Chapter 27

I woke up before anyone else.

The house was silent—the kind of quiet that only existed before the morning chaos started. I stared at the ceiling for a moment before sighing and sitting up.

I didn't feel like dealing with breakfast. I didn't want Elijah's concerned looks, Henry's teasing, or Miles and Alex arguing over whatever nonsense they always found to fight about. I just wanted to leave.

I grabbed my hoodie from the floor, pulled it on, and snagged my bag. On the way out of my room, I took a breakfast bar from my desk—something quick, just enough so no one could say I skipped breakfast entirely.

When I got to the kitchen, only Elijah was awake, drinking his coffee at the counter. Easton was already at work, and the twins and Henry were still in their rooms.

Elijah looked up when I walked in, his eyes narrowing slightly. "You're up early."

I shrugged. "Didn't sleep well."

His frown deepened, like he wanted to say more, but I didn't give him the chance. I moved toward the door, shoving the breakfast bar into my hoodie pocket.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"Lucas' house. Diana's giving me a ride." I grabbed my sneakers.

That made him pause. "Oh. Okay." He hesitated, then, "You sure you're okay?"

I pulled my hood up. "I'm fine."

He didn't look convinced, but he let it go. "Alright. Just don't be late."

I didn't answer as I stepped outside, pulling my hoodie tighter around me.

The walk to Lucas' house wasn't long—only about five minutes—but the cold made my fingers stiff by the time I knocked on his door. I rubbed my hands together, trying to warm them up.

When the door opened, Lucas stood there, his blond hair still messy from sleep, his blue eyes blinking at me in surprise.

"Dude," he mumbled, rubbing the back of his head. "What are you doing here so early?"

I shifted my weight. "I... needed to talk."

Lucas' expression immediately sobered. He stepped aside, motioning for me to come in. "Yeah, of course. What's up?"

I hesitated for a second before stepping inside. The warmth of his house was a relief against the cold outside.

Lucas closed the door behind me, watching me closely. "Is this about last night?"

I swallowed. "Yeah."

We moved to the couch, and I sat down, burying my hands in my sleeves. Lucas sat beside me, turning to face me fully.

I exhaled. "It's stupid."

Lucas rolled his eyes. "If it was stupid, you wouldn't be here."

I stared at my hands. "Elijah yelled at me last night."

Lucas blinked. "Like... really yelled?"

I nodded. "He's never talked to me like that before." My voice was quieter than I wanted it to be. "It felt different."

Lucas was silent for a moment before sighing and shifting closer. "I think he was just frustrated. You said you weren't in a good mood, right? Maybe it just... built up."

I swallowed hard. "Yeah. But he's always on my side. And last night, he wasn't."

Lucas watched me carefully, then without warning he pulled me into a hug.

I tensed at first, caught off guard. But slowly, I let myself relax.

Lucas was warm, solid. His arms wrapped around my back, holding me close, like he actually meant it.

For a second, I let myself sink into it.

When we pulled back, we were closer than usual.

The morning light caught in his hair, turning it almost golden. His blue eyes were so bright they nearly hurt to look at. His skin was still slightly tanned from the summer, warm against mine.

I stared.

And in that moment, I thought — God, I love him.

Before I could say anything, there was a knock on the door.

"Boys, hurry up! We'll be late!" Diana called.

Lucas groaned, flopping back against the couch. "Ugh, right. School."

I let out a breath, standing up just as Leon walked in. He stopped short when he saw me.

Leon frowned. "What are you doing here?"

I shrugged. "Wanted to talk to Lucas."

Leon raised an eyebrow, clearly suspicious, but Diana was already grabbing her keys.

"Come on, let's go," she said, ushering us toward the door.

The car ride was quieter than I was used to.

With my brothers, it was always loud bickering, teasing, music blasting too loud. But with Diana, Lucas, and Leon, it was calm.

And right now, I really needed calm.

The morning passed in a blur.

