All You Had To Do Was Stay // Tree of Love

Chapter 11

It's Friday now. I was sitting in the cafeteria with Karen. Josh is absent today so it leaves both of us. I don't know why but he hasn't replied any text from me or the one from Karen's.

Yesterday went really fast. Brody didn't come to the after school class, but he was there when I'm finished. He told me that he's canceling the tutor this Friday and he's going to reschedule it later and leave before I can say anything.

The bell rang after that. I waved a goodbye to Karen before we both separating to each others class. As I walk to my locker, someone blocks my way.

"Hey." I look up to see Jake and his smirk that match Brody's. Only his smirk was way more disgusting than the one that Brody has. His 'Hey' doesn't mean to greet me. It is to make me stop on my track and the opening words before he starts threatening me. I didn't greet him back.

"Do you ever talk?" He talks again. I stay quite. I can't really talk when I'm in this kind of situation.

"Are you still deaf? I thought you went to London to fix it." he mocked me. That words hurt me, though. But still, I am quite. If he stays like this, I'm going to be late to go to my next class. He walks towards me until there are only a few inches between us. I froze.

Not long after that, another 4 familiar figures came into the view. It's Emmett, Michael, Adam and of course, Brody. Well, what now? I guess the whole gang is here now. Looking to the 5 of them is making me think about the old times before I went to London.

They'd come right after me. They'd threatening me, bully me to be exact. They'd abuse my locker, pushing me to the wall, throwing things at me, laughing at me, say bad things to me, et cetera. The worst was happened 6 months ago, where I can't take it anymore.

They'd set this up. They spilled a bottle of water with a soap on it in front of my locker. Then they'd stay at every corner of the hall, waiting for me. So, as I was approaching my locker, Emmett would take my bag from me and right after he gets it, he would run through my locker but jump as he passed my locker. He yelled at me, telling me to get the bag back. Stupidly, I did as he said so.

I run as fast as I can but unfortunately, I didn't see that there was a puddle in front of me. Of course, it makes me slip and fall to my back, hard. I fell right on my bum first and followed by my head hitting the floor right after that. The room suddenly felt dizzy and my vision got blurred. I lay still trying to get up. I sit up and look around. My body starts shaking from the sudden incident. The room was now filled with people, looking directly at me. The 5 of them would laugh at me, and the crowds follow them. They'd say words to me like 'Stupid' 'Such an idiot' 'OMG' 'Damn, that was hurt'.

It was the most embarrassing moment that ever happened to me. Well, I thought it was. So I tried to get up and see that my hand is now wet and there's a bubble in it. The back of my body was perfectly wet too. I tried to stand up but it's hard for me because the floor was very slippery, and the part of my body especially my bum and head was hurt. After I manage to get up, I reach my locker to take my books. I tried to open my locker but when I tried to pull the handle, it won't open. I heard someone that his voice sounds like Brody yelling to me to force open it. I was too dizzy to even think and see straight. I forced them to open but what happen next was bad.

The locker would finally open, but it was opened fast and hard, hitting my face. It hit the hardest at my nose like someone just slapped you hard right in the face with a hard metal. The vision got blurred again and I can hear people laughing again. I don't see the funny part here. I look around me, people was making a circle, looking at me like I am putting a show for them. I look around searching for Karen or Josh, but I catch an eye contact with Brody. He laughed a genuine one but then his laugh was disappeared quickly after that. He changed his expression, he looks at me in confused and concern at the same time.

I feel something falling down through my mouth. I touch it and look down to my hand. My hand is now filled with a red liquid. It's a blood. I touch my nose, it hurts like hell. I think it's probably broken. Blood was streaming down from my nose. It must be because of the metal hit me hard in my nose few seconds ago. I tried to wipe it up with my hand but it keeps running. That's when my body began to shake harder. This might be the hardest I could feel. My breath start getting faster. I look around again, seeing that there were crowds around me make me gasp for air. The hall was too crowded, I can't take it anymore. My anxiety starts again and the room full of people won't help me. They already see what happened, they can't see me breaking as I hit my anxiety attack.

Without thinking, I closed my locker abruptly and scan where my bag is. As soon as I found that it was dropped on the floor, I quickly walk away and picked up my bag and try to run away out from the building as fast as I can and never come back again, until now.

The sound of the claps interrupted me from my thoughts. Taking me back to where I am right now, in front of them. Two blonde, two brunettes and one black. Remind me of my worst nightmare. Realizing that they're now in front of me after I think back about what happened is making me jump.

"Huh?" is all I said to them.

"Dang, she's still weird." I can hear Michael muttered about me.

"Nothing. You're good to go now." Brody said to me. I nodded, don't know what to say. I quickly walk away from them, only to be tripped and fall because one of them stretched out their leg. God, I should've known better. They've done this a dozen times but I'm still never learn.

They laugh at me and left me after that. I can't help but cry. I was trying so hard not to cry, but I can't. Tears dripping down my face and I quickly run to the bathroom before someone see me. I cried again for awhile but stop because I can't breathe. I was gasping for air, but I can't breathe. I hang on to the sink in front of me, trying to catch my breath. But it was hard. Then I remember something so I sit down to the floor, and close my eyes.

Thinking about anything good in my life.

I did that just like what my therapist told me back in the rehab. It's a stupid way I know but somehow it kind of works for me now. A few minutes later, I can finally manage my breath again.

Suddenly, I think about how stupid I am. I can't let them get through me again. After all these 6 months, I think I can do better than this. My mom works so hard to get me to London so I can recover again. This is not how I paid her back.

As I think about that, I quickly get up and wash my face. I look at my face in the mirror. It is red now, how disgusting. I quickly get out from the toilet and walk right to my class, forgetting that I should change my books first, but I know that I'm late now. As I get into the class, people attention is all on my now. I really hate this kind of situation. The teacher asks me why I was late.

"I had to go to the bathroom. Sorry." I said to her. She seems to understand and nodded, letting me take my seat. That was easy.

As the teacher start to talk in front of the class, I keep thinking about what happened. I really want to talk to someone. About what happened, about all of this. But I don't know who I should talk to. I can talk to Karen, Josh, Mom or even Wes. But I just don't want to.

Then I suddenly remember who I really want to talk to. My dad.

My face lightened up at the thought of him. I haven't seen him after all these 6 months. I didn't even say goodbye when I wanted to go to London. I feel really bad. I think I should meet him right after school. I don't have to tutor Brody today so that I'm free. Then I turn my attention to my teacher, really want the school to be end as fast as it can be.

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Been so long I know :(. Here's another chapter. What do you think about this chapter? Hope you like it tho!

Sorry if there might be a bad grammar. Don't forget to vote, there'll be more to come :D

News flash: I imagine Michael Clifford from 5sos as Michael in this book (lol ik). But I still can't decide who's going to play the character for the rest of Brody's friend. I'll tell ya when I decide.

Xx Mel.