A/N: Yeeeaahh sorry it took so long to update, life got in the way on that one. Our winter color guard won the state championships though!! Yay!! Also the story doesn't really go in chronological order. So we went backwards and now we're moving forward again kinda sorta. If you're confused just tell me, I can fix it or explain it somehow.

Jamie was crying. Tawny saw it. Louis saw it. The whole damned school saw it. They could also see why Jamie was crying. Someone had spray painted the word "faggot" across his locker, and if that wasn't enough the extremely thoughtful person had filled his locker with spaghetti sauce. Tawny knew that there was only one person juvenile enough to add that last touch. She saw him, standing in the crowd, and he was laughing the hardest and yelling the cruelest insults. She had no idea that he could be capable of something like this, he had always struck her as harmless, but now it was different. "This isn't right; this shouldn't be happening" kept playing in her mind; "someone should do something," it was like her mind was stuck on repeat.

Finally she felt herself moving through the gathering of middle schoolers that were taunting Jamie. Was this really happening? She took his hand completely ignoring everything around them. She led him through the little crowd and to the closest bathroom. She didn't care if anyone saw her go into the boys' bathroom so she pulled him in behind her. The bathroom was empty and she promptly locked it. Tawny made him sit on the sink as she went to work at cleaning spaghetti sauce out of his hair. The two of them regarded each other in a comfortable silence save for the occasional sob from Jamie, for a long time. Finally Tawny broke the silence.

"Your hair is all set," she smiled sympathetically "If you want you can borrow one of my friend Tom's shirts. He keeps extras for occasions like this; it's a hazard to be friends with Louis."

"It's even worse to be on his bad side; I think I'll take you up on the shirt offer." The small joke he had tried to make sounded harsher than he had meant it to. He was still struggling to regain some composure and to process everything that had just happened. Tawny watched his internal battle trying desperately to think of something to say.

"I never thought he'd do something like that, well not the sauce part he does that all the time, but what he wrote and what he was saying to you, that isn't the Louis I know. That shouldn't ever happen to anyone, but you'll be ok you're a tough guy. You can bounce back." Tawny fumbled for words, she had no idea what she was saying. She added learning about comforting people to her mental checklist.

"You're right, it'll all pass eventually. Thanks for helping me, you're an amazing person." Jamie smiled and stood up from the sink. "What time is it?" he asked suddenly remembering where they were. The bell had rang 15 minutes ago and they were missing class.

"Do you just want to skip the rest of the day? We could hide out in the auditorium or something." Tawny asked hopefully.

"Yeah that sounds like a plan; but let's find Tom's shirt first." Jamie said with a smile.

The pair walked out of the bathroom and to Tom's locker happily. Tawny successfully broke in and stole one of Tom's neatly folded shirts. They trekked back to the bathroom and this time Tawny waited outside for him to change. Finally they were on their way to the auditorium when they heard their names being called over the PA system. They exchanged worried looks and turned in the direction of the principal's office.

"Oh shit." Jamie mumbled when they got there. His parents were standing with the principal and no one looked very pleasant.

"Mr. Moore, Ms. Dean please step into my office." The principal said sternly. Not good, thought Tawny. The look on the faces of Jamie's parents' weren't very promising either.

"Do you two know why you're in here right now?" Jamie looked like he was going to cry again.

"Actually, no sir," said Tawny in her most polite, brave voice possible. One of them had to maintain a certain level of calmness or they'd be eaten alive.

"Well the two of you are here in regards to this morning's 'incident'. I'm told that both of you took a large part in this disruption and then proceeded to skip classes."

"Excuse me sir, but we weren't the ones who are responsible for the disruption, Jamie was a victim and I was only helping him." Tawny couldn't believe the way he had spun the story.

"Regardless someone must take the blame for this, and since your names were the only ones involved, I'm forced to suspend you. Your parents will be along shortly to gather you Ms. Dean, so you and Mr. Moore can say your little goodbyes and we'll see you back in school in about two weeks."

Tawny couldn't breathe, she was so angry, and Jamie was crying again. Jamie's parents started to rush him out of the door; she could hear them angrily whispering questions at him. Jamie had mentioned before that his parents were really religious and only now did she remember it. Louis had caused way more trouble than he had meant to this time. The principal escorted Tawny out into the hall to wait for her parents. She couldn't look at the asshole because she was sure that she'd kill him if she did. After a while he left her and went back to his office. She sat fuming for about a half hour before her parents showed up and when they finally did she burst into tears and was not capable of speech. They showed her to the car without one question, that would come later, and hopefully they'd believe her. No matter how bad she had it she knew that Jamie had it a thousand times worse.