I can't even tell you how great it felt to actually start getting back to normal.

It's Monday. 7 days until I'm back in the studio. Homecoming is Saturday, and I could not be more excited.

But now, I am with Josh, Abby, Carter and Sienna at Abby's locker because Connor had to meet Ben at his. I still can not drive.

"So like, Tory really is slammin?" Josh looked at the 3 of us.

"Tory is past the point of slammin." I nodded. "If I had a body like that, I would not know how to act."

"Jesus Christ!" Abby yelled.

"Babe, what?" Carter shook his head.

She pointed down the hall. "His face." She shook her head.

We all looked down the hall, and Ian was at his locker grabbing stuff out of it. And his face was still so far past the point of bruised and still stitched that it's enough conformation that Connor did much worse damage than we thought.

We all just looked at Sienna who looked like she was about to burst in to tears.

"He's back." She started shaking.

"Hey." I grabbed her face and made her look at me. "It's OK." I nodded. "You're OK."

"I can't be here." She shook her head and wiped her face.

"Hey, you can do this." Abby wrapped her arms around her.

"How." She sniffled.

"Not alone." I shook my head.

"Sie I got you." Josh nodded.

"So do I." Carter put his arm around Abby. "Nothing is gonna happen to you."

Ian closed his locker and started walking down the hall with his head down.

"Ol, Ab." She whined.

Now I don't know if he heard her voice or what, but he popped his head up and came walking right toward us. "Sien-"

He was cut off by Carter and Josh standing directly in front of her.

"Keep walking." Josh nodded.

"I just-"

"We don't care." Carter shook his head. "Keep walking."

Every step he took toward us, Carter and Josh go closer to Sienna. He walked by, they were turning to keep her completely out of his eyesight. Even when his back was turned and he was walking the rest of the way down the hall, they kept her behind their backs the whole damn time.

"Hey." I wrapped Sienna in a hug. "Go to class OK? I've gotta run to my locker, but I'll meet you outside and walk with you to second."

"I'm gonna walk to your locker with you." Josh nodded. "Carter you got them?"

"I got them." He nodded.

"Love you." I kissed Abby's cheek. "Please tell me you're scared too so I don't feel like a baby." I whispered as I hugged her.

"I'm scared as hell." She whispered. "I love you too." She kissed my cheek.

"Come on Ol." Josh grabbed my hand and walked with me to my locker.

"You're shaking." He looked down at me.

I nodded.

"You don't have any reason to be scared of him." He shook his head.

I took a deep breath as we got to my locker. I opened it and wiped my face. "I'm scared for her." I choked out.

"Ol." He sighed.

"I saw her neck that morning Josh." I shook my head.

"Hey." He wrapped his arms around me and squeezed. "What happened to her, is not your fault. It's not even hers. It's his. She tried to see the good in him. She's a good person with a huge heart. She wanted to believe he was good. There's nothing you could've done." He shook his head.

"I could've told someone about it." I pulled away.

He wiped my face. "And it wouldn't have made a difference to her. We've got Sienna. And you, and Ab. OK?" He nodded.

I nodded and reached in to my locker.

"Please tell me you have gum in this thing." Connor said as he and Ben came walking up to us. He grabbed my bag and started rummaging through it.

"Ol?" Ben gave me a look. "What's the matter?"

Connors head instantly shot up. "What happened?"

I looked up at Josh. He raised his eyebrows and I shook my head.

Because as soon as Connor finds out he's back, he's going in again, which is the last thing we need right now.

"Oh no." Connor shook his head. "None of that shit. You've got tears running down your face and you're doing that best friend un-spoken conversation thing. Right now, what's up?"

"He's gonna find out." Josh nodded.

"Not from us." I shook my head.

"Yes I am. Joshua?" Connor crossed his arms.

"The two of us can easily take you, so speak up." Ben nodded.

"Josh." I shook my head.

"Ian's back." He sighed.

There it was, the face change. The tomato faced, rip your head off and shove it up your ass face change.

