Tatiana sat on the increasingly uncomfortable bench outside of Charington with one ankle delicately hooked behind the other and her Christian Dior purse resting on her lap. Although she wore no jacket on her body and her arms were exposed to the frigid air around her, no amount of coldness could cool the boiling anger raging in her heart. She had been sitting in that spot for what felt like days when in reality, it had only been ten minutes or so. Students were beginning to arrive, greeting her softly as they passed her by but she paid no mind to them, didn't even know that they were speaking directly to her. All she knew that the commoner would be arriving soon.

Her usual doll-like features appeared much more angular as her mind traced back to the reason why she was waiting there. It was because Michael had cheated on her with that low class slut!

Her jaw clenched at the thought, That filthy bitch!

Her hand shot up to run through her previously brushed hair but she pulled it away in an attempt to keep herself from yanking it out of her scalp. She had been pulling out tiny clumps of tangled hair just at the mere thought of her boyfriend fooling around with that lowlife as if Tatiana wouldn't notice, like she were only a fool blind to what was in front of her.

She huffed haughtily and folded her arms under her bust as she drew herself from her seat.

Where is that girl? I want to see her!

It was time for her to confront the girl and that was all there was to it. She just had to. She had to make a choice. It was either forget about the already forgotten situation and move on with her life at Michael's side or let the commoner win and continue to fool around with her boyfriend behind he back. She settled with choice C; make the bitch beg.

She had loved Michael before her and she wasn't going to let some social outcast get in the way of her happiness. She didn't only care about her own happiness though. She cared for Michael's as well but the mere thought of Michael being happy with a girl that wasn't her made her sick.

Tatiana raised a hand to her mouth to stifle a whimper, a foreign noise she had found unfamiliar to her ears. She choked back the tears that desperately wanted to expel but she refused to allow it. She took a moment to pause to calm herself as she shakily exhaled an uneasy breath.

Her moment of weakness was short-lived however as she heard a set of soft footfalls approach her. She quickly wiped away her tears and strangled her sobs with anger and resentment as she hastily regained her furious composure.

The commoner seemed to beam once she met Tatiana's gaze and the coldness in her eyes didn't seem to faze her the slightest, "Oh. Hey, Tatiana. How was your date with Michael? Did you have a good time?"

"Cut the crap you filthy slut!" Alex was taken aback by her sudden outburst and attempted to question her but Tatiana angrily continued, "I know what you're doing. You're making fun of me, aren't you? You see my face? Am I smiling? No! It's not funny, none of it!"

"What are you talking about?"

"You. Him. Together." Alex remained silent, not uttering a single word or even looking as if she were attempting to plead her case.

Staring blankly, the apathetic girl brushed past Tatiana and began to start off towards her first class.

"Don't you walk away from me you filthy commoner!" Tatiana shouted after her, "Answer me, dammit!"

Alex came to an abrupt halt at the word "commoner" and heaved a soft sigh. Tatiana smirked triumphantly.

I got you now.

Alex whirled around to face her so that she was able to glare cold daggers into her eyes, "Look, Tatiana," Alex began in a slightly annoyed tone, "I don't know what on earth you are talking about. You're just saying 'him' and 'me'. I don't have many friends and I don't know many people so saying names would really help me. If you would care to elaborate then I would be much appreciative."

"Him," once Tatiana noticed the silence in between them, she rolled her eyes, "Michael."

Alex nearly fell over in shock at the reply, "Michael!" she exclaimed, "Are you serious?! You couldn't be more further from the truth!"

She began to snicker which eventually turned into giggles and then into childlike laughter. Tatiana stared, slightly embarrassed but still fuming with rage. The adrenaline in her was pulsing rapidly and yet, the sound of Alex's laughter almost brought a smile to her facer13;almost. It felt quite... strange.

"Michael and I have absolutely no relationship whatsoever. He hates me and the feeling is mutual. We aren't compatible."

"But..." Tatiana breathed, "... he said your name."

"Well, I don't know what that means since we aren't seeing each other. I don't know why he would be thinking about me in such an intimate way when he practically hurts me every chance that he gets. He's a bully and I'm his victim. It's a relationship never meant to be encouraged by others." Realizing how negative she had sounded, she cheerfully assured, "Well, you have nothing to worry about with me being with him. He isn't my type anyway."

Alex was about to turn on the heel of her shoe to head inside the school building until she met his hollow gaze from afar. His lips were yanked down into a deep frown and his eyes seemed to express a feeling of deep sorrow and brokenness. It made Alex feel a pang of guilt in her heart and she winced slightly but solely played it off as a mere shrug and began to make her way inside.

