Whelp! He has a death sentence and did he--- did he just call me a girl? I remained curled up, trying to protect myself.
"I gave you your chance." Tyrone tilts his head, chuckling at the opportunity to pummel somebody with his meaty fists.
The kicking stops as more quality entertainment is found and I drag myself to a wall, still shivering, my long hair obscuring my vision. I wonder if I'll be able to make it out fast enough to get help.
Tyrone swings but the other guy quickly dodges and swings at him, Tyrone staggers clutching his jaw gingerly like it's broken, maybe I underestimated my savior.
"Get 'im Tyrone!"
"Yeah, break his fucking bones."
Cheers go up to support their leader but he's still not recovering from the blow, he falls to his knees, garbled swearing escaping him.
"The little fucker broke my jaw." He shouts out, at least I think that's what he said, it sounded so skewered.
Uncomfortable silence envelopes us and I squirm around trying to find a position that doesn't hurt to breathe.
"Well what is you all waiting for huh, beat him up." He ordered them, still crouched on the ground and wincing in pain.
They hesitate for a split second before becoming encouraged by their advantage in numbers, they charge at him and I see Tyrone cut his eyes at me.
I swallow my heart, the tears that had dried up coming back again with a vengeance.
Before he can make his mind to come at me again, his gang are all groaning and rolling on the ground. He pulls his hand off his face, his bloody lower jaw giving him a ridiculous expression.
They all scramble out when they recover enough to, leaving a steaming Tyrone with red eyes. "You'll pay for this newbie, I swear it." He says ominously, going out.
The new kid pinches his nose like he's trying to rein in his anger, deep breaths lifting and dropping his shoulders.
"Hey, are you okay? Shit! Of course you aren't." He corrects himself, still wary of moving close to me, I think it's because I'm still shivering like a cat pulled out of a frozen lake.
"I'm Dale and I promise I won't hurt you." He creeps closer. "What's your name?"
I remain curled into myself, letting my tangled hair partially cover my face. I coax my voice box to come out long enough to piece syllables of my name. "H-Hayden." I whisper, my jaw hurting from the vicious slaps earlier.
He's crouching directly in front of me now, and I can get a clear look at his face and wow! Guess Shana wasn't lying when she said new kids were always edible.
Dale had inky black hair which he left short at the back and longer in front, I've never thought much about undercuts but right now it's the only thing I can see, leaf green eyes staring at me with concern and barely suppressed anger.
His face is straight of a pricey magazine and I feel a little self conscious, I know I look like I just climbed out a trash bin while Dale looks like he just ended a photoshoot.
He starts talking, at least I think he is because I can't hear anything, I'm lost to the movement of his pink lips.
"Huh?" I shake myself.
"I said, can you walk? We need to get you to the nurse." He repeated, concern increasing at my delirious state.
It takes a while for my sloshed brain to process what he's saying then I remember Virgil and Shana and fear spikes in me.
"No! No!" I refuse in a panic, trying to get up. "I can't go to the nurse, I can't let Virgil... Ow!" I crumple back to the ground in pain as my entire body burns.
"Who's Virgil? Why can't you go to the nurse?" He asks worriedly. "Is it that bastard who just left?" His hands are clasped together like he's not sure whether to touch me and I remember he still thinks I'm a girl.
"N-No that w-was T-Ty-Tyrone." I gasp out, my stuttering back. "V-Virgil is m-my f-f-friend a-and I-I h-have to go h-home n-not the c-clinic." I'm full on sobbing now, the pain in my sides robbing me of speech.
Dale looks confused for a moment before setting his face. "I'm taking you to the nurse, you're bleeding and some ribs might be broken." He says tightly, reaching forward.
An arm goes around me and another one under my knees, lifting me up gingerly.
Still doesn't stop the high pitch screams that leave me when I'm moved.
"Shh, it's okay, I'm sorry." Dale apologizes stiffly like he's not used to it.
I feel bad because he's probably doing all this because he still thinks I'm a girl, I don't feel right for continuing to deceive him, he takes a step and I whimper in pain, my body feels like it was put through a grinder, curse Tyrone's gang and their steel tipped boots.
"I-I'm n-no-not..." I stammered hard as we make our way out the bathroom, me clinging to his broad chest like a baby koala.
"You don't have to talk. There's no way I'm letting you go home like this, I'll explain everything to this Virgil person." He says quickly.
I nearly laugh at this but that's just what it was, a nearly performed action. A mad Virgil doesn't see reason, especially when it comes to me, that's why I just want to escape home, call my mom to take me to the hospital and lie to Virgil that I fell ill, it's either that or he burns down the entire school looking for Tyrone.
The bathroom door is just a few steps away and I panic, I want to tell Dale the truth before we step out so if he abandons me, I can scrap the ragged pieces of what is left of my self dignity together in the privacy of the boys restroom.
"N-no its not t-that." My desperation calms my stuttering down somewhat. "I-It's just that I-I not a g-girl." I say sheepishly, my eyes down.
Dale freezes, genuine astonishment enveloping his painfully handsome face as he stares at me with wide eyes. "I'm sorry, what?" He mumbles like a kid who just found out that the moon doesn't follow you.
"I-I'm a boy." I whisper with little traces of fear.
At least he's not recoiling in terror yet from the act of holding a boy so intimately.
"You're lying." He deadpans and I'm stunned.
"W-What?" I mumble out, very confused.
"Boys don't look like this, let me see your face?" He asks urgently, peering intensely down at me.
I gulp, avoiding the hypnotizing light green stare, self consciously I push back the curly hair from my pale face.
His eyes widens again and he's just staring, I try to imagine what could be going on in his head, my tangled hair probably looked like two mother birds fought over who would nest in it then abandoned it, my saucer like eyes even puffier now and definitely red rimmed. Luckily I wiped all the tears and snot away but I must be very red with visible bruises on my cheeks. Yup, I look a hot mess.
He frowns, color fluttering across his cheek bones. "Stop trying to get me to leave you alone Hayden." My name in his silky voice makes my breath hitch but that's ridiculous, I'm not gay. "I'm still taking you to the nurse to get you checked out, then I'll go find those bastards that decided to beat up a girl and break their necks."
He starts moving again with determination and I'm just there trying not to die. What the effing hell! He thinks I'm lying about being a boy, I don't know if I should find that offensive or complimentary.
And of course, the person that would decide to help me would be just like Virgil. I just hang on for the ride, too tired to talk anymore, besides I have a feeling that nothing I say would convince him.
"Hayden!" Virgil's voice interrupts us, rage bleeding through his voice and I die a little more.
"O-Oh n-no! It's V-Vi-Virgil." I whisper desperately, trying to hide inside Dale.