(This chapter has a trigger warning... bullying/abuse topics in this chapter)

R Y A N

SITTING IN A BOOTH at Missy's Scooptopia, I was waiting patiently for Sophie to meet me. The winter formal is coming up and even though I'm not going because of the beautiful black eye I got yesterday, I still need to go shopping to help Sophie pick out a dress. Matthew was suppose to come with us, but it's his dad's birthday and a last minute family gathering was arranged, meaning he backed out this morning; much to my annoyance because at least while Sophie was trying on clothes I had someone to talk to.
   I scoop up a spoon full of black cherry ice cream, only having two scoops today rather than my usual three scoops of black cherry, bubblegum twist and cotton candy twist. The ice cream tastes divine on my tongue and the cookie pieces I've added taste just as good. My phone pings with a message and I look down at the screen to see a message from Sophie.

Soph🎀:
Hey!
I know I'm late, I lost track of time!
I'm leavin my house in 10mins I promise! xx

Me:
Your already late Soph! Lol
Just hurry up, I look like a loner sitting here!

Soph🎀:
OMW! xx

I huff out a annoyed breath and it's just typical. I'm always the responsible one who turns up on time, why do I have friends who are always late? I play on my phone, still eating my ice cream when the door dings and I look up to see who just walked through the door. A little part of me thought it was Sophie, but I know full well she hasn't even left her house yet only considering she just messaged me. But then my eyes meet brown orbs that aren't looking my way and I quickly look back down, wishing I never looked up, hoping they won't notice me.

"Hi, welcome to Missy's. What can I get for you today?" The guy behind the counter says, all chirpy.

"Hey, can I get two scoops of black cherry and one scoop of chocolate dream please," he says and I continue to look down at my phone, pretending I'm reading something interesting while I try to cover my face with my hand.

"Sure thing."

"Don't look this way, don't look this way. Please stay away from me," I beg and plead in my head,
hoping he'll take his ice cream and leave.

"Here you go, $6.50."

"Thanks, keep the change," I hear him say, his deep voice echoing in the shop. I listen carefully, still fully engrossed in my phone, but I'm waiting to hear the bell above the door to ding, signalling he's left.

"Anyone sitting here?" A voice says and my head snaps up, our eyes connecting, but I don't say a word. He doesn't wait for me to answer and sits down anyway, sliding into the booth and sitting opposite me with a smile. That damn smile.

Chris Mitchell.

"I'm waiting for someone."

"Well, I'll wait with you till they get here," he smiles again.

His chocolate eyes twinkle and my stomach somersault's with butterflies. I've never told anyone, but I've always had a little crush on him since I moved here. I'm not majorly in love with him or anything, he's just the only guy in school I have ever found attractive. He's got that all American boy look about him. Amazing smile, chocolate brown eyes that would make your heart melt, floppy brown hair that you want to run your finger through, a lean body from competing in swimming and not too mention his velvety smooth voice. All the other boys in school look like they rolled out of bed every morning, with no effort whatsoever, yet Chris always looks like he rolled out of a magazine. Chris is in a different league to me and in no way would ever ask me out. Plus all his friends torment the hell out of me, especially his girlfriend Natalie. The one responsible for my current bruised eye. But yet, he's sitting here with me.

"You can't sit here Chris," I whisper out, looking down and I hope he can hear me.

"Why?" He says softly and I look up, my greens meeting his brown orbs with shock. I'm surprised he even heard me with how low I just spoke but, he did. He's dressed in a black t-shirt with a red hoodie over the top and his brown hair is pushed back with his sunglasses. I watch as he scoops a spoon full of his ice cream, watching as the spoon rises and his mouth cups over the spoon. "Amazing! I've waited all week for this," he moans closing his eyes.

"I've gotta go," I quickly say as I try to grab my things and go to stand up, but his arm reaches out, his hand gently resting on my arm to stop me.

