40 Drafted - Part 4 (2/2)

While I'm wiping the saliva and blood off of my face, he takes the opportunity to slam his fist into my stomach.

A familiar sensation reverberates through my body.

”Haaa…!!”

I gasp for air.

It hurts.

Goddamn, it hurts.

”You…!!”

But before I can recuperate, he shoves me off of his body.

”Ugh…”

I roll over and clutch my stomach in pain.

”Ghhh…”

Ah crap, why do I keep getting hit in the stomach?

That punch seriously knocked all of the adrenaline and anger right out of me.

”…”

But now that I'm not blinded by rage, I take notice of the large crowd that's formed around the two of us.

There's murmurs and even laughter among the students who are looking over at us.

What on earth did the two of us just do…?

We're a laughing stock right now…

It takes most of Nick's strength to sit up. I didn't exactly hold back on those punches, so his brain must be a mess right now.

Even still, he smiles while looking down at my beaten body.

”Heh, I win…”

”What? No way… You're barely conscious dude.”

”Haha, yeah? At least I can move. You look like you're in too much pain to even stand up.'

”Nah, I can stand up… You'll just fall over though.”

”Oh yeah? I'll take you up on that…”

He takes up the challenge and pushes against his legs to pull himself back up to his feet.

I, on the other hand, slowly drag my body into a kneeling position while clutching my stomach. I don't feel like I can stop hunching my entire body forward, so the whole process is much more taxing than usual.

Neither of us stands up right away.

Due to our respective physical limits, we can only slowly brings ourselves up to our feet.

Eventually though, we both make it up.

”See? You can do it if you try.”

”Do it…?”

”Tell us how you feel, man. You kept pretending everything was fine when you told us about you and Scarlet yesterday, right? But you were way too obvious about it.”

”… Did I really look that bad?”

”You looked like you just came from burying your dog.”

Seriously…?

”Look I… we're sorry for ignoring you, okay? But next time, just tell us how you feel. Otherwise, as the leader of the 'Fated Ones', I swear I'll kick everyone's asses until they apologize for making my friend feel bad.”

”…”

His words were like a weight off my shoulders.

Suddenly, everything that felt hard and complicated evaporates into thin air.

And all that's left is my appreciation of my friends.

Honestly, what the hell is wrong with me…?

I really couldn't trust… someone as amazing as this, huh?

Just how fucked in the head am I right now?

”Yeah… you're right… My bad.”

I shake my head to refocus my senses.

When my vision comes to though, I find that not only Nick and myself, but is Sig are suddenly being approached by one of teachers who happened to be nearby.

Oh no.

I was too upset to notice, but.

This is actually really bad.

More than that, things might already be over for me.

Forget my reputation, having an all-out fight in the middle of the cafeteria was basically social suicide.

But more than that, if I get suspended here, I won't even be able to participate in the elections.

What should I do…?

”You two, what was all of that just now?”

He utters the words sternly as soon as he stops in front of us.

I can't lie here, but I need to squeeze out a response. Something to soften the blow, anything.

”A-ah, just a little horseplay, sir. No big deal.”

”Horseplay? That didn't look like horseplay to me.”

He looks down at his watch.

”Well, that doesn't matter. Blatant violence while disrupting everyone's lunch, I think you two need to come with me to the principal's office. Right now.”

A wave of anxiety washes over me the moment he says the words 'principal's office'.

I clench my fists.

Dammit.

It's over.

I messed up.

”Come on, Chase. Let's just get this over with.”

Oh Nick… you have no idea how much I screwed myself, huh?

”I'll come too. Maybe I can help you guys out.”

”Sig…”

Ah, screw it.

It doesn't matter anymore.

Who cares about my reputation anyway?

As long as I have these two, I'm sure my high school career will be fine.

I don't need to beat Jennifer.

She can do whatever the hell she wants.

All I need are my friends.

”… Sure, let's go.”

I'll just deal with this, then I can get back to my normal high school life.

One without drama or elections.

”Wait!”

But before I could even take a single step forward, I hear someone yelling out from behind me.

”Huh?”

And just as I turn to see who it came from, a stream of red hair flashes past my view.

She stands firmly between the three of us and the male teacher.

”Leave… leave them alone…”

She clenches her fist and stares straight at the teacher, who is currently towering well over her small figure.

