Those Five Boys {EDITING ATM}

Chapter 17

Niall's POV

Did Claire really do that to herself? That's crazy. I didn't know she would be capable of doing that to herself. She just looked at me blankly when she told me, like it was normal for her. Is it normal for her?

All these thoughts rush through my mind as I drift off in class. The teacher walks over to her and whispers something. Claire nods as she takes out her earphones and her phone, and begins listening to music. Taking a quick glance at her, my eyes travel to her closed eyes, then to her bandaged hands, seeing her fingers tap to the beat of the music she's listening to.

The bell finally rings as I sigh in relief. Claire usually is the first person to leave, but from what I see she's struggling to hold her books. One of her books falls on the floor as she sighs in frustration. Kneeling down, I pick the book up and place it on top of the stack that she's holding.

"Thank you." She quietly says.

"No problem, I can see that you're struggling." I tell her, trying to start a conversation. But she just nods and heads out.

Okay then.

Liam's POV

Why are Claire's hands bandaged? Did they do something to herself again? This is getting out of hand. Okay just calm down. Saturday, it will get better.

I'm sitting in my car when I spot Claire. The other boys already left and it's pretty much just me in the parking lot.

Maybe I should give her a ride home?

Getting out of my car, I rush towards Claire.

"Claire wait!" I shout. She stops and slowly spins around, but she relaxes when she sees that it's me.

"Hey." She says walking towards me.

"Mind if I give you a ride home? Looks like you're struggling with carrying all of that." I mention, motioning toward her books.

"Sure," She smiles weakly as she follows me to my car. Opening the passenger door, she sets her stuff in the back seat before returning to the passenger seat. Shutting the door and jog to the drivers seat, I start the car and drive towards her house.

Claire's POV

It was really thoughtful of Liam offering me a ride home, which I gladly took.

As we get closer to my house, I spot a figure sitting on the concrete steps of my house. I suddenly remember that Louis is coming over today for the project.

C.rap.

"Stop the car here." I tell Liam. He looks at me confusingly but he stops the car anyway as I begin to explain.

"Louis is at my house for the geography project. And I forgot that he was coming over. I'll get out now and make up something for why I was late." I fill him in on the situation as he nods. Taking my bag and books out of his car, I wave him goodbye as he pulls into his driveway. He steps out of his car and waves at me again, causing me to giggle at how foolish he is as I head over to my house.

Louis stands up when he sees me and he smiles at me.

Why is he smiling at me?

"Hey," He greets me.

"Hi," I greet him back.

"What happened to your hands?" He asks, staring at my bandaged palms.

"I fell down." I make sure to look at him when I speak so I don't anger him.

I don't know why I lied to him, it does sound a little crazy if I told him 'oh, I dug my nails into my palms and I bled'. Yeah, it does sound crazy. But he looks like he believes it though.

Fumbling with my keys, they drop when I try to put it in the key hole, causing me to curse under my breath. Louis picks the keys up and unlocks the door for me.

"Thank you," I tell him as we walk in my house, kicking off our shoes as he starts to head upstairs.

"Wait!" I shout at him. He stops at the top of the stairs and turns around, waiting for me to speak.

"We should work in the living room, there's more space in there than in my room." I point out as he nods, heading back downstairs as he follows me into the living room.

We both sit on the couch and bring our stuff out, placing them on the table in front of us. Walking upstairs, I bring the poster board back downstairs.

I don't really know how I'm going to help out when both of my hands are covered in bandage.

Louis looks at the poster, then my hands, to the stuff on the table, and then back at my hands.

"I think you should just let me do the writing." Louis says as he starts to write the facts down on copy paper.

"O-Okay" I sit next to him and watch him write.

Louis' POV

I don't really mind doing most of the work today, she can't even use her hands which is pretty c.rappy.

I start to write the facts on pieces of copy paper and cutting them out before glueing them on the poster.

***

After two hours of writing, glueing, and many scraps of paper, I finally finish the poster. Well, we did, she's my partner. I turn my head to see that Claire isn't by my side.

Huh? Wonder where she went?

Hearing light snoring behind me, I turn my head around to see Claire sleeping. Her jacket is gripped tightly in her hands as she shifts, her arms falling over the couch, exposing some of her forearms.

Don't do it, don't do it man. My subconscious warns me.

The temptation is killing to know what were those dark marks were, and before I know it, I'm carefully sliding her sleeve up her forearm. I'm in shock of what I see. Scars, scars, and more scars appear as I look closer. She cuts?

Oh f.uck. Now I regret all of this, all of the pain I caused her. Every taunt, tease, push, and punch, this is all what I've done to her.

The memories of me hitting her, pushing her to the ground, memories flooding my mind. S.hit, I can feel the heaviness in my chest again, but this time I know what it is. Guilt.

She starts to stir in her sleep as mumbles, "Stop, stop, stop."

I carefully slide her sleeve back down and begin to clean all the mess up. Heading to the kitchen to throw all the trash away, I hear her scream. Quickly speeding into the living room, I see her body moving, but she's still asleep.

"Don't hurt me!" She jolts awake, her forehead is dripping with sweat. Walking over to her, I kneel by the couch and try to calm her.

"Hey, hey, calm down it was just a nightmare." I assure her. She puts her hands to her forehead but the bandages collide instead as she groans in pain. "Do you want to talk about it?"

I wonder what she dreamt about?