Unexplainable Love | Greece

Bad Reputation

Chapter 6

A/N - Hello :D. Sorry for making you wait so long, NewHopeLucyy usually proofreads all my chapters but she has a migraine and couldn't. I felt bad though so I'm updating anyway, so if there's any typos blame NewHopeLucyy

***POSSIBLE TRIGGER WARNING***

Bad Reputation - Shawn Mendes
"Mistakes we all make them, but they won't let it go no, cause she's got a bad reputation, but I know what they don't"

(Reece POV)

"That isn't entirely true." I said, taking a deep breath, hoping George didn't notice.

"Why'd you lie?" George said, softly. He didn't sound angry at all to my surprise.

"I didn't lie, I just didn't tell you everything." I sat up and tried to look at him in the eyes, but I couldn't, I felt guilty. How can I feel this guilty when I don't even know him?

"Okay then," he said sitting up with a bit of a laugh, "Why didn't you tell us the whole truth?" He asked, looking at me with those blue eyes as clear as water.

"I was scared I guess. I'm a very closed off person, I don't like people knowing a lot about me. And I was scared you- both of you, wouldn't want to see me anymore after I told you. But something about you makes me feel like I can tell you, and you won't judge me." I said, still not looking in his eyes.

"Hey," he said, his voice making my eyes look straight into his, as if I had no control over my body. "I'm not gonna judge, none of us will. I promise."

"I-" I started, but I couldn't look in his eyes as I said it. I sighed, this isn't gonna be as easy as I thought. "I haven't told anyone this, not even anyone from my other schools. So it might take awhile, I'm not proud of what I did." I said, closing my eyes.

"Other schools?"

I looked at him, "I was kicked out of school. Three times, three different schools. I couldn't be there anymore, I had a bad reputation. No schools would take me."

He looked at me encouragingly.

I looked down at our hands, only inches apart, wanting to take his steady hand in my shaky one. I wasn't sure how he felt about all this so I thought I better not. I went to continue talking when I felt George grab my hand.

"It's alright," he said reading me. Normally that would scare me but it put me slightly at ease. "Keep going when you're ready."

I took a few breaths before continuing. George squeezed my hand as I was about to start again. I smiled at him.

"The first high school I went to I was bullied badly. Since I was pretty young I'd post covers on YouTube. The most popular guy at school found it one day and he thought it was hilarious. The entire school knew about it. I was fourteen and I had no friends, no one would talk to me, I was just the dorky kid everyone picked on. One day I got sick of it, I hit him. Hard. I broke his nose. I got suspended but not expelled. When I came back things were even worse. I lost my temper again a couple more times. Black eye, split lip and a broken nose later, they kicked me out." I held Georges hand tighter, giving me the courage to continue. "My parents didn't know the full story, they thought I was at fault. Which I was, they just didn't know the reason I did it."

"Reece it wasn't your fault. I'd have done the same thing. I-" he sighed. "I did do the same thing."

"You did?" Maybe he could understand.

"Once. I've never told anyone, not even Blake. A guy from school thought it'd be funny to kick me when I was down, everything I had kept down bubbled back up, I was angry. I hit him. Nothing serious, just a bit of a blood nose but I felt bad. He never said anything so I didn't either. I still feel guilty when I see him in the hall."

"Yeah I know how that feels." I said looking down. "But my parents were mad, really mad. They sent me to another mixed school and I fell hard for a girl. She had a boyfriend. That never works out. I always watched her from the sidelines, but one time I caught her watching me. But so did her boyfriend. Justin was pissed. He knew the look in her eye meant she liked me. He'd seen it when she looked at him. I had a couple friends, none like you and Blake though. And I had the girl. But I also had an enemy. I got into fights a lot, usually I was the one that came home bloodied and bruised. But one time he was the one with the broken nose and stitches in one cheek. He went straight to the principal, I was never brave enough to do that. Again I was kicked out. My girlfriend and friends never spoke to me again. Next, my parents sent me to a strict all boys private school. They were sick of me always getting in trouble so they took my guitar off me and told me I had to focus on sports and school. So I did."

I sat there in silence for a few seconds, unsure what to say next. George gave me a smile. That adorable little smile he does.

"I joined the football team, I was pretty good at it. I had a couple friends, everything was okay for a couple weeks. Then we had team captain tryouts. My dad encouraged me to go for it, and I won. I was team captain. I thought 'how much better could this get?'. I spoke too soon. When I told my friends, well, what I thought were friends, they got angry at me, saying I didn't deserve it. That I can't come here and take the team captain spot from the guy that had had the spot for three years prior. They ditched me. Everyone on the team hated me. I may have been team captain but I wasn't popular, I was the one everyone picked on again. One of the guys on the team shoved me, so I shoved him back, he fell backwards and put his arm down and hurt it. It wasn't broken or anything but coach was mad. He was one of our star players. He dragged me to the principals office and he expelled me then and there. I was a bad influence on everyone at their perfect school. Of course they didn't believe me that I got pushed first."

A tear escaped my eye. George leaned over and ran his thumb underneath my eye, wiping the tears away. I smiled at him. To my disappointment, he let go of my hand and put it around my shoulder. Just before I started talking again he grabbed my hand with his other hand and intertwined our fingers, squeezing gently.

"My parents believed me. I didn't think they would. Mum tried getting me into other schools but they told me I would be a bad influence on their students, so we moved up here for a fresh start. I haven't been to school in a couple months, my parents wanted me to get myself back on track. To hopefully become a better person."

"From what I've seen of you you're a good guy Reece." He said smiling at me.

"I'm not. I shouldn't have told you. You should stay away from me George." I said standing up. "Everyone I get close to gets hurt, or I hurt them."

I turned and started to run slightly as I went down the hill, tears falling down my cheeks.
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A/N - So there it is. Reece's secret, but is that the only thing Reece is hiding?
Lots of love,
Tahlz💖