Sick Little Games (Zack Merrick)

• ...Cat Fight? •

{ e l e v e n }

"Is the teacher ever here?" I muttered to myself, looking around the English classroom. Again, when I walked in with Mariah, I found it empty and I just took my seat next to Zack as Mariah started arguing with Tay about the seating arrangements.

"Barely. She's comes and goes." A voice next to me replied. I turned to see Zack taking out the headphone closest to me and giving me a smile.

"I like it when you're talkative, makes me feel special." I teased him a little, he gave me a lob-sided smile and handed me the headphone he took out. I put it in to be greeted with an awesome guitar solo, and then I heard drum beat come in slowly, until I finally recognised the song. He's unbelievable.

He is actually blowing me away with his music taste lately. I sat back in my chair and drummed my fingers along with the beat. I turned back to Zack with a smile, about to talk to him, when I heard a loud scream. My head whipped around so fast that the music faded away as the earphone ripped itself from my ear.

"You fucking bitch! I'll kill you!" I watched in horror as Mariah gripped a handful of Tay's hair and yanked her up from where she was sitting. Nobody said anything.

She slammed Tay's head to the floor, and all I could do was sit in shock with my mouth hanging open and my body limp. The class was silent.

Mariah brought her face close to Tays, and spat on her cheek. I cringed.

"Say anything like that about me again, and it'll be worse. I can be your worst fucking nightmare Taylor." Neither of them broke eye contact, and Mariah didn't move back. Again, it was like the rest of the class didn't exist. I felt like I couldn't move.

I'm not prepared for things like this, I'm shy, I back down. I can't confront people. It's not in my nature. But whatever Mariah is doing definitely isn't the right way to go about her problem with Tay.

Tay stared back at her, keeping her face neutral even though she looks like she's been dragged through a hedge backwards.

Mariah pulled her head up from the floor again by her hair, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who saw Tay's face twist in pain. Mariah twisted the hair around her knuckles and I saw her muscles clenching. She's going to slam her head back down.

I obviously wasn't the only one who realised, as Tay's eyes went wide, her mouth opening automatically and spitting out a few words.

"Okay, I get it, right." Her eyes clenched shut, and Mariah slowly unwinded the hair from her fingers and hand, letting Tay's head drop back down to the floor.

I finally moved, just to look back at Zack. He stared back at me already. I'm sure my face just showed confusion over what the hell just happened.

I turned back to see Mariah looking around the class as Tay scurried back to her seat. Her eyes locked with mine and I couldn't begin to understand the look she had on her face, but it made me want to hug her, so I slowly stood up, my chair screeching across the classroom floor.

Zacks hand landed on my wrist and I sent him a small smile, and turned my hand over, squeezing his hand and letting it go. Hopefully that gave him the message that I'll be fine.

Mariah's lip quivered as I walked towards her. As soon as I got to her I turned to make sure Tay was okay. She was sitting back on her seat; a boy in front of her talking to her while she scowled.

I hooked my arm around Mariah and guided her out of the class, she let me and didn't say a word. As soon as we left, I heard chatter break out but it was cut off as the classroom door closed.

"What was that?" I slowly asked her in a whisper, she looked up at me, and the vulnerability on her face could've slapped me.

"I-I don't know what came over me," her lip quivered again, before a small tear fell from her eye "she just- I got so m-mad." She eventually started to cry, pulling my arms around her. I sighed into her hair.

I really don't think I like public school.