Runners

10. Boy

LILY POV:

The whole lesson I sat with Dalton and got to know him better. He's super friendly, and I found that the aura around him made it easier for me to relax so I wasn't stuttering on my words and my heart wasn't desperately trying to escape.

I found out that he plays football, so when Lu joins the team (because it's obviously a when not an IF) he will have someone to talk to that isn't a little worm.

Lu never had problems with other students, but the same couldn't be said for me. The girls liked to pick on me and the boys found joy in trying to claim the untouched virgin. They had no idea it was too late.

It wasn't even my choice...

Memories force themselves to the surface, but I push them back down, not ready to have an entire breakdown in a new school.

I feel a careful tap on my temple. A PEN

"Where'd you go in that pretty little head of yours, flower?" Dalton seems to like this new nickname, no matter how many times I've told him in the past hour that it annoys me.

"Stop calling me that!" I grumble quietly, only resulting in him letting out a deep chuckle. I found I liked the sound. It was as though the vibrations reverberated through the air into my body, causing it to release higher levels of serotonin. It was nice.

"Come on, we have the next class the same. Actually," he took my timetable from my hands. "We have practically the same timetable except a few lessons here and there. Ew, PE."

I look at him in disbelief. "Didn't you just tell me about all these clubs you're in? Sports clubs."

He waved a dismissive hand through the air. "Meh. It's not the same." Okay. "Come on! If everyone sees me walking through the doors with the new hot addition to our school, my street cred will go through the roof!" He hollers, shooting the ceiling with fake air guns.

My face flushed a deep crimson, and I can't help the giggle that escapes. This seems to cause Daltons grin to widen. "Off to English. Yaaayyy!" He does some jazz hands, causing another laugh to escape as I follow him out the door.

We walk side by side in the halls, and I pretend not to notice the stares I get from everyone. The girls look irritated, as if I've stolen their favourite bar is doll at recess, and the look from the guys makes me squirm uncomfortably. I unconsciously scoot slightly closer to Dalton. Which doesn't go unnoticed.

"You okay my flower?" He asks as we stop outside a door. I nod quickly, not wanting to be a burden to anybody else. "I'm fine."

He looks at me skeptically but nods. "Sit with me though, yeah?" I jokingly give him the 'are you dumb' look, "are you kidding? Of course I'd sit with you."

He beams down at me, pushing open the door and gesturing for me to walk inside.

Big. Mistake.

A scrunched up ball smacks me bang in the centre of my forehead. It's soggy, and black ink is leaking through it. I freeze instantly. Not again, please not again.

My back slams against the locker, my open wounds from last night sting and I let out a hiss in pain. "Wow. The worthless slut hasn't killed herself yet? Shame." Taylor snickers, flipping her long blonde hair over her shoulder. Those manicured talons look like they could shred me to pieces.  She's been bullying me for years, but somehow I've always been able to hide it from Lu.

I hide lots of things from Lu.

Because they would make him sad.

" maybe we should give her a helping hand, Tay. You know we always should aid charity cases." Amber snottily responds. She's Taylor's Carbon copy. Right down to the bloody mole on her left shoulder. It's creepy.

"J-just let me go. Please." Begging never works. Not here at school. Not at home. Not in my room...

"S-s-shut the fuck up!" Taylor mimicks. Girl, if I wasn't such a pussy around people I swear I'd smack you so hard your hair would fly off. HA. Now that's a funny image. Not now, Liliana. Not bloody now.

Taylor nods towards Amber, who instantly places a hand over my mouth. It starts: the acidic burning where her skin is on mine. I hate feeling this way. I squirm and scream beneath her palm.

Get. Off.

Get. Off.

I can feel my throat close up, my lungs refusing anything to process.

Get. Off.

It feels like I'm going to die. It feels like I'm being skinned. Burned. Stripped.

They feel like his hands.

"What's wrong with the new freak?" An unfamiliar voice breaks through my frozen state.

"Shut the fuck up Tammy!" A males voice grinds out. Dalton. "Flower, are you alright?"

A few laughs erupt from the room, "it was just a piece of paper. What is she, 3?" Well, I know three ways to hide your body right here in this room. Not now,keep calm. Don't lose it now, you've been doing so well.

"Leave her the fuck alone! I mean it. Mess with her, deal with me. Understood?" Dalton barks out. The room falls silent. "I said, is that understood!"

A muscular boy with red freckles dotted on his cheeks is the first to speak. "So, does that mean you've claimed her to you, Dalt?" Dalton looks down at me, giving me a gentle smile and a look telling me 'I'll explain later' and then looks out at the class.

"Yes." He states, which results in everybody in the room erupting with "understood"

I follow him to an empty desk just as a petite woman walks through the door. Dalton sits on my right, I decide to sit by the window and there is one more seat free next to Dalton. He puts his bag on that one.

The woman places a hand on her hip, lifting her chin so that her bony nose is pointed in the air. "This year, I will not tolerate any tardiness or disrespect." Wow she sounds like every other one. Never heard this before. "Any indication of misbehaviour and I will send you out. I get paid to teach, not babysit."

Okayyy.

She hands out books, we're studying Macbeth at the minute, and I pull out a notebook and pen. This is going to be a long lesson.

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Words: 1089

A/N : sorry if I got any information about highschool wrong, I'm not American :)