"Blood On The Ground" – Part 8
Summary and additional notes in part 1.
Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews on the last chapter!
Language warning for this chapter. In length its short, but there's a method to the madness! Will update tomorrow :D
Rating: M (for violence, language, and dark themes)
Disclaimer: Do NOT own Degrassi!
8-
He found Owen outside smoking a cigarette. He looked numb to world while trying to project an intimidating image. For most people it would have worked, but Fitz wasn't most people.
"Hey, can I bum a smoke?"
Owen looked up. "No."
"No?" Fitz questioned as he came up to him.
"I only loan to people who I can collect from in the future. It's called reciprocity," Owen quipped.
Fitz laughed. "Someone has been studying up on the SAT words."
Owen shrugged. "Don't want to haunt these halls forever."
Fitz raised an eyebrow. The guy he knew showed little aspiration beyond high school. He deduced that his home life must have gotten even shakier now that his stepfather was out of prison.
Owen took one more drag before flicking his cigarette to the side. "So, what are you doing here Fitz? Thought you'd be preoccupied with your new friends."
Fitz reflexively narrowed his eyes before forcing a relaxed demeanor. The bitterness in Owen's words didn't sit well with him. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Owen laughed. "Don't play dumb. You with church girl. Bee with that tranny. I don't even know you guys anymore," he trailed off.
"Well, maybe that's because we moved on while you're still into the same stupid shit!" Fitz argued. He caught the digs at his girlfriend and towards Bianca, and he didn't like it.
"Oh come on! Why don't you grow a pair Fitz? I've lost people close to me too but I don't walk around neutered."
Fitz's anger flared. He couldn't believe Owen would so nonchalantly reference his cousin's death this summer, knowing how painful it had been for him to see Joshua die.
"Fuck you! I'm glad Torres busted up your face. For the record, we all know it was him – not him and Goldsworthy," Fitz sneered.
Owen blinked.
"Yeah, I said it! You're the only idiot I know who tries to jump someone and gets more fucked up than the target," Fitz continued. He was pissed that he ever was friends with such a douchebag.
"Shut up!" Owen roared.
"I will when you grow the fuck up already! Just let it go because jealously and bitterness is not a good look!" Fitz yelled. "I'm out of here."
With that he took off towards the school, not caring in the slightest that Owen watched him go with hatred in his eyes.
-oOo-
When Fitz walked back inside he was still heated. He took a few calming breathes as he reached his locker, but it did little to improve his mood. He lashed out and punched his locker hard. The pain in his hand was a welcome reprieve from the memories of watching his cousin bleed out as sirens echoed in the distance.
"Mark?" a concerned voice called out.
He turned around to see Clare standing nearby. Next to her was Adam who watched him with a wary expression.
"Are you alright?" Clare asked.
Fitz ran a hand through his hair. "I'm better now."
Clare and Adam exchanged a look. "It's fine. I'll see you at lunch," she told her friend.
Adam paused. He wasn't sure if he felt right leaving Clare alone with Fitz at the moment. They both witnessed his locker punch.
Fitz looked at him. "I wouldn't hurt her," he said to Adam, bypassing the niceties.
"Alright, because if you do…" Adam started.
"I won't know what hit me," Fitz finished with a small smile.
Adam glanced at Clare one last time before walking down the hall.
Clare walked over to her boyfriend and took ahold of his hand. She gently ran her fingers over the skin of his knuckles. "Is everything alright?" she pressed.
Fitz nodded and wrapped his arms around her. "Clare, things couldn't be better." He reached down and planted a kiss on her forehead as she leaned into his embrace.
.
tbc
A/N: Would you believe this is the calm before the storm? Things come to a head in the next chapter… and it's a lunch scene!
Reviews are lovely :D