Rumours [BxB] ✔️

XV

I left the table a few minutes before one, not admitting to the slight sadness I felt when I had to move away from Thorn, after checking to make sure I had everything with me. While making my way down the unoccupied corridor, I finished the cookie I bought earlier and threw the brown paper bag into a recycling bin which the head of year insisted were installed to help with plastic waste at the end of last year.

Thankfully, the school seemed to pay attention to her and actually install something useful for once.

Anyway, once I approached the stairs leading up to the first floor, I heard quiet sniffles coming from inside a classroom. Confused as to why it sounded like someone was crying, I peeped through the window of the old science room and instantly felt anger spike at my heart. James was in there with a younger looking boy, tear-stains etched onto his chubby cheeks and red puffiness around his eyes as he backed up against an old desk. I only watched for a moment longer before springing into action, swerving around the corner and practically kicking the door open.

"James, stop it." My voice was assertive, ordering him to stop whatever mind games he was playing, but of course he didn't listen.

The sandy haired boy looked over his shoulder to see me, and I tilted my head to the side in response, signalling him to get out of here.

"Leave River." James' spoke distantly, almost as if he was a narrater of an old novel written hundreds of years ago. His eyes only met mine after almost a minute of silence, but the usual playfulness had vanished and was now replaced with something close to sadness.

The boy hurriedly ran past me, stopping only for a split second to give me a gratitude filled smile, and then he was out the door and down the hallway before another word could be spoken between us.

"What were you going to do to him James? Were you gonna beat him up too? He was a kid, maybe in year nine? Are you really that crazy?" Words left my mouth at the speed of bullets. I couldn't control them. They just shot out at an animalistic pace. "Why don't you fight the ones who can stand up for themselves? You always target people who feel alone or are physically weak. Like me. I'm weak, both mentally and physically, but that doesn't matter to you. You think hurting people is fun, right? You would enjoy beating the living shit out of me, wouldn't you."

I wanted to stop, but I couldn't. It was like all the anger I had bottled up inside just exploded, and it happened to be in front of him.

I saw him flinch at my words, and he looked down at the floor like a child accused of stealing the last cookie.

"Don't try and act innocent. You know what you did." I paused, taking a step closer to him.

"What do you have to say? Or can you not even do that."

He instantly locked our gaze, and for the first time ever, I saw his grey-brown orbs rimmed with tears.

A pang of fear knocked the air from my chest, as seeing someone so horribly violent look so frightened and innocent scared me.

I could hear his soft, uneven breaths as he gasped for them desperately between his peachy lips, and then a few whimpers before he let out a choked couple of words. "'M sorry, River. I'm sorry."

That was all he managed to say before breaking down, sobs erupting from his throat and tears flooding like water in a stream.

I rushed forward when his knees buckled beneath him, wrapping my arms around his body and gently sitting down on the cracked, dusty floor, taking him with me.

He wrapped his hands in the aqua material, buried his head into my chest, and let the feeling engulf him.

I wasn't sure what to do. I never planned for something like this to happen, and especially not on a day like this. So I decided to care for him just as I would anyone else.