I went through the motions of class, notes and pretending to pay attention. Lucas sat beside me when he could, but we didn't talk much. He didn't need to. Just being around him was enough to keep me from sinking completely into my thoughts.

But, of course, Tom had to ruin it.

It happened in the hallway between classes.

I had just closed my locker when I heard that familiar, taunting voice.

"Well, well, if it isn't my favorite little coward," Tom sneered.

I stiffened, gripping my bag strap. I debated ignoring him and walking away. But before I could move, he stepped in front of me, smirking.

"You in a bad mood today, Adrian?" Tom tilted his head, fake sympathy in his voice. "Trouble at home? Maybe your brothers finally got sick of your whining."

My heart pounded. My fingers curled into fists.

"Not today, Tom," I muttered.

Tom grinned. "Oh, but it is today. And tomorrow. And the next day. Because you're always gonna be the same pathetic little loser you've always been."

My nails dug into my palms.

"Walk away," Lucas muttered from a few feet away, his voice tense, barely controlled.

But I wasn't listening.

Everything, the frustration from last night, the weight of feeling like Elijah wasn't on my side, the exhaustion of pretending everything was fine, it all boiled over at once.

And before I even thought about it, my fist was swinging.

It connected with Tom's face, right on his cheekbone, sending a satisfying jolt of pain through my knuckles.

Tom staggered back, shocked. Then his expression darkened.

"You little—"

His fist came fast, slamming into my jaw before I had a chance to react.

Pain exploded through my head, a white-hot flash that made my vision blur.

But before he could hit me again—

Lucas was there.

His fist crashed into Tom's nose with a sickening crack. Blood splattered. Tom cried out, stumbling back, hands flying to his face.

Lucas didn't stop.

His second punch was even harder, landing squarely on Tom's mouth. The force of it sent Tom crashing against the lockers.

The hallway went silent.

Tom's hands were covered in blood, his nose obviously broken.

Lucas loomed over him, fists still clenched, chest rising and falling with sharp breaths.

"If you ever touch Adrian again," he said, voice low and furious, "I'll do worse."

My heart pounded.

Lucas had snapped.

For me.

Before anyone could react, teachers came rushing down the hall, shouting.

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!"

A hand grabbed Lucas' arm pulling him back. Another teacher checked on Tom, who groaned in pain.

And then, just like that, all three of us were being marched straight to the principal's office.

The walk to Mr. Sherwood's office was tense.

I kept my head down, the adrenaline wearing off and leaving behind a sick, nervous feeling in my stomach. My jaw throbbed where Tom had punched me, and my knuckles stung, but none of that mattered as much as the fact that I was in real trouble.

I had never gotten in trouble at school before. Never had to sit outside the principal's office, waiting to hear how badly I'd messed up.

But here I was.

A few seats away, Tom held a tissue to his bleeding nose, his glare practically burning through me. Every time he glanced my way, his eyes darkened with fury. I could hear his angry breathing even from here.

Lucas, on the other hand, was completely calm. His arms were crossed over his chest, his face unreadable.

The office door creaked open.

"Adrian. Inside. Now."

My stomach twisted. I stood up, my legs stiff as I walked into the office, my hands clenched into fists to stop them from shaking.

Mr. Sherwood sat behind his massive wooden desk, peering at me over the rim of his glasses. His office smelled like old books and coffee, and the air felt too thick, too suffocating.

"You've never been in my office before, Adrian," he said, his voice even but firm. "So imagine my surprise when I hear that you—one of our more well-behaved students—threw the first punch today."

My throat tightened. "I—I didn't—"

"You did punch first," Mr. Sherwood interrupted. "There are multiple witnesses. So let's not make excuses, shall we?"

My palms felt sweaty. I wiped them on my jeans and tried again. "Tom—Tom has been bullying me for a long time—"

"You mean to tell me that after all this time, you suddenly decided today was the day to retaliate?" Mr. Sherwood raised an eyebrow. "That's not how we handle conflict at this school, Adrian."

