Stained

Chapter 153

Olivia looks to be weirded out as she moves her wary eyes from Hannah to Sarah to me until finally, they land on Trena. "Some guy named, Dexter."

Relief floods everyone's features, including mine. And it's with the panic I hadn't realised was there leaving my body do I realise I was scared it was Damien. Because every time I see him he always has a new scar or bruise staining his features, an indication he got into a fight on the day or the day before. Not once have I seen him without one.

It worries me. More than I would like to admit. I recall Hannah telling me he often has physical fights with Hayden. Surely not that often. And surely not all with him because I have only seen Hayden's face bruised and cut once.

So with other people? But every day?

"Who did it?" Trenas voice snaps me out of my thoughts and back into the present.

"Don't know yet. But apparently, it was a planned fight. No weapons were allowed but the other guy snuck it in through his clothes somehow."

"It wasn't too intensive, was it? Is the guy that was stabbed going to be okay?" Hannah asks the question that was also running through my mind.

Olivia lazily shifts her eyes to Hannah and then in the same manner runs them over her. Twice. The second time something that resembles disgust floods her gaze. "I don't know."

I don't like the way she's looking at my best friend. She can look at me that way all she wants but not those I love. I can't stand it. And if she doesn't stop I'll make up a fake emergency and get us out of here.

Sarah leans forward and sits her chin on her hand. "What are the pigs doin' about this?"

I let out a humourless scoff. "I'm guessing nothing. They never take knife crime seriously. It is more frequent than the rain in this country and that in itself says a lot. Yet they always fail to acknowledge how dangerous it is."

Olivia rolls her eyes and not at me for once. "They really don't the fucking useless bastards." 

I feel Trena visibly shiver before I see it. "Okay, can we stop talking about this. It traumatises the shit out of me."

"That's the problem. No one talks about it enough for it to be taken seriously," Olivia grumbles under her breath.

I can't help agreeing with her. On the other hand, Trena's wording makes me wonder if it is a trigger for her. Then we should most definitely stop.

I don't want to put her on the spot and make her uncomfortable by asking so I will just intrude on whoever speaks on it next and blurt out something random to change the subject of the conversation.

"Actually, talking doesn't do much either," Hannah contradicts. "Talking is basically complaining and that's normal everyday human behaviour. It's about educating people on the matter and why it's beneficial for the future of the country... of the world if (when. Hopefully) the rest of the countries fall in line with our protocol and illegalise guns. There's also the matter of protests and signing petitions and spreading the word in any and every way because not everyone has access to the internet."

My eyes bulge slightly in Hannah's direction, pleading and a little shocked. Hannah is right but Olivia didn't say anything wrong, her intentions were pure for once.

At the same time, Hannah doesn't come from a bad place either, I know she just wanted to lash out at Olivia because of all the times she has been horrible to me. And as much as I appreciate that and her I don't want to escalate the bitterness Olivia already has for me.

I hate to admit it but I can't fight my own battles. Hannah might be with me now but we don't go to the same school. However, that doesn't mean I want her or someone else to fight my battles for me. I just want to turn my back to it until it goes away. Unfortunately, that is now what I do with everything after attempting to fight with the teacher thing and failing miserably.

"Yeah, I know that," Olivia deadpans, appearing annoyed as she looks Hannah over in the way I hate again.

I'm calmed by Hannah's glare because it's stronger, more powerful, laced with more spite than a hundred of Olivia's combined.

A heavy silence falls over the table. But Hannah's eyes alone speak volumes.

I'm not surprised when not even half a minute in Olivia averts her gaze.

I part my lips to say something, to submerge the tense situation. What exactly I don't know. I don't get to find out either because a min-second before I can, Trena speaks up, "I feel like we've met before."

I turn to Trena, confused as to who she is speaking to. I follow her line of sight to Sarah.

Sarah points to herself, surprised. "Who me?"

Trena nods her head yes. "Yeah. Your face is very familiar..."

Olivia joins her. "Yeah, I think I have too." She points a finger at Hannah as if she is an insect. "And her."

Hannahs brows furrow clearly pissed with the way Olivia addresses her. I share the sentiment.

Hannah's lips part but she's intercepted by Olivia's loud laughter. "Oh, I remember. You're the girl who got knocked up by Hayden Hunter and then paid hush money to keep it and the abortion a secret."

Hannah's face contorts from rage to shock to horror and then settles on rage.

Sarah and I look to one another. Sorry no, we look into a mirror because both our faces are a blend of shock, rage and horror.

"What the fuck did you just say?!" Hannah fumes, bolting up out of the booth.

I can't believe my ears. People literally played the pregnancy rumour like the Chinese whisper game we played as kids. I fail to wrap my head around how it escalated to such despicable heights.

Sarah snaps out of the daze first and gets out of the booth and stands beside Hannah. She tightly grips her arm to either calm herself or Hannah. I'm unsure.

Olivia barely pays Hannah any attention as she drags her eyes from Sarah to me. All the while I'm too stunned to move.

Not that I can with Trena and the evil witch blocking my only appropriate way out of the booth. If they don't move I will either crawl out from under the table or over the table.

If things escalate I will probably go over the table. If we settle things in a civil manner I'll go under the table.

Wait no then I would get out appropriately. Right?

"Wow!" Olivia laughs and I didn't think it was possible but it's ten times louder than the one before. "So what do you whores do? Have a go at each of the Hunter brothers? Pass them between each other? Or are you all just gold-digging bitches?"