***Mark’s POV***
It had been a week since I had lost my virginity to Maxx. Shaw had been acting really weird and pretty much avoiding me. I hated it.
Maxx and I were doing great. I was so deeply in love with that boy, and I could tell that he truly loved me back.
I slammed my locker shut, eager to go meet up with Maxx. We were going over to hang out at Chandler’s house today.
I was slammed against the locker and I cried out in pain. I could hear Joey and Glen laughing behind me, and my face paled. They hadn’t bothered me in a little while, and I had forgotten about them what with Maxx and all.
“Hey faggot,” Joey said pleasantly, spinning me around and holding my arm roughly, his fingers digging into my skin.
“Let me go,” I begged, trying to yank my arm out of his grasp.
Joey and Glen laughed as I failed at getting away from them. Joey balled his hand into a fist and drove it into my chest. I yelped and wheezed in agony as his fist made contact with my chest and slammed me against the lockers roughly.
“What do you think Glen? Should we beat the fag right out of him?” Joey asked with a smirk.
“I think we should Joey,” Glen said and snickered.
Joey threw me to the ground roughly and I covered my head as he and Glen began to kick at me roughly. I whimpered and tried to crawl away from them, but Joey grabbed my leg and dragged me back.
He grabbed the back of my shirt and forced me to my feet. “Faggot,” he growled and spit on me before shoving towards Glen, who punched me in the back of the head.
I stumbled forward, my head pounding. Joey caught me and hit me in the face. He nailed me in the shoulder and I was driven back into the lockers.
Joey grabbed me again. “We could kill you, faggot. It’d be doing the world a favor,” he said and grinned. He punched me in the chest again, in the same spot. I cried out in pain and tried to fight Joey off of me. He was stronger than me, though, and it was no use.
“I highly suggest you let him go.”
The voice was quiet and deadly. I almost shuddered at the sound of it.
Joey slowly spun, my arm back in his rough grip. He glared at Maxx, who was standing with a fiercely calm expression on his face, hands shoved in his pockets.
Chandler had twisted Glen’s arm behind his back. Glen was struggling weakly against him, biting his lip in pain as Chandler tugged his arm up higher. Glen whimpered a little, and Chandler smirked at Joey.
“How about a trade, Joey? Glen for Mark,” he said casually, pulling Glen’s arm up even higher.
Glen gasped in pain. “You’re going to break my arm!” he cried desperately. Chandler pulled his arm up a little higher and Glen ground his teeth together in agony. “Let the faggot go!” he shrieked at Joey, his eyes pleading.
Joey glared at Maxx and Chandler in hate. He slowly released my arm and nodded at Chandler to let go of Glen. Chandler cautiously did.
Maxx beckoned me over and I began to walk towards him. Glen spun around and punched Chandler in the face as hard as he possibly could.
Chandler yelped in pain and surprise and stumbled back a little as his nose began to bleed lightly. He brought his fingers up to catch some of the blood and stared at his now stained fingers with a slightly confused frown.
“Don’t hit Chandler,” Maxx snarled dangerously, advancing at Glen with clenched fists.
Joey grabbed the back of my shirt and dragged me back over to him. “Don’t touch Glen you dirty faggot. I’ll break Mark’s nose if you do,” Joey snapped.
Maxx glanced over at us and swore. “Fine!” he cried angrily and shoved Glen at Maxx. “Now let go of Mark!”
Joey released me and nailed me in the chest again before he and Glen hurried away. I rubbed my chest gently, coughing.
Maxx came over to me and bit his lip nervously. “Are you okay Mark?” he asked, his eyes shining with concern. I slowly nodded, knowing I would have a nasty bruise there by tonight.
“Chandler, are you okay?” Maxx asked, turning to face Chandler.
“He hit me. That pussy actually hit me,” Chandler said in surprise as he used his shirt to wipe blood from his nose. It was starting to drip steadily from his nose.
“Tell us if they give you any more trouble Mark. We’ll kill them,” Maxx hissed, taking my hand in his and kissing me firmly.
“I’ll kill them anyways. Glendon freaking Carter just hit me and made my nose bleed!” Chandler said, anger coming to his face.
“Let’s just go to your house Chandler. Your shirt is going to stain if you don’t soak it or something,” Maxx said with a shrug. Chandler looked down at his shirt and pouted. “Dammit,” he grumbled and followed us out of the school.
We got in Maxx’s car and he drove us to Chandler’s house. We got out of the car and Chandler’s sister looked up at us. She smirked when she saw me and Maxx, but her eyes widened when they landed on Chandler’s bloodied shirt.
