Do They Bother You? (Editing)

Chapter Nine

Mid April

It was Monday morning, but not nearly as dreadful as some mondays were. It was overcast, the clouds looking like they would open up any minute. James, Kam, Asher, and Finn all stood around my locker, making conversation as we waited for classes to start.

"Hey, did you guys hear?" Finn asked suddenly. I spun the dial on my locker, glancing over my shoulder at him.

"Hear what?" LJ asked. He was leaning against the wall to my left, absently tracing designs along my hip bone through my shirt. "Have you been eating enough?" He asked me in an undertone, concerned. I smiled slightly and nodded.

"Do you remember that kid that got suspended last semester? Beat up a freshman, or something?"

"What about him?" Asher asked, his attention mostly focused on his phone. It looked like he was playing a game.

"He's back!" Kam exclaimed in a mock sing-song voice. "The bastard's returned!"

"And of course, he's on the football team." Finn sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You guys remember what it was like, don't you? He had the entire team behind him, cheering him on while he terrorized some poor kid."

"What was his name again?" LJ asked. "He was a junior, wasn't he?"

I closed my locker door and slid my textbooks into my bag before promptly dumping the entire load on the floor and leaning back against the lockers. LJ chuckled softly and wrapped an arm around me, pulling me closer.

"Evan...Emerson...Ethan!" Kam exclaimed. "It was Ethan...Ethan something."

I stiffened slightly. "Ethan what?" I asked, finally taking an active part in the conversation. Asher scratched his head, trying to remember.

"Ethan...was it Hall? It started with an 'h'..."

I swallowed. "Helling?" said, my voice hoarse. "Ethan Helling?"

Asher snapped his fingers, pointing at me. "Yes, that's it! Ethan Helling."

"Why, do you know him?" Kam asked. Finn and James shared a glance, looking positively horrified. I couldn't breathe.

"Oh look," Asher said, his attention on a figure sauntering down the middle of the hallway toward us. "There he is now."

I stared in frozen, numb shock, my body completely shutting down until I had to physically make myself do something as simple as breathing. He tossed blonde hair out of his eyes as his gaze swept the hallway.

Ethan Helling.

Don't look at me don't see me don't look at me...

His gaze landed on mine.

A smirk spread across his face, sadistic and self-satisfied. I backed up a couple of steps, unable to look away. I flinched as a hand came down on my shoulder while an arm wrapped around my waist from the other side, and both LJ's familiar scent and Finn's cologne surrounded me like a protective blanket.

"I can't," I whispered, trying to back up even farther. Ethan had stopped walking and now leaned against the wall of lockers on the opposite side of the hallway, his headphones in his ears. He didn't even try to hide that he was staring at me.

"Hey. Hey, Lena."

Slowly I turned to look at Finn.

"You said there was a restraining order, right? How far away does he have to be?"

I couldn't get my mouth to work. "Two-two hundred feet."

This seemed to make him feel better. "Good, good. Now listen to me, Lena- I'm going to take care of everything. Okay? It's a court order, Lena, he's not allowed near you." He looked over my head at James. "Take her upstairs to her room. Keep her there."

The bell rang for everyone to get to first period. I watched as the hallways cleared, Ethan sparing me one last glance over his shoulder before turning away.

"Lena? you aren't breathing, sweetheart. Can you take deep breaths for me?"

I wasn't breathing. Forcing myself to take a huge breath inward, a rush of tears sprang to my eyes.

"I want to go away, LJ, help me go away..."

"Hey. Hey, listen to me." He cupped my face in his hands. "You aren't going anywhere, okay? You belong here, he is the one that doesn't. We're going to get rid of him, and you'll never have to see him again." I ran my fingers through my hair. "Come on, let's get you upstairs."

"I need to call Matthew..." I whispered, letting him lead me down the hallway.

"You can call him when we get to your room, okay?"

Once we were safely in my room, I collapsed on the bed and just sat for a moment, unable to move. LJ knelt in front of me and rubbed his thumb underneath my eye, removing a tear I hadn't known I'd shed.

"Why don't you call Matthew now," he suggested. "You said you needed to, right?"

I nodded and pulled my cellphone out of my pocket, dialing two for Matthew's number. He answered on the second ring.

"Lena? What's up, buttercup?"

I swallowed, my voice almost inaudible as I spoke into the microphone.

"He's here, Matty."

Matthew didn't speak for a moment. "I'm driving up now. I should be there by noon. Are you by yourself right now, buttercup? Or is someone with you?"

"Someone's here with me," I whispered. "LJ's here."

"Put him on."

I handed the phone over to James wordlessly.

"Hello?" He asked, his voice tentative. "She seems shell-shocked," he added after a pause.

Matthew said something to him.

"I won't," LJ promised. "I'll stay with her until you get here. Another friend of hers is already in the counseling office."

Matthew said something else.

"No problem," LJ said, his voice softer. "See you soon." He hung up the phone.

This was a dreadful Monday.