The Bonding Chronicles Ch. 10

"What the fuck was that?" Seth asked Andrew as he rested against a locker in the hall.

"To hell if I know." He leaned his head against the cool steel door and sighed. Andrew was amazed at how thoroughly he had retained the information from the book he had skimmed the week before. His head ached at the effort he had made to accomplish his task, but as he thought back on the blurred memory of his intellectual battle with Dr. Blake, a chuckle escaped his lips.

Several students from class had walked over and congratulated Andrew on his accomplishment, their faces awash with shock at how much the small man knew about the course material. Bruce watched Andrew from further down the hall, a pained look on his chiselled face. Zack was talking animatedly within their group, and Andrew nodded with respect at the black man before stepping away from the locker and hitting his ginger friend on the arm.

"So, am I a total freak now?" Andrew asked, as the two friends looked at each other.

"Fuck no!" Seth said with as much praise as he could muster. "You are the pimp god of all geeks."

Andrew laughed and shook his head. "Alright. Guess we'll just have to wait to see about all of that."

Seth rolled his eyes and laughed as he faded back from Andrew. "Talk to you in gym man. Try not to embarrass any more teachers today."

It never occurred to Andrew just how much he had changed since the Monday of the previous week. Never in that entire class did he even consider giving a wrong answer, or providing the teacher with what he wanted. It wasn't until after everything had played out that Andrew considered what the other students might think of his display of knowledge. As he started walking to his next class, he laughed as he realized he didn't care what they thought.

The journey to English class was uneventful, and beyond a few brief hellos and pats on the shoulder, Andrew made it with plenty of time to spare. Karen looked stunning behind her desk. She still appeared older than she normally did, her wardrobe doing what it could to obscure her beauty. The slight weight she had carried on her body was gone, and Andrew felt like he could see the swell of her breasts beneath her unflattering dress.

After a moment he realized he was staring, and he rushed to the back of the room, his cheeks flushing a rosy red.

Sara's lilting laughter reached his ears, and as he looked over, he could see the joy she was taking from his embarrassment.

"Yeah, she looks good, okay?" Andrew whispered into her ear. He could feel the heat from her body, and thought he could smell her musky sweet scent in the air as he looked at her beautiful lobe. They both shook as they fought against their desires to make out. Never before had they wanted to taste each other more than in that moment.

"Is it just me, or does she seem different?" Andrew asked with a quiet tone.

"She is different." Sara's husky voice broke as she nibbled his ear. "And she tastes as good as you imagine."

Andrew pulled back, his eyes growing wide at the words from his girlfriend's mouth. She pulled him back in and whispered into his ear. "We both know what you've decided. So don't play coy, SD."

As they both sat back into their seats, Andrew watched Sara's smiling face and knew that she was right. It wasn't until he looked forward that he could see Karen stealing subtle glimpses at the two of them in the back of the room. The bell rang and Karen stood, beginning her lecture. Andrew couldn't help but notice the sway of her hips, or be captivated by the jostle of her firm bosom. Her insight through her profound lecture added to his desire, as he found himself imagining what her moans must sound like when consumed by an orgasm.

Sara could smell the lust from Andrew build throughout the class. Once the bell rang and they were dismissed, she grinned as she noticed the scent from their teacher when they crossed her desk. She winked at Karen before disappearing through the door, ensuring that the older woman knew that Sara was on to her secret desires.

Karen had felt what she hoped was Andrew's acceptance of her over the weekend. The excitement she felt overcame the fears she held, knowing that getting involved with Andrew and Sara could lead to a lot of heartache in the future. As she watched the young couple leave, and witnessed Sara's not-so-subtle display of acknowledgement, she hoped that the risk would be worth the reward.

Thoughts of Andrew's skillful lips and masterful tongue strokes reminded her of pleasures yet to come. Ever since Sara had revealed that the dream was something they all shared, she stopped thinking of it as her own fantasy, and smiled as she considered it for what she hoped it was; a dream of something they would live someday soon.

