Forest

Chapter Thirteen

                                       Atlas

   "I've told him over and over to just leave me alone, but he keeps pushing." Stacy complains, walking with me to our last class of the day. "It's kind of sweet, how persistent he's been. Maybe he really wants to get to know me. Should I give him a chance?" She asks, clutching her backpack closer to her body as she ponders over what she wants to do. I don't know how to tell her not to go for it, that all he wants is her v-card.

    "You know what he wants, Stace, and it isn't to get to know you." I open a door, holding it open for her. I step in next. "I don't know him well enough to make assumptions, but I know the rumors and I know the people he hangs out with well enough to say that I don't think you should do it."

   We're walking through the athletic hallway to get to the music hallway. This school is just as appreciative of the arts as it is sports, which is one thing I will thank Forests parents for. Though, I'm sure they didn't do it because that's what they believe in, but because they'll get more attention from it. More students, more money, etc.

   "What rumors have you heard?" She asks, her wide brown eyes staring up at me in shock.

   "I heard that Jackson forced a girl to go down on him, filmed it too. Again, they're just-" A hand latches on to my shoulder before I can finish my sentence, slamming me into the wall. I hear Stacy gasp, falling to the ground from being caught in the cross fire. That was a mistake.

My vision blurs, my brain exists my body. I grab the person by the throat and push them into the other wall. I squeeze, closing their air duct. I don't know what's come over me, I don't know why I'm doing this. All I know is that I wish I could stop. I don't want to be violent. My breathing gets heavy, I squeeze harder.

   "Atlas! Stop!" I hear a deep voice shout at me, a hand pulling at my wrist. His voice. His hands. My breathing slows again, and my brain comes back down. My vision clears. I'm holding Jackson Anderson by the neck. Forest is to my left, pulling at my wrist, begging me to stop. I let go immediately. I turn towards him, wide eyed.

   Jade green eyes sparkle at me, they're worried for me. He cares about me. As he's calming me down, he's also distracting me, giving Jackson time to rear is fist back and slam it into my face, just short of my nose. My face snaps to the side, my cheek burning. I love it because I'm feeling something. I wait for him to hit me again, reveling in the feel of it. I let him continue to throw punches at me, one after another.

   "You have no right to be spreading lies like that, not when you're a fairy." Another punch. "You probably have a stupid crush on me, huh? Wish I was obsessed with you instead? Faggot!" I hear him yell, I smile. I'm sure I look savage. There's blood dripping down my face, I'm getting beaten, and I'm smiling.

"Jackson! Stop it, now." I don't recognize Forests voice, it's dangerously deep, like he's challenging Jackson to continue.

"What? Are you gay now too? Pathetic." Jackson spits, stoping for a minute, and looking back at his best friend. I hunch against the wall, trying to find myself. He punches me again, Forest steps forward and grabs Jackson, throwing him onto the ground.

    It all happens so fast, too fast for my dizzy brain to register. Forest is beating Jackson up now, hitting him so hard with calculated punches and kicks, I wouldn't be shocked if he killed him. Stacy is long gone, probably running to get a teacher. I slide down the wall, my ass hitting the ground. I don't move to stop him, I sit and watch the show.

   Would it be bad to say that I find this extremely attractive? His blonde hair is slick with sweat, his green eyes dark and blazing with anger. His muscles are straining in his tight shirt as he delivers punch after punch. I wouldn't mind it if he punched me like that to be completely honest.