(Jack's P.O.V.)

It's been four days since my break down and Mark and I haven't talked about it at all, which I am perfectly fine with. Honestly, I am super happy that he found me but I'm not at the same time. I don't like showing emotion, I don't like proving that I have feelings cause I feel like I'm just gonna get betrayed if I do. That I'll get hurt. So I lock all my emotions up, and though I'm better around Mark, I still don't want to risk it. Not yet. Not until I tell him I love him... Again. I still don't know what's up with that. I mean, I told him I loved him... Well... Booper said that he loved him. I guess Mark doesn't really know if I meant it. And he said he loved Booper, but I don't know if he actually loves me for me. And I hate that. I want to know so bad but I don't want to push him or make him feel like he has to tell me. So I'm leaving it up to him. Well... Eventually I just won't be able to deal with it anymore and I'll break, telling him everything. It might happen, depends on how long he takes. Anyways, right now I'm heading towards the back of the school. I got a note from a new student earlier. I did some research on him; apparently he was one of the big bad bullies at his old school. Honestly, his card kind of impressed me. In a bullies perspective at least. I turn the corner and I see him, though he doesn't see me so I study him. Blonde hair, letterman jacket, leaning up against the building all cool like. This guy definitely has rep, or at least used to. Then I notice his shoes. I chuckle, nodding slowly. Oh... Custom Air Jordan's. Those are some nice shoes. This is a rich boy. Finally he looks over and smirks. I walk up to him, placing my bag on the ground. 

"Jack, let me tell ya, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm..." I cut him off. 

"Peter Stravinsky, age seventeen, junior year of high school, new kid from Colorado. You used to go to a gifted private school with a scholarship, but then your Ma got a job here and she moved you, your dad, and your two younger siblings here." I state. He looks at me with wide eyes. 

"Uh... Yeah... How'd you know all that?" He asks. I smirk. 

"I know people." Is all I say. He nods, not questioning further. He just plasters the smirk back on his face. 

"Awesome. Now listen, I have a... Business proposition for you." He says. I nod, telling him to continue. "You know that kid Mark? I heard you like to pick on him, throw him against the lockers everyday. You used to have your own little group till they left ya. How about you and I make a new group and do more to that kid then just push him against the lockers?" Peter asks, smirking the entire time. 

I narrow my eyes, staring at him with the cold look I always used to wear. I inhale deeply. This kid wants to beat up Mark? Oh hell no. Wait. Now I recognize him. Yeah... He and two others were the three I scared away on exchange day. That's right. Man, I hate him. I smirk a bit. 

"You attended your old high school for two years, and in those two years you beat up sixteen kids monthly, had three daily money targets, sent four to the hospital, sent ten to therapy, gave three anxiety, another ten depression, and through all that you only got seven suspensions." I chuckle, shaking my head a bit. Then I nod. 

"You're good." I state and his smirk grows. Then I put my hands out, pushing him hard against the building. His smirk falls and he stares with wide eyes while I just continue to smirk at him. "But I'm better." I say simply, quietly. His eyes seem to widen more as I take him away from the building only to hit him against it harder, punching him in the stomach afterwards. He bends down, groaning quietly. I lean down, my mouth by his ear. 

"You listen here, Mark is my prey. You go near him and I personally guarantee you that you will regret ever setting foot in this state." I whisper. He chuckles, looking up at me. 

"I'm not scared of you." He says, smirking. I smirk ever so slightly, a cold, dead look in my eyes. 

"You should be." I say and I force him up, punching him hard in the chest. He goes to bend down but I just force him up again, kicking him in the shins. He squeaks a bit, but makes no other exclaim. He lifts his fist, going to punch me. I dodge the punch, grabbing his fist afterwards. Then I turn my wrist, twisting his arm. 

"Ah, ah, ah." He makes little noises in pain, which is understandable. I then let go of his fist, moving my hand forward to hit him in the face. I do just this and he goes to hit me again. I dodge easily, hitting his arm out of the way. Then I punch him in the chest, making him gasp for air. Then one last punch to the nose, kick to the knee, and he's on the ground, rolling and groaning in pain. I just stare at him, kicking him in the side a bit. 

"Now get up and go before I change my mind." I growl. He looks up at me and doesn't hesitate to slowly get up, kind of limping away. 

I follow him with my eyes, watching as he slowly turns the corner. I forgot what it felt like. What it felt like to hit someone. I enjoyed the feel of power and superiority, knowing that he won't do anything now. But I hate myself for enjoying it, and I hate that I did it in the first place. But he wanted to hurt Mark and I never want Mark to go through that again. So it's just easier to put them in their places, and the easiest way to do that is by action instead of words. I learned that a long time ago... 

