I get home around 8:30. I took an hour at the grocery store. Mom is already asleep, not in her bed, on the couch. She is working the middle of the night shift at her job. 12 am - 12 pm. I pick her up carefully and carry her to her room. I set her down on the bed, and pull the blankets over her. “Night mom,” I whisper as I shut her light off. I take a short shower, and put my gear away. By the times I’m done with everything it’s 10:00. I lay in my bed, wanting to fall asleep. I toss and turn before finally my eyelids get heavy and I gratefully give in. 

~•~

 As the first quarter goes on, me and Harry become closer than I ever though was possible, as friends, I keep denying my other feelings for him, the ones Claire said I had. And ever since Harry quit football on the second day of school, he’s been so much happier. He also said his parents were fine with it. Hunter and Ester and warming up to Harry, they have only met a few times, but I’m pretty sure they are convinced he’s not like his former teammates. I am at my locker, and Harry is in my next class, Reading. I see Harry at his own locker, putting his things away. I open my locker and shove my things in the top, I see a piece of folded piece of paper fall down. I pick it up and unfold it, it reads:

You fucking little shit, you took Harry away from the football team and now we suck. 

Go kill yourself

-J

J is for Jackson. The note falls to the floor. I am leaving. I see Jackson and his friends sharing smirks and I don’t even bother to shut my locker. I start walking. I don’t have a set plan yet, but all I know is I’m getting out of here, school. The school won’t even know I’m missing, none of the teachers take attendance, so technically I’m still here. I see Harry turn to me, then look at my locker. He starts walking toward the paper. I continue walking right out the door in the cafeteria. I find my car keys in my glove box. I look out my window to se Harry, running straight at my car. “Zach, ZACH. Wait.” He runs to the passenger side and hops in. I see a already forming bruise on his left cheek. “How did you-“ I ask before being interrupted. “Drive, go. I’ll explain.” He says pointing to the school door we just came out of. I see Jackson and his crew running at my car. “DRIVE I SAID,” I put the car I reverse, and hit the gas, I barley miss the car parked behind me, and shift into drive. I slam the pedal down and swerve to miss cars, and a few light poles. “Jesus, did Vin Desil teach you to drive?” “Nope, my sister,” I says merging onto the road, exiting school property. “Are you ok?” I asks him, my eyes still laser-focused on the road ahead. “You means my bruise? Yeah I’m fine. Wait how can you be thinking about me right now? You literally just got a note saying you should kill himself. I feel so bad right now, Zach. And I’m the problem, just knowing those guys used to sorta be my friends just makes me feel even worse. I am so sorry, I don’t really know how to make this any better-“ “Harry.”I sigh “Yeah,” “Calm down, you were never really friends with those assholes. They treated you like shit. Listen to me, you are not the problem, they are. I’ve gone though so much bulling, I kind of expect it now. It’s always the same type of group of people who think that they are bigger than you and think they can just walk all over you, but that’s not true. You know what we can do, we can go to there stupid party tonight, Jackson did say the whole grade is invited, even though they probably only meant a certain few. We can show up, get some drinks and hang out. It will be fun. I don’t have hockey.” “I don’t know… I mean it would be fun, but I um… sort of punched Jackson-,” he points to his bruise, “And got this, I think he wants to kill me now.” “Why did you punch him?” I ask out of curiosity. “I got mad at what he did to you, so I walked over to him, said some words and punched him.” Wow, he punched Jackson, for me. “What did you say to him,” I ask really interested. “You don’t want to know,” He says. “I really really do”, “Well um, I basically told him to get out of your life, and told him he that you are done dealing him Then I punched him and then he threw me into a locker and I ran cause I knew I could never beat him in a fight.” “You didn’t have to do that y’know. You would have avoided that bruise,” I say a little guilty. “Yeah, well I had to do something. He deserves to be punched once in a while.” He laughs and I laugh with him. “Let’s go to that party,” Harry says, suddenly. “Really? Do you want to get beat up,” I say. “Yes really. And no I do not want to get beat up, but Jackson and his friend will probably be to busy doing partying shit to notice if we slip in and get some drinks.” “Okay, find by me.” I say, then realize something. “I don’t really know where I am driving to, where do you want to go?” “Hmm, Schools out at three and it’s like 12:30 so we have like two an a half hours. ‘till we have to be home. We go see a movie? One that’s like two hours.” “Okay, got any ideas of which one we should watch?” I ask, turning the car around to head to the movie theater in town. “Nope, we can see which ones they are showing when we get there,” “Okay,” I say.