I practically skipped into school the next day. There was a smile painted on my face and a tune being sung. The gift that is my parents always managed to light my life up whenever they were home. There's no possible way to be in a bad mood when they're around.

They did ask a few questions about how school was going which made me squirm in my seat. I didn't have the heart to lie to them, but I didn't tell the whole truth. I exaggerated the good days and hyper-focused on this one field trip we had. They didn't find anything suspicious, but Zach's glare was on me the entire night. Luckily my parents took a page out of my book and ignored him.

While I switched my things out of my locker, someone's body heat sidled up to mine. I inhaled a sharp breath and gripped onto the locker frame in anticipation.

"Good morning Avery," a voice whispered into the shell of my ear. My skin warmed and if possible the smile on my face got wider. Sophia moved from behind me and when I turned, I saw her leaning on the locker next to mine.

She looked effortlessly beautiful today. Her hair was down and the sundress she had on fit her perfectly. I shot my eyes back up to feel less like a creep, but when her eyes met mine it only made my face heat more.

"Good morning to you too Sophia. It's so great to see you," Sophia mocked in my voice. My face went brick red, and I ducked my head in embarrassment. She laughed quietly and nudged my shoulder.

"Sorry. Good morning," I apologized, as I closed my locker. It was probably best for me to avoid eye contact, since my eyes couldn't be trusted.

I gave Sophia a small nod and turned to walk down the hallway, but Sophia grabbed my forearm and pulled me back. She made a sound of disapproval and stepped in front of me.

"Agreement still stands Avery. Unless you want to tell me the truth?" she pushed with a bold look.

Sophia's perseverance is endearing. It's one of the reasons I fell in love with her and will continue to love her. But her insistence on this subject was exhausting. There was no way for both of us to win. If I told her about Chris, she'd be unhappy. If I don't tell her about Chris, she'll continue to insist and I have a feeling that she won't be able to wait forever. I didn't want to think about what would happen then.

So I yanked my arm away and lost myself in the crowd.

I found relief in an empty hallway. I hunched over, gripping my knees as I caught my breath. I made the mistake of closing my eyes and relaxing; I should've known better by now.

When I was shoved to the ground, my elbow went first and a whimper escaped my throat. I tried to scramble away, but I was just as soon kicked onto my back. I was met with Chris' malicious eyes and savage snarl.

His foot pressed onto my throat, just enough to send my heart into panic mode.

"What are you doing hanging around Sophia?" he seethed, leaning close to my face. The action pressed his heel harder onto my neck.

"Chris," I gasped, weakly grabbing onto his shoe. "I'm not-"

Other pairs of feet appeared and kicked my hands away from him. Chris released his foot from my throat, allowing for a rush of air to fill my lungs. I heaved in as much as I could, turning on to my side and curling myself into a fetal position.

Safety was short lived because soon kicks came from all directions. There was no way to hold in every grunt and scream. The best I could do for myself was to keep myself tightly compacted to protect my ribs and head; I only had enough mental energy to remind myself of that.

When the barrage was over, I watched them walk down the hallway without another glance. Eventually, I had the energy to pull myself into the crevice between two lockers and finally breathe.

Δ

"Ms. Leon you really need to work on getting to class on time," Mrs. Travis reprimanded as I walked through the door.

I mumbled an answer that was incoherent to even myself. I pulled my hood tighter around my face and gritted my teeth with every step I took. It was hard not grabbing onto others' desks for support, but I had to keep reminding myself they'd probably add onto Chris' work if I did.

I didn't have to do much to remind myself. The pain radiating from every point of my body made sure I didn't forget.

I saw Sophia waving out of the corner of my eyes, but I ignored it and chose the furthest seat from her. I was an idiot to think he wouldn't notice. It didn't matter if he wasn't watching. There's always someone watching for him.

I love Sophia, but I can't die for her. If being seen with her means near death for me, then I'd have to do what I needed to stay away from her. Which is why when the bell rang, I walked out of the classroom alone.

And then out of the school.