Straight To You

twenty-six

I enter the school building the next morning with the intention of heading straight to my locker, as I usually do before first period. Of course, due to my amazing luck, that's not what ends up happening. Instead, I'm bombarded by a clearly frenzied Lana, rushing toward me the instant I step foot into the main hallway.

"Come on!" Lana cries, offering no explanation to her worried expression and rushed actions. My friend merely grabs my arm and begins pulling me down the hallway, crying, "You have to see this!"

"Lana!" I say once I'm over my initial shock, being dragged by my tiny blonde friend across the school. "What's going on?"

Lana only shakes her head in response to my question, blurting, "No time to explain! You'll see!"

Lana doesn't stop running and pulling me along behind her until we're practically on the other side of the school, near the gym and locker rooms. I immediately notice the crowd that's gathered around the boy's locker room door, which piques my interest. Not long after, I hear voices yelling at each other, clear despite the noise of the gathering audience. The instant I hear the voices, the blood in my veins runs cold, my heart dropping to my stomach. I don't even need to see who the voices belong to in order to know exactly what's going on.

In order to confirm my suspicions, I push through the crowd, trying for a better view. I lose Lana somewhere as I make my way to the front lines, knowing that I'm not going to like the sight awaiting me. Sure enough, my former concerns are proven correct, and I stare at the two boys in front of me with panic rising in my chest.

"You need to calm down," I hear Jack's distinct voice murmuring evenly, sounding as diplomatic as always. "You're making a scene."

"Do I look like I care?" Lucas snaps back, expression one of clear rage. If the look on his face doesn't give away his anger, then his words and the tone in which he yells them certainly do.

"I understand that you're upset, but—"

"You understand?" Lucas cuts Jack off mid-sentence, visibly seething. I've somehow managed to make it to the front line of the crowd, watching in shock as Jack and Lucas stand across from each other by the lockers, facing off. Lucas's fists are clenched as if he's prepared to hit Jack, either oblivious or ignorant to the crowd that's watching him. Jack merely appears annoyed, like there are millions of other things he'd rather being doing at the moment.

"You stole my girlfriend!" Lucas continues, getting more and more worked up by the second. "And for what? Just to get back at me? Knowing you, you probably don't even like Morgan! You're most likely just trying to sleep with her! You're such a—"

"That's enough!" Jack suddenly booms, stopping Lucas short. I can tell by the fire flaming in Jack's green eyes that he's more than outraged by what Lucas has just said, and I nervously anticipate what's going to come next.