01-21-2016, 01:08 PM
Opening her locker, Madison startled when she saw the dead rodent hanging over her books. Its tail was stuck to the top of her locker. It took a moment to realize that it wasn't a real rat, and she yanked it down throwing it into the garbage can.
"What the hell is going on?" She wondered to herself as she yanked her books out. Nothing had appeared in her locker since the day she met Darick and Arion.
"Madison." A voice whimpered behind her.
She turned to see Brianna was covered in garbage from the cafeteria. "Bria, what happened?"
"I just walked into the gates and they dumped it on me." She tried to hold back her tears. She knew Madison would tell her to not let them see her cry.
"What the hell?" Caleb shrieked as he came down the hall.
At first Madison thought it was due to Brianna's condition that he had spoken. Upon inspecting him, she saw that he was covered in dirt and his pants were wet near the crotch.
"It's not urine. I didn't piss myself." He told them when both girls looked at the stain. "At least, it's not my urine. I'm not really sure what it is."
"What the hell is going on?" Brianna began to pick some of the garbage off her. "This hasn't happened in a few days, and it's worse then before now."
"You two should go home." Madison started to help Brianna with the garbage.
"No!" Brianna barked, "You wouldn't go home like this, and I sure as hell won't either. Besides, they probably have something in store for you… besides the rat." She added when she looked at the item in the garbage can.
"What's going on?" Caleb asked. "I just came in and they ambushed me with bags of manure and they dumped whatever this is on me." He pointed to the stain.
"They're a bunch of bullies. Darick and his friends pretty much control who gets this kind of treatment. Normally, it's the poor kids and nouveau riche. You don't fall under either of those categories… although you are less wealthy than most kids here." Brianna told him.
A thought occurred to Madison, "You're right. Darick does control this. He must have been the one to put an end to this for the past few days."
"I wonder what caused him to release the order." Brianna sighed. "I have spare clothes in my locker, but I doubt that will do me any good."
"Could it be that he was still angry after yesterday?" Caleb asked as he rubbed one of the bruises still present on his cheek.
Madison nodded, "Why did he apologize to you and act so nicely towards me then?"
"To throw you off." Brianna growled. "He probably just wanted us all comfortable enough so we wouldn't expect anything."
"I guess this means his crush on me is over." Madison shut her locker. She knew that she was nothing more than a toy to him. "It was an easy going few days at school. Oh well, let them come."
Caleb looked between the two girls, "What this stuff has happened before? You two have dealt with this for how long?"
"Since we started going here." Madison said.
"Yep, day one!" Brianna said a little to cheery. "But we never let them defeat us. We will battle on! Right, Madison?"
"Right."
Brianna looked over to Caleb and frowned, "Sorry, Caleb. We didn't mean to drag you into this. You should switch schools or something."
He snorted, "I'm not going to leave you two alone to fend for yourselves. A knight would never abandon his princess that he loved…" He looked to Madison, "or her sister."
Madison chuckled.
"We are warrior princesses! You do not fight for us, you fight beside us! Understand?" Brianna pointed her finger at him.
"Understood." Caleb said with a smile.
Madison tried to hide her embarrassment as other students in the hallway passed by them. The conversation had taken a strange turn somewhere.
"Ok, Princess Bria and Sir Caleb, we need to get to class."
The three walked down the corridor and stepped out onto the stairs that lead out of the building. As soon as all three were out a wave of water came over them. They stood in shock as five boys lowered their buckets and laughed.
"You should leave." One of them said as they walked away.
The three stood in total silence as they dripped onto the ground.
"At least, I got somewhat of a shower before class." Brianna joked, both of them looked at her with seriousness and shock in their eyes. "I was a little afraid of smelling like garbage all day. This is much better."
Both Caleb and Madison started to laugh.
"And hey I don't look like I pissed myself anymore!" Caleb added.
All three of them sat down on the stairs, while students walked passed them and laughed. The three didn't hear anything that was being said about them as they continued to laugh over their own misfortune.
Madison's laughter soon turned to anger and she jumped to her feet. She screamed out over the sea of students. "Is that all you got? Bring it!"
"Yeah! We can go on forever like this!" Brianna jumped to her feet beside her and yelled out.
"We won't be scared away!" Caleb shouted as he stood up. He grabbed both the girls by their hands. "I will escort you two to class."
"No, I'll escort you. I know the ins and outs of this school. I'll be able to hide from everyone better." Madison told him.
Caleb nodded, "Ok, but this weekend, you have to show them to me."
"I'll show you some of them now on the way to class."
He agreed with a nod, and they began the short journey to their classes. All too aware that around any corner would be another ambush. As determined as they were to stay and fight it out, they knew the other students were just as determined to make them leave.
"She was laughing." He growled.
"What? Did you think after suffering for almost two years, that one day of maltreatment would make her leave?" Arion asked.
"I'm not finished with her!" Darick barked.
"Yeah, we know." Brad yawned.
"What the fuck is that suppose to mean?"
Grady folded his hands behind his head, "It means that you still like her despite being angry with her."
"Bullshit!"
"Tell us then, what will happen if you do chase her out of here?" Arion asked. "She'll be gone and you'll never see her again. Maybe you'll be glad that you don't have to face your heartbreak for a while, but you know what will happen?"
Darick glared at him.
"You'll realize that your heartbreak never goes away, because you judged her based on Kate's words and not her own." Aries suddenly appeared behind his brother.
"I thought I told you not to come near me at school!" Darick barked.
Aries shrugged, "I just want you to know that I am going after Madison now. Since you're done with her. I knew she was just a toy to you. Arion shouldn't have so easily given her up." He put his hands in his pockets.
"Whatever, I don't care."
Aries grinned, "Good, because by this Saturday, I'll ensure that she is writhing under me. Maybe I'll invite Arion in and we'll make a twin sandwich."
Darick glared over at him, "Are you trying to piss me off?" The first period bell rang and the crowd that had once been there disappeared.
"No, just telling you what my plans are. Besides, if she is the slut that you think she is then this will only prove it. Of course, I might be able to prove it to you sooner." He chuckled, "I'll remember you while I'm doing it too. Just so you can be there in some form when I am doing to her the things that you only dreamed of."
Darick went to move towards his friend in an effort to attack.
"There's light haired girl." Brad said and pointed off into the distance.
Darick turned to watch as Madison was trying to strain out the clothes on her body. She took off her shoes and poured out some water. There was no look of anger on her face, instead a small grin. Sitting in the grass, she began to check the contents of her backpack. Luckily her backpack hadn't gotten the full brunt of the attack. There were a couple wet notebooks, but other then that it was alright.
Aries smiled at Darick, "I have to return her notebook that I borrowed from her at the hospital. I think this is a good opportunity to do so."
He walked away from the group, knowing full well that Darick would watch him like a hawk. "Go for a swim?" He asked as he approached her.
Madison had her face turned upward so the sun could dry her off. "Something like that."
