chapter 6

I spent the whole rest of the weekend trying to figure out what I did to make Toby just leave. Maybe I was bad at sex. It was only my first time; I was sure I'd get better...or was I a slut, a man-slut? I slept with him on the first date. Did that even apply to our type of relationship?

When Monday came I hadn't slept much. My copper blond hair couldn't have looked more awful and my brown eyes showed how tired I truly was.

I only realized I hadn't done Buck's physics homework when he asked me for it. After school we had to have a "little" discussion. That meant I'd be getting beat up.

"What do you mean you didn't do it?" He had a faded purple outline around his left eye. Toby had really kicked his butt. I almost smiled thinking about Toby, but then I remembered Toby was upset with me.

"I forgot to," I said truthfully.

"Well, what if I forgot I was supposed to keep a secret for you?" He could tell them. I didn't care anymore...okay, maybe I cared a little.

"I already told everybody so it doesn't even matter!" He looked stunned. I stunned myself with that lie. I always tried to tell the truth, even to Buckley Forrest.

"You're lying."

"Am not," I said.

"I guess things have changed then, huh?" he said with a large dose of hatred. I could feel my body tremble in anticipation of what he was going to do. I was terrified and I didn't think Toby was going to be my knight in shining armor this time.

"I guess they have." He pushed me against a locker.

"You listen to me you damn fag." He was pressing into my sternum with his large hand. "I'm just gonna have to kick your ass every day until graduation...unless you don't mind helping me out."

"I'm not going to help you!"

"That's too bad." He grabbed my shirt collar and dragged me towards the pond in front of our school. It was all green and looked disgusting. Along the way he was punching me and calling me offensive names. I wished Toby would save me again.

"Buck." It was Toby! "Put him down, now." Buck didn't have a half-smile; he had an all out, toothy grin.

"You caught me off guard on Friday, but I dare you to come at me today." He jerked me by my collar. "This is between me and this bitch." He called me a bitch. I wasn't a bitch...I was Leo Lyons. I was somebody who shouldn't have to put up with living in constant fear.

"What did you call him?" he asked Buck.

"A bitch, or would you prefer pussy?" he asked. He pushed me down again.

Activities were still going on. The cross country team stopped their warm-up so they could watch. The soccer team gazed from afar. I noticed cheerleaders making their way over to the now large group around us, along with the football team.

"He didn't do anything to you," barked Toby. It didn't sound like Toby. I didn't know he could be so loud or angry. My silent bear had woken up from hibernation.

"Yeah," Buck said as he kicked me in the side. "He did."

"Don't touch him!" Toby strode over to him and punched him. I thought he said he would be ready for him today?

"Son of a bitch!" Buck yelped.

"What happened to being ready?" asked Toby, punching Buck in the chest, sending him to the ground. He jerked me up like when we bumped into each other on Thursday. "Don't *** with him again." Toby guided me to his truck as other kids laughed about how big of a punk Buck really was.