“What the hell happened to you?” I spat out, looking him up and down.
“Got into it over the weekend with Reggie. He was talking shit about my family after my dad was caught hitting on his mom... It’s fine.”
“He fucking hit you?” I growled, my anger growing by the moment. Greyson was a damn saint. How could anyone put a finger on that guy?
Just then, Reggie walked past us with his arm wrapped around Monica, and he looked in Greyson’s direction and smirked. “Fucking weak bitch,” he muttered.
My body tensed up, and I puffed out my chest. “What did you just say?” I barked.
“Not you, Landon. Cool your jets,” Reggie said.
The blood in my veins began boiling as anger built up in my body. There were only a handful of things I actually cared about, a handful of people I’d give my life for. It just so happened Reggie had chosen to lay a hand on one of those people, and that wasn’t OK.
I clenched my jaw as I walked toward Reggie. “What did you say?” I demanded again. I didn’t give him a chance to get another word out. I shut him up with my fist. Ninety-nine percent of my reasoning for slamming my knuckles into Reggie’s jawline was for Greyson, but that last percentage was, selfishly, for myself. I’d been wanting to slug that guy from day one.
Reggie stumbled backward like a giant, awkward gorilla. He ran his hand against his lip, wiping blood away.
“You shit.” He growled before charging toward me. He shoved me against the lockers, then we both went tumbling around like apes on the ground. He got a few hits in, but then I flipped him over and started hammering my fist into his face. Black and blue, the same way he’d done to my friend—I was going to hit him until he was black and blue.
A crowd formed around us, and it took a few teachers to pull us off each other.
“Reggie! Landon! Principal’s office.Now!” Mr.Thymes hollered.
We were both dragged away by teachers, and Mr.Thymes looked at me as if he was so disappointed in me for using my fists. But hell, I was sure Romeo had thrown a few punches in his time.
I wiped the corner of my eye, which was stinging. Reggie had clipped me good with his fist, and blood was drippingdown my cheek. I looked up and saw my favorite pair of brown eyes staring my way. She looked terrified as she hugged her textbooks to her chest. I wasn’t sure if she was scared by the fight as a whole or by me. I knew how I could get. I knew how I lost myself in my rage. I didn’t want her to see that side of me. I didn’t want her to judge me for my shadows.
But then, I watched her lips. They parted slightly and mouthed, “Are you OK?”
She was concerned about me. Even though I was broken and bruised, even though I looked like an untamed beast, Beauty still saw me and wondered about my well-being.
I nodded once.
Yes, Chick.
I’m OK.
* * *
Principal Keefe was an older man with a Santa Claus beard and a Santa Claus gut. It had been a while since I’d spent time in his office due to fights. After Lance passed, I didn’t feel the need to get my aggression out in that way. Instead, I took it out on myself. Still, Principal Keefe didn’t seem surprised in the slightest by my arrival to his office.
“For a minute, I thought we were past this stage, Mr.Harrison,” he muttered, his voice low and tame.
Yeah, yeah, me too, Principal Keefe.
Reggie sat next to me, his face already changing colors, and at least I had the benefit of watching that happen. He looked uncomfortable.
Good.
He didn’t deserve any kind of comfort whatsoever.
“Just keep your hands to yourselves, boys,” Principal Keefeinstructed sternly, but his stare fell solely on me. “I am going to get another ice pack for you, Reggie. Landon?”
“Yes?”
“Don’t move.”
Roger that.