Aries chuckled. "Surprised to see you here and not at the stairwell."
"No sun there." She leaned back on the grass and put her hands behind her head.
"I brought back your notebook. I hope there weren't important notes in there." He offered it back and Madison sat up to take it.
She remembered he wanted to draw in it. Opening it up, she looked at the inside cover. There was a pencil sketch of herself in a beautiful gown with her hair down. The twins stood behind her, each one kissing her cheek. She grinned, "You are such a flirt."
Aries smiled, "Do you like it?"
"Yes. Thank you. Looks like you put a lot of work into it. I'll try to keep it dry." She chuckled.
"I'm sorry." Aries told her as he wiped some hair that was stuck to her face behind her ear.
"For what?"
"I knew that Darick was going to remove the protection from you, and I didn't warn you."
"Not your fault." She laid the notebook beside her before laying down herself.
"Don't worry though, Arion and I will try to stay close by and protect you from the worse of it."
"Caleb already said that he will be our knight… well, Princess Brianna's knight, but I get protection under the sister love law, apparently." She giggled with her eyes closed to block out the sun.
Aries grinned, "Well, that will not do at all. The oldest and most beautiful princess needs a knight of her own, and here you have two knights." He laid back on the grass beside her.
"Flirt."
He smiled.
"Besides what can you do against Darick?"
"The students won't bother Arion and me, so if you are around us they will leave you alone. Why do you think the Rags hang out around me?"
Madison sighed, "I am not going to use you for protection."
"Then use us for friendship, and think of the protection as a benefit. Besides we get benefits from being your friend. My mom loves that dress and that jewelry." He rolled over onto his side and rested his head in his hand, while his elbow kept him up.
"And what would this friendship entail?"
"Everything most friendships do. Hanging out together, having fun together, making fond memories together, and just being there for each other."
"Hanging out, huh?"
Aries chuckled, "Yup, we'll find time outside of school."
Madison peeked one eye opened, "Under one circumstance."
"What?"
"You guys don't buy things for me and you don't take me places that I can't afford."
He smiled, "Deal. We'll slum our friendship then."
She hit him in the chest, "Don't say it like that!"
Aries chuckled and grabbed her hand as she pulled it away. The heated stare coming from Darick was not unnoticed by him, though Madison seemed completely unaware. With a grin on his face, he leaned in to kiss her lips. Madison immediately stood up when she realized what he was doing.
"That's not funny." She began to grab her items.
"I'm sorry." Aries grinned as he helped her gather her things. "You don't have to leave. Continue drying yourself. I won't do anything like that again. It was just a joke."
Madison frowned, "And how could that be funny?"
"There are many reasons that it could be funny." He cleared his throat and tried his best not to look over at Darick and the group. "I'll meet you on the stairs for lunch, alright?"
She sat back down on the grass and nodded, "Alright, but if you try anything again…"
He laughed, "Don't worry. Make sure you get out of here before the second bell rings."
When she nodded, he walked across the cement path to Darick and smiled. "Guess she's not as much as a slut as you thought, huh?" Aries mumbled as he came close enough for Darick to hear, then placed his hands in his pockets and walked away.
"Darick, come on. Let's go. I didn't eat breakfast." Brad said to snap his friend out of it.
"Yeah, I'm hungry too." Grady told him.
"It was planned." Darick mumbled.
"What?" Brad asked.
"She planned that with Aries. She's still trying to make me believe she's not after my money."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Arion came to stand in front of him to break Darick's concentration. "There is no way in hell that Aries would do that to you." Arion's body was shoved into the building beside them as Darick charged off towards Madison.
She was laying in the grass, her eyes closed, as she allowed the sun to dry her clothing. A small grin played on her lips, but it quickly vanished when a hand grabbed at her own and weight was applied to her body. Her eyes flashed open to see Darick's enraged face, he looked like he did the day before when he fought Brad.
"What game are you playing?" Darick screamed the question into her face as he laid on top of her.
"W-what?" Madison was surprised with the entire situation. He held both her wrists in his hands, and his body weight left her immobilized.
"What are you trying to pull?" He yelled.
"I don't know what you are talking about." Her voice spoke clearly, there was no more hesitation in it as before.
"Fucking with me? Do you think I am stupid? Seeing two others behind my back, then trying to use me too! Slut!"
Her eyes widened in fear from the anger she could clearly see on his face and hear in his voice. "What are you talking about? I'm not your girlfriend! I can see who ever I want to!" She began to speak with anger once her fear subsided. "Get off me!" She tried to pull her wrists away, then she used her hips to buck up in hopes of rolling him over.
"You planned this from the start, didn't you? Helping me in the hallway! This was all you and Aries!"
"Stop it!"
"Fine, if you want to use me, then I'll use you!" He released her hands.
Madison reached up to push him off, when she heard her shirt rip. Looking down, her blue button up shirt was torn down the center, exposing her white laced bra. "Darick, stop this!" She screamed when she realized that Darick had torn her shirt.
"Darick! Stop!" Grady voice yelled as the three boys who had been watching from the building had seen what he was doing.
Madison placed her hands on his face and tried to shove him off. Hands fell around Darick's waist and pulled him off. Another set of hands helped Madison up and arms pulled her close to the person that helped her.
Grady and Brad held Darick back. He tried to elbow them, but their angle allowed them to remain uninjured. Arion held onto Madison, hiding her exposed chest with his own.
"What the hell is the matter with you?" Arion snapped.
"A slut! That's all she is anyway! What does it matter where…"
"She's not a slut!" Arion barked, "Stop calling her that!"
"Three men, and she's not a slut?" Darick snapped back.
"You idiot!" Madison yelled. "I'm not dating you! I'm not dating Caleb! He just said he was my boyfriend so you would leave me alone! I'm dating Alan, you asshole!"
Darick's struggling ceased, "What?"
"Caleb is Brianna's boyfriend!"
Brad cocked his head to the side, "I thought café guy was?"
"No!" Madison yelled.
"I saw pictures of you with your arms wrapped around his!" Darick barked.
"The only time I held his arm was when he was walking me to work! Brianna had his other arm!" She pushed Arion away, "Get off me!" Turning around she allowed her shirt to fall open while she gathered up her items from the ground. "You're a complete ass!" She yelled at Darick, "And the rest of you are by association!" Bundling up the sides of her shirt, she forced herself to stand proudly. "Never come near me again!" With that she stepped towards Darick and slapped him as hard as she could.
Grady and Brad immediately dropped his arms and stepped back.
"You are a spoiled brat! I despise everything about you! I hope your life is miserable! I hope it's filled with all the grief you have brought me in the past few days! Never speak to me again! You make me sick!" With that she spun around and headed for her locker.
"Hey, Madison!" Arion ran up behind her.
"I don't want to talk to you either. I don't want any association with that…" She stopped when Arion pulled her in for a hug. Wrapping his arms around her shoulder, he squeezed her tightly.
