"I'd like to see him try," he argues half-convincingly.

"Are you really that stupid?" I scoff and shake my head.

"Someone needs to teach you to keep that smart mouth of yours shut, don't you think, Davis?" he sneers and licks at his bottom lip.

"Trust me, you are too stupid to teach me anything," I smart back.

"Shut up, Laila, and mind your own d.a.m.n business," he says as his face flames red. He tries to shove me out of his way but I push back.

"These," I point to Braxton and Haden, "are my business."

"Mine, too," Cole says, with Joey following behind him.

"Are all of you gay or something?" Davis asks with a small laugh.

"No, we're not, but we're not h.o.m.ophobic bigots either," Joey challenges. "Apparently you are."

"It's cool, Lai." Braxton steps in front of me and pushes Jason back. "He caught me when my back was turned. Not sure he'd do it again while I'm ready for it."

"Screw you," Jason sneers.

"Sorry, bro," Braxton smiles and winks, "you're not my type."

Braxton turns around and Haden follows, but I remain rooted to the floor staring down Jason and Davis.

"What are you looking at?" Davis asks, stepping into my personal s.p.a.ce.

"Nothing," I snap. "Just trying to figure out what level of idiot we're dealing with here."

He looks at me with confusion on his face, and I step forward and shove my finger into his chest, pushing him backward until he hits the lockers behind him.

"Get over your issues. And if you ever say another ignorant thing like that again, I'll do it myself or get someone bigger than you to shut you up." I look around at the crowd still gathered. "I'm sure there's someone here who loathes you as much as I do."

I turn around and push my way through the guys and past the students watching the crazy side show and walk outside without bothering to stop despite the calls from the guys to do otherwise.

After what happened in the hall today, I called my mom and told her I was going home from school early. She wasn't happy that I'd miss my last cla.s.ses, but it's not the norm for me to leave, so she relented. I came home, changed into my swimsuit, and swam twenty laps at the local pool, but it did nothing to relieve my temper.

It blows my mind that people are so hateful and closed-minded, but it was right in front of me. I guess it always has been. Mom should be home soon and I'll have to face the music, but hopefully she'll understand when it's all said and done. My phone screen lights up so I check to see who's trying to get ahold of me.

Haden: Where are you?

Me: Home Haden: Can I come by?

Me: I'm fine. I'll see you tomorrow Haden: Look outside I jump off my bed and looked out the window to see Haden leaning on the hood of his car with his arms crossed over his chest. He runs his hand through his hair and gives me a wave to come down, but I step back and grab my phone to text him again.

Me: Hi Haden: Come down here Me: I just want to be alone. Talk later?

Haden: I'm going home to change. Run with me. 10 mins?

I consider saying no, but maybe the run will do me some good; so I tell him yes, and a second later I hear his engine roar to life and watch as he backs out of my driveway. I grab my running clothes and put them on before I head downstairs, and I'm met with Mom as she enters the back door and she gives me that look.

"What?" I shrug, unable to say anything else.

"What?" she repeats. "Want to explain to me why you needed to leave school early?"

"It was a bad day," I offer, knowing it won't be enough.

"Don't give me that. What was so bad that you just had to leave? You can't just take off because things don't go your way."

"Please, Mom, can we do this later? I'm going to go for a run."

"No, we can do it now." She narrows her eyes at me. "Start talking."

I recount the events with Davis and Jason and how I got involved. She listens and nods in the appropriate places, and asks questions in the others. When I finish the story, she sits on the barstool and rests her arms on the counter.

"So am I getting a phone call from the school about this? I mean, I need to make sure I'm still in the running for mom of the year," she teases. But I know there is a hint of truth to that. Ever since I told her I wanted to find my birth mom, she's been supportive, but I see the concern, too.

"You are. Especially if you let me get out of here." I lean my head toward the front door. "I'm about to go for a run with Haden. Finish when I get back?"

She leans against the counter and nods. "Okay, but we are going to talk."

I run over and give her a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks, Mom. Love you."

Chapter 22 ~ Finding Partners.

"I was thinking you were going to stand me up," Haden says from the end of the driveway.

"Never crossed my mind." I attempt to smile, but I don't think I pull it off.

He wraps his arms around me and pulls me close and I take in the scent of his paints and natural clean smell and relax as I return the hug. Each of the guys have had a way of keeping me grounded, but Haden makes me feel lighter-as if he has the ability to help me shoulder my load.

"Do you wanna jog or just walk?" he asks when he lets me go.

"We can walk," I say, starting on our usual path.

The first quarter of a mile, neither of us says a thing, and only cars and kids playing outside fill our silence. Every once in a while his hand brushes mine and I'm brought back to this moment, but the rest of time my head is elsewhere. I can feel his eyes on me, waiting to gauge my mood so he can pounce, but I feel like if I don't say something I'm going to burst.

"I can't stop being p.i.s.sed," I finally breathe out. "You guys are my family, you're like brothers to me, and for someone to come after you like that kills me."

