Chapter 3

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Tyler was by his locker, taking is time knowing that he'd have nothing to do afterwards. He held his breath as he heard footsteps behind him. He knew all too well who it was. What they wanted. They stopped walking and a meaty hand was placed on his shoulder, spinning him around.

"Good day, Tyler?" Toby asked, smirking at him as he applied pressure to his hold on Tyler's shoulder. 

"Fine," Tyler muttered in response. Toby's followers behind him sniggered. There was the same three guys and two girls standing behind him. The girls looked at Tyler with interest until the other three guys glared at them to stop. 

"I'm going to make it much better, 'kay?" he asked, in a teasing tone.

"What did I ever do to you?" Tyler says quietly, looking down.

"Sorry, did your say something?" Toby cupped a hand around his ear and leaned closer to Tyler.

"I said, what the fuck did I ever do to you?" Tyler tried his best to push as much authority as he could into his voice. Colin was always the one who spoke for him. That was different now and Tyler had to get used to it. 

"What you did to me? Nothing. Until now," he swung at him and Tyler ducked on instinct. Toby's fist slammed into the locker and he shouted out in pain. There was a slight dent in the locker.

"You're going to pay for that you little fuck," Toby said, clutching his fist. Two of the guys had grabbed him by the arms, making sure he couldn't run. Toby grinned and took aim, punching Tyler in the stomach with great force, twice. Tyler doubled over and coughed. Toby rubbed his fist. 

"That was just a taster," he grinned and swung again, this time hitting Tyler's lip, cutting it open. "How that feel?"

"Great." Tyler spat out blood onto the white floor. Just as Toby posed to take another hit he was interupted. 

"Toby! Step back." Mr. Jace came up the hall. The guys released Tyler's arms. "What the hell do you think you were doing?" he asked him. Toby was silent, "Yeah that's what I thought." He paused and looked at the others, "All of you go to the office, I'll be in there later." No one moved, "Jesus, move. You deaf?" They disappeared down the hall. 

"Let's get you cleaned up, yeah?" he said and brought him into the maths room. "Sit down there." He gestures towards the desk. Tyler hesitantly sat down. "So Toby just attack you, yeah?" he asked, looking through the drawers in the desk for something.

"Pretty much yeah," Tyler replied, wiping his lip. Blood smeared across his hand.

"Toby's an asshole if that helps," he said and comes over with a first aid box. 

"You know first aid?" Tyler asked.

"Very basic. Not sending you to the nurse because Valarie will make a very big deal out of a busted up lip and give you some form of pill to heal something that isn't there." He dabbed at Tyler's lip with a cloth, moistened with water out of a spare bottle Jace kept under his desk. The cloth immediately turns red. Tyler grimaced.

"Sorry, I hurt you?"

"No, I just don't like blood," Tyler said thinly. Jace nodded in understandment. 

"My sister was like that. She passed out when I sliced open my leg. Blood everywhere." Jace laughed at Tylers facial expression. "Sorry." 

It's silent. 

"How are you finding school?" he asked.

"Honestly?" Tyler replied, unsure.

"Honestly."

"It sucks," he said. Jace laughed. 

"Yeah, it does doesn't it?" he nodded and placed a clean side of the cloth over the cut. 

"Never thought I'd hear a teacher say that," Tyler said quietly and looked down. Jace moved his head back up so he could see the cut.

"Why not? We meant to be all happy about having piles of homework to actually correct each night? Or having to see this and having no power over it? I mean really, how many kids actually stop bullying because a teacher tells them to?" he tells him and dries the cut.

"You have a point," Tyler paused, "If you hate it so much why do you do it?" Jace doesn't respond. "Sorry, stupid question." 

Jace shook his head, "No. You asked, you're entitled to an answer. To be truthful my parents always wanted me to be a teacher. And when my Dad died my Mom held onto the dream of me being a teacher. For him. So I did it. For them." 

"What did you want to be?" Tyler couldn't help himself from asking.

"There really was no other choice. But photography," he paused, thoughtfully, "Any idea of what you want to do?" 

"No."

"It'll come to you at some point." The bell let out a shrill ring and Jace rolled his eyes. "You go to your next class and I'll take care of them, okay?" He stood up. "There you go, all done."

Tyler got off the table, "Thank you."

"You're welcome. You didn't really want to take pills that badly I hope," he said and walked out of the room. 

* * *

"Come on, Tyler, live a little," she told him and handed him a pill. He looked at it, contemplating it. She rolled her eyes and dropped it into his drink. She grinned, "No harm done."  She pushed the glass to Tyler's lips and forced him to drink. 

"Now let's party!" she squealed and pulled him onto the dance floor. After a bit Tyler began to feel calmer and more content. His attention was caught by a guy in the corner of the room, alone with head phones in. Tyler stopped dancing and walked over to him, grinning. 

"Tyler," he said, the guy turned down the music in his head phones and smiled back

"Colin." 

* * *

I finally updated! Hopefully some of you are still interested. Picture of Jace at the side. Thank you for reading and let me know what you think! (:

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