We were walking to school together, as usual, the morning sunlight warming the crisp autumn air. There were a few other kids on their way, but not many. It was early, and the sun hadn't quite made it over the treeline yet. The sky was a pale blue, the clouds wispy and thin. A perfect day for a walk.

The leaves crunched beneath our feet, and the scent of fall hung heavy in the air. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, savoring the moment. The smell of earth and wood, the sound of birds singing, the feeling of the wind on my face.

Ruby and I had our hands linked together as we walked while Enzo trailed a few steps behind us. The past few days had been surreal. Between the almost-sexcapade and the whole disappearing-parents-and-being-forced-to-stay-home thing, it was a lot to process. 

I looked over my shoulder at Enzo and flashed him a grin. He rolled his eyes and shook his head, but the corner of his mouth quirked up into a smile. He was getting used to my antics, and it was nice to see him let loose a little.

Ruby squeezed my hand, drawing my attention back to her. "You're not listening to me," she complained, her voice laced with fake irritation. "I swear, I tell you something, and your mind just goes off on a tangent."

I laughed and nudged her with my elbow. "Sorry, what were you saying?"

She sighed dramatically and shook her head. "I was asking what theme you want for your birthday party," she replied, rolling her eyes. "But, like I said, you weren't listening."

"Oh, yeah. Birthday. Right." I chuckled and scratched the back of my head. "I hadn't really thought about it, honestly."

"Well, you better start thinking about it, 'cause your big day is right around the corner," Ruby reminded me, her tone light and teasing. "And, let's be honest, a theme is kinda mandatory when it comes to party planning. Plus, it'll give me something to work with." She winked and smiled. "So, come on. Spill."

I groaned and rolled my eyes, but a grin tugged at my lips. "Fine," I conceded. "How about a classic fairy tale theme? Like Cinderella or Snow White?" I looked at her, and she shook her head. "No? How about Alice in Wonderland?" Again, she shook her head. "Okay, well, how about...uh, I don't know. Any suggestions?"

She smiled and tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Hmm, how about a Halloween-themed party since Halloween's a week away from your birthday? We can have a spooky, gothic vibe and decorate with bats and cobwebs. It'll be so creepy and fun!" She looked at me, her expression eager. "What do you think?"

I bit my lip and thought about it for a moment. It wasn't exactly what I'd had in mind, but it wasn't a terrible idea. "Okay, yeah. I can live with that." I smiled and shrugged. "A Halloween-themed birthday party it is."

Ruby squealed and clapped her hands, her excitement palpable. "Oh my god, this is going to be so much fun! We're going to have a blast! I can't wait!" She grabbed my hand and pulled me down the sidewalk, practically bouncing with energy. "We have to get started right away! We have so much to do and so little time!"

Enzo sighed and shook his head, amused. "I swear, Ruby, sometimes I wonder if you even need caffeine, or if you just run on pure excitement."

Ruby stuck her tongue out at him and smiled. "Well, someone has to be the life of the party," she replied, her tone teasing. "Besides, where would you be without me?"

Enzo raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Probably less annoyed," he retorted, earning a laugh from me and a playful shove from Ruby.

The school came into view, and a knot formed in my stomach. It had been a few days since the incident at the party, and the memory still made me queasy. I shook my head and took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves. I'd be fine.

Enzo must have sensed it because he fell into step beside me, his shoulder brushing against mine. "You good?" he asked, his voice low, and I nodded, offering him a smile. He turned to Ruby. "Hey, Ruby, why don't you head on in, and we'll meet you inside?"

She looked between the two of us, her brow furrowed. But she nodded and waved goodbye, heading towards the front entrance. As soon as she was out of earshot, Enzo stopped and faced me, his expression serious.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked, his voice firm. "Because, if you're not, I can make some excuses for you. Get you out of class." His gaze was intense, and I knew he meant every word.

