Mano followed him. “What is it?” he asked when they reached the car.
“Get in,” Ody said, climbing into the driver’s seat.
Mano hesitated, then reluctantly got in the passenger side.
“I’m just trying to understand why you got yourself into so much trouble to defend me,” Ody said.
“Trouble? Please.” He scoffed. “Even that professor earlier thought he could scold me.”
“Not long ago you were questioning why I brought you to campus or why I got you meds. And now I see you out there, beating up the guys who messed with me.”
“Fine. You want the truth?” Mano turned to him. “It’s because I used to be in your shoes. That’s why I called you weak. A victim. If you don’t do something, people walk over you. That’s why I dumped that coffee back on him. Because when I was in your place…” He paused, looked forward, and exhaled.
His voice softened. “When I was in your place, I didn’t have anyone. I took it. All of it. Just like you. Until one day, I snapped, and everything flipped.”
Ody listened closely.
“It’s like I’m seeing myself in you,” Mano said. His honey eyes met Ody’s green. “The younger me from a few years ago. And I want to help him now because no one helped me then. I don’t want you going through what I did.”
Those words stunned Ody. For the first time, he saw something raw in Mano, something no one else noticed.
Mano glanced down and spotted a crumpled piece of paper on the floor. He picked it up and unfolded it.Hope that got through your head. Go back to being a good little student or you know what’s coming.
“They threatened you?” Mano snapped, spinning around, eyes blazing.
Ody realized what he was holding. He tried to grab the note, but Mano pulled it away. His lips trembled with anger.
Ody suddenly found himself more worried about Mano than himself.
Mano flung the car door open and stormed out, gripping the note.
“Mano!” Ody rushed after him. He pressed a hand to his chest to stop him. “Calm down. There’s nothing more you can do.”
“Believe me,” Mano said, shoving past him, “I can do a lot more.”
“Stop it!” Ody stepped in front of him again. “They beat me up and left that note on my car.” He swallowed. “After what you did today… I don’t know what they’ll do next.”
Chapter 8
Mano went still.“After what you did today…”The words stuck. Something in his chest shifted, pulling him back.
Kash was talking with his two friends when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned and Mano’s fist crashed into his mouth, sending him straight to the ground.
“You thought you could mess with him after I left?” Mano growled. “Come on. I’m right here. Take it out on me.”
The other two rushed him, but Mano blocked them as Kash stumbled back up.
“If you wanted to defend him, you shouldn’t have left after spilling coffee on me,” Kash sneered.
That was all it took. Mano launched at him, fury boiling over. The other two grabbed his arms, but he kept breaking free, his punches landing harder each time.
“If I hear you touch him again, this will feel like nothing,” Mano snarled.
Kash spat blood. “Why do you care so much?”
“Because bullies like you are nothing to me. So come for me, not him.” His fists tightened. “But if I find out you went after him again—”
“Yeah? What are you gonna do? Beat us up for your little wimp friend?”