"Jack?" My eyes go wide and I turn, staring in horror at the boy I was just thinking about. 

"M...Mark..." I exhale shakily. Did... Did he just see... 

"You... You hurt him." He says, staring with wide and... Scared eyes. He's scared...? Of me? I stutter, trying to decide what I want to do. I don't want to lie to him but... I don't want him to think it's his fault. I finally manage to get words out. 

"Yeah, I hurt him... I didn't want too..." I try, stepping forward. Instinctively Mark takes a step back, which just breaks my heart. 

"Why?" He asks. He even sounds scared. I open my mouth to speak, soon closing it. Do I really want to tell him? Yes. I need to. 

"He... He threatened to do something..." Is all I say. Of course Jack, always taking the easy way out. Mark looks at me for a long time before speaking very quietly. 

"You... You won't hurt me again... Right?" This just shatters my heart into a million pieces. He thinks I'd hurt him? Again. That word. I hate that word. I hurt him before, of course he thinks I'll do it again. He has every right too. I just shake my head, running towards him. He doesn't move. I run behind him, hugging him from behind. Then I collapse on the ground, pulling him down with me, kind of having him lay on me, kind of not. 

"No, no, no, no, no, no. Mark, never think that. I will never hurt you again or let anybody else hurt you. Okay? I will never, ever do that to you." I say, shaking my head a bit. He doesn't move, just lays there staring off into space. Then, slowly, he moves his arms up and he puts his hands on my arm, partially looking at the ground. 

"Really?" He asks. I nod, hugging him tighter. 

"I promise." I say. He nods slowly, closing his eyes. I close my eyes afterwards, the two of us sitting in silence. Until... 

"Why don't you cry?" I open my eyes only to narrow them and look at Mark, who is still looking at the ground. 

"Huh?" I ask. He looks up at me with wide, curious eyes. 

"I've known you for two and a half months. In that time you have been through a lot, multiple times where anyone else would have at least teared up. But I've never seen you tear up and only cry twice. So why don't you cry?" He asks again. I remember the two times I've cried, the shooting and the breakdown, neither of which are good memories. And I have an answer for him. 

But for the moment I'm caught staring at him, staring at the perfect person that I'm so lucky to call a friend after everything that's happened. I'm staring at his eyes mostly, the beautiful brown eyes that they are, the color of warm milk chocolate. Always filled with happiness, wonder, or curiosity now that he isn't being bullied. Always exploring new areas or looking at anything in amazement, his eyes are always shining and always beautiful. A calm brown that always traps your gaze, makes you have to look into them, the calmness that's trapped inside along with all the excitement. I love his eyes, I love him. I love him so much and I so want to tell him... But I won't, for reasons I explained earlier. I'll just have to wait. Hold on a second, there was a question I needed to answer. That's right, why I don't cry. I snap back to reality to see him still staring at me with patient, curious eyes. So I answer. 

"Back when I was in Ireland and getting bullied I... Well I cried a lot. And I mean a lot. It was understandable, I was getting beaten everyday, both verbally and physically. It took a toll. But everyone else didn't see it that way." Mark's eyes somehow grow wider at this but I continue anyways. 

"People would say how others had it worse, how I didn't deserve to cry, how crying was wrong. And mind you these people are my parents, my quote unquote "friends", my teachers. They all said it, how I was being irrational and childish and whiny." Mark just looks at me with sadness, not necessarily pity but just... An unhappiness telling me without words that he's sorry that I went through that. I continue. "I don't count the shooting, everyone was crying for gods sake. But four days ago, when I broke down... That was my first time breaking down, crying, for five years." I say. Mark looks kind of hurt, and yet amazed at the same time. 

"Five years?" He repeats. I nod. 

"Yeah. The day before I started bullying them back I broke down in the back of the school. Kate found me, took me home where I was once again scolded. And that was the end of that. I learned how to lock up my emotions, make it seem that I'm emotionless... Even around my parents..." I say. He shakes his head slowly. 

"I'm so... So sorry." He says. I shrug. 

"It's okay. Even though I know what they said isn't true, I guess they're words managed to burn into my brain. It's scarred me and unconsciously makes it so it's just hard for me to cry." I state. He bites his lip, closing his eyes. 

"I just don't want to believe that you went through all that." He says. I chuckle, hugging him tighter. He leans into my chest, still holding onto my arm. 

"Well it won't happen again and it won't happen to you either." I say. And then, closing my eyes once more, I whisper. "I promise."

A/N: Welcome to my longest chapter... 2039 words... What was I thinking...?