My heart pounded so hard it hurt. "But he—he was saying things—he's always—"

Mr. Sherwood held up a hand, silencing me. "I don't want to hear excuses. You threw the first punch. That makes you just as guilty as Tom."

I clenched my jaw. This wasn't fair.

"But—"

"Enough."

The word was sharp, final.

I felt small. The anger I'd felt earlier had completely drained away, leaving nothing but nervousness and that awful, familiar feeling of being powerless.

Mr. Sherwood sighed, rubbing his temples. "I'm bringing the other two in. We're going to settle this now."

The door opened again, and Lucas and Tom were ushered inside.

Lucas's eyes immediately found mine. When he saw the way I was gripping the hem of my hoodie, trying to steady my breathing, he gave me a small, reassuring smile.

It helped. A little.

Mr. Sherwood leaned forward. "I'm calling your parents. This behavior is unacceptable, and you will all face consequences."

My stomach dropped.

Elijah couldn't leave work. That meant—

"Easton Scott will be coming in for Adrian," Mr. Sherwood said. "Lucas, your mother is on her way. Tom, both of your parents will be here shortly."

I gripped the edge of my chair, my breath shaky.

Lucas sat up straighter. "Sir, with all due respect, Tom has been bullying Adrian for a long time. We have witnesses. People know what he's been doing."

Tom scoffed. "Oh, shut up, Lucas. No one cares."

Mr. Sherwood's gaze snapped to Tom, sharp as a knife. "Enough. I'll be getting to the bottom of this."

Then he turned to me. "Is this true?"

I hesitated.

If I said yes, Tom would make things worse. I could already feel his glare burning into me.

But then, under the desk, I remembered Easton's words from years ago. You don't have to go through things alone, Bunny.

And beside me, Lucas sat completely still, waiting.

I swallowed hard and nodded. "It's true."

Beside me, I felt Easton sigh. And then, suddenly, his hand found mine, squeezing tightly.

I exhaled shakily and forced myself to keep going, even though my voice felt too quiet, too small. "He's been calling me names for months. Making comments about my body. Saying my brothers don't care about me. He does it in the halls, in class, at lunch. It never stops."

Lucas nodded. "Other students can back it up. Tom's a bully, and everyone knows it."

Tom scowled. "They're lying!"

"Are they?" Mr. Sherwood asked, unimpressed.

Tom looked away.

Mr. Sherwood sighed. "We don't tolerate bullying at this school." His gaze flickered to me. "Since you threw the first punch, you'll still be facing consequences. But taking everything into account, I'm adjusting the punishments."

He looked at each of us in turn.

"Adrian, you're suspended for three days. Tom, one full week. Lucas, two days."

Tom's parents immediately started yelling.

"That's ridiculous! How is Tom's punishment worse when he started it?" Tom's mom gestured wildly at me.

Lucas scoffed. "Started it? Tom started it the moment he decided to make Adrian's life hell."

Tom's dad glared. "Watch your mouth, kid."

Mr. Sherwood held up a hand. "Enough. My decision is final. Now, I suggest you all leave the school grounds immediately."

Tom's parents were still arguing when Lucas and I left the office.

Diana was waiting outside. She immediately pulled Lucas into a hug, checking him over. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Mom," Lucas muttered, rubbing his temple.

Easton turned to me, frowning. "You should've told me about the bullying."

I lowered my head. "I didn't want to—"

"Adrian." Easton's voice was softer now. "You don't have to handle everything on your own."

I swallowed.

Easton sighed, then pulled me into a hug. "I'm proud of you for standing up for yourself," he murmured, squeezing my shoulder. "But next time, violence isn't the way, alright?"

I nodded slowly.

"Good." Easton ruffled my hair, then nudged me toward the door. "Come on. Let's go home."

As we walked out, I risked one last glance at Lucas.

He gave me a small grin and a quick nod.

I exhaled, feeling lighter than I had in months.

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Word count: 2108

Hey Guys Thanks for reading this story so please be nice and kind. I am sorry if there are any spelling mistakes or bad grammar.

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*EMMA HETHRON*