[Okay, second piece today! 'Nuff said. Enjoy, COMMENT (Pretty Pleases?) and...Happy Reading! ^_^]
Belinda broke down completely once she was past the door to an empty classroom. She heard the door open again and before she could turn around Keith was sweeping her into a hug, hushing her sobs. The sobs finally stopped and Belinda scrubbed the back of her hand against her eyes, trying to erase the traces of tears.
"Belinda, just ignore her," Keith murmured. Feeling her stiffen, he hastily continued. "I'm not saying she should have done that, because she really shouldn't. And she will be getting hell for it, from both me and Jack. But, just for now, let it go so we can deal with everything else, okay? Because she's not important."
"I'm sorry," Belinda mumbled for what seemed the thousandth time that morning. "She's right, I don't deserve you. I'm not saying I think you shouldn't go out with me. Because there is no way in hell I will ever say that. But...I see why she knows I don't deserve you."
"Hey, she's not right. I mean, not unless you mean you don't deserve me the same way you don't deserve the rest of this crap happening to you."
Belinda giggled, resting her head against his chest. "Just don't decide you don't need me, okay?" she said quietly. He started to protest and she looked up at him, eyes pleading. "Hear me out, please. I'm not saying you're like that, because you're not. But...I need you right now, okay? Especially with all this other crap going on."
"I'm here as long as you want me Belinda, honest," he whispered, planting a kiss on her forehead. He was about to kiss her properly when Jack burst in, making them break apart abruptly.
"Oh, hey," Jack said, going slightly red. "Um, I was just wondering if you two were okay. But, uh, I guess I'm just sort of in the way. Uh, yeah. Sorry." He turned to leave.
"Um, it's okay Jack," Belinda said, blushing again. "We were just...Keith was just...um, don't worry about it, anyway. Um, that's the bell."
She scooted off of the table scurrying for the door. Keith let her leave before grabbing his bag and turning to Jack. He knew Jack would be thinking the same thing as him long before he brought it up. In fact, it wasn't until they were in registration that Jack finally said something.
"You do know we're going to have to do something about her now that she's started in on Belinda, right? Because there is no way either of us is going to stand for that."
"Yeah," Keith agreed, getting angry now that Belinda wasn't in immediate danger of anyone bullying her. "I can't believe...I mean, I know she would do it. But...doesn't it seem a little much? Shouldn't there be something going right in her life?"
"She's got you, hasn't she? And it's not like she's got a debilitating disease and she's not missing any appendages. She just has some seriously rotten luck."
"You think I'm good for her?"
"Well duh, of course you are," Jack said, looking at him like he'd just grown a second head. "I mean, she's almost always smiling around you. I mean, she was so closed off before you came back. And now...she smiles like she means it. It's still a little sad, but if you weren't here I think she might do something drastic."
Keith thought back to Belinda's diary and shuddered. It definitely would have been disastrous if she thought she didn't have anything. He didn't look at Emma at all in registration, in case he said something he couldn't take back. No, he would wait until he and Jack could get her on her own so he could shoot his mouth off.
"Anyway, now that she has you, I should start looking for a girlfriend so we can double. It'll be fun, you know?"
The whole way up until break time, Jack and Keith kept the conversation light-hearted and easy. But when Keith saw Belinda, cornered by Emma and her cronies, he felt all of his rage rush back to him. He stalked over, knowing that Jack was right behind him.