"No wait Ryan, please," he pleads with his eyes and I stop, looking down at his hand on me. "Sorry," he says and he removes his hand quickly, putting them up defensively. "Please Ryan, just sit down and wait for your friend with me. I promise I'm not going to hurt you, I would never hurt you... plus you still have to finish off your ice cream," he says pointing to my own tub, his brown orbs so sincere and his lips curling into a small smile. "You have good taste, the black cherry is one of my favourites."

"It's not you I'm worried about, it's the people you hang around with."

"They aren't here and they don't even know I'm here. They all think I'm at swim practise, but I'm playing hooky," he playfully smirks and in some way it eases my nerves. "Please sit with me."

I hesitate, thinking about the beating I got yesterday. Natalie and Billie didn't like the fact I got all the answers right on the pop quiz we had first period English and apparently I'm too smart for my own good. Apparently, I shouldn't make other people look dumb for being a smart arse. Then they accused me of cheating and said that not only am I a boyfriend stealer by trying to take Chris away from Natalie, but I cheated on the test and must of stolen the answers from Mr Hudson.

"What if they find out?" I ask my eyebrow raised, questionably.

"They won't, please Ryan? Just sit with me for a little bit," he smiles softly at me and I feel my legs get weak just looking at his smile.

Ever since he bumped into me at the bottom of the stairs a few months ago and took me to the nurses office, we have had these little chats here and there. I don't know why there's this sudden interest in me all of a sudden. Like he wants to be my friend or feels guilty about his friends and girlfriend acting like arseholes towards me, but my guard is up. My walls as high as they can be because I don't trust him. I can't trust him.

"Why?" I ask, the words sour on my tongue.

"Because I want you too," he says, his eyes begging me to give him a chance, "and I have no one to hang out with," he chuckles with a smile tugging at his lips.

I eye him up, looking deep into his eyes trying to figure him out, only... I can't. It's just a risk I have to take and if I'm burned by him then it's my own fault, "fine," I huff out and I take my seat back in the booth. When I look back up at him there's a small amused smile tugging at the corner of his lips and my cheeks heat up instantly with a blush. Why does my face have to betray me all the time?!

We sit in silence, both of us eating our own ice cream until he breaks the silence and I kinda wish he didn't, "can I ask you what happened?" He asks, but I just look at him in confusion. "Your eye... what happened?"

"Depends?" I say crossing my arms over my chest.

"On?"

"Who's asking."

"What do you mean?" He says baffled by my answer.

"If my parents ask, I got the black eye in gym."

He smirks at me, almost laughing and I question him with my eyebrows raised, but I don't say a word. "I've seen you in gym class, your too good at sports for that to be believable. There's no way in hell you'd get a shiner like that in gym."

"You watch me in gym class?" I say, creeped out with a weary look.

"Some of your goals when you play soccer are amazing and you at basketball?... your better than half the girls on the team, even better than some of the boys," he smiles. "I'm actually surprised you don't play."

"Megan's on the team. I'd rather not play on a team with someone who likes to beat me up with their best friends," I scold and take a spoonful of ice cream.

Megan is one of Natalie's minions, the sporty one of the group and even though Coach Miller has begged me to try out for the team multiple times, I've always refused because of her. I know I'm good. I've always been good at sports, but I can't play on a team with someone who would willing lose a game to trip me up just for laughs.

"Oh," he whispers barely audible, but I still heard him. "Still Ryan, your great at sports, anyone who saw you play would never believe you got that in gym class."

"Well, sometimes I have clumsy days," I say rolling my eyes.

"And what about me? What if I'm asking you what happened, would you tell me the truth?" he says, but looks at my eye curiously, his hands inching towards my chin like he wants a better look. "Looks pretty bad, you should-" he stops when I flinch, his fingers grazing the skin on my face and he retreats quickly. "Sorry, sorry... I just wanna know how you got the black eye?" He asks softly and the sudden confidence I have does not go unnoticed.

"Your girlfriend not only thinks I'm hell bent on stealing you away from her, but now she's accusing me of cheating on Mr Hudson's pop quiz yesterday," I say with venom in my voice.

"Natalie did that?" He says, sounding shocked.

"It wouldn't be the first time Chris and it certainly won't be the last," I whisper the last part.

