They Bully Me

Chapter 21 ~Do My Best~

Liam's PoV

As I was walking home alone, without the lads, we lived in different directions, I was looking at the shop windows trying to find a candy shop, I was slightly in the mood for some sweets.

When I walked past an alley, I noticed a hunched over figure. Out of curiosity, I walked into the alley, and up to the figure.

It was a girl, she was bleeding from a wound somewhere on her shoulder.

I stared at her for quite a long time. She seemed recognizable. Long dark brown hair, tan skin, small and frail build.

It was Emma.

I crouched down on one knee and parted her hair with my hands, so that I could see her face.

Yes, it really was her.

"Emma?" I asked softly. She didn't respond.

I had the urge to beat her up, something I had gotten used to a while back. Like a drug, you get addicted and it's almost impossible to stop. And sometimes it's too late to stop.

But luckily, it wasn't too late.

She had been bleeding an incredible amount, but it had dried up now and became a huge burn. How did she even get burned?

This couldn't have been any of the lads. They wouldn't take it this far, would they? Yes, they would.

"What have we become?! We only did it because her dad had said that she said she didn't like us. She had been faking being friends for three years," I whispered to myself.

"So for just one day, we pretended to be her friend, just to see if her dad was telling the truth or not, and he was. She had punched each and every one of us!

And I was quite sour, really. Only a week after I had come back from X Factor and Simon Cowell telling me to come back in a few years, even when I had made it so far, then Emma's dad tells me the news.

I was probably the most angriest, and the one that wanted most revenge.

When we first hurt her... it was just words. But we fought over our own opinions not so long later. And as our group of four fell apart after more and more words to Emma. The four still wanted to be friends, but we kept fighting. And the friendship with Emma was completely gone.

Louis, Zain, Harry and I wanted to be a group, a gang. But we were falling apart fast, so we found one thing we all had in common. And the only thing that keeps us together, our fuel, is beating Emma up.

At one point, we thought it was too much, but it was fun and addictive, having power over someone. We couldn't stop, and we wouldn't be able to even if we did our best.

At least that's what I thought. Now, I do believe I can stop, as long as I put my mind to it!" I told myself, reviewing everything that has happened.

"Really? You will?" someone asked in a bored tone behind me.

I jumped up in surprise. I hadn't even heard anyone come.

It was Danielle. How did she even know I was here? And honestly, I really didn't want her here at the moment.

"I can't believe you did this to her!" she gasped, pointing at Emma's blistered skin.

"I didn't," I whispered, at a loss of words. If she had heard what I just said, she wouldn't have blamed me.

"Oh how I wish I could believe that," she huffed, shoving me to the side as if I weighed nothing. She was strong, pretty strong.

As I regained balance, I fought the urge to hit her back as she kneeled down in front of Emma.

"I recommend you just leave. All you cause is pain, Payne," she huffed, trying to be British.

I wanted to make fun of her. But I didn't. All I did was leave the alley. If that's how they wanted it, I should just leave them alone.

And curse my last name. Did is really have to be 'Payne'? It fit me perfectly. Pain. But I'm changing that now.

I will do my best, whatever it takes, just to help the two of them. They don't deserve what they get. They deserve something way much more better. And even though I may not be that "something", I can at least try.