"Why didn't you tell me you were having family problems? I would've understood." I told Bryce who was currently cuddling in my bed drinking hot chocolate, out of my favorite mug, eating my tiny bear shaped marshmallows.

He rolled his eyes, sinking his mouth into my mug and swallowed slowly.

"Hey look, this one looks more like a dog not a bear. Looks like you just got screwed." He replied, suddenly interested in the bear shaped

marshmallows.

"Don't change the subject!"

I walked over to him, and sat down eyeing him.

He rolled his eyes once more and looked down, his fingers tapping the mug lightly.

"Why do you still care about me even after what I said...?"

If I wasn't paying attention, I would've thought he was talking to himself, but I knew clearly that he was asking me.

And the fact that his intimidating brown eyes were locked with mine didn't help the situation.

I was speechless.

My eyes broke from his, and I let out a deep breath. "I don't know.I learned that in order for people to leave you alone, you hurt them. You push them away, and we all do that Bryce, but I'm not gonna leave you. I won't." I locked eyes with him again, I didn't know how he felt about my little "speech", but he didn't laugh in my face, so it must've been good.

We kept staring at each other, until I became insecure and looked down.

"Don't ." He whispered tilting my face up with his hand, "Don't look away."

I could feel myself getting red, and he smiled.

So I changed the subject.

"Thank you for helping me back there. By the way, how did you know his name?"

He sighed, his eyes trailing around my room.

"You know, I should get home. My dad is probably waiting for me."

My eyebrows drew together, I knew the question would bother him, but I thought he'd at least answer it with one word.

'Bryson will be Bryson...Him and his secrets.I thought rolling my eyes inside my head.

But it didn't help that the next day he convinced me to skip English.

Or, at least half English since I chickened out the last few minutes of class.

Bryson was about to knock on the door,, when the bell rang, and the door burst open. Hitting him square in the face.

"Oh! Oh my gosh I am so sorry- Bryson?! Koleen?!" Miss.Pier cried.

Everybody's eyes were on us, but I didn't care.

He litteraly got hit! With the door!

"Oh my gosh! Bryce! Bryce are you alright?!" I examined his face, and his nose was bleeding. "Shit!" I cursed.

"I already marked y'all absent. No need to come back after skipping half of class!" Miss.Pier stated.

"He needs to go to the nurse."

Miss Pier rolled her eyes.

I hung one of his arm around my shoulders.

If I wasn't a lifter he would've probably been too heavy for my shoulders to support him. At this moment I was so glad I didn't just stick to running.

"Just keep your head up, and squeeze your nose." I told him, "It'll help the blood from dripping all over yourself."

Once I took him to the nurse, she gave him papertowels, and some Advil in case his head kept hurting.

We were three minutes late to our next class, and to make it worse, apparently we had to go to the principal's office for skipping.

So we waited outside his office, my legs moving anxiously every second that passed. I didn't want to get in trouble again, not when Track and Soccer were so close by, but Bryson convinced me that we could be eating ice cream instead of writing essays.

I said okay and convinced myself he was right, but part of me just wanted to spend some time with him.

"Look, my nose is still bleedin..." Bryce beamed happily examining the bloody paper towel.

"Ew, Bryce put that back in your nose, you're gonna get blood on your clothes." I insisted, putting it back in, using his hand instead of mine.

"No." He grunted struggling to not put it in.

"Yes!" I screamed fighting him to do it.

"No!" We kept fighting each other until the paper towel flew off and hit-

"Ooh, sorry Principal Stevens."

He took a deep breath, and slowly took Bryson's bloody paper towel off his face.

"I believe this is yours Mr.Anderson." He replied with an angry tone.

Bryson surprisingly took it, and put it back in his nose quietly without saying a word.

"Miss.Pares. My office." He beckoned me.

I slowly followed, my heart beating rapidly.

He sat in his big arm chair, and tapped his fingers together looking at me intimidatingly.

"So what is this?" He raised his eyebrow. "The third time you're in here?"

"Uh, I guess..."

"Do you know why you are in here?"

"Because..I...skipped English?"

"Well yes, but I'm afraid you are here because of him."

I looked at him confused, "Bryce? Are you talking about Bryson?"

"I'm afraid so. He's a bad influence on you Leen, starting this year that he came back, and you starting to hang with him, has brought you into my office getting in some kind of trouble again. And even though you're both athletes, you are the one with the potential and a future-"

"Hold up," I interrupted him, " So you're saying that because of his "bad influence" I shouldn't hang out with him?"

"Yes that's exactly what I'm trying to say, I'm glad you understood." He smiled at me reassuringly.

I sat further up in my chair, and raised my posture.

"With all do respect sir, I am very fortunate for you to be worrying about me. But you are nobody to tell me who I should, or shouldn't hang out with. All the events that lead me to get in trouble, and come to your office is all me. Because guess what, I'm finally cracking." I smiled at him reassuringly, and left him speechless.

I was confident telling him off, but my heart was beating so fast in fear, that I felt like it was gonna explode.

I sure hope he doesn't suspend, or give me a referral for that.

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