Anaphase

Phase XV

Lilith's Perspective continued

"I'm aware that you are both settled friends again which is the only reason I'm letting this go," the school nurse told us.

"Best friends shouldn't fight in such a nasty way, I'm truly appalled! It's unladylike and disgraceful," she lectured, frowning at us distastefully.

Evelyn and I exchanged a weak glance before saying our apologies pathetically.
"It won't happen again Liv," added Evelyn, just as unsure as I was if it would.

"Good. Now I want you to come back before you go home to check out that head of yours young lady," she said sternly.
"Now scatter," she howled, waving her hands about dismissively as she stalked off muttering under her breath.

Evelyn and I slipped off, trying to hide our cuts and bruises under our clothing.  
She had a large bruise becoming more and more swollen by the minute on her jaw. Usually they avoided our faces to avoid being in trouble themselves. I cursed under my breath.

Lightly, I touched my hand to it before she flinched in the slightest.
"What did I do to deserve you?" I breathed.
She grabbed my hand and smiled. "Let's go to lunch sis," she replied.

As we walked down the halls it was hard not to notice how nobody noticed us. How two girls walking side by side with bruises, bandages and numb expressions gained no attention. Perhaps if I was someone else it would be different.
The gut feeling was intense and threatening in my chest and stomach.
My left knee felt as if it would buckle and break any second. Just what I needed, a matching wounded leg to the wound on my left arm. The nurse kindly re-bandaged it, unconvinced that I fell through a window to claim it. The pain was bearable but didn't stop me from biting my lip every time too much pressure applied to it.

I kept looking for a particular face there was no denying it. He never appeared though. I didn't dare wish he'd shown up, not after the slash he already took. Not that he would in the first place.

Evelyn kept sneaking suspicious looks at me when she thought I wasn't looking and it was starting to set me off.

I turned to ask her why but she had suddenly stopped walking, eyes wide ahead of me.
I had kept walking, unaware why when I bumped straight into someone.
The unexpected collision hit my knee savagely, sending me to collapse and gasp from the unexpected agony .
Strong hands gripped my arms...way too hard it was painful.
I was about to kick out when I realised it was to lift me up. As soon as I was up I looked towards the stranger hopefully.
But I disappointedly met eyes with Elijah, the strange guy from the Griffins just the other day.
"Are you alright?" He asked kindly.
After my breath hitched from the intensity of his blue eyes, I nodded yes limply.

He smiled way too seductively down at me, his tattoo's more prominent up close.
"Sorry for bumping into you," I blurted. "But I best keep going, er you know how that canteen line gets."
He was making me feel so self conscious with his intense ocean eyes.

Evelyn, hesitant behind me came forward.
She boldly moved in front of me as if protecting me from him.
"Hi I'm Evelyn," she blushed.
Oh, never mind.
"Al-," he cleared his throat before continuing.
I wondered how his tattoo's were allowed at school.
He looked too old to be here anyways.

Evelyn looked so small in front of him. Like he was a large shadow above her, ready to gobble her down.
"Elijah," he replied to Evelyn, never taking his eyes off of me.
Hesitantly, I made my way around him to leave hoping Evelyn would catch on but he grabbed my wrist which already hurt from falling on it. I yelped in protest.

To anyone else, this would've been annoying or maybe amazing to a girl who fell head first into him.
But to me, this was much more.

This was myriads of times my wrist had been grabbed by an abusive father.
Years of me being dragged by my wrist into seemingly always empty alleys to be beaten. This was the horror I'd already experienced just an hour before this alongside my best friend.

Very embarrassingly close to tears, I tried to pull my wrist free probably looking appearing like a lunatic. But I didn't care. The trauma was rising.

He looked at me gently but confused, not losing his grip.
"Where are you going?" He asked, his head tilted like a curious, deviant hound.
"Let go of me!," I croaked.
"Oh but we only jus-"
"HANDS OFF, DOG," growled a voice just down the hall.
Despite his distance behind me his authority echoed off the walls. Everyone in the vicinity looked over interested and fearful.
Relief flooded over me and my heartbeat was less audible in my ears as soon as I heard him.

All the kindness from Elijah's face disbanded instantly, narrowing his eyes at my sudden change of demeanour.
He looked behind me gravely. Softly, he turned his gaze to me before slowly unlocking his hand from my wrist.
"Sorry," he said in a dead tone, his playfulness gone.
"It's fine," I grumbled.

Demetri reached us looking so darkly at Elijah even Evelyn looked like she had terror crawling beneath her skin.
Quick as a flash, she grabbed my hand and pulled me off down the halls away from the chaos.
My knee threatened my stance.

The air I wasn't aware I was holding came out in a heave as we turned the corner.

Sorry! Next chapter will take a while as I'm entering exam block this week! Don't sleep on it!