Falling to Pieces by Jamie Canosa

noodle soup. It’s my duty as a good son to brag about it and make you try some.”
    “Kiernan—”
    “Share it with me. Please?” He put his sandwich down and folded his arms like he refused to take another bite until he got his way. Juvenile, but effective.
    Taking the plastic spoon he offered, I blew on a small bite before slipping it in my mouth. He wasn’t lying; his mom really did make the best soup I’d ever tasted in my life. “That’s delicious.”
    “Told ya so.” He went back to his sandwich and I had to force myself not to inhale the entire bowl without him.
    More than nutrients, the unconventional meal served as the perfect distraction. Everything else faded away as I focused solely on the warm, salty flavors coating my tongue, and the ridiculous jokes Kiernan kept cracking about his mother and her obsession with all things cooking and/or baking. I couldn’t imagine it, but he assured me we’d both be buried alive in homemade cookies come Christmastime. Definitely a first for me, I could go for that.
    “Look who decided to show her face in public.”
    We were cleaning up when his voice came from behind us, grating like razor blades on my already overexposed nerves. Kiernan’s hands wrapped around the arms of his chair in a white knuckled grip, and I already knew this wasn’t going to end well. Tucking away most of my uneaten sandwich, I refused to look at him, fervently hoping Doug would just go away. Like that would ever happen
    “Moved on already, I see. That didn’t take long.”
    Kiernan spun around in his seat, still gripping one arm as though it were the only thing keeping him from flying right out of it. “Leave her alone.”
    “You’re her new protector? It’s a thankless job, isn’t it? But the fringe benefits . . .” Doug grinned, lapping up the spotlight, shining down on the spectacle he was making of all of us.
    “You son of a—” Kiernan let go of the chair and the only thing keeping him in it was the hand I placed on his arm.
    “He’s not worth it.” I could literally feel the rage pouring off of him.
    “Neither is she, man. It may seem like it now, but in the long run, her skills are limited to—”
    That did it. Kiernan pulled free of my desperate grasp and got to his feet, drawing the attention of every last person in the room. “You don’t know shit about her. What, you took some pictures without her knowledge or her consent? All that proves is that you’re a pervert. She should have you arrested for sexual harassment.”
    “I didn’t take the pictures.” Doug’s hands went up in mock innocence as he smirked in the face of Kiernan’s anger.
    “But you passed them around.”
    Leaning into Kiernan, Doug’s face darkened and the smirk disappeared. “Prove it. Maybe she sent them out. Maybe she likes all this attention. The little sl—”
    Kiernan’s fist in his face made an excellent gag. Doug stumbled backward clutching at his bloodied lip. It was the second time Kiernan had bested Doug, but this time he couldn’t let it stand. This time he had an audience, a rep to protect. He couldn’t just go crawling off into whatever hole he came out of to nurse his wounds. This time he fought back.
    Kiernan ducked Doug’s first blow, but a sucker punch to the gut had him doubled over at perfect height for the strike to his head that nearly leveled him.
    “Kiernan!” I was on my feet, but had no idea what else to do.
    Doug may have been a coward, but he hit the gym at least three times a week to stay in shape for football. Kiernan shuffled backward, toppling his chair before regaining his balance. For a moment, he looked confused, dazed, but he recovered quickly and launched himself at Doug.
    “Kiernan, stop!”
    Everyone was standing, getting a better view of the show. Some were cheering, others looked horrified, but no one made a move to intervene.
    “Stop it! Doug, leave him alone!” I couldn’t believe this was happening. They were both bleeding and