Introvert

25

"You wanna explain why that was a stupid statement, Jade? I'm here all day, so." Her voice is high, crisp. She's pissed as all hell, but God, she could totally screw Jade up. In this moment, she is a tornado, and I get swept up in the eye of the storm.

"Fuck you, Shyanna. You know why I said that. You have no business here." Jade lets Louis go slack for a minute, and Shyanna cocks an eyebrow. Shit.

"In your wildest dreams, Oliver. And, actually, I do have business here. You don't own the school, sweetie." I have never heard someone sound so patronizing whilst using the word sweetie in my life. 

Jade raises a fist to stroke along Louis's bloodied jaw. Lou lets out a pitiful whine, obviously in agony. My heart jumps into my throat. What is Shyanna doing?

She steps forward, bag hiked up onto her shoulder, jaw set. I can see nothing in her eyes as she sweeps them over my face, but she seems to find what she needs.

"Hey, Niall," she suddenly asks, just as Jade is pressing his fingers into the bruises fluttering up underneath Louis's skin, "do you ever wonder about the universe? And the futility of such a universe? And the idea of an all-loving God, whom, when asked, would respond 'no, I really do genuinely hate gay people!'? Do you ever think of such an absurdity of a God ever existing, Niall? Because I do." Her eyes are suddenly glowing, and if I weren't so attuned to her voice, I'd think she was confident. I can detect the slight nervousness in her voice, as if she is genuinely afraid Louis would be upset at her for saying such a thing. He isn't. His eyes are locked on her face, even as a small whine comes from his throat at being pained in such a brutal way. He is entranced by her words.

By the way Jade has suddenly frozen, looking mighty pissed off, so is he. I realize, then, that she asked me a question.

"Yeah, I do, if I'm being honest. I'm always wondering why any God, or any higher being, would truly hate a heart they created. How a God who preaches acceptance could ever hate one of his 'children' for being not-straight without being a hypocrite is sort of hilarious, to be honest." Shyanna tilts her head at me. I needn't say anything else. 

Jade is rigid, fingers going white from gripping Louis's jaw. His face is smeared with blood, and his eyes are rolled back. If we don't help him soon, Jade's going to knock him flat out.

Shyanna seems to be thinking the same, because suddenly she's swaying up behind Jade, quiet as a mouse. Jade doesn't even notice, his eyes are locked on Louis as he mutters. Words like 'filthy fucking queer' and 'worthless fag' flow from his mouth like particularly poisonous breaths.

Shyanna reaches up, up, up, and suddenly her hand wraps itself into Jade's hair. The same instant he realizes what has happened, Shyanna kicks the back of his legs out, yanks backwards, and Jade Oliver collapses.

Louis stands, looking terrified and pained, as Shyanna leans down, whispers a few words into Jade's ear I can't hear, and promptly stands on his fingers.

She glances up, then, looks to Louis' face, and crosses the distance towards Louis that I closed during the time Shyanna was whispering. I'm examining Louis' face when her fingers gently brush a line through the blood on Louis' cheek. His eyes are startled, afraid, wondering. 

Jade scuttles off, then, a squeak of rubber and a small yell of fright as he moves away, fast, and Shyanna lets out a breath she was holding. A smile settles on her mouth.

"I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable, Louis. I didn't mean to." Her eyes track to his stomach, where I'm only just noticing a slash has been made. Jade fucking- Jade sliced his shirt open, and there's a light cut on his stomach. It isn't deep, should scab over in a matter of hours, but it's beading small droplets of blood. He's a mess.