Never Alone || Fourtris

Chapter 16

I know the note told me not to come to school the next day, but I have to anyways, I have a math test thats half my grade and if I don't pass it my grade will go from a B to at least a C. The halls are not as packed when I usually am here, which means I'm pretty early. I open my locker and pieces of papers fall out. I pick them up and notice they are yesterdays homework, like what the note said. My crumple when I shove them in my backpack and I grab my math textbook. I head to the library to do some last minute studying. No one really comes in here anymore due to their phones and stuff. Only a few people are in the library when I walk inside. I sit at the table that is in the far corner away from everyone else, mainly because I want to be alone when I study. 

I'm only twenty minutes into solving trigonometry problems when someone sits in front of me. Peters never ending smile sits there leaning back in the chair, his arm resting on the back on the chair. I roll my eyes and continue solving the problem. He starts thumping his fingers against the table and I sigh out of annoyance. 

"What do you want, Peter," I say.

"Nothing, just sitting here," he says.

"There are other places to sit. Please leave I'm trying to study for a test and I want to be alone so I can past this stupid thing," I say.

He looks at me one last time and winks before walking away. I fake gag when his back is turned towards me and focus on the rest of these problems. The bell rings just after I finish the last problem and I pack my things, ready to start english. I spot Tobias in our normal seats and I plop down next to him avoiding peters weird and disturbing eye contact. He smiles at me when he sees me. 

"Hey Prior," he says. 

"You know, when you told me you knew my full name, I thought you'd use it more than Prior," I say joking. 

"I like Prior," he says. 

He glances towards something and I follow his gaze, turning towards to Peter, who quickly turns around when he spots Tobias looking at him. 

"What is up with that guy," I say.

"I think he likes you," Tobias says not sounding to happy about it. 

"Well....if he does, he should find someone else, because I'm the least interested in him," I say. 

The teacher walks in, yelling at everyone to pipe down. Looks like she's in a bad mood today. She starts her lesson on the book we were reading and says she expects us to have it finished by now. Throughout the class Tobias and I would exchange glances every time the teacher would yell at a student for looking anywhere, but her. 

"Prior, is there something you and Mr. Eaton like to share with the class," she says. 

I stop laughing and look at her with a serious face. I shake my head no and slouch a little in my chair from the embarrassment. 

"Sorry teach, it was my fault," Tobias says. 

I look at him and raise an eyebrow. 

"Don't call me teach and next time you and prior want to talk, the principles office is down the hall," she says and continues on with the lesson. 

Tobias smiles at me and I smile at him back, mouthing thank you. He replies with a you're welcome and we pay attention this time. From the corner of my eye, Peter stares with a not so happy expression over his face. I mouth 'what' and he just turns away rolling his eyes. The bell startles me when it rings and I rush out.  

"Prior," Tobias calls after me. 

"What?," I respond. 

"Come with me," he says and leads me away from the hallways and to the back of the science building. 

He sets my backpack down and pulls up my shirt, stopping under my breasts so they won't show. I put my shirt back down when he sees the bruise on my ribs and on my stomach. I pick up my backpack and start walking away.

"Prior wait," he says.

"Is that why you brought me back here," I say. "So you can see whats really underneath. Again."

"Beatrice I really want to help you. I can't stand the thought of someone hurting you," he says.

"Yes, I am getting beat, is that what you want to hear.

"Who's doing it," he says looking anywhere but me.

"Why do you care," I say my voice cracking from remembering every single person that has ever hurt me, tears welling up. 

He comes closer to me and hugs me. I can't resist anymore and break into tears holding onto him. He stands there letting me cry on him. I pull away and wipe my tears from my face and look at him.

"Bud, his name is Bud. He beat me for a while, then stopped, not sure why, but last night he attacked me and I fought him back," I say trusting that he won't tell anyone. 

"Don't worry Prior, he won't do it again," he says. 

"You don't live with him Tobias, he's capable of a lot of things," I say.

"I'll make sure he doesn't do it again," he says. 

"Tobias, no. You have to promise me you won't do anything, I told you this because I trust you, please don't ruin this for me."

He doesn't say anything for a while and then finally says fine. He walks away and I walk the other direction to my math class, not turning around to see him. 

When he walks into math class, he doesn't sit anywhere else like I expected him to, but instead sits next to me. I shrug it off and he pulls out the same notebook I saw the other day. He starts writing and I look away not wanting to snoop at his personal things. The bell rings and the teacher starts handing out the tests for the class to start. Tobias is still writing in his notebook, I nudge his shoulder and he puts the book away when the teacher sets the test in front of him. Once she's done passing them out, its time for us to begin and the first question is easy. 

Twenty minutes into the test and I notice Peter staring at me, but his body is moving while he bits on his lower lip. I get uncomfortable and try to focus on the test. Tobias notices me feeling uncomfortable and gives Peter some kind of stare to send him off. He looks at me and mouths 'are you okay'. I nod in response and continue my test which is almost complete. After a few more problems, the last one doesn't make sense. I stare at it for a while and try to concentrate, one of my classmates stands up and hands their test to the teacher. I panic  a bit when more and more of my classmates hand in their test. I don't know how to solve this problem, so I guess and hand in the paper. 

As I walk back, Peter passes through my and his hand slides up against my thigh. I look back at him in disgust and quickly walk back to my seat. Tobias doesn't notice this time and I don't bother telling him, so he can't stop worrying about me. 

Class ends and its time to go to lunch. Then from there on other classes start until its time to go home.