As Brody comes closer and closer to our table, I find myself responding to him in a very physical way.

My muscles freeze up. I realize, then, that even though I had been scared shitless of Chrissa this morning, Brody makes me feel a completely different kind of terror. Chrissa's harassment was more like bullying. It was all about exerting dominance and making me feel small.

With Brody, I'm simply paralyzed.

My pulse thumps wildly—fight-flight-fight-flight—like a deer in the headlights, but, when Brody stops in front of Alison and me, I can't even speak, let alone move my legs to get away from him.

He drawls in a menacing manner, "Hello, ladies."

Alison shoots him a dirty look. "Fuck off, Brody."

But I notice that she's tensing up, too.

Alison is taller than me but not by much, and Brody is leaps and bounds bigger than both of us combined. He didn't make the varsity basketball team for being weak or scrawny. That's for sure. Yet, his size and strength never intimidated me until now because, now, I know what he's capable of doing to me with his superior size and strength.

He demands, "What are you two bitches talking about?"

I open my mouth, but no words come out. I'm still frozen. Still useless.

Alison grumbles, "Nothing, really. I was asking Athena about our English homework."

Brody calls out her lie, "You guys aren't even in the same class, dumbass."

Alison insists again, "Go away, asswipe. We don't wanna talk to you."

He snarls, "I don't think you two should be talking to each other at all."

She challenges, "Why not?"

"Because," Brody threatens in low tones, "too much talking isn't good for anyone. I'm pretty sure Chrissa told you two to keep quiet, right?"

"Get lost."

"Make me."

Alison snaps, "Are you slow in the head or something? How many times do I need to tell you to leave us alone?" 

Brody slams his palms on our table. The loud, intimidating wham makes Alison jump. It makes me jump, too.

He leans over and laughs at our scared expressions. "I'm only gonna say this once. If I catch the two of you hanging out again, you're both gonna be sorry."

I've never really witnessed this sadistic side of Brody. As his true colors begin to show, I'm also beginning to see why he and Chrissa get along so well.

Alison murmurs, "Whatever. You're not the boss of us. Athena and I can do whatever we feel like—"

Scowling deeply, he cuts her off, "I don't fucking think—"

But Brody doesn't get to finish what he wants to say, either. He suddenly looks distracted by something. His gaze keeps darting over my head.

Then, he growls in my direction, "What the fuck do you want?"

At first, I think he's yelling at me, but, then, I sense someone else standing behind me. I glance over my shoulder. My eyes pop at the sight of dark hair and green eyes.

Jesus fuck.

It's Cruz.

When did he get here?

This guy moves like a goddamn shadow!

How long has he been standing there?

Once I get over my initial shock, however, I sense the thickening tension all around us, and it makes me nervous as hell. A miserable expression strains Alison's pretty features. The girl appears as though she wants to crawl into a hole and disappear forever.

I want to join her.

Cruz is looking at Brody like he wants to kill him.

Brody is clenching his fists. The guy looks like he's about to throw a punch.

"I want you to leave these girls alone," Cruz addresses Brody in calm, steady tones.

Brody tosses back with a sneer, "What if I don't wanna leave them alone?"

"Then," Cruz takes a few steps towards Brody, "we'll have a real fucking problem."

Brody mirrors Cruz's movements, taking a few steps towards him, too. "Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah."

Brody spits, "Wanna go again, Recker?"

Cruz smirks. "Fine by me. You're the one who ended up with the black eye last time. Not me."

Finally, I find my voice, begging desperately, "Guys, chill out. Please."

They ignore me.

The two guys are now standing inches apart from one another. A promise of violence thrums in the air. My gaze flits between the guys anxiously. Brody is stockier, bulkier, and Cruz is leaner, slightly taller. They're both insanely athletic and muscular in their own way. One of them is going to end up in the hospital if a fight breaks out.

My mind scrambles to find a way to de-escalate the situation, but, before I can even come up with a half-baked idea, Brody shoves Cruz in the chest. Cruz stumbles backwards a few steps. Then, he charges forward to shove Brody back even harder.

Fists begin to fly. From there, everything spirals out of control so quickly. I don't have time to react. I'm completely stunned and overwhelmed by the chaos unraveling all around me. Brody lands a punch on the side of Cruz's face. Cruz returns the favor by ducking down to ram his shoulder into Brody's stomach. Brody releases a grunt of pain. He pulls Cruz to the ground. They start wrestling like savages. The entire cafeteria erupts in screams and shouts. Everyone rushes over to see the fight.

I rush over, too, and try to break them up, but Alison holds me back, and I'm too much of a wreck to fight her.

Eventually, the security guard rushes over to pull the boys apart. Mr. Santos, the vice principal, appears around this time as well. Cruz and Brody get escorted like arrested felons to the front office. I try to follow them. Cruz is bleeding and all banged up, and I want to make sure that he's okay, but Mr. Santos tells me to go to class.

Guilt and worry wrack through me as I watch Cruz go.

As though Cruz can sense my eyes on him, he glances over to me, briefly, to give me a reassuring smile. As if to say that everything will be okay.

My guilt spikes even more.

This is exactly the kind of drama I had been hoping to avoid. I never wanted Cruz to fight Brody. I never wanted him to get hurt. I never wanted any of this to happen.

I feel like shit.