I wonder if he heard me...

'He's a bully and I'm his victim.' Those haunting words rang in Tatiana's mind as she aimlessly strutted down the hall.

What did she mean by that...?

She had many possible thoughts in her mind that could have been the answer to her question, one being that maybe Michael teased her about minor flaws of her physical appearance or her lack of a social life or lack of money. Her curiosity relentlessly gnawed at her as she summed up answers that could possibly be the end of her worries. What exactly did she mean when she said that she was a victim to her bully?

Her question was answered though once she came across a couple standing by the lockers. What she noticed when she narrowed her eyes at them was that it wasn't a couple but in fact, it was only Michael and Alex. For some odd reason, she was pushed up against the lockers and Michael's hand was entangled in her disheveled hair. There was a look of grimacing pain on her features as his grasp tightened.

"I didn't know-?!"

"Didn't know what exactly, Alex?" Michael snarled, "That you didn't have to pay me anymore? Look, bitch, just because you tutored me for a few days, it doesn't mean that I owed you my eternal gratitude or that you had to stop giving me my daily ten."

"I'm sorry..."

Michael kicked the poor girl down to the cold floor and Tatiana yelped in surprise but neither of them heard her, for they were too focused on the other's intentions to even notice their surroundings.

"Sorry isn't gonna get me my money!" he yelled striking her in the stomach with his shoe.

Tatiana horrifyingly observed the scene from afar, her fist curling around the leather strap of her purse in rage. As much as she wanted to intervene into the scene and give Michael a piece of her mind, she was too highly aware that she wouldn't be able to stand a chance against his brutal strength with her lack of muscles. At a loss, she watched the helpless commoner quietly moan in agony as she repeatedly got struck in the stomach.

"Worthless piece of shit!" Michael shouted.

After a moment's hesitation, Tatiana dropped her purse and stomped towards them. She steathily made her way behind the bully who was currently holding his victim up by the collar and was about to direct a punch to her face. But Tatiana was quicker because with much needed force, she struck a sharp kick in the back of his ankle, eliciting a pained grunt and a loud thud to the floor that was caused by how he had released Alex to collapse to the floor.

"The hell!" he exclaimed as he whirled around to face his assaulter, "Tatiana! What the hell was that for?!"

"For her!" she shot back and she proved her anger by slapping him across the face, "And that's for me!"

Michael stood there, shocked that Tatiana had the nerve to harm him in such a way and he gently touched his cheek with the tip of his trembling fingers and with a look of horror, glanced up at her. She glared daggers into his eyes as she hurriedly brushed past him in order to get to Alex and aid her injuries and he intently watched her every moment, his eyes also glaring daggers right back at her.

Slowly, Tatiana kneeled down to the floor beside Alex and gingerly helped the silent girl up to her wobbly feet.

"Come on, Alex. I'll take you to the nurse's office."

Alex wordlessly nodded her head and allowed Tatiana to wrap a slender arm around her waist to support her shifting weight and haul her into the direction of the nurse's office.

Michael just stood there, wistfully staring after the duo and desperately wanting to be the person in replacement of Tatiana. He wanted to be the one to hold Alex like that, to carry her to the nurse's office and help her. But he knew all too well that he wouldn't be able to do that because his job was to be the reason why she had to leave in the first place. It wouldn't look right if he, a bully, were to carry her, the victim, to a minimum-waged woman who would only give her a peppermint to aid her injuries.

Shit. I did it again. Why do I always do this to her?

He literally wanted to kill himself for allowing himself to screw up so much. He hated himself for always screwing up his chances of ever getting closer to the girl, whether it was his sudden outbursts or his bipolar behavior or his unpredictable lashings, he always tended to put her in harm's way, himself being the harm to push her away.

He noticed Nelson approaching through his peripherals, the boy completely unaware of Michael's presence lingering near. He smirked as the boy drew closer.

If I can't hurt Alex, Michael thought as his smirk grew, then I guess I'll just have to have a replacement.

"Hey there, Nelson," Michael greeted him darkly.

Nelson froze in his tracks at the sound of his voice and his head perked up in surprise of him. He stammered anxiously for something to say, anything to beg him for mercy but the words failed to pass his lips. Michael could almost taste the warmth of his fear emanating from his body. It was a nauseating taste and he hated it but he didn't hate it as much as he hated himself.

