Pattern

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen 

// Prudence //

When I woke up, it was two in the middle of the day, and I hurt all over. I didn't want to get up, but I forced myself out of bed and headed to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. As expected, my neck was bruised, and my stomach displayed a pretty big purple bruise. The plaster was still on my knee, and I didn't touch it. I tried using foundation to cover the bruises, but it didn't work, they were still visible. I supposed I'd be wearing turtlenecks - horror of all horrors - til they healed.

My old turtleneck from when I was, like, thirteen, still fit, so I wore it with skinny jeans, despite it being annoyingly warm. I knew I had to bring my dog for a walk, but I avoided it. I didn't want to step outside, because people might see me, people from last night. And I had no idea how they'd react. 

I kept going through it again, when Howard held me up by my neck, anger in his eyes. I didn't know where it came from. I hadn't done anything so terrible to make a person that mad. The worst thing, though, was that nobody had tried to help. I knew they wanted to protect themselves, and not get on the bad side of the popular group, but I was defenseless. I'd never done a thing wrong, apart from like hitting Howard. And he had broken my nose beforehand. But no-one had. I wonder if they had been just scared, or if they hated me as much as they hated Avery, just because I was his ally. 

And I'd never known Gareth before, but I should have known there was an actual reason Avery had put him in hospital. Because someone had to be completely malicious to pull a girl they didn't know by their hair - it hurt like hell. And I think the worst thing was being defenceless. I couldn't do anything, because fighting back didn't affect them. And I was paralysed, too scared to anyway. It was awful. And I'd even cried, and it was the second time I'd cried in a while, the first being at Lucy's funeral. I was ashamed, and angry, and lost, and confused, and I hurt all over.

Avery confused me too - he'd never been a peaceful guy, but he'd leapt at them like a wild animal, even though he lost, both the guys left with blood on their faces - Howard had been unable to get up for ages. He'd been so angry, and it had consumed him. I don't think he even recognised our surroundings, or me screaming at him to stop. And I wondered why, why he'd gotten so completely enraged. 

I guess I kind of knew why. Gareth knew him, perhaps even better than I did, and he knew targeting me would result in Avery going crazy, even though he'd sworn not to. But it still wasn't fair that people tried dirty tactics like that, but then again, when the guy had broken every one of his ribs, he had plenty to be angry about. 

My fist clenched. I was angry too. And I had no idea what to do.

--

"You're wearing a turtleneck? Seriously?"

"Oh, this old thing? I thought it was gorgeous - and perfect to hide the bruises from when a football player stood on my throat," I said sweetly, and Madison looked at the ground. 

"Oh yeah. Sorry." She hugged me, holding on for a while. "I'm so sorry I didn't help."

I dismissed her, with a wave. "You couldn't have, and I'm glad you didn't get involved. Besides, my delinquent in ripped jeans came to save me, I was fine," I added, jokingly.

Her gaze was soft and sympathetic. "No, you're not fine at all. He was supposed to be there earlier, before it turned into a massive thing. It's his fault this even happened.."

"Madi!" I said angrily. 

"Buuut!" She said quickly. "I'm grateful he came back. Because you could be a lot worse than you are now."

"Thank you," I sighed. "I'm worried about him. I mean, he did his fair share of punching, but he got his fair share too."

"And also, the fact he turned into a complete psycho and just destroyed Howard? Like, even worse than when Howard fought him? And Gareth too?  You do realise he basically broke both their noses, on his own."