"He wouldn't have done it." Arion finally said. "He does a lot of cruel things to people, but Darick would have never done that to you."
She started to cry as she clenched onto the fabric that covered his back. Her face fell to his shoulder and she allowed herself a moment to accept her fear. "You can't know for certain!" She finally said after several long moments.
"I do. I swear that I do. Darick's never even had sex before. He may not seem like it, but he is really sentimental. He's waited a long time for his first time with a woman, and he won't have anyone but one that he loves. He wouldn't dare lose his virginity to rape."
Madison's tears let up and she looked up into Arion's face, "Are you serious?"
"I am. I wouldn't lie about something like this." He sighed, "He went into a rage and when he does that, he stops thinking. But he always comes back before he does something really awful. He wouldn't have hurt you like that. He cares about you too much."
"That doesn't make up for anything…"
"I know. It's ok to hate him for it. I just wanted you to know that even though it looked like it, that wouldn't have happened. Had we been there or not, he would have stopped."
"What's going on?" Aries voice came from the distance. He had his hands in his pockets as he looked curiously at his brother's embrace with Madison.
"Darick lost his temper." Arion told him. "Seeing you talking to her really sent him over the edge."
Aries bit his bottom lip, "That wasn't my intention."
Arion nodded his head and mouthed 'I know.'
"Come on, we'll take you home." Aries grabbed the backpack off her that was slowly sliding down her arm.
"Yeah, I doubt you'll want to come back here today. No harm in taking a day off."
"Here." Aries pulled off his jersey to reveal a white shirt underneath. He opened the collar of the shirt and placed it over her head.
"Thanks." Madison said as she pulled her arms through the sleeves.
"Do you like ice cream?" Arion asked as he took one of her arms and Aries took the other.
"Why?" Madison asked.
"Let's get sundaes!" Aries chimed. It was a little out of character for him, but Madison decided he was just trying to make her feel better.
"Not today." She replied.
"Aw, don't be a spoil sport!" Arion smiled. "It'll be our treat! Besides it was Aries fault that Darick flipped out like that."
"I said no."
"I think someone needs happy kiss time!" Aries chimed.
"No! Wait, I'll go!" Madison tried not to smile as she tried to hold out her arms to keep them away.
The two laughed and each other grabbed one hand. "Let's go!" They both chimed as they headed for the front gates. Arion called his driver to come and get them as they walked. Aries brought Madison's hand to his chest and held it tightly, she knew he was trying to communicate an unspoken apology.
Darick wasn't just targeting her, but all the students who were deemed unworthy of going to his school. She didn't know if that made it better or not. The Rags were taking it well. She had skipped a class here and there to have lunch with Brianna, and had also eaten with them. Madison knew that Brianna and Caleb looked to her as their leader during this, and she couldn't show any weakness.
Her mind had been so wrapped up in school, that her trouble with Alan had been placed on hold. She was aware of the jealousy festering inside him whenever she went out with the twins, or when she spoke of them. He tried his best to not seem bothered by it, but at least he would just ask her to stop talking about it. He never forbid her from seeing them and seemed to want to trust her in her decisions and choices of friends.
As normality would have it, Brianna and Caleb waited for her outside the front gates. They both looked exhausted by the past three weeks, and Madison was almost certain that it wouldn't be long before one or both of them gave up. Even though she wanted to believe she could be strong enough by herself here, she knew that she needed them as much as they needed her.
"Cheer up!" Madison chirped in a tone that was highly unlike her.
Both tried their best to smile, but despite their willingness to please her, their own wills to fight were wavering.
"They stole my backpack." Brianna held out her empty hands as proof.
"They cut a chunk of hair off the top of my head. I have to wear this stupid cap all day until I can get it fixed." Caleb told her.
They both sighed in unison, before Caleb spoke. "Let's take the day off. Rest for our strength and fight tomorrow."
Madison patted Brianna's shoulder, "You two do that. Don't worry tomorrow things will be better."
Brianna stepped forward and laid her head on Madison's shoulder. "How much longer is this going to last?"
Madison rubbed her hand up and down her friend's arm, "Until Darick cools off, I suppose."
She sighed into her friend's shirt.
"You two go have fun today. Don't even think about school or me." Madison told Caleb.
He gave a strong nod, "You've got it, boss."
She grinned at the nickname that he had given her over the past few weeks. "Just have fun and tomorrow you'll both be refreshed."
Brianna squeezed the cloth of Madison's shirt sleeve, "Will you be alright on your own?"
"I've been through worse." It was the response that she always gave the two when they asked her how she was handling the situation.
Brianna released her shirt sleeve and stepped back. She pulled out her cell phone from her pocket and handed it to Madison. "If you need us, call Caleb's cell. I will call you between periods and during lunch."
"Bria…"
"It'll make me feel at ease, ok? Just do it." She clenched Madison's hand over the phone. "If someone calls other then Caleb's phone, just press this button to send it to voice mail." She pointed to one of the buttons on the phone.
Madison smiled and pushed the phone into her pocket, "You two have fun, alright? Don't worry about me."
The two walked passed her. Brianna briefly grabbed her hand and squeezed it, and Caleb patted her shoulder. It felt as if the two were leaving her to hold off the approaching army in some sort of self sacrifice. She grinned as she watched the two walking away. Their heads were down, but Madison knew that they had more will to fight back. She was shocked that the two had stayed the first week, and now after three they were starting to get fatigued.
Madison entered the front gate, and continued her way towards her first class. She made sure to use all the short cuts that she knew. As she walked she could hear people whispering about her, though their voices were a little high, so it was obvious she was meant to hear.
"Such an ugly girl."
"I would die if I was seen in public in such clothes."
"I heard that she sleeps with anyone for ten bucks, even other girls."
"I can't believe such a hideous girl tried to seduce Darick. Does she honestly think he would touch a monster like her?"
"She's a whore on Baker Street. I see her there all the time."
"She blew me behind the library one time after Thomas beat on her. I told her I could protect her from him and Darick. Such a loser."
Madison sighed as she made it to an empty area between two of the school's buildings. There was a large bush that blocked most people's view from the entrance, and the school wall was close to the other end. There was no reason for most students to come back here.
Leaning against the wall, she dropped her backpack at her feet and took another deep breath. Wrapping her arms around herself, she tried her best to keep her composure. The last thing she wanted was for them to see they had gotten to her. She refused to let them have the satisfaction.
"Hey." A familiar voice spoke.
Madison turned her eyes to the dark haired, tall boy with a blue baseball cap. The school insignia shown proudly on the hat. He crossed his broad arms in a way that seemed to suggest he was showing off his arm muscles. He wore a school jersey for the basketball team.
Madison swallowed as Thomas Perkins stood at her entrance. He grinned when she recognized the uncertainty and possible fear in her eyes.
"Long time, no see." He smiled before walking to the wall across from her and leaning against it.
"Do whatever you are going to do and leave me alone."
