youngblood // p. hockstetter // 0.1

//thirty-seven

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Rosemary returned to Summer School two days after Father's Day after returning home and telling both David and Nathaniel that she felt awful, which wasn't a lie. The evident exhaustion began to subside soon after but regardless she still continue to lay in bed feigning illness.

She truthfully couldn't understand why Jude didn't want to have sex with her.

The thoughts troubled her. They floated in her mind during her two days in bed, during the silent car ride in which David drove her to Summer School, and all the way until she was knocked to the ground in the middle of the hallways before school had even begun.

Shocked out of her trance like state, Rosemary quickly caught herself before she could hit the ground, her bag and pencilcase skidding slightly in front of her as the hallway stilled slightly though still maintained movement as Rosemary turned to face her attacker, fully expecting Henry or Patrick.

When she locked gazes with the unnamed trio of girls in front of her, her frown deepened in confusion. Before she could question why they'd deliberately attacked her however, the girl in the centre of their line-up sneered down at Rosemary with a huff that Rosemary vaguely recognised. "Watch where you're going princess"

A passing boy helped her collect her stationary as she stared at the group's collective back in confusion. They walked away with very little care for those around them and Rosemary bit down harshly on the corner of her pencil case which poked towards her.

She wanted to bash the cunt's skull into her locker.

Patrick saw the exchange between them and watched Rosemary walk away, carefully noting her behaviour which unless you where looking for it would be missed entirely. Somewhat drifting between students whom either didn't notice him or edged away from him cautiously, he watched her hands clench and tighten as her knuckles protruded beneath her skin.

Rosemary hadn't noticed Patrick's presence beside her until he smacked his hand beside her locker uncomfortably close to her head. The sound alone made her jump but when she turned around to see the hand's owner, her face softened slightly. "Patrick!" She stated in surprise, clearing her throat as he twisted to lean his back against the locker beside her, "Do you need something?"

"Where've you been for the past two days?" She raised an eyebrow in confusion, mistakenly thinking for a moment his curiosity was fuelled by concern.

"Sick" She answered simply, turning back to her locker and pulling out her books for her first three lessons. "Have I missed anything?"

Although not as aware as herself, Patrick was no where near as moronic as Rosemary was assuming he was. Her change in attitude towards him had not gone unnoticed and Patrick was just as cautious as he was excited.

His hands in his pockets, he tilt his head slightly and grinned, "Some stuff in the Teacher's Lounge caught fire?" To his surprise Rosemary snickered, her shoulders hunching slightly as a feeling close to pride erupted from Patrick's chest at having elicited such a positive response.

"Can't imagine how that happened" Rosemary grinned at him lopsidedly and in one smooth movement Patrick twirled his lighter out and snapped it shut, winking at her in equal amusement as her eyes widened slightly at how expensive his lighter looked. "Though I do have a few ideas"

"Oh the wonders you can do with a lighter, a can of hairspray and your History homework" Patrick's eyes moved from Rosemary to Henry whom was quickly approaching them down the hallway. He grinned pointedly at her, maintaining his casual position as she clutched her books against her chest until she looked at him blankly.

"I have something of yours"

Patrick looked back at Henry, barely having heard her, "I'd move if I were you"

"Hm?" In the second it took Rosemary to process his warning, she'd barely moved away from her locker before Henry's hand slapped against it, slamming it shut. Rosemary instinctively backed away from Henry as he looked between herself and Patrick.

"What the fuck is going on here?"

"Nothing that involves you Bowers" Rosemary stated back fearlessly, resting her weight onto one leg.

"Remember who you're talking to Fennler, less you want a repeat of what happened at the bridge" He glared at her intensely but Rosemary showed no sign of standing down, raising her chin defiantly. Behind them Patrick felt something in his stomach stirring at the interactions between the pair, the heatedly silent battle between them speaking a thousand words as both where either too stubborn or too proud to drop the others gaze. Henry smirked slightly as Rosemary's eyes barely reached his shoulders. "You might wanna retry your intimidation technique, your falling short a few inches" Patrick snickered slightly with Henry while Rosemary silently fumed at the mention of her height.

"I'd back off if I were you Bowers or you might find yourself missing a few inches" Henry's hand shot out and wrapped ahold of the collar of her shirt, pushing her back into her locker with a resonating crash as she dropped her books, his forearm pressed across her throat.

Students yelled out in surprise and from the corner of her eye Rosemary saw students run off, hopefully to find a teacher. Looking back at Henry, she pinched her lips to hold in the splutter that came from her throat as he crushed her windpipe. Patrick was grinning maniacally beside them, his entire body stooped to take in all and every movement of her face.

"You can't help but run your mouth can you?" Henry sneered, his face contorted furiously. "You're worse then Tozier"

"You make it to eas-" He pressed harder and Rosemary grabbed at his arm, barely capable of talking.

"Bowers quit it!" A random student yelled at him. "She can't breathe!" Henry didn't break eye-contact with her for a second and pressed harder. For a split second she was scared beneath the brave face both Henry and Patrick could see. "Henry!" He was pressed so harshly against her she barely touched the floor.

"Henry let me go" It was neither a demand nor a plea from her as her face started to blotch pink.

"You remember this Rosemary. You're nothing but a small, weak, pathetic girl in over her head" She shoved at his sides with her hands, her hands grabbing at his shirt and at his pockets as he straightened to stare down at her. "A tiny cunt" He pressed harder and she scratched at his hips as she vaguely noticed a figure moving behind Patrick, "With a faggot-" harder, "-drug dealer-" harder, "-and la-"

Rosemary slumped to the floor unconscious.

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