"Well, that sucks." He stops walking and I look at him in question. "Brothers? Really?"

"I don't mean it like that," I scoff and walk over to wrap my arms around him. "You know that's not what I mean, but yeah, for the last...however many years, you guys have been closer to me than friends. Looking after each other, it's what we do-what we've always done. You know what I mean, right?"

"Just checking," he says, starting to walk again.

As we near the path that leads to the quarry, he continues to walk straight and I tug at his arm, but he only nods his head in the direction he was heading. Instead of fighting it, I follow, curious to see where the new direction takes us.

"So what happened anyway?" I finally ask. I left in such a hurry that I never got details or figured out why they were fighting in the first place.

"You know how guys are," he shrugs as if it explains everything.

"I know how my guys are, and you never fight."

"That's what you think," he teases, but I shove at him and laugh when he stumbles.

"Be serious," I demand. "I've never seen that side of y'all and it scared me."

"We're guys, Lai. It happens."

"Okay, well then why did it happen this time?"

He exhales loudly but keeps walking and won't look at me, so I grab his arm and stop him. It's only now that I notice the small gash over his eyebrow and a bruise on his cheek. I reach up to touch it but he pulls back, reaching for my hand instead.

"Guy stuff." He smiles and kisses my hand.

"You know that's not gonna fly. What happened?" I pull my hand away.

"They were saying their usual c.r.a.p, you know how it is." He plays it down which only fuels my curiosity.

"Apparently I don't," I answer, rooted to my place on the sidewalk.

He takes my hand in his and kisses my cheek. "You win."

We start walking and his thumb glides back and forth over mine in a soothing motion, but he still hasn't said anything. I want to give him time, but my patience is also wearing thin so I give his hand a squeeze. He stops walking and I realize that we're standing in front of his house.

"C'mon in, and I'll tell you everything," he concedes.

We walk through the door, the smells of homemade spaghetti sauce and garlic bread filling the air. My stomach lets out a growl and Haden laughs, nudging me forward.

"Haden, dinner's almost ready," Ms. Searle calls out. "I'm leaving for work in a few minutes, so just make sure you clean up when you're done."

We walk through the doorway and she turns around to see me standing with Haden and smiles.

She walks over and wipes her hands off on her ap.r.o.n before she pulls me into a warm hug. "I'm glad I got to see you before I left," she starts. "It's been too long. I think I need to get the hospital to change my hours."

"Hi, Ms. Searle, how are you?" I answer.

"I'd be a lot better if Haden would hear back from one of the colleges," she winks. "But really, I'm good. How 'bout you, sweetie? I heard about the fight." She scowls at Haden and I laugh because I was doing the same thing moments before.

"I'm okay, I guess. Mom's a little mad that I took off before school was out."

"She should be-you can't just leave like that," she reasons, and I cower under her knowing stare.

"Yeah, that's pretty much what she said. But what about this one and the face." I point to the scratch over Haden's eye.

"I can't get too mad." She winks. "Sticking up for his girl."

"Mom," Haden's voice is a low warning tone, "not now."

I swing my head to look at him and he drops his shoulders.

"I need to get to work," she grabs her purse and keys before kissing Haden. "Laila, there's plenty, help yourself, and Haden, clean up when you're done."

One second she's there, the next she's gone, and Haden is left standing with me gawking at him over his mom's words. She opens the door again and looks at us, "Haden, no one here after dark."

He gives her a salute and she shuts the door again, leaving us alone. Haden walks into the kitchen and grabs two plates, but I remain in the doorway waiting for an explanation.

"Come eat," he says as he piles a plate with pasta and sauce. "She made this for you."

"For me?" I ask, taken aback. "Why?"

"I told her you were coming over."

"That's interesting, since I didn't know that I was."

"I was hoping." He grins and sets the plate on the table before repeating his actions again. "It was something I had planned for a week now, but I wasn't sure if I could get you here after today."

He sets his plate down and takes a seat, but when I don't follow, he points to the empty chair next to him.

"If you don't eat, she's gonna be p.i.s.sed at me."

"I'm not eating until you tell me what happened today." I sit down and cross my arms over my chest. I pull out my phone and send a message to my mom to let her know where I am while I wait for Haden to fess up.

"It started out with the same thing I always get from those two: ever since we started dating, they make it a point to comment on what you're wearing, what you should wear, or other things I'd rather not talk about."

"Haden, you and I both know that it's not just them, so why today?"

"Because today they took it too far."

"How?"

"I was waiting by your locker like I usually do, but when you didn't show up and Davis walked by, he made some comment about how you wanted a real man. I said something about him being an insecure jerk and he said he'd show you what you were missing."

"And?"

"I got in his face and told him that if he came near you, I'd make sure it was the last thing he did. He pushed me, but before I could do anything, Braxton stepped in and pulled Davis away. Of course, that's when Jason got in on it and started in on the whole gay thing."

He gets up and pulls the bread out of the oven and brings a couple of slices to the table, but eating is the last thing on my mind at the moment.