The sun was dipping low, casting a warm glow over the school parking lot. Hughie Biggs leaned lazily against the hood of Joey’s car, laughing at something Gibsie had said, his girlfriend tucked close to his side. Their friend group—Shannon Lynch, Lizzie Young, Claire Biggs, Aoife Molloy, Katie Wilmot, Joey Lynch, Johnny Kavanagh, Gerard “Gibsie” Gibson, Tadhg Lynch, and Patrick Feely—lingered around, finishing their banter before heading home.

And then Bella appeared.

She sauntered toward them, hips swaying, that smug grin plastered across her face. Hughie stiffened the second he saw her. He knew that look.

“Scumbag,” Bella said, her voice sharp as a whip, aimed directly at Hughie.

The laughter died instantly. Hughie’s jaw clenched, but before he could react, his girlfriend stepped forward, her hand slipping from his.

“What did you just call him?” Her tone was cool but lethal, each word cutting through the silence.

Bella smirked and tilted her head. “You heard me. Scumbag. Trash. He and his lot—pathetic.”

The group froze, eyes wide. Shannon’s mouth opened like she might say something, but no sound came out. No one moved.

Then, before anyone could blink, Hughie’s girlfriend’s fist connected with Bella’s face.

The crack was sharp, echoing through the parking lot like a firecracker.

Bella staggered back, clutching her cheek, her eyes wide with shock. “Who the hell are you?” she spat.

“Oh, I’m your worst nightmare, bitch,” Hughie’s girlfriend shot back, her voice low and dangerous.

In one lightning-fast motion, she grabbed Bella, slammed her onto the pavement, and straddled her, pinning her down like she’d been waiting for this moment all her life.

“You like terrorizing little girls?” she hissed, her face hovering inches from Bella’s. “Try someone your own size.”

Bella squirmed beneath her, but she didn’t stand a chance.

“Think you can call my boyfriend a scumbag?” she growled, and with that, she landed another punch, her knuckles striking Bella’s jaw.

The entire friend group gasped in unison. No one dared to intervene—not even Gibsie, who usually had some smart remark ready.

“Holy shite,” Patrick muttered, barely above a whisper.

Hughie just stood there, rooted to the ground, heart hammering against his ribs. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t speak. His girlfriend—sweet, calm, no-nonsense—was currently beating the life out of Bella for him.

And all he could think was, Christ, I love her.