falling for 13 || Johnny Kavanagh

Trouble

J O H N N Y

The canteen was chaos, as usual, clattering trays, and the occasional shout from some lads from one table to another. I leaned back in my chair, watching Grace pick apart the crusts of her sandwich like she was trying to unravel some bleeding mystery.

Next to Grace, Gibsie was practically in Claire's lap, his shoulder brushing hers every time he laughed too hard—which was every five seconds. He was buzzing with some energy I didn't care enough to question.

"Why do you always look so fucking happy?" Lizzie's sharp voice sliced through the noise, directed straight at Gibsie and Claire. "It's nauseating."

I sighed heavily. Classic Lizzie.

"Not half as nauseating as having to look at your sour puss," Gibsie fired back without missing a beat, smirking like he'd just hit the jackpot. "Don't get your knickers in a twist with me because you're having a tiff with lover boy."

Claire groaned and buried her face in her hands, mumbling, "Gerard, can you not?"

"Hey," Katie interjected quickly, her voice unnaturally cheerful as she tried to diffuse the tension. "Let's be nice today, okay? Sticks and stones, guys."

Lizzie's head snapped toward Katie like a predator locking onto prey, and I felt the shift in energy before she even opened her mouth.

"Yeah, because sticks and stones will break my bones, and words will make me starve myself to death," Lizzie said, her voice venomous and her eyes blazing.

The entire table went silent.

Katie froze, her face draining of color. She looked like she'd just been hit by a truck. Without saying a word, she stood abruptly, her chair screeching against the floor as she pushed it back. Grabbing her tray with shaking hands, she turned and walked away, shoulders stiff, her face crumpling as she disappeared through the crowd.

"Am I missing something?" I asked, turning to Gerard.

"No fucking clue, Claire-Bear," he replied with a shrug before retraining his attention on Lizzie. "Jesus, you really are a viper."

"No, asshole," Lizzie snapped back, rising to her feet, "I'm just honest."

"Lizzie!" Grace said, her tone like a blade slicing through the tension. "You are a vile, disgusting human being."

Lizzie didn't even flinch. She just rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "Oh, get over yourself."

"No, seriously," Grace snapped, her voice rising now. "What is wrong with you? You act like the world owes you something because you're miserable. Newsflash: it doesn't. You're a bitter, nasty bitch, and you don't care who you hurt as long as you feel better about yourself."

Grace looked like she was about to jump across the table and beat the shit out of Lizzie. It's a bad time but it sort of turned me on.

"Calm down," Hughie interrupted, leaning forward with a glare aimed at Grace. "She didn't mean it like that—"

"She absolutely meant it," Grace shot back, turning her fiery glare on Hughie now. "And why are you defending her? Your girlfriend just walked out of here in tears, and you're sitting here playing referee for Lizzie? What the hell is wrong with you?"

Hughie's face turned red, but he didn't back down. "Maybe Katie shouldn't stick her nose into something that doesn't concern her," he snapped.

"You're unbelievable," Grace said, her voice shaking with fury. "If you cared half as much about Katie as you do about Lizzie, maybe she wouldn't be crying right now."

Lizzie's eyes narrowed, "You're saying that, and yet I'm the one who's a disgusting human being." Hughie just glared at the table like it had personally offended him.

"Because you are!" Grace snapped, picking up her school bag. "I'm going to check on Katie," she said sharply. She didn't even glance at Hughie or Lizzie as she walked away.

"Bloody hell," Gibsie muttered finally, shaking his head. "Anyone else feel like they've just witnessed a live action soap opera?"

"Shut up, Gerard" Claire muttered, slapping his chest.

Somehow, I could feel the weight of everyone's eyes on me, waiting for me to move, to react, to go after her like they all expected. But I didn't. Not yet. It wasn't because I knew for a fact she'd be in the girls bathrooms, and I'm not a creep, so I was giving her some time with Katie to talk.

"Not gonna follow her?" Hughie's voice broke through the tense silence, sharp and mocking. He leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, a bitter smirk tugging at his lips. "What, you're just gonna sit there and let her act like that?"

I turned my head slowly to look at him, my jaw clenched so hard it felt like it might crack. "What did you just say?"

"You heard me," he shot back, leaning forward now, elbows on the table. "She just humiliated Lizzie in front of everyone, and you're sitting there like a fucking statue. What kind of boyfriend doesn't check his girl when she's out of line?"

"Be very fucking careful, Hugh," I warned, my voice low.

"Careful?" he repeated, laughing bitterly. "Nah, Johnny, I'm not gonna be careful. You're all about defending Grace, yeah? But maybe you should be asking why she went after Lizzie in the first place. It's not like your girlfriend's perfect."

"What the fuck is your problem?" I snapped, slamming my crutch against the floor.

"My problem?" Hughie barked, his voice rising. "My problem is your girlfriend acting like she's some saint while tearing other people down. Lizzie didn't deserve that!"

"She had it coming," I shot back, my temper snapping. "Lizzie's been running her mouth all fucking day, and you know it. Or do you just turn a blind eye because you're too busy sniffing after her?"

The table went dead silent at my words, everyone looking between Hughie and me like we were seconds away from throwing punches.

"You're such a hypocrite," Hughie said, shaking his head. "You think Grace can do no wrong, don't you? Well, maybe if you actually held her accountable instead of letting her walk all over people—"

"Cool it." I stood up then, crutch in hand, and stepped closer to him, pointing the crutch his way. My heart was hammering in my chest, and it took every ounce of self-control not to beat the shite out of Hugh Biggs, someone who I'd considered one of my closest friends. "You don't know shit about what's going on between me and Grace, so don't stand there and act like you do."

"Don't I?" Hughie challenged, getting to his feet as well. "She's out there, probably blaming me for everything, and you're here, trying to make me the villain because you're too whipped to see she's in the wrong."

That was it. I didn't even think about it. My free hand shot out and shoved him back a step. "Watch your mouth."

Before Hughie could retaliate, Gibsie jumped between us, shoving a hand against my chest and another against Hughie's. "Alright, alright, chill the fuck out," he said, looking between us like we were a pair of rabid dogs. "This isn't the time or place, lads."

Hughie glared at me, his nostrils flaring, but he didn't push past Gibsie. Instead, he grabbed his bag off the floor and stalked out of the cafeteria without another word.

"Jesus Christ," Gibsie muttered, letting out a breath and stepping back. "What the hell was that?"

"Hughie being a bleeding prick, that's what it was" I replied, picking up my school bag.