Title from: "Vampire Shift" by All Time Low.

"You listen to me, and you listen to me good, Gaskarth," said a girl's voice from behind me. I turn around, coming face to face with Lisa. Her bouncy blonde hair floats around her shoulders. Her blue eyes stare directly into mine as they did so many times before. "I don't know why Jack would choose you over me, but I hope you know I hate you for it."

I can't help but laugh. "That's all you have to say? You hate me? You're fucking kidding me, right?"

"You'd better watch the way you talk to her," another voice chimes in, deeper than Lisa's. The dark brown-haired jock, Michael, slips his arm around Lisa's shoulders. (A/N: Yo I tried to come up with a general name it's not meant to be anyone.) He stares at me intently as if daring me to say something.

"I'm gonna talk to her how I please since she cheated on me with a piece of shit like you," I retort, confused as to where the confidence came from. Anger flares in his eyes like gasoline being thrown into a fire. Luckily, the bell rings, signifying the beginning of fourth period. Lisa and Michael retreat to their normal seats while I just turn in mine, where I was already sitting during the whole ordeal.

Math isn't hard, but, hell, it is the definition of boring. Time just seems to go by slower when you're in math. In any other class, when you're focused on your work, the time seems to fly by. Not math, though. Math performs some kind of black magic where it slows down time.

The bell finally rings, a smile spreading on my face knowing I get to see my Jack. I stand up, slinging my backpack over my shoulder, and make my way out of the classroom with all the other students, also eager for lunch. As I walk through the door, a hand grabs the front of my shirt and slams me against the lockers nearest to me, the wind knocked out of my chest from the sudden action. I look at my attacker, seeing none other than Michael.

"What do you want? I didn't do shit to you," I gasp, still trying to regain my breath. I was still being held by the front of my shirt.

"You hurt Lisa, I hurt you," he growls. As if on cue, Lisa appears from behind him, a grim smile on her face.

"I always knew you were gay, Lex," Lisa says sweetly.

"Don't call me Lex," I grumble.

"Whatever. Anyway, I know you and Jack have a thing, I'm not stupid." I don't say anything, shocked at how she knew. "You're just going to hurt him, Alex. It's best if you stay away from him for his sake, honestly."

"And if I see you two being at all romantic toward each other, we'll have to physically stop you two from being together," Michael finishes.

"Why do you guys even care so much? Besides, you obviously already moved on, Lisa," I state.

"Michael is my best friend, nothing more," Lisa replies, Michael nodding in agreement. "I really like Jack, and I know he likes me, too. You got in the way, so it's a simple problem of eliminating you from the equation."

"You can't just tell me who I can and can't be friends with."

"I don't care if you two are friends, he just can't be your boyfriend."

"You're just obsessed with him, aren't you? For fuck's sake, you've only known him for two days! I've known him for a few weeks."

"Watch your mouth, faggot," Michael warns.

"Hurt me all you want, you're not making me do anything," I protest, trying to get out of Michael's grip. He slams me to the ground, luckily releasing me, but I was winded again.

"Who said I'd only hurt you?" Lisa chirps, walking off with Michael close behind.

That's when shit got real.

This isn't only about my safety because Jack is involved now, too. I can't let him get hurt. I have no idea what Lisa is capable of, and I don't really want to find out, either. I shakily stand up, put my backpack on, and set off to get my lunch from my locker.

I walk to the cafeteria, scanning the room to see everyone already at our normal table. I plop down beside Jack, being sure not to sit too close. I catch Lisa glancing over, giving her a death glare in return. She smiles at me before turning around, going back into conversation with her friends.

"Hey, Lex," Jack greets.

"Hi," I snap, unintentionally sounding pissed off.

"What's wrong?" Rian asks me.

"Nothing, just tired," I reply in hopes to brush it off.

"It's not nothing," Jack says quietly, trying to put his arm around my shoulders. I stand up before he can do so, announcing I have to use the restroom before running out of the cafeteria doors. I rush to the furthest bathroom from the cafeteria, seeing that it was empty before I rush into the biggest stall, locking it. I sit on the nasty floor, not really caring at the moment. This absolutely sucks. Now Jack thinks I hate him. I feel tears start to well in my eyes, wishing desperately that they'd go away. The door opens, me holding my breath to prevent the person from hearing me.

"Alex?" Jack's voice calls out quietly. I suppose hiding from him won't do much good, so I unlock the stall and push it open. Jack immediately rushes over to me, wrapping me in a hug. It takes everything in me not to break down right then and there.

"Jack, you can't be here. Go back to the cafeteria, please," I plead him.

"Why not?"

"Go back, they're gonna notice, they're gonna hurt you, they're gonna make us break up, they-" I'm stopped by Jack pushing his lips to mine, grateful for the action. He pulls us back into the stall, me locking it behind us before he pulls away just slightly, but enough so our foreheads were still pressed together.

"What's going on, Lex?" he asks worriedly.

"We have to hide our relationship, okay?" I say bluntly, him taking a step back from me.

"Can you explain why?"

"Lisa and Michael. We can be friends, but nothing more- in public, anyway. I can't let them hurt you, and I know this is soon but I can't let them take you away from me."

"I don't care if they hurt me. They can give me hell, I-"

"Jack, please?" I whisper, newly formed tears in my eyes. I love how he doesn't care about the consequences, but I do. I couldn't live with myself if he got hurt because of me. "And for the record, they said they'd hurt both of us. Physically and mentally."

He sighs, running a hand through his hair. "I can't let them hurt you, either. You already deal with enough," he murmurs.

"I'm sorry, I hate this, too."

"Don't apologize, it isn't your fault."

"It kind of is."

"It isn't, okay? If they put that into your head, then ignore it. You're going this for me, I'm doing this for you. We're doing this for each other."

"Okay," I surrender, stepping toward him to hug him tightly, which he returns. We just stay there holding each other for a minute or two before I pull away, realizing how long it has been since we've both left the cafeteria.

"I'm going back first," I say sadly. I quickly peck his lips before walking out of the bathroom, hoping and praying that one day, this will all stop.