Chapter 6: Yeah, it was Amy

"Ow! Fuck! Could you not put so much pressure?"

"Stop being such a pussy, you're the one who started the whole fight."

"Doesn't mean-"

"Are you going to keep complaining or are you gonna let me finish?"

I press the alcohol drenched cloth on his knuckles once more and he hisses and tries to pull away again.

"Look," I pinch the bridge of my nose. "The more you keep pulling back the longer this is going to take. I suggest you bite your tongue or something. Crying works too." I pass a smug look to him and he rolls his eyes.

"Whatever. This whole thing is your fault anyway."

I scowl and press the pad into his gash even harder.

He yelps in pain.

"Fuck! Do you have no remorse?"

"Do you have no common sense?" I retort, "What were you thinking?"

Cole rolls his eyes again, grimacing when the damp cloth makes contact with his flesh again. I apply lighter pressure this time and press some dry gauze onto his knuckles.

"Here. Apply more pressure to alleviate the bleeding,"

I begin to put the pads into my first aid kit.

"How did I cause this," I gesture to his bad hand. "The fight was over Amy. Right?"

(Flashback: The Party)

I emerged from the bathroom, my bra in place and began to descend the stairs. Everyone but Rachel and Brandon-who called it a night for some alone time- were dancing when I left, and the same occurred when I returned.

I kept noticing the tension building between Amy and Ralph, I could see how curious she was in relation to where-and allegedly with who- he was at earlier this evening. That, and she kept eyeing him like he did something wrong, like he had something to hide despite flaunting it in front of everyone's face.

Not to mention that story about the lollipop girl obviously really struck a nerve.

I overheard him talking about some girl, maybe that is who he was with. I don't know. But he did keep sharing knowing smirks with the guys.

Truly, it wasn't any of my business, but I could tell the impact it has on Amy was either gonna be disastrous or a hair pulling heart-wrenching defeat.

It doesn't take a genius to see the spark between the two, it's only up to them to ignite it.

I sauntered over to where Amy stood dancing and joined her. She smiled and began to dance playfully alongside me. We kept it light and fun and airy, despite the fog overtaking the crowded house. It was a series of hip turns and body shakes, one keeping up the jarring pace with the other.

It was when two guys approached us that we decided to stop, our hips slowing as our adrenaline subsided.

"Hey," The one to the left decided to speak first.

I looked up at them and noticed their faces were exactly identical. The only difference between the two was the clothes they were wearing. One, the first who spoke, was clad in a deep maroon v neck that stretched at his chest from how broad he was, with dark washed out jeans to match. The other, was showing off his toned body in a tight navy blue muscle shirt, white knee length shorts to cover his lower half.

Both were attractive with light green eyes that looked deep under the darkening lights.

"You girls wanna dance?" The one on the right asked, his eyes trained solely on me.

Amy and I exchanged knowing looks, smirking.

"I'm Jase," the one who initially spoke said, introducing himself.

"And I'm Kai," Muscles said.

"Amara."

"Amy." We spoke at the same time.

Without a word, they held out one of their hands for us to take.

Still silent, Amy and I exchanged another look.

Her eyes flashed to Ralph who was standing across the room, chatting with two girls, Cole alongside him. The girls had their fingers twirling in their hair flirtatiously, one biting their lip.

I seen the way Amy's nostrils flared in anger, her fists clenched.

"Dance with Jase and show him what he's missing." I whispered in her ear.

She gave me an unsure look and I nodded to assure her.

"How did you know?" She asked as she took his hand.

I followed her lead and took Kai's, leading him toward the middle of the floor.

"It's obvious." I replied to her, pressing him against me slightly.

I tried not to notice how his hands weren't as big as Cole's as he put them on me. I didn't know him, but I decided to let him for the heck of it.

Hell, I don't know Cole. I thought, but I pushed away my thoughts of him.

I kept our dance flirty, but not too touchy feely.

I wasn't that type of girl.

Kai gripped my hips and rubbed up and down my torso along the spot where they curved in.

I shivered and moved against him faster.

I swayed side to side, rolling and grinding when necessary. I even went as far as to toss my hair to one side, sending him a wink over my shoulder.

The fact that I was still feeling those two blunts did not help my case.

We danced for multiple songs, and I was sweating furiously by the time he turned me around to face him.

He bit his lip, eyes dark.

That is as far as it went before I heard Amy's frustrated voice over the music.

Her face was twisted into a scowl as she looked at Jase.

He gripped her elbow, pulling her closer.

He whispered something suggestive in her ear and she scowled deeper.

Her hand pressed against his chest, pushing as he lifted the bottom of her dress.

Fuming from the nerve of that guy, I took strides to get to them.

I grabbed onto his shirt, yanking.

The strong THC left my body in a flash, my veins now pumped with angry adrenaline.

