The Lost

10- Give Her Back

Lucius

I flung the door back from where it had swung to a half-shut and the wood made a smacking sound as it collided with the wall. There would probably be a door-handle-shaped dent in the wallpaper now, not that that was causing me much worry. Half of the walls in this place were already dented or scratched up in one way or another anyway.

I thundered out of the boy's bedroom without looking back at the six people. I could hear the fuss over Edward and his bloody nose, feel eyes following me as I left. If there had been time to spare, I would have gone back and slammed the door shut, just to make them all stop looking at me.
The hall was long and featureless, with a lone window at the end before the walls veered off to the right. The light coming through that window was pale, grey. Pretty depressing. You could see the main road outside of the school if you looked through the glass, but I didn't— I turned to the right and didn't spare a single glance.
Seven doors. That was what was between me and Lyn now. Seven doors, then I would be outside of the headmistress's office. I was already weighing the two choices against each other in my head; knock or don't knock?

"Lucius!" Avery hollered after me. I heard the door slam against the wall once more as he came running up the hall behind me. Chrissakes.
The boy had ducked under my arm and placed himself in front of me before I realised what he was doing. He stood there in front of me, hands outstretched, his face saying stop. But I did not stop, not when I was this close to getting her back. Avery shrunk backwards a little when I didn't stop walking. Maybe he wasn't sure that I wouldn't simply walk straight into him and stomp him into the floor. I wasn't sure either. This entire thing was his fault after all. But then the timidness on his face was chased away by what seemed to be a grimace.

"Stop." He said aloud.
I shoved him to the side, "Get out of my way, I'm not in the mood."
He stumbled, but then took back his obstinate position in front of me. I felt my stomach lurch with anger.
Avery put his hands up, "Listen-"
"I'm not in the mood, now move." We were nearing the door at the end of the hall and I elbowed him into the wall, not particularly caring about the soft yelp he emitted. Almost immediately did footsteps again start behind me, then a hand was on my shoulder and trying to yank me back.
"Lucius!"
I let out a groan when he managed to make me retrace a few of my steps. My hand found his arm quickly enough, which I then yanked away from me, "Get off!"

Avery didn't waste the opportunity. A head of light hair whispered past my peripherals and then he was in front of me yet again; eyes wide, lips pursed, still trying to keep from advancing. You want to fight too, huh? I took a step back to tense myself. When Avery spoke, his voice was strained and had taken on an irritating sort of pleading tone.

"Please! Stop and think for a second."
I tried to butt past him, "Avery-"
He blocked me with his body and sputtered out, "What do you think you're doing? This is the headmistress, the Lady. She isn't Edward. You can't just punch her and have a- a shouting contest!"
I suddenly thought, maybe not her, but I can sure punch you if you don't get out of my way, Avery. And I was getting closer to doing just that with every second he wasted. Lyn was waiting for me.
Instead, I raised my eyebrows and hissed a mirthless laugh into his face, "You want me to sulk back to our room and let the Lady take Faelyn? Is that what you want? You never did like arguments, did you? 'Cause you're a pushover, Avery— You're like a fucking mouse." I regretted the jab as soon as I made it. Avery's face fell. His gentle brown eyes looked at me with such emotion. A dagger of guilt stabbed through me, but it was mostly buried by my anger at him and the worry for my friend. The comment didn't move him though; Avery still hadn't budged.