He crossed his arms again, "Everyone else is doing it for me. It takes away all my fun, besides I don't like knowing you are crying at night over anyone but me."
"I never cried over you and I've never cried over them either. You and the rest of your putrid classmates don't hold that kind of power over me, no matter what you guys do."
Thomas continued to smile, "I think that is the most you have ever said to me. You are getting a back bone and I don't care for it."
Madison glared.
He stepped forward and placed his hands on either side of her shoulders and leaned his body into her. "You have no idea how much I want to hear you scream. When Darick put a protection order out on you, it about killed me. Seeing you walk around the campus so carefree. I thought I would never get a chance to hear you cry out like I wanted you to."
She tried not to show any fear to what he was saying.
With a quick jolt, his hand reached into her hair and yanked the hair tie from the end of her braid. He tossed it behind him and quickly tussled her hair loose. "Much better. I like it when the hair sticks to a woman's lips while she screams in agony over the things I have done to her." He grinned as his nose touched her own. "There is something very seductive about it."
"Fuck you." She hissed.
Thomas was quiet for several seconds, his smile had faded. Suddenly his hand reached up to her throat and began to choke her. Madison grasped at his hands and even tried to kick him in the groin, but he placed his legs between hers.
"Leave her alone!" A voice yelled.
Thomas looked at the person yelling at him to find the three boys from Rags. He seemed to debate the situation for a moment before her released Madison and stepped back. "You get away this time."
Madison fell to her knees on the grass and tried to catch her breath. Charles walked over to her and patted her back gently. "Are you alright? Do you need to go to the nurse's office?"
She shook her head and grabbed her backpack along with her hair tie. Before the others could say anything she ran away and towards the girl's bathroom.
He hadn't spoken about her since that day three weeks ago. It was obvious that he was still thinking about the situation. Arion and Aries couldn't decide if he didn't want to see her because he was trying to forget, or if he didn't want to see what the bullying was doing to her.
"We should skip the rest of school and go out to eat." Brad said and the group stopped walking near the fish pond. "I'll buy."
"No." Darick rejected the idea before the others had a chance to agree.
"Come on. We haven't done anything but sit around in that room for three weeks." Brad groaned, even though he and Grady had gone to several clubs.
Arion and Aries watched over their leader most of the time, except at school where Aries wasn't allowed to go near him. The times that Brad and Grady were around, the two would sneak off to visit Madison. The more she seemed to be dealing with the problems that arose, the less Darick seemed to be in control of himself.
"You knew her for like four days." Grady said.
It had been a taboo subject to bring her up during the first week as Darick would fly into a rage. They hadn't discussed her since he gave Brad a black eye, but Grady was willing to approach the subject again.
Darick glared up at him.
"She doesn't like you. Get the fuck over it and stop acting like you lost your one true love." Grady shrugged, "There are other girls."
Brad and Arion didn't want any part of this conversation and kept their distance.
"It would be wise if you shut your mouth." Darick growled.
"What did you expect of her? To come running back to you and begging you to stop this. Asking for your forgiveness. In case you hadn't noticed, she's just as stubborn as you are. I figured that one out when I first met her."
Darick walked over to a bench and threw the backpack he was carrying to the ground. Sitting down he closed his eyes and sighed loudly.
His three friends looked among each other, but didn't say anything as they waited for Darick. He seemed to be thinking, and the three didn't want to disturb any decisions that he was making.
"Where is Kate?" Darick suddenly asked.
"She won't be coming around for a while." Grady answered.
Darick said nothing only nodded his head slightly and kept his eyes closed.
Arion nudged Grady, and he looked in the direction that his friend was staring. Madison came marching up to the group of them. She didn't say a word, only walked up to Darick and a clipping noise was heard. Grabbing the backpack on the bench, she walked over to the fish pond and dumped out all of it's contents.
"What the fuck?" Darick yelled as he jumped up.
Madison flicked the clump of hair she had cut off his head at him, then tossed the scissors into the water. Darick came at her, and before he could get a hold of her he felt a pain in his groin.
"The hair is for Caleb's! The backpack for Brianna's backpack! The kick to the crotch for Thomas almost raping me!" Madison yelled as Darick held his hands over his groin. "Everything your lackeys do unto my friends and me, I will come and do them unto you!" With that, she spun around and walked away in the direction that she had come.
The three boys behind Darick stood in total shock as they watched her storm off. Darick finally collected himself and stood up. He was trying to decide if he wanted to chase after her or make a plan of revenge. He touched the top of his head after a moment, and found a large piece to be missing.
"Bitch!" He growled.
His friends tried not to laugh at his obvious shock and uncertainty, it was rare to see Darick in such a state.
"That was gutsy." Brad finally said as he walked up next to Darick.
Arion chuckled and put his hands in his pockets, "Most definitely something I would not have expected."
Grady said nothing only began to fish some of the papers and the backpack out of the pond.
"Should we tell her that was Brianna's backpack? That you rescued it for her?" Arion asked.
"No, let her have this victory. It won't last long." Darick growled and spun around, walking away in the opposite direction that Madison had left.
"I don't like that look." Arion said to Brad as they watched him walk away.
Brad shook his head, "Light haired girl just declared war on him. I hope he doesn't do anything stupid."
"We are talking about Darick here." Arion sighed. "We better hope that he doesn't do anything to destroy his relationship with her."
Brad caught his shoulder before he walked away, "Let him."
"Huh?"
Grady answered, "Let him mess up. Let him destroy it. He has to learn eventually. Besides they don't have a future anyway. So, let him do whatever he wants."
"But…"
Brad shook his head, "I know you like her, and you can protect her all you want behind Darick's back. Just don't do it in front of him and don't try to stop him. We aren't going to be able to teach him how to win her over. It's something he has to learn himself. Light haired girl is just a trainer girl for when a decent one comes his way. Let him fuck up, so later when the real girl comes, he'll know how to behave."
Arion swallowed, "Doesn't sound right."
"Hey, if she can handle Darick at his worst, then maybe she is the right one for him." Grady added. "Now, help me dig this crap out of the pond."
The three took off their shoes and rolled their pants up to their knees. Searching around the pond, they collected most of the floating items, and several items that had fallen to the bottom.
"What are we going to tell dark haired girl?" Brad asked.
"Say we found it in the pond." Grady shrugged, "She'll think it was those guys that took it from her. No need to cause more problems for Madison. Darick will have that angle covered, I'm certain."
Brad nodded. He looked over at Arion, who was watching where Darick had disappeared to. "Don't worry. She can take care of herself."
Arion nodded and returned to finding Brianna's items.
"What the hell is going on?" She wondered to herself as she yanked her books out. Nothing had appeared in her locker since the day she met Darick and Arion.
"Madison." A voice whimpered behind her.
She turned to see Brianna was covered in garbage from the cafeteria. "Bria, what happened?"
