Red Herring ✔️

57. Here in the Forest, Dark and Deep

"I think it can't get any worse and then you fuckers come along and surprise me." Pinching the bridge of his nose, Christian sighed like a disappointed dad. "Anyone else have life-altering secrets they would like to share?" It was a rhetorical question and then entirely not.

"Hold up." Fury in his eyes, an unmistakable posturing in his stance, and venom of a poisonous snake, Jason squared his shoulders at Lonny. "What did she just say?"

"Jason," Christian cautioned, sensing the shift in tension. Ailene audibly gulped, face glowing white like a sheet of paper. Mazie hoped that she regretted sharing such sensitive information so brashly.

Voice raising, Jason yelled, "Cause it sure as hell sounded like Ailene said you raped Demi." He pointed an accusatory finger at Lonny.

"Stop looking at me like that," Lonny sneered. "I know you're, like, in love with her or something but I didn't attack her, okay?" Lonny looked at Jason as if he weren't even a reasonable threat or worthy opponent.

Sensing his inferiority, Jason sucked in a deep breath that empowered him before released a pained guttural holler and launched at Lonny, tackling him, unsuspected, to the ground. Lonny choked on a responding grunt as Jason pressed his forearm to his windpipe and wrestled him to the ground.

"Oh my God!" Ailene gasped, backing safely away into a tree.

"Jason!" Mazie screamed uselessly.

With the upper hand of being underestimated, Jason reeled back his arm and punched Lonny square in the nose. Yelping in pain, Lonny thrashed underneath Jason who courageously climbed atop him and straddled him to keep him down. With Lonny's eyes squeezed shut in pain, he didn't see Jason's fist swing in for round two. The slugger caught him on the side of his jaw, earning another outrageous grunt from Lonny.

"Get off of me!" Lonny yelled, squirming against Jason's surprisingly strong grip.

"She...trusted you! You...took advantage...of her!" Jason panted, nailing his fist into the side of Lonny's head.

Finally, Lonny wormed his hands around Jason's neck, squeezed aggressively, and with the advantage of shock, thrust Jason into the air. Caught off guard, Jason struggled to find his balance while Lonny nailed his knee into Jason's ribcage. Balling over in pain, Jason was easily flipped over by Lonny who spat blood to the side.

"Stop it! Stop it, both of you!" Ailene cried out, covering her mouth with both hands.

High on testosterone, neither boys listened to a word any of them said. As the one who usually played off of intimidation, being the cool football jock, Lonny didn't take kindly to Jason blindsiding him. On the other hand, Jason was obviously pleased with himself for landing a couple of well-meaning hits to the guy who was both bigger and taller than him, someone he logically shouldn't have been able to take down. That much was clear from the wobbly self-confident smirk on Jason's face as he collected his wits about himself.

Both Lonny and Jason surged to their feet. They honed their gazes on one another like predators to their prey. Although Mazie wasn't sure who was who in this scenario.

Straightening their jackets, Lonny and Jason stared at one another. Hunching down, Lonny huffed like a bull and rammed his shoulder into the tender place between Jason's ribs, knocking the breath out o him. Their tumbling body masses slammed into a tree and crumpled on the ground. This time around, Lonny landed on top of Jason, pinning him to the ground with his body weight.

Lonny grabbed Jason by the lapels of his jacket and pounded his head into the ground. "I didn't do it! I've told everyone that already!" He spat out in Jason's face as the underdog groaned, limbless.