"And in the Losing Corner..."

"Wait! Hey! Where were you at lunch? I was looking everywhere." Casey called, and I whipped around. With a swift movement, I pulled off my plaid top when I hit the end of the hall, it was a warm August day and two layers was just killing me. After I had my calm lunch with Mr. Carver, I was in a very relaxed mood, so I just shrugged when she came up behind me. People were flowing behind us in a river trying to get out of the school now that it was the end of the day. Casey looked at me with disbelief, her mouth in a parted smile. You'd think she'd just shake me to get answers out of me. "What was that? Serious where were you?" she replied, and I looked around, holding up my still flaky hands. "I was hiding in the art room." I said in monotone. "Yeah, I see, but you're keeping something." Casey said.

"I just...I met someone there. It wasn't planned." I added quickly, pulling her to a corner where we could whisper inconspicuously like gossipers, but Casey didn't care, she was already jerking on my arms. "What? Jenna! What about Ony-Tay?!" she hissed, but I gave her the most cold look I could muster.

"You think I haven't thought of that? It was just Mr. Carver. He was looking for some paper and he found me playing with some clay. We talked. That's it. I sat and played with clay but it was just nice." I said, trying to keep her calm and not so loud. "Would you please relax?" I snapped when her eyes opened up bright and wide at this. Then the tell-tale chill fell over me when I knew Tony was close somehow. It was like he was in my bones playing trumpets until my heart rattled. I was anxious, would he be so furious with me? His arms swirled around my waist, and I lifted my hands to admit him. Tony presses his lips to my neck against the hairs that stood up with a whisper in my ear.

"Your phone off babe?" he asked gently, his body swaying against mine. I nodded sheepishly, and Tony did too. But then nothing happened. "Hey Casey, how have you been?" he asked cordially, and she gave him a sort of stiff smile. "I'd be better if I wasn't smelling jock. How long since you washed man?" she half-joked, waving her hand in front of her face. Tony laughed, shrugging. "I don't know what you mean. My nose is long since out of commission." he smiled. Over my shoulder I could see his eyes were sparkling as they normally did and it was much easier to breathe.

"I'm doing to steal her, Casey, so she'll see you later. Have a good one." he said, pulling me away as I gave her a stony look again, trying to make sure she catches the way I'm staring means trouble. But Tony's grip wasn't rough, even secretly. He was in fact, still wrapping his arm around my waist. "So where were you Jenna? I missed you." Tony pushed with a pout face, looking only vaguely hurt. I hung my head, holding up my clay colored hands. I looked like a golem but it's maker had left the hands unpainted, off to do some chore or task never to be revisited.

"The model for art class, I needed to work on it. I didn't get your message til later, I'm so sorry." I said lowly, trying not catch attention or spur on his anger. It never came, however, even as we rounded the corner off the school campus and we hit the dark patches under the trees where others can't see us. "It's alright, I don't want you behind on your school work in the beginning of the year." Tony said simply. He held onto me, brushing the side of his face against the side of my head, touching his nose softly against my hair. He and I walked home, since we had prepared plans for him to come over and hang out. I was barely inside the door when he spun me around, pushing me to my front door, burying his face in my neck again.

"T-Tony! W-What are you d-doing?!" I gasped past my shock but he was just laughing whilst his hands pressed on my ribcage, and I tried to wriggle out. "Relax hon, I just want to spend some time with you alone." Kiss kiss. "I'm not always so mean." Kiss. "And I want to show it." Tony was rubbing his hands against my hips, chest to chest with me in a loving manner. I could only put my hands up on his collar-bone, kissing him back a few times. This was strange, but it was nice, so very nice when he was being sweet. After a few seconds things had heated up when Tony wrapped his arms around me once more to pick me up while taking me to the couch with a swing. I let out a giggle when I bounced on the couch, him sitting beside me as he laces his fingers against my hair. "My Jenna." Tony muses. "My sweet. I love you." he sighed.

"I love you too Antony." I said back, reaching my arms around his neck, threading my fingers in his hair too, lightly twisting around until I was knotted and then I would untwist. I was reminded why I loved him every day, even on bad days. I sat up, propping my feet up on his legs. "Tomorrow, you and I can be alone and hang out, I promise." I said, resting my head on his shoulder. For an instant, when I inhaled through my nose, I thought I smelled something. It was a cologne, some musky man-smell that threw me for a loop when I recognized it instantly as Mr. Carver's cologne. I remembered it from my mad dash out of the closet, when I ducked under his arm I had smelled him somehow.

