"I don't know why you're so stressed out about this," I said, sitting on a chair in Ryan's room. I watched as he studied a map of the school.

"Brendon, are you fucking kidding?! This school is so goddamn small everyone is going to know I'm the new kid!" Ryan exclaimed anxiously, turning to stare at me.

"For the millionth time, no one is going to care if you're new as long as you're with me."

"What if I'm not around you? They might all gang up on me," Ryan stated nervously.

I sighed, "Trust me, nobody's going to gang up on you."

Ryan was really taking this out of control. I understood why he was nervous and I'm sure it didn't help when I told him how the new kids always were the popular kids punching bags.

"But they might break my ribs."

"Nothing is going to happen to you. Trust me," I said before connecting my lips forcefully with his.

He smiled as he disconnected our lips. "You know I trust you. You wouldn't even be here if I didn't." Ryan looked sideways at his alarm clock. "Your dad's going to be home soon. You really should leave."

I smiled as I kissed him again, playfully tugging on his shirt.

"I'm all for that but not now. I don't want you to get in trouble with your dad," Ryan said pushing me away.

"I was kidding but if you want to have sex I don't care if I get in trouble."

"Well I care," Ryan said as he kissed me biting my lower lip when he stopped. "I'll see you in first period."

"OK. I'll see you tomorrow, Ry," I called to him before leaving his room.

****

I woke up at my usual 5:30 a.m. for school. I took a shower and got dressed within twenty minutes. My older sister Myra was driving to school and was just waking up as I was leaving. She didn't bother to offer me a ride.  On the first day of school I preferred to walk and then spend the rest of the day deciding who would be the lucky person to give me a ride home.

When I finally got to school I searched for Jon. He had kept his promise of not talking to me for the last two weeks of the summer. He didn't really approve of me being with Ryan.

I found him within seconds. He was talking to William Beckett, he was in our "group" of friends but he was rather shyer than the rest of us. The two of them were laughing, Will seemed to be laughing out of nervousness. I smiled as I walked over to them, knowing Jon was only talking to Will because of my absence.

"Hey Jon, Will," I said as I approached them.

Will smiled at me awkwardly.

"How's your bitch?" Jon asked, smirking at Will. Will laughed quietly. I froze knowing Jon had probably come up with some plan with Will to hurt Ryan.

"Please don't hurt him," I practically begged.

"Who said I was gonna hurt him?" Jon asked sarcastically.

"I know you, Jon. Don't hurt him, for me." I knew if Jon was planning to hurt Ryan, which he most likely was, he'd make sure to do it in front of me.

"Break up with him," Jon stated, calmly.

"Why do I have to?"

"If you don't we will hurt him."

"What is the point of this?!" I was getting frustrated.

"We don't want some new kid in the group. Isn't that right, Will?" Jon asked, not looking in his direction.

"Yeah, we don't need to babysit this kid," Will said, sounding as if he had rehearsed this conversation with Jon.

"What if I'd rather be with him than you?" I asked through gritted teeth.

Jon laughed, "Brendon we've been friends for four years and you've know this guy for two weeks. I doubt you'd pick him over your friends. Plus you love being in charge of this school if you leave the group no one's going to listen to you."

He had a point, even if I didn't want to admit it. I was shallow and I needed to know I was better.

Ryan won't get hurt. This way's better, I told myself knowing Jon had won. He always won.

 "I'll tell him in first," I said, looking at my feet. I didn't need to see his gloating smirk.

"Good to know you're thinking clearly now." I could hear the smirk in his voice.

"I hate you for this," I muttered, still not looking up from my feet.

"You'll get over it," Jon said as the bell rang. Will and him began to walk off towards their first period but I didn't move. I didn't want to break up with Ryan. "Bren, get your ass to first. You have a boyfriend to dump!" Jon called over his shoulder, laughing.

I began to walk to my first period, zoology. I made sure to take my time. Ryan was already in class by the time I got there. There was a seating arrangement so I didn't have to sit next to Ryan but it was in alphabetical order and I ended up three seats away from his.

What ever happened to common S and T last names, I thought bitterly as I took my seat.

I tried not to focus on Ryan but it was difficult. I kept replaying last night in my mind and that didn't help. Ryan was talking to some kid next to him. I didn't remember his name but I did remember giving him a black eye last year. He had been the new kid last year and now it was Ryan which meant a new punching bag for the popular kids, for me... I shook the thought away from my head.

