that's not why × ziam au (short story)

prologue × the meeting

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"Only the weak are cruel. Gentleness can only be expected from the strong."

— Leo Buscaglia

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J. Hughes High School despite being a ‘school’ for teens to learn and socialize, it was in no way ‘kid friendly’. It was just like in the movies, mean kids with mean looks on their faces doing mean things to the other kids that didn’t deserve it. The teachers were completely oblivious (or pretended to be oblivious) to the fact that teens were being harassed by other teens daily in the hallways, classrooms, cafeteria.

No one talked about it; there were no ‘Anti-Bullying’ clubs that went against the cruel actions of the teens that bothered others. There was no one that stood up to them, not even the teachers, whose job is to, not only give the students a proper education but to also protect them from getting harmed.

People mostly blamed it on the football team, since half of them seem to light their own days up by seeing another helpless student in pain. They were the stereotypical bullies; tough, rough and had no mercy when it came to hurt someone else.

But Liam Payne was the complete opposite of that stereotype; sure, he wore the varsity jacket sometimes and he was tall and buff. But he didn’t like making people cry, he hated it. He was fairly nice to everyone that crossed his path, he saw no need in making them hurt.

His mates would usually encourage him to slap a certain geek upside the head, or laugh at a kid when he would fall down to the ground with his books pressed against his chest. But he wouldn’t let the peer pressure get to him; he didn’t want to fit in the group if it meant that he would have to hurt someone along the way.

He didn’t want to be part of the group of people that wanted to make other kids kill themselves.

That’s why all of the students of J. Hughes High are here: in the auditorium, whispering and slightly confused by the meeting.

The principal is standing on the stage, speaking with the school’s counselor, Mr. Martin. Both of them have stern looks on their faces as they speak; a hint of sadness in their facial expressions as the un-audible words leave their frowned lips.

Liam sits there with his arms crossed against his chest; his eyebrows are scrunched up as he looks around. He sits by his friends, who are laughing and joking around. Liam doesn’t want to talk with them, not when the situation seems too serious. He has a feeling that something has gone wrong, he doesn’t want to make a joke out of it.

Some teens are silent, poker faces as they look up at the principal who is now patting Mr. Martin on the shoulder, then walking away behind the stage’s curtain.

Mr. Martin begins to silence everyone, calling out a few of Liam’s friends. He claps his hands; his expression is serious and hard, yet there is something readable about it.

 There is some sort of disappointment in it, directed towards the students.

“Settle down, students!’’ He exclaims, a series of clapping followed by his command.

Most of the students shut their mouths at the sound of the always cheery counselor’s, sudden shout at the teens. He didn’t seem happy at all.

He clears his throat when the only sound that is heard is the teachers behind the curtain and coughs. He scans the crowd once again, pursing his lips as he clamps his hands together, a quick glance at the ground before he begins to speak.

“I think a few of you know why we called all of you here today.” His voice is rough, probably because of the sudden shout he had given earlier. He sniffs a bit, giving one cold glance towards the football team. “I believe –“He is interrupted by a sudden snicker, which comes from Jordan, probably the rudest and meanest guy at school.