After Nathan had dropped off Janelle, his concern and worry spiked. He parked in his garage, sitting in his car for a moment as he thought. It felt as if someone was watching both Janelle and himself earlier. He couldn't shake the feeling off.

Janelle went straight up to her room with much difficulty. With being crippled, it made doing her daily chores and whatnot almost impossible. She'd usually forget her crutches in her room if she were to walk to the bathroom across the hall. Janelle would hop around everywhere if her crutches were left in her room or some other place. It began to become a drag.

Two days later since the incident…

Janelle dressed in shorts—the weather being humid—and a floral tanktop with a denim sleeveless jacket. She slipped on her Toms, her leg bandaged up where the bullet had gone through.

"Janelle, it's been a month since the incident and you still don't want this person brought to justice?" Her mother said as she drove her to school.

"No, mom. Just drop it. I've forgotten about it." Janelle lied. Every time she'd look down at her leg, the incident replayed in her mind as if it were supposed to let her relive the day over and over. It hurt, emotionally. Aaron left to be with Ashley. Ashley attended school now and Janelle did her best to look away.

She didn't want to fight anymore.

As Janelle made her way to Nathan's room, his eyes stayed on the door, hoping for his 'favorite' student—in more aspects than one—to enter through the door. He wore jeans that looked rather tight around his crotch area and ankles along with a white V-neck. It was his casual wear.

Janelle took a deep breath before entering his classroom easily. She had mastered the crutches and realized it wasn't as hard as she thought it was before. She kept her eyes downcast as she walked with the help of her crutches, however, Nathan's eyes were glued onto her. He let his eyes wander her body that seemed to show more skin than before.

As the bell rung, his eyes were transfixed on her legs, ignoring the bandage that was wrapped around her thigh. Nathan broke out of his reverie once another student dropped their homework from a couple of days on his desk.

"Mr. Gardner, I know this was due two days ago, but I finished. That counts, right?" Nathan took the paper from him and looked it over, scanning as he glanced every now and again at Janelle.

"Uh, yeah, sure thing. I'm going to have to minus 30% of your homework grade, though. Thank you for turning it in." Nathan nodded towards his student before he walked back to sit at his desk.

The pledge of allegiance was announced over the intercom as Nathan's entire class rose and placed their right hand over their heart. He glanced around to see if everyone stood, their backs facing him as he let his eyes fall to Janelle's bottom. He tightened his jaw and shifted from left to right.

Once that was finished, the entire class sat down in their seats as he removed his glasses to clean it nervously, the muscles on his arms flexing.

Janelle found it hard not to stare. Her teacher looked extremely attractive today, not like he doesn't everyday. The muscles on his arms flexed as he wrote, the breeze coming from the window would hit his abdomen as his shirt stuck to the contours of his abs, add to that, his jeans weren't doing anything for her either.

Nathan was giving a lecture as he walked the isles between his students' desks. He folded his arms across his chest, causing the sleeves of his shirt to tighten around his biceps as his shirt slightly lifted to reveal a small trace of hair that disappeared down his jeans.

Janelle glanced down quickly before she looked back up at Nathan, licking her lips slowly as she shifted in her seat.

"Miss Smith, would you care to tell us about the Holocaust and its significance?" Nathan abruptly called on her, noticing the lack of attention coming from the girl as she looked around frantically.

"Um… Sure, yeah." Nathan nodded, leaning against his desk as he rested his hands on the edge of it, his triceps showing as she tightened her jaw and attempted to stay focus. Holocaust, Holocaust, right. It shouldn't be that hard, she thought.

"And, I'd like for you to come up here and explain it to the class." Janelle let out a loud sigh before she grabbed her crutches and walked to the front of the classroom. Nathan stayed still before standing just as she turned her back to him, her butt gently brushing against his crotch.

Janelle's breath hitched in her throat as she felt the slightest contact. "Um, the Holocaust." Nathan moved to the side as he attempted to listen to what she had to say, his mind wrapped up around the brief encounter their bodies had.

"You all know the Holocaust, right? Why do I need to explain it if you all know what it is?" Janelle looked at Nathan as she leaned against her crutches. "I mean, really, Mr. Gardner. We're learning it right now. Why don't you explain what it is and the significance of it."

The class looked between Nathan and Janelle as they all wondered if she would get in trouble for refusing to speak.

"Well, that's taking the easy way out, Miss Smith. I want you to tell the class. Go on." Nathan motioned towards the class as she let out a heavy sigh and shook her head.

"The Holocaust. It was something with Hitler and Jews, and the U.S. Significance? The U.S. was involved. There. Speech done." Janelle walked back to her seat, setting her crutches to the side as she kept her eyes on Nathan to see his reaction.

The class laughed before ceasing all noises once Nathan's expression changed from interested to angry. "Detention. Lunch and after school. I'll see you then, Janelle."

The entire class ooh'ed as an indication that she was in trouble. "Bullshit. Whatever," Janelle said under her breath as she grabbed her crutches and her things before heading out the door.

"Where are you going?" Nathan asked as the class, once more, looked interested more in what was going on now than what was going on in the late 1930s.

"Bell's ringing in five minutes. Since I'm a cripple, I get to leave early. Now, goodbye." Janelle immediately left his classroom with the last word as she headed towards her locker. Great. Lunch and after school detention with that hot bastard, she thought.

Second, third, and fourth period went by quickly. Ashley had given her dirty looks or a smirk every time Janelle walked past her. She was disgusted, to say the least. Especially to see Aaron and Ashley all over each other like they were animals.

As Janelle walked by the couple and a few of their friends, she mumbled under her breath. "Fucking gross." Ashley caught her words before she pulled Janelle roughly from the back of her tanktop, causing her crutches to fall.

"Let me go, Ashley."

