I hopped down to free up the cot for the next invalid.
And then Mike staggered through the door, now supporting a sallow-looking Lee Stephens, another boy in our Biology IV class. Fredward and I drew back against the wall to give them room.
"Oh, no," Fredward muttered. "Go out to the office, Bella."
Oh shit! Was he going to kick Mike's ass? I looked up at him, bewildered, excited.
"Trust me—go."
As much as I wanted to see Fredward punch Mike in his ball-less crotch, the prospect of Mike's crotch-blood getting everywhere caused me to spin me around and catch the door before it closed, darting out of the infirmary. I could feel Fredward's hard body right behind me.
"You actually listened to me." He was stunned.
"I smelled the blood," I said, wrinkling my nose. And, I admitted to myself, I didn't really want to see Fredward beat up Mike.
"People can't smell blood," he contradicted.
"Well, I can—that's what makes me sick. It smells like rust... and salt."
He was staring at me with an unfathomable expression.
"What?" I asked. Did I describe blood wrong? I began to turn red.
"It's nothing."
I did, I totally did. I flipped my hair over my shoulder to hide how ugly and red my face was turning.
Mike came through the door then, glancing from me to Fredward. The look he gave Fredward confirmed what Fredward had said about seeing his balls. He looked back at me, embarrassed.
"You look better," he accused, hand thrust deep in his pocket.
"Just keep your hand in that pocket," I warned again.
"It's not bleeding anymore, here: look," he began to pull his hand out but Fredward did another grizzly growl, making him shove it all the way back down. "Are you going back to class?"

101

Chapter 5

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