ᴇxᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇ sᴛᴜᴅᴇɴᴛ (ɴɪᴄᴋ ɴᴇʟsᴏɴ x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ)

chapter 16

    I sat at the picnic table the next day with Tao, the girls all opted to go somewhere to eat -they invited me but I decided against it- Nick was absent today, he said he had a cough, and Charlie was nowhere to be found. Tao angrily typed something on his phone and set it down with a loud smack.

    "Everything alright?" I asked as I set down my phone, pausing my conversation with Nick.

    "Just Charlie, he's having lunch with Riley, again," Tao complained. "Did you know they were a thing?"

    I furrowed my eyebrows, "did you not know they were a thing? It so obvious,"

    "I thought they were just flirting, I can't believe Charlie didn't tell me," he said as he started sketching in his sketchbook. Was it a potato? A shoe? Both? I really didn't know.

    I looked up when my name was called and saw a girl that was in my math beckoning me over. I excused myself for a second and Tao just waved me off.

    "Hey, what's up?" I asked once I got to her and her friends picnic table, she had her math homework out, halfway finished.

    "I'm just really confused, and you seemed to understand this stuff in class, so I was wondering if I could maybe get some help with it?" She rushed out and I laughed at urgency.

    "Yeah, of course I can. What do you need help with?"

    "I hate you!" A voice caught my attention as I looked over to see Harry on the ground with a piece of paper in his hand and Tao standing over him, drink in hand.

    Tao lifted his drink and poured it all over Harry's face and I rushed forward. Hands grabbed my shoulders, preventing me from continuing. I struggled in their grasp as Harry stood up seething.

    "You're gonna regret that!" He yelled at Tao, they got up close and personal, both grabbing the piece of paper, apple juice dripping out of it.

    I yelled at them to stop but it was drowned out by cheers from other people. Harry shoved Tao to the ground and straddled him, before Tao flipped them over. He ripped his beanie off and started beating Harry with it.

    "Guys! Stop it!" I yelled but it fell upon deaf ears as Harry flipped them again. It went back and forth and back and forth as I struggled against the grip on my shoulders.

    A strong arm shoved me to the side as Riley entered the circle and ripped Harry off of Tao. I breathed a sigh of relief as the hands on my shoulders finally let go. People cheered louder as Harry now began fighting Nick and Charlie was helping Tao, who ran out of the circle.

    I debated for a second where to go but I figured Riley could take care of himself and ran after Tao and Charlie.

    "Tao? What happened?" Charlie asked as I reached the group.

    Tao had tears streaming down his face, "Why didn't you tell me about you and Riley?" He asked while lightly sobbing.

    "What?"

    "I thought we were friends but I guess you've just forgotten about me,"

    "Tao," I tried softly but he ignored me and pointed at Charlie.

    "This is all your fault. Just leave me alone!" He yelled and ran away. I looked at Charlie then back where Tao had run.

    "I'm sorry," I told Charlie before running after Tao.

    "Tao!" I called out but he kept running.

    "Go away!" He yelled back. I quickly caught up with him as he was a really slow runner and placed my hand on his shoulder.