Pursued (Completed) ✔️

Chapter 3 Her reason to run

During classes Adrien took his usual position at my side but he refrained from talking to me. His smile however told me that he had all the answers he needed. It was confirmed when he placed his hand on my shoulder during lunch as he took his place beside me. I flinched. His hand stayed as he asked if I was alright.
"Yup, just perfect." I replied stoically

"Does your shoulder hurt?"
"Nope."

He squeezed gently. I tried to keep my emotions from my face but it hurt like hell and I pulled away.

"How bad is it? Either tell me now or deal with Camille when you have to change for gym."
"I might have a tiny bruise, no hassle A." He looked at his plate.

"Who touched you?" He growled lowly with his head down.
"It's nothing Adrien. Leave it alone." I said softly as I noticed that there were people looking at our table. I gently put my arm around his waist and my head on his shoulder and whispered in his ear. "You guys are here now, let's just eat, we'll make fun of Bobby and his stalker, yeah?"

This time Bobby growled, almost like he heard me.

I ignored it because Adrien turned his head to mine. I quickly let go and sat back. He grinned wickedly. "You're right...we're here now. Let's eat." Like always the moment after Adrien started eating everyone decided they should eat. I smiled to myself, if it wasn't such a ridiculous thought I would have almost believed that they were waiting for him to eat first.

My day didn't get better until after lunch, double block of PE. Alway my favorite subject, regardless of what the teacher made us do. I didn't even mind dodgeball when Adrien was at school. We were always in the same team somehow unless it was girls against boys and we always won.

I smiled when the guys walked up to Camille and me, they looked hot as hell and as always I had to look away before my body betrayed me. As usual I looked at the other girls in the gym instead and smiled as they drooled over the guys that were my school friends.

"What ya smiling about little red?" Otto asked. He always called me little red, ever since he found out my favorite hoodie was my worn red one. I always had the idea that there was an inside joke in there somewhere but I just couldn't figure it out. I'd actually outgrown it and he'd given me a new one for an early Christmas present when he found out why I wasn't wearing it anymore. I'd made him a large lasagna in return because he always asked for mine when I took some to school claiming it was his favorite food.

"Stalker alert!" I grinned back looking at just his face. I'd taught myself not to look at their bodies. Their ripped, perfect bodies. They were my only friends I wouldn't disrespect them like that, they meant more to me than their looks.

They turned in time to see Susan's friends make their way over to us. Annabel was the stalker, she made it quite clear that she wanted Bobbie and she took every opportunity she could find to rub up against him and show off. The gym shorts were a size or two too small and looked rather uncomfortable, the same with the shirt. That went for all of them. Susan wasn't with them, but then, she was dating the quarterback. I looked around to see where they were but didn't spot them. I shrugged it off, wasn't the first or the last time they skipped to do athletics together instead of coming to class.

I walked to the other side of the gym to get away from the smell of their deodorants and perfumes. Camille wordlessly grabbed my arm and invited herself along with a look that I couldn't understand to Otto when it looked like he would come along. We were waiting for the PE teacher leaning against the wall. He was normally spot on and didn't like tardy students so the class was restless with his absence, curious what caused it.

"I'm sorry." She said quietly looking straight ahead.
"Don't mention it Camille, I shouldn't have snapped at you either." I looked forward too after a quick glance at her face.

"You were right. You never ask us anything. You are always so damned quiet and polite. What I did was rude and uncalled for."
"It bothered you, you let it out. I replied. It's done. Leave it alone Camille."

"But_"
"Camille. I don't ask for much. Let it go. At the end of this year school is over for us. You guys won't be able to protect me then. It's not like I don't realize the truth of the matter. You guys are my friends in school only. Outside school we are nothing and I accept that so just... Let it go."

"I didn't know you felt like that."
"I appreciate everything you guys have done for me, the bullying would have been much, much worse if it wasn't for Adrien and you guys but I also know I need to take care of myself. You guys weren't here for almost two weeks this time. Did you really think that nothing happened if you aren't here?"

"You should have told us. You should have told Adrien. He would have stopped it sooner."
"He doesn't owe me anything and I already owe him so much, not just him all of you. So just let it go, please. I try to repay your kindness by not asking things, my silence has nothing to do with politeness Camille. It's respect and gratitude."

We were quiet for a while when I noted that it was very unusual for the teacher to be this late.

I looked at her and found her frowning. "The guys beat up the guy that bruised you."
"What!?" I half screamed in surprise.

"That's why the teach is probably late. Trying to find out who done it." She calmly told me. Looking ahead with a slight satisfied smirk breaking her stoic expression. I fully turned to her and just stared as her smirk grew to very self satisfied. I jumped when a warm hand landed on my good shoulder.

"How's the shoulder?" Adrien asked.

Camille giggled. "We were just talking about that."

"You told her?" He asked in a low voice.

"Not like she wouldn't have figured it out bro, teach is bound to rock up any minute to start interrogations."

On cue the teacher walked in with the principal. They threatened and tried to convince us to give up the culprits but the victim himself insisted that he had fallen down the steps and nobody else was talking. We had to run laps for more than an hour. I loved every second of it.

----
Vote?
Comment?
Anything?