POV: Sang Sorenson
I took off after them.
If he caught her, only God knows what the idiot would get up to. He liked the chase. He liked them to fight. I knew that from personal experience. Eddie got off on the thrill of being rejected. And then he made the girl pay for rejecting him in the first place.
Karen was one of those who wasn't a follower at all. She didn't swear loyalty to anyone. She didn't particularly care about it at all.
If Rocky's followers bothered her, I didn't know about it but even if I did, it didn't matter since she explicitly told me she didn't want me protecting her.
I'd offered. She'd refused.
But now I was going to be really late to Ms. Smith's class because I have to save her from Eddie, the super idiot.
I'll admit it ticked me off. My female followers knew that if they were ever cornered by Eddie, they should text or call me or Wil asap. The second they even see Eddie near them, like seriously. The guy's an A1 creep.
I turned a corner to see Karen's hair flying out as she turned another. Eddie was hot on her heels turning the corner after her seconds later.
I huffed but picked up my speed.
On the next hall, luck was on my side.
Karen was about in the middle of the hall. Eddie was no more than a foot away from her.
But I was lucky because this hall was the one where Greg was in class...if he went to class that is.
Blame Wil. He makes sure I know as much as possible about the other 1s.
I pulled out my phone, keeping my eye on Eddie and Karen who was now backed up against yet another locker this time her eyes flicked back and forward between me and him. I quickly texted Wil "Tell Greg to step into the hall. And make it an order."
Greg hated when I "ordered" him. As a 1, he didn't have to listen to me whatsoever. It just pissed him off that I even tried it.
Wil didn't reply back but he's good and he's fast.
It was only seconds later that Greg did his weird limp-walk that he liked to call "swagger" into the hall letting the classroom door swing closed on its own. The sound was a loud SLAM carrying a sense of finality with it.
As in we need to finally get this guy under control.
Eddie's head looked from his leader to me and I smirked at his glare.
After seeing North's scowl, Eddie's glare would never get to me.
"What's going on, what the fuck do you got your nerdy boyfriend textin me for?"
I exhaled loudly. Ignoring his attitude, I calmly replied "You need to control your 2. He keeps harassing girls in this school I'll handle him myself."
1s didn't usually go after 2s; it was a kind of unspoken rule that no 1 really personally did anything to another's 2. We could set it up definitely. Like Greg setting up some of his followers to bully Wil. It was possible.
Everything has a loophole.
I didn't exploit that one, but Eddie was one of the most deserving of it that I'd seen in my entire life.
Greg grimaced. He wasn't in the mood obviously.
"I'm not dealin with this kinda shit right now. I got real shit to take care of. E, man, leave the scary bitch alone. You can have fun another time."
Eddie threw me another glare but listened to his leader and stalked off punching random lockers along the way.
Greg gave me a parting shot before he re entered his classroom. "Wonder what Rocky's gonna think of a 1 needin help to protect one of her own?"
His laugh was hoarse--probably from him smoking all of the time. I was gladder than ever when the door closed behind him.
Walking over to Karen, I placed a hand on her forearm. She was still shaking a little.
"Are you okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine. I just--man!," she responded as a little color started to come back to her face.
Now I had a real question. I knew Karen; well a little bit. She was kind of tough, kind of fun, and didn't really scare all that easy. What had her so shaky this time?
"Karen..."
She shook her head obviously knowing what I was going to say.
I said it anyway. "Karen, I know you're not that afraid of scum like Eddie. What's going on?"
She sighed realizing I wasn't letting it go.
She slid down to sit on the floor and banged her head gently against the locker before running her hand down her face. Oooh her jeans were going to need super cleaning. AW wasn't the cleaniest school on the planet.
"Sang? If I tell you something, will you promise to leave it between us? Like not even Wil can know."
I nodded.
Crouching down next to her, I put my hand on her shoulder. "Anything you say to me right now is going to remain between you and me."
"I really like this guy. Derek. He's--he's wonderful Sang. He's fun and--well anyway, the thing is.....he's one of Greg's. But he wanted to be one of Rocky's only Greg made him swear his loyalty to him and I'm not even sure why. I mean I think Derek's awesome, but he doesn't have any rank or anything like yknow Wil or Jay or Eddie do. But still Greg wouldn't give him a choice. I was talking to Eddie to see if he could get Greg to lay off Derek...."
I sighed, "And that's when he decided to just do something else."
She nodded.
"I'll figure this out. You get to class. Tell Derek to come talk to me...or Wil if he's more comfortable with him."
She nodded again though this time it was more reluctant. "I will, but he doesn't think you should be a 1 Sang. I'm sorry.. I shouldn't have put this on you when he doesnt even respect your rank."
I shook my head stopping her rambling. She was trying to keep my feelings from being hurt but Derek wasn't the first guy to feel that way and I told her so. She apologized once more before I gently smiled at her, knowing she'd feel awful for having me help her over a guy that didn't respect me whatsoever.
Would it help her if she understood the Rank Rivalries better? What if she could explain it to Derek too? That'd really make it easier on me if/when I got to talk to Derek myself.
"Being a 1 means I'm the Ruler of my own section of people. But it also means that it is my duty to protect those who have sworn their loyalty to me. It means that I look out for those who are willing to let me protect them." I paused making sure she was looking at me and paying close attention to the words coming from my mouth.
"What it does not mean is that we can force anyone to do anything. Greg and Rocky take that stuff for granted but we aren't immortal or all powerful. We're just kids who happened to be tough enough to stand up and say we're going to protect our friends. And we just got that label of being a 1 from that decision. And being a 2 doesn't give Eddie or anyone a right to be the piece of trash that he really is. All being a 2 means is that that person is next in line to be a 1. It just means that that person is the second highest ranked in that particular section. 1s and 2s simply protect those we care about. We call those people our followers because we ask that they swear loyalty to us meaning that they don't bully others who I protect. Okay?"
I could have explained more but, seriously, I was tired of talking. I was aware though that if I hadn't been in the hall still, she'd be in serious trouble right now. At least as my follower, she'd have had my number and she wouldn't have tried to talk to Eddie all by herself.
I'd just ran for this girl, now I was likely getting myself into something I shouldn't be for her and this Derek.
I didn't take offense to Derek not thinking I should be a 1. I got into a lot of fights protecting my followers. I understood that a girl as petite as I am didn't look like much of a threat and, to be honest, looking in the mirror, I wouldn't call myself a badass either. Still, I was a 1. All of those fights, all of those times I would completely miss my own classes just to make sure my own followers got to class without being harrassed...all those things added up to me earning my title. I was a 1. And I was damn proud of it.
I was done talking for now.
She nodded again and I stood straight up offering her my hand. She grasped it tight and used me as a lever to pull herself up. When she was fully upright, she gave me a beaming smile and said "I'd better get to class. Sang, thank you for everything. I know Admin doesn't care, and they usually let the others get away with anything they want but you don't misuse your rank like they do." She paused as she began walking away, and turned quickly mumbling "thank you."
I stood, leaning against the lockers and watching her walk down the hallway.
Then I remembered I was late for class and groaned as I started running.
Word Count: 1643