“So, did you cheat?” Lee demands, throwing his backpack onto a bench outside.

I frown down at my foot. It still hurt from being stepped on by Ravina’s friend. I continue looking down and don’t answer Lee.

“Shit man, you did.” He sighs. “You could get expelled,”

I glance over at James, praying he wasn’t mad.

“Well, hopefully we’re good enough friends that James won’t tell his dad.” I shrug.

James gives me a crooked smile and shakes his head, his brown hair falling into his eyes which he quickly fixes.

“Yeah whatever,” he says. “It isn’t my job to tell you how to live your life Theo.”

Good. I wasn’t really planning on them finding out, but it didn’t matter. Lee and James are supportive of me, and I of them. No matter how stupid our ideas are.

Lee’s checking his phone, presumably for texts from his girlfriend. James is still staring at me.

“What?” I frown, leaning against the side of the building.

We’re outside, just past the courtyard and nearly out of the school’s boundaries, but no one gives seniors any shit about that.

James narrows his eyes at me.

“That little girl was really mad at you. Maybe you should consider giving up your spot,”

Ravina Dobs. That little girl…

She was pretty tiny, but damn if she didn’t leave me almost speechless.

“I don’t know her,” I say. “For all I do know, she cheated too. I just cheated better.”

Lee looks up from his phone.

“Do you hear yourself sometimes, Theo?” He almost laughs.

I shrug. Probably not.

The sliding doors to the school open behind us a few feet away and I turn out of instinct to see who it is.

She spots me immediately and glares…

For a second, Ravina seems to turn towards us, like she might storm over here in her black leggings and ripped t-shirt to yell at me again. But then her friend, the one who’d stepped on my foot, grabs Ravina’s arm and drags her away practically kicking and screaming.

I hear Lee laugh and I turn to him. He’s grinning.

“Well if you don’t give her your spot, you better just stay away from her. She seems like trouble.”

He’s got a point, Ravina Dobs is definitely something else. There’s a strange part of me that wants to go over to her though. I want to put myself back in her line of fire, just to see what she’d say. Just to hear her angry little voice and her twisted argument.

I found myself wondering if Ravina was always that mad, or if she was just mad at me. I wondered what she was like when she wasn’t pissed off. I was really curious, I realised.

Wow yeah. Lee was right, she was trouble. But what can I say? I’m a self-destructive bastard.

The next day of school was Friday so everyone was generally more hyper and excited in preparation for the weekend. I was just looking forward to my last track meet on Saturday….

My friends and I left the main building after third and started heading to our usual place in the front of the school. We’d had lunch here for nearly two years. I can still see where we carved our initials into the green paint of the bench; TK, JH, LA

I turned my head and saw the line of students filing into the cafeteria. I stopped in my tracks when I saw Ravina Dobs, being led by her friend through the doors.

I hated the cafeteria. The freshman liked to hang out there and be idiots with milk cartons and sporks.

Lee and James turned around for me when they noticed I’d stopped.

“Theo?” Lee said.

“Let’s go to the cafeteria today,”

James blinked in surprise. He knew how much I despised that place.

“Seriously?” His tone was accusatory.

I shrugged, “Humor me.”

They both sighed and followed me warily through the doors.

It was crowded, and the younger students had begun their lunacy early. I paused in the doorway as my eyes scanned the despicable room for Ravina.

I didn’t see her… but I’d watched her come inside.

I had no idea why I even wanted to find her, or what I'd say if I did. I mean, I certainly wasn’t going to give her my spot. I couldn’t even if I wanted to.

There was a small shout from the corner of the room and nobody else turned to look except my friends and I…

Ravina was standing away from everything on the opposite side of the room from me, talking to a boy twice her size. Her friend was nowhere to be seen. My eyes narrowed at the conversation when the boy started pulling on her short black hair.

“Hey, isn’t that that girl?” Lee said, pointing.

The boy pulling her hair laughed loudly and I saw her trying to turn away…

Hell no!

I was already halfway over there when Ravina looked up and saw me coming. Instead of the fury I expected to see in her wide brown eyes when she looked at me, I just saw fear. Pleading… get me away from this guy.

What’s that phrase? Lesser of two evils?

“Hey!” I said.

He was taller than me, and when he saw me he turned, grinning and wrapping his arm around Ravina’s small shoulder. She tried to elbow him off but clearly he was too strong.

I glared at him. “Get away from her,”

The boy was someone I’d only seen around school a few times. He had a reputation for getting suspended so naturally I avoided him. I prefer my mistakes self-inflicted…

“Who are you, her boyfriend?” The kid laughed loudly. He was clearly high as balls-

“I said fuck off-” I pulled his arm off her and quickly pushed Ravina away from him.

She stumbled a little but caught herself. The guy just scoffed at me.

“No fun at all dude,” he mumbled, flipping me off and then winking at Ravina before finally turning away.

Freaking hell. Some people shouldn’t have been born-

I turn to Ravina.

“Are you okay? What a fucking creep-” I glare over at the kid.

I wonder if I should walk her out of here…

I look to her and she nods, pushing her hair behind her ears, her bangs getting in her eyes as she looks down nervously.

“I’m awesome,” she sighs, then she glances up at me and frowns.

I pause. Oh boy, I could tell she wanted to fight again.

“Do you expect a thank you?” She grumbles under her breath, crossing her arms in her oversized sweatshirt.

I feel a smile start to form…

“Of course not. Anybody would have come to your rescue,” I glance around the room at all the kids who totally don’t care.

Ravina pouts, “Just leave me alone.” She mutters, turning away.

No not yet, please-

Without thinking, I reach out and grab her elbow to stop her. She freezes.

“Get. The. Hell. Away.” Ravina hisses angrily.

I let go, breathing a curious sigh of relief when she doesn’t run away.

“I’m sorry. I honestly feel bad that you didn’t pass because of me,” I offer her.

I have no idea where that came from, or if it’s even true. I just want to keep talking.

Ravina’s eyes brighten suddenly.

“So you’ll give up your spot?” She uncrosses her arms.

She looked so hopeful, it almost made me begin to doubt myself. But, no. I can’t.

“No, I’m sorry.”

She huffs. “Can’t or won’t? Big difference Kim.”

“Don’t call me that please,”

She looks down, and I swear to God, I think I see her blush.

“Sorry,” she whispers.

“It’s fine, just call me Theo.”

She looks back up at me, her bangs in her eyes again. I notice her nose piercing on the left side again, something inside me whispering about how she’s too delicate for it. But then I abandon that thought as I recalled our meeting yesterday.

I suppose I might seem like a lamp-post to someone who couldn’t be taller than what? 5’4? 5’5…

Stay away from her. This is bad, you’re getting interested!

Ravina squinted her eyes at me and finally dropped her arms.

“Bye, Theo.” She pouts.

She turns and walks off, putting herself through the horrible mess of the rest of students in order to get away from me and back outside.

She was… different.

I went back over to Lee and James who were both staring wide-eyed at me.

“The hell was that?” James started.

I stuffed my hands in my pockets and went back outside.

“You were right,” I shrug. “Cafeteria was a bad idea.”