Jr Rev Squad - ONE SHOTS

Scars

Modern!AU

Susan and Stephan were peacefully walking home after school by their shortcut, passing through the park, both holding the books they needed to study for that week's tests. The boy offered to help Susan since he had a perfect school report and she wasn't good at all in chemistry.

While talking about banal things, Susan laughed about something Stephan said and looked straight at their path, freezing and stopping to laugh right where she was and Stephan also stops to walk gradually as he realized she stopped.

"Hey, what-" He said turning around and finally realizing why the girl stopped. "Not they..."

Half of the soccer team was by the end of their path, basically staring at the two, just waiting until they pass by. Oh, they were also known as their favorite bullies.

Susan grabs Stephan's arm in fear and without needing to say any words the two teens run away down the path they just came from, speeding up as they heard the big boys after them.

They got into an emptier side of the park, passing by a forgotten scout's cabin, when one of the guys from the team grabbed Susan's hoodie and she gasped as she was pushed back, falling into the ground and letting go her books all around.

Stephan widened his eyes once he saw Susan being pulled and the biggest of the bullies, Leo, trapped Stephan in the wall of the cabin, placing his hand right by his head. Leo was the team captain and where in his last school year, the guy was HUGE and uses to rule the school.

"My fellow friend, Stephan! Long time I don't see ya, man!" He said with a grin that made Stephan shrink even more.

"Hi, Leo..." The boy answered almost in a whisper, unable to look at his bully's face.

"Well, let's get this talk short. That time of the year is back, and I need you to do all my homework and give me that answers in the tests, can you do that small favor for me, man?"

Stephan finally looked up frightened by the time a book hits the back of Leo's head. The boy widened his eyes in terror as the big jock turned around. Susan was standing up in the middle of the rest of the team, trying to give their bullies an angry face, but it was actually a mix of angry, hold back tears and "OH SHIT I SCREWED UP".

"Did really little Susan Whore Reynolds threw a book at me?" Leo said, just causing his mates to laugh.

He walked closer to Susan and she took a step back in fear. Stephan, in the other hand, took a step forward in an impulse to help her out but other jock hold him back as another one punched his stomach and whispered at his ear "Nothing of try to act the hero this time, Romeo".

Susan closed her fists and swallowed her tears back.

"Leave us alone" She said with the voice cracking, which only made her feel smaller and her bullies enjoy even more her attempt to hit back.

"And what are you gonna do, bitch?!" Leo says as he pushed Susan to the ground and started kicking her, her small body in a ball.

Stephan got filled by anger and tried to get up but he was pushed back and received a punch in his face. When he looked back, the rest of the boys were also kicking the girl, who was holding her head as they hurt all of her body. Stephan couldn't control his tears, to the joy of the two jocks that were keeping him on the ground.

Once they got tired of hurting that small girl, Leo pushed his hair back and threw his heavy bag at Stephan's lap, which made him gasp.

"Better those be ready by Monday, Laurens" He hissed his last threat and left, being followed by his gang.

Susan was crying with her face on the ground and Stephan pulled the bag way, running to help her. He grabbed her hand, which made her wince, but she relaxed once she felt it was Stephan and he shushed her until she calmed down and opened her eyes.

"Oh my God, Stephan" She whispered in concern and then shouts "Your eye!"

He instinctively touched his face and winced with it, it was definitely bigger than it should be. "It's gonna be better by the morning..." He said calmly and sighed.

The girl sits up and hugs him, getting back to cry softly. Susan was indeed the crybaby of the squad; it didn't take much for her to start crying and needed to be hugged.

"I can't believe you did that" Stephan whispered, also hugging her back "I can't believe you actually hit him with that book... I've never seen you react that way and..." He sighs "Why you did that? You could have passed by today without any bruises..."

"I thought..." She said and sobbed "I thought I could... That I could be like Georges or Frances... At least for once... And be brave at least once in my life..."

Stephan pushed her away and stared at her in disbelief. They didn't say anything else; he simply wiped away a few tears in her face as she slowly stopped crying.

"Let's go home" He said and she nodded looking down, her expression turning into shock.

"STEPHAN WHAT IS THIS?!" She burst out, grabbing his arm boldly and bringing it close to her.

Apparently, the bully's incident raised the sleeves of his blouse and revealed the open scars that were still healing in his arm. Stephan has been hiding this up for months now and wished no one ever saw those cuts. Especially Susan.

He rushes to cover it again as he turns around and gets up "N-Nothing, it's nothing" He grabs his books as fast as he could, but Susan goes after him and push his arm.

"Stephan, talk to me!" She says in despair as he ignores her and keeps grabbing his stuff before turning to the path that leads to out of the park. "Step-" She tries to grab his arm again but he pulls it back and keeps walking.

Susan gets angry and ran, standing in front of him and hold both of his shoulders, making him finally stop "Hey! You can't just leave like I will forget what I saw! Step, talk to me, PLEASE"

He looks away and sighs, staying in silence. She shyly places her hand in his face and makes him turn to look at her, already with tears in her eyes again.

"Just... Just tell me... What's going on?" She says sadly for her friend and in despair to help him somehow.

Stephan grows quiet again and looks down. He wasn't able to think in complete sentences right now to explain how he felt.

"Please?" She says in a crying voice, almost cracking "It's just me, Step..." But he still is in silence. "And... I like you way too much to see you suffer about something..."

Stephan still doesn't say a word and Susan can't control her tears "P-Please" She sniffs "Stephan, please let me help..."

Once he sees her tears he sighs and says in a whisper "It's just... That no one would ever miss the shadow Laurens..."

Susan is in shock for a nanosecond and then hugs him tightly, crying out even more and says as she sobs "I-I WOULD!"

The boy just stands there in shock, trying to say something but wasn't able to form any words. When finally he hugged her back and felt warm inside.