"Who the fuck do you think you are?" I yelled, "Get lost creep."

I felt Amy grab my elbow. She gave me a grateful look but glared hard at Jase.

"Last I was concerned you weren't in this conversation. Back the fuck off." Jase snapped before taking Amy's arm from mine.

"Now how about we stop playing games and go somewhere? I'm dying to get some of this," He emphasized his words by roughly caressing her body. She protested but he held her, forcing.

I snapped, I didn't think before I launched forward and punched him square in the mouth, taking him by surprise.

"The fuck? You little bitch!" He snarled, stepping forward

At that moment his twin, Kai approached us.

He swung a hand on his brother's shoulder.

"Yo. Yo. Problem here?" He asked, looking at me.

His jaw clenched.

The hell?

"Yeah. You're jerkoff of a brother thinks it's okay to force himself on girls." I scoffed, and looked over at Amy.

"You okay?" I asked her sincerely, pitching my voice so she could hear me.

"Yeah. I'm-"

"We still aren't finished," Jase appears beside us again.

"Yeah," His brother joins.

What the fuck?

"Excuse me? I will punch you again!" I eyed him up and down, daring him to do something.

I don't put up with shit.

And I'm not afraid.

"Aw, you think you could take us both." He laughed, literally laughed in my face and pushed me aside. I stumbled into his brother and he held onto me tightly.

What is wrong with these people?

Jase forced Amy back into his embrace and began mumbling filthy things into her ear.

Seriously? Does nobody notice this going on?

"Leave her alone you fucking sick mother fucker!" I was trembling with anger as I tried to pry myself from the much too bigger than me twin brother.

"Let go of me!" I screamed, slapping him and then kneed him where the sun don't shine.

He moaned in pain and I took that chance to knock him over.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?"

I ran to where Amy was, but I was met with a brawl.

Flesh hitting flesh rang clearly in my ears, I could see blood beginning to shed.

Cole and Jase were in a tangled heap on the floor, Cole on top delivering furious punches. He was so fast, in fact, that it seemed as if his arms were one quick blur.

Jase tried upper-handing him, but Cole was too fast. The speed only made his impact seem all the more powerful, no mercy, no remorse. I wondered what he witnessed, if it got further than what I had seen.

I wanted to stop the fight, but people gathered around it and I suddenly became an object of the game push and shove. People crowding everywhere to record and witness it, just to be apart of the madness.

I bit my lip, sighing and looked around for Amy.

When our eyes met I sighed again, realizing that she's okay.

She was a friend to me,- I already liked her enough to say that- even after only knowing her for a short time.

And I protect my friends.

Ralph was beside her, hugging and comforting her. His eyes held death and fury as he looked at the guy Cole was currently beating to a pulp.

Someone should really stop that fight.

I pushed past people to get to them.

"Are you alright?" I asked her once I was fully in earshot

She nodded, breathing deeply. "Yeah, just really disgusted."

She shivered and her eyes drifted to where everyone was standing.

Our view was blocked, but it could be heard, someone, in the midst of all the chaos, turned off the music.

"We should stop it," she said as she watched any array of multi-colored T-shirts.

"No way. That punk deserves it," Ralph uttered through clenched teeth.

His arms still held her, tighter by the second, refusing to let go. Only this intention was out of protection. "He's lucky I didn't jump in. I am seriously debating it."

"Maybe Amara could. She punched him in the face."

Amy turned to me. "Thanks for that by the way. I was going to do it, but you were there like lightning. I respect that. We don't know each other fully yet, so it's nice to know that despite it, you still have my back."

I smiled at her compliments.

"I can't stand assholes who think they can take what isn't theirs. I would've done it for anyone, but I do think of you as a friend. Despite that. I'm just glad I stepped in before worse happened " I said proudly, "But seriously. We need to stop that fight. We don't want Cole to go to jail tonight."

"You're right." Ralph said, looking reluctant to let go, but detached himself to dart into the crowd.

He hurdled people to the side and forced himself through.

What felt like minutes later, Ralph came bustling out the bundle of bodies, a raging, bloody Cole in tow. His fists were busted and gashed, blood flowing out of each one. He fought against the grip Ralph had his arm in, but ultimately his adrenaline began to simmer.

He let Ralph lead him out the house, into the yard.

He was breathing heavily through his nose, clenching and unclenching his fists while glaring at the entrance of the house.

"What happened, man?"

Cole looked at Ralph and took a deep breath.

"The guy just didn't know his boundaries. And if he knew them, he sure as fuck did not respect them. He's lucky I didn't fucking kill him. Motherfucker." He uttered the last word under his breath.

Ralph patted his back and nodded his head toward the line of cars along the street.

"Why don't we go home? Call it a night."

Amy and I agreed readily enough and after a few belated seconds, Cole nodded his head as well.