"Tony, are you wearing cologne?" I asked a little hurried, pushing my face into his shirt and smelling deeply. Tony laughed pulling me up by my shoulders. "I don't normally wear cologne, remember?" he said with a coy smile. "You're acting so strange lately Jenna, you alright?" the smile left, but mine popped up carefully.

"Yeah, everything is fine, I just thought I smelled something..." I said, shaking my head. The scent left me like a rush of wind, and another snatch of a sense hit me. Tony was humming some song, a memory. I started to think about Johnny Cash with the song he was singing with closed lips, "The Man Comes Around", as I sprinted upstairs quickly to pull out Jasen's guitar from his case, a shared passion between Tony and him. I brought it down, making sure it was tuned as Tony began to play. I forgot everything but his smile when he began to play beside me, but suddenly, after a second, he stopped. "Aw, why'd you stop Tony?" I asked, putting my hand on his knee.

"Why did you ask if I was wearing cologne? I don't get it. You know I'm not much of a cologne guy." He said this a little flat and I was taken aback. How do I explain he smelled like another guy I had spent my lunch with, on top of the fact that it was a teacher? "I-I just thought I smelled something." I stammered. His eyes locked on mine, green knives that cut coldness into me as he took my hand. Tony wasn't gentle or rough, he just took my palm. "Casey tells me there is a new science teacher. What's his name again?" Tony led on, but I knew he was just toying with me.

"Carter or something." I played back, and he stared me down with a vicious look. "Jenna, don't pull that crap, now I really want to know where you were at lunch." he snapped, and I began to quake as I retracted my feet. "Tony I was in the art room! I swear! Have I lied to you yet?" I replied pleading but it fell on more than stone ears, but also on stone hands. He grabbed my arm, putting the guitar in the next seat with more care as I fought, but he pulled me to a stand. Tony wouldn't look at me which meant bad things were heralding. I slowly realized I was in more trouble than I could imagine.

"Jenna. Tell me who you were with." Tony hissed when he was finished pulling me up. "Tony, I was alone! I love yo-" he let go of me the moment his palm came up to slam into my sternum, and I stumbled over my feet in my haste to get away prematurely. I hit the ground not hard or anything, but it sure scared me. I scrambled, fighting to stand when Tony took off his shoe and lashed me with a kick to the ribs. I had long stopped the screaming for mercy, I was just resilient against it all. "Damn it Jenna, why do you do this!" he shouted at me, I only sat up to stare at him. I didn't dare try to get up for he'd only push me down again. The worst came when he grabbed my hair to drag me into the middle of the room past the couches.

"AH! Tony I was alone!" I yelled, writhing to make him let go, hopefully he'd lose grip. And in the Losing corner, we have the girl who won't stand up to a guy who treats her like trash! Let's all boo! I thought, starting to shake again when he bent down in my face. I was so tired, so sick of all this...I spat in his face. Initially, I was in shock, and so was he. Tony even let go of my hair to wipe the moisture off his cheeks. I just stared open mouthed at him, trying for a slow stand when his fist came around to the side of my face, right on my cheekbone under my eye. I blacked out as he walked over me.

...
...

"Jenna..."

Who the hell wants to know? "Jenna?" What? "Oh my God, what happened, Jenna, wake up!" Damn it stop touching my face! I snapped up, instantly regretting it as I gasped for breath and clutched at my head with tears welling in my eyes again. Jasen was wrapping his arms around me, demanding in a piercing voice what had happened to me. I looked around at the scene that had drastically changed from what I remember. I didn't know why Jasen's guitar was in the seat by the couch, why I had my shoes off because I'd just gotten home, and I take my shoes off at dinner. Nor did I know how I feel asleep on the hardwood or why my face hurt.

Yes I did. I remember it all. In a rush of blood hitting my head, even though it hurt I remember Tony. "I-I think I slipped. I was going to tune your guitar. Forgot the tuner upstairs, turned to get it and I slipped. I'm sorry for scaring you." I gasped, leaning on my brother as he pushed the hair back from my face carefully. "I'll get some ice, I may have dropped your guitar, better check it." I said shortly, standing to take care of myself.