"I just walked into the gates and they dumped it on me." She tried to hold back her tears. She knew Madison would tell her to not let them see her cry.
"What the hell?" Caleb shrieked as he came down the hall.
At first Madison thought it was due to Brianna's condition that he had spoken. Upon inspecting him, she saw that he was covered in dirt and his pants were wet near the crotch.
"It's not urine. I didn't piss myself." He told them when both girls looked at the stain. "At least, it's not my urine. I'm not really sure what it is."
"What the hell is going on?" Brianna began to pick some of the garbage off her. "This hasn't happened in a few days, and it's worse then before now."
"You two should go home." Madison started to help Brianna with the garbage.
"No!" Brianna barked, "You wouldn't go home like this, and I sure as hell won't either. Besides, they probably have something in store for you… besides the rat." She added when she looked at the item in the garbage can.
"What's going on?" Caleb asked. "I just came in and they ambushed me with bags of manure and they dumped whatever this is on me." He pointed to the stain.
"They're a bunch of bullies. Darick and his friends pretty much control who gets this kind of treatment. Normally, it's the poor kids and nouveau riche. You don't fall under either of those categories… although you are less wealthy than most kids here." Brianna told him.
A thought occurred to Madison, "You're right. Darick does control this. He must have been the one to put an end to this for the past few days."
"I wonder what caused him to release the order." Brianna sighed. "I have spare clothes in my locker, but I doubt that will do me any good."
"Could it be that he was still angry after yesterday?" Caleb asked as he rubbed one of the bruises still present on his cheek.
Madison nodded, "Why did he apologize to you and act so nicely towards me then?"
"To throw you off." Brianna growled. "He probably just wanted us all comfortable enough so we wouldn't expect anything."
"I guess this means his crush on me is over." Madison shut her locker. She knew that she was nothing more than a toy to him. "It was an easy going few days at school. Oh well, let them come."
Caleb looked between the two girls, "What this stuff has happened before? You two have dealt with this for how long?"
"Since we started going here." Madison said.
"Yep, day one!" Brianna said a little to cheery. "But we never let them defeat us. We will battle on! Right, Madison?"
"Right."
Brianna looked over to Caleb and frowned, "Sorry, Caleb. We didn't mean to drag you into this. You should switch schools or something."
He snorted, "I'm not going to leave you two alone to fend for yourselves. A knight would never abandon his princess that he loved…" He looked to Madison, "or her sister."
Madison chuckled.
"We are warrior princesses! You do not fight for us, you fight beside us! Understand?" Brianna pointed her finger at him.
"Understood." Caleb said with a smile.
Madison tried to hide her embarrassment as other students in the hallway passed by them. The conversation had taken a strange turn somewhere.
"Ok, Princess Bria and Sir Caleb, we need to get to class."
The three walked down the corridor and stepped out onto the stairs that lead out of the building. As soon as all three were out a wave of water came over them. They stood in shock as five boys lowered their buckets and laughed.
"You should leave." One of them said as they walked away.
The three stood in total silence as they dripped onto the ground.
"At least, I got somewhat of a shower before class." Brianna joked, both of them looked at her with seriousness and shock in their eyes. "I was a little afraid of smelling like garbage all day. This is much better."
Both Caleb and Madison started to laugh.
"And hey I don't look like I pissed myself anymore!" Caleb added.
All three of them sat down on the stairs, while students walked passed them and laughed. The three didn't hear anything that was being said about them as they continued to laugh over their own misfortune.
Madison's laughter soon turned to anger and she jumped to her feet. She screamed out over the sea of students. "Is that all you got? Bring it!"
"Yeah! We can go on forever like this!" Brianna jumped to her feet beside her and yelled out.
"We won't be scared away!" Caleb shouted as he stood up. He grabbed both the girls by their hands. "I will escort you two to class."
"No, I'll escort you. I know the ins and outs of this school. I'll be able to hide from everyone better." Madison told him.
Caleb nodded, "Ok, but this weekend, you have to show them to me."
"I'll show you some of them now on the way to class."
He agreed with a nod, and they began the short journey to their classes. All too aware that around any corner would be another ambush. As determined as they were to stay and fight it out, they knew the other students were just as determined to make them leave.
---***---
Darick watched Madison's display from the distance. The other three stood near by and had seen her go from shock to laughter to anger in a matter of moments. He leaned against the wall of the building and glared over at his friends."She was laughing." He growled.
"What? Did you think after suffering for almost two years, that one day of maltreatment would make her leave?" Arion asked.
"I'm not finished with her!" Darick barked.
"Yeah, we know." Brad yawned.
"What the fuck is that suppose to mean?"
Grady folded his hands behind his head, "It means that you still like her despite being angry with her."
"Bullshit!"
"Tell us then, what will happen if you do chase her out of here?" Arion asked. "She'll be gone and you'll never see her again. Maybe you'll be glad that you don't have to face your heartbreak for a while, but you know what will happen?"
Darick glared at him.
"You'll realize that your heartbreak never goes away, because you judged her based on Kate's words and not her own." Aries suddenly appeared behind his brother.
"I thought I told you not to come near me at school!" Darick barked.
Aries shrugged, "I just want you to know that I am going after Madison now. Since you're done with her. I knew she was just a toy to you. Arion shouldn't have so easily given her up." He put his hands in his pockets.
"Whatever, I don't care."
Aries grinned, "Good, because by this Saturday, I'll ensure that she is writhing under me. Maybe I'll invite Arion in and we'll make a twin sandwich."
Darick glared over at him, "Are you trying to piss me off?" The first period bell rang and the crowd that had once been there disappeared.
"No, just telling you what my plans are. Besides, if she is the slut that you think she is then this will only prove it. Of course, I might be able to prove it to you sooner." He chuckled, "I'll remember you while I'm doing it too. Just so you can be there in some form when I am doing to her the things that you only dreamed of."
Darick went to move towards his friend in an effort to attack.
"There's light haired girl." Brad said and pointed off into the distance.
Darick turned to watch as Madison was trying to strain out the clothes on her body. She took off her shoes and poured out some water. There was no look of anger on her face, instead a small grin. Sitting in the grass, she began to check the contents of her backpack. Luckily her backpack hadn't gotten the full brunt of the attack. There were a couple wet notebooks, but other then that it was alright.
Aries smiled at Darick, "I have to return her notebook that I borrowed from her at the hospital. I think this is a good opportunity to do so."
He walked away from the group, knowing full well that Darick would watch him like a hawk. "Go for a swim?" He asked as he approached her.
Madison had her face turned upward so the sun could dry her off. "Something like that."
Aries chuckled. "Surprised to see you here and not at the stairwell."
"No sun there." She leaned back on the grass and put her hands behind her head.
"I brought back your notebook. I hope there weren't important notes in there." He offered it back and Madison sat up to take it.
She remembered he wanted to draw in it. Opening it up, she looked at the inside cover. There was a pencil sketch of herself in a beautiful gown with her hair down. The twins stood behind her, each one kissing her cheek. She grinned, "You are such a flirt."
