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those things about you,” I said.
    “You stood up for me?” she asked, almost in disbelief.
    “Of course I did. Why wouldn’t I?” I asked.
    “Why would you? Nobody ever does when Trent is involved,” she said.
    “Because you’re the most amazing girl I’ve ever known, Annabelle Hawthorne, and I couldn’t let somebody talk about you that way, no matter who they think they are,” I said.
    Her eyes softened as her hands wrapped around mine. She took a deep breath through her nose and let it out slowly before leaning forward and kissing me on the cheek. My toes curled and butterflies fluttered throughout my body, then her lips left my warm cheek and she looked back at me.
    “I’m not sure how I’m ever going to make this up to you, Theo,” she said.
    A thousand thoughts were running through my head, from telling her it was no big deal to asking for her hand in marriage, but one thought stuck out the most. I knew it was a risk, but I’d already risked life and limb for this girl, and I wasn’t afraid to get another little bruise. Maybe now was the time.
    “How about dinner?” I asked.
    To my surprise, she smiled, her pearly whites shining brightly as she began to nod her head up and down. “That sounds amazing.”

Chapter Five
    The next few days were difficult as the bruises that had formed on my body were black and blue, though the pain was beginning to go away. I’d chosen not to press charges against Trent, Chad, and Brian, not because I was scared of them, but because I didn’t want anything to happen to Belle. I knew it sounded strange, but I didn’t want Trent to do something to her in retaliation for me pressing charges against him, which would mess up his football scholarship and ruin his life. When somebody aggressive like him feels like they have nothing to lose, sometimes they do crazy and stupid things. I didn’t want to be on the receiving end of those things.
    Belle had come over both Saturday and Sunday, bringing me ice cream, magazines, and anything else I needed to feel comfortable. I kept telling her I was fine, but she didn’t want to listen. She said it was her job to take care of me, especially with my mom at work, and that I just had to deal with it because she wasn’t going away.
    When I went back to school on Tuesday, everybody looked at me, at the bruises on my face, and whispered among themselves, but they also kept their distance—at least more than usual. Some people, mostly other outcasts, came up to me between classes and told me how brave I was, but I was hardly even close to brave. I was just a kid on the receiving end of a knuckle sandwich, and it didn’t taste all that good.
    “There you are,” Belle said as I got my food from the snack shack part of the cafeteria.
    “What’s up?” I asked.
    “I was hoping you’d come sit with us today,” she said.
    “Me?” I asked.
    “Well, of course you. Who else do you think I’m talking to?” she asked with a laugh.
    “I’d love to, but I can’t leave Martin behind,” I said.
    “Bring him,” she replied.
    “Really?” I asked.
    “Of course. I want to get to know him better, anyway. I think I should be friends with him if you are,” she said.
    “Okay, great, I’ll go get him and come over,” I said.
    “Perfect,” she said, grinning ear to ear, before walking away.
    “Okay, dude, don’t freak out about what I’m about to tell you,” I said to Martin, who had a piece of lettuce on the edge of his mouth.
    “Oh my god, don’t tell me Trent’s coming,” he said in a panicked voice.
    “No, not that. Belle invited us to come sit with her friends,” I said.
    “Wait, are you sure? She asked you, or you think she asked you? You tend to go off into a dream world sometimes. Maybe she just said—”
    “No, she invited us. Come on, let’s go,” I said.
    Without any hesitation, Martin picked up his tray, and the two of us walked into the uncharted waters of the cool room. That wasn’t its official name,