Achieving A Grades (GirlxGirl) (Student/Teacher)

(17) Guilty Anger

Peyton's POV

"Oh...oh, Sebastian." I said, walking into his hospital room. He looked beat up and broken. Sebastian's face already had a nasty black bruise that covered the whole of his right eye; his arm was in a sling and he looked exhausted, but still as I walked into the room he smiled at me. It was a defeated, injured smile that said "I'm coping" and not much else. I felt terrible for him. I felt terrible for Noah, who was sat next to Sebastian and firmly gripping his hand. The poor guy looked like he wanted to cry. 

"I'm fine." Sebastian said, "Really. We both knew James had it out for me. He was going to get me back, one way or another." I walked over to his bed and took a seat next to Noah, sighing in a way that made me feel as exhausted as Sebastian looked.

"Why couldn't it be another way." I said, "Why couldn't he just steal your Chris Hemsworth poster."

Sebastian gave a short laugh, which turned into a cough, which turned into a groan. "He's broken a rib." Noah said, leaning forward and tightening his grip on Sebastian's hand. "And an arm. Oh, I can't believe James did this to you."

I wanted to smile at how typically cute and gay Sebastian and Noah were, but I was far too angry with James to even begin a smile at something so mundane. I mean for God sake, what a week, huh? "Seb," I said, and he turned his kind gaze to me. "the principle told me you don't want to go to court about this. Are you sure? That asshole deserves it."

"There's no point getting the law involved, Peyton." he replied, a look on his face that told me he was deathly serious. "James might get expelled, that's enough punishment in my eyes."

"Enough punishment?" I gawked at him. "Seb, we hate the guy! You told me just last week how you wished he would just disappear. Now's your chance to make that happen."

"Yeah!" Sebastian said, unhappily. There was a look in his eyes I'd never before seen. "To get him sent to jail and ruin the rest of his life! I'm not doing that, Peyton." his voice was firm, his eyes solid, and I knew he meant exactly what he said. "My life wont be ruined by this. I don't want his to be."

I looked down to my hands, my hair delicately falling in my face. "I was just so worried." I whispered. "I went straight to the principle's office and said so much crap to James - I, I'm surprised I'm not still in their getting detained or something."

Sebastian grinned at me. "Was it really that bad?" he asked me, and I could only give a shallow nod. In reality if any teacher had heard me say what I said I'd be given so many detentions I'd have no free time until I was thirty, so why did the principle, head of the teachers, act so differently?

I sighed, suddenly ashamed at myself. I didn't swear very much, it wasn't something I did, I'd usually just say 'balls' and be done with it; so why did James have me blurting out anything I could think of? The answer was obvious: Sebastian. I loved him so much and so dearly, losing him would be like the world's worst nightmare combined with Freddy Krueger and Jessica - incomprehensibly terrifying. "I believe I called him a 'stupid, cocky little asshole' at one point."

"Oh, Peyton." Noah said, shaking his head at me. "And Ryan let you get away with that?"

"Ryan?" I said, containing a snort. "You call him Ryan?"

 Noah shrugged. "Of course." he said, "He's foremost our boss, but the teachers tend to be on very good terms with the principle. I, for example, think he's a lovely man. He doesn't have much tolerance for indecency, though, which is why it surprised me he let you get away with your language."

"Well Ryan almost didn't." I said, testing the name in my mouth. It was funny, really. One second the principle was telling me to watch my mouth and the next he just didn't seem to care. "But after a little while of swearing he just seemed to give up on me."