Aries smiled, "Do you like it?"
"Yes. Thank you. Looks like you put a lot of work into it. I'll try to keep it dry." She chuckled.
"I'm sorry." Aries told her as he wiped some hair that was stuck to her face behind her ear.
"For what?"
"I knew that Darick was going to remove the protection from you, and I didn't warn you."
"Not your fault." She laid the notebook beside her before laying down herself.
"Don't worry though, Arion and I will try to stay close by and protect you from the worse of it."
"Caleb already said that he will be our knight… well, Princess Brianna's knight, but I get protection under the sister love law, apparently." She giggled with her eyes closed to block out the sun.
Aries grinned, "Well, that will not do at all. The oldest and most beautiful princess needs a knight of her own, and here you have two knights." He laid back on the grass beside her.
"Flirt."
He smiled.
"Besides what can you do against Darick?"
"The students won't bother Arion and me, so if you are around us they will leave you alone. Why do you think the Rags hang out around me?"
Madison sighed, "I am not going to use you for protection."
"Then use us for friendship, and think of the protection as a benefit. Besides we get benefits from being your friend. My mom loves that dress and that jewelry." He rolled over onto his side and rested his head in his hand, while his elbow kept him up.
"And what would this friendship entail?"
"Everything most friendships do. Hanging out together, having fun together, making fond memories together, and just being there for each other."
"Hanging out, huh?"
Aries chuckled, "Yup, we'll find time outside of school."
Madison peeked one eye opened, "Under one circumstance."
"What?"
"You guys don't buy things for me and you don't take me places that I can't afford."
He smiled, "Deal. We'll slum our friendship then."
She hit him in the chest, "Don't say it like that!"
Aries chuckled and grabbed her hand as she pulled it away. The heated stare coming from Darick was not unnoticed by him, though Madison seemed completely unaware. With a grin on his face, he leaned in to kiss her lips. Madison immediately stood up when she realized what he was doing.
"That's not funny." She began to grab her items.
"I'm sorry." Aries grinned as he helped her gather her things. "You don't have to leave. Continue drying yourself. I won't do anything like that again. It was just a joke."
Madison frowned, "And how could that be funny?"
"There are many reasons that it could be funny." He cleared his throat and tried his best not to look over at Darick and the group. "I'll meet you on the stairs for lunch, alright?"
She sat back down on the grass and nodded, "Alright, but if you try anything again…"
He laughed, "Don't worry. Make sure you get out of here before the second bell rings."
When she nodded, he walked across the cement path to Darick and smiled. "Guess she's not as much as a slut as you thought, huh?" Aries mumbled as he came close enough for Darick to hear, then placed his hands in his pockets and walked away.
---***---
Darick's frown deepened as he watched the girl in the distance. His three friends could see that he was working something out in his mind, and they knew that it was never good when he fixated himself on something."Darick, come on. Let's go. I didn't eat breakfast." Brad said to snap his friend out of it.
"Yeah, I'm hungry too." Grady told him.
"It was planned." Darick mumbled.
"What?" Brad asked.
"She planned that with Aries. She's still trying to make me believe she's not after my money."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Arion came to stand in front of him to break Darick's concentration. "There is no way in hell that Aries would do that to you." Arion's body was shoved into the building beside them as Darick charged off towards Madison.
She was laying in the grass, her eyes closed, as she allowed the sun to dry her clothing. A small grin played on her lips, but it quickly vanished when a hand grabbed at her own and weight was applied to her body. Her eyes flashed open to see Darick's enraged face, he looked like he did the day before when he fought Brad.
"What game are you playing?" Darick screamed the question into her face as he laid on top of her.
"W-what?" Madison was surprised with the entire situation. He held both her wrists in his hands, and his body weight left her immobilized.
"What are you trying to pull?" He yelled.
"I don't know what you are talking about." Her voice spoke clearly, there was no more hesitation in it as before.
"Fucking with me? Do you think I am stupid? Seeing two others behind my back, then trying to use me too! Slut!"
Her eyes widened in fear from the anger she could clearly see on his face and hear in his voice. "What are you talking about? I'm not your girlfriend! I can see who ever I want to!" She began to speak with anger once her fear subsided. "Get off me!" She tried to pull her wrists away, then she used her hips to buck up in hopes of rolling him over.
"You planned this from the start, didn't you? Helping me in the hallway! This was all you and Aries!"
"Stop it!"
"Fine, if you want to use me, then I'll use you!" He released her hands.
Madison reached up to push him off, when she heard her shirt rip. Looking down, her blue button up shirt was torn down the center, exposing her white laced bra. "Darick, stop this!" She screamed when she realized that Darick had torn her shirt.
"Darick! Stop!" Grady voice yelled as the three boys who had been watching from the building had seen what he was doing.
Madison placed her hands on his face and tried to shove him off. Hands fell around Darick's waist and pulled him off. Another set of hands helped Madison up and arms pulled her close to the person that helped her.
Grady and Brad held Darick back. He tried to elbow them, but their angle allowed them to remain uninjured. Arion held onto Madison, hiding her exposed chest with his own.
"What the hell is the matter with you?" Arion snapped.
"A slut! That's all she is anyway! What does it matter where…"
"She's not a slut!" Arion barked, "Stop calling her that!"
"Three men, and she's not a slut?" Darick snapped back.
"You idiot!" Madison yelled. "I'm not dating you! I'm not dating Caleb! He just said he was my boyfriend so you would leave me alone! I'm dating Alan, you asshole!"
Darick's struggling ceased, "What?"
"Caleb is Brianna's boyfriend!"
Brad cocked his head to the side, "I thought café guy was?"
"No!" Madison yelled.
"I saw pictures of you with your arms wrapped around his!" Darick barked.
"The only time I held his arm was when he was walking me to work! Brianna had his other arm!" She pushed Arion away, "Get off me!" Turning around she allowed her shirt to fall open while she gathered up her items from the ground. "You're a complete ass!" She yelled at Darick, "And the rest of you are by association!" Bundling up the sides of her shirt, she forced herself to stand proudly. "Never come near me again!" With that she stepped towards Darick and slapped him as hard as she could.
Grady and Brad immediately dropped his arms and stepped back.
"You are a spoiled brat! I despise everything about you! I hope your life is miserable! I hope it's filled with all the grief you have brought me in the past few days! Never speak to me again! You make me sick!" With that she spun around and headed for her locker.
"Hey, Madison!" Arion ran up behind her.
"I don't want to talk to you either. I don't want any association with that…" She stopped when Arion pulled her in for a hug. Wrapping his arms around her shoulder, he squeezed her tightly.
"He wouldn't have done it." Arion finally said. "He does a lot of cruel things to people, but Darick would have never done that to you."
She started to cry as she clenched onto the fabric that covered his back. Her face fell to his shoulder and she allowed herself a moment to accept her fear. "You can't know for certain!" She finally said after several long moments.