"Where's Sienna?" Connor shook his head.

"Carter and Abby walked her to class." I nodded. "I'm gonna meet her outside of it to walk her to second period."

"And I'll be right there with the two of you. Ben I'll see you later." Connor handed my my bag and just walked away.

"Why would you tell him." I looked up at Josh.

"Because honestly, Connor isn't the one I'm most worried about." He shook his head.

"He's not here yet." Ben shook his head. "He's still at the doctor."

"Who." I gave them a look.

"Mason." Josh nodded.

Oh fuck me.

Mason.

Let me tell you right now, I hate going to the doctors.

Unfortunately, I had two this morning. Physical, and monthly testing even though I don't actually need it anymore because I'm in a committed relationship and no longer sleeping around.

God I can't believe I can say that still.

But right now, I'm walking in to second period, and my girls are both quiet as hell.

"What's up?"

They both shook their heads and pulled their English notebooks out.

Then Cam walked in, sat right in front of us and turned around.

He looked at Sienna. "Are you OK?"

She nodded.

"Are you sure?" He scrunched his face.

"Does everyone know." She shook her head.

"Well, no." He shook his head. "But, seeing his face this morning, and then remembering yours a few weeks ago, I kind of assumed they were connected. Knowing him that is." He pointed at me.

"What the hell are you talking about." I rolled my eyes.

He looked at Olivia. "He doesn't know?"

She shook her head.

"Doesn't know what?" I looked at them.

"Ian Holder is back after being gone for 2 weeks." Cam nodded.

I swear to god I've never gotten so hot in my life just hearing a name.

"What the hell happened." I raised my eyebrows.

"Olivia Pate, please report to the nurses office. Olivia Pate, to the nurses office." The loud speaker went off.

"Oh thank god." Olivia shot up and basically sprinted out of class.

"I know, you and I don't necessarily get along, but, if you need anything, even just someone to walk you to and from class, let me know, OK?" He looked at Sienna.

"Thanks Cam." She nodded.

He nodded and turned around.

I switched over to Olivia's chair. "Did he try."

She nodded.

"Are you good?" I raised my eyebrows.

She shook her head. "I wish I could just, tell him how much he hurt me. But I'll never get the chance to without the fear of him doing it again."

"He's never going to do it again." I shook my head.

"You guys aren't always with me Mason." She sighed.

I pursed my lips and nodded. "Meet me at my locker at Lunch, alright?"

"Why?" She shook her head.

"Just do it." I nodded.

Olivia ended up not coming back to class but didn't leave school.

And thank god Sienna actually listened, because right before lunch, Sienna and Abby were waiting at my locker.

"Why am I here?" She shook her head.

"We have something to do." I tossed my bag in my locker and looked at Abby. "I need you to do something for me."

"What?" She gave me a look.

"I need you to make sure Connor doesn't leave the cafeteria." I nodded.

"Why?" She crossed her arms.

"Because her and I are going out to the lacrosse field, and if Connor finds out he's any where near Sienna he'll really go to jail."

"Mason." Sienna shook her head.

"You said you wish you could tell him how much he hurt you. So you're going to, with me standing right there. He stands up, he's getting knocked back down. He says anything, he deals with me. You want to do it without the fear of him doing it again, well, he's not. Because you've got me."

"I've got Connor." Abby nodded. "Sie you need to do this."

"But what about when Connor finds out?" She crossed her arms.

"I'll handle Connor." I nodded.

"You two go. I'm gonna go find Josh and Carter to help a bit." Abby hugged her. "You've got this boo." She kissed her cheek and walked away.

I closed my locker and held my hand out. "Lets go get you some closure."

She took a deep breath and grabbed my hand.

I swear to god the entire way to the lacrosse field she was almost breaking my hand because of how hard she was squeezing.

We got out to the field and sure as hell, he was out on the field because I knew he wasn't about to show his face in the cafeteria.

"Stay here." I let go of her hand and left her on the side of the dug out.

