The Sidemen, a group of average teens going to secondary school in the UK. Well, maybe not quite so average. Every day is a struggle- with breakdowns, bullying- and forget even having a rainbow, let alone the pot of gold at the end. Life's shit for...
"What the hell were you even doing fighting JJ!!" She questioned frantically, holding my jacket sleeve with a tight grip as she dragged me out of the school gates.
"None of you fucking business!" I replied venomously, ripping my arm out of her grip and storming in the other direction to her- wanting to go to the lake beside the house. My cool-down space. The screams of the voices in my head still hadn't cooled down having snapped JJ.
"Fine- maybe it isn't my business, but what are you going to do about those cuts?" She pressed further, jogging to my side and being careful not to touch me this time.
"What cuts?" I turned around to face her and raised a brow, not realising I had been injured at all. Although once she brought it to my awareness and I felt my adrenaline pump fizz away, the dull throb above my eyebrow became very persistent in the forefront of my head.
"Your face. There's quite a few little cuts and a pretty big one, actually." I could feel her eyes zipping between points on my face as she took big strides to keep up with me. I couldn't help but raise my hand to tap my cheeks and forehead to find the sources of the wounds. "Here-" Val took my hand in hers to guide it across the pallid skin and trace from my chin to just above my lips- the cut met my fingers, pain shooting through the uneven skin despite the dried blood that encompassed the wound.
"You should probably go to the ho-" She choked on her breath as she said the word, gulping before finishing her sentence. "H-hospital or something to get it stitched or at least make sure that it doesn't get infected."
My mind flicked back to seeing her at the hospital. Distraught and confused, marching down the halls with such purpose I almost didn't want to hold her back or pull down her resilience.
Tobi had talked with her about the situation, I was sure. Though he had refused to talk to me about it despite my pushing- I knew that it was something pretty serious. At least serious enough for him to keep a secret for her, despite him admitting he didn't even know why the other boys liked her that much.
Why even did they like her so much? And why did she try with them when they never showed any warmth towards her? I saw Cal, Will, Lewis and all the kinder, more popular, more attractive guys talk to her- even Freya, Gee, Amy and the rest of her group tried with Val- but instead Val joined Vik and the rest of the boys? Why does she like Vik so much, anyways? He's not that funny, not that cool, not that pretty and not even that interested in girls... So why'd she like him?
Getting a bit jealous, aren't you, Josh?
"Josh? Josh, you alright?"
"Shut up." I mumbled, eyes opening to realise I was now seated on the side of the street. Val was stood over me, looking down into my eyes with a look of hurt on her face.
Fuck, she probably thought I was telling her to shut up.
"Josh, my house is only about a ten minute walk from here- you think you can make it there? I have medical supplies and stuff and... I think you need to get somewhere to cool off. You aren't looking too peachy." I was surprised to hear that her voice was still caring, despite the slightly sad tone that had overtaken it. And especially that she was still willing to help. Why did she have to be so kind? So unwaveringly compassionate and morally strong even when I was a dick to her.
"Fine." I mumbled. "I'm sorry..."
No less than ten minutes later, after walking in a silence whereby Valerie looked back every few minutes to check up on Josh- they reached a gaunt street, a run-down slip-off from the main street whereby the golden lamps glowed on the houses. This alley Valerie led him down was nothing short of grimy.
Not a street-light lit the jaded street, which made it too easy for Josh to fumble his steps, stumbling over the litter that crowded the path. Two tall brick buildings towered over the street, casting the area in gloom which almost made Josh lose Valerie- and he probably would've if it wasn't for the hand that brushed his every so often, sending small fizzes of fire through his arm.
Once they had walked far enough that the main-road was simply a pin-prick of light in the past, Valerie took a pair of keys out, turning to the door before allowing it to creak open- stepping inside with eyes coyly meeting Josh's before looking forwards again, gesturing him in.
Josh allowed the door to shake shut behind him, then looking forwards to the stairs where a man a few years older than them lurked, face obscured by a beaten cap and a cloud of smoke, billowing from the cigarette in his mouth. Worst, Josh caught his eyes raking down Valerie's figure as she advanced towards the stairs and quickly made his way past him.
Josh hurried after her, jerking an arm around her shoulders almost protectively as they made their way up the stairs, shoes tapping against the floor and creating an echo in the bereft building.
"Val, do-"
Valerie simply shushed him with a finger to the lips, not slowing her pace as she ascended up the third flight of stairs with ease. The same sequence of square stairs and monotonous cream walls was mind-numbing for Josh, and he could almost feel himself getting dizzy by the monotony of this residence- though Valerie abruptly stopped at what felt like the five-hundredth set of stairs, plucking up a new key and undoing two locks of a chipped and rickety door, shoving against it a few times before it finally gave in, allowing Valerie to cough as she fell into the... home? Josh didn't feel like he could call this place a home. Apartment felt too generous of a name, too.
"Welcome in..." Valerie smiled weakly as she shut the door behind him, checking up and down of the stairs outside before locking the door hastily.
What the hell was this place she lived in...
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thoughts on this as a new cover? Yes or no:
Ups! Tento obrázek porušuje naše pokyny k obsahu. Před publikováním ho, prosím, buď odstraň, nebo nahraď jiným.
