Brown Eyed Boy

Back Up (Carlos POV)

I would be lying if I said I wasn't sore when I woke up the next morning. My legs felt like they were on fire as I swung them off my bed and my throwing arm wasn't far behind on the sore meter. But as I thought of Jared's face as I showed him up time and time again on the field, the soreness didn't matter anymore because it was worth it. Especially for the look of disbelief on his face when I unexpectedly charged him; that was priceless. I just hoped that all of it paid off in me making the team.

*          *          *          *          *         

Emmett, Jessie and I were eating lunch peacefully when Hurricane Jared appeared. “You have a lot of nerve,” Jared growled as he slammed his hands down on the table in front of me and glared. “You show up out of nowhere and think you can just take over. You think that you can just have my life.”

“Excuse me?” I said. “Why the hell would I want the life of a douche bag?”

“Douche bag?” he laughed with no humor. “If I'm such a douche bag then why are you trying to take everything that belongs to me? It's bad enough you took my friend and my girl, but now you take my position?”

“I honestly have no idea what you are talking about,” I answered. I had an idea of who he meant by “his girl” and anger seemed to spike in me. The only girl who I spent any time with from school was Jessie, and the fact that he had the nerve to call her his made a fire burn in me. He didn't have the right to look at her let alone try and claim her.

“I'm talking about you making quarterback,” he answered viciously. “Thanks to you, I'm stuck as running back and back up to you.”

That actually made me pause. Emmett and I were going to check the team listing after lunch, but even then I hadn't expected to find that I was actually quarterback. I could have made wide receiver and I would have been fine with it as long as I made the team and saw some actual field time. But I could tell by the look on Jared's face that he had hoped I wouldn't see any field time. And what clearly pissed him off more wasn't the fact that I was quarterback and he wasn't but the fact that he was back up to me. I couldn't hold back the smile that crossed my face at that. “I really made quarterback?” I asked, slightly to rub it in.

“Do you think I would bother wasting my breath on you otherwise?” he asked through gritted teeth.

“Yes,” Emmett, Jessie and I answered in unison. All of us except Jared laughed and his anger seemed to exude out of him, trying to smother us.

“Congrats man” Emmett said as he gave me a five.

“Thanks,” I returned, momentarily ignoring Jared. As I was about to turn back to him and tell him to leave, Jessie put her hand on my arm for my attention.

I turned to her as she said “Congratulations! I'm so happy for you.” And then she surprised me by throwing her arms around my neck and hugging me. I was so caught off guard by her sudden affection that for a few seconds I just sat there in a daze. As my brain finally registered what was happening, a smile spread across my face as I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her back. When she finally let go and looked back at me, there was an equal look of shock on her face too; she clearly hadn't planned on hugging me. Her eyes were wide and her smile showed a mix of emotions as she looked back at me and I knew the smile on my own face was one of sheer pleasure. She glanced over at Emmett before looking down at her food in front of her and when I looked over at Emmett I saw an amused look on his face.

Turning back to Jared, he didn't hold that same amused look. His look was full of anger and jealousy, which admittedly I enjoyed, and before I could even think of anything to say he just glared at me and walked away. “Aw Jessie, I think you made him jealous,” Emmett teased and I laughed.

“Shut up,” Jessie said, unable to hide her smile. “I didn't do anything.” I was prepared to reply and tease her myself when Jared caught us all off guard by turning around and grabbing Jessie; hard. Jessie gasped out in surprise as Jared pulled her up and away from our table.

“Jared, let go!” she demanded as she struggled. He ignored her and continued to drag her away as Emmett and I followed after them.

“Jared, what the hell are you doing?” Emmett said. “Just let her go.”

“What for?” Jared spun on him angrily. “For Mr. Perfect there to take her? No way. He can have my position and he can have you, but not her. She's mine.”

“Excuse me, but I'm a person,” Jessie replied angrily. “I don't belong to anyone, thank you.”

“Really?” he asked as he turned his angry eyes on her and lowered his voice. “Because that's not what Michael thought. Hell, he still owns you doesn't he?” He smirked as Jessie froze and I saw the horror fill her face. That same pain and haunted look I had seen in her eyes only days before, was back and I hated it. I could see her reliving the entire nightmare again and I hated it. That same fire I felt in me before seemed to swell throughout my body uncontrollably and the next thing I know, my fist is making contact with Jared's face.

Jared stumbled backwards, dropping his hold on Jessie and glaring at me with rage filled eyes. I barely had time to notice that Jessie had fallen to the ground with a hollow look in her eyes before Jared tackled me. I barely felt the pain shoot through my shoulder as I slammed to the ground, too filled with anger to notice. He managed to land one punch against my cheekbone and another against my rib before I punched him off of me.

“Fight!” I distantly heard someone yell as I continued to punch Jared. My hand was numb from the contact and my body felt heated, whether from my anger or from attacking him, I didn't know and I didn't care. The only thing I cared about was Jessie and the haunted look in her eyes. I hated seeing her that way, hated the pain that she went through every time she thought of that memory and hated Jared for mentioning it in the first place. He enjoyed her pain, almost as if he had a hunger for it and all I wanted to do was make it end. Make the main cause for Jessie's pain and suffering disappear so that she could be free of the nightmares.

I was so wrapped up in my own thoughts and in hurting Jared that I almost didn't notice someone grabbing on to my arm. I turned to tell them to let me go and I met Jessie's scared eyes, freezing me where I was. “Carlos please,” she pleaded and I realized that she must have said something before that I hadn't heard.

“What?” I asked in confusion, voice rough.

“Please stop,” she responded. “I'm fine. There's no reason for you to get suspended for fighting.”

“But-”

“Please,” she said again. “For me.” I don't know if it was the desperation in her voice or just the scared look on her face, but I did stop. I didn't know if the fear in her eyes was of me but I didn't want it to be. And if I got suspended or even expelled, than who else was going to stick up for her? Protect her? I know Emmett would have, but there was only so much that even he could do. I just sighed as I stared back at her and let her pull me up from the ground. The rage I felt towards Jared seemed to bury itself as I focused on Jessie and when I blinked and looked around, I noticed for the first time that people had gathered around us to watch the fight. And not too far away in the distance, the principal and two teachers approached us. Great. So much for not getting suspended.