U N E D I T E D 

I was getting sick of this. 

My patience had run its course and for a split moment, which doesn't happen often I can assure you, I snapped. 

So, I threw the girl into the lockers behind her and, sure as hell, she didn't see it coming. I quickly gained the attention of Henry, as he came up behind me, trying to pry my grip off her. I was past the point of caring.

"Why are you staring?" I spat, "Stop fucking staring." I may have used more force than necessary, but I felt no regret, even when she started to cry. "It's so damn rude to stare!"

"Harlow leave her alone!" Henry pulled at my closed fist, which was tight around the ignorant and invasive rude girl's shirt. "You're making a scene. Just breathe." 

The girl was pathetic. "I-I wasn't s-staring." She whimpered, closing her eyes like she could sense I wanted to hit her. And I really did want to. 

A crowd had formed by now, all watching in anticipation for the next big fight. I wouldn't give them the satisfaction. Yet my anger was only growing thicker the more the girl spluttered and squealed. Truly pathetic. 

The massive bandage on my head would be the death of my reputation. Yet Henry had insisted I see a doctor. Once his mother had stormed out her house last night to give me another lengthy lecture on my toxic influence on her son, she realised I was hurt and wouldn't let me leave the house until she got a doctor to check me over. 

I suppose that was her own personal torture for me, and boy did she had this smug look, the entire time. Probably knowing how stupid I would look. 

For the whole day, people were whispering. This whole school was hell-bent on rumours. And I was sick of all the judgement, the looks, and especially the staring. Maybe I was taking it all out on her, but it was the wrong time and the wrong place. Wasn't my fault she looked at the wrong time.

I got up and close to her face, seething with anger. I suppose it was my Achilles' heel. "Don't lie to me. And don't even look in my general direction again or so help me God, will I shove my hand-" 

Henry wasn't strong enough to pull me away, I'm sure he knew that. It took Spencer to lurch me off the girl himself. Sending her scrambling away. 

I grit my teeth together, locking my jaw in place. "Calm down, Har." He laughed, it was all very amusing to him. 

"Don't tell me to calm down." I shrugged out of his grip and reluctantly he let me go, knowing I wouldn't pursue that useless girl. The time had passed and I should've just punched her in the first place. 

The crowd was still there, just waiting for another explosion from me. And surely staring at the ridiculous bandage on my head. I was still blazing with anger. 

"Stop fucking staring!" I hissed. They dispersed quickly with Henry encouraging them to bustle away.

Aubrey caught up with us, once everything had settled. Walking close next to me, which was quite odd seeing as she usually spent every waking moment trying to get closer to Spence. We made our way to the usual spot outside the school. 

It was the quietest place in this hellhole, where Henry could get on with some homework or whatever, I could freely smoke and Spencer usually just talked to Aubrey the whole time. But it wasn't like that today. 

There was an awkwardness in the air, neither Spence nor Aubrey even acknowledged each other, and without Henry, I swear I would've snapped again. He kept us all busy, trying to make idle chit-chat. 

I could only assume that something happened between them. Something that riled them up so badly they couldn't even spare the other a glance. I really hoped that Aubrey wouldn't pull any 'girl-talk' shit with me, she knew I didn't care for drama. 

"Uh, Harlow, could we chat?" 

I sighed, thinking too soon. "No." 

Her eyes widened, popping her mouth open; I knew she wouldn't take my answer. "Well, I really think we should." She blinked at me, "Please?" 

I tutted, reluctantly nodding. Before she dragged me away. I seriously needed a break from all this drama. 

Without another thought and ignoring Henry's stare of disapproval, I ripped off the bandage from my head. Disregarding the twinge of pain and promptly threw it to the ground. From the corner of my eye, I saw Henry pick it up and place it in the bin. That boy hated littering more than I hated that bandage. 

Once Aubrey had decided that we were in a 'safe' location for her gossip, she stopped and stared at me, a blank look on her face. 

"What is it with people looking at me today?" I sighed, exasperated with too much drama. I decided to get it over and done with so I wouldn't have to deal with her blank face all day. "This is about you and Spence, right?"

She was shocked, her mouth gaped open like a dry fish, "What! I- no! No." She took a breath to steady herself. "No, why would you think that?" 

I shrugged, not willing to play into the gossip. But it was obvious something happened. "Dunno."

"Well, it's not about Spencer." Aubrey started, "I-I just..." She trailed off and I could feel my patience becoming thinner and thinner. 

"Spit it out, Aubrey. I don't have all lunch."

"I got back together with Matty last night."

I rolled my eyes, "God, Aubrey. Ratty Matty? Seriously. I hope for your sake you're joking." 

She stared at the ground, fiddling with her fingers and sighed. "What should I do?" 

The thing I hated more in this world that Ratty Matty himself, would be Aubrey asking me for advice about Ratty Matty. 

They had this on-off thing between them. None of my business, you would think, right? Wrong. 

It was a routine of sorts, where they would get together, or spend one drunken night together, and Ratty Matty would wrap his little grip around her, convince her that they need to get back together. Aubrey being Aubrey, she would agree and fall into his rodent trap. Basically infecting her with the black plague of idiotic love. 

Aubrey would fall in deep, again. Normally for a few weeks, it would be fine they would be a regular, disgusting couple. And then Ratty Matty does what he always does, he finds another girl to infect. It's a wonder how he even gets these girls into his trap, truly astonishing. 

And all the time, I warn her. She'll only get heartbroken. She doesn't listen. It's a routine.

"You can do better." Is all the energy I have to give her this time, not much. Just letting her know the obvious. 

"What will Spence think?" She whispered under her breath. 

I raised my eyebrows, "Why would he care?" 

"Wha- I didn't mean that." She was clearly lying, still keeping her gaze locked to the ground. 