She ran her hands over her abdomen, and felt her strong muscles beneath the supple skin. As her gift informed her of the numerous changes her body had undertaken, she realized that some aspects of the dream had already taken place. The looks she had been receiving from her students were much different from what she had worked so hard to cultivate over the years. Karen found she liked the new attention, but knew that it was going to make things more difficult if she wanted to continue to live within her guise of being a matronly yet approachable schoolmarm.

While Karen struggled to understand the profound changes that were taking place within her life, Andrew and Sara were bouncing down the hall, hand-in-hand. Their hearts were buoyed by their shared affection for Karen, and Andrew felt a sense of relief at having arrived at his decision.

It came as a shock to Andrew when Sara pushed him to the side and jumped back against a locker, causing Will's unseen punch to swing through the open space that they had just occupied. His strike had been intended for the side of Andrew's head, but once the small man had been pushed out of its path, it was destined to strike Sara in the chest.

Will was surprised by his lack of impact as his strike missed its target, and he was pleased when Sara managed to avoid becoming its recipient. While his attention was on Andrew he could sense Sara's intent rage as she bounded from the locker and prepared to unleash her fury.

Andrew managed to catch himself as he was shoved across the hall with an agility he lacked a week ago. He turned in time to see what had happened. Andrew wanted more than anything to stop Sara through their bond, but he held his command when he remembered how difficult that had been on her last time. As she brought her arms up in an all too familiar combat stance, Andrew was relieved that she glanced at him and seemed to ask whether he wanted her to continue.

He shook his head, hoping she would remember that he had wanted to address that problem himself.

Will had never understood the rest of the team's respect for for Sara, or the dismissive laughter they gave him when he talked about her being just a girl. The look he saw in Sara's eyes as she tensed and prepared to fight him brought a primal fear to the front of his mind. When she dropped her arms and shrugged at Andrew, he was forced to watch her in utter confusion.

Sara leaned against the locker, resigned to let things play out. She loved Andrew more than anything, but why he refused to let her help him, kind of pissed her off.

"Don't look at me, tough guy. I think you have a problem with my man," she said to Will as she waved her hand dismissively towards Andrew. The small man dropped his backpack and stretched out his arms while bouncing on his toes. Andrew was hoping it wouldn't come to blows, but knew he wanted to be limber if things didn't de-escalate.

"What the heck, Will?" Andrew asked as he walked around the large football player.

"Go fuck yourself, nerd," Will spat, as he threw out a fast but clumsy jab.

Andrew dodged the strike and said, "What do you think this is-" before being interrupted by a powerful right cross from the large jock. His body moved before his brain had time to consider his action, and he marvelled at the force of the strike as it passed above him. The breeze that followed was surprising, and Andrew realized even blocking Will's attacks was dangerous. He took bouncing steps away, outdistancing Will who attempted to pursue.

"Seriously, Will. What the fuck do you think you're accomplishing here?"

Will dashed forward, throwing a few strikes at Andrew with the hope of shutting him up. The powerful strikes were effective, forcing the small man to react. Andrew realized in that moment how much his parents and Sara had been holding back through all of their training sessions. The large man's punches held no such concern for his wellbeing, and came with a force frightening in their devastating intent.

Andrew managed to dodge the first couple of hits, but the final strike came at a perfect angle, and he was forced to block it. The lockers rang out as his body was launched against them by the force of that final attack. He knew that Will would not listen to reason, not as angry as he was. Whatever had happened had stirred the large man into a fury that was beyond rational thought.

The locker cried out as Andrew spun to the side. The powerful punch from Will had just missed his head, and dented the thin steel of the locker door as his large first made contact with it. The fierce blow echoed through the hall, announcing to everyone the true danger that Andrew faced.

As he bounced away, Andrew settled on a new plan. He would need to lead Will to the truth in a much more difficult way. Andrew shot a pensive and apologetic smile to Sara before he began.

"Yeah. See, a real man would have taken me down already," Andrew ducked a wild cross and slipped a jab while Will fumed and stumbled over himself. "What kind of bitch can't take care of business?" Andrew added, with a grin.

Will's world was an ocean of red hot molten anger. All he saw was Andrew, that pathetic arrogant little shit, and all he heard was the stupid comments that oozed from his dumb mouth.