I can't hurt him...I can't hurt him...

"Bren?" Ryan's voice interrupted my thoughts. Instinctively, I looked at him.

"Yeah?" I asked, trying not to choke but it didn't exactly work.

"Are you okay? What's wrong?" he asked, leaning over the other kids desk. I couldn't look into his eyes. I don't know why but it made me feel sick to do it.

"Nothing but I need to talk to you after class." Even without looking at him I knew he was worried.

"OK," he said as he leaned back to his seat.

The kid next to him immediately began to whisper something to him under his breath. Every once in a while the boy would glance at me and I knew he was telling Ryan what I had done to him last year.

I put my head down, hoping the next hour and a half would pass quickly.

Right as the late bell rang Pete Wentz walked in. He was one of my friends and his seat was next to mine. I was thankful to have a reason not to stare at Ryan.

"Hey Bren," he said as he sat down. His eyes were focused on Ryan. "New kid?" he asked with a smirk.

"Yeah but we're not going to touch him," I whispered threateningly.

"Why not?" he asked, still staring at Ryan.

"Just don't. Nobody's going to hurt him."

Ryan had turned around and his eyes had met Pete's. Neither looked away, they seemed to be measuring each other up.

"Let me guess you like him?" Pete asked, turning away from Ryan at last.

I knew Ryan had heard him and was now listening to us.

I sighed. The best way to hurt Ryan less would probably be to do this quickly. "I did," I answered, trying to get my voice loud enough for Ryan to hear.

"Oh, so you're friends with him?"

"I'm not sure."

"Then why can't we-"

"I don't want to see him hurt," I mumbled, cutting Pete off so Ryan didn't hear the rest.

"I know what you mean," Pete said quickly. He was probably annoyed about being cut off but I didn't care.

I looked up at Pete and smiled so he knew I wasn't mad at him for asking. Pete had always been paranoid that we were going to kick him out of the group. The only reason we hadn't was because he was strong and Jon seemed to enjoy his company for some reason.

"Mr. Urie, Mr. Wentz, please stop talking," the teacher, Mr. Rossheim called to us. He had probably heard about us from the other teachers and knew we were going to be a problem.

The teacher talked to the class for about an hour before we were allowed to talk. The only reason Pete and I kept quiet was because I liked to spend the first week of school buttering up the teachers before I spent the rest of the semester slowly torturing them.

"You know Jon broke up with Jen," Pete said casually.

"I didn't know that. I haven't talked to him for a while," I mumbled, resting my head on my arm.

"I heard a rumor that he liked you," Pete said this as if it were old news.

"Who said that? I doubt it's true."

"Will told me."

I nodded but didn't say anything back.

I spent most of the next half hour ignoring Pete and watching Ryan talk to the kid next to him.

The bell rang.

"I'll see you at lunch, Pete," I said as he left.

"What the hell's going on?" Ryan asked, his voice was actually calm. I would've smiled if it weren't for the situation at hand.

"We can't do this any more," I tried to sound calm.

"So in the course of eight or more hours you decided to dump me for Jon?" Ryan asked bitterly, following me out of the class.

"No. You don't understand. Trust me, this is better for you."

 "I don't trust you anymore."

I sighed and grabbed Ryan's hand. I dragged him into the bathroom.

"Brendon, let me go." He struggled weakly.

"Please don't make this worse."

"Are you going to beat me up like you did Spencer?" Ryan asked, crossing his arms.

"Who?" I asked. I didn't want Ryan to get mad. He didn't understand that I had a plan around all of this crap Jon had started.

"Spencer Smith." I looked at him still confused. "The kid I was talking to in Zoology! At least learn the names of the kids you torture. Just in care you already forgot I'm Ryan."

"You're being over-dramatic."

"I don't know why I would be! Although it might have to be the fact that my boyfriend is dumping me for no reason," he was starting to sound hysteric.

The bell rang.

"We're going to be late," I stated blankly. I knew if I said anymore he'd just get madder.

"I want an explanation first," Ryan said as he glared at me.

I couldn't give him an honest answer yet. "I just don't want you hurt."

"It's a little late for that," Ryan said, glaring at me before he left.

I let out a deep breath and walked out of the bathroom. I'd have to find some way to tell Ryan my plan before he did something rash.