Marco barely made it to the gym doors before he turned back, his anger boiling over as he pushed his way back through the crowd. Finn saw him coming and moved to intercept, but Marco shoved him hard in the chest, his voice cutting through the music.
“So, this is how it is?” Marco’s voice boomed, capturing the attention of nearby students. He glared at Finn, his eyes blazing with anger. “You just couldn’t stay away, could you?”
Finn held up a hand, trying to diffuse the tension. “Marco, this isn’t the place. Let’s talk about this somewhere else.”
“Oh, now you want to talk?” Marco scoffed, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “You’ve been ‘talking’ to my girlfriend enough, haven’t you?”
Hanna stepped forward, her face pale. “Marco, please, it’s not what you think.”
But Marco cut her off, his gaze turning cold as he looked her up and down. “I trusted you, Hanna. I thought we had something real. But I guess that was just a joke to you.”
“Marco, don’t do this,” she pleaded, reaching out to him, but he jerked away, his face hardening.
“What’s wrong, Hanna?” Marco sneered, his voice carrying across the room. “Feeling guilty now that everyone knows?”
The crowd around them grew, whispers turning into audible gasps and mutters as students realized what was happening. Finn stepped forward, his jaw clenched. “That’s enough, Marco. Don’t take this out on Hanna.”
“Oh, so now you’re her knight in shining armor?” Marco shot back. “What a joke. You think you can just swoop in and take whatever you want?”
Finn’s face hardened, but he kept his voice calm. “You’re not listening, Marco. Nothing happened until you started pushing her away. You brought this on yourself.”
The words stung, and Hanna saw Marco’s fists clench, his face going red with fury. “You think you know me?” he spat. “You know nothing.”
The tension snapped. Before anyone could react, Marco threw a punch, catching Finn square in the jaw. Finn stumbled back but quickly steadied himself, a flash of anger sparking in his eyes. He held back for a moment, clearly torn, but as Marco came at him again, Finn swung back, his own punch connecting with Marco’s shoulder.
The crowd erupted into shouts and gasps, phones flashing as students recorded the scene. Hanna tried to intervene, placing herself between them, but Marco shoved her aside roughly, sending her stumbling backward.
“You want to fight, Finn?” Marco growled. “Fine. Let’s settle this now.”
The fight escalated, fists flying as the two boys grappled, each too angry to back down. Hanna’s pleas were drowned out by the chaos as teachers rushed in, pulling them apart, but the damage had already been done. Bruised and humiliated, Marco pushed past Hanna, his voice dripping with contempt.
“We’re done, Hanna. I hope he was worth it.”
With that, he stormed off, leaving Hanna standing alone in the center of the dance floor, her face hot with shame as whispers and stares followed her every move.