"Sure." I rubbed my forehead, "Aubrey, listen to me. Ratty Matty-"

"You shouldn't call him that." 

I needed to slap some sense into her, I resisted the physical need but decided to slap her with some wisdom. That was all she was getting from me today. "He will hurt you. Be smart for once." 

Aubrey was unfazed by my bluntness. But nodded anyway. I knew she wouldn't listen. It was pointless with that girl. Part of me assumed this was all a ruse to gain Spencer's attention, her always going back to him, I actually didn't think she could be so stupid, and that was the only other option.

I blinked at her, "Let's not talk about this again." 

She nodded, still silent. "I'm going to go to the cafeteria, for lunch." And without another word, or even pulling her eyes up from the ground, Aubrey sauntered away.

I didn't question her about Spencer, and how awkward it was making the group because frankly, I didn't care. Resuming my place on the bench, Spencer immediately cornered me. 

"What did Aubrey talk about?" He asked, cautiously. Almost nonchalant, yet nothing about Spence was nonchalant, or even remotely calm. His eyes gave him away, their flickering between my look and a spot on the ground. 

I saw a lot of Aubrey in Spence, and if he wasn't such a dick with girls, I may even have the audacity to think they would be good together. 

I met his flickering eyes, full of blatant curiosity. "Nothing important." 

He wanted more information, that was obvious. His mouth opened, but he thought better of it. 

Henry was quick to change the subject, much to my displeasure. "You should really keep the bandage on, Har. It could get infected."

I shrugged, "Not the worst thing to happen this week."

He rolled his eyes at my exaggeration, a small smile coming to his face. "I can see if my dad could lend you a car until you can afford another one. With all that's happened." 

It wasn't like Henry had a whole garage full of them, because he did. I found myself almost playing into the glorious idea of it all, but I wasn't going to get carried away.

"Like your mother would allow that, considering what happened last time." Last time I borrowed a car from Henry's parents, I may have been completely out of my mind, drunk. And I may have crashed, and totalled the car. 

It wasn't completely my fault though, Spencer was there too, so he is guilty by association. One of the main reasons that Henry's mother despises me. She wanted to press charges, but it wouldn't look too good in the papers, being that her husband was running for Mayor. Luckily for me, it was swept under the rug. 

But Henry did get grounded, told never to see me again. And look how it's all turned out now. Inseparable. 

Henry grimaced, "Maybe not, then."

"You don't have to get another car!" Spencer shot up from his seat.

I snapped, "How the hell am I supposed to get anywhere without a car, Spencer! I'm not taking the bus, I'm not stepping on that grimy thing again. So you can forget that." 

He didn't back down. "Don't be silly, Harlow. You don't need to get another car. You just need to find your old one."

"Right. Spencer. My old one. That was stolen. By a thief. Who is also probably a murderer. Nice. Yeah, great idea." My voice was thick with sarcasm. 

He rolled his eyes, as his face lit up with excitement. Like a puppy. An annoying, clingy puppy. "Think Har! It'll be so cool! An adventure! We would basically be superheroes."

"I don't care." 

"We could get him arrested." It was Henry who spoke up this time. We turned our heads to him, simultaneously. I couldn't believe he was ganging up on me, again. The nerve.

"Excuse me? You're really siding with him, again?" I said, shocked, "To catch a criminal. This is a new low for you, Henry. Really."

"It'll get him off the streets and he won't be able to hurt anyone else." Henry's voice was just above a whisper. 

"No. Absolutely not. Have you lost your mind? Am I really the most sensible one here?" I shouted, throwing my hands up. 

"I'm not being unreasonable here, Har. I'm not saying we have to fight the guy or anything-"

I scoffed, "Like you would fight him, Spence."

"Fine. It's not like you'd have to fight him." He rolled his eyes at me, and I could feel my frustration for the boy growing. 

"I would win."

"Harlow! It's not about that--" He paused, looking to Henry quickly, "unless you wanted to."

Now that was something I could get in on. A good revenge plot. Find the guy, steal his car and whack him around the face whilst I'm at it. Sounded good to me. I would need to get a new baseball bat though, maybe a metal one. 

"I don't think that's a good idea." 

"I'm in." 

Henry and I both spoke simultaneously. I was now on the bandwagon and he had jumped off? I seriously couldn't believe him. "You're kidding?" 

He frowned at me and his voice became small again, "I don't want you to get hurt, Harlow. He's obviously dangerous."

"Henry!" I snapped, "You were all for catching him. Now you're worried? Unbelievable." An open flame of anger was tearing through me, "What, you don't think I can handle myself? Is that it? Do you think I'm weak?" 

I hated being angry with Henry. Ironically, it made me angrier knowing that it was Henry that made me mad in the first place. I don't get mad at Henry. 

"It's not that, Har. I was up for this when I thought it would be an anonymous tip to the police. Not a fist fight with the criminal himself. I just don't want to see you hurt, again." He sighed, and I almost felt sorry for him. Almost.

"He caught me off-guard. Trust me," I turned to Spencer, "I won't be hauling your drunk-ass anywhere ever again. I can handle myself."

"I don't know about this." He murmured, pulling himself up off the bench and away from Spencer. "He's dangerous, Har."

"You haven't even seen dangerous, Henry."

"Yes! Harlow is in!" Spencer was beaming, as he clapped his hands together, "Now that it's official, I will pick out our theme tune-"

"Nevermind, I'm out." 

Spencer's eyes widened. "No! Okay. Okay. No theme tune."

I smirked, "Okay, I'm in then."

----

Another chapter! Wow, I'm writing like I have no worries about my exams! Ah...

Oh well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! 

What do you think will happen next? 

Do you guys like Harlow? 

Who is your favourite character so far? Why?

Anyways! Remember to...