Back to Kenzie

John's heart thumping wildly in his chest, he slowly approaches kenzie, who is now standing in a pool of scattered papers. "Pick it up," he says through gritted teeth, his eyes flashing with anger.

The cheerleader looks at John disbelievingly. "What? No way!" she snarls. "I'm not your servant." John steps closer to her, his fists clenched. "I said pick it up," he repeats, his voice low and dangerous. Shrinking away from John's intense stare, the cheerleader nervously starts gathering the papers up and stuffing them into her bag. "Why do you care so much about this little nobody, you are hot?" she demands, frowning.

John takes a deep breath, his eyes softening. "I used to be like him, you know," he says quietly.

The cheerleader cocks her head, intrigued. "Like who?" she asks.

"Like that boy," John replies, nodding towards where the freshman had disappeared. "I didn't fit in very well either. I was into things that other kids weren't, like Dungeons and Dragons, and I didn't play football or basketball. But I had people who helped me when I needed it, who stood up for me when others made fun of me. And I want to be that person for others too. I don't want anyone in this school to feel scared or alone."

John feels a wave of disappointment when the cheerleader laughs and calls him stupid. He refuses to show any sign of weakness and glares at her.

"What's so funny?" he interrogates as he narrows his eyes.

The cheerleader smirks. "You, loser," she says, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "Thinking you can save the world one nerd at a time. It's pathetic."

John doesn't say anything, but the slight twitch in his jaw gives away his anger. He reaches down to pick up the remaining papers, but the cheerleader kicks them out of his hand.

John loses his temper, his patience worn thin by the cheerleader's continual defiance. He grabs her by the hair and pulls her into the nearby bathroom. "Let go of me, you freak!" the cheerleader yelps, struggling to free herself from his grasp.

John throws her against the wall, his eyes blazing with fury. "I said enough!" he roars. "You've been bullying people left and right, and I won't stand for it anymore. You need to change your ways."

Kenzie, for the first time, looks truly afraid. "What are you going to do to me?" she whispers, tears streaming down her face. "Please don't hurt me."

**