She nodded and I walked out.

"Ian." I yelled.

He shot around. "What do you want Mason?" He shook his head.

"We need to talk." I nodded

"Did Sienna send you?" He raised his eyebrows.

"If you ever cared about her, you're going to be quiet and sit down." I pointed inside the dug out.

He scoffed

"Sit." I yelled.

He shook his head, but he did walk over and sit down.

I walked to the other side of the dug out and waved her out.

She walked out and he instantly perked up.

"Sienna. Hey."

"Shut up." I said through gritted teeth when she stood in front of him.

I went and stood beside her. "Look, this is how this is going to happen. She's gonna talk, and you're gonna listen." I nodded and took a few steps to the side of her to make sure I was in between them enough. I looked at her and nodded.

She took a deep breath. "I couldn't believe how lucky I was." She shook her head. "That someone like me could find someone who genuinely cared about her the way I thought you did. But it wasn't meant to be." She wiped her face. But something in her face changed. She didn't look scared anymore. She looked angry. "But whatever happened, nothing gave you the right to hit me. No excuse, no justification for the violence you put me through." She pointed at him. "You have a problem and if you don't face it you'll end up in a lot worse trouble and other girls will get hurt." She nodded. "You beat me, but you didn't break me." She shook her head.

That's my girl. The look on her face when she said all that, changed the whole time. But the last one, the last face she made, looked satisfied.

She looked at me and I nodded again.

She turned around and started walking away.

"Sienna wait." Ian stood up.

I jumped directly in front of him and I swear, we were so close that our noses were an inch from touching. "You ever see her again, you stay away from her. You never contact her again, understand?" I nodded. "You two are done. You don't talk to her, you don't touch her, you don't even say her name." I shook my head.

I pulled back, and just walked away. Sienna was stopped waiting for me.

I walked up to her and put my arm around her, basically pulling her back to the school.

"You alright?" I looked down at her.

She nodded.

"How'd it feel?" I raised my eyebrows.

She took a deep breath. "Freeing." She nodded. "I feel, light."

"Good." I nodded. "Because we need the Sienna who lights everything up back."

"Thank you." She looked up at me. "For doing that. Being there with me." She nodded. "You are a big brother."

I smiled. "You know I got you shorty. Always."

"And now, Imma get back on my bullshit. Fuck that kid." She shook her head.

"There she is." I squeezed. "There's my girl."

"But, what're you gonna say to Connor." She scrunched her face.

"OOF." I pursed my lips. "Uh. Just, make it up with Joes?"

"Worth a shot." She nodded.

Her and I headed to the cafeteria.

"Where were you two?" Connor gave us a look.

"Uh." I looked at Sienna. "You." I pointed at Connor. "Me, Ryan, Ben, and Josh, are going to take Sienna to Joe's after school." I nodded.

"Oh thanks." Abby rolled her eyes.

"You have dance. And this is a 'not all guys are assholes' dinner." I pointed at her.

"But you two are assholes." Abby nodded.

"Not as big of an asshole as her ex-boyfriend, who she just confronted on the lacrosse field." I pursed my lips and looked at Connor.

He just stared at her.

It was quiet for like a full minute.

"You did what!" He yelled.

"I told Mason in second period that I wished I could tell him how much he hurt me, but was scared I couldn't without it happening again. So, I met Mason at his locker, and he took me out to the lacrosse field. He literally stood there the entire time I said my piece. And, I've never felt stronger when I told him he didn't break me." She shook her head. "That nothing justified him putting his hands on me. I feel free of him now."

He took a deep breath and shook his head. "Bitch, you're my best friend."

She let out a small laugh. "And you're mine." She nodded.

"But stay the fuck away from him now." He nodded.

"OK." She laughed and nodded.

He looked at me. "Joe's. After school."

Connor, the girls, and I ate our lunch, then headed to next period. But Connor and I stopped at my locker first.

"You gonna suck it up and ask her yet?" I raised my eyebrows.

"Shut the fuck up." He nodded.