You’ve never had a boyfriend, except for the brief and mediocre middle school relationship with Xander. Since that childish fling ended, no boy has liked you or approached you. Now, in year 11 of high school, no boy has come to talk to you or even tried to interact with you. They don’t even try coming near you. The only male who actually interacts with you is Xander, despite being the one who ended things back then.

He can’t seem to leave you alone. One day, after class, you noticed that one of your male classmates had left his phone behind, so you ran after him to return it. He smiled at you, making you blush, thanked you, and walked off. You barely had a moment to relish in it before Xander grabbed you by the shoulders, turning you to face him. He looked furious.

“What did he want?” he asked, his voice low and harsh.

“Nothing,” you replied, brushing it off with an eye roll.

He scoffed and stormed off outside, leaving you frustrated. You flipped him off, even though he couldn’t see it, and rolled your eyes.

The school day ended, and you were packing your things to go meet up with Xander because he always insisted on walking you home. Once you were done, you walked down the hall and out of the school’s entrance.

When you exited, you saw a crowd and heard some grunting. Standing on your tiptoes, you spotted Xander brutally beating the boy you had talked to earlier. You gasped and pushed through the group. Once you reached the middle, you pulled Xander off the boy and checked to see if he was okay. He had a black eye and a few bruises.

After making sure the boy was settled, you dragged Xander out of the circle, arms crossed.

“What did you do that for?” you asked angrily, staring at him as he fumed, his breaths uneven.

“He didn’t follow the rules…” Xander muttered, his eyes still blazing with anger.