Free Breaking the Wrong by Calia Read

wrong?”
    “It’s easy to tell. I think it’s pretty obvious you’re pissed.”
    “You’ve only tutored me a few times,” I point out.
    “And those sessions last ... what? About two hours?” I say nothing and Macsen continues. “Yeah, I think I’m getting to know you.”
    My hands are holding the paper, but they’re shaking from Macsen’s words. I clutch the edges until the tips of my fingers turn white. “Nothing is wrong.”
    Macsen’s black eyebrows lift. “You’re all ... moody.”
    He is wrong. I’m just tortured. Most of the time, I struggle between getting to know him, ignoring the interest I feel, and stifling the anger that rises when I do become interested. It makes my emotions a cyclone that won’t stop moving.
    But, right now, I’m feeling amped up from my time spent with Tosha. I nudge my head toward the front page of the newspaper. “What do you think about this?”
    Macsen leans close and I feel his breath on my neck. When he looks up, his eyes are clouded and his eyebrows are drawn down. “You want to know what I think of a girl being attacked?”
    I keep my shoulders from shaking. “People are attacked, bullied, harmed all the time ... it’s a hot topic.”
    “It’s been a hot topic for a while,” he mutters.
    “Shouldn’t everyone talk about it? And shouldn’t this guy be held accountable for what he did?”
    He pulls his head back. “Yes...”
    “This guy put her through hell,” I continue, “he needs to be punished.”
    Macsen rubs the skin above his lower lip as he looks at the newspaper in concentration. I can’t stop staring at his thumb moving back and forth . I look away, feeling sick that I’m thinking of him as anything other than my enemy.
    “You feel strongly about this.”
    My back goes rigid and I mask my face, trying to look bored. “It’s just wrong. I hate reading this, but I’m glad he’s getting punished.”
    Macsen peers at the article one more time and points to a name. “Well, Brandon Reyes will have five years in prison. He deserves it.”
    “So you agree it’s wrong, and that he needs to be punished?” I stop myself from lurching across the chair and shoving my face close to his.
    He looks insulted by my questions. “Of course. It’s fucked up what happened, she didn’t deserve that.”
    My chest is moving up and down, and my heart won’t stop thundering. I can’t catch my breath. 
    Macsen looks over at me with concern. “Were you attacked or bullied?” He points to the article. “Help me out here.”
    He’s looking at me with genuine worry, like he wants to know what’s wrong. I want to tell him that he’s the reason for my pounding heart and pain.
    “No,” I say slowly and take a deep breath. “I wasn’t.”
    “So you’re just really passionate about this stuff?” Macsen smiles with one side of his mouth, and I know he doesn’t believe me.
    I’m numb. How can he sit across from me and act confused with my anger? To keep my hands busy, I toy with the edge of the newspaper. “I just think it’s a tragedy.”
    He agrees. “I think everyone’s been picked on by someone at one point in their life.”
    I narrow my eyes slightly, trying to get a clear picture of Macsen. “You have?”
    “Sure, I was.” He leans back in his chair and crosses his arms over his chest. He looks guarded. “I moved around everywhere. New kids are always the easy target. I had these huge glasses, this tall lanky frame—I kind of made it too easy for them.”
    “What happened?” I ask quietly.
    “Just a bunch of stupid shit.”
    Macsen is trying to be evasive and I don’t push. Not yet, at least.
    “And what about high school?”
    “High school got easier,” he concedes slowly. “Look, I’m agreeing with you, Emilia. I’m not defending this guy.” Macsen holds my gaze. “Clearly, you’re upset at what happened to this girl, but her abuser is caught. He’s going to jail. There was justice.”
    My smile is grateful but just for