Tweetie

17

"Hey, Tweetie," Oscar looked up at her, it seemed he was quickly getting more and more comfortable with her and the intimidation he had finally wore away. Still, he was hushing his voice though. "How come everyone's staring at you?"

"I just found out," she said, turning to Ryan as she started her next words, "apparently they think Ryan beat me up. But unless he did it in my sleep, I don't think I believe them."

"What!?" Ryan immediately jolted up in his seat, his eyes glaring into her. She hoped he remembered the phrase 'don't shoot the messenger' because, with the way his eyes sharpened, it was likely that he forgot. "Why the fuck would people be saying that?"

"Don't ask me," she shrugged, unfazed by his raised voice. She had heard too many for them to be quite so shocking. "I don't get why people have to stare and glare at me and not you, I mean, if it was real, I'd be the victim in the situation. They're supposed to make me feel better, not worse."

"Ugh," he groaned, his eyes still glaring coldly into her as he spoke, "fuckin' assholes."

"Sorry Tweetie," Leo said, deciding to apologise where Ryan wouldn't, "we really should have expected this. People tend to get dragged into our messes."

"It's alright," she smiled, pleased by the fact he even said sorry. "It's not like it's your fault, anyway."

"Yeah," Ryan nodded, though his sharp eyes returned as he began to think about it more and more. "Why would they think I would beat up someone like you? What the hell? You look like you wouldn't even hurt a fly."

She shrugged and took the tray now empty of drinks back into her grasp, hugging it to her as they watched her move.

"Maybe it was that guy from yesterday who's spreading the rumour," she suggested, forcing them to tilt their heads. "You did say that he looked like he was gonna try something and he asked if you were the one who beat me up."

"Oh shit," Ryan sat up again, his eyes widened in realisation, "it totally was him, wasn't it!?"

"What're you gonna do?" Joel asked hesitantly as Ryan stood from his seat, his face twisting in annoyance the longer he thought about it. He was quick to anger, and as he clenched his fists and began to gather his belongings, it became evident what he was planning. "Ryan, you're not gonna go confront him, are you?"

"I am," he snapped, keeping his head lowered, "he keeps fucking shit up, what gives him the right?"

"Are you kidding? Don't go and fight him," Leo sighed in defeat.

"Why not? He deserves it."

"It'll only prove his point," Hazel said, taking a step back from the table, her words more like an off-handed comment. "The rumour's about you fighting, if you respond to that by fighting him, it'll only convince more people that you did actually beat me up."

"Yeah, don't give him what he wants, Ry." Leo shook his head.

"Then what am I supposed to do? Let him talk shit about me?"

"It's not the worst thing to happen," Leo said, earning a nod from Hazel who knew far too well that in her life, the bad conversations about her were the least of her worries.

"Yeah, if you ignore it and prove him wrong, it'll make him look bad for talking about you like that," Hazel made a final comment, stepping back and away from the table as they watched her and realised she still had more to do around the cafe.

Hazel moved back towards the counter. It was calmer for the time being as students began to pack up and leave for school. Except for the boys of course, who didn't seem to want to waste their time with an allegedly bad education.