"I'm sorry Ryan, I really am. I told Natalie what happened the day I took you to the nurses office, she said she believed me. I really didn't think she would of done anything to you," he says, looking down into his tub of ice cream.

"Believe her all you want Chris, but Natalie thinks differently. She thinks I'm trying to steal you away from her."

"I'll talk to her again," he says, but I think it's just wishful thinking that she'll listen to what he says and actually leave me alone this time.

"There's no point," I mumble.

"Why?"

"It's doesn't take much to piss Natalie off and you can tell her till your blue in the face, it won't make a difference. She's never liked me," I finish with a whisper, poking my ice cream with my spoon. "Wish I just knew what I did wrong to make her hate me so much," I shrug, like it doesn't bother me that Natalie hates me, but in all honesty it does because I don't have a reason why.

"She's intimidated by you," he says and all I can do is scoff with a laugh.

"Your funny Mitchell, there is no way Natalie is intimidated by me," I say rolling my eyes and calling him by his last name, almost like we're friends.

"I know her better than anyone in this world, even her sister who is practically her best friend. You worry her, like your going to take everything away from her, she-"

"I'm so sorry Ry, I completely-" Sophie cuts Chris off and she stops talking when she realise's who is sitting with me. "Everything okay?" She whispers softly, rubbing my back reassuringly.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I smile and Chris just looks up at her with a smile.

"You sure?"

"We were just talking, I promise," Chris says with a smile and in all honesty he could get away with murder with a smile like that, there's only one other person who has a smile like that; Nate.

"Okay... so," Sophie says, sitting next to me and scooting me over in the booth. "What we talking about?" She smiles, taking my spoon and eating my ice cream.

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I CURL INTO a ball on the gravelled ground, my hands covering my head while my legs cover my stomach and chest. It's Monday lunchtime and we're hidden by a parked car, tears streaming down my face as I cry out in pain. Natalie is above me, kicking me where she can and her minions are crowded round as well, laughing, while keeping a lookout.

"WHAT DID I TELL YOU BITCH!"

"I di-" but my argument is cut off when I feel another kick to my back, stopping me from defending myself.

After Sophie got her own tub of ice cream when I complained she was eating all mine, we went to the mall like we planned. Only Chris tagged along with us too. He said we needed a man's opinion and to be honest we was having fun with Chris, so we didn't mind him coming. We had fun, we even had him try on a few dresses for a laugh and he happily did. Somehow Natalie found out he spent most of Saturday with us and I'm now getting "the beating I deserve" because I can't keep away from Chris like she already warned me. But I'm not the one who can't stay away.

"Chris is MINE!... you hear me lady boy, he doesn't do cock!" She says, venom in her voice and all I can do is just sob uncontrollably on the floor.

"I don't wa-want him Nat-Natalie, I sw-swear," I stammer between cries, my cheeks stained with tears.

"Not what he said, he said you was all over him... even tried to kiss him," she says as she walks a circle around me.

"I-I never, I-" another kick to my back, "ARGHHHHHH!" I scream out in pain, my eyes shut tightly, but she don't care how much she's hurting me, this is fun to her, it always is.

"You calling Chris a liar?!" She questions, still moving round me, but I'm in too much pain to answer her, I lost count after the sixth kick she gave me. "Answer me lady boy, are you calling Chris a liar?"

"Beautiful?... beautiful?... c'mon, open your eyes," I hear Nate's voice calling me, but I don't see him anywhere. A feeling of deja vu hits me and I look around me again, but all I see is the school parking lot where Natalie and her minions dragged me to after they ambushed me in the girls bathroom.

"Nate?" I weakly call out, the sounds of sneering and evil laughs surround me as I try to look for those grey stormy orbs that make me feel safe.

"I'm here beautiful, open your eyes for me."

"Nate?" I ask again looking round me, but I still can't find him.

"I'm here... I'm here... just follow my voice and you'll find me..." his voice echos.

My eyes snap open and my body jerks upright, looking around the room that is pitch black. "Ssh... ssh, hey, hey, hey, