It's safer in the dark

Part 4

The next day at school I spend the lunch hour sitting in the boy's bathroom near the library like usual. It's Friday, which means Stan has lunch with the footballers. The Bathroom is the only place I can go and not be disturbed or bothered by Joey's group. No one ever comes in here. The boys tend to avoid the bathroom because it's so far away from the cafeteria and sporting fields. I make sure I don't eat anything. I just sit and read until I hear the warning bell which gives me 5 minutes to get to my next class, biology. I really don't want to go; I'm thinking of skipping and staying in the bathroom. Harry will be waiting for me though and if I get caught skipping Scott will get a call and the last thing I want to do is make him disappointed in me and give him a reason to hate me and leave. I reluctantly pull myself up off the bathroom floor and start the walk to my locker, I'm running late, and I just hope Harry hasn't been waiting for me for too long. As I'm heading down the hallway, my wrist is grabbed from behind and I'm swung around and into Kyle's chest.

"No bodyguard today I see" he smirks at me.

"Let me go" I say trying to get out of his hold.

There is hardly anyone in the hallways, most people in class already. I look behind Kyle to see the rest of the group are coming towards us. I panic. I bring my leg back and kick Kyle so hard in the shin that he groans and swears, but he lets me go and I bolt down the hallway. I realize I have probably made things worse by hurting Kyle and running and when they catch me, I'll be in for the beating of my life.

I try not to think about it and instead concentrate on running as fast as I can. I can hear the five of them right behind me as they chase after me. I turn the hall corner just as Luke grabs my backpack. I stumble a bit but manage to shrug my bag off and keep running. I turn around to look behind me and I see the group come to an abrupt stop in the hallway. I turn back around to see Drew, Harry, Vanessa, and David walking up the hall towards us. I try to stop running but I can't, I'm going too fast. I try to run past them, but Harry sticks his arm out to the side and grabs me by the waist bringing me to a stop.

"Whoa their Lou, where are you off to in such a hurry?" he laughs out.

I stumble but he steadies me as I try to catch my breath. I look behind me and see Joey's group trying to act like nothing happened. Harry and Drew are glaring at them, and they share a look before Drew turns his attention back to me.

"Where is your backpack?" Drew asks, knowing that the group have it.

Shit, now they are going to put two and two together and realise they bully me. I can't let them find out. I look behind me at the cool group.

"It's ok I'll go get it" Drew says rubbing my arm.

Harry tightens his hold around my waist.

"Did they hurt you?" he whispers as he reaches out and places my fringe off my forehead.

He looks me in the eyes, and I shake my head breaking our eye contact.

"My brother would never hurt anyone Harry. Louis must have done something to them" David says menacingly towards me.

"I highly doubt that David" Harry says rolling his eyes at him, David scoffs.

"What happened?" Harry asks looking back at me.

I look behind me and see Drew grabbing my bag and talking heatedly to the group. Aghh It's going to be 10 times worse now. I turn back to Harry.

"N-non nothing I was just late for class and I um dropped my backpack and they just giving it back to me " I lie avoiding Harry's eyes.

"See, Joey and his group did nothing Harry, Louis is just bloody clumsy" David scolds.

"Ok David, I think you should get to class; I'm going to walk Lou to biology" Harry says.