Not A Word

Chapter Nine

Liam

I walked into my first hour class, not really expecting Tara to be there. I hadn't seen her at all yesterday in any classes and I figured she was skipping out on the rest of the week. It seemed very un-Tara-like but who the hell knows. This girl is a walking target and maybe she's finally given up.

When I walked into Mr. Hanson's class I saw Tara sitting at a desk staring blankly at Mr. Hanson. What the hell is that about? I shook my head to clear it an walked over to sit down next to her. As soon as I was in my seat she pulled the hood on her sweatshirt up and put her head down so I couldn't see her face.

Ignoring her wasn't an option. Zayn had given me specific directions to earn her trust so we could break her down. So I leaned forward and rested a hand on her arm, "Tara? Are you alright love?" I had to force the bile back down my throat as it threatened I rise at the word love.

A small whimper came from her as she pulled away from my touch. "I'm just fine Liam. Don't pretend to care though. You're a terrible actor." she muttered to the desk.

"I take high offense to that. I believe that I am a great actor. I convinced my grandmum that there was a snowstorm in the middle of August. No mediocre actor could pull that off." I said haughtily.

"I'm sure she was just pretending to believe you to humor you. How old we're you?"

"Five. But that's not the point." I argued.

I could tell she was rolling her eyes. "It's exactly the point. She was humoring you so you wouldn't feel bad about your terrible acting skills."

"Well then." I said acting hurt. "If this is how you treat people no wonder you don't have any friends." I pointed out.

Her head snapped up and her hatred filled eyes bored into mine. "No you're wrong Liam. I don't have friends because you and Zayn and all your friends, being the king-of-the-school types that you are, convinced everyone that I was someone to beat on. You made everyone hate me and if they chose my side then I'd be hurt more an they would be hurt as well. That's why I don't have any friends you emotionless bastard. Because. Of. You!" she hissed.

I could tell she wanted to scream these words at me but didn't dare because Mr. Hanson was sitting only a few meters away. I had so much I wanted to say back to her, none of it nice or fitting my new character, but I held it back to stay with the game. "I'm truly sorry about all that. I never wanted to hurt you but as you said Zayn had everyone turn against you and I didn't want to be one of the kids he beat on. You didn't have that choice though and instead had to suffer through it. For that I am truly sorry."

"Whatever." she said but it could have been interpreted as 'fuck off asshole'.

Would she ever give in and let someone help her? Suddenly I stopped as I looked in her eyes. They looked different. They weren't they're normal angry looking ones. Instead they were clouded with pain, self pity, and despair. I know the lads hadn't gotten to her yesterday but obviously something had happened.

Her face was covered in bruises and every time she shifted in her seat she flinched. Who had done this to her? I didn't so much care because she was hurt. I felt the need to thank the person for finally putting Tara in her place. She wasn't talking back like she used to. It was as if all the fight had just left her. There was only one way to describe it and that was, a truly amazing miracle.

There was still hope for her to survive yet. I almost chuckled at the thought. It was next to impossible that she will survive. Did I care though? No.

Niall

I couldn't believe what I had seen yesterday. It was ingrained in my memory and I didn't think I would be able to ever forget what I saw. The look on Tara's face was so helpless as she struggled with her father. She looked so frightened, so much more than when she faced the five of us with just herself on her side.

It didn't make sense to me though. Was her father really that bad? And if he was, why did he do to her that made her more frightened of him than us?

I was beyond confused and still trying to process it all when I walked it to biology. I stopped just inside the door as I saw Tara whisper-yelling at Liam. I couldn't hear what she was saying but she looked angry, and like shit.

Her face was bruised and battered while her eyes had this dead look to them. I was floored by how she looked. This was nothing we had done. Her father had done this to her. He had beaten to this point.

No matter my feelings yesterday after being kicked out of Greg's house I couldn't help but feel sorry for this girl. She looked so sad and absolutely devastated. She also looked simply breakable at the moment, almost like bruised porcelain.

Zayn ran into me as he was entering the room. "Hey man why are you stopped right here? That's not safe mate. You're going to cause a crash."

I rolled my eyes at his idiotic "humor". It wasn't funny in any sense. Nothing about anything he did seemed funny to me anymore.

"Whatever man." I muttered and walked over to my seat.

"What the hell crawled up your ass Niall?"

"Language Mr. Malik." Mr. Hanson called out from his desk.

"Sorry." Zayn threw to the teacher before turning back to me. "Seriously? What's wrong with you? You seem unnaturally pissy today."

I grunted as I pulled a notebook out of my pile of books, "It's nothing. Just forget about it."

There was no way I was telling Zayn how I felt about how we were treating Tara. He would skin me alive after school.

"Okay. Well I was thinking that after school we catch little miss Tara and show her the punishment for avoiding us." Zayn pounded a fist into his opposite hand.

I flinched as Zayn said nearly the exact words that Tara's dad had said just yesterday. The event was still too fresh in my mind to act like I was still okay with going around and hurting Tara each and every day. Maybe I was finally growing a conscience of some kind. If not then I just wasn't okay with hurting someone who was already hurt by their own family each and every day.

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Aww Niall has a conscience! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don't forget to comment and vote!