Only for me | Draco Malfoy

17.

Draco
♢ ♢ ♢

When she said those words, all of my movements came to a stop. I stood for what seemed like minutes in the doorway, confused. What did she mean?

She fell asleep almost instantly, just as I predicted. Even though she tried to hide it with makeup today, anyone could tell she was exhausted. I sighed as I shut the door, making certain to lock it from the inside as she had instructed. I rubbed my temples as I leant back against the doorframe. If I was worried before, it was nothing compared to how I felt now.

After a brief moment of reflection, I returned to the couch, where Izaak and William sat silently, each lost in their own thoughts. After all, thinking about things like this was as difficult for them as it was for me. As I sat back on the couch, they looked up. I knew they were waiting for me to explain, but I couldn't think of anything.

"Tell us everything." Izaak finally spoke up, his face more serious than I'd seen him in a long time.

I sighed, not knowing where to begin.

"When I first met her, I noticed she was.. I'm not sure, distant? I assumed she was arguing with her friends. I'm not sure, girls do that kind of thing, right? But she was still there. For a time. She laughed, joked, flirted, and had a good time. Then, I'm not sure when, she just started becoming more and more detached. It's as if she had pain in her eyes that she wasn't even aware of. She would become distracted in the middle of a conversation. When she laughed, it was hollow. She began to drink excessively."

"Sounds like Kai to me." William injected, his voice sorrowful.

"It was just like Kai." I agreed.

"That's why I kept an eye on her, but she seemed to be handling it well. I'm not sure. It's not like she ever talked over anything with me." My voice trailed off.

"What has changed?" Izaak questioned.

"We all went up to Elijah's lake house this weekend. He's been obsessed with her for years. Like every other fucking guy at that pathetic school." William raised his eyebrows at my newfound rage, but I ignored him.

"I caught her trying to jump into the lake while drunk, which was not unusual itself, but then she turned to me with the most blank fucking look in her eyes. And asked if I thought drowning would hurt."

"Shit." William mumbled as he leant forwards on his knees.

"I chalked it up to her being drunk, but the next day it was as if the Angeline I'd seen for the last year and a half had vanished. She looked like a zombie. It was as if a switch had been flipped in her. She just zoned out, didn't say anything, didn't eat, didn't smile. She spoke in a robotic voice, devoid of emotion. She set fire to the bathing suit she had worn the night before. She clung to that Elijah guy for the night, despite the fact that I know she despises him. She wouldn't sleep in her room, and the next morning I caught her pretending to sleep because she thought people were watching her. She acted as if she didn't want anyone to know she hadn't slept." I took a deep breath before proceeding.

"The next day, she fell asleep in the car, and when I went to wake her up, she acted as if my hands were on fire. She smoked weed at school today, and when I picked her up to take her home, I noticed she had a cut on her wrist." William rubbed Izaak's shoulder as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

I could tell this was upsetting them.

"So I force her to come here instead of staying at home alone. Then she comes in here as if nothing is wrong. I hadn't seen her smile, let alone laugh, in days, and she was giggling as she sat there. She took a bunch of Ativan right before she came in the house."

"Fuck." Gavin muttered something.

"Yeah. Plus the whole scene she just created, even though I know she hated it when guys looked at her before this weekend. I could see the disgust in her eyes even though she pretended not to notice. When I went to bed, she asked me to lock the door and then said, 'Don't let anyone get me.', what the fuck does that mean?" In frustration, I picked up the remote in front of me and threw it at the wall.

"Do you believe anything happened this weekend?" After a brief pause, Izaak questioned.

"Like something bad?"

"I'm not sure how. She was only alone the first night she slept there." If you keep out Ryder's jealousy, nothing dramatic had happened.

"Don't fall for the pretty ones; they're never happy on the inside." William almost spoke in hushed tones.

Our old basketball coach had always told us that. We used to roll our eyes at him because he was about 85 years old and as crazy as a bat.

"So, what is your plan?" Izaak questioned.

"I have absolutely no idea." My head shook.

"Do you believe she is dangerous to herself?" William put pressure on me.

"No. Yes." I sighed.

"I'm not sure. You just saw what happened; she's more difficult to read than anyone I've ever met." She could lie as easily as she could breathe.

I only knew her lies because I had spent so much time watching her tell them.

"Neither did we think Kai was." William said quietly.

"I mean a danger to himself. But I know that if I could go back in time, I would do anything to stop it."

"What would you have done?" My tone was sharper than I intended when I asked him.

"Tell her you're there for her because I already have. Keep an eye out for her? That's what I did. Basically, kidnap her so she won't be alone at home? Yes, that as well."

"Is she friends with anyone else? Aside from your group?" Izaak questioned.

"Not that I'm aware of, and to be honest, I think she secretly despises everyone in our group anyway." I elaborated.

Why would she like them? Aside from Finn and Louis, they all treated her as if she were an object.

"So be her friend. We all can be." William insisted.

"I'll give it a shot. I'm just not sure if she's far too gone to let anyone in." I muttered.

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