Meet Me in the Hallway (HS AU)

ten.

I ended up finishing the 3 coats of paint on both windows and the door frame by 4pm, including a break for lunch and a half hour of lying on the ground to stretch my back. I made my way home to the empty house.

I could sleep in the bed tonight.

A breath of relief flew past my lips followed by a chuckle. I could sleep in the room designed for sleeping, not on the couch or the bathroom floor.

My feet skipped up the front steps and into the house. I kicked off my shoes, not caring where they land, and headed over to the couch. I turned on the tv and put on a cooking show I had been wanting to watch and began eating the food I had picked up on the way home.

Maybe 4:40 was a little early to be eating dinner but I was so sore already that I was excited to shower and sleep in a bed for a long time.

I got in the shower and let the heat relax my tense back and shoulder muscles. It took some scrubbing but I got the paint off my hands before turning off the water and getting out of the shower.

About 90% of the bruising on my back had disappeared, same with my upper arms and chest. My eye was almost completely healed after countless warm compresses and my neck was also healed.

My thighs and stomach were still a gross colour from Tuesday night but were well on the way to healing.

I was feeling whole again.

I crawled into bed and closed my eyes. I didn't have to wait and escape to the couch tonight.

With that thought circling my head, I was asleep in minutes

My alarm woke me up at 7am. I had slept for almost 14 hours. I didn't know that was humanly possible, but I felt like a new person.

Until I tried to get out of bed that is.

My shoulders and back were so sore I felt like someone was wringing at my spine everytime I moved.

I decided I needed another hot shower to relax my muscles and to pop some pain medication made for back pain once I got to school.

I stood in the shower for at least 15 minutes before getting out and getting back into my paint clothes.

I made myself some toast for breakfast and a coffee, then I brushed my teeth and made my way out to my car.

The rain was pelting down today, so I quickly grabbed my waterproof coat from the closet and an umbrella on the way out.

With the weather being so harsh, I decided to drive more cautiously, my usual 20 minute drive took 35 instead.

Luckily there was a break in the weather which gave me just enough time to sprint from my car to the front door of the building which was already unlocked today.

I shook off my umbrella and brushed the droplets off the back of my coat before heading towards the classroom. I was probably going to start on the walls today, then I could spread it out over a few days instead of having to hurry and get it all finished at the last minute.

The pale green door slid open and I dropped my things on top of my desk, flicking on the portable heater and reaching for my speaker.

"I hope your music isn't awful, or it'll be a long day."

I screamed and almost dropped my phone, quickly spinning to see who had been present without my knowledge.

Mr Styles was sitting in the back corner of my classroom with his laptop open and paper scattering the desk.

"What the fuck? You scared the shit out of me. What are you doing?" I held my hand over my heart, it raced beneath my fingers and I tried to calm it with deep breaths.

"I told you yesterday. It's protocol to have supervision when using a ladder. I'm not dealing with an Occupational Health and Safety report because you fell. So I'm working in here today."

I straightened up, "I'm not going to turn down my music just because you're in here. It also won't stop me from singing." I cross my arms and lift my nose.

"Singing? Is that what you call it?" He flicked through the papers on his desk, not sparing me a glance.

I am usually not petty. But god I can be petty if I want to be. And boy did I want to be.

My eyes moved to the paint tins and I found the yellow paint, popped the lid off and poured some into the roller tray. I was going to need to use the brush on the edges but I wanted to get results rather quickly today.

Picking up my phone again, I flicked through my playlist before spotting the winner. This will guarantee he will leave me alone today. Let's hope Mr Styles knows his Megan.

*Play Girls in the Hood by Megan Thee Stallion*

"Fuck being good I'm a bad bitch, I'm sick of motherfuckers tryna tell me how to live." I sang the lyrics louder and in a more accusing tone that I usually would.

The roller collected the paint and I transferred it to the wall. If I wasn't too busy being petty, I would have had more time to appreciate the colour as it spread across the wall. This colour was going to be the perfect amount of change, it was cleaner and more appealing than the current yellow but not a huge change to the students familiarity with the room.

"Do you need to play it so loud? I actually have things of importance to finish." He ran a hand through his short hair in frustration, huffed and made eye contact with me.

"I'm a hot girl, I do hot shit." I sang even louder than before, swaying my ponytail from side to side as the paint roller continued to cover the wall.

He groaned in annoyance but nevertheless, left the topic and fell silent again. After giving the wall my full attention. I realised I probably should have started at the top and worked my way down but it was going to be ok anyway. I climbed the ladder and began the top third of this section of wall, the middle already completed.

After getting the roller as close to the edges without actually touching them and finishing the top section, I made my way back down the ladder and began on the final section on this area of wall. The ground was hard beneath me as I sat on my knees in front of the wall. I was fairly certain the walls were only going to need 1-2 coats maximum so it shouldn't take as long as I had previously anticipated.

I snuck a glance back at Mr Styles who had his cheek resting on the knuckle of his left hand, elbow propped on the table and right hand fiddling with his laptop's trackpad. I turned back to the wall and completed the final section. The roller was placed on a garbage bag and I opened a brand new brush to cut in the edges with. The paint tin was a little lighter now after some of its contents were poured into the roller tray so it was easier to lift the can onto the top of the ladder and work on the edge connecting the wall and the roof.

Once all the cutting in was done in this section, I looked around the room. 'Half a wall done, only 3 and a half to go.' I thought to myself.

I put the brush down and made my way over to my bag to have a drink of water and check my phone.

"Oh finally, you're going to turn this off?" His voice had a touch of victory in it.

Wrong.

"And here I was thinking maybe you would have good music taste behind the boring personality you wear." My finger pointed at him as I looked him up and down.

I turned the volume up even louder than before, maintaining my stare before singing, "knowing nothing in life but I gotta get rich. Yo-"

"You can check the throwback pics, I've been that bitch" Did he just? My jaw fell before I could catch it. Mr Styles knows Megan Thee Stallion lyrics.

I hit pause and looked back up at him. He had returned to his work, obviously pleased with the newfound silence.

"I'm only pausing to go to the bathroom. My music will be back on the second I come back." The words fell out of my mouth as I made my way to the door.

"I'll even put in a request for you then. Maybe something you won't be shown up in."

Asshole.