"I mean, let's face it, you know what a real man would do."

Andrew smiled into the face of rage as Will barreled towards him. After dodging another wild punch, he knew that at least this part of his plan was working; Will was so consumed by his anger that his strikes had become dangerous but predictable. Andrew was reminded of how powerful the strikes still were as he was forced to allow one to roll off of his left shoulder. Despite his displacement of the force, he felt the dull ache deep in his muscle as he regrouped after shaking off the strike.

Will was back on him, determined not to give the small man a chance to say anything else. Andrew sidestepped a jab and saw his opening when another wild right cross was sent his way. He had realized that Will seemed to favor that attack, probably because of its devastating efficiency against a less agile opponent, and he had been waiting for it. Andrew ducked the strike and as Will turned to try and continue his assault from where he expected the small man to appear, he stood in mute surprise when Andrew never came up.

He looked down in time to see Andrew drive his fist straight up from a full crouch, into his abdomen. The force of Andrew's punch was breathtaking, in every way. Andrew used his whole body to drive the clumsy but accurate attack home, lifting Will a couple of inches off the ground with the force of the hit.

Will fought back tears as the air escaped his lungs, and he was doubled over by the pain in his midsection. His neck muscles tensed as he struggled not to vomit. Andrew leaned in and whispered into his ear, "A real man abuses those weaker than him, just so that he can feel better about himself. Congratulations, Will. You have become your father."

The debilitating pain was replaced by pure adrenaline-fueled anger as Andrew's words hit home. Andrew failed to recognize the threat before it was too late, and by that point Will had already pinned him to the ground. The powerful blows fell in a fast and devastating rhythm across Andrew's sides. The couple of strikes directed at his face were deflected by Andrew's arms which were curled up in front of him.

Sara, Bruce, and Steve were there in moments, and began to drag the incensed man off of Andrew before more than a half dozen hits had been scored. The speed with which the combat had deteriorated was surprising to Andrew who was still shaking from the shock and adrenaline of what had just happened. He had assumed that Will would need at least a minute to recover from his punch, and as he assessed the damage to his body, his mother's advice revisited him. "Don't lower your guard. Fights are full of distractions, and you can never lose focus."

Andrew attempted to chuckle, and was stopped by several stabs of intense pain running up his sides. He fell back to the floor as soon as he tried to plant his hand, and another radiating bolt of pain shot up his arm from his wrist. His eyes watered as he looked around, the world seeming muted and foggy through the haze of his anguish.

Sara eyed him with a look of pure concern at what had just happened. Andrew could tell that she wanted nothing more than to run to him, but Bruce and Steve were struggling to restrain Will, and it was only with Sara's assistance that they were keeping him at bay. Zack stood off to the side, his face a window into satisfaction and regret. Something about the look made Andrew think that his long-time adversary was struggling to reconcile these two conflicting emotions.

The hallway was silent beyond the sounds of Will's struggle. A veritable sea of shocked faces were looking at the tableau that was unfolding before them.

Will was flailing and screaming at Andrew, his face a red mask of anger. Spittle flew from his lips as he struggled in vain to extricate himself from the two football players and Andrew's unnaturally strong girlfriend. "That little fucker doesn't know shit about me."

His screaming voice carried through the hall, and was cut short by Karen as she stormed into view. Her gaze fell on Andrew, and he could see the worry as it etched its way across her face. Karen's eyes misted over as she felt the damage that had been done to her Andrew. Turning, she locked eyes with Sara for a brief moment, recognizing the grief and concern in the young woman's wet gaze.

She turned her attention on Will, who wilted before the intense glare of the older teacher. "Will, I should have known. Your mother would be ashamed of you."

Will stopped and stared at the teacher for a few moments before he collapsed to the floor, the truth of her statement landing at the perfect time. His shoulders shook with his shame, and Andrew's words came crashing down upon him. Despite her anger over what had happened to Andrew, Karen couldn't help but share in Will's pain as she felt his internal struggle. Whatever had happened there, Karen knew that Will was in the battle of his life. He was fighting to become a man that one of his parents could be proud of.