I smiled and shook my head, touched by his concern. "No, it's okay," I assured him. "I'm fine, really. Just a little nervous." I sighed and shrugged. "I guess I'm just scared I might run into him." I didn't have to specify who I was talking about. Enzo knew.

His jaw clenched, and his expression hardened. "You won't," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument. "If I see that fucker, I'll rip his balls off and feed them to him." His gaze was unwavering, and his voice was low and menacing.

I swallowed hard and nodded. "Thanks," I whispered, my voice barely above a whisper. I was shaken by the intensity of his response.

"But, hey," he continued, his expression softening. "If it makes you feel any better, I'll be by your side the whole day. I won't leave you alone for a second."

I nodded again, my throat tight. He reached out and squeezed my shoulder, his grip reassuring and warm. "Now, let's get to class. Don't want to be late." He gave me a lopsided smile and tilted his head towards the building.

He let me walk ahead of him, and I could feel his presence behind me. He was close, but not too close. The hallways were bustling with activity, and the sound of chatter filled the air. The usual. Kids laughing and joking around, teachers calling out last-minute instructions, lockers slamming shut. Nothing out of the ordinary. I took a deep breath and kept walking. I was fine. Everything was fine.

Suddenly, the bell rang, and everyone started rushing to their classrooms. The hallways cleared out quickly, and the sounds died down. I made my way to homeroom, Enzo following a few steps behind me. I slid into a seat next to Ruby, and he took a seat behind me.

Ruby raised an eyebrow, glancing at me sideways. "What was that about?" she asked, her voice hushed. "Is everything okay?"

I nodded and forced a smile. "Yeah, everything's fine. Enzo was just, uh, asking me a bunch of questions about the birthday party," I replied, shrugging.

Ruby frowned, clearly unconvinced. But before she could say anything, the teacher walked in, and class began. It was the usual morning routine. Roll call, announcements, and then on to first period.

As soon as the bell rang, Ruby and I made our way down the hall. We had first period together, which was a relief. Having someone there made the whole situation feel less daunting. Enzo was in a different class, so he walked the opposite way. Ruby and I made small talk until we reached our classroom.

The day passed by in a blur. It was almost like nothing had happened. The usual routine of classes and lunch and more classes. Before I knew it, it was time for my last class of the day, and my least favorite. PE. I groaned as I walked into the locker room, the familiar stench of sweat and stale air hitting me like a brick wall.

"Why the long face, Peyton?" Bree asked, her voice cheerful. "We're doing sprints out on the track today. That's fun." She was already dressed, and she had her hair tied up in a high ponytail. She looked like she was ready for a race, not a boring gym class.

Ruby rolled her eyes and elbowed me in the side. "Just ignore her," she whispered. "You know how she gets about sports."

Bree shot Ruby a look, her eyes narrowing. "It's called enthusiasm, Ruby," she retorted. "Something you wouldn't know the first thing about." She turned her attention back to me, her expression bright. "Anyway, you have to change." She gestured towards my outfit before walking out the door.

I stripped out of my clothes and quickly threw on the school-issued PE uniform. A pair of shorts and a t-shirt, both a disgusting shade of green. The color was supposed to represent the school spirit or some bullshit like that, but to me, it just looked like puke.

 Once I was changed, I made my way out of the locker room, Ruby trailing behind me. Bree was standing by the doors with some girls, her arms crossed over her chest. She was practically vibrating with energy. She loved PE. I hated it.

"Let's go!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands together. "It's a beautiful day for a run." She glanced at me and Ruby. "And you two need to work on your cardio. You're always breathing so hard during class. It's embarrassing." With that, she pushed the door open and practically skipped outside.

Ruby and I exchanged a glance and rolled our eyes. We followed the rest of the class outside, the warm sunlight enveloping us. The grass was green, and the sky was a bright blue. It was a perfect day, except for one thing. We had to run laps. And Bree was right. I sucked at it.