He watched the silent tears roll down his cheeks as he slowly approached the trembling boy. No one could help either of them that moment. No one could help Michael's insatiable taste for another's pain and no one could save Nelson from the harm that was to come.

A loud pop shattered Nelson's train of thought as Michael's fist collided with his clenched jaw and almost instantly, he tasted a bitter copper taste dancing on his taste buds.

It was blood, his blood.

More tears poured from his eyes as he felt the next blow sink into his stomach, causing him to heave forward and to wrap his arms about his middle in an attempt to protect himself from further pain but Michael's knee shot up and came into contact with his chin and he felt his body lurch backwards and collapse onto the marble floor. The back of his head collided with the floor and his vision swam. He wanted to scream for help but all he was able to manage was a strangled moan.

The helpless boy's eyes shifted upwards as a dark shadow loomed over his body. Michael glared daggers down at him, as if he were blaming him with his eyes for putting him in this life, living with the pain and misery he felt on a daily basis. The poor boy's eyes rolled to the back of his head as he braced himself for the pain.

Tatiana sighed heavily as she situated Alex on one of the waiting chairs at the clinic and without wasting another moment, extracted an icepack from the freezer and pressed it against Alex's swollen cheek. She heard her hiss upon contact and she idly muttered a small apology.

Silence settled between them and Tatiana wanted nothing more but to scream out in agony towards Alex's pain.

"So, um," Tatiana began awkwardly, "I'm guessing this isn't the first time he's done this to you?" she asked slowly pulling away the icepack from Alex's face.

Alex scoffed, "I wish."

Tatiana could only shake her head in dismay. She couldn't believe that the same exact boy that she had fallen in love with was the same exact boy who was not only in love with a girl that wasn't her but was also abusing at a brutal level. It was all too much to handle. She didn't want it to sink in. She was so close to happiness and in only one day, Michael took all of that away from her.

"I thought he was the one for me..." Tatiana murmured to herself and she hadn't realized she had spoken her thoughts aloud until Alex began to speak encouragement into her ears.

"Well, I think that God has a man in store for you. All you have to do is wait and he'll come soon enoughr13;Ow!" Alex screeched as Tatiana applied a dab of alcohol to her wound.

"Sorry!"

Alex heaved a sigh as she scooted herself away from Tatiana, no longer feeling as comfortable as she had previously been.

It never hurt this much whenever Monica was doing it... Alex silently thought as she recalled the time Monica had tended to her injuries from time and time again, Those days are long gone now...

"Alex?" a voice from the door questioned.

Instantly, Alex knew who the owner of the voice was, Monica!

Alex's head shot up in surprise to the newcomer and a look of bewilderment claimed her features once she met her hollow gaze.

A moment of silence fell over the trio before it was gently broken by the sound of Monica's heels clacking against the marble flooring.

Neither of them said anything as Monica began to dab the cotton swab on Alex's battered face. Alex watched her every movement with intent eyes and a sheer look of awe. Monica occasionally held her gaze but would always end up wordlessly tearing it away before continuing to silently tend to her wounds.

"All I do is cause you pain..." Monica finally said struggling to hold back the tears gathering in the corner of her eyes, "Ever since you first saved me, you've been protecting me from pain by putting yourself in harm's way."

"Is that why you left me?" Alex asked abruptly, shocked that the words came from her lips.

Monica nodded silently, "I thought that if Michael no longer saw me with you, he would stop hurting you but it seems like it gives him all the more reason to hurt you. He causes you so much pain..."

"No amount of pain he could ever cause could ever compare to the pain I felt when I saw you run away from me like that." Monica squeezed her eyes shut and shakily nodded her head as sobs wracked her body.

"I know," she sobbed, "And I'm sorry for that, I really am. We were becoming such good friends and I ruined all of that for the both of us."

"I still want to be with you though, Monica. I love you."

Monica blushed delicately and Alex couldn't help but think how cute she looked then, "I love you too, Alex."

Smiling, Alex threw her arms around Monica and pulled her into a warm embrace, somehow able to ignore the wave of pain that washed over her aching body. Tatiana stared, moved and awed by the innocent scenario that had just unraveled before her. She was utterly speechless.

"So," Tatiana awkwardly began, "you two must have really missed each other, huh?"

The reunited couple both exchanged sentimental looks before turning to Tatiana and replying in perfect unison, "We did!"

The trio erupted into giggles and as Alex stared down at the floor, she realized that there wasn't just one shadow anymore but three, one standing on either side of her. She wasn't alone anymore. She had her friend back by her side and had found a new friend in the process. She was happy again.

Her isolation was finally over.