Dangerous Attachment

27|provoking

"I'd rather not." I state without a care, her eyes widen in shock from my bold statement. "I have homework to do anyways."

She flickers her gaze between us before resting on something behind me. "Why is Nate here?"

I look over my shoulder to see Nate sitting in the back row. However he's holding a phone to his ear and when I looked over at him, his eyes widen as he looks away. What is he doing? That's when I realize he recognizes Derek as the one who had me by the throat.

"Um a friend of his is on the basketball team," I leave out to boyfriend part mainly because I don't think many people know. Those that do don't broadcast it in order to avoid jerks like Brian getting to them. "I'm actually going to talk to him real quick."

I dump my bag at the bottom before climbing up to the top. Nate leans away when I reach him and instantly I make a grab for his phone. When he lowers it I manage to read the contact and I furrow my eyebrows in annoyance.

"What are you telling him?" I demand, by the guilty look he just ratted out it was him. "Nate! Are you serious?"

Nate swallows before holding out the phone. "He wants to talk to you about it."

My teeth clench as I take the phone, trying not to sound pissed. "Hello?"

"You weren't going to ever tell me about Derek were you?"

"No because it didn't concern you," I mumble, feeling as if I'm about to be scolded. "Actually it did. He wanted a reaction from you which is why I didn't tell you."

"And he's there now?"

"Yeah he is."

There's a sigh before I hear keys in the background. "I'll come pick you up-"

"I have my car."

"Then I'll walk you to it," He reiterates. "I don't want him to touch you again. He doesn't see me harming Blair physically -  who by my guess - doesn't know."

I swallow and look over at the couple. "I don't think she would believe me if I told her anyways."

"Stay with-"

"I don't need you to protect me from everything," I snap unintentionally, turning back to Nate as he looks stunned and I don't blame him. On the other line it goes silent for a few moments. "You don't need to save me constantly. I'm not some damsel in distress, not at the moment at least. Oh, while I'm at it - don't forget to disinfect your cuts as well."

I hold the phone out for Nate although I can faintly hear Rhys' voice. He stares at it and hesitantly takes it back. Exhaling I make my way back down with a determined bounce in my step.

I'm sick of being seen as fragile. I'm sick of being a victim. I'm sick of everyone thinking I can't take care of myself.

I need to learn how to do things for myself and having those craddle me constantly isn't going to help. I need a definite independence.

"Everything okay?" Blair asks, finally breaking any contact with Derek.

I nod once, sparing a glance at him as he sits back down. "Everything is fine. Let's get started."

Her eyes flicker momentarily to Nate but she doesn't question it, instead backing away and starting to yell orders at the girls. I reach back down for my bag in order to get a hair tie so I can pull my hair into a ponytail. As I do so I can feel Derek staring at me.

"Something came up with one of the guys that got the text, right?" I link the tie around my wrist and tug the zip across. "I heard that he got into a fight with the abomination. Gutsy, kind of stupid if he thinks that will get him to back off or any of the others to."

I peg my bag at the grandstand and start to gather my hair up. "Why exactly did Rhys hospitalize you?"

As I leave a few strands of hair loose I wait for him to answer. Except he doesn't. Instead he only stares with narrowed eyes. I loop the elastic three times before crossing my arms over my chest with a tight lipped smile.

"As far as I know Rhys' actions always have a reason behind them so you must have done something to provoke him," I state, scanning for a reaction but it's emotionless. Apart from the twitch of his right eyebrow. "I'm right, aren't I? That's why you look so angry but it's a shame that you won't hurt me infront of all these people."

He shoots up abruptly and as a chain reaction I jump back. My movement makes him smirk but he rubs his jawline with a chuckle. In my peripheral vision I notice Nate no longer leaning back in his spot but rather on edge probably from his quick movement.

"I don't think taunting me is such a smart idea," Derek snarls, his eyes flicker over my face trying to find something. Probably fear but I'm not scared. He isn't stupid enough to do something around witnesses and there's at least fifty. "Besides if you don't watch what you say I have other methods to keep you quiet."

"Kira!" Blair's voice calls out to me and his lips slip in the slightest. I clench my jaw but relax it as I leave to go to Blair, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "What was that around?"

I look back to see Derek sit down and move onto his phone. "I saw a spider, he got scared I guess."

"He's so scared of them it's ridiculous," She rolls her eyes, turning her attention back to the girls. "Alright. So I was thinking for the beginning to have a nest like formation and each beat they break off."

She points the remote at the stereobox and the music starts to the alternative version of Disturbia starts. They sway to the beginning until the drums starts the beat and one by one they fall back from the circle on every uneven second beat, turning into a spider like creature until the lyrics start.

Blair presses pause before it actually starts and looks to me. "It looks really good. But I think it might be more effective to have two on opposite sides break off that way it doesn't look so rushed, plus you could add a little bit of back story of them awakening so it's not just suddenly bamn, they aren't creepy."

When I look to her I wasn't expecting to see her grin. But I know why she is. It's because I've given more than a yes or no answer, I've given alternatives and ways for development. That's more than anything she's heard me say since I quit, it would be something the old me would say.

"Let's see how it looks."

Just a smidgen of tension in this chapter. This chapter was kind of a filler I guess but I wanted to show Kira gaining back confidence when it came to dancing. It's progress, huh?

Question: favorite band/s?
*Fall out boy, Skillet, All Time Low, Good Charlotte, 5sos  - the list could go on but those are top 5.*