Tyler

   "Maybe I am," Brendon says coolly, cocking his head and shrugging. "But we all know what almost happened at school last year."

   Jenna looks at me. "What happened?"

    I narrow my eyes at Brendon. "Don't you dare."

     He smirks. "Yours truly over here tried jumping off the school's bell tower."

    Jenna's eyes widen. "That was true!?"

    I shoot daggers at Jenna's captor. "There's a difference between just taking a break up there to get away from your thoughts and actually jumping. Now, I won't deny that I wasn't thinking about it, but I wouldn't have done it there at the school."

   The kidnapper crosses his arms. "Everyone still thinks you're a headcase, though."

   "I don't really care."

   Yes, you do.

  "I'm sure your head does."

  Hey, I kind of like this guy. We both hate you.

   I shake my head. "Anyway, you're the black-haired boy that has been bothering us the whole year."

   He groans. "Why does everyone think it's black!? It's dark brown!"

   "I'm sorry," Jenna chimes in sarcastically, "we don't really stalk our stalkers."

   "Ah, I almost forgot about the whole reason I'm here. I'll be with you in a moment, Sweetheart. As, for you..." Brendon lunges so quickly at me that I barely even have time to react. Hands close around my throat and shove me against the shed's wall. I land a punch on the side of his face, but he presses against me harder.

   "Ryan! Get over here and help me!" A boy with chocolate-brown hair emerges from the shadows and grabs my wrists. Black spots appear in my vision, and my throat burns from air loss. I claw at my neck with one hand and with the other, do anything I can to get Brendon off me. "Grab the ropes!" The other boy—Ryan—grabs some ropes from the corner. Brendon maneuvers me where Ryan can tie my hands behind my back. They push me down by the shoulders until I sink to the dusty, cold, concrete floor.

   "Now," Brendon growls while his sidekick ties my feet and knees together. "You're going to be a good little headcase and not fight or attract attention unless you want to see any more harm than necessary come to your precious Jenna over here."

  A lump forms in my throat. "What do you mean, 'any more harm than necessary'?"

  He slaps me across the face, leaving my cheek stinging and hot. "Just shut up, okay? No one really likes you, anyway."

  Agreed.

  Brendon turns away from me and slinks toward Jenna. Her eyes widen as he strides in a circle around her chair. "Now, where were we?"

   He puts two fingers under her chin and tilts her head upward to meet his gaze.

   "What are you doing!?" I growl.

   Ryan kicks my stomach, make me groan. "Shut up or it won't get any easier," he hisses.

   Brendon looks back down at Jenna then kisses her forcefully. She reappears with a trapped and terrified gaze, like a rabbit cornered by a dog. Rage fills me as he slowly moves to her jaw, then her neck.

   "Tyler!" she yelps.

   I jerk forward. "Brendon, stop! This is ridiculous! If you do anything, then hurt me!"

   He smirks. "No can do. This is the only way I can hurt you this badly."

   "I'll take the grave," I reply. "Just leave her alone."

   Rolling his eyes, he turns back to my girlfriend. "You and your melodramatic words will get you nowhere." Jenna starts to whimper, tears staining her face, until Brendon silences her with another toxic kiss. He pulls her shirt down over her shoulder to reveal her collarbone, which he kisses as well. It takes all my willpower not to yell out in rage, because I know if I do, then it will only get worse.

    Ryan suddenly slumps to the floor next to me, his eyes rolled up in the back of his head. I look up to meet familiar eyes and red-dyed hair. Josh is standing over me, a wooden stake gripped tightly in one hand. Crouching down, he quickly unties the ropes binding me as Brendon turns all of his focus to Jenna. My red-haired friend gives me a hand up, and then we rush toward Brendon, who whips around just in time to see us coming.

   Josh and Brendon both lock together in combat, although I think Josh may have the advantage with the stake. I run toward Jenna, who completely sobbing now (I don't blame her), and start to untie the ropes that have imprisoned her for at least sixteen hours. She leans into me, and I pick her up bridal style.

   "Go on without me!" Josh yells, dodging a swing. "I can take him!"

    A tinge of regret shoots through me, but I know he wants me to get Jenna to safety. I run out of the shed with Jenna still in my arms toward my car. I open the still-unlocked passenger door and set Jenna in the back. She curls up on the back seat. I feel bad for leaving her, but I know Josh needs help.

   Running back toward the shed, I see that Ryan is back on his feet again. Brendon's nose is bleeding, and he's staggering a bit at the edge of the dim bulb's light while Josh fights Ryan. I lunge forward at the boy who hurt my Jenna and catch him off guard by tackling him. We roll around on the floor, locked arm-in-arm. I punch his bloody nose a few more times before I feel strong arms pulling me off of him. I kick in the air until I hear Josh's voice.

  "C'mon, let's call it quits and get out of here. We won." Josh releases me and grabs my arm, leading us out of the shed and back toward our cars. I open my back door, where Jenna still lays sobbing. I sit beside her and stroke her hair as she wraps her arms around my shoulder and cries into my neck. Then, she turns and hugs Josh.

   "Thankyousomuchforfindingme," she says, her words running together from her watery voice.

   "Anything for you, Love," I reply. "But honestly, we really need to go. The other guys will be back."

   She nods, and I move up front to the driver's seat. Josh closes the back door and climbs into his own car, then follows us to the Black's house.