Chapter Twenty Eight: Letter From Todd

The smell of a disgusting chem lab filled my nostrils as I entered my science class. My head was feeling stuffy and I hadn't really slept last night.. nightmares. Stupid Todd Jacobs had been haunting me in my dreams too.

I waited at my desk for Christian to come in. He had stopped by the bathroom when we were on our way to class. I looked at the clock and noticed there was only thirty seconds or so left before the tardy bell would ring. Suddenly there he was, pushing through the door so gracefully that you wouldn't have even known he was nearly late. His perfect crooked smile began to spread as he saw me. He took the desk beside me and made a weird face. I knew he was expressing his hate towards the chemistry lab smell.

Before I could fully enjoy the presence of Christian, Todd Jacobs came crashing into the room. He looked at Christian and smiled. I turned to Christian just in time to see him smile back.

"Um, what are doing?" I asked. Not fully understanding why he thought he should smile back at the boy who had attacked us.

"He isn't so bad. We talked and he apologized. He actually seems like a really nice kid."

I turned in disbelief and faced the teacher as she started talking. Her explanation of the chemistry lab wasn't even registering into my mind. I really didn't care anymore to be honest.

My insides were tangling and my chest felt extremely stuffed. How could he befriend this guy so easily? The guy who beat us up.. hurt us.. got me kicked off the baseball team.

"...Groups of 3! No more, no less!" The teacher was shouting. Before I could wrap my head around her words, Todd was standing beside me. Was this a joke?

"Hi, Cody!" He said, pulling a mechanical pencil from his pocket. "I totally understand this so you better be glad I'm in your group." He said chuckling.

"Actually Todd, I can do this too." I said, knowing my voice was harsh as I walked between him and Christian and too our lab station.

I didn't know if I was just being a whiner or not, but I was feeling incredibly hurt.

I grabbed a lab sheet and begin. Slowly, Todd and Christian made their way to the lab station. I didn't speak to them and honestly I didn't listen to their conversation either. I was furious.

"That's wrong." Todd's annoying voice pierced my ear and I turned to him with the most hateful look I could manage.

"What Todd? What?"

"No need to be upset Cody. Math isn't everyone's subject he said yanking my pencil away and erasing my work, redoing it with his 'better' knowledge.

I fumed. How dare him. The boy who had just shortly ago beat me up! Put me in the damn hospital! How dare him act like we could ever be friends! How dare Christian allow that! I felt my heart beating faster as my level of anger heightened. He handed my pencil back smiling. I snatched it away and re-positioned myself back over the paper.

I caught bits and pieces of a conversation that seemed to be about fishing and art from Christian and Todd as I worked. I tried my very best to ignore it, but it ate at me like maggots. In the bit of my stomach, my intestines. Chewing, biting, scratching, hurting..

I finished the paper just ten minutes before the bell would ring. I put it in the classwork basket near the teacher's desk then returned to my own. To my surprise, Christian didn't follow me. He was still discussing the previous weeks football lose for the high school.

"Christian, come here." I said, my body turned to face them.

"One sec, Cody." He said smiling that smile that makes me melt.

I turned back around and waited. For six minutes I waited and he never made it up to me before the bell rang. I turned back to him and he looked at me. Todd was heading back to his seat.

I got up and began to walk away.

"Cody, wait." He said hurrying to me and grabbing my arm. "I'm sorry. Did I do something?" He asked. I could tell the confusion in his face was as real as the pain in mine must have been.

I jerked my arm from him.

"Cody, what happened?" He asked again, I could tell I was hurting his own feelings now.

We had never been like this and I was hurting. I never imagined we could ever be like this. He looked at me pleading for some answer, but I couldn't speak. He turned and walked away. Faster than usual, and for the first time ever, he didn't look back when he left. I hurt more with every step he took.

Everything that had been his fault had suddenly turned into my own. As I wondered why I was so whiny and if I had just ruined the best thing that had ever happened to me, Todd walked by, flipping a letter onto my books, a sly smile on his face.

I knew whatever he had written in the note wasn't good. So I slipped it into my pocket until I finished my day.

Christian never met me after school. Nor did I expect he would anyway. I ached for him on the bus ride home. He wasn't walking me home for the first time since we had be together. I wondered if he missed me, wanted me, and hurt because of me as much as I did for him.

I wanted nothing more than to take back everything I had done. I had been wrong, right? I had no reason to act the way I did.

The suite was empty.
I threw my stuff down and slumped onto the couch. I pulled the note from my pocket, wondering what it might say.

My fingers were trembling, my breathing completely stopped as I unfolded the piece of paper.

I could hear Todd's voice in my head saying the words as I read them.

"I'm gonna find out if his ass is as good in bed as it looks. I'll let you know."

I felt my body trembling and I started to cry. Eight hours ago I would have said Christian would never leave me or doubt what we had together. But after what I had done today, I wasn't so sure. And that scared me. A lot.

I did know two things though.

One, Todd Jacobs was the enemy, and two, I would fight for Christian.. and so far I was in the lead. I had one thing Todd Jacobs didn't.. his heart... for now.



A/N: Rawr, Imma slow poke. lol. Sorry guys, I get to it when I can. Thanks for reading and reviewing and continuing to follow it. Continue? Thanks.