The girl on the bus

Chapter 8 : Let's catch up!

Hello, just a tiny author note, this is the first chapter from Tilly's  POV  :) hope you guys like it.

Tilly

"Get back here you bitch" I hear them yell out behind me. This can't be happening again, no, it was supposed to be over. I walk faster trying to shake off the fear. There is four of them and they all think it's really funny. It probably is for them, not so funny for me though.

This has been happening for quite a while. It got worse when we entered high school. I was on my last year there when it started.They would humiliate me, saying I was weird and a freak. Pushing me around like I was a rag doll and following me home scaring me. I don't know why it started, I never did anything to them. I was an easy target and they probably picked up on it. I didn't really have any friends so they teased me about that too. No matter what I did it never stopped. My mom went to school trying to solve it, but their parents were to powerful, and there was no proof, so it just went on. Kai, Jake, Kieran and Daniel ruined my life. Now that I'm in collage they stopped, they had no access to me, not until now. We met in front of my school about a month back, and they did it again, they hurt me. It was just Kai and he was ruthless, calling me a whore and pushing me around. No one helped me, not until him. Zed. I have to call him, I need his help. With them still following me around I dial Zed's phone number. I had ignored him for the past week because I was embarrassed. They had started to harass me again and I was afraid that he might find out about this and find me weird, like they do. But he said that I should call him if I need his help right?
"Hey"I hear from the other side of the phone and I can't help but let out a cry.

It calmed me down, knowing he was there to help and comfort me. No one had done that before, everyone at school just ignored it or didn't know. Now in bed I can't help but repeat the event in my head once again. Zed was really mad, not at me though. It almost seemed like he took it personally that they attacked me. I thought he was for sure going to feel weird about me now, knowing all this. But he didn't, at least not immediately, he gave me his hoodie and drove me home. The hoodie smelled like him, like fresh cologne it was nice. And just now after an hour being home, I realised that I'm still wearing his hoodie. Shit. I should have returned it before I went home, now I'm just going to make everything really akward. What if he wanted it back but didn't want to offend me? What if it's his favourite one?
Without even giving it a second thought I dial his phone once again, nervously fidgeting with the hem of his sleeve. He answers the phone,
"Hey" I nervously say and after that he tells me something about his brother snoring at him, and it makes me laugh imagining them squeezing on the couch. He is laughing too, way to loud as his brother is asleep next to him. How doesn't he hear anything or wake up I wonder. Remembering what I called him for in the first place I mention the hoodie. He wants me to keep it. For some reason that makes me feel excited, it's really warm and comfortable and it reminds me of him.

I can't really remember when we stopped talking, I woke up with my hair all over my face, frizzy curls out of my braid. The phone is turned off charging on my floor. So I was collected enough to put it on the charger. Slowly stretching myself I stand up, and my door burst open.
"Where were you yesterday ?" A very worried Natan asks looking directly at me. He is my older brother and he sometimes gets a bit overprotective, acting like my dad. We didn't really have one. Our dad left when we were little and I can't even remember him. Natan does, and I can tell it still hurts him. That is why I can't bring myself to tell him that I'm getting bullied again. I don't want him to stress about it.
"Sorry I went to the store and I got distracted" I lie and he seems to be unconvinced
"Why did you even go out this late?" He digs
"I needed pads" I shrug telling him the truth, I really did go out to buy pads from the market that is open all night.
"You could have told me or mom, why would you go all alone?" He asks dumbfounded
"I didn't want to wake you up, besides that it's not even so far away" I get why he gets so mad and worked up over this, he wants me safe but I need some freedom too.
"Okay whatever" he rolls his eyes " are you hungry?" He asks changing the subject
"Yes, starved" I reply thinking of big breakfast, I skipped dinner yesterday and it shows I could eat a whole table right now.
"You are in luck mom made some pancakes" he walks down the stairs to the kitchen, and as soon as he says that I rush after him.
"Good morning baby" mom says flipping the last pancake "how did you sleep?"
"Good" I lie "I'm starved" she laughs at me
"Take a seat honey I already set up the table, you two can eat" she mumbles still focused on cooking.
So we do. Sat down we both dig in. I love pancakes, it's my favourite food and I could eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner if I could. Chewing, I can feel the phone buzzing in my pocket. Curious to know what it is I pull the phone out and there is an unread message. Clicking on it I can see it's from Zed. And the content of it makes me burst out laughing, almost spitting my pancake out in the process. There is a photo of Zed grimacing at the camera while his brother I assume, lies right by him drooling while asleep.
"Well rested" he typed under it. Now realising my reaction, both Natan and mom stare at me in amusement.
"What is so funny?" Natan questions while smirking
"I saw a funny video" I shrug, chowing down another piece of pancake.