Dash has a list.
You wouldn't think it, but he is actually very methodical and analytical of who and when he bullies. He keeps everything on a very specific chart that only he gets to see. Everyone knows about this list; although no one has ever seen it. But everyone knows one thing for sure -
Danny Fenton is at the top of that list.
It was strangely easy today to find and pester Danny. Usually, he waits until everyone else left the locker room before he even starts getting ready. But today he let his guard down. He and that Foley kid were showering when Dash sent two jocks in to grab them.
The first thing Dash noticed was the dark bruises across Danny's body. Bruises that he didn't cause. Something about that didn't sit well in his chest. The second thing he noticed was how Fenton had managed to grab a towel and use it to shield himself. But how he was holding it was strange. It wasn't just around his waist like Foley's was. No, Fenton was clutching his against his chest as well as around his waist.
The jocks that had them in tight grips threw them on the floor at Dash's feet. That's when the towel slipped off.
The locker room, which was previously loud with laughter and jeers grew deadly silent as Fenton scrambled to replace the towel. His face was a strange mixture of losing all color and blushing furiously. He glanced at Tucker, who mouthed something like, 'so fhost'. No one really knew what to do with this information. And when the team doesn't know what to do, they turn to the quarterback.
Problem was, Dash was only getting mad. And not at Fenton.
He stomps forward and pulls Danny up by his arm, almost making him lose his towel again. He glares at the two bigger boys that dragged them out of the showers until they inch their way back over to the rest of the team. Dash pushed Danny none-too-gently against the locker and then turned to look back at his team. Now, Danny was hidden almost completely behind the bigger boy.
"No one makes fun of him for this, understood?!" Dash growls at his football team. All the other boys slowly look from Danny to Dash, some unconvinced.
One guy near the front said, "But… he's a girl!"
The look on Dash's face must've been enough to silence him. There was a quiet anger, the kind that rumbled with an oncoming storm, the kind that was far more deadly than yelling. A somber promise, Dash said, "If I hear anyone talking shit about this; you'll be on my list."
That got the jocks' attentions. They all agreed, promising not to bully Fenton over his gender. No one wanted to be subjected to the torment that Dash Baxter could produce. Dash glared at them one more time before turning back to Danny.
He lowered his voice and said, "If anyone gives you shit, send them my way. I'll take care of it."
"O-okay." Danny didn't know what to do other than agree. Dash? Defending him? He never thought he'd see the day. Danny's heart was still racing, he had tears in the corners of his eyes and all he wanted to do was curl up and hide. But this actually turned out really well? Somehow?
Tucker took his hand and led him back away from the jocks. The two got dressed in silence, shooting worried glances around, in case things took a turn for the worst. But the bigger boys were back to being loud and obnoxious, ignoring the nerds. Dash got dressed at the edge of the group, keeping an invisible, but noticeable, wall between the football team and Danny.
"Hey, pretty boy!" Some asshat called from across the hall. Danny's shoulders hiked up and his easy smile was instantly replaced with a scowl. "The girls' bathroom's that way!"
"Just ignore them, Danny." Sam advised, glaring at the attacker over her shoulder. "This'll all blow over eventually."
Danny huffed out a breath, but before he could retort, there was a loud slamming sound. His head whipped around so fast, he thought he heard something crack, but that might've been the guy's head that was currently being pressed against a locker by Dash Baxter.
"What THE FUCK did I say, Johnson?!" Dash was practically screaming. There was barely-held back fury in his eyes and everyone quickly evacuated the area enough stay out of the splash zone.
The guy who was heckling Danny swings and arm and connects it with Dash's ear. Dash stumbles back slightly, before charging in, full force.
It was like what Danny imagines Dinosaurs fought like; brute force against brute force. Fighting for their lives, and not caring if blood got spilled in the process.
Dash had the other guy on the ground now, he was pinning him down with one hand, the other repeatedly slamming into the other guy's face. With each impact, the guy's face got more and more bloody and bruised. Some people looked away, some were unable to.
When the guy started begging, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I won't do it again!", Dash got up and glared at the crowd that formed around him.
"Let this be a warning," Dash said, "I don't care who you are, if you're a transphobic piece of shit, I'll beat it out of ya. Understood!?"
Everyone in the crowd, most of which weren't even bullies, nodded and averted their eyes. Dash locked his gaze with Danny, who wasn't sure what he was supposed to do. Should he smile? Should he wave? Should he look away? He didn't really get an option to do anything, because then Mr. Lancer put a hand on Dash's shoulder.
"To the principal's office, Mr. Baxter." He said, his voice tight.
"With pleasure." Dash replied, turning and strolling away, as if he didn't just break some guy's nose.
Surprisingly, or, perhaps, unsurprisingly, people took Dash's words very seriously. No one pestered Danny anymore. Not about how weak and nerdy he was. Not about how weird his friends were. Not about being a transboy. No one bugged him about anything.
No one, except for Dash.
It might've been wishful thinking, but Danny thought Dash was going to stop his bullying. But, no. He just made sure Danny wasn't bullied about being trans. Everything else was still fair game.
Danny was still pushed inside his locker. He still got book-checked and his lunch trays smacked out of his hands. He got forced to do Dash's homework on occasion.
It was like Sam said, like the locker room thing never happened.
Dash had Danny pinned up against a locker, his hand carefully avoiding his chest, where previously he would've held him down there. He glared down at the smaller boy and hissed with intense vigor, "Don't forget, Fenton. You're still on my list."
Dash has a list.
Actually, he has two.
One everyone knows about, but has never seen. It has a list of people that he should bully and with a justifiable reason as to why. This list has been with him for a long time. There have been alterations to it; people crossed out, people added, reasons added and removed. It was a very important list.
The other one, no one knows about, and no one ever will. It is a very very short list. With only six names on it. The reasonings take up more space than the actual names do. This list isn't used to bring about pain and suffering. Instead, it was there as a symbol, a shield, a vow. This list was of the six people in the world he would protect until his last breath.
No one has seen these lists. But there is one thing that is mutually agreed upon by everyone.
Danny Fenton is at the top of both of them.
Tell me what you think!