I walked into the cozy coffee shop, my mind racing with emotions. I had hoped for a quiet escape from the chaos of the day, but seeing Brooklyn talking to Darren in the corner sent my thoughts into overdrive. I tried to ignore them, but curiosity got the better of me. I grabbed my usual order—a simple black coffee—and found a seat within earshot of their conversation, but not so close as to be immediately noticed.
Brooklyn looked distressed, her usual confident demeanor overshadowed by an air of uncertainty. Darren, on the other hand, seemed agitated, his frustration barely concealed as he spoke in hushed but intense tones.
"You shouldn't have done that, Darren," Brooklyn said, her voice barely above a whisper. "You know how rumors spread at Evergreen."
"I was just trying to protect you," Darren replied, his voice tight with anger. "That Reseda kid was getting too close."
"Dan is just a friend," Brooklyn said, her tone pleading. "You didn't have to trip him or threaten him. You made things worse."
Darren's face darkened. "Friends don't look at each other the way you looked at him. You need to stay away from him, Brooklyn. It's for your own good."
Brooklyn shook her head, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "You don't get to decide who I can and can't be friends with, Darren. This isn't about protecting me; it's about your jealousy."
Before Darren could respond, I stood up, unable to listen any longer. I walked over to their table, my heart pounding. "Is everything okay here?"
Brooklyn looked up, surprise and relief flashing across her face. Darren glared at me, but I didn't flinch.
"Dan, it's fine," Brooklyn said softly. "We were just talking."
"Doesn't look like a friendly conversation to me," I replied, my eyes locked on Darren. "If Brooklyn wants to talk to me, that's her choice."
Darren stood up, his fists clenched. "You really want to do this here?"
"I don't want to fight you, Darren. But I won't let you bully Brooklyn or anyone else."
The tension was palpable, the coffee shop patrons watching the unfolding drama with bated breath. Before things could escalate further, Brooklyn stepped between us.
"Enough, both of you," she said firmly. "Darren, I need some space. Dan, thank you, but this isn't the place for a confrontation."
Darren looked like he wanted to argue but thought better of it. With a final glare at me, he stormed out of the coffee shop. Brooklyn sighed, her shoulders slumping with exhaustion.
"I'm sorry about that," she said to me. "I didn't mean for things to get so complicated."
"It's not your fault," I replied, my voice gentle. "Are you okay?"
Brooklyn nodded, though her eyes betrayed her turmoil. "I will be. Thanks for standing up for me."
We sat down together, the earlier tension slowly dissipating. As we talked, Brooklyn opened up about the pressures she faced, the expectations of her mother, and the constant scrutiny from everyone around her.
"I feel like I'm always being watched," she admitted. "One wrong move, and it's all over the school. It's exhausting."
I listened, offering words of comfort and understanding. Despite our vastly different backgrounds, we found common ground in our struggles. Brooklyn's glamorous life in Encino wasn't as perfect as it seemed, and my experiences in Reseda had given me a resilience she admired.
As the evening wore on, we lost track of time, our conversation flowing easily. For the first time in a long while, Brooklyn felt like she could be herself without fear of judgment.
"I should probably get home," she said eventually, glancing at her phone. "But thank you, Dan. This... meant a lot."
"Anytime," I replied with a smile. "Remember, if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here."
Brooklyn returned my smile, a genuine warmth in her eyes. "I'll keep that in mind. Goodnight, Dan."
"Goodnight, Brooklyn."
As she walked out of the coffee shop, I couldn't help but feel a glimmer of hope. Despite the rocky start to my new life at Evergreen, perhaps things were beginning to look up. But I knew that navigating the treacherous waters of high school, especially one as cutthroat as Evergreen, would be no easy task.
Walking home in the dark, I was confronted by Darren and his posse.
"So you resorted to gang assault?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
"Then why don't you back the fuck off my girl?" Darren spat.
"She isn't your girl if you broke up."
"Why, you little bastard—"
He tried to punch me, but I easily slipped through the punch. I then blocked Darren's punch before ducking an attack from behind by one of his friends.
"Oh shit, I didn't want to do this," I said, almost to myself. "When was the last time I did this? Four years ago? Five?"
"What are you talking about?" Darren sneered.
"Well, it's too late now anyway."
I cracked my knuckles and decided to punch Darren in the face, rocking him. I swept the leg of one of his friends and roundhoused the other. Darren still wasn't done, so he tried to punch me again. I blocked and countered with a punch to his face. Then I kicked him in the stomach and pinned him to the floor. I had a cold look in my eyes—almost fearless and emotionless. I punched Darren again and again and again. Again and again and again. Until he wasn't recognizable.
"Just leave me and your girlfriend alone," I said, breathing heavily.
"Watch what I do to her, bitch," Darren managed to mumble.
I kicked him in the face one more time before taking off.
When I got home, my dad noticed my knuckles.
"Hey Dan, what happened to your knuckles?" he asked.
"You know how gym is, punching the bag and all."
"Okay, but don't have too much fun."
"Okay, Dad. What's for dinner?"
"Some omelette. You want some?"
"Yeah, that sounds amazing."
Would you look at that. Never judge a book by its cover. Never judge a painting by its artist. And clearly never judge me by my looks. It's the sweetest people who can be the most ruthless.
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