"I do. I swear that I do. Darick's never even had sex before. He may not seem like it, but he is really sentimental. He's waited a long time for his first time with a woman, and he won't have anyone but one that he loves. He wouldn't dare lose his virginity to rape."
Madison's tears let up and she looked up into Arion's face, "Are you serious?"
"I am. I wouldn't lie about something like this." He sighed, "He went into a rage and when he does that, he stops thinking. But he always comes back before he does something really awful. He wouldn't have hurt you like that. He cares about you too much."
"That doesn't make up for anything…"
"I know. It's ok to hate him for it. I just wanted you to know that even though it looked like it, that wouldn't have happened. Had we been there or not, he would have stopped."
"What's going on?" Aries voice came from the distance. He had his hands in his pockets as he looked curiously at his brother's embrace with Madison.
"Darick lost his temper." Arion told him. "Seeing you talking to her really sent him over the edge."
Aries bit his bottom lip, "That wasn't my intention."
Arion nodded his head and mouthed 'I know.'
"Come on, we'll take you home." Aries grabbed the backpack off her that was slowly sliding down her arm.
"Yeah, I doubt you'll want to come back here today. No harm in taking a day off."
"Here." Aries pulled off his jersey to reveal a white shirt underneath. He opened the collar of the shirt and placed it over her head.
"Thanks." Madison said as she pulled her arms through the sleeves.
"Do you like ice cream?" Arion asked as he took one of her arms and Aries took the other.
"Why?" Madison asked.
"Let's get sundaes!" Aries chimed. It was a little out of character for him, but Madison decided he was just trying to make her feel better.
"Not today." She replied.
"Aw, don't be a spoil sport!" Arion smiled. "It'll be our treat! Besides it was Aries fault that Darick flipped out like that."
"I said no."
"I think someone needs happy kiss time!" Aries chimed.
"No! Wait, I'll go!" Madison tried not to smile as she tried to hold out her arms to keep them away.
The two laughed and each other grabbed one hand. "Let's go!" They both chimed as they headed for the front gates. Arion called his driver to come and get them as they walked. Aries brought Madison's hand to his chest and held it tightly, she knew he was trying to communicate an unspoken apology.
---***---
Three weeks of violence and humiliation past like a blur. Even though Arion and Aries tried to always be there for her, they couldn't be with her all the time. Brianna and Caleb were also taking on their fair share of the burden. However, Madison realized that it wasn't only the three of them that were receiving such negative attention. All students who had been bullied in the past were receiving it in full force.Darick wasn't just targeting her, but all the students who were deemed unworthy of going to his school. She didn't know if that made it better or not. The Rags were taking it well. She had skipped a class here and there to have lunch with Brianna, and had also eaten with them. Madison knew that Brianna and Caleb looked to her as their leader during this, and she couldn't show any weakness.
Her mind had been so wrapped up in school, that her trouble with Alan had been placed on hold. She was aware of the jealousy festering inside him whenever she went out with the twins, or when she spoke of them. He tried his best to not seem bothered by it, but at least he would just ask her to stop talking about it. He never forbid her from seeing them and seemed to want to trust her in her decisions and choices of friends.
As normality would have it, Brianna and Caleb waited for her outside the front gates. They both looked exhausted by the past three weeks, and Madison was almost certain that it wouldn't be long before one or both of them gave up. Even though she wanted to believe she could be strong enough by herself here, she knew that she needed them as much as they needed her.
"Cheer up!" Madison chirped in a tone that was highly unlike her.
Both tried their best to smile, but despite their willingness to please her, their own wills to fight were wavering.
"They stole my backpack." Brianna held out her empty hands as proof.
"They cut a chunk of hair off the top of my head. I have to wear this stupid cap all day until I can get it fixed." Caleb told her.
They both sighed in unison, before Caleb spoke. "Let's take the day off. Rest for our strength and fight tomorrow."
Madison patted Brianna's shoulder, "You two do that. Don't worry tomorrow things will be better."
Brianna stepped forward and laid her head on Madison's shoulder. "How much longer is this going to last?"
Madison rubbed her hand up and down her friend's arm, "Until Darick cools off, I suppose."
She sighed into her friend's shirt.
"You two go have fun today. Don't even think about school or me." Madison told Caleb.
He gave a strong nod, "You've got it, boss."
She grinned at the nickname that he had given her over the past few weeks. "Just have fun and tomorrow you'll both be refreshed."
Brianna squeezed the cloth of Madison's shirt sleeve, "Will you be alright on your own?"
"I've been through worse." It was the response that she always gave the two when they asked her how she was handling the situation.
Brianna released her shirt sleeve and stepped back. She pulled out her cell phone from her pocket and handed it to Madison. "If you need us, call Caleb's cell. I will call you between periods and during lunch."
"Bria…"
"It'll make me feel at ease, ok? Just do it." She clenched Madison's hand over the phone. "If someone calls other then Caleb's phone, just press this button to send it to voice mail." She pointed to one of the buttons on the phone.
Madison smiled and pushed the phone into her pocket, "You two have fun, alright? Don't worry about me."
The two walked passed her. Brianna briefly grabbed her hand and squeezed it, and Caleb patted her shoulder. It felt as if the two were leaving her to hold off the approaching army in some sort of self sacrifice. She grinned as she watched the two walking away. Their heads were down, but Madison knew that they had more will to fight back. She was shocked that the two had stayed the first week, and now after three they were starting to get fatigued.
Madison entered the front gate, and continued her way towards her first class. She made sure to use all the short cuts that she knew. As she walked she could hear people whispering about her, though their voices were a little high, so it was obvious she was meant to hear.
"Such an ugly girl."
"I would die if I was seen in public in such clothes."
"I heard that she sleeps with anyone for ten bucks, even other girls."
"I can't believe such a hideous girl tried to seduce Darick. Does she honestly think he would touch a monster like her?"
"She's a whore on Baker Street. I see her there all the time."
"She blew me behind the library one time after Thomas beat on her. I told her I could protect her from him and Darick. Such a loser."
Madison sighed as she made it to an empty area between two of the school's buildings. There was a large bush that blocked most people's view from the entrance, and the school wall was close to the other end. There was no reason for most students to come back here.
Leaning against the wall, she dropped her backpack at her feet and took another deep breath. Wrapping her arms around herself, she tried her best to keep her composure. The last thing she wanted was for them to see they had gotten to her. She refused to let them have the satisfaction.
"Hey." A familiar voice spoke.
Madison turned her eyes to the dark haired, tall boy with a blue baseball cap. The school insignia shown proudly on the hat. He crossed his broad arms in a way that seemed to suggest he was showing off his arm muscles. He wore a school jersey for the basketball team.
Madison swallowed as Thomas Perkins stood at her entrance. He grinned when she recognized the uncertainty and possible fear in her eyes.
