No, no, no. I looked around the cafeteria, waiting for anyone to interfere, but all people stared at them mesmerized—some of them amused, some of them with blank faces, but no one moved. Pain, fear, and rage amalgamated into a burning ball that shot through my veins and reached its bursting point.
Damn it!
I was already half way there before I realized I’d moved, sensing Jessica right behind me. Just like that day when Blake threw the “welcome party” for Jessica, I stopped right in front of Kevin and protected him with my body as I faced Blake, Masen, and their friends.
“Stop! No more!” I glared at each of them with my heart pumping furiously. I trembled hard, barely able to stand with all those eyes on me. My chest rose and fell quickly with increasing fear as I waited for Blake and Masen to react.
“What the fuck?” Blake spat out and took a step toward me. “Step aside.”
Masen stopped next to Blake with arms crossed over his chest. “Sarah, get out of here. This is none of your business.”
“Can you stand up?” Jessica asked Kevin in a tiny voice, and I looked over my shoulder to see her helping him up. He looked at her with a mix of awe and gratitude, his cheeks slightly colored as she held his upper arm for support.
“Th-Thank you,” he muttered to her.
I took in all those phones directed at me. I didn’t want to think how many times the videos or pictures would be shared online or what kind of comments they would post. I fixed my gaze on Blake.
“This is inhumane and completely wrong,” I said, hoping my voice didn’t reveal how shaken I felt. “He doesn’t deserve this.”
Blake took another step to me. “Step aside if you don’t want to get hurt. If you think you can suddenly play tough just because you’re Hayden’s girlfriend, you can forget it. You can’t order us around, so step aside.” His eyes were full of venom, and the message was more than clear. If I didn’t move away, I would pay for it.
“No.” It was Jessica who answered him this time, leaving me flabbergasted. “We won’t let you hurt him anymore.” Her wavering voice complemented the fear on her face, but I was so proud of her for standing up for Kevin. “Come on, Kevin. Let’s get you out of here.”
She moved, but Blake was quicker. He grabbed her arm and pulled her against him. ”Step away from him!”
“Let me go,” she shrieked.
“You’re going to pay for this, Fats. You’ll regret the moment you opened your ugly, fat mouth—”
“Get away from her!” I pushed him away with all my force, managing to make him stumble because he wasn’t expecting it. I stepped between them, shielding both Jess and Kevin. “I won’t let you lay a finger on her!” I motioned to Jess and Kevin to follow me. “Let’s go.”
“You’re not going anywhere,” Blake hissed.
“The hell we aren’t,” I growled and grabbed an orange from the floor next to my foot. I swung it at his head hoping to distract him long enough for us to leave.
I glanced at Masen and noticed something in his eyes that was close to wonder, but I didn’t wait for it to soak in. I swiveled around and headed to the exit, followed by Jess and Kevin, and as if someone had pressed a switch, the whole cafeteria erupted into laughter and shouts.
“Sarah, the savior!”
“Jessica, the savior!”
“Call Sarah Decker when you need help!”
“We don’t need Batman! We have Sarah! And Jessica!”
“Batman v Sarah!”
Geez. They were nuts.
We rushed through the empty hallway, trying to put as much distance between us and the cafeteria as possible. For some miraculous reason, Blake and Masen didn’t come after us. We actually managed to get out of there unscathed.
A part of me was terrified at the prospect of getting punished by Blake and Masen, but this time I refused to let it rule me. I would definitely regret it when they retaliated, but now I had to be strong for Jess and Kevin.
No one uttered a word until we reached the second floor. I took a good look at Kevin, saddened to see him in this condition. His shirt was completely ruined, covered with multi-colored splashes, and his face was smeared with liquid that slid from his hair down his cheeks. He was squinting slightly, and I assumed his vision was blurry without his glasses.
“I’m so sorry you had to go through this,” I told him, offering him a soft smile. “This isn’t about you. They’re just jerks who like messing with everyone.”
He looked furtively between Jessica and me. Even though he was much taller than my 5' 9" frame, he seemed like a lost little boy. “Th-Thank you. You two are amazing.” He was speaking to both of us, but his gaze was solely on Jess.
“It’s nothing. Are you hurt?” Jessica asked him, inspecting his body for injuries. “Can you see without your glasses?”
He sighed and looked down his shirt. “Everything is b-blurry, but it’s not like walking-into-walls blurry, s-so don’t worry. I’m fine. However, my ego is not.”
“They did the same thing to me, so I feel you.”
Kevin gaped at her. “They did?” She nodded. “But why? You’re s-so perfect!” I was a second away from a huge smile. He blushed, which only made him look cuter.
Jess blushed too, smiling at him as she stared at the floor. “Yeah, well, that monster doesn’t feel that way,” she muttered. Her smile dropped, and my heart dropped too.
Monster. Once upon a time, I thought the same of Hayden, and it was something I wanted to erase from my memory. Had Blake gotten under her skin that badly?
Kevin looked befuddled. “Monster?”
“It’s a long story,” I replied instead of her. “Anyway, I’m sorry. We didn’t even introduce ourselves. I’m Sarah.”
“And I’m Jessica.” His smile matched hers, and I was glad to see him a bit calmer. He looked all too innocent, which made him a perfect target, and my chest ached because he had to go through this too.
“I’m Kevin.” He scratched his head. “I think I should go. I...” He pointed at his clothes. “I can’t walk around like this, can I?” He chuckled, but the sound was empty, and a heavy silence settled between us.
“Yes, of course,” I answered. I could see we were making him uncomfortable, which was understandable after what he’d just gone through. “Are you sure you aren’t hurt? If you are, we can take you to the school nurse.”
“No, I’m okay. Th-Thanks.”
“You know...,” Jess started, glancing at me. “You can hang out with us if you want.” Her voice revealed her insecurity, and I was surprised but all the more glad she’d suggested it. He was new and already bullied, so he needed our support and friendship. Besides, he seemed like a good kid.
“Yeah. That would be great,” I added, feeling excited for the first time after a long time about making new friends.
Kevin clearly hadn’t expected this, but he looked at us with gratitude, his eyes lingering on Jess. “Th-Thank you. I think so too.”
Chapter 3
I’D SPENT COUNTLESS hours on forums since the day of Hayden’s accident, trying to find a solution to a challenge that was dating someone with borderline personality disorder, burning to get some answers. That was why I was going to Hayden’s DBT therapist, Ms. Kishimoto, tonight.