It was strange to wake up with Eugene in my room; surprisingly, he was a heavy sleeper. I gazed at his face for a moment before rousing him. Initially startled by his surroundings, he soon remembered why he had slept in my bedroom, which I found amusing as he looked flustered.

With no school today, it seemed Eugene had the opportunity to stay longer. After picking Matty from his friend's place, we headed to the supermarket. I bought some beers to restock my fridge since Vivian and Jake were coming over. Despite pondering what story to tell them, nothing came to mind, so I focused on the shopping instead.

Eugene helped carry the bags, and we put them in the back seat. "Listen," he said as we drove home. "About the job. I need you to come in on Monday next week; we need to get done with all the paperwork."

"Okay, cool. I'll be there."

"We'll go directly from school," he added, to which I nodded.

Once we parked in the garage, we took the bags inside and placed them on the island. I headed to my room to change, as the shirt I had been wearing was irritating my wound. Examining it closely, I gently touched the bruised skin, still feeling the pain whenever I moved.

"Jones?" Eugene's voice came from outside my room as he turned the doorknob.

"I'm changing!" I called out, leaning on the door.

He didn't say anything, so I reiterated, "Eugene?"

"I'll be down," he replied, and I heard his footsteps moving away.

Putting on my dad's shirt, which Eugene had worn the previous night, I savored his lingering scent. Descending the stairs, I found Vivian and Jake already on the couch. Vivian hugged me tightly, and I returned the embrace.

"I'm gonna kill Lance," she whispered in my ear, eliciting a smile from me.

"I'll tell you about it later," I whispered back.

Eugene brought the beers to the table, along with a packet of nachos and cheese dip, and we spent some time making small talk. Eventually, after a few beers, Jake brought up the incident. "So, are you gonna tell us now?"

Sighing, I set my beer down and looked at Vivian, silently hoping she would drink more and divert the attention away from me. "I had some trouble at school, which didn't end well, and then fell asleep because I was exhausted," I explained.

Eugene narrowed his eyes at me, and I avoided his gaze. Jake probed further, asking about the nature of the trouble. "Girl trouble?" I replied somewhat defensively, glancing at Eugene. "Just some girls who were trying to pick a fight with me by talking shit about mum and dad"

Everyone else seemed to understand not to delve deeper into the topic, except for Eugene.

"So, let me get this straight," he begins. "You just happened to get into a fight while on your way to meet Vivian during lunch, and no one witnessed it or heard anything?"

I nod in confirmation.

"No one at Arden's witnessed it? That's quite surprising, considering it's a high school known for spreading every piece of news," he remarks skeptically.

I shrugged innocently, After a brief period of silence, Jake breaks the quietude.

"So, is there going to be any more trouble with those girls?" he inquires.

"No, they faced consequences too, so everything's settled now," I assure him.

He nods in acknowledgment of my response.

After a relaxed evening, Vivian proposed planning an outing to the beach, which lifted everyone's spirits. As the scorching summer season approached, the idea of heading to the beach seemed like paradise. Vivian and I had a tradition of making seasonal plans, and the beach outing was eagerly anticipated. Chilled beers, the refreshing ocean breeze, and soaking up the sun sounded perfect, even if it meant a serious tan.

However, before diving into beach days, I needed to ensure my bruise healed completely. It wouldn't do to wear a bikini with that still visible, so I decided to schedule our beach trip for later in the summer break.

With school closing in a few days, I felt relieved. I was eager to avoid encountering Lance again. I couldn't deny feeling a bit intimidated by him now. I never imagined he would resort to violence, and it frustrated me that I couldn't retaliate. I made a conscious effort to steer clear of Lance at school, but somehow, he always managed to cross my path. It was infuriating, and there were moments when I yearned to give him another slap. However, then I might just die, so I resisted the urge, even though my hand longed to do so.

A few days passed, and my bruises slowly healed. Though I considered seeing a doctor, I decided against it due to financial constraints. Meanwhile, Eugene remained adamant about finding out what had happened. I struggled with whether to tell him the truth or not, fearing the consequences.

During our final P.E. class, the girls and I headed to the locker room to change into our track pants and jerseys. Vivian skipped P.E. for her lab session; she wasn't much of a sports enthusiast anyway, preferring the calm of the laboratory over the exertion of physical activity.

As the other girls exited ahead of me, I lingered, taking my time with my shirt, reluctant to remove it in front of them. After the last girl left and the door shut, I suddenly felt a hand on my waist, causing me to jerk around. It was Lance, and before I could react, he pushed me against my locker, his smirk infuriating me.

"Get off me, asshole!" I snapped, feeling his finger graze my bruise as I stood there in just my bra.

I detested his touch, his presence, and the fact that I was practically half-naked in front of him. I cursed myself for not being elsewhere, anywhere but here with Lance.

Glaring at him, I felt his palm grip my jaw, bringing our faces uncomfortably close.

"What's going on?"

Our attention was diverted by Eugene's sudden appearance. He eyed Lance, his hand on my exposed shoulder, his expression dark with anger.

Moving closer, Eugene wasted no time in punching Lance in the cheek, causing him to fall to his knees.

"Do not touch my girlfriend," Eugene growled, his rage palpable.

Quickly, Eugene draped his jersey around my shoulders, but his concern shifted to the bruises he noticed, his anger evident in his voice as he looked me in the eyes.

"Who did this?" he demanded.

"It was me," Lance admitted, rising to his feet, a trickle of blood staining his lip. "Felt great to punch your girlfriend in the gut. That's what she gets for acting like a bitch."

Before I could react, Eugene lunged at Lance, his punches landing one after the other. Though Lance attempted to defend himself, he was overpowered. Soon, professors intervened, pulling the boys apart

"What's going on with you two?" Mr. Wise yells.

"He hit Jade," Eugene grits through his teeth.

Mr. Wise turns to me, and I nod in confirmation. As Mr. Wise escorted Lance to the principal's office, Eugene draped his arm over my shoulder, guiding me to the car.

Upon arriving home, Eugene's somber demeanor gave me pause as he stood in the hallway.

"Eugene," I began, but my words were cut short as he pulled me closer, his lips meeting mine.