SEEKING 7 | boys of tommen

t o a s t

We were all still sitting in the sixth-year common room when things started to go south. Claire had just finished her weird hypothetical about being cave people when Katie, out of nowhere, pointed at Lizzie's toast.

"Oh my God, what are you eating?" Katie blurted, her eyes wide in horror. The conversation in the room immediately shifted, and all eyes turned to Lizzie, who looked completely unfazed as she chewed.

"Marmite," Lizzie said slowly, taking another deliberate bite. She stared at Katie, as if daring her to say more.

Katie gaped at her, her face twisted in disgust. "That's so wrong! How can you eat that?"

Lizzie's brow furrowed. I could already sense the tension building, and so could everyone else. Gibsie, sitting next to me, muttered a low, "Oh, shit," under his breath, knowing where this was headed.

Katie, oblivious to the warning signs, kept going. "Why don't you try something normal instead? Like jam or chocolate spread?"

"And why would I want to do that?" Lizzie snapped, her tone instantly cold. Her eyes narrowed, and the playful air in the room disappeared. "When I like Marmite?"

Katie's confidence wavered. "I was just... I don't know," she stammered, her voice shrinking as Lizzie's glare bore down on her. "I was just joking. Sorry."

Lizzie leaned forward slightly, her words cutting through the air. "If I wanted suggestions, Katie, I would ask my actual friends."

The room fell into an awkward silence, the lighthearted banter from before completely gone. The tension was thick, almost suffocating, as everyone exchanged uneasy glances.

Hughie, sensing the hostility, quickly stepped in. "Stop," he said firmly, his gaze locked on Lizzie. "She didn't mean any harm, Lizzie."

But Lizzie wasn't having it. "Don't defend me, Hughie," she bit back. "I can speak for myself." Her eyes flicked to Pierce, who had been quiet up until now.

Trying to defuse the situation, Pierce chuckled and reached over to ruffle her hair. "Talk about becoming what you eat," he teased. "Don't worry, babe, I love eating Marmite."

Lizzie slapped his hand away instantly, her eyes darkening. "Touch my hair again and lose your fingers."

Pierce pulled back, his smile faltering, but he wasn't ready to give up. "Come on, Lizzie, I was only joking," he muttered. "Why are you so wound up?"

"You want to know why I'm wound up?" Lizzie hissed, leaning forward aggressively. "Because you don't get to talk to me like that. And while we're on the subject, you can go fuck yourself."

The rest of us exchanged nervous glances. This was getting ugly fast.

Pierce blinked, his face tightening with frustration. "Jesus, Lizzie, it was a joke! Can't you take a joke anymore?"

"Oh, I can take a lot of things, Pierce," Lizzie said, her voice venomous. "I'm just choosing not to take anything from you anymore. Not your jokes, not your dick, and definitely not your bullshit."

Pierce's face flushed with anger. "Now, hold the fuck up!"

Before he could escalate things further, Hughie stepped in again, his voice sharp. "Hey, don't talk to her like that."

Lizzie cut him off. "Don't defend me!" she snapped, glaring at Hughie. "I said, I can speak for myself!"

The room was buzzing with tension now. I could feel Gibsie tensing beside me, and I sighed, leaning my head on his shoulder, silently praying for this to end. I glanced over at Shannon, who was sitting quietly across from me. She met my eyes and gave me a sympathetic look. We were in the same boat—neither of us wanted any part of this drama.

Lizzie's anger was still palpable when she suddenly turned her fury towards Gibsie. "Why do you always look so fucking happy?" she spat. "It's nauseating."

Gibsie didn't flinch. "Not half as nauseating as having to look at your sour puss," he shot back, his voice casual but pointed. "Don't take your issues out on me just because you're fighting with lover boy."

Katie, ever the peacekeeper, tried once again to step in. "Let's just calm down, okay? Sticks and stones, guys."

But Lizzie wasn't done. She wasn't anywhere near done. She looked right at Katie, her eyes narrowing, and her next words came out like daggers. "Yeah, because sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will make me starve myself to death. Isn't that how the saying goes?"

The room went completely still.

Katie's face went pale, her eyes widening as the impact of Lizzie's words hit her like a slap. Without a word, she pushed back from the table and walked out of the room.

I stood up immediately, fury bubbling up inside me. I turned to Lizzie, my voice low and firm. "I don't know what you think you know, Lizzie, but that was low—even for you. Don't say that shit again."

Lizzie didn't reply, just stared at me with cold indifference, but I didn't care. I turned on my heel and followed Katie out of the room.

It didn't take me long to find her. She was sitting on the floor of the bathroom stall, her knees pulled up to her chest, her head resting against the tiled wall. Without a word, I slid down next to her, and she leaned her head on my shoulder, her body shaking slightly.

"I didn't even know she knew about that," Katie whispered, her voice barely audible.

I wrapped an arm around her, pulling her closer. "I didn't either. It must've been Hughie," I said quietly, anger simmering just below the surface. "He's the only other one who knew."

Katie sniffled, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "I've been trying so hard, you know?" she whispered, her voice breaking. "It's not like I want to be this way."

"I know," I said softly, my heart aching for her. "Lizzie was out of line. None of this is your fault."

Katie took a shaky breath, her shoulders trembling. "Why does she have to be like that? It was just a stupid comment about her toast. I didn't mean anything by it."

"I know," I repeated, stroking her arm gently. "Lizzie's just... she's dealing with her own stuff. But that doesn't give her the right to take it out on you."

Katie was quiet for a moment, her breath still uneven. "I thought I was getting better," she whispered. "I thought I was stronger."

"You are strong, Katie," I said firmly. "You're stronger than you know. But you don't have to do this alone. We've got you, okay?"

Katie nodded, but her eyes were still distant, lost in her own thoughts. "Thanks," she whispered. "For coming after me. For being here."

"Always," I replied quietly. "Always."

We sat there together for a while, letting the silence fill the space between us. I wished I could do more for her, but for now, just being there was all I could offer. And maybe, for Katie, it was enough.

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A/N
Let's ignore how this was supposed
To be added in ages ago & the fact this fics gonna
Go past atleast 150 chaps HAHHA
- Lia 💋