In 7 Days [Book 1]

Chapter 21 - Everybody Talks

I froze completely and my lip started to tremble, my face breaking out into a big, happy grin. "Ah, thank you... Ryder." I squeaked, brushing my hair behind my ear nervously. My heart was beating so fast as I looked at him, a sincere look on his face. "That was..." I gulped nervously. "Really nice."

Ryder just shrugged at me, seeming really bashful. "Just telling the truth."

Ryder then went on to tell me the story of how he accidentally auditioned for the musical, making me laugh hard enough that I almost fell off my chair. I wasn't paying attention to anything else that was happening around us; just on Ryder and his banter. It was so strange to be able to click with someone so quickly. "So because of that, right, I think I'll be getting the lead in the musical. Finn said that Danny was perfect for me! The accidental audition actually ended up turning out okay, even though Finn made that poop joke." Ryder and I just burst out laughing again.

From the back of the classroom, a few pieces of scrunched up paper flew through the air and all hit Ryder in the back of the head. I stretched my neck and saw it was a group of Ryder's football buddies, and even when I saw them, they kept on doing it. I looked at Ryder and he seemed uncomfortable but was doing nothing about it except for rolling his eyes. 

He stood up for me before with Kitty, it was time for me to stand up for him. 

"Excuse me," I stood up and glared at the boy's on the other side of the room, "what are you doing?" 

"Oh, I'm so scared!" One of them remarked, as the others around him just laughed.

"Marley, Marley, sit down." Ryder snapped, tugging on my arm to pull me back into my stool. I shook my hand out of his grasp and continued to glare at the boys, who still happened to be throwing things at him. 

"Why are you taking this so seriously, Honey Boo Boo?" A blonde boy asked me, chuckling.

I just looked at them and shook my head in confusion. I didn't get their weird and probably horrible nicknames for me. "It's really not nice," I said, looking from Ryder, who was listening closely to me, and to the distracted jocks, "It's completely stupid that people would hurt other people like this, and I would like it if you stopped!"

"Babe, babe, babe, paper doesn't hurt," one of the footballers said calmly, looking to his friend to make a face. The whole group burst out laughing. 

By this point, the whole class was listening to our feud. But I still spoke out, questioning where this sudden burst of confidence had come from. "I know it doesn't, trust me, I know. But it starts with something so small and then people take it even further than scrunched up paper, and that's when it begins to hurt. It provokes other people, as well, and suddenly the entire school thinks it's okay to pick on someone for something their family can't help. And Ryder's your friend, isn't he? Or at least a good acquaintance... and you can't treat someone like that no matter what they are to you, but what if it continued and something really serious happened that messed up his entire life? Alright?" I was trying my best to stay calm and I realised I was about to crack, so I just sat back down in my seat. 

I glanced over at Ryder and he looked fairly surprised but also grateful. I shuffled my seat in slightly, took in a few deep breaths to calm myself down, and looked over at Ryder. 

"That was intense and really brave. Are you alright?" Ryder touched my right hand with his own which was on the desk. 

"Better now, are you alright after... that?" I didn't dare to move my hand as I kind of enjoyed his hand on top of mine. It felt so natural, so normal, like it was absolutely meant to be. 

The teacher was then ready to actually begin teaching the lesson, and Ryder and I shared a look, but we didn't move our hands. 

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