”T-they didn't mean any harm. Their playing just got a little… out of hand.”

”…”

The man doesn't seem too impressed with Scarlet's sudden undermining of his authority. He glares at her for a moment before releasing his gaze to check his watch.

”I've already made my decision. These two are heading to the principal's office and that's that. Or what, would you like to take their place?”

”I will.”

No hesitation.

She answers without even blinking.

Scarlet, just what…

”He cheated on you and you're still defending him?!”

This time, the voice comes from the large crowd of onlookers that have formed around us.

”She must really love him, eh? Hahaha!”

”…”

The jeers from the crowd are only making the situation worse for her.

Her hands are shivering.

There's goose-bumps all over her slender arms…

And she still answered that teacher without hesitation.

She won't last.

I can tell right away that this is already too much for her.

She's might have an attack at any moment.

I need to stop her.

”Scarlet.”

”It's fine, Chase.”

”…”

I reached out to her with my hand, but her words stopped me in my place.

Once she does, she turns back to the crowd.

”Yeah, I do love him that much. He could kiss every girl in this school and I'd still forgive him. If none of you have ever tried getting to know him then you have no right to judge either of us.”

”…”

”…”

The onlookers, the teacher,

Nick, Sig

And especially myself.

We're all stunned.

She openly says that it's okay.

It's okay if I cheated on her.

She says I'm worth that kind of heart break.

Even if it isn't true…

Even if it's just for publicity…

Rachael's words still ring at the back of my head.

”Chase, that girl is in love with you.”

Is that why she's going so far…?

Because if so… then…

”Talk to 'em Scar!”

Someone from the crowd of onlookers sitting at their lunch table screams out.

Quickly, the crowd erupts into cheers and screams.

I…

I don't believe it.

They loved it…

They loved her determination.

That's Scarlet for you. Even in a tense situation like this, she's ever the actress.

Everyone seems to have completely bought it.

”Hahaha damn, Chase is a lucky guy huh?”

Geez, this girl…

I turn back to the teacher.

He seems to be checking his watch again.

”I change my mind. I'll let you three off with a warning for now.”

”Huh? But…”

I almost objected.

I'm in so much disbelief right now.

”Don't worry about it. More importantly, you should get her some help.”

Before I could ask what he meant, the teacher turns around and walks off.

”…”

He let us off way too easily.

What changed his mind?

Or, was he ever really that interested in punishing us to begin with?

He didn't seem too upset about what we were doing after all. I guess all the stalling and cheering must have made him lose interest.

”Lucky us, huh?”

The moment I utter those words, Scarlet suddenly drops to her knees.

”Scarlet!”

I rush to her side as quickly as I can.

”Are you okay?”

Oh god, she's so pale. There's sweat all over her body too.

She must have been at her limit for a while…

Is this what he meant by getting her help?

Just how much did you push yourself back there…?

”Did… you see that, Chase?”

But despite the state both her mind and body must be in right now, she forces herself to smile.

”That was the first… time… I ever faced my fears like that…”

”Scarlet…”

”In the past fourteen years of my life… that was the first time I…”

”Don't talk… You don't look too good!”

”It's fine… Just… take me to the nurse's office.”

”…”

I turn to Sig and Nick who are still just standing there, frozen and confused.

”One of you grab her other arm. And get her a drink.”

”A-ah, hai…”

Sig scrambles and rushes over to get a bottle of water from one of the cafeteria servers.

I take the opportunity to pull one of her arms over my shoulder.

Once we come into contact, I feel her heartbeat pounding against my side.

Holy shit, it's so fast.

Is this what happens when she talks to guys?

How the hell has she lived like this for so long?

We need to hurry up and get her away from all of these eyes.

”Nick!”

”…”

He's hesitating.

I don't think he can process either Scarlet's actions or her current state right now.

Nor if he should feel guilty or worried.

”Hurry up dude! We don't have all day!”

”U-ugh! Whatever!”

He mimics my actions, slinging her other arm over his shoulder, and we both lift her to her feet.

”S… sorry about this, guys…”

Scarlet's voice is soft. It sounds like she could pass out at any moment.

”Don't be, you saved us back there. If anything we should be the ones apologizing.”

”Haha, you're such a… loser.”

”Hey, take it easy. This loser is the only reason you're standing straight right now.”

She giggles, and the three of us make sure to quickly head towards the nurse's office.