My New Addiction, Chapter 5

Something inside me caused me to lunge at my own boyfriend's wrist to prevent him from laying a hand on John. "Alex, don't! He didn't do anything!" I pleaded with him. I knew it was no use. Once Alex has started, he's going to keep going.

Alex stared at me for a moment because he and I both knew that this was the first time I've ever stopped him when he was ridiculing someone. I know that's wrong of me to let him do that, but I just didn't want to get involved. I guess that changed this time. "Babe, let go. Stay out of this. This is between me and this fucking punk." He said sternly to me as a father would. But with more curse words than a father would.

"You're wrong, Alex, this is between me and John!"

Alex ignored my cries and lightly pushed me away. He turned his attention back to the cornered, and very scared, John Gomez. "So what's the fucking deal, kid? Called my lady a what now? An ignorant little fuck?"

"Dude, I said I was sorry! You don't have to fucking murder me!" You could tell John was beyond scared. It was like he was on an episode of "Scared Straight". I assumed he smartassed his way through a bunch of situations like this, but I guess I was wrong. John glanced at me with beggar's eyes. "Jess, tell him I apologized! Tell your boyfriend to back off, please!"

"You leave her out of this, you son of a bitch!" Alex spat, shaking John against the wall. Now, I love Alex, but he had a serious anger problem occasionally, as you can see. To everyone's horror, Alex made a gesture towards John. His hand turned into a fist that he pulled back, ready to blow. I knew John couldn't handle Alex's punches if he started. Alex was way muscular and could crush a soda can into a million pieces using only his pinky. I'm not exaggerating. I've seen him do it. "I think you need to see what happens to any damn punk that calls any of my stuff anything like that!"

Stuff? I wasn't aware I was anyone's property, let alone Alex's. After this, I should teach Alex a thing or two about name calling. But before I start that fight, I need to end this one.

I glanced from John's frightened eyes to Alex's fiery ones. I took a sharp breath and rushed between them before Alex brought his fist down. He didn't know that I had forced myself in front of him. But he did know that he hurled that fist right at my cheek. I fell to the ground, holding my face in pure agony. I felt it starting to swell and bruise. Tears were forming in my eyes.

I heard Alex's worried voice. But I didn't expect him to say, "Jess? See what you made me do? I told you to stay out of this!" He didn't say he was sorry. He didn't even come close to comfort me. He blamed me. And I felt both infuriated and hurt from this scene. My mind was too wrapped around the excruciating pain in my cheek to do anything or say anything to him, though.

"Now you've done three things I wish I hadn't seen today, man." A familiar monotone voice broke into the moment.

I looked up from where I lay to see Stephen holding Alex's fist back. "One, you scared my little brother shitless. Two, you're holding Brian, one of of my best friends, back like he's a dog. And three? Oh, ho, ho, three...this one really pisses me off." He keeps his attention to Alex while pointing to me. "You hit this girl without one fuck to give about it. Let's see how you like it." 

And just as quickly as Stephen had appeared, he socked Alex right in the kisser. I watched my boyfriend (I think I should start calling him my ex-boyfriend now) fall to the ground with a single blow. I also saw campus security racing towards us. And they were mad as hell.

"Jess. You good?" Brian knelt down beside me and helped me up where I saw Stephen and John scurrying off, gesturing for us to rush over, too. "Come on, let's go." He aided me back to my feet and we both followed the Gomez brothers. We sprinted all the way to an old, faded, light blue convertible in the student parking lot. I think it was Brian's. 

Brian and John took shotgun while Stephen and I leapt into the backseat. "Punch it, man, punch it!" John urged Brian in a panicked tone. Brian swiftly put the car in reverse, slammed his foot on the gas pedal, and went back into drive to get on the main road.

I looked out the window as our school got farther and smaller as we drove away. "Wait, what the fuck, why are we skipping? We can't just play Hooky!" I bent forward to yell at Brian, who didn't seem pleased that I did so.

Stephen grabbed the back of my shirt and pulled me back to the seat. "Watch us. Now, you, sit. Good girl." He pat my head then turned his attention to the watch the world pass us outside the window before I could protest. I watched him for a moment. His face in the reflection of the window seemed so peaceful. He was thinking about something, too, but I didn't care at the time to ask. So I just looked out the window, myself, tracing the old cuts on my arm.

Then I went into blackout.