The New Leathered Hunk
1234 Words
Chapter Two
Katherine stood in the middle of the hallway, frozen as she heard the whispers and gasps around her.
This was it. She'd just lost the one thing that made everyone accord her some form of respect. She'd just lost Caleb.
She stared at the spot where he had just been standing, the image of him kissing Maya burned into the back of her eyelids.
“Oh my goodness, is she crying?!" One girl asked, “she never stood a chance anyways!"
“What did she think? That Caleb would marry her after college?" Another laughed loudly and others agreed.
Just then, the bell for the first period shrieked loudly and Katherine snapped out of her stupor.
The sudden rush of students pushing past her nearly knocked her over.
She felt like she was standing in the middle of a river, and everyone was just flowing around her, uncaring that her entire world had just ended on a Tuesday morning.
She moved on autopilot, her legs heavy as she dragged herself into Calculus.
She slid into the back row, trying to keep her hair over her face to hide the blotchy red marks on her cheeks.
"Katherine? Oh my god, tell me this joke I just heard is fake."
Jane, her loud best friend slid into the seat next to her.
"I literally just heard in the bathroom that Caleb broke up with you," Jane whispered, her eyes wide. "That’s a joke, right? I mean, you guys were literally kissing by the bleachers yesterday. What the hell happened in twenty-four hours?"
Katherine didn't look up. She kept her eyes fixed on a scratch on the wooden desk, her vision blurring as a fresh wave of tears threatened to spill over.
She blinked hard, trying to swallow the lump in her throat.
"It’s not a joke," Katherine whispered, her voice sounding small and wrecked even to her own ears.
"What? Why?" Jane’s voice rose an octave, drawing a few curious looks from the front row. She lowered it quickly, leaning in closer. "Did he give you a reason? Because if he said anything about you being 'too quiet' or 'too smart' again, I swear to god—"
"He said he was tired of waiting," Katherine whispered. "He said he’s moving on to college and he doesn't want to be tied down to someone like me. And he’s already dating Maya."
Jane’s face went from shock to a deep, dangerous shade of purple. "Maya? The cheerleader who looks like she eats hairspray for breakfast? Are you kidding me?" She slammed her hand onto the desk, her expensive rings clattering. "That’s it. I’m calling my cousin. He knows people, Katherine. We can have his car crashed, or better yet, I’ll pay someone to jump him behind the gym. I’ll ruin his life. I’ll make sure his precious swimming scouts see him crying in the dirt. No one treats you like that."
"Jane, don't," Katherine begged, finally looking up. Her eyes were swimming with tears she was desperately trying to hold back. "It’s fine. I just... I just want to get through the day."
"It’s not fine!" Jane hissed. "You’re too good for this, Katherine. You’re starving yourself, you’re taking care of Leo, you’re dealing with all this human crap, and then he does this? He’s a dead man. I’m serious. I will pay someone five grand just to make sure he can't sit down for a week."
Katherine offered a weak, shaky smile, touched by the loyalty even if she didn't have the energy for revenge. "Just don't do anything, I knew it would happen one day. I never deserved him."
"He didn't deserve you, Katherine. You're amazing!” Jane let out a huff of frustration, but she reached out and squeezed Katherine’s hand. "Fine. But if I see him in the hall, I’m not promising I won't accidentally trip him into a locker."
The teacher started the lesson, but Katherine didn't hear a word.
She could see Caleb and Maya three rows down, their heads leaning together, completely unbothered by the wreckage they’d left behind.
Every time Caleb laughed, it felt like a fresh cut to her heart.
By the time the lunch bell rang, Katherine was a walking zombie. She tried to duck out of class early to avoid the rush, but as she reached her locker, she was cut off.
"Hey, Snitch."
Katherine froze.
Joey, a massive Wolf who was best friends with the boys she’d reported, was leaning against the wall. He had two of his buddies behind him rubbing their fists.
"Joey, I don't have time for this," Katherine said, her voice trembling as she tried to shove her ruined books into her bag.
"Oh, I think you do," Joey said, stepping into her space with his hulking frame. "Now that your little Wolf boyfriend isn't here to protect his human pet, things are going to change. My friends are suspended because of you. Their dads are pissed and I’m pissed."
He reached out and grabbed her by the collar of her hoodie, bunching the fabric in his fist and lifting her until she was on her tiptoes.
"Please, Joey, just let me go," she whispered, her hands clawing uselessly at his fat wrist.
"Maybe I’ll just take you to the pool and see if you can swim as well as Caleb," Joey sneered, pulling back his other fist. "Since you like running your mouth so much."
"Leave Katherine alone!” Jane snapped, "she did the right thing. Your friend broke the school rules.”
"Shut up, b***h!” Joey sneered, "I'm not talking to you, Jane. Everyone knows you're a slut and you let Sammy suck your titties in class.”
Jane went pale and looked away, going mute.
Joey smirked and turned to Katherine. "I'm talking to this goodie two shoes who thinks she's better than everyone just because she got six scholarships.”
Katherine was shaking now, clawing at his hands and she thought of the cold pool.
She had a phobia for water and she couldn't swim for s**t.
“Please, let me go."
But he didn't and he began to drag her from her locker.
“Let her go!"
A voice suddenly sounded in the rowdy room.
It must have been pretty loud because everyone stopped and turned.
The crowd of students who had gathered to watch the beatdown suddenly parted like the red sea.
A strange boy walked through the gap.
He was flanked by three other guys who looked glaringly like triplets. They were handsome and all dressed in black leather.
But the boy in the center was the one who caught Katherine's eyes. He wore a black leather jacket, and his silver eyes were fixed on Joey with a look of total, murderous boredom.
“Get your hands off her," the boy with the dark hair repeated coldly.
His voice was so loud it sounded like a fierce growl.
Joey’s grip on Katherine’s collar softened a little but he stood his ground. "Who the hell are you?" He stammered.
The new boy stepped closer, invading Joey’s personal space until their chests were almost touching. He was a couple inches taller and he made Joey look small in comparison.
"I’m the guy who’s gonna make you pick your teeth off this floor in a matter of seconds if you don't release her. Now."
- Writer
