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Sophia was uncanninly calm after I told her about 'Ethan', which worried me. It was if she knew something that I didn't, but I couldn't possibly think of what she would know that I don't in this situation.

Afterwards she drove me home. It was a comfortable silence except for the fact that she had an evil smile on her face the entire car ride, which did not ease my suspicion. I knew that it had to do with my answer, but I just couldn't figure out what.

I decided to just drop it because it was causing my mind more stress than it needed right now.

Sophia's P.O.V.

When I dropped Avery off, she gave me a few hushed words of gratitude before she walked, or should I say limped, into her house.

I could tell that she was getting beat up frequently and pretty badly. Everyone at school was too much of a homophobe to help her out, so now there was literally nothing left for me to do but go back on my promise to her.

Avery was a happy girl until she came out. Before not a lot of people knew that she was bisexual and the people that did know were her close friends, like me. In middle school we were a dynamic duo. We spent all of our free time together and told each other everything.

Things only started to get bad in freshman year.

It was pretty okay in the beginning. Avery and I were thrilled to be going to the same high school; everything was perfect. Until one day, she decided that she wanted to come out to the entire school. Of course as her friend and a naive freshman, I encouraged it. I told her it was an amazing idea and had her back about the whole situation.

So I told one person, she told another and then it spread painfully fast. At first it was only names and ugly notes in her locker. But then name calling evolved into her getting her getting her clothes stolen during gym and then tripped in the hallway. None of that really bothered her though. She was grateful to be free.

But then one day a few seniors cornered us after school while we walking to the library after school. They didn't lay a hand on me, but I'll never forget what they did to Avery.

There were dozens of punches. One of them had a baseball bat that they broke her leg with. Another one even pulled out a knife.

By the time they were finished, she was a pool of blood on the concrete. She was taken to hospital and ended up being in a coma for a week. The two seniors that attacked her got off without a single punishment dealt, because it "didn't happen on school property" and our principal was homophobic.

After she had woken up from her coma, she told me to never talk to her ever again. Made me promise. And at that time I was cowardly and terrified, so I did. We went our separate ways.

But now it was time for me to come back.

As I pulled out of the driveway, my phone beeped. I pulled it out of my purse and glanced down at it to see a text notification from Chris.

'Hey babe whr r you?' I read and slightly grimaced.

I don't know why he didn't believe in proper grammar or actually calling me by my name. It would take five extra seconds to type out the rest of his words, and two extra seconds if he was feeling wild enough to type 'Sophia' instead of 'babe'.

Chris and I's relationship was pretty strange personality wise, but we worked pretty well. He asked me out sophomore year. I was your typical shy girl and he was your jock, so of course I agreed to the date.

The first date was basically a dream come true and the next day at school, he asked me to be his girlfriend. I said yes, because he was sweet enough and thought I was pretty and since then there has never really been any reason for us to break up.

I grabbed my phone at a red light and texted back 'I was dropping of Avery Leon, you know her'

He instantaly texted back 'Yea but y wuld u be dropping her off'

I rolled my eyes and texted back 'Because someone beat the crap out of her and she can't walk home.'

'Don't you think she deserved to get beat up, I mean she's a queer'.

I glared at his text, squeezing my phone in my hand. I knew that he was a bit of homophobe, but he was never violent or volatile enough about it to where it interfered with our relationship.

'She's still a person Chris' I texted back, taking out my anger on the keypad.

'No babe she's an abomination.'

I growled softly at the text before throwing the phone into the passenger seat. I didn't want to text him back at the moment because I knew I'd say something I'd probably regret later.

As I drove, I thought about the person Avery had told me about. At first I didn't want to presume, that she was lying; maybe there was another Ethan Meyers that wasn't mine. But then she made the mistake of saying Black Town High, the school my dad worked at, and her lie was confirmed. She probably never even saw the school question coming.

I pulled into Blake Town and parked in the nearly empty parking lot. I walked into the school and the secretary gave me a small wave before unlocking the doors for me. I returned it before walking towards my destination.

I walked down the vacant hallways before coming to the math wing. All of the classrooms were empty and locked except for one.

"Hey Ethan!" I said cheerily, stepping in and closing the door behind me. He looked up at me from his book and gave me a large smile.

Ethan was my good friend and occasional math tutor when I could sit down for more than thirty minutes at a time. He was pretty shy compared to me, and one of the nicest people I had ever met.

Most importantly, he was a 5'7 and did not believe in working out, or any other physical activity. There was no possible way that he could hurt Avery.

"Hey Sophia. What are you doing here? Tutoring isn't until tomorrow." He asked, putting his book down with a small smile.

I pulled up a chair, sitting next to him at the desk.

"I need help with a little problem."

Δ

Avery's P.O.V.

I walked into school the next day, with a little less of a limp. Zach refused to let me do any homework last night until I treated my wounds. So now my ribs were wrapped, bruises were beginning to properly heal, and all of my open abrasions were bandaged.

I walked to my locker and opened it to start exchanging my books. As I started to close my locker, someone beat me to it and shoved it for me.

I instantly cringed and backed away with my head down, retreating into myself the best way possible at the moment.

"Please not today Chris." I pleaded quietly.

"What was that Avery?" A feminine voice asked from above me and I froze. Chris' voice couldn't be that high even if he tried. I slowly raised my head to find Sophia staring down at me with a perplexed facial expression and a boy our age standing next to her.

"Nothing Sophia. I have to go to class now." I rushed out trying to go past her, but she grabbed my arm making me stand in front of her. I quickly yanked my arm away and gave her a look, before averting my eyes.

"Do you know who is this is?" Sophia asked gesturing to the boy that was standing next to her. I shook my head in a silent answer and she continued.

"Well this is my math tutor. He's really nice. Super fragile, sorry no offense." She paused when the boy gave her a mild glare. She smiled at him before continuing. "The point is that he wouldn't hurt a fly." She said in a matter-of-fact voice.

"Do you know want to know his name?" She asked me kind tone, with something behind it that worried me.

I shook my head slowly, waiting for her answer.

"Well I really thought you'd know him, because his name is Ethan Meyers, you know the one who beat you up."