The Boy Next Door (Harry Styles)

Chapter 2

Jodie's POV

I walk out of my house in the morning and I see Harry also walking out of his house, to his car. I gasp a little when he turns his head and there is a huge purple and blue bruise covering his cheek and just under his eye. That poor boy, he has done wrong nothing to anybody but people constantly beat him up. I sigh and get in my car, driving to school.

I had to stop and get gas on the way, so I'm a little later then usual but I get here early anyways so I won't be late for classes. While I walk in there seems to be a crowd by the cafeteria, unusual. I walk over and I hear cries of pain, and when I get closer I see Harry getting beat up by Jack and his buddies. His eyes meet mine and I look away when they do, I turn straight away and walk down the hall. I can't watch that happen, I can't. Why does Jack have to do that to him? That is horrible, besides, Harry's a good kid, he never gets in trouble. I just shake the thought out of my head. I wanted to help him, but I couldn't, I'd become the next Marcel and I just can't risk it.

Harry's POV

"Marcel! That letter was trash, I got rejected. What's your problem, that was such a simple request and you couldn't even do that. How pathetic are you"

Jack yells at me when I walk in. He punches me in the eye and I fall backwards. Ow, I hold a hand over my eye and stand up, only to be met with another punch from him, this time to my chest. I bend forward in pain, trying to cover myself up the most so he can't punch me in places that hurt. I look up and Jodie is standing there, right in the front of the crowd. She looks at me the same time I look at her, and then she's quick to flee from the situation.
Again, why'd I have that little sliver of hope that she'd help me? Just because I've known her for a long time doesn't mean she wants to be friends with me any more than any of the other people do.
Jack finishes me off and I lay there on the ground, while everybody leaves, laughing with each other. I don't even bother getting up, I just let the blood drip from my lip onto the floor, the tears run down my face.
I am useless, just a punching bag for Jack. I understand he needs to take his anger out on something, but not me. I go to the gym 4-5 times a week and just get everything out, punch the punching bag for hours, I never get tired. I have nobody, just me and my mom. She's the only person that actually cares about me so the gym is where I get out all my anger towards everybody else.

I lie on the floor of the hallway, not having the energy to get up. I just lie there, thinking about my life. I am nobody's friend, nobody needs me. Nobody would care if I disappeared one day, never to come back. I pull my shirt away from my chest, the blood dripping from my mouth has fallen onto my shirt and seeping through it, causing it to stick to my chest. I slowly move backwards towards the wall, and use it best to my advantage to try and stand up. I don't care if I miss class, they know I'm the smartest kid here, my mom won't be mad, just worried for me. I grab all my books and slowly, very slowly, walk out to my car. After about 10 minutes and 2 falls I get there, and collapse down into the front seat. It doesn't take long for the tears to spill out of my eyes, soaking my shirt, as if it wasn't bad enough there was blood on it. I'm so sick of this. I can't keep living this way. I make my way home, and when I push open the door I hear a sound, but it immediately stops.

"Who's there?" My mom yells, I'm never home this early, she probably thinks somebody is trying to break in.

"It's just me mom."
I hear her running and when she sees me her eyes start to tear up
"Oh my god Harry, what happened?" She wraps her arms around me and I wince, making her loosen her grip
"Jack got called out by Mr. Jackson for being a jerk and he took it out on me. At least that's what I think, he said the letter was horrible so I guess Mr. Jackson sensed that yesterday I was forced to get it."

"Yesterday? Letter? I'm lost."

"Yesterday after class Jack made me get him a reference letter for his football scholarship. He thought Mr. Jackson wouldn't give him one if he asked, so he made me do it for him."