them. They shut up pretty quickly.

"Hey, let's build a fort with the tables." Some idiot suggested and the other three boys quickly agreed. "Wanna join nerd? Or are you too afraid?" One of the boys prodded at me with his rolled-up assignment. They obviously did not know that I was Thomas's girl. Well, ex.

I snuck a glance at Asher. He was tensed up but he refused to look at me. I felt brave suddenly and held my chin up.

"Do I look afraid?" I taunted.

"Ooh, we love a feisty girl." He smirked at me. "Come help us rearrange the tables."

I pushed the surrounding tables against the wall and kept sneaking peeks at Asher who didn't seem to bother about me anymore. This only fueled my disdain toward him. But how was it possible to dislike someone who I'd inevitably fallen-

No.

The boys had started stacking the tables and were cheering happily when my grip on the table loosened.

"Fuck!" The boy who asked me to join them was shouting at me to get out of the way. I was the only one in the way of the falling tables.

Everything happened in slow motion. But Asher leaped out of his chair and jumped, wrapping me under him. I was enveloped in his warmth and the heat that his body was radiating. His palm was cradling my face. I could hear the soft thumping of his chest against my ear and his ragged breathing. I could hear it all.

And then the impact came. Air was expelled from my lungs with so much force I was certain my ribs broke.

The stupid idiots had stacked it pretty darn tall.

Since he was above me, he took the brunt of it. The crash and a scream from the teacher who had just walked in. The muffled shouting from the boys. The stillness of Asher's chest and the red liquid that dripped onto my face, soaking my hair. The red liquid was coming from Asher's hairline. I heard a flurry of panicked voices, heavy footsteps, and then nothing at all.

++++++

The consistent beeping of something was annoying the hell out of me. I stirred in the plush bed and cracked one eye open.

"Fuck. Asher." I croaked out. My hands were shaking and my heart was palpitating. I could hear the heart monitor situated beside me going crazy.

"Emily, Emily. You gotta calm down." A doctor came in, holding my head and checking my vital signs.

"Asher." I croaked out again.

"The one that came with here." Another voice said. I craned my neck. Clint.

"Oh, the handsome boy. He's uh, he's still unconscious. But he was brought here in time. Or else he wouldn't have been okay especially with the head injury."