Crybaby

It's wrong

There is a strange eerie feeling in the air at school on Monday. Everything is wrong.
First there is Johnny. People have noticed it, the way his eyes keep darting around and he jumps at every noise.
It's almost as if he is expecting something bad soon.
Caelan broke up with Alessia, her bright smile has burnt out for a while. It hurts her too much to spend a long time with Troye.
Lana has shut down, when she needs everyone, especially Electra, the most. She won't eat lunch. Lana can't handle the constant reminders of the Brooklyn boy. She feels dirty and lonely.
Troye is crumbling. He has put up high walls. He doesn't trust anymore. He thinks everything is his fault. He doesn't make eye contact. The teasing has gotten twenty times worse. Horrible words are scattered on his locker. He has to skip out on gym class because last time he went the boys in the locker room, they tried to beat him up. Jacob pretends Troye doesn't exist. Jacob sits with the jocks and tells them lies. Jacob breaks him quietly.
Crybaby is over buried in her friends issues and problems. The whole world seems to be against them.
Every day is a new set of tears. Crybaby doesn't stop fighting, and sort takes it upon herself to try to help them.
She starts with Lana.
"Lana! Lana, wait up!" She calls after her friend as they both leave school. Lana stops and turns toward her. Her eyes are tired and sad. "Can we talk?" She asks, following Lana down the street. "Uh- I guess so..." She replies quietly. "What's going on, what happened? You've shut out the world. Teasing didn't used to bother you. What did he do to you?" Crybaby can't help but let her desperation show vividly. Lana looks surprised and paranoid. "I- I don't want to talk about it. About him." She stares straight ahead as they walk now. The air is tense. "No. No Lana, look at me." Crybaby stops them and turns Lana's shoulders to look face her. She can tell Lana is on the verge of breaking down, but she is holding back. "No. If you keep it in, you are going to break. It'll destroy you. Please just tell me so I can help you.... please?" When she sees a hesitant look flash across Lana's face, it's Crybaby's sliver of hope. She grabs on and doesn't let go. "You don't even have to talk about him.  Just tell me his actions."
"Well, uh, imagine you are in love." Lana starts out. Johnny pops into her head.
"Uh, and- and- you are so sure the person loves you back, so you give them everything. All of yourself." Lana's voice wavers slightly now.
"And then imagine you find out in the worst way possible, that they don't even care about you. They just want your body. And money."
Crybaby's eyes widen. Her heart twists.
"They hate you."
Lana whispers.
Lana cracks.
"Crybaby-" she sobs out suddenly.
"He- He- He used me."
Crybaby pulls Lana desperately into a hug and lets Lana cling to her shoulders, even though Crybaby is shorter. She lets Lana's sob-wracked body collapse around her own. She almost sees red just thinking about that boy. Her hatred for him is fuming.
She can't control her mind right now.
This is still progress.

Crybaby decides to put off Troye and Electra until last. They need some time and will be the worst on her.

So now she is standing in the woods, waiting for Johnny. But he isn't showing up, and it's already fifteen minutes after he said he would. She sighs and stands up to leave, but she hears something. She turns around and a moment later Johnny stumbles in through some bushes, breathing harshly and looking disheveled. "I'm so sorry! The guys... they..." He looks at Crybaby sadly. She knows what he means by "the guys." It's his friends, the athletic ones who beat up Troye. "What did they do?" Crybaby grabs his hand nervously, and her prospects only sink when she feels him shaking. Luckily, he doesn't pull his hand away. "You can't tell anyone. They can't know I told you." He says, unable to meet her eyes. "I won't." She says, giving his hand a squeeze, even though it is much bigger than her own.
"Well... They.... they threatened to... hurt me, and my reputation. They said if I don't beat up or fight with Troye or one of your friends, they are gonna beat me up. And they have the power to turn the whole school on me. I'm scared. I can't hurt any of your friends!! I'm- I..." His voice trails off. He rubs his forehead with his other hand. Crybaby can tell it's taking everything he has not to cry. "I don't know what to do." He whispers. She grabs his other hand in her own and leans her forehead against his chest gently. "This does suck." She mumbles, digging through her mind for ideas. She can't find any.
"Stall. We'll keep thinking. I've got.... more issues to take care of." Johnny looks at her sympathetically. He knows what, or who, she is talking about.
She kisses his cheek and turns around quickly, leaving him standing there alone. He opens his mouth to say something but she is gone.
He has no idea what to do and he is running out of time.
Crybaby is afraid. She isn't the most stable minded person and Troye is the next one she is trying to help.
He needs help to heal. To begin to heal.
She and Alessia walk to Troye's house one day after school, uninvited, to check in him and talk to him more.
Crybaby is severely confused when she hears talking inside. Troye isn't just crying.
Alessia knocks tentatively on his front door, and hears some scrambling, a quick "g'bye Connor!", and a lock before the door swings open, revealing Troye, looking calm and at ease.
"On the phone. Sorry." He says.
For the first time in days, there is the trace of a smile on his face.
A/N: the next few chapters are gonna be a wild ride oh Lordy just you wait