Spades and Angels

The Idiot?

Maddox

Watching Lo leave after chem is weirdly hard. Hard in a way that I didn't expect it to be even with how she'd reacted to what happened. The way she'd kept regarding me with stormy grey eyes that seemed to show so much anger I wondered how she kept as level-headed as she did. Though the last slap did hurt since I wasn't expecting it and had done my best to take the heat off her given I did start it.

But the defensiveness? What the fuck was that for?

Shaking my head to try and shake her out of it I reluctantly get not very far with that before I have to set off for my next lesson, not wanting to see how many of my teachers I could piss off today given I was already in detention tonight and....and having a phone call home. Something I don't doubt my mom will be unhappy with me about. Sighing at that less than happy thought I resolve to try and make amends with Lo like Riv asked me to. The problem was that I hadn't foreseen how much fun winding her up would be. Nor how easy since it appeared no matter what I did I still managed to get on her bad side. Perhaps from my bad first impression, maybe something more I can't be sure. Either way, I had my work cut out trying to do it. Assuming I can resist pushing her buttons and keep a level head when she pushes mine.

"Damn Spades and their bullshit grudges," I mutter angrily as I walk as fast as possible over to the room I knew my next class was in. Not realising until I got there that I'd just caught up with the others despite their head start. "Hey thought you'd be in already?!" I call over, seeing Ash and Michael turn first, the girls following after. "Waited for me, did you? I told you not to."

Hali shrugs, "It's ok Mads. We wanted to and besides the bell's not gone yet." She pauses, her eyes a shade haunted as she turns her phone over in her hands for a few seconds, "I held them up," Her words are soft but worry me immediately given her response. "I wanted to call Riv and check in with her and Cordi since I know our mother's back in town and I don't like leaving them alone, even to go to school." She shivers then and I see Ash put a worried arm around her shoulder. Her head was on his shoulder but her eyes were on me. "It's times like this I wish dad was still around. He'd be able to stop her."

I sigh, not sure how to reassure her. "I'm sure Riv's ok Hails. She's a tough kid, scary as hell too when she wants to be." Opposite me, my friend cracks a small smile and nods, "And I'm sure she's more than capable of looking after Cordi until the end of school and then you'll be able to go home and take over. Same with Ellie." My nickname for Hali and Riv's youngest sister, Elena, has Hali cracking another small smile, Ash giving me a thankful look over her head. "They'll both be fine. I'm sure that's what you found out," I gesture to her phone where Hali's still turning it over and over and she nods. "See, you've checked in and you know they're ok. There's nothing more you could do." I'm still trying to reassure her when her twin comes around the corner. "If I can't convince you, maybe your sister can." Indra gives me an odd look then and I sigh, "She's worrying about Riv, Cordi and Ellie again," I say, filling her in as she shakes her head at Hali.

"They're fine Halis. I called the school and they said that Riv and Delia are doing ok. And I found out that El's doing okay too. She's with Ash's parents since mom bailed again." Indra rolls her eyes and I see Ash give her an odd look. "You didn't know?"

He shakes his head, "No they didn't say but I guess that clears things up for you Halis. She's safe with my parents they'll look after her, ok amada?" I can see he's still trying to reach her but the knowledge that her siblings are ok seems to reassure Hali enough that she nods, head still on his shoulder and his arms around her. "Come on before we're late and end up wherever Mads will."

"Detention most likely," I mutter seeing how Mal and Pey both laugh. "Yeah Hargrove put me there with Lo since we'd been disruptive but...." I stop and laugh at how it all happened. Something that doesn't escape my friends' notice.