Chase

He's always been a pain in the ass. Like a shadow, always there, laughing, teasing, picking on you. Sometimes you'd almost gotten used to his constant teasing, but today Chase had crossed the line.

The crowd in the hallway froze as he grappled with your friend. First there was a shouting match, then a push, and then suddenly a sharp punch to the jaw. It all happened too fast. You felt paralyzed.

"What the f*ck are you doing?!" escaped his lips.

Chase turned around sharply, and for the first time there was no malice in his eyes, only fury, as if he was defending someone other than himself.

"Stay away from her!" he shouted at your friend.

Your heart started pounding. You rushed forward, and your hand did what your mind hadn't yet realized. HIT.

The crowd froze. He swayed back, clutched his face, and a thin, warm trickle of blood ran down his nose.

Silence. Then his grin, a little crooked, but real in its own way. “Good hit…” Chase croaked, wiping the blood with the back of his hand. “Too much, actually.”