Whatever Floats your Boat

Chapter Sixteen

Copyright © Georgie E. - Fruitea on Wattpad  

Chapter 16

"Louisa," a voice sang.

I didn't have to turn to know who was singing to me. I had seen it coming for days, anticipating him coming to get me. I hadn't seen him doing it at school though, the docks I thought an idea but at school? He was an idiot for trying here.

"Piss off, Harley."

"Now, now. Is that really how you want to treat me?" My teeth ground as I shut the locker and turned to find Harley grinning, Cheshire Cat style. "Oh, there's that pretty face of yours. I've been missing it not being next to Beck constantly."

I rolled my eyes and moved past him. He wasn't done with me yet though and walked slowly alongside me as I made my way to my next class. He fell into step beside me and I tried with all my might to ignore him.

"So I was wondering, why did you lie to the police about you and your new friends not being at your buddy's house the other night?" I ignored him, pushing a door open and continuing up the stairs. "Don't try the silent treatment, Louisa, we both know you were lying. You know that's a criminal offence, right?"

"I didn't make a statement, Harley."

"Well, we know that's a lie. You're with them now, of course you did something to get us into trouble."

"You're pathetic," I grumbled. Honestly, was he five? Louder I told; "Maybe you shouldn't get into trouble in the firs--" I didn't get to finish my lecture. I was winded from the side and pushed up against the wall.

The hallways, one moment with a spattering of late students, was now empty. Well, you could hardly call it empty with the six or seven students closing around me. I looked around dazed; it wasn't just the guys from the team, Sirena was there too.

"Did you hear we got ratted out on Friday, Lou?" I turned from Sirena loitering at the back of the group to the person holding me up against the wall; Beck.

I wriggled, trying to get some room under his grip. There was no use, he was acting as a human clamp. "What have I got to do with it?"

"Well, who's got all the names of the swim team... and which girl is conveniently forgotten?"

I whine. "I didn't make a statement, Beck."

"But you were there, weren't you?"

"I don't remember."

He glowered and my teeth gritted with the intensity. We stared each other out, waiting for the other to break. It felt like when we were dating again, when we used to get into an argument over something petty and would wait for the other to crack.

Beck was the one to turn away and laughed bitterly as his head dropped. Unlike when we dated, satisfaction didn't wash over me. Instead I looked away, my eyes filling as I realised that no one was going to help me out of this situation, not even Sirena.

"Look at me, Lou." Beck didn't say it in a comforting way, like he was trying to make amends. He was snapping. I kept staring at Sirena, willing her to grab me and drag me through the mass of muscle. I didn't expect a speech of treating a girl as if she were a lady, I just wanted to be out of this cage.

"Look at me!" My face was taken in his hand and he pulled my chin towards him. I cringed at his nails dug in.

"Stop manhandling me," I snapped.

"Who's going to stop me?" There was a chorus of laughter - an agreement - from the boys crowding around. "None of the team are going to stop me, Kendal's not here. Who's actually going to help you, Lou?"