"What did you say? It's okay to be jealous, you know." Janelle rolled her eyes as she glared a hole straight through Ashley. She moved her eyes to lock with Aaron's as she noticed the sincere apologetic look etched on her features.

"Pathetic," Janelle spat. Without any warning, she received a hard blow in the lower abdomen before her back connected with the metal lockers. She hissed in pain as her legs failed her. She slumped to the floor, only to be brought back up by Ashley's tight grip on the collar of her tank top.

"Would you like to repeat what you said?" Ashley threatened, her friends watching with a smile on their faces and interested looks on their features.

"I said you're pathetic. You like my sloppy seconds, Ashley?" Janelle smirked slightly only to have Ashley's fist connect with her jaw. She groaned in pain before she felt herself being dropped to the tile floor.

Janelle's eyes shot up once she felt pressure on her gun wound as she attempted to push Ashley's foot away. "Leave me alone.."

Ashley dug her heel into Janelle's wound with a smirk to herself. Janelle screamed in pain before Ashley kneeled down to whisper in the other girl's ear, making sure that no one would hear.

"I suggest you keep your relationship with Mr. Gardner lowkey, princess. I'd hate for him to be fired for having a relationship with a student, or even arrested for being with a girl under eighteen." Ashley laughed evilly before kicking Janelle's leg and walking away. Aaron looked back at Janelle with a sense of worry as Janelle lied on her back, her wound bleeding as it seeped through the bandage.

There was a small cut on her lower lip and bruises along her jaw as she shut her eyes in pain. She needed to get out of this place. She couldn't handle it anymore. She couldn't risk the chance of having Nathan fired or arrested, so she lied there in pain as she conjured up ideas to run away.

Nathan sat in his chair at his desk, wondering where Janelle may be. It was ten minutes into lunch and she still hasn't shown up. She's not that pissed at you, he thought to himself. He removed his glasses and rubbed the heels of his hands into his eyes as he sighed heavily.

Minutes later, a few of the girls from the basketball team came running into his room with wide eyes.

"Mr. Gardner, hurry! It's Janelle," Mallory said as she immediately took notice of the teacher's different attire today. "Sh- She's bleeding and unconscious."

Just hearing the word blood, Nathan instantly stood from his chair and followed Mallory and Brynn as they led him to where Janelle was. His breath was taken away as he kneeled down next to her. Who could have done this?

"Call the nurse and tell her to call 911. Now!" Mallory and Brynn nodded quickly before Nathan gently lifted Janelle's wounded leg and attempted to remove the bandage. "Fuck.. Stay with me, Janelle." He whispered as he removed his shirt to tie it around tightly around her wound to stop the bleeding. His white wife beater clung to his muscular chest and abdomen as it showed off the muscles on his arms.

The nurse ran quickly to where Nathan and Janelle were. "The ambulance is on their way. I'm glad you added pressure to the wound to attempt to stop the bleeding. It looked as if…" The nurse inspected Janelle's face gently before sighing heavily to herself. "She was beaten up. Anyone have any idea who might have done this?"

Nathan, Brynn, and Mallory shook their heads as they kept their eyes on Janelle. The entire rest of the basketball team came running down the hall to surround Janelle's still body. The principal immediately was notified with the situation as faint noises of the sirens were heard.

"I think we need to install cameras around this school," the principal spoke as she kept her eyes on the girl lying on the tiled floor.

"You think? I tried that. None of the students enjoyed it." Nathan said. He didn't mean for it to be in a harsh tone, but his anger rose by the minute. He couldn't be there for Janelle and it hurt him to know that she was still being beaten. And for what reason? He had no clue.

Meanwhile…

"Ashley! Damn it, why'd you do that?" Aaron pulled his girlfriend aside as he glared at her. "You didn't have to hurt her. You already shot her, damn it!"

Ashley shook her head and covered his mouth with her hands. "Shut up. No one knows that but you and those stupid girls from the basketball team."

"You're a lunatic. Why are we together anyway?" Aaron pulled her hands away from his mouth and took a step back. Thoughts of Janelle and the way he treated her flowed through his mind as he shook his head. "I can't believe I treated her that way."

Ashley let out a laugh as she crossed her arms over her chest, herblonde hair in a bun as she looked at Aaron. "Oh please. You didn't deserve her. She doesn't deserve you. What she did deserve was what I did to her. Now, come on and let's eat lunch." She tugged on his forearm, but Aaron held his ground. He narrowed his eyes at her and tightened his jaw.

"No. We're done. I don't even like you." Aaron shook his head in disgust before walking away from Ashley and heading to where Janelle was at.

Nathan glanced around and spotted Aaron from afar. Immediately, he stood and walked towards the boy. "Who did this? I know you know who did this. Now tell us." Nathan pressed on as they reached the crowd of people surrounding Janelle.

"I- I don't know, sir." Aaron shook with fear as his eyes locked on Janelle's unconscious body. "I- I'm sorry. I don't know. I can't help you."

"That's bullshit, Aaron," Mallory said suddenly as she stood and pushed the boy against the lockers, making a loud noise. The principal stood and separated the two as she sighed, rubbing her forehead with irritation. "Stop it, you two. Now, Aaron, do you or do you not know what happened here?"

Nathan looked intently at Aaron, his jaw tightened as he attempted to calm himself down. He knew Aaron knew something, it was evident in the way the boy fidgeted with his hands and wiped the bead of sweat trickling down his forehead.

"I do not, Mrs. Wright." The principal nodded and left the boy alone. The entire basketball team shook their heads as Nathan looked at him in disappointment before focusing his attention back to Janelle.

Aaron left the crowd and walked to the lunch tables. He saw Ashley give him dirty looks before he rolled his eyes. He needed to say something soon before Ashley would do something tragic to Janelle.

And he didn't want that. No one did.