Tweetie

45

He stopped at the counter, ready and willing to tell Stewart to look after his things while he left, but, he didn't make it far. Hazel turned, calling out to him as she acknowledged just how easily frustrated he was today.

"Ryan?"

"Tweetie, don't try to fucking calm me down this time-"

"Ryan."

"Not this time!"

"Ryan! Why are you limping!?" She pushed herself up, turning and walking towards the furious boy, "Sit down before you hurt yourself!"

He glared at her, his eyes firm but still sharp as they now stood face to face, his breathing heavy and her eyebrows furrowed as she pointed towards his seat. And like a young boy told off by his mother, he did as she said, his expression never shifting.

"...Jeez, didn't realise you could be so intimidating..." Ryan mumbled, shrinking into his seat as Hazel stood, her back turned to the table with her arms crossed over her chest as she thought.

How long had he been following her around? Was it a one-time thing? Maybe that was how he found out that she told the guys that he attacked her... But, wasn't that in the cafe on another day? Oscar was there when she told them all. When wasn't Oscar with them during lunch...?

"...Now I'm even more conflicted..." She sighed, turning to them all as she continued to think. "I need to see what he wants, but, I don't want to be punched again."

"Is it really worth the risk?" Leo asked, watching her approach and slump down into her seat.

"I feel like he might've been following me for a while," she admitted, sighing as Ryan tensed a little, frustrated by this fact. She appreciated his anger on her behalf, but, she would rather he didn't hurt himself because of it. "I mean, he found out that I told you guys about him attacking me and Oscy, and that was on a completely different day to the one Oscar saw him follow me. I just want to know if he is going to blackmail me into something."

They fell silent, realising that she was right. None of them had told anyone, and they were sure nobody else knew about the attack. But, Oscar was there. So, how long had she been followed for? It was difficult to tell, the boys often received detentions and it wasn't uncommon for them to be missing during the first half of lunch because of it.

She needed to know. How many things would this confirm? What would it answer?

But, she still wasn't entirely certain if he was involved with Jason. She couldn't recall if she heard of the pair knowing each-other quite like Ryan and Jason did. Unless Ricky just randomly attacked Jason and took him by surprise, it didn't make sense. Somebody who knew Jason and his routine had to have done it.

She was conflicted. Until, she pushed her mind further, thinking back further.

Had she really never heard of them being friends...? She felt like that itself was a lie. But when did she find proof that they knew each other?

"Fine, fuck it." Ryan came to a decision as he sat up and quickly finished the last of his coffee, "Tweetie, we're going."

"Eh?" Hazel turned, watching as Ryan moved away from the group, stopping to send the girl a glance. "Is that a good idea, Ryan? You won't get angry?"

"It'll be fine," he sighed, brushing his hair back and through his fingers.

She stood, going to stand next to him by the door and, really, they looked like a mess. A duo mess. She was covered in injuries, he was limping on a bad leg and constantly frowning. If anybody saw them, they would think they found trouble for a living. But, that was only Hazel's lifestyle, not Ryan's.

"Ryan," Leo sat up, his eyebrows raising and a small frown formed on his lips as he grew more and more concerned, "you won't lose it, will you? You know Ricky always makes you angry."

"Seriously, it'll be fine," Ryan sighed again, "I'll have Tweetie there, she'll calm me down, right, Tweetie?"

"Right," she nodded, smiling up at him as he put his trust in her. "I pinky promise that I'll allow no harm to come to Ryan and I won't let him hurt Ricky." She lifted her hand, raising her little finger as Ryan nodded in approval.

"And I pinky promise that I won't let Tweetie get hurt," he lifted his hand, raising his own pinky beside Hazel's, however, he let a sigh escape him as everybody raised an eyebrow, expecting more from his promise, "And I won't hurt Ricky."

"If either of you come back with a black eye, I'll make you run laps around the city," Fox announced, forcing Hazel to widen her eyes, drop her hand and nod frantically before Ryan dragged her out of the cafe, leading her down a street and in the opposite direction of the school.