Before Smosh

Chapter 10

Holy firetruck guys, 10th chapter! I'm pumped! How do you enjoy this so far? I'm not too sure how long this fanfic will continue for, but I have the feeling it won't go to 20 chapters. This is dedicated to rac06h10ael because you are so into this it's amazing! My golly gosh you are awesome. To everyone else, please tell me if there's anything I can add, ditch, tweak or...change? Also, sorry for this chapter...it's a bit of a filler. Not the most adventurous. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter! 

Anthony

The plan was quite simple at that point: leave all information to a minimum and protect Ian at all times. I would take as much time as possible preparing a plan with Ian, going to his house on afternoons with an excuse so Derrick wasn’t suspicious, and we would eventually figure out how to escape the bullying. It wasn’t the most thought out plan, nor was it the best, but it was going to have to do until we really figured something out.

Of course I’d suggested to Ian we tell someone about it, but he said he’d had experiences in that area. I understood. If you told someone what was going on you’d become a main target of everyone, as if you were untrustworthy. It was almost as if bullying was some sort of mighty secret and whoever was involved kept it quiet.

Along with that, adults usually shrugged the accusations off to avoid confrontation. Teachers and school staff getting involved would mean contacting a parent or two and talking for hours about ways to ‘dissolve tension’ and usually would end with a round of immature ‘who dunnit’. Telling a parent would mean the parent calling or marching straight up to the school and embarrassing their child, getting infuriated and attacking the offending child’s parent’s or even contacting police over what seemed unnecessary. And telling a friend or family member would mean word spreading and ending up with either the parent or a teacher getting pulled in. There was almost no way you could win. It all made sense to why Ian didn’t want to tell me about what was going on.

Thankfully, I was fully prepared when I walked into school, and as if he’d read my mind, Derrick appeared from behind a bunch of lockers and bombarded me with questions.

“Why’d you leave us the other day? Why’d you take Ian home? You guys friends again, huh?”

“Derrick,” I said, stopping him mid sentence, “I know about your history with Ian. You don’t have to lie to me. I thought we were friends after all.”

I walked ahead a few steps and beckoned him towards me. I didn’t look back at him in case he saw through my lie.

“I know what you guys do to Ian on a regular basis, and that doesn’t affect me. He was a clingy person anyway. So, what I’m trying to say is, I do want to hang out with you. And I’ve figured out a plan to assist you guys with Ian.”

At this point I had Derrick wrapped around my finger, listening in on my every word. I knew about his actions towards Ian? I was willing to…help?

“The kid still trusts me, unlike you and your posse, and so he’s open to hanging out with me. Yesterday I ran off to apologise. Not because I want to be friends with him again, no. He’s too much of a kid. I apologised so he’d forgive me. And now, I’m going to make him think we’re friends. Then, I’ll break him.”

Derrick stopped.

“How are we involved then?”

“That’s easy,” I said, “Once he’s emotionally damaged, I’ll leave him at your feet and you can get at him however you’d like. I’m not that tough so I can skip out on that part.”

He smiled and put his hand out.

“I like the way you think, Padilla,” He said.

We shook on it, smiling at each other. I could see an evil glint in his eye, and it scared me, but nevertheless I kept my smile and then left him and his gang in the hallway.

~*~

Ian ran a few steps ahead of me, stopped, turned around and cautiously walked backwards down the sloping hill our school sat on, and once he started to lag behind me, would repeat the whole process again. A stupid and bubbly grin had made its way onto Ian’s pale face and made him glow. He was so happy even though he still was in danger.  He was like a freaking rainbow.

“Hey, what d’you do with a dead chemist?” He asked, already holding back a laugh.

“I dunno…” I answered.

A dead chemist? Maybe you cremate them and use them as scientific material?

“You BARIUM!” He yelled as he burst into a fit of laughter.

Barium? Barium…bar-ee-um…I mentally facepalmed and shook my head. Bury him. Barium was bury him. I chuckled along with Ian.

“I made that one up myself,” he said proudly.

“Amazing,” I said sarcastically and smiled.

“Really, I did!”

“Dude, I believe you!” I laughed.

“Speaking of believing,” He started, “Did they believe you?”

“Whole heartedly and 100%,” I answered.

“You sure?”

“Pretty damn sure. Derrick even seemed a little bit threatened by my willingness to trick you.”

“And that means he’s not suspicious? Of anything?”

“Stop being paranoid. He believed me.” I said, rolling my eyes, “Anyways, we need to get an idea going. You know figure out a plan. I honestly don’t think I can fake hating you for much longer.”

Ian rushed up and put a finger to my lips and hushed me.

“What if someone hears you?” He whispered as his flicked his head from side to side.

“That only happens in movies Ian,” I said, pushing his hand away, “We can do that when we’re famous.”

He laughed nervously and walked up to the car door. I got the keys out of my bag and looked back up at Ian just in time to see him flip around and peer into the bushes.

“What’s up?” I asked him.

“I thought I…nothing,” He answered turning back to the car.

He giggled nervously and got in. It was going to be a long afternoon at this rate.