CRUSHED

ii - brandon king

Arden doesn't react but continues staring at her.

Nevaeh averts her gaze to Arden's outstretched hand. They always did this. The few times that they ever talked about something serious, the latter would put a hand out for comfort. Nevaeh grasps Arden's hand. They both watch his thumb brush across her knuckles. Nevaeh smiles softly.

Arden knows she's not perfectly fine but that's how Nevaeh gets through things. If you pretend for long enough eventually you start to believe it.

"So..." Freedom drags out. "Updates about you and my brother dearest," she grins.

Nevaeh elbows her, signalling her to be quiet. She usually doesn't care who hears their conversations because only year eleven and up are allowed in the common room but she doesn't think anyone will particularly like the topic they're talking about.

"Shut up Dom. I don't want any rich brats coming up to me about only being friends with you for Arden- Again," Nevaeh says rolling her eyes.

Arden has been the golden boy since before year three when she moved here and even then people tried to get in between her and Freedom's friendship so she wasn't interested in any more death threats from his obsessive fangirls. As cliche as it is their group was untouchable, still is. Arden could be seen as their ringleader. Though Nevaeh argues that she really brought the clique together. Arden secretly agrees and is very grateful, not that he would ever consciously admit it.

When Nevaeh moved to England she immediately befriended Freedom and Scott, then Shay and his younger brother Alec followed. Naturally Arden was surrounded by the others often because of his sister and soon the group was inseparable. Nevaeh's cousin Leon is also an honorary member, despite his lack of consistency. He can't help the fact he lives in Germany.

"Babe you know for a fact that you are the only one that has a proper chance with my brother because he'd choose you over those brain-dead barbies any day, especially if I have anything to do with it." If you couldn't already tell, Freedom is her twin and best friend's biggest cheerleader. She has always seen chemistry between the two, despite their unwillingness to address it. 

Nevaeh rolls her eyes again, a bad habit of hers. "Shut up," she laughs as they plop down at their designated lunch table. They always sit in the corner of the large room, no one daring to steal their spot.

Alec plops down across from Nevaeh. "Hey," He sighs practically throwing himself across the lunch table. "Alec, do you know the last time they cleaned this table?" Nevaeh grimaces poking his head. Reluctantly, Alec lifts his head up slumping back into his chair. "What's wrong?" Freedom questions already aware of the answer. She's the first to see the devil himself striding towards their table with his entourage of wannabe roadmen.

Nevaeh groans when she notices them. Alec doesn't even have to turn around to know who her distaste is directed at.

"Fag," Brandon King pretends to cough out as he passes their table.

The common room goes silent because he wasn't exactly quiet about it, and rich kids love to gossip. "Fuck off Brandon," Alec sneers, not in the mood to get into it with the childish boy.

Though, before Brandon can respond, he is shoved forward. Hard.

"The fuck did you just say to my brother?" Shay Hudson, Alec's older half brother, grits out. Brunette, six foot three with the body of a rugby player, he is a force to be reckoned with.

Brandon whips around to face the taller. He laughs in his face. "Not only do you have the wannabe queens standing by your side, you also have these three twats that act like they own the school," Brandon snarls, keeping eye contact with Shay.

"What will your brother do when he finds out what you've been up to? I also wonder how the other two will react to such news," Brandon snickers, speaking to Alec but looking over at the other two boys, Arden and Scott Lee. Nevaeh and Freedom's eyes widen as they glimpse at Alec subtly starting to panic.

Shay grips onto the back of Brandon's neck, slamming his head down into one of the lunch tables. Maybe messing with the brother of a rugby lad with a short temper wasn't the smartest idea.

For a few seconds everyone is stunned into more silence. Shay watches as Brandon's knees buckle before yanking him back up by the grip on his neck. Despite having a bloody nose, Brandon's cackle still ripples through the room. The laughter dies out quickly when Shay brings his face down to his level.

"Sorry mate, what was that?" Shay questions with a stoic expression. Brandon shakes his head vigorously, finally cracking under his intense glare. Shay shoves Brandon away from him when he hears the sounds of heels on the floor.

"Saved by the bell?" Arden mutters, slapping the injured boy on the back. Him and Scott walk past Brandon towards Nevaeh and Freedom, taking a seat at their table, like nothing happened. The girls lean back in their chairs looking unbothered.

"What is going on in here?!" Mrs. Wilkinson's shrill voice echoes throughout the spacious common room. She folds her arms looking at Brandon that's holding his bloody nose like a deer caught in headlights.

Shay walks towards Brandon, gripping his shoulder. "Brandon tripped and almost broke his bloody nose," Shay chuckles exuding a friendly aura. "I know how clumsy he is so I offered to take him to the office. I think he might need to go home since it was a pretty bad fall." Shay smiles sweetly at Mrs. Wilkinson making her believe every word he's saying. He had that effect on people. Even if she didn't believe him, she does believe Shay could very easily pull up some incriminating CCTV footage from his dad's club.

"Is that all Brandon? Would you like to go home?" Shay stares Brandon down in a contest he clearly won't win. "Yes Miss, I would." Mrs. Wilkinson nods as Brandon follows her out of the room, everyone now violently whispering about the little showdown.

Shay joins the rest of his friends, sitting beside Alec. "What the fuck is going on? We never know anything about what's happening in year eleven. You guys are too good at keeping everything that happens within your year, no matter how bad it is." Alec avoids eye contact. "Nothing, Shay," he grumbles. Alec is not ready to tell Shay the truth so he hopes Shay just goes with it. Shay seems to sense this and reluctantly lets it go.

Alec looks at Freedom and Nevaeh practically begging them to change the subject.

"Nevaeh didn't you want to go dress shopping today? We can go to Bluewater after school." Nevaeh nods, immediately catching on. "Yeah, the party is next week and we don't have dresses. And because we don't have dresses, we don't have shoes, and that is very scary." Freedom rolls her eyes at Nevaeh's exaggerated acting. She then smiles thinking of another evil plan. "You boys are coming, right? We need a guy's perspective." They nod lamely, starting up a conversation about golf.

Nevaeh leans into Freedom. "I swear to god if this is one of your evil plans you better make it work." Freedom bursts out laughing at the threat she thought was going to take a different turn. Freedom puts a hand to her heart and says grinning, "Scout's honour." Nevaeh rolls her eyes laughing too.