Saving the Big Guy

 

“I am really sorry, Principal Hughes!” I said in a sincere voice. I turned to the dark haired, brown eyed super tall guy who was standing next to me with an expressionless face. “Apologize, you big oaf!” I whispered to him but he just looked at me with a blank expression.

I don’t know why I even try to save him...

“Eleanor, I don’t think that he feels sorry for his mistakes. He isn’t even apologizing. I have to teach him a lesson. For how long will you and Liam be there to save him?” The principal asked me with a soft voice as he glared at Damien. I smiled at the principal before turning to Damien. I glared at him.

Liam's dad and my dad were Principal Hughes’ friends, so he always treated us nicely. Principal Hughes was in his mid forties like my father and was a kind man. He only shouted in matters that involved Damien creating trouble.

I met Damien when I was eight. I had had a fight with Xander and wanted to just punch someone. I knew that Damien was someone who was always looking for a fight and he didn’t even have any friends. So, when I ran into him that day, I got angry that he came in front of me and punched him in the face. But he didn’t punch me back. He didn’t even defend himself. He let me throw punches at him till I got tired and then he held me as I cried.

That was the only time when Damien didn’t react and start a fight. And since Xander and I weren’t talking, I found a friend in Damien. Later when me and Xander got over with our fight, I introduced Damien to our group. And since they were my best friends, they welcomed Damien without a question. Ever since then, we all have changed each other in some way or the other.

“Say that you are sorry, Damien.” I told him with a deadly glare directed towards him. He stared at me for a whole minute before turning to face the principal.

“I am sorry.” He said in his plain, deep voice, making me mentally roll my eyes. Principal Hughes stared at Damien with a frustrated look before he turned to me and smiled.

“At least he apologized this time. I will let him go this time. But remember that it is the last time that I am letting him go.” The principal said. I smiled politely at him before I grabbed Damien’s arm and dragged him out of the principal’s office with me.

“Damien, why did you pick up a fight with that freshman?” I asked him when we reached the locker area. The twins saw us and rushed to us.

“I think that he was saying something about you.” Jason told me. I groaned as I closed my eyes and massaged my forehead.

Not this again!

“You are like his girlfriend, Ellie!” Mason teased. I opened my eyes to find Damien glaring at Mason while Mason and Jason smirked at me.

Mason and Jason always tried to set me up with Damien or Xander. They even tried to ask me out themselves from time to time. According to Mason, if I found someone other than one of them, I would leave them and run away with that guy, leaving them behind. It was stupid and childish but he believed in that crap a little too seriously. And Jason just followed his twin’s lead for the fun of it.

“Damien! Why did you beat that poor guy to pulp?” I asked again, ignoring the two identical idiots.

“He was annoying me!” Damien finally answered. I now understood what might have happened. Damien was this tall bulky, football player who boxed from time to time. The students in the school, especially the freshmans, always tried to talk to him or to be friends with him. In the end, he always ended up beating them to pulp.

“God! Damien! You can’t just beat up anyone who tries to talk to you!” I exclaimed as I threw my arms up in the air in exasperation. He just stared at me with a blank look. “Damien, Principal Hughes was right! Me and Liam won’t be there for you forever, always helping you clean up your mess!” I told him. He rolled his eyes at me as I saw a ghost of a smile on his face.

“You find it funny? You were about to be kicked out of the school!” Jason spoke up.

“Listen, I know that you don’t like people, but please try to keep the violence to a minimum.” I told Damien before I walked to my locker. I was tired already and one class was still left before school got over. My tiredness might have something to do with me staying up till three in the morning as I planned how to prank Mr Famous, aka my best friend, Xander. But I was perfectly fine with blaming my friends for making me tired with solving their problems.

“I am sorry, E.” I heard Damien’s deep voice mumble behind me. I turned to him and wrapped my arms around his neck. I closed my eyes as he wrapped his arms around my waist. I heard him chuckle when I didn’t pull away after a few seconds. “Were you up till late, trying to find a way to prank Xander?” Damien asked me. I hum in reply making him chuckle.

The bell rang a few seconds later, marking the end of my free period. I didn’t move as I relaxed in Damien’s arms. I suddenly felt a pair of arms pulling me away from Damien and opened my eyes to see Xander standing behind me. I pulled away from Damien and wrapped my arms around Xander.

“Am I going to be a victim of one of your infamous pranks?” Xander asked as he sighed.

“What made you realise that? Your ex and her friends glaring at me? Or did you ignore that like always?” I asked him as I pulled away from him to look at his face.

“I ignored that. But when you are this tired, it’s always because you were planning a prank on me.” Xander replied.

“Aww! You understand me so well, pretty boy!” I dramatically cooed at him. He rolled his eyes at me but a smile still came to his face.

“I am your best friend after all, Ellie.” He stated. “I just hope that you didn’t do anything to my car this time.” He added. Xander loved his car more than I loved Pizza.

Wait! No. I love pizza more…

“Nope! No harm done to your car this time. You are my ride home after all. I would still warn you not to open your locker.” I informed him, remembering how I had stuffed his locker with glue and confetti and glitter. He just sighed and nodded his head.

“Love birds! It’s Gym class. Are guys coming?” Mason asked from behind me. My mood instantly brightened up at Mason’s words.

Gym class was my favourite. I loved the thrill the open ground gave me. I was also on the track team till last year and also played basketball with the guys from time to time.

“Yayy!” I cheered as I shoved my bag in my locker and ran to the gym with Mason beside me and the others behind me.