The Next Day

-Dominic's POV-

Once you reach your peak you're bound to fall. In the last 24 hours, last night was my peak and now I'm dreading my way forward.

Not getting the sleep I need is one of the common consequences of street fighting, I'm used to it. But today my body hurt a lot more than it has ever due to the heavy numbers of fights I had, not to mention the extra fight against the Skulls and Bones.

Speaking of which, knowing them, I'm probably not going to be left alone today at school either. Their insults have moved onto physical attacks and with my supposedly weak state and their weak state of mind, I'm probably going to get another extra fight.

Sighing I wrap around a bandage onto my abdomen, making sure there are multiple layers to help reduce at least a little of my pain that's bound to come about. I rub my face with cream and ointment to help heal the new gashes and bruises. I then walk into my kitchen, open up my medicine draw and down a few tablets, most of them to keep my pain in check.

Being late or right on time was my normal routine. I was let off easy here at school because they knew that my family had been killed which in turn helped me get passes on my arrival and leaving times. I live far, 'fend' for myself, and have a fake doctor's note with mental health conditions written in it to give me enough reasons to be in or not be in for as much time as I wanted. It was very convenient.

Some of my teachers worry that I won't get the education I'm supposed to get but that isn't very accurate. Xavier is my trainer and unfortunately also a pretty strict teacher. He uses our training time as academic education time too. I hated to admit it but he's smart and that's kept me from falling behind no matter how tough and painful it could be. Whether it be for me to stay in a plank position until I solved a maths problem mentally or memorizing the periodic table and all of the atoms' atomic numbers whilst doing pull-ups, he made me do it.

I gulp at the thought of it as I enter the school building. Surprisingly it was one of the rare times where I got in a little early. The guys didn't seem to be here yet either which made me sigh in relief, but I didn't keep my hopes up. They would come in sooner or later, I knew they would. Besides, with all that built-up anger, I know Nickolas wouldn't miss the chance to use me as his punching bag.

And I was right.

Just as I had opened my locker it was shut back onto my fingers. "Shit" I curse, fingers throbbing in pain. I look to my left to see Nickolas standing there looking at me disapprovingly. I looked into his eyes, at first in an attempt to keep myself looking strong but afterwards, it ended up trying to find something. His eyes, unlike the muscles of his face, didn't look angry, they were lonely, upset. They...mirrored mine.

"What? Did one of your flings dump you?" I ask in annoyance, I couldn't have him making me feel weak. He scoffed at me which made me want to smirk back, but he didn't give me the chance. His hand shot up to my neck, pushing me roughly onto my locker. It was as if he was getting revenge for me strangling him last night because now he was strangling me back even though he's not aware it was me.

"Look here you bitch, I want nothing more than to rip you to shreds right now so you better shut the fuck up before I kill you!" He threatens but I'm not concerned by them all too much. I do fear for how he'll treat me though, so I decided to give in to my curiosity.

I put a hand on top of the one that was holding his neck and while I struggle to breathe, I look into his eyes once more. My hands were burning in comparison to his which was strange to me. The more I looked, the more he seemed to relax. He was looking into mine as I was his. Pain flickered through his grey orbs. "Tell me what's wrong" I hear myself whisper. His grip softens from my neck and his lips part.

He was about to say something when his friends came from around the corner. This seemed to snap Nickolas back out of it. Anger came running back to his eyes and he crashed me against the lockers before turning his back to me.

I sighed for the third time that day. All I heard was their laughter fading as they walk away from me but there was also the sound of footsteps nearing me.

"You okay?" I recognize the voice to be of Blake's. 

I nodded as he helped me straighten myself out and I looked at him a little wearily. "Won't they ask why you stayed behind?" I ask, and he shook his head 'no'.

"Nick wanted me to become friends with you, unknowing we already are." He replied, and I almost scoffed in disbelief but ended up smirking instead. 

"To get information about me, right? What a prick." and he looks at me guiltily. I wasn't wrong. 

"I wouldn't actually do that to you." He tried to reassure but it doesn't work in his favour. I don't trust him and never have. 

"Sure man, sure" I replied doubtingly, holding his shoulder casually to emphasize my doubt.

However, he seemed to get a different message. He gently took my hand in his and reversed me back on to my locker. "What are you doing?" I ask and try to move my hand away, but he tightens his grip slightly. It wasn't alarming, his eyes told me he was trying to be soft.

He leaned his other arm above my head and came closer to me. My eyes widened slightly, and I tried moving away from him whilst also ignoring the sensation I was getting in my chest and stomach. "Blake, stop." 

"I need you to trust me." He says deeply. His eyes roamed my face, dropped down at my body for a moment before coming back up.

Blake is a guy who gets girls' attention. A lot of people love him. I was more than aware of what he was capable of doing but whether I wanted to use brute force and expose myself or sit and do nothing against him, I wasn't really sure.

Trust my ass. I think as I argue internally but something kept me from fighting. Something.

He started staring down at my lips which made my heartbeat quicken. "Don't," I order when he starts to lean in.

"Why not?" he asks, leaning back slightly but not letting go. I look down, getting ready to admit something I hadn't wanted to admit to anyone, 

"a girl never wants her first kiss to be a meaningless one."

After the statement left my lips Blake immediately stepped away. "You've never been touched like that by a guy before?" He asks, and I look back at his as if it were obvious. I'm not the most well-kept person. I have scars that keep people from approaching me. Besides, Demons don't fall in love.

Blake rubbed his face before mumbling, "Shit" and apologizing, "I'm so sorry, D". His face looked earnest at least, but I had hardened myself and shrugged in response. 

"It's fine." I say, and he looks at me in disbelief, 

"No, it's not." 

"It is" I argue, and he stays quiet for a little bit, probably not expecting my emotionless reply.

I was responsible for what happened. I could have stopped him if I wanted to. He had no reason for apologizing. So, it was okay. I smiled at him.

"Let me make it up to you." He says suddenly which makes me raise an eyebrow. 

"What do you have in mind?" I ask back and he rubs his head before saying, 

"Sit with me and the boys at lunch?"

I roll my eyes at his suggestion. "One problem, they all hate me." He cringed slightly when I said that, but I didn't let him argue, "Besides," I carry on, "I'm never really here at lunch period." He looks at me weirdly and before he could ask me why I turned and started walking. "See you around, B"