Chapter Two – …But They Have No Idea

The sun spilled onto the PCA campus like paint on a blank canvas, beautiful, strong rays of light spilled through the sky and onto the world overhead. Michael Barret walked around the campus, ashamed that he had skipped school, and insecure that he was beat up. A huge welt took place over his eye, something that he knew, as well as every one else, would take time to heal. His back hunched over, and his body stinging, Michael sat under a huge willow tree, the serene shade drowning his never relinquishing thoughts.

"MICHAEL!" Nicole stormed onto the PCA campus, running hastily, "MICHAEL!" She spotted him under the willow tree and began to slow down her pace, taking a seat next to him, "Are you okay?" She asked in a watered-down tone, her eyes peering into Michael's.

Michael turned away and began to pull off bark on the now dying tree, "Never been better", he hissed sarcastically, feeling aggravated that Nicole had followed him.

"Seriously", Nicole gripped Michael's shoulders with her hands.

"Ow", Michael whispered and pushed her hands away, although he didn't want to, he swallowed hard and turned to face Nicole, "Please, I'm okay".

"You don't look okay", Nicole gently placed her hand over Michael's welt, "What happened? We can take this up to Dean Rivers; I know that he'll -"

"No", Michael stopped Nicole mid sentence, standing up, "I told you I'm fine".

"But…"

"But nothing, the bruises will go away and everything will be back to normal", Michael sighed and walked back to his dorm room.

He could wish all he wanted to, but this wasn't going to go away.

---

"LOGAN WHERE'S MY SHIRT?" a girl called from Logan's room, her high voice annoying as Michael walked through the door.

"Michael, have you seen Caroline's shirt?" Logan asked, bare-chested and barefoot, standing in front of the boys' doorway.

"Who's Caroline?" Michael asked as he shut the door behind him.

"You know Caroline, in our second period English class", Logan nodded in emphasis.

"Oh yeah. Haven't seen it", Michael shrugged and walked over to the refrigerator to grab a Coke. He took a seat on the couch and began to flip through channels. It was typical of Logan to have random girls in his dorm room, banging them and breaking up with them the next day. That was him; Logan Reese, school stud. He seemed to be immune to any human emotion whatsoever, taking a girl back to his room and ignoring them the next day for a lifetime full of bragging rights, but Michael wasn't going to preach to him, it was Logan's decision what he did to women, no matter how degrading it was.

"Hey Michael", Caroline smiled, wearing one of Logan's old T-shirts, "See you tomorrow".

Michael nodded, "Later".

Logan wrapped his arms around Caroline's waist and kissed her for a time that seemed to be forever. She smiled at Logan, said one final good-bye to Michael and walked out the door.

"She's a nice girl", Michael stated as soon as Caroline walked out the door, "Don't screw this up".

"Alright mom, I promise I'll break it to her gently", Logan hopped on the couch, now noticing Michael's bruises, "What happened to you?"

"I got beat up", Michael stated plainly and calmly.

Logan was suddenly intrigued by this, "By who?"

"Someone", Michael's eyes drifted off into a distance.

"Did you try to fight back?" Logan asked.

Michael shrugged and walked away, the cold refreshing Coke in his hand. He didn't want to tell Logan the truth, about being bashed in the boys locker room, he didn't know how he'd react, he didn't know if he'd care.

(A/N: Please leave comments... sorry this chapter was a lil boring!)