"Long time, no see." He smiled before walking to the wall across from her and leaning against it.
"Do whatever you are going to do and leave me alone."
He crossed his arms again, "Everyone else is doing it for me. It takes away all my fun, besides I don't like knowing you are crying at night over anyone but me."
"I never cried over you and I've never cried over them either. You and the rest of your putrid classmates don't hold that kind of power over me, no matter what you guys do."
Thomas continued to smile, "I think that is the most you have ever said to me. You are getting a back bone and I don't care for it."
Madison glared.
He stepped forward and placed his hands on either side of her shoulders and leaned his body into her. "You have no idea how much I want to hear you scream. When Darick put a protection order out on you, it about killed me. Seeing you walk around the campus so carefree. I thought I would never get a chance to hear you cry out like I wanted you to."
She tried not to show any fear to what he was saying.
With a quick jolt, his hand reached into her hair and yanked the hair tie from the end of her braid. He tossed it behind him and quickly tussled her hair loose. "Much better. I like it when the hair sticks to a woman's lips while she screams in agony over the things I have done to her." He grinned as his nose touched her own. "There is something very seductive about it."
"Fuck you." She hissed.
Thomas was quiet for several seconds, his smile had faded. Suddenly his hand reached up to her throat and began to choke her. Madison grasped at his hands and even tried to kick him in the groin, but he placed his legs between hers.
"Leave her alone!" A voice yelled.
Thomas looked at the person yelling at him to find the three boys from Rags. He seemed to debate the situation for a moment before her released Madison and stepped back. "You get away this time."
Madison fell to her knees on the grass and tried to catch her breath. Charles walked over to her and patted her back gently. "Are you alright? Do you need to go to the nurse's office?"
She shook her head and grabbed her backpack along with her hair tie. Before the others could say anything she ran away and towards the girl's bathroom.
---***---
Darick walked in the garden with his hands in his pockets. His three friends were walking ahead of him as he took slow steps. They had stopped going to the tree, because Darick said he had grown tired of it. The others knew that he didn't want to risk seeing Madison.He hadn't spoken about her since that day three weeks ago. It was obvious that he was still thinking about the situation. Arion and Aries couldn't decide if he didn't want to see her because he was trying to forget, or if he didn't want to see what the bullying was doing to her.
"We should skip the rest of school and go out to eat." Brad said and the group stopped walking near the fish pond. "I'll buy."
"No." Darick rejected the idea before the others had a chance to agree.
"Come on. We haven't done anything but sit around in that room for three weeks." Brad groaned, even though he and Grady had gone to several clubs.
Arion and Aries watched over their leader most of the time, except at school where Aries wasn't allowed to go near him. The times that Brad and Grady were around, the two would sneak off to visit Madison. The more she seemed to be dealing with the problems that arose, the less Darick seemed to be in control of himself.
"You knew her for like four days." Grady said.
It had been a taboo subject to bring her up during the first week as Darick would fly into a rage. They hadn't discussed her since he gave Brad a black eye, but Grady was willing to approach the subject again.
Darick glared up at him.
"She doesn't like you. Get the fuck over it and stop acting like you lost your one true love." Grady shrugged, "There are other girls."
Brad and Arion didn't want any part of this conversation and kept their distance.
"It would be wise if you shut your mouth." Darick growled.
"What did you expect of her? To come running back to you and begging you to stop this. Asking for your forgiveness. In case you hadn't noticed, she's just as stubborn as you are. I figured that one out when I first met her."
Darick walked over to a bench and threw the backpack he was carrying to the ground. Sitting down he closed his eyes and sighed loudly.
His three friends looked among each other, but didn't say anything as they waited for Darick. He seemed to be thinking, and the three didn't want to disturb any decisions that he was making.
"Where is Kate?" Darick suddenly asked.
"She won't be coming around for a while." Grady answered.
Darick said nothing only nodded his head slightly and kept his eyes closed.
Arion nudged Grady, and he looked in the direction that his friend was staring. Madison came marching up to the group of them. She didn't say a word, only walked up to Darick and a clipping noise was heard. Grabbing the backpack on the bench, she walked over to the fish pond and dumped out all of it's contents.
"What the fuck?" Darick yelled as he jumped up.
Madison flicked the clump of hair she had cut off his head at him, then tossed the scissors into the water. Darick came at her, and before he could get a hold of her he felt a pain in his groin.
"The hair is for Caleb's! The backpack for Brianna's backpack! The kick to the crotch for Thomas almost raping me!" Madison yelled as Darick held his hands over his groin. "Everything your lackeys do unto my friends and me, I will come and do them unto you!" With that, she spun around and walked away in the direction that she had come.
The three boys behind Darick stood in total shock as they watched her storm off. Darick finally collected himself and stood up. He was trying to decide if he wanted to chase after her or make a plan of revenge. He touched the top of his head after a moment, and found a large piece to be missing.
"Bitch!" He growled.
His friends tried not to laugh at his obvious shock and uncertainty, it was rare to see Darick in such a state.
"That was gutsy." Brad finally said as he walked up next to Darick.
Arion chuckled and put his hands in his pockets, "Most definitely something I would not have expected."
Grady said nothing only began to fish some of the papers and the backpack out of the pond.
"Should we tell her that was Brianna's backpack? That you rescued it for her?" Arion asked.
"No, let her have this victory. It won't last long." Darick growled and spun around, walking away in the opposite direction that Madison had left.
"I don't like that look." Arion said to Brad as they watched him walk away.
Brad shook his head, "Light haired girl just declared war on him. I hope he doesn't do anything stupid."
"We are talking about Darick here." Arion sighed. "We better hope that he doesn't do anything to destroy his relationship with her."
Brad caught his shoulder before he walked away, "Let him."
"Huh?"
Grady answered, "Let him mess up. Let him destroy it. He has to learn eventually. Besides they don't have a future anyway. So, let him do whatever he wants."
"But…"
Brad shook his head, "I know you like her, and you can protect her all you want behind Darick's back. Just don't do it in front of him and don't try to stop him. We aren't going to be able to teach him how to win her over. It's something he has to learn himself. Light haired girl is just a trainer girl for when a decent one comes his way. Let him fuck up, so later when the real girl comes, he'll know how to behave."
Arion swallowed, "Doesn't sound right."
"Hey, if she can handle Darick at his worst, then maybe she is the right one for him." Grady added. "Now, help me dig this crap out of the pond."
The three took off their shoes and rolled their pants up to their knees. Searching around the pond, they collected most of the floating items, and several items that had fallen to the bottom.
"What are we going to tell dark haired girl?" Brad asked.
"Say we found it in the pond." Grady shrugged, "She'll think it was those guys that took it from her. No need to cause more problems for Madison. Darick will have that angle covered, I'm certain."
Brad nodded. He looked over at Arion, who was watching where Darick had disappeared to. "Don't worry. She can take care of herself."
Arion nodded and returned to finding Brianna's items.