Protector (TFP)

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴛᴇɴ -ᴀ ʀᴜᴅᴇ ᴀᴡᴀᴋᴇɴɪɴɢ-

"So? It's not like you have any proof. Even if you did, It's not like a teacher would believe a freak like you." His grin sharpened, his two friends snickering like it was the funniest joke they'd ever heard. Before Miko could strangle Vince to death, I stepped forward, fixing him with the nastiest glare I could. The bully visibly stiffened, his grin dropping as his gaze hardened.

"Wanna repeat that?" My pulse quickened as I stalked forward, fists clenched in a futile attempt to contain the anger bubbling within me. The locker-lined corridor seemed to narrow, shadows dancing ominously as I closed the distance. His friends stepped back, and Vince shot them a betrayed glare. I ignored the two, keeping my attention on the annoying ring leader as he desperately tried to keep up his tough-guy act.

"Stay out of this, Keller." He snapped, and while he tried to act unbothered, the way his voice rose in pitch gave away his growing fear. A humorless chuckle escaped me as his back hit the lockers behind him with a small thud. I stopped, the grin still on my face as I leaned closer.

"You think you can mess with my friends and get away with it?" My smile fell, the air around me growing colder. Vince's face paled, frozen as he gaped at me. Before I could say another word, a tug on my sleeve stopped me. I stared in shock as Raf gently pulled me back, a small smile rising on his lips.

"Astra don't. It's not worth it." At my silence, he nervously tugged a bit harder. "I can always remake it." He reassured me, his eyes staring desperately into my own. I paused, my expression unchanging as I glared at the bully in front of me. Finally, I adverted my gaze, my fists unclenching. My friend's pleas managed to douse the growing flames inside me, and I sighed, my face softening.

"You're right." I relented, stepping back even more. As much as I wanted to punch Vince, I knew not only would it bring me unwanted trouble, but Optimus would disapprove. Before Raf could pull me further away, I stared at Vince, and he flinched, my eyes cold.

"This is your second strike, and I promise you, I won't be as forgiving when you reach the third." With that, I allowed Vince to slink away, the boy cursing under his breath as he did so.

I hadn't realized how tense I was until the bully turned the corner, disappearing from view. Brushing off my lingering sense of anger, I kneeled, helping Raf collect the remnants of his diagram. To say it was disheartening to pick up the scattered pieces was an understatement. It was as if I could feel all the wasted time disappearing into thin air right in front of me.

"I'm sorry, Raf. I can't imagine how you must feel." I muttered, placing a piece onto the base of his project.

"It's alright," Raf sighed, trying to mask his disappointment. "It's just a project. I can always start over." I patted his shoulder, a flicker of frustration rushing through me.

"But you put so much effort into this. It's not fair that Vince can just ruin it." he only sighed, collecting the last of his destroyed project. It hurt to see his hard work so effortlessly destroyed, but a part of me couldn't help but admire his ability to keep his composure.

Much better than I can. I thought, my gaze flickering to the set of lockers. Honestly, if Raf didn't stop me, I had no idea what I would've done. Probably would've punched him. Miko scowled, her eyes dark, as she crossed her arms.

"We need to do something about Vince. He can't keep getting away with this." Raf, however, shook his head, trying to quell his friend's growing anger.

"Let's not stoop to his level, Miko. We'll figure something out, but revenge won't solve anything." Miko looked as if she was going to object, but the bell's shrill ring interrupted her. We exchanged glances, Raf still clutching the remnants of his project. The hallway began to fill with students heading to their respective classes, leaving behind the scattered debris of Raf's hard work.