Pursued (Completed) ✔️

Chapter 10 Her status quo

He sat beside me like he always did and the classes that he didn't have with me one of the others were quick to fill the spot beside me. I ignored them all. Otto kept dropping one liners on my desk, he continued even though I just stuffed them in my pencil case after the first one. Camille bumped my shoulder and tried to catch my eye until I glared at her and whisper yelled at her to stop it. When Bobby had been beside me, they were taking turns it seemed, he quietly told me to just please read his note.

"I did." I said without looking at him. He surprised me by only saying.
"Thank you."

David cut out little hearts the whole time he was beside me and dropped them on my desk in one big load just before the end of class. I shook them from my books and packed my bag without a word so that when the bell rang to signal the end of class I could just leave him and all the stupid little hearts behind.
Adrien didn't say or do anything, he just sat and looked thoughtful.

Lunch had come and I was conflicted because I knew hiding wasn't an option. Emily fixed it, she'd run up to me when I went through the cafeteria doors. She whispered 'careful' as she grabbed me in a tight hug. "You were sooo freaking awesome. I've been waiting for a chance to tell you. Let's eat." She spoke loudly then as she dragged me along like a tidal wave. Who knew such a little body could hold such strength. She had my arm in an iron grip and I saw the nasty looks from some of the student body. But there were also people that clearly liked what I had done and they weren't just people that were bullied by Susan and her friends which surprised me.

Emily plonked me down between Adrien and Bobby and skipped to sit on the other side in front of me. "Look around the room Juliette. Just look." She told me softly.
I did.

It took a second for my brain to register what was wrong.
The seating arrangements had changed, some groups that were normally together were now divided. People that had never sat together were now at one table. It was clearest with the jocks, most of them were actually not sitting with Susan and her friends like they normally sat. Susan was actually absent I noticed.

I turned back to Emily with a WTF expression. She smiled and explained.
"You were bleeding from your head because he king-hit you from behind. It wasn't just a large guy hitting a girl. It was a large guy hitting a girl..., from behind..., without warning and making her bleed. What you did... He had it coming...and most of the people agree, so now the school is kinda divided."

Shane, that looked so much like Bobby, grinned. "I heard some of the jocks argue that if he doesn't apologize for what he did to you he should be kicked out of the team. How cool is that? The quarterback would get dismissed for you."

"Actually McKellar.." I said staring straight at him. "It's not the first time he hit me. It's not the first time he blindsided me and it isn't the first time he made me bleed. It's only the first time he was seen doing it by so many people and it was the first time I retaliated. Most of those guys know all that, it's peer pressure that made them go against him and the moment this blows over they'll be right back as a team." I bend my head concentrating on my food and, more to myself than them, softly added. "These people have been friends for ages and me... I'm nothing to anybody."

The doors to the cafeteria slammed open and Susan stalked in but the reason the place went dead quiet was that the principal entered in her wake. Crack, crack, her heels sounded like gunshots to my brain as I heard her marching over with the principal in tow. Right, forgot he was the uncle of the quarterback. We all knew they were coming for me but suddenly Bobby spoke up. His voice carried clearly for everyone to hear.  "How's your head Juliette? He slammed you into the lockers pretty hard, I mean you had to get cleaned up at the office before you could come to class... I know you said you wouldn't but I really think you should press charges... we all saw what he did."

He implication was clear. The threat was crystal clear and the kick I received under the table was enough to wake me up from the trance his words had put me in. The footsteps had stopped.

"I told you before Bobby, suing him won't make him change. He's done it before, just never this bad. It's our last year here. I'll be leaving this hell hole and everyone in it behind soon. Just leave it."

"He lucky you're a good person." Adrien said as the footsteps of the principal could be heard angrily retreating from the room. "I don't believe things like that should be left unpunished."

His voice made me shiver. It wasn't a threat, that was a promise. A promise of violence that thankfully wasn't aimed at me.

Crack, crack, crack the gunshots came closer. She made her way to our table, I didn't look up. "You can't threaten my boyfriend like that! Just because you are the rulers doesn't mean you are above the law!"

Bobby stood up and got close to Susan. "You see Susan and that just proves how dumb you are... Rulers are the ones that make the laws...and I would like to clarify that my friend here didn't threaten your boyfriend. He was simply explaining how he felt about this matter. You see, we don't like to see our friends hurt and we take care of our own."

I could see that she was intimidated, hell, he wasn't even talking to me and I was intimidated but a little part of me was fangirling over this beautiful guy that had just literally stood up for me. A could feel the hint of a smile tugging at my lips and looked up. Emily was the first one that caught my eye, she winked, leaned over the table to me and stage whispered. "And that, ladies and gentlemen, is my awesome big brother, always right!"

I laughed. I couldn't help it, I just laughed, out loud.
Susan actually screeched in frustration and stalked off.

Whispered voices erupted in the cafeteria, Emily saw my face fall as I realized my face would become a million times worse the moment they left again but Otto cut into my thought.
"Hey little red?"

I ignored him.
"Yo red?"

I still pretended not to hear.
"Juliette.., little red.., hot stuff.., I know you want to talk to me sweet cheeks.."

I ignored him, the others chuckled and Otto continued.
"Honey.., come on, baby, talk to me.., Juuuuls.., ball buster..,_"

"What Otto? What?" I finally snapped. They all laughed.
His face wiped clear of any emotion like someone flicked a switch. "We've got your back."

I tried to be as emotionless as he was and replied. "I know, you always have...When you are here."

The rest of lunch was quiet and the rest of class was filled with the same antics as they'd had in the earlier classes, they even swapped seats during class to harass me. And Adrien just stared at me in silence.

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S a bit on the short side I know
But several chapters in one day...
Comments, votes..., always welcome!
XG