The mask slips.

For the next ten minutes or so Beth lost herself in her own work. She didn't really care if Billy did homework, or even if he slept which technically wasn't allowed. Just want to get this over with.
A flicker of movement caught Beth's eye and she glanced up. Billy was flexing his hand and wincing. It was hard to tell from where she was sitting, but she thought she could see bruises on his knuckles. Beth sat up straighter and looked closer. Does....does he have a black eye, too? How did I not notice?
Beth found herself standing up and walking over to Billy's desk. "Billy... what happened to your-"
"Nothing." Billy hid his bruised knuckles under his other arm. He was looking away from her now, unwilling to meet her gaze.
"Billy, look at me." Beth used her sternest tone, the one she had used to focus his attention last semester. Reluctantly, Billy looked up at her. Yeah. He's got a black eye. I must be blind. "Billy..." Beth sat at the desk next to his, leaning forward with her arms on her lap. "What happened? Why did you get detention today?" {if Tatas = 1
}She realized {if Shame > 50
}with some discomfort {endif
}that she was giving him a nice view of her ample cleavage, but for a wonder, he wasn't taking advantage. {endif
}
"I got in a fight."
Beth shook her head. Billy was not a violent kid. His troubles usually involved smoking weed, skipping school, pulling pranks, and blowing off schoolwork. He was never violent.
"Today?"
"...this morning..." He looked away, crossing his arms. "I don't want to talk about it."
Beth reached out to touch his shoulder. "Come on, Billy." This behavior was far outside Billy's normal character. He was always brash, insolent, and above all, inappropriate. At this moment, he seemed to want to curl up and disappear. "You can tell me. What happened?"
"I punched Jimmy DeVille in the bathroom after lunch." He still wouldn't look at her. "He hit me back, and we scuffled a little before Coach Jeffries pulled us apart." He sighed. "I've been in ISS all day since." In-school suspension. "They called my foster parents, but they didn't answer the phone." His tone was unsurprised. Beth didn't know much about Billy's foster parents, but the little she did know wasn't great.
"Billy, I know you. You're not a fighter. Why?" Her hand moved down to his wrist, and shockingly, he let her examine his bruised hand. The knuckles were scraped as well as bruised, and Billy winced when she moved his fingers.
"It's not important." Billy said with a shuddering breath. Beth nearly gasped. Is...is he crying? No way.
"Billy, look at me." it was a gentle tone she used this time, but firm, and Billy turned to regard her with glassy eyes. "Tell me what happened."
Billy sighed. "This is so stupid. Amber and I went to a party at Jimmy's house last weekend." Amber was Billy's girlfriend. "She...she disappeared for a while and when I couldn't find her I ended up leaving. She finally texted me back to say she'd been 'getting sick' in the bathroom and I needed to come back to pick her up." He looked sullen. "She didn't look sick. She looked like she..." he trailed off. "Anyway, she denied anything had happened. She knows I kind of hate Jimmy, I only went to the party for her and because I knew I could smoke up..." He looked at her with concern.
"It's fine, Billy. It's just you and me,"
"Anyway, all week Jimmy's been giving me smug looks, making comments, implying, you know..." He grimaced. "Finally today I confronted him, told him to knock it off, that I didn't believe him and Amber did it, and that she loved me." This part seemed hard for him to get out. "Well....he decided to show me some...pictures he had taken...from the party." His eyes squeezed shut. "I think he said something like 'Yeah buddy, looks like she really loves you while sucking my dick...'"
"Oh, Billy..." Beth did not have to feign sympathy. That's awful. Billy always presented himself as sexually confident, for a teenager anyway. This was Billy with his mask off.
"I saw red. Punched him square in the nose. We scrapped for a bit. Like I said, Coach Jeffries pulled us apart. Schiff wanted to expel me, but Coach talked him down. He knew what Jimmy had done to provoke me." {if NickIntro = 1
}Beth felt a swell of affection for Nick at hearing about the way he advocated for Billy.{endif
}
"I couldn't even talk to Amber, since I've been in ISS all day." He was actually crying now, and Beth retrieved some tissues from her desk for him before settling back into the chair next to him. "Not that I'd have much to say. The pictures were pretty clear. She didn't seem to be doing anything she didn't like."
Beth watched as this troubled, insolent, incorrigible student just broke down in front of her. Without thinking, she took Billy into her arms, letting him cry it out against her shoulder.
After what seemed like forever. Billy spoke up. "This is so fucking stupid.... Sorry Miss Wilson, language, right?" He managed a weak chuckle.
"It's not stupid, Billy. And don't worry about that right now." Beth was keenly aware of the wetness of his tears on her chest. Maybe I should get a little distance here. {if Shame > 70
} This is highly inappropriate. {else
}This isn't exactly appropriate. {endif
}
They spent the rest of the detention period quietly talking about the whole situation. Beth marveled at the whole new perspective she was getting of Billy. His arrogant, leering façade was covering deep, deep insecurities. Despite his apparent casualness towards school, he was terrified of what would happen to his life if he didn't actually graduate. Amber had been the latest in a string of toxic relationships for him. "I guess I don't think very highly of myself, because I always go for the ones who hurt me."
"You're still young, Billy. Nothing in your future is set in stone yet. You have time. You just have to choose it, even though it's hard."
"Yeah... that's what everyone always says." He smiled. "I don't know why, but when you say it, or Coach, I actually almost believe it."
Beth felt a dangerous flutter in her chest at the compliment. When he's not wearing that mask, he's actually really cute. {if Shame < 50
} Beth barely registered that very problematic thought. {else
}
Careful, now. He is a student. And you are engaged. {endif
}