The Second Time Around- BWWM

Chapter 12

When Kiya met Isaac- Part 3 'The first fight'

Isaac had spent all night and most of the day fantasizing about the moment that Kiya would step out of her last class of the day. In his mind, his plans were simple. He would walk over to her and give her a kiss. Nothing too heated; just a soft peck on those perfect lips while he slipped her heavy school bag from her shoulder. Next, he would take his arm and sling it over her shoulder and walk her to her locker, asking about her day as they strolled casually through the halls and out of the school. Then they would leave hand in hand as if it was the most natural thing in the world for the bookish black girl and the dirty white boy with the bad reputation to have found one another. He figured that there might be a few whispers and a few lingering stares, but it wouldn't matter as long as they were together.

That had been the fantasy that Isaac had been clinging to since he'd walked her home the previous night. Unfortunately, the reality of his life had a bad habit of getting in the way of what he wanted. All day, he'd happily avoided Shawn and his friends, his focus was firmly on making it through the day to get to Kiya. He promised Kiya that he wouldn't confront Shawn over the run-in she had with him. His first instinct to pummel Shawn into the ground for the nasty things he'd said to Kiya, but he agreed to avoid Shawn. Unfortunately, Shawn hadn't made the same promise to avoid Isaac.

When Isaac left his lunch period, he'd been cornered in a back stairwell by Shawn. He didn't have any intention of confronting Shawn over his treatment of Kiya, but he'd been pushed to the edge by his former friend's menacing comments. Just thinking of the hateful words his former friend spat at him made the bile rise in the back of his throat; and he involuntarily clenched his hand into a tight fist.

Funnily enough, the pain in his fist was what brought him back into reality. Shawn had landed a few good hits, but Isaac was propelled by his anger and his fists landed blow after blow on Shawn until the two other boys had to pull him off of Shawn who was nearly unconscious. He was terrified by the way that he'd come unhinged he shoved his hand deep into the pocket of his leather jacket to conceal the bruising and cuts on his knuckles.

He'd kept his head down for the rest of the day, and his teachers seemed uninterested in digging deeper into the new scars and bruises on the face of a notorious trouble maker like Isaac Porter. Since his return from military school, Isaac was no longer the constant source of trouble he used to be and he mostly kept quiet, still no one was particularly motivated to get involved.

Now he stood in his usual spot filled with dread and not the usual nervous anticipation that he felt while waiting for Kiya. He knew that he would be in serious trouble the moment she saw his face. There was no doubt that she would have plenty of questions for him. Answering those questions was not what he wanted to do. He kept his head low and his eyes on the ground hoping that she wouldn't notice or comment; the same way that is teachers hadn't noticed.

He considered bolting for the briefest moment. He considered what the old Isaac would have done in this situation with a flash of envy. The old Isaac would have left and never thought twice about it. As he thought of it, he realized that the old Isaac would never have been in this position. He didn't have to explain himself to anybody; especially some girl he had just started dating. Guiltily he knew that in another lifetime he would have used Kiya and thrown her to the wolves like he had so many other women before him, but his feelings for Kiya were too strong for that.

The thought of anyone else, especially someone like Shawn touching her, or even looking in her direction was enough to make him ball his hands into angry fists once more.

The pain in his knuckles screamed out and he relaxed his hands. The pain made him feel the slightest remorse for how badly he's beaten him. After all, Shawn was his friend. Even though any amateur detective could deduce that the two boys with bad blood and a set of busted up faces had gotten into it with one another, Shawn had remained tight-lipped on the the reason that his eye was swollen shut and his lip had been split. At least for now, there would be no suspension or expulsion to content with.

When the last bell of the day rung, Kiya emerged from her classroom smiling and talking with one of her classmates, Isaac had wanted to keep his head down to hide his bruises, but he couldn't deprive himself of a chance to look at her. He wanted to go to her and scoop her up into his arms, but the look she gave him kept him rooted in his spot.

Even though Isaac was the one with the busted lip and bruised eye, it was Kiya who looked like she'd been put through the ringer. Her disappointment was plain to see. Instead of taking him by the hand and proudly parading through the halls as a newly cemented pair, Kiya brushed passed him with an aggressive knock to his shoulder that threw him off kilter. He groaned surprised by how badly her shoulder bump hurt him. Surely there would be bruises there to contend with in the morning as well.

She seemed unaffected by the contact and brushed by him before stopping at her locker on the way out of the doors of the school with the speed of track star. By the time Isaac had caught up with her, he was genuinely winded, but she did not slow her stride.

"Kiya, wait up!" Isaac panted out the words. She kept her gaze fixed ahead with her hands wrapped tightly around the strap of her bookbag.

"Tell me this isn't from Shawn," Kiya dared him to lie to her or issue a denial as she swung around to face him.

She looked so disappointed and he felt shame coloring his cheeks. He didn't speak for a long time. He averted his gaze and flinched when Kiya's delicate hand came up to touch the  discolored flesh near his eye.

"I'm not afraid of him, Kiya. I couldn't let him get away with what he said," Isaac's closed his eyes to shield himself against the memories of his former friend that threatened to resurface as he leaned into her tender caress.

"I know you aren't afraid of him, Isaac! That's not the reason I asked you to stay away from him," Kiya pulled her hand away from his cheek shaking her head, "what if he calls his father and has you suspended or arrested?"

"He won't," Isaac said with much more certainty than he actually felt. Isaac knew his former friend, and he was pretty sure that Shawn wouldn't admit to anything. He would never confess to being bested; especially by someone like Isaac Porter.

"What if you would have broken your hand on his stupid head? What about your music?" She asked turning her head with a serious expression on her face.

Isaac did not intend to smile, but Kiya looked so cute when she was upset, and he couldn't help himself from smiling just a little bit. The fact that she supported his music meant a lot to him. This smile of his was clearly not the response she was after.

She narrowed her eyes and raised her voice and punctuated word with a finger pointing toward him, "You can't solve every problem with your fists, Ike. My father tried to and do that and he ended up dead in a bar fight." Kiya's voice cracked at her confession and Isaac's smile faded and he felt so small watching the tears filling her eyes.

"Baby, I'm so sorry. I didn't know," Isaac said reaching for her. He expected her to pull away, but she allowed herself to be pulled into his arms.

"What happened?" Kiya asked once she found the strength in her voice again.

Isaac explained what happened and how Shawn provoked him leaving out the gorier details. She listened still tucked into his arms.

"I'm so sorry, Ky. I should have just walked away. Honestly, my pride just wouldn't let me," Isaac actually after explaining the situation to her. He felt remorseful seeing how much his actions had affected her. He caressed her soft cheek with the rough callous of his thumb.

Being with Kiya made Isaac feel like he was more than just his bad reputation. He'd only just gotten together with her and already his temper and past threatened to ruin things. He was going to take a hard look at himself. Fighting Shawn was definitely not worth it if it threatened his relationship with Kiya.

"Does Shawn look half as bad as you?" Kiya asked with a slight smile. Taking his hand from her face and placing a delicate kiss on his sore knuckles.

"Much worse. I have wanted to sock Shawn in the mouth since I got back from military school," Isaac admitted with a note of shame. He lifted her chin again forcing her to look into his eyes, "it will not happen again. I lo-like you too much to jeopardize our relationship."

"I lo-like you too," she said not allowing his slip of the tongue to go unaddressed.

She smiled at him and he couldn't stop himself from capturing her lips in a kiss that sent her head swimming.

"Let's go home," Isaac said slipping her book bag from her shoulder and taking her by the hand.