| torn up

~ chapter 15 ☁️

It's the end of the day and I'm at my locker, grabbing some last minute homework and textbooks. Piper's driving us all to my house as the girls are going to come over to mine to hangout for a bit and help me pick out an outfit for tonight. I just texted the group chat a minute ago telling them to give me a quick second to grab some stuff from my locker before we all leave together.

And that would have been the case if in the middle of my homework mission, I hadn't seen him.

I'm heaving a particularly heavy book up into my locker when I hear footsteps nearing me. At first I don't pay it any attention as although the halls around this end of the school are mostly empty right now, there are still some students passing through every now and then.

So I still don't pay attention, even when the unknown person stops some distance near me. I do start paying attention however when they begin to abruptly pace up and down their side of the hall, their fingers running chaotically through their messy hair in an attempt to calm themselves down. At the unexpected action of the stranger, I pause in my own, unsure what to do and still facing my locker.

Had they even noticed me, I mean they must have, right? I give them a short side glance before quickly and awkwardly returning my gaze to my locker, realising it's a boy and that he's pacing with his head faced down so it's possible he hasn't actually noticed me yet.

Shutting my locker quietly and stepping back to pull my backpack up onto my back, I pause in my steps slightly. It doesn't take an expert to know that the stranger seems to be in some sort of distress at the very least. I can practically feel the tension rolling off his hunched figure in waves. I bite my lip slightly as I wonder if I should ask him if he's okay. I mean he's obviously not but then again it might make him feel better or at the very least, I can ask if he wants me to get something or someone.

I sigh softly, knowing I have already made my decision in my head as I turn to look his way, still not having a clear view of his face.

'Hi. Erm... Are you okay?' I mutter feebly, suddenly feeling silly for asking him such a thing.

For a second I don't even think he has heard my quiet words until his head shoots up in my direction all of a sudden. And that's when I am able to see his face, clear as day. And I nearly shit my pants there and then, because guess who it is, it's Alexander's 'friend' from that day.

The boy I had almost completely forgotten about, almost that is until this very moment.

My body seems to act on it's own accord, sensing the seeming danger before I can even process it myself. Without wasting a moment to think about it, I turn around and bolt for it, an action that almost feels reflexive and automatic by now in his new found presence the past couple days.

Unfortunately, his body is seeming to act on impulse too though when it comes to my face as not even a second later, I can hear his thundering footsteps right behind me.

There's no way I can outrun him again, not a second time, especially when I don't have the head start advantage I had last time. I can't run to save my life, and this boy is on the football team. For crying out loud, he probably runs more in a week than I do in a year.

My assumptions are proven correct because I don't even get to the end of the hall before he's caught up to me and suddenly I'm being roughly pushed against a wall of lockers. I gasp from the shock of it and know that I would most probably be wincing in pain right now if it wasn't for my bag shielding my back from the
harsh shove against the lockers.

I don't even get a moment to breathe before he's on me, pinning my body against the cool metal behind me.

'You.' He snarls in disgust, grabbing me by the collar so that our faces are now uncomfortably close.

'Y-yes, me.' I whimper pitifully, my fear getting the best of me as I turn my head to the side in an attempt to evade those eyes so full of hatred.

Oh, if only looks could kill.

'Why were you trying to run again, huh? Do you think this is all a joke, is that what this is to you?'

His tone is almost as ruthless as his grip, as he practically yells in my face, accusing me of all sorts.

'N-no! I don't, I promise-' I squeak, starting to sense where the majority of his raw anger is coming from as I try to prove to him this isn't what he thinks.

He doesn't seem to think so though however as he doesn't even give me a chance to explain myself before he is soon cutting me off again.

'My life is not something to laugh at and gossip about with all your friends, do you hear me?' He snarls in my face, making a shiver go down my spine.

Suddenly I am starting to see what a perfect couple this extremely angry boy and Alexander would make.

He's almost gone feral now, his own words seeming to spur on his anger as his relentless grip on me only tightens. It's like all these fake scenarios he's conjuring up in his head are getting the better of him and are taking over his mind.

'I-it's not like that, really. I told Alexander, I haven't told anyone. I-I swear to you.' I desperately plead in an impossibly gentle tone as I try to appeal to his better nature.

I don't really count my chances though to be honest, I can tell he's driven himself crazy over this, similarly to how I was only a few days ago. I also know that chances are, no matter how rational and comforting my words are, he won't listen purely because they're coming from me. And I am probably the person he hates most right now considering I'm a stranger who knows what just may be his biggest secret. He appears erratic right now and I know it's going to take a lot for him to take a breath and calm down. And I already know my presence isn't apart of that.

I'm scared for myself right now, and even partly for him because I can tell just how much this matters to him from how much he's wound himself up. And I understand where his fear is coming from, it doesn't matter how many times I try and reassure him. At the end of the day he still doesn't know me or my morals and values. For all he knows, I could easily at any time expose his secret and effectively maybe ruin his life.

He's breathing heavily and looking at me with those crazed eyes, almost analysing me and I don't even know if he has heard what I said or if he is too caught up in his own paranoia and fear to give me a chance.

I'm not sure what to do or say, or if to even try anything at all as it almost seems like one wrong move could push him over the edge right now.

So that's why I'm so relieved when I eventually hear commotion from around the corner.

'I don't know why I'm being dragged along on this fucking goose chase.'

My eyes widen at the familiar tone as Eli's grumpy voice drifts down the hall towards us. Although I'm not really sure if Eli's presence in this situation would be a good or bad thing. On one hand, he could help me calm down the boy in front of me. But knowing Eli, he may also just end up purposefully winding him up even more just to spite me.

'We have to find him. Coach has really been on his ass lately, he can't miss another practice.'

That's Haider, I think. Okay, no, this is a good thing. I know Haider would definitely try to help me out and explain the situation to the angry male currently holding me by the collar. And helpfully, if those two are together, then that must mean Alexander is also with them and he can help too.

With that final thought running through my head, I can't help but relax a little despite the rough grip still holding me up. Turning to face the dark haired boy, I notice how his demeanour is still persistent, and how that wild look is still in his eyes despite the incoming interruption. Any second now, the boys are going to turn the corner and see us, and yet going by his stance and expression, it's almost as if their voices have been falling on deaf ears.

'What the fuck?'