By my Side ~ Tom Felton fanfic

Chapter 15: Abuse

Edward's violence didn't stop there.

At school we didn't talk or go near each other unless there was a great need for it. Whenever we did talk though, he would be "nice" to me. But as soon as everyone's eyes drifted to something or someone else, he would go back to that Edward. Especially after school. He even got his "mates" to help and tried to drag me into a bathroom. I ran away that time, of course.

About a month had passed until I heard someone talking about how I apparently was the reason for the tension between us. That I was forcing him to do stuff and starting to be abusive.

Sorry, what?

But what I supposed was the good thing was the most of the year level was... On my side so... Yeah. The person who I overheard was from the year level below us.

***

'Seriously, just dump him.' Kat sighed as the five of us sat on the oval during lunch.

'Yeah I don't understand why you're still going out with him.' Dessy said.

'I've been asking that question for more than a month.' Em raised her eyebrows at me.

I just shrugged, followed by a pause. 'Where's Licia?'

I didn't miss Tarlee and Dessy glanced at each other nervously.

'What?'

'Oh - um - we -'

'She's with the other girls.' Tarlee said quickly.

I raised my eyebrows. 'You know you can tell me. I won't care.'

'No Sakura, you will.' Dessy said slowly and guiltily.

'Badly.'

'What do you mean?' Em, Kat and I said at the same time.

The other two looked at each other in the eyes again, having a short, silent conversation.

'The other day, we went shopping...' Tarlee begun slowly. 'To, you know, catch up and stuff...'

'This was during the evening. On Saturday'

'Yeah. It was around eight or nine and we went to the movies and had dinner and whatever.'

'Then, we went past this club place and we...' She took a a breath, closing her eyes. She then opened her mouth but stopped. 'I can't.' She said, shaking her head. 'I feel so guilty...'

'Oh come on, you told us this much.'

'It's just like a cliffhanger in a book.'

This made Kat and I laugh a little bit seeing Dessy and Tarlee's serious faces, we stopped.

'Are you sure?' They said, looking directly at me.

I nodded, slightly slowly.

'Okay...'

Short pause.

'Alicia and Edward were all over each other.'

I stiffened.

'Coming out of the club and few of his mates and their girlfriends were there. It was full on too. They looked like they were drunk...'

'We watched them and they went into a narrow alley... Oh I don't even want to imagine what they did.'

As soon as they caught my expression, they wailed, 'This's why we didn't want to say it!'

I felt like the time he kneed me in the stomach: too shocked to cry. I just stared at the grass.