Dangerous »ᴄɵᴍᴘᴌᴇтᴇ«

SIXTEEN

SIXTEEN [Madisyn "Freak" Simms]

Watching Blade leave the room, I felt exposed, insecure, vulnerable. He made me feel safe. While he was there, I knew no one would hurt me. But as Ryan stood behind me, I'd seen something flash across his face before he left. Left to go play basketball I realised a moment later as I saw him join others on the courts. He said he'd be back in a sec, but it was now that I knew he'd lied. He wasn't going to come back, I knew it.

"Madisyn..." Ryan's voice startled me as he moved back to his chair, to which I silently thanked him. "Do you remember that day back in the secondary school? When I touched you?"

I flinched at the mention of secondary school and the word touch, but I nodded to say I remembered him.

"I was going to ask you out."

My eyes lifted to look into his grassy green ones before I could stop myself. He was going to what?

"But when you flinched away..." he paused, looking down, running a hand through his beach blonde hair. "I knew something had happened because you'd been fine the Friday before... So I decided to wait to ask you but you never gave me the chance." He looked up at me then, amusement mixed with something else filling his eyes. "I bet you're wondering why I'm telling you this, huh?"

I nodded silently.

"I'd never hurt you, Madisyn, I hope you believe me on that. I don't know what's happening between you and Blade, but I just want you to know that I'm here if anything bad happens, okay?"

"Nothing is happening between me and Blade," I told him. "We made a deal that I'd give him the sketch and final canvas piece and that he'd... protect me."

"Protect you? From who?" I flinched from the violence laced in Ryan's tone, his stiff posture.

"Bullies," I replied quickly.

Ryan immediately settled. "Madisyn, if anything, Blade will bring you more harm than good. But I guess that's what you get with love, huh?"

I stared in him in confusion. "I don't–"

He raised a palm. "Okay, okay, but you like him? At least a little, right?"

I shrugged.

Ryan sighed. "You two are going to be impossible."

"What do you mean?"

The bell going made Ryan grin. "Saved by the bell. Come on, I'll walk with you as we're in the same Tutor room."

Giving him a nod, I quickly packed up and cleaned my brushes before grabbing my bag and following him out.

"Hey, Madisyn! Come with us," a girl said, coming up to me and Ryan in the next hallway. Gripping my arm, I froze as I recognised the voice to one of the girls who'd been with Lucy before, it was the one who'd wanted my jacket before she'd thrown it in the bin. Tugging me away from Ryan, I heard the other girl say that I wouldn't be going to Tutor time, that I was going to hang with them.

I opened my mouth to say something. But nothing came out. Nothing. Not even a croak or a squeak to even hint that I had a voice. It was as though I'd suddenly gone completely utterly mute. But no, I did make a noise, but by the time I did, I knew that Ryan couldn't hear me. I wasn't sure where they were dragging me and I didn't even think, until we reached the gym, to fight the girls.

Pushing hard at my back, I went flying over the floor, sliding until I was laying flat on the ground. Hearing footsteps come over and the door close, I scrambled away to the wall.

"I really wish I didn't have to do this," a familiar voice sounded. "But clearly, you need your memory refreshing."

Lucy stepped out from where she'd been hidden, walking over with the other two following at her heels. I didn't reply to her, knowing that it would only anger her more.

I jumped when a set of hands grabbed an arm each so hard I cried out, yanking me into standing.

"What did I tell you Madisyn?" Lucy demanded.

A fist to my stomach was the response I got for my silence. I screamed at the pain that shattered through my system. "Not to go near Blade!"

I felt the air pause as wet trails became apparent on my face. My hair was gripped and used to raise my head so that I could look into angry hazel eyes. "You don't call him Blade!"

"But–"

"I said, YOU DON'T GET TO CALL HIM BLADE!"

I whimpered as she stalked away. I froze as I heard her next words.

"Put her on the floor! On her back!"

The girls moved me so that I was as Lucy had demanded, the one who stole my jacket held my hands out away from my body. I wondered why until I saw Lucy standing directly in front of me... lifting her foot. "You don't get to call him Blade."

"Hurting me will be pointless," I mumbled quickly.

"I disagree," Lucy replied with a snarl. "I heard about your deal with Zero. That you're keeping him around to paint him a canvas. Breaking your hand to pieces will mean that you won't be able to paint. And if you can't give him what he's hanging around you for, he'll leave you alone. Hurting the rest of you is because you didn't head my warning."

"If you break my hand," I started with a never felt before wash of bravery. "I'll use my other hand! And I've heard that with practise, I could even use my feet to paint. Will you break my feet too Lucy?"

I saw Lucy waver for a second at my sudden burst of bravery that went quicker than it came. When she spoke, she sounded genuinely confused. "Why? Why would you go so far?"

"Because I promised to give him the canvas when I finished." Because I'm in love with him.

 

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