Befriending A Bully

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HAYLEY POV:
All four of us were in most lessons together seeing as though we are all kind of 'nerdy' but there were a few we weren't in as we chose different subjects. We had all chosen geography and media, Amber and I chose art and history as well where as, Tyler and Zane chose music as they both play an instrument and, triple science which meant they weren't in our science class and had more homework. But as today was Wednesday, our day started with form and then double English. I was always scared for form, mainly because Lucas was in it and the teacher never paid attention to what we were doing and allowed us to do as we please. This normally left me trying to do homework but instead getting it pushed across the floor because of Lucas.

"See you nerds in English!" Tyler shouted at Amber and I as we were going our own ways to our forms but Tyler and Zane were lucky as they were in the same one. Amber said she had no one to talk to but she didn't mind as she was allowed to sit with her earphones in and draw. "Who you calling nerds, nerd?" Amber shouted back, stopping in her tracks and standing still staring at them. "You, you nerd" Tyler responded laughing and walking backwards, running a hand through his hair. I just pulled Amber along with me just so she'd stop shouting and drawing attention to us. My form was two rooms away from Ambers so we were just stood outside hers talking until we saw Aria walk past pulling Lucas behind her, "C'mon Luke, we don't want to be around those for too long," her voice full with disgust as she eyed us up and down. Amber and I said we'd see each other in English before I walked inside my form room and sat at the back table where I normally did, in the corner away from everyone else.

I pulled out my English book and read over my homework making sure it was at a good enough standard so I'd get a good grade. About halfway through reading it, I noticed someone sit next to me but I ignored them and continued to check over my work. "Hey," they spoke, I looked to see who it was and I could feel my face go pale with fear. "Don't worry I won't hurt you. I just wanted to show you something." Lucas looked at me and then carefully picked his bag off the floor and placed it on the table. I was confused as he slowly opened his bag. A cat was curled up on his books, "what? Why do you have this?" I said looking at the cat in awe before he carefully picked it up and gave it to me to hold. "Her name's Luna, I take her everywhere. She's the only one who actually cares for me," his voice low as if he was keeping Luna a secret even though I've heard faint purring from his seat in form, "I even begged the headmaster if I could bring her to school so yeah." I looked up at him to see his eyes looking down as though he was trying not to cry.

Luna was curled in a ball on my lap, her fur darker than a night sky. "Can I ask you something? You have to be honest," I asked trying not to show I was scared of him. He looked at me and nodded his head before I continued, "why are you suddenly being nice to me and my friends? Like you apologised to us this morning and gave us a sympathetic look, then now you come sit with me and let me pet your cat," curiosity clearly taking over as I looked down at the purring fur ball. He sighed as though he didn't know the answer himself but then started to speak, "it's just, I wanted friends who were actually people and not just Luna, like sure she's amazing but only having her as company is like I've been isolated from society. Aria wants me around her all the time and she tried to move to our form but she's just too clingy around me, she even lives with me and my dad. So yeah, and I don't even know why I bully you four apart from the fact Aria knows simple ways to make me angry and I take my anger out on people I want to be nice to, that's why I never take it out on her, I don't even love her anymore."

I thought about what he said but before I could answer the bell rang to inform us that form had finished. I gave him Luna back and started to put my things back in my bag that I had out. "Hayley," Lucas said and I turned to look at him, "do you think we could be friends?" He asked scratching the back of his neck which showed he was nervous. I half-smiled and nodded "yeah sure!" I said with happiness in my voice. He smiled and walked out of our form room and headed to his next lesson. I walked to English alone as Amber gets let out of form early and Lucas always walks with Aria so I usually had to rush to lesson. As we walked in we were greeted my our teacher Mr. Smith.

"Morning class. Today we will be doing group work but before you start looking around and signalling your friends, your groups will be assigned! So Zane, Amber, Daniel, and Sarah you'll be working together. Tyler, Mikaela, Logan,.." Sir trailed on until eventually I heard my name, "Hayley, Aria, and Lucas, you will work as a three-"

"WHAT?!" The three of us shouted in sync. I looked around to see Zane, Amber, and Tyler all wide-eyed with their mouths hanging open. "That's not fair" Zane wrote on his whiteboard and showed it me and I nodded in agreement. "You heard me, Hayley, Aria, and Lucas. You three shall be working together" Mr Smith repeated. I felt as though I was going to have a panic attack. I looked at Aria and Lucas who were sat next to each other on the table to the right of the one I was sat at and I noticed Aria was smirking whilst Lucas was giving a sympathetic look towards me.