TOUCH

Chapter 48

I have known Raven or anyone here for a relatively short duration of time. But one thing I'm certain about is that whenever Raven is pissed she has a reason. And for doing something like that, she must have a solid one.

I run as fast as I can towards them. Dev is holding Raven back with some difficulty and Silas is doing the same with Brie, though there's not much fight there.

For someone who just got punched in the face, Brie is relatively very calm.

I get a clear picture when I reach the eye of the storm. My eyes first meet Zayn who is standing there tight faced and tight lipped. There is a lit cigarette placed between his finger. He is eyeing everybody curiously. Lee is pinching her temple from one hand and typing crazily on her phone with other. Cindy's face is reddened while Dylan glare at Raven. I face Raven first but as soon as I get a good view, I sharply suck in a breath and realize with an ice cold horror  that she is bleeding. From head, from mouth.

The voice in the background drowned.

"Uhh, what's going on?" I ask Raven, my voice calm belying my furiously beating heart

"Bitch, pushed me down the stairs," she enunciate slowly and carefully through her full mouth.

Suspicion unfurls in my stomach as I look at Brie and there is a maddening look about her that I haven't seen before. She doesn't look like my friend anymore. However I don't engage with her for multiple reasons, two of which are- she still looks mad and there is a crowd around us watching with amusement.

"Okay let's get you checked first," I say focusing back on my bleeding friend. I eye Dev and nod towards the building.  He firmly holds Raven and try to nudge her to move. But she holds her ground firmly.

"You need to know something, Aura," she says through pained expression.

My breath knot in my throat and suspicion ramp up another notch. She holds my gaze so I know she means business.

"What is it?" I ask.

"You know you can barely get a word out so its better to get this sorted out first," Dev grunts in an effort to pull Raven up and I notice she is slumping even more. I rush by her side immediately and she leans a little on me.

"He is right Rey. We'll talk once this is fixed," I tell her.

Raven is sitting on a steel bench getting stiches near her left eyebrow. Her mouth is stuffed with cotton and ice because she cut her tongue badly when  she fell and she is giving us looks of murder because we didn't let her tell us whatever it was and now as the situation will have it- She can't talk until her tongue is healed.

She is fiddling with her jeans thread torn at the knees as I and Dev sit there exchanging looks and thinking who will she be killing first - me or him , when she is healed.

"Hey fellas!," Silas peeks through the curtains and hesitates for a beat before he ditch the effort to be polite and enter the room. "Rey and Brie went up the hill. Rey fell down and broke her crown...AHHH...the fuck!" He stands there rubbing his side that Raven punch during his little poem recital. The murderous glare has thankfully been set on him now.

Dev laughs, "She can't speak. She can hit you though."

"A heads up would have been nice, mate," Silas says, still grunting and sitting by my side. "Mean punch, Rey."

"Well deserved," I remark.

Silas ignores that comment but still turns to face me fully. "So princess you can speak. Tell me, when did this falling out happened? Cause I tried talking to Brie but she bolted."