I guess this is to be expected. There was always that twinkle in her eyes when they talked. Besides, Zack was a lot cooler than me. His style, his jokes, his go with the flow attitude. Yeah right, like someone as cool as her would like someone as lame me.

As much as I wanted to shut it out. I couldn't help but compare myself to Zack. The entire walk leaving the school was just an infinite loop, reminding me why I should've seen this coming.

The thoughts only came to a halt when I saw him at the school entrance, Zack. He waved excitedly toward me with a huge grin on his face. Then a flicker of rage hit me. I forced up a huge smile on my face and started power walking toward him.

“Hey Stry—!" He stopped in mid-sentence. “Oh, this is not good,” he mumbled as he stumbled back.

When I got up close to him. I kneed him in the nuts. He flopped to the ground like a rock. "Ah! Can’t you take a joke!?" He yelped out as he curled up in a ball on the ground.

“That’s for the face paint, and oh yeah, Alexis wants you to ask her to Homecoming " I said cheerfully back to him.

“Find your humanity, Stryder! I never knew my devilish charms were this powerful! I don't want to die just yet!"

I sighed, “Get up.”

Zack slowly rose to his feet, still a bit hunched over.

“Look, I don’t plan on taking her to Homecoming. That was never the plan." He huffed.

“I know I may seem mad, but all I want is for Alexis to be happy. So don’t fight me on this one. Just take her, for me, alright? I know you like her,” I said, flashing him a small smile.

On the inside, I felt this gaping hole in my chest. I tried my best to ignore it and kept the smile on my face. I had to remind myself it wasn’t about me. It was about her happiness.

I looked him in the eye and he looked back into mine. We stared at each other for a moment. We usually had these weird staring contests whenever we disagreed on a hard topic like this.

“Fine!” he groaned in defeat. “Man, I don’t think I’ll ever win one of those.”

“Good. Now let's get out of here.”

With that, we headed out of the school grounds and started our trek down the road. Most of the walk was me chastising and threatening Zack, over the face paint he gave me this morning.

But as we were about halfway down the road to my house. We saw two Red Steel gang members darting toward us.

One was a tall, dark skinned fellow wearing a tank top and basketball shorts. He had a Red Steel beam bandanna tied on his arm. The guy was built like a tank. The guy next to him had a grey hoodie on with the hood up. He had his mouth covered with a Red Steel beam bandanna.

As they got closer, they just stopped and in front of us. The two of them looming over us.

“Hey kids, remember me?” The guy with the bandanna said, as he pulled his hood down.

Revealing a shiny bald head, and then it clicked. It was the same guy from yesterday!

Then BAM! The baldy clocked Zack in the face. I charged forward at the guy but his friend anticipated me and decked me in the face. I stumbled back and heard them running. I shook off the stinging sensation and charged after them. They were carrying Zack away into an Alley.

When I made it into the alleyway, I saw them both on top of Zack, kicking and punching him. I wasted no time and charged them both, ramming them off. I quickly stood up and turned around to check on Zack, making sure he was okay. However as I did, I was at a loss for words. Zack had gotten up, and ran away!

“That little—” Bam! One of the guys clocked me in the face again and I stumbled back.

I shook my head and regained my focus and got in my stance. It was the baldy coming at me again. I smirked at him as I kept dodging and weaving his punches, and then started counter striking him. I was beginning to overwhelm him, that's when his friend came up and sucker punched me. I couldn’t handle them both, but luckily I had an idea.

As the baldy came in close, I kicked him in the nuts with all my might. He dropped to the ground instantly with a squeal and his friend took a step back, taking out a switchblade.

“Huh, you got balls kid, but it’s over.” My heart was pounding faster and faster and I could barely think straight.

I tried calming myself down to think of a way out; I had to hurry before the other guy got up. But the only option I had was to either surrender, or fight with a chance of getting stabbed. I took a deep breath and readied myself; I was going to fight my way out.

Then, he reappeared.

Zack was at the entrance of the alley making gestures for me to come back to his end. I couldn't help but smile, that the knucklehead didn’t leave me after all!

I looked back at the guy again and had a plan now. I moved some and he lunged at me; his body stance was horrible but it took me by surprise. I moved in close and let him stab me in the shoulder. A sharp, warm stinging pain shot through my arm. I ignored it and kept with my attack and grabbed onto his arm. I turned, flipping him over my shoulder and slammed him to the ground.

I bit down on my lip as the same sharp pain shot through my arm again, I could feel my blood slowly covering my arm. I shook off the pain and bolted toward Zack. As I got closer to Zack, I could see he was holding something up in his hands. I couldn’t make it out at first, but when I got to him, it all became clear.

Zack had his hand up, holding a lit Molotov! I couldn’t even comprehend the situation anymore. I started debating if I was dreaming or not, but my heart almost pounding out of my chest answered that for me.