Rise Like The Sun

CHAPTER SIX

NICK

The teacher screams at him, "Get out!"

Nick performs a mock bow and says sweetly, "Since you asked so nicely."

When he leaves the class, he doesn't stop and continues to walk.

The empty school hallways are long and winding, almost dizzying in their labyrinth but Nick doesn't get lost. He moves quickly and makes for the school doors, to freedom, wondering if he can get away with making it to the city, by this evening. He can get some food, check up on his friends, and make sure that his absence hasn't left anyone feeling too brave, Nick thinks to himself.

And if nothing else, he's brimming over with stories about the rich kids and Madison Sutton.

She had proved a fresh surprise, looking as perfect and innocent as a sweet rose, but roses have their thorns.

Nick hadn't really thought himself through when he had stormed towards the rich girl, only knowing that she was the reason why his mother had railed at him repeatedly for striking up so many punishments in a record amount of time, in school. He had only remembered his mother's dark sad eyes, her look of disappointment, his stomach clenching in guilt, when he had stormed over to Madison Sutton and demanded her apology.

And he couldn't believe the girl either.

She would own up to nothing, stubbornly lying through her perfect teeth. But, Nick thinks, at least, he can comfort himself with the knowledge that he had rattled her as much as she had annoyed him. The girl looked close to unbound, glaring at him with fury brighter than the fires that had lit his cigarette.

Again, Nick hadn't meant to scare her, though he was used to scaring people with his lighter. He had moved aside and needed a smoke, not realising that she was moving past him, at the very same instant.

Then the bitch had ruined his lunch.

Just because she hadn't eaten anything didn't mean she could take away Nick's only source of sanity within this hellhole of a school. He had seethed, but Mr Bates had been waiting to escort him to class, unwilling to listen to him, and Nick hadn't had an opportunity to satisfy his growling stomach, until now.

"Hey – Hawthorne boy!"

Nick doesn't stop walking but he rolls his eyes. "My name is Nick."

"Nick, then," says the boy. "Where are you going?"

"English teacher told me to get out," Nick says shortly.

The boy has caught up to him, to Nick's annoyance, keeping pace with him easily as he chuckles. Nick blinks at him. Why does he look familiar?

"Pretty sure she probably meant to stand outside of the classroom," he tells Nick.

Nick shrugs. "Not my fault," he says, but he can't stop himself from grinning. "She should have made herself clearer."

The boy snorts. "Elliot Bradford," he says, by way of introduction. "You beat my ass to the ground because I said something stupid."

He almost chokes in his surprise but Nick stops, his fingers lingering on the handle of the doors. So that was why he looked so familiar! Elliot is smirking at him.

"Didn't recognise me without the black eye?" Elliot says, giving a quiet chuckle. "Look, I'm sorry for what I said. It was low."

Nick narrows his eyes. It had been low.

"You're not saying that because I could still beat –,"

"No," Elliot says quickly, shaking his head. He looks apologetic. "I told Madison to back off."