"Thank you, Cole. I have no idea what he would have done if you hadn't come sooner,"

He pulled her into his side as we walked. "I'll always protect you, sis. No matter what,"

Amy smiled genuinely.

When we got to our cars, we faced each other.

"Are you even fit to drive right now?" I asked Cole, which earned me a crude glare.

He gripped his car keys tightly in one of his busted hands.

"I'm fine." He snapped.

Amy put her hand on his shoulder.

"I don't think you are. Why not catch a ride with us?"

"I'll drop you off at your dorm," I add.

"No. I am perfectly fine. And there is no way that I am leaving my car here."

"Dude," Ralph interjected. "Give yourself time to calm down. I can take you by here tomorrow to get it. It is not going anywhere, trust me."

I looked at his shiny silver car. I am pretty sure it's a Vanquish, one of Aston Martin's recent models. Three years ago, I think it was. The car was beautiful enough to make a priest cry.

Cole let out a low, agitated groan. "If I agree will you guys quit bugging me, although I feel perfectly fine. Actually, scratch that, you guys pestering gave me a headache."

I rolled my eyes at his attitude, but gestured to my car anyway.

"I can go with Ralph," he argued.

"Actually you can't. I have to do something before I get home." Ralph smiled ruefully, shrugging.

Amy, not subtly, rolled her eyes and scoffed, looking into the distant night with a scowl.

I smirked and made up my mind to talk to her about it later.

Cole growled, literally, and reluctantly got into my backseat.

I seated comfortably in my driver's seat and rubbed the dash soothingly as Ralph said goodbye to Amy.

"Be nice to her. She's my baby."

"Some baby. She's hideous." He snickered to himself.

"Feel free to fucking walk," I snapped.

He shrugged and settled himself comfortably into the seat.

Amy was silent in the passenger as I drove down the highway.

In fact, everyone was. I had to break the silence, it was ringing obnoxiously in my ears and I could no longer take it.

"Do you have a first aid at your dorm?" I asked Cole, glancing at him through my rearview.

I came to a stop at a red light and waited for him answer.

I raised an eyebrow at him when he made eye contact with me.

He sighed, breathing through his nose. "No." He finally answered.

I nodded and the light turned back to green. I pressed on the gas to propel the car forward and changed my route.

"Alright. We'll stop by my dorm and then take you home."

I didn't give him time to object.

Within minutes we were pulling into the lot.

(End of flashback)

"Yes. It was because Amy," He looks through the door of the bathroom to Amy laying on her bed.

Her eyes are focused on the ceiling, breaths calm yet unnerving. I could feel her tension from where I stood at the edge of the sink.

Cole is still sitting on the countertop, his legs spread casually as I put the first aid kit under the sink.

"But how was it my fault?"

"Because you're the one who urged her to dance with that guy."

"One, how do you know that? Two, Amy is an adult. She can make her own decisions. I did not force her into anything. I merely suggested. Her doing it was all on her own." I cross my arms and lean my hip against the counter.

"I saw you guys dancing. I saw them and when he tried pulling up her dress. I didn't get a good glimpse until I saw him grab Amy, though. By then I was over it."

"So you stepped in and beat the guy." I say, the pieces falling into place.

It's weird how he was watching us dancing and stuff, but I don't comment on it. He could have merely glanced and then caught the situation.

"Yup,"

He breathes heavily through his nose and then hops off the counter.

He saunters toward where Amy is laying and plops down beside her horizontal positioned body.

His face transforms into one of sympathy, taking on sad eyes that would most likely break any girl.

"Are you okay, sis?"

Amy seems to break from her thoughts and turns her head on its axis till her eyes connect with his.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Then why do you look so down?"

"Because my good night was ruined by some asshole that is probably fucking some mindless slut at this very moment."

I observe her face as she speaks and notice different emotions brewing upon her features.

She's upset about something else, I can tell.

"I'm going to call a cab and take off alright? Call me if you need anything okay?"

Amy nods and Cole smiles, leaning down to press a chaste kiss on her forehead.

He stands, shakes his shoulders, and walks toward the door.

"I can give you a ride home," I offer. "I'm sure the cab driver would hate coming out this late."

"Isn't that his job?" His eyes roll.

"Whatever, I'm just trying to be nice-"

"Well, I didn't ask for it."

I open my mouth to comeback at him, but I shut it before I can get a word out.

It's not worth it tonight.

"Cole," We both turn to Amy. "Did you even say thank you for her helping you?"

"Why would I?"

"Because she went out of her way to make sure your gashes didn't get infected. A little appreciation wouldn't kill you." She laughs, but I heard the underlining seriousness in her tone.

Cole flashes me a fake smile that's all pearly white teeth, "Thanks."

I flash an equally fake smile, "Don't get used to it. I'm not used to handing out charity."

He laughs, his head thrown back. "I accept that."

I only shake my head and open the door for him.