“Finn Lowry.” Daniel called as soon as Finn walked into the classroom.

“Oh come on Daniel, not now.” Donna pleaded. “He didn’t even do anything, really!”

“What’s happening?” Finn asked.

“What’s happening? I’ll tell you what’s happening you little dick. You’re flirting with my girlfriend!” Daniel yelled as he got up in Finn's face.

“I wasn’t.” Finn said, confused. As far as he thought, it didn’t count if it wasn’t reciprocated, which he believed it wasn’t.

“You weren’t?” Daniel raised his eyebrows and rolled up his sleeves. “This really how you wanna do this?”

“I really don’t know what you’re talking about.” Finn backed away.

“Alright. Let me show you.” Daniel lunged forward and began punching Finn. Evidently he wasn’t a good fighter, since the hits didn’t even hurt. A few of the girls shrieked and a few of the guys started egging them on.

“Get him Daniel!” Someone yelled.

“Fight back, new boy!” The others chorused.

“What’s happening?” James asked as he walked in and saw the gathering.

“James! Help! Daniel’s fighting Finn!” Donna begged.

“Oh hell.” James complained. He walked over to the fight quickly. “Daniel. Hey. Get it together man.” James said, voice full of authority as he put himself in the middle of the two.

“James. Get out of the way.” Daniel gritted his teeth.

“Why are you fighting him man? What did he do?” James asked as he looked at the bleeding Daniel. He looked in bad shape, his nose was bleeding and his eyes looked like it would have a bruise soon.

“He was flirting with Donna.” Daniel said, the anger in his voice gone. It had been replaced by defeat.

“Oh. Okay. Shit man.” James frowned. “Come on. Let's go this way. Let’s go to the nurse.”

James led Daniel out of the room while talking to him quietly and Daniel went willingly but not before casting a final glare to Finn.

“Sorry about that.” Donna said to Finn when the crowd had disbanded.

“It’s alright. Not really your fault.” He smiled.

“Are you hurt?” She asked as she examined his face.

“Not really. I’m just super-strong I guess.” Finn pretended to flex his muscles.

“I guess so.” Donna smiled and played with her hair.

“Right class, sit down please.” Miss Finch said as she walked in. She quickly scanned the class to do the register. “No James or Daniel today?” She asked.

“They’re down at the nurses office, Miss Finch.” One classmate piped up.

“Oh. Why?” She asked, still looking down at the register.

“Daniel's nose started to bleed.” Donna answered.

“Just out of nowhere?” Miss Finch raised an eyebrow. She knew from the grapevines that Daniel was a fighter, it was more likely that he bust it in a fight rather than a random nosebleed.

“Yeah.” The students all nodded.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“Well. If that’s what you all say.” Miss Finch sat down at her desk. She was too tired to deal with Daniel fighting today. “Nothing to say today. Just do what you want.”

“Good fight man.” Matthew whispered to Finn.

“Thanks.” Finn nodded. “You think he’s alright?”

“Doesn’t matter man. No one cares.” He laughed darkly. It was true that no one in the class really liked Daniel, he was too loud, annoying and rash. They all wished he would shut up. The only one in the class who could handle him was James. And that was probably because he couldn't get rid of Daniel.

The bell rang.

“To class kids. Bye.” Miss Finch waved them off.

Finn was shrouded with classmates on his way to class today, a change from walking alone. All of them were talking about the fight.

“Where did you learn to fight like that?”

“Why didn’t you stop the fight?”

“Were you really fighting over Donna?”

The questions lasted all day and even seemed to gain him some respect. People just came up and started talking to him now. It was much better than it had been, though he felt uneasy that he had achieved it through a fight.

The school day finally came to an end and Finn walked home again.

“How was today?” Mrs Lowry asked.

“Good.” Finn said.

“Any new friends?”

“A few. People just talk to me now.”

“That’s good. I’m glad it’s all working out now.” She smiled and hugged her son.

“Yeah.”

The next day was also started by Finn waking up late and having to rush around to get to class.

He managed to make it on time, dodging lateness by one minute.

“Close one Mr Lowry.” Miss Finch rolled her eyes. “Go sit down please.”

Finn did as he was told. When he was seated he looked around and saw that James and Daniel were deep in conversation about something that seemed a mix of serious and, somehow, relaxed. Daniel's face did have a bruise over his eye and it looked bad.

“Did you hear?” Matthew asked.

“Hear what?”

“Daniel broke up with Donna last night. Said she was flirting too much with other guys.”

“Woah. Really?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh wow.”

“I think he got jealous of you.”

“Of me?”

“Yeah. They only broke up because Donna has a crush on you man.”

“She does?”

“Clearly.”

“But how? We’ve only known each other for about a week.”

“Doesn’t matter man. She obviously likes you.”

Finn was surprised. He hadn’t noticed.

“And you’re sure?”

“Just pay attention to her man. She isn’t very good at hiding it.”

Finn decided to take his advice and look out for any signs. In English he caught her staring at him. In Spanish she blushed and looked away when someone said his name, in Geography the same thing. Then it got to Chemistry and he had to sit beside her.

“Hi!” She smiled.

“Hey!” He smiled back.

“How’s your day going?”

“Good. How about yours?”

“Oh well, y’know. It’s okay.”

“That’s good.”

Donna went quiet for a second.

“Y’know,” She said. “Daniel and I broke up.”

“I heard. What happened?”

“He said I was cheating on him! The cheek! I’m almost sure he was cheating on me but I never figured out the girl's name.” Donna rambled.

“Well. Guess you’ll just have to find a boy who’d trust you then.” Finn flirted. A test.

“Yeah. You know someone?” She flirted back.

“Mr Lowry, Miss Spring. The lesson has begun, please stay quiet.” Mr Ollen complained.

“Sorry sir.” They both said.

The whole lesson was spent by Finn thinking about Donna. So it turned out that she did have a crush on him. He couldn’t understand why but he was happy anyway. He only hoped that he could make her happy if they did end up dating.