Fight or Flight

Chapter 26 of Banished for Love

 Devin’s Point of View

 

I stalk off down a deserted hallway lined with equipment storage rooms.

 

“Argh!” I growl in frustration and punch a hole, elbow deep, in the nearest wall. Sense returning sluggishly to my brain and realizing what a stupid move that was, I slowly retrieve my arm and brush off bits of plaster and insulation that had come from inside the wall.

 

I hated the way Kelsey could make me feel for her. I had a job to do, but I could never bring myself to go through with it. I easily could have kept Jeremy off her, let her kill that girl. Killing someone would be enough to tip her over the edge and into the hands of my father. But I couldn’t help but hate the look of cold determination that had been set on her sweet face as she choked the life out of that girl. The mere thought of it raises bile in my throat and I shake my head in an attempt to dispel the image.

 

I will forever be haunted by the horrified look on her face once she realized what she’d done. She looked so young and scared, and my weak human heart couldn’t bear to see her that way. Kelsey is no killer; it’s just not in her nature.

 

My father would kill me on the spot and take over if he found out about this. I'll do everything in my power to ensure he never finds out.

 

***

 

I never would have fought that girl, I never should have. Had Devin not egged me on, I wouldn’t have even dreamt of it. Devin had awakened something within me; something I hadn’t even known existed. I now felt an impossible to ignore compulsion to rebel.

This, of course, only makes my trust issues toward Devin flare a little brighter. I needed to do some serious digging, find out as much as possible about this guy.

Jeremy drops me off at my English class just before the bell rings. I take my seat behind Brittney silently.

 

“Hey, I just heard about the fight. I can’t believe I missed it,” Brittney whispers, prompting me to spill the details.

 

“Brit, I really can’t talk about it right now. Can we wait until later, when it isn’t so raw?” I plead.

 

“Alright, how about a slumber party tonight? There’s no school tomorrow and it’s the start of a three day weekend. You look in serious need of a girl’s night in.” I hesitate. “Come on, it will be fun,” she insists.

 

“Okay,” I reply. “Jeremy’s house or yours?”

 

A strange almost sad look crosses her face. “Jeremy’s, if you guys don’t mind,” she says.

 

“No problem,” I say with a smile.

 

A small smile lights up her face, “see you at 7.”

 

***

 

Devin’s Point of View

 

I sit in 5th hour, early getting here for once, lost in thought of how to handle the situation next. Jeremy steps into the room, glaring at me from the moment he does. I glance back at him when he takes his seat behind me.

 

“You need to stay away from Kelsey. She's too good for you and the trouble that follows you like a plague. I know you’re the one who pushed Kelsey to fight that girl,” he snaps at me.

 

“Oh?” I reply coldly.

 

“Yeah, It’s your fault she’s been beating herself up about it all morning,” he says with equal malice in his voice. That strikes a chord in my heart, but I don’t let it show.

 

“And what do you intend to do about it?” I inquire icily.

 

“Keep a closer eye on you, do everything I can to keep you away from her, I won’t let you hurt Kelsey anymore,” he replies with an edge of determination.

 

I laugh out loud. “Yeah, good luck with that.”

 

Jeremy glares at me venomously, and I almost suspect a second fight for today. I give him a grin, daring him to try something. A feral look enters his eyes and in one swift movement he upturns my desk. I tumble to the floor along with it but use the backwards momentum to somersault onto my feet.

 

“Come at me bro,” I say, gesturing with my hands for him to bring it, knowing it won’t be much of a fight with my supernatural strength.

 

A mob of students has crowded around us chanting “fight” repeatedly, making it impossible for our scrawny teacher to get through to break it up. Jeremy lands a roundhouse kick to my ribcage that actually causes me to stagger back a couple steps, proving how furious and intent he is. He steps close and claps his cupped hands against my ears, making my eardrums rupture and ring loudly.

 

My mode instantly changes to fight as I snap out my fist, faster than any human reflexes can block. I feel it connect with his nose, feel the bones breaking. Almost immediately his nose begins gushing blood. I send my foot into his ribs, hearing a few snap. Gasping for breath, he sends out a punch, which I dodge easily. My fist smashes into his eye, which begins to swell shut quickly.

 

Not even having broken a sweat, I send out one final snap kick at Jeremy’s chin. His head whips back and he crumples to the floor, out cold. The classroom goes silent. Mr. Todd finally makes his way through the startled crowd, and after one look at Jeremy, bleeding and broken on the ground, turns to call the school nurse. Casually I pick up my desk and sit down as though nothing had happened. Moments later, the nurse bursts into the room along with two hefty guys carrying a stretcher. While the class splits looks of horror between me and Jeremy, the men load him carefully onto the stretcher and whisk him away.

 

Perhaps he should have trusted his “flight” response.