A Lion's Will

Chapter 1 Part 3: A Newcomer Enters the Chat

“Hey, babygirl, we need to talk.” Jesse says, stepping even closer as his breath fans across my face.

I try to move away but he’s got me trapped against the lockers. I strain against his grip and his hand tightens around my wrist painfully. The pain brings back flashes of memories that have been surfacing themselves and I feel my breath hitch in my throat. Jesse chuckles and I can tell he’s saying something but my blood is pounding so loud I can’t make out the words. I take a deep breath in calming myself enough that a clear plan of escape presents itself. I rear my head back as far as it will go and then bring it down hard on Jesse’s mouth. He curses and steps away due to the shock of being headbutted. I take this opportunity to step into him and then turn and grab his arm at the same time dragging down so that his body flips over mine. His body twists through the air and lands hard on the tiled hall. I twist his arm at a painful angle and drop my knee into the middle of his shoulder blades before I lean down to his ear.

“I was fairly certain that I told you never to touch me again.” I whisper in his ear while wrenching his arm even further.

Jesse hisses in pain and I shove off of him when a teacher comes into view. He quickly right himself before turning to stare at me. The hall has cleared by now and it’s just Jesse and I in a standoff.

I cross my arms over my chest once I spy Katie, Jeremy, Duncan, and surprisingly Warren peeking around the corner of the hall to the parking lot. “This is your last warning Jesse, touch me again without my permission and next time I start breaking things.” I tell him as I breeze past.

Jesse scoffs, his mask dropping completely, “You’re mine Vanessa, and I’m not going to stop until you’re absolutely broken and accepting of that fact. No matter how long it takes.”

“Then get ready for multiple emergency room visits.” I call behind me, a slimy feeling crawling across my skin.

I catch Warren looking at my wrist where Jesse had his death grip and without looking down I can already tell that it's bruising. Katie throws her arm over my shoulder and is telling me how badass I am for flipping him over like that, but she’s a distant voice in a crowd of a thousand voices, laughing, mocking, screaming voices, and mine is among them ... .pathetic.

The drive to the field is silence with my mind swirling and anger is bubbling through me like mercury through a thermometer.

Katie touches my arm pulling me from the raging sea of memories. “Are you okay?” She asks worry covering her words.

Sam leans forward on the bench seat, “Yeah, you’re not being yourself today.”

I pull a hopefully convincing fake smile to my lips, “Yeah guys, I’m fine. I’m just a little tired.”

Sam looks at Katie and I know they aren’t convinced, “You know you can talk to us about anything right?” Katie says motioning between the three of us.

“Yeah, yeah.” I say giving a nonchalant wave as I throw the car into park and haul myself out of the seat.

“Seriously Ness.” Sam says jumping in front of me to stop me from walking any further, “You can tell us anything.”

I nod the voices fading ever so slightly, “I know guys, I know, but really I’m fine.”

Katie looks at Sam one more time and then shrugs her shoulders. They won’t press any further, which I am eternally thankful for.

We drag our softball bags out of the trunk and head towards the locker room as Jeremy bounds up to us.

“Hey you guys!”He yells, capturing Katie and I under his arms.

I look up at him, “Hey Jeremy, why so excited?”

“Yeah, did that i********: model you’ve been drooling over finally follow you back?” Katie asks a hint of dare I say jealousy littering her words.

I roll my eyes, “In his dreams.” I say, an actual smile tugging at my lips.

Jeremy clutches his chest dramatically, “That’s hurtful, girls, really hurtful. No, Coach said that if it was okay with the team Captains then Warren could be a second bat boy, so I don’t have to kill myself getting the field ready for games and making sure everything is loaded on the bus.”

Katie gives me a devious look, “Yeah, he can stay.” She says, waving her hand.

Jeremy turns to me knowing full well that I have the final say so, “I guess you can keep him.” I tell him while giving him a nonchalant wave.

Jeremy lets out a whoop and runs off to tell Warren.

I turn to Katie, “What are you plotting?” I ask her already knowing that the Cheshire smile growing on her face is trouble.

“None of your business.” She says tucking her hands behind her back as we enter the locker room in fein innocence.

I nod, “Okay, but I’m not bailing you out if you get yourself into trouble.” I warn her while we get ready for the game.

Sam huffs calling my bluff. We all burst into laughter and quickly got dressed.

Entering the bus my eyes immediately lock on Warren. He is sitting in my seat and chatting with Jeremy across the aisle. I walk up to him and raise an eyebrow.

Jeremy chuckles, “I told you man, Ness doesn’t share her seat with anyone, not even Katie.”

Warren grins up at me, giving a shrug as he stands, “It was worth a try.”

I feel my heart skip a beat and my breath catches at the sight of his grin. The voices that were once at a dull roar are now completely gone, replaced by what can only stereotypically be called butterflies when I take my seat. Katie and Sam enter soon after. Once the last freshman has filed into the back of the bus Coach Freeman pulls out the massive box of ‘Go Bags’ as he calls them and begins handing them out.

“Everyone make sure to say thank you to Wynter’s sister, Charlotte, who had the decency to drop these off earlier.” Coach says after everything is passed out.

Charlotte must have come to the field on her lunch break with the ‘Go Bags’ because I had completely forgotten to grab them off of the kitchen counter this morning. I looked over to Warren to make sure that he got one, and sure enough Charlotte had made extra’s just in case.

I guess I was still staring at him because the next thing I know Katie leans over the seat and says, “Take a picture, it’ll last longer.”

A blush creeps to my cheeks as the boys turn to see what she’s talking about. I drop my gaze and peer into the ‘Go Bag’. Charlotte put a six inch sub sandwich, condiments, a bag of chips, fruit snacks, and a fruit roll up in each of the bags.

“Take a picture of what?” Jeremy asks through a mouth full of sandwiches.

Katie giggles and slides to the edge of her seat, “Oh nothing.” She says giggling again.

The blush deepens and I sink further into my seat. Warren turns to look at Katie as well, but his eyes seem to linger on my flaming face before he does.

“Whatever it is, I’m sure it would have been interesting if Vanessa was staring.” He says giving a polite smile.

Katie giggles again, “Oh yeah it sure is interesting.”

If only this seat would open up and swallow me, I think while taking a bite of my sandwich. Katie nudges me and I turn to face her.