Glass Jaw

Chapter 11 - Landon

Landon

"Hey, Atwood! Good luck tonight."

"Kick some ass, Atwood!"

"I've got money on you for tonight!"

Walking to class, I ignored every annoying person who called out to me. It always got this way during the school year. Mountainview didn't have a winning football team or anything like that. Which, unfortunately for me, meant my fights were a big event on campus.

I kept my head down, watching the pavement as I charged toward Geomorphology. It set my teeth on edge how many people watched me for no fucking reason when I was on campus. The constant unwanted attention was the worst part of fighting for me. People stared in rapture like I was a caged animal and they hoped I'd rattle the bars. Or worse, break free. Which was fucking stupid cause they really shouldn't want to see me without control.

On the top floor of the Science building, my abdomen muscles tightened when a certain energetic blonde caught my attention. Ryan stood against the wall, practically hopping from one foot to another as she pulled at her fingers. I stood back for a second, curious against my own better judgment to figure out what had her so squirrelly.

Or maybe I should say, more squirrelly than usual.

Ryan looked around the corner and then pulled back, biting her lip as the skin across her nose turned a frustrated shade of red. She looked like a little tea kettle that was about ready to blow. I knew I should just ignore it and keep walking, but after what happened with Dallas, there was a pull in my gut to make sure it wasn't serious. So, I stepped around a few students to check down the hallway of our Geomorphology class.

Sure enough, that dipshit Dallas stood right outside of our class door, holding court as a bunch of girls laughed at whatever he said. They practically blocked the damn door and it clicked why Ryan didn't want to walk over there. I would bet my last dollar he had picked his spot carefully. Guys like Dallas didn't take rejection well and he probably wanted to make Ryan see how wanted he really was.

Fuck. Leave it alone.

Leave her alone.

I gritted my teeth and forced my feet to go toward the class. This was not my problem. So, I shouldn't make it my problem. Especially after what happened the other night.

Seeing Ryan on the porch crying completely threw off my self-control. I wasn't a complete monster—contrary to popular belief—and it fucked with my head to see her looking so lost. I couldn't deny that since meeting her, I'd created an idea of Ryan in my head. Naive, breakable, and way too fucking chatty. Not to mention that sunny personality that could only come with a privileged life. People like that didn't do well around people like me. But unfortunately for her, I was the one who found her that night.

but that didn't mean I should try to be a God damned hero every time someone had any kind of problem.

Anytime she had any kind of problem. 

Just as I reached the corner where Ryan still hovered, my jaw locked. The tightness in my chest wasn't going away and I knew what my gut was telling me to do. I just didn't like it. Sticking my tongue in my cheek, I cursed under my breath and strode over to her.

"Did you print the readings for today?" I demanded as I stopped in front of her.

I made the mistake of looking directly at her face and witnessing the shock as she realized who was speaking to her. Her eyes widened as she tilted her face to look up at me. Her tongue darted across her bottom lip and my eyes shot to the wall behind her head.