Expulsion gave Liam Barrett a dangerous choice. Needing to transfer for his final year, he'd known immediately where to go. It was a distantly familiar place that'd taken everything from him; had once ruined him so absolutely and twisted his persona...
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With no success, Liam had feverishly searched for Bradley's face all morning. This was disappointingly expected, however. His memories were fogged to the point he couldn't recall Bradley's eye colour or the shape of his face. His looks may have also completely changed since then.
ㅤBradley might've already moved on. For all Liam knew Bradley could've transferred years ago, and that possibility seemed more and more likely as the day passed.
ㅤIt was lunch when he finally wound up in the sixth-form corridor. There were three common rooms for them; one quiet room for work, and two casual ones simply named A and B. Liam went into B, at random, his shoulders confidently rolled back and his hands resting in his pockets. Looking at the students' faces, not many were recognisable. Liam had originally been a year above, after all, and people his age had already moved on to university.
ㅤLarge windows and blinds plastered the external walls, various desks, sofas, and computers lined up. Multiple students were typing away on their laptops, talking amongst themselves. A second door led outside to benches and a ping-pong table.
ㅤLiam hesitated for a moment and made his way over to the sofas. He slung his bag onto the floor in front of him and sunk into the lumpy cushions.
ㅤSome blokes entered in a rumbustious swell and lounged around next to him, some of them resting their arms on the shoulders of girls who he assumed to be their girlfriends. A few of them he knew, the familiar faces making him a little uneasy. His train of thought came to a halt when he heard a deep voice from above him.
ㅤ'Dude, I was going to sit there.'
ㅤHe regarded the lad with a quirked eyebrow. With a dirty blonde mop of hair that'd never seen a comb and a strong and athletic body, the guy was probably a footy player. Liam became aware of others' attention, and simply gave the figure a sleepy grin and a shrug.
ㅤ'A princess can do without her throne for a few minutes, yea?' It'd earned a few amused snorts.
ㅤThe figure smirked. 'I suppose you're right.'
ㅤThe student squeezed into the small gap beside him, earning a groan when he gracelessly half-ended up in someone else's lap. He gave Liam a pat on his knee. 'You're a funny one, you are. I'm Darren.'
ㅤDarren slung his arm around the student next to him—the same one he'd almost crushed. 'And this is my mate, Trev.'
ㅤTrevor huffed, glaring at his friend. 'Stop fucking manhandling me, you're worse than my brother.'
ㅤ'Hush, hush, Trevor. The adults are talking.' He stretched tap the shoulder of a petite girl who sat next to his friend. 'And this is Trev's girlfriend, Miranda.'
ㅤLiam scrutinised them in amusement. 'I'm Liam. New this year.'
ㅤ'I thought so,' Trevour interjected, unsuccessfully trying to wrestle his way out of Darren's grasp. 'Haven't seen you before. Lower sixth?'
