Chapter 14: Defending Each Other

There were only a few people in the classroom. Ryan was there too. I saw him lying on his desk again and hurried over.

His head was cradled in his arms, breathing shallow. I rushed to his side.

"Is your stomach hurting again?"

He nodded, his voice barely audible. I put a hand on his back, not sure what else to do.

He slowly raised his head and softly replied. He looked at me, then closed his eyes, his lashes trembling.

He looked so fragile, I wanted to hug him. But I didn’t dare.

"I wanted to go buy medicine but forgot the way to the nurse's office. I saw you downstairs just now and wanted to ask, but you were talking to a boy, so I didn't want to bother you."

I felt a pang of guilt. Had I really been so unapproachable?

There seemed to be a glimmer of tears in Ryan's eyes. He looked a little pitiful.

He blinked rapidly, wiping at his eyes. My heart clenched.

"Em, it hurts so much..."

The nickname caught me off guard. I swallowed, steeling myself.

I was instantly sympathetic. "I'll go get it for you. Wait here."

I grabbed my backpack, ready to run for help.

Ryan pressed his stomach and managed to stand up. "I'll go with you, so I can remember the way."

He gritted his teeth, pushing himself upright. I slipped an arm around him, supporting most of his weight.

I supported his arm as we walked to the nurse's office.

We moved slow, but we made it. I kept whispering encouragements, hoping it helped.

As we headed downstairs, we happened to run into Jason. Ryan lost his balance and leaned against me, his head buried in my shoulder. He mumbled,

I froze as Jason’s eyes narrowed. Ryan’s breath was warm against my neck.

"It hurts so much, I can't walk. Let me rest a bit, okay?"

He sounded small, like a kid. I squeezed his shoulder, trying to be strong for both of us.

I opened my mouth, but hearing his shaky voice, I couldn't say no.

I glanced at Jason, daring him to say something. He glared back, but kept quiet.

Jason's gaze instantly turned cold as he watched us.

His eyes were like ice. He looked away, lips tight.

He'd just taken a step toward us when the PE assistant and Madison called to him from behind.

They were laughing, oblivious to the tension in the hallway.

The PE assistant saw me and Ryan and shouted, "Wow, Chubby and Ghost Boy—what's this?"

He called it out so everyone could hear. A few students poked their heads out of classrooms.

Ryan, who'd just been too weak to stand, suddenly straightened up. He looked at the PE assistant, his voice flat and cold.

He let go of my arm, standing tall. His eyes were sharp.

"What did you call her?"

There was steel in his voice. The PE assistant flinched, surprised.

The PE assistant shrugged, unconcerned. "Chubby. Did I say something wrong? If she's not chubby, am I?"

He spread his arms, grinning, sure of himself.

Ryan smirked. "Mm, you're not chubby. You're skinny."

It was a direct hit. Some kids snickered. The PE assistant frowned.

Before the PE assistant could react, I quickly pulled Ryan away.

I didn’t want a fight. Not for me. Not today.

Only when we reached the nurse's office did I breathe a sigh of relief.

I pressed my forehead to the cool window, letting myself relax for the first time all day.

"Thank you, Ryan. But next time, just ignore him. He won a state taekwondo championship; if you mess with him, you'll just get beat up."

I tried to smile, but it didn’t reach my eyes. Ryan just shrugged.

Ryan gave a barely noticeable smile, a trace of mockery in his eyes. But when he looked at me again, his gaze softened.

He touched my hand gently. “But he bullies you. Em, I can't let anyone bully you.”