“Ariel, don’t tell mom and da-”
“MOMMY CHANDLER’S BLEEDING REAL BAD!” Ariel cried, running into the house.
“Dammit!” Chandler growled.
Maxx snickered and I smiled a little. We went into Chandler’s house and his parents came out, his dad holding Ariel. His mom gasped in horror.
“Chandler! What happened to your nose?” she asked in panic.
“I’m fine mom. Don’t worry about it,” Chandler grumbled.
“Maxx, Mark, what happened to him?” Mrs. Martin demanded.
Maxx rolled his eyes. “Some guys were trying to beat up Mark and we went to stop them. One of them decked Chandler,” Maxx explained.
“He actually hit me! Glen, of all people! God freaking dammit!” Chandler said angrily.
“Chandler! Don’t swear!” his mom said in shock. She grabbed his arm and dragged him towards the bathroom. “We’ll clean up your nose, and have a talk about your language young man. And no fighting! I don’t want you getting hurt!”
Mr. Martin watched them disappear into the bathroom and shook his head. “He’ll be okay, right? They only made his nose bleed?” he asked, concern in his voice.
Maxx and I nodded and he relaxed a little. He smiled at us. “Well, I hope you two are okay. Chandler’s a tough kid. He’ll be fine. He’s had bloody noses before. But my wife’s right; stay out of fights if you can. It’d be a shame if you kids got hurt,” he said. He carried Ariel out of the room, and Maxx and I sat on the couch together.
“They’re good people, huh?” I asked.
Maxx laughed and nodded. “Yea. Chandler’s parents are good people and good parents, but Chandler and his sister…Well, you know. Him and his sister are whores, and his sister’s only 9. How his parents don’t notice, I’ll never know.” He shook his head, amusement in his eyes.
He wrapped an arm around me and kissed me lovingly. “Are you okay Mark? And be honest with me,” he said seriously.
I shrugged. “I’m fine,” I lied with a small smile, not wanting him to know how bad my chest hurt.
Maxx grabbed my shirt and pulled it up. I bit my lip as his eyes widened in shock and complete fury. “I’ll kill Joey,” he whispered.
I looked down at my chest and my face paled a little at the disturbing bruise that was on my chest. It was violent shades of yellow, purple, black, and blue. And it was just starting out.
“He always gives you these nasty bruises. Dammit Mark! I’m never going to leave your side if this is what happens,” he growled, fixing my shirt and pulling me into his lap, hugging my tightly.
I smiled weakly at him and kissed him. “He’s always given me trouble Maxx. I’m used to it,” I said honestly. I hated it, but I was used to it.
“No. He’s not hurting you anymore. If he does, I’ll tear him apart. I swear to god I will. I love you so much Mark. I hate to see you get hurt,” he said quietly. He kissed me gently and pressed his forehead to mine. “I love you,” he breathed.
“Maxx!”
Maxx’s head snapped up and his eyes landed on Chandler curiously. Chandler beckoned him over and Maxx sighed and shifted me. He got up and kissed me, smiling at me a little. “I’ll be right back,” he promised before following Chandler.
I waited a minute before following after him quietly. I stopped outside of a room and pressed my ear to the door, hearing Chandler’s voice.
“It’s gone too far Maxx!” Chandler hissed.
“Shut up Chandler. I know what I’m doing,” Maxx said flatly.
“No. No Maxx, I don’t think you do know what you’re doing. This has to end. It’s already gone on way too long and its gotten way too far. You’re ruining everything. It has to stop now,” Chandler said, his voice cold and serious.
Maxx was silent for a moment before sighing. “You’re right. I don’t know what got into me Chandler. Game over,” he said quietly.
I could hear them shuffling towards the door and I hurried away. I went back to the couch and sat down, my mind spinning. What had they been talking about? What did Maxx mean “game over”?
Maxx smiled and sat next to me, pulling me back into his lap and kissing me deeply. “Sorry about that. So, how about some video games or something?” he offered.
Chandler nodded eagerly, a bright smile on his face. He jumped up and set up a Nintendo 64, handing us each a controller as he turned on Mario Kart.
I heard a small thump and looked down to see that one of Maxx’s dice had fallen out of his pocket. It had landed on with one little black dot staring at me.
Snake eyes.
Maxx’s conversation with his dad rushed back to me as I bent and picked up the dice. I handed it to Maxx who thanked me and shoved it back in his pocket. He kissed me as we started to play. Chandler shot him a knowing look and they both grinned as we played. Unease settled deeply in me, but I ignored it, just enjoying the time with my boyfriend.