Before Smosh

Chapter 9

A/N So You guys loved the last chapter, and I'm glad you enjoyed it! You guys inspired me to write this next bit, and I guess I just was able to pump this chapter out. I hope you guys enjoy this, because I had fun writing it! Also, dedicated to splatterpaintsmosher because you are epic and awesome and so nice nice nice! Thanks again everyone!! Love y'all! *Less than three*

Anthony

I saw him in the hallway, forlorn and dishevelled, dark circles surrounding his eyes and a shadow cast across his face from the dark hood. He stared at me like I was an axe murderer who killed his family, and knowing the way I’d treated him the day before, he had all the rights in the world to act that way. What I’d done was wrong. Even if all that shit about Ian was true, I would still wait it out and let him slowly drift away from me. Maybe Derrick had just rubbed Ian the wrong way.

I shouldn’t have done that to Ian, I thought. I really should have just told him about the whole conversation and let him explain. Let him tell me that none of it was true and we could just hang out at his house and play Halo and maybe I could finally make my move…

I needed to apologise. With only the slightest sliver of hope, I took a step towards my blue-eyed companion. Only one small step.  A question. “Can we talk?”

He took a step towards me and I felt hope bubble up in my chest. The edges of my mouth couldn’t help but twitch as I took a few more steps, oblivious to the sounds of trouble heading towards me. Derrick’s hand slammed down on me shoulder and my semi smile broke.

“Dude, what are you looking at?”

Ian’s face crumpled and he fled through the crowd. So close to talking.

I started off after him and before I knew it I’d found him on the ground outside the building, nurturing his arm.

I saw his cuts. I saw his pain. I didn’t understand it, but there it was in front of me.

“Did you do this because…because of…me?”

He nodded and muttered “Sort of”.

It was because of me. He hurt himself because I’d been evil. I’d been part of the problem. Persuaded by charisma and demeanour into bullying. Part of me cracked and suddenly I didn’t care about anyone else but Ian. He was the most important thing at that moment, with arms indented like he’d been to battle and skin probably covered with dark bruises. I was going to save Ian no matter what.

Why? Because, despite my stupid decision, I really liked Ian. Maybe I didn’t know to what extent yet, but I knew I needed to help him and see him prosper without torture.

I wasn’t letting him leave without me that afternoon, so I purposely held him back from class a few seconds longer so that he would have to stay back for being late. That way I would get him no matter what.

~*~

Ian got his detention slip from the principle a minute before me. He bolted out of the office in an attempt to catch the last bus and outrun me. Not a chance. The principle quite liked me and let me go quickly, allowing me to sprint to my car and pull up to the bus stop where Ian was standing with his hair hanging over his eyes. He sighed and got into the car. We drove off and arrived at his house pretty soon.