The teacher blew the whistle, and we took off, Bree leading the pack. She was a natural athlete, and she made running look easy. She moved gracefully, her ponytail swinging behind her, her stride long and even. Ruby and I fell behind, our feet pounding on the track, our breaths coming in ragged gasps.

I could feel the sweat trickling down my back, and my lungs were burning. My muscles ached, and my heart was pounding. But Bree just kept going, her pace steady. She was like a machine, and she wasn't even breaking a sweat. It was infuriating.

After a few laps, the teacher blew the whistle again, signaling the end of class. We all stopped running and gathered in the middle of the field, our chests heaving, and our faces flushed. I bent over, my hands on my knees, and tried to catch my breath. Bree, on the other hand, looked like she'd just taken a leisurely stroll around the block. It was so unfair.

"Good job, everyone," the teacher said, his tone cheery. "Class is dismissed. Get dressed and enjoy the rest of the week!" With that, he turned and walked back to the school.

I turned to Ruby, who was lying on the grass, her arm draped over her face. "Well, that sucked," she groaned.

Just when I was about to agree, a commotion erupted on the other side of the field. It sounded like a fight was breaking out and everyone started running over to check it out. Curious, I stood up and ran towards it, with Ruby and a few others following me. I reached the crowd and pushed my way through, determined to find out what was going on. But, as soon as I got to the front, I wished I hadn't. It was him.

Enzo was on top of him, his fists flying. He was a fury, a whirlwind of anger and rage. He was shouting something, but I couldn't make it out. His words were drowned out by the cheers of the crowd. Everyone was cheering, except me. I was frozen, rooted to the spot. I couldn't move or breathe. All I could do was watch as Enzo rained his fists down on the boy, who had his hands covering his face from the blows. Suddenly, the boy threw a punch, catching Enzo on the chin, and Enzo staggered back.

Then the boy scrambled to his feet and lunged forward, tackling Enzo to the ground. He pinned him down and landed a blow to his ribs. Enzo grunted and clutched his stomach, but the boy didn't stop. He kept punching, his fists raining down on Enzo's body. The boy raised his fist and brought it down hard, his knuckles colliding with Enzo's face. Enzo cried out, his eyes screwed shut, blood trickling from his nose.

"No, no, no," I gasped, the words leaving my lips before I could stop them. My body started moving on its own, pushing its way through the crowd, desperate to get to Enzo. 

But, before I could reach him, a teacher arrived, and he pulled the boy off Enzo. He dragged him away, kicking and screaming, and the crowd started dispersing.

I dropped down on my knees beside Enzo, my heart pounding in my chest. "Are you okay?" I asked, my voice shaking. I brushed his hair away from his forehead, my fingers lingering on his cheek. "Oh, God. You're bleeding." I reached for the bottom of my shirt, intending to use it as a makeshift bandage, but he caught my hand.

"I'm fine," he grunted, his voice strained. He pushed himself into a sitting position, his expression pained. "Just a bloody nose. Nothing to worry about." He glanced at me, his eyes meeting mine, and he tried to smile but it looked forced. "I'm okay, Peyton," he reassured me.

"What happened?" Ruby asked, her tone urgent. "Did you guys know that guy?" She gestured towards the boy, who was now sitting on the grass with his head in his hands as a teacher and a few guys from the football team stood around him, trying to understand what was going on. He looked like he was crying.

"No," Enzo growled, his eyes flashing. "But he deserved what he got." He got to his feet and brushed the dirt off his clothes, trying to walk but he staggered. Ruby and I rushed forward to support him, and he leaned on us, his body still shaking. "Fuck, he got me good," he muttered, rubbing his ribs.

We made him sit down on the grass again before I pulled my phone out of my pocket. My hands were still trembling as I dialed the number. The phone rang a few times before the line connected.

"Hi, mom. Something's happened. You need to come pick us up." I glanced at Enzo and sighed. "Enzo's hurt."