"Zack, could you help Bruce and Steve escort Will to the Principal's Office, please?"

Zack was still watching Andrew as the small man writhed in pain. Karen yelled his name, which shook him from his thoughts and focusing on the teacher he responded, "What? Yes. Of course, ma'am."

He had always liked Karen, she was one of the few teachers who would call him on his shit, but not be a total dick about it. He knew where he stood with her, and she always gave him the chance to recover if he made a mistake.

Sensing that the battle was over and that Andrew was no longer in danger from the large football player, Sara ran and pulled Andrew into her arms. He nestled his face against her bosom and blinked away the tears that sprung to his eyes as his sides exploded in overwhelming pain. Andrew cradled his aching wrist against his chest while he tried to focus on anything but his suffering. He wanted to make his usual joke but was prevented from opening his mouth by the fear that he would scream out at his ever-mounting turmoil.

Sara ran her fingers through his damp hair, and she felt a shadow of his pain through their bond. Will had done some serious damage in the short time he had been on top of Andrew. "I know, baby. We'll stop meeting like this once you stop being a dumbass. Can't just take one punch, ohhhh no, not my man. Always the overachiever."

Several nearby students laughed at Sara's words, and winced as they watched Andrew ball up in renewed pain as he too tried to chuckle. Karen knelt down in front of them and a tear fell from her eye as she watched the tragic scene before her. She was finding it almost impossible to keep from pulling Andrew into her arms, and soothing his pain with a gentle kiss.

Karen could sense the damage across his body as she brushed the hair off of his face. His wrist was sprained, he had two broken ribs on his left side, a broken rib on his right and more bruised tissue around his arms and sides than she bothered to count. She rested her hand on his arm as if to console him, and while her healing magic went to work, she looked up and said, "Alright, everybody. The show is over. I know you all have classes you should be attending."

Her gift had never worked so well, and as Karen watched the quick progress, she marvelled at how little energy it took. As she was speculating about the ease with which her gift worked on Andrew, she was distracted by the sound of his weak voice whispering from the floor.

"Leave some bruising, my wonderful Karen."

Karen looked around, sighing in relief when she realized that no one was close enough to have heard him. He was still hazy from his wounds, and Karen wondered if he had known what he said, but as the warmth of his words filled her heart, she decided she didn't care. Either way, he meant the sentiment that had escaped his lips.

A few moments later, Andrew's eyes fluttered open as he nestled against Sara's chest.

"Seriously, Andrew? If I didn't know better, I might think you were starting to do this on purpose." The relief on Sara's voice was palpable as she smiled down into his azure gaze.

"You have some yellow in your eyes," Andrew observed with a smile. His ribs were still sore, but thanks to Karen's healing magic, he was able to think through the dull pain. He looked at Karen and licked his tongue along his dry mouth, eying her full pouty lips as if they could save him. "Thank you," was all he could say, as he remembered where they were.

Karen stood and rolled her shoulders with a sigh in an attempt to settle her emotions. "Sara, would you please take Andrew to the Nurse's Office?"

"Of course, Karen," Sara said, as she helped Andrew up off of the floor. The two women shared a furtive smile, their bodies relaxing in the knowledge that Andrew had survived yet another confrontation.

Andrew felt much better than he looked, and by the time the young couple had arrived at the Nurse's Office, he was leaning against Sara more for how nice it felt, than from any kind of need. He had a familiar ache radiating from his sides, and his wrist was stiff, but the sharp stabs of pain he experienced earlier had been taken away by Karen's subtle and expert care. Sara escorted him into the room where he was greeted by a serious glare from Mrs. Murphy.

"Damn muppet. Are ya' gonna tell me who did it this time, laddie?"

Sara laughed, not having heard that side of the story from the last attack. She smiled at the nurse and asked, "Let me guess, you wanted to help, but he wouldn't let you?"

They both looked at Andrew and he flashed his most innocent smile.

"Aye, lass," Mrs. Murphy smiled at Sara, before both women shook their heads at Andrew.

"Yeah, he does that to everyone. Don't take it personally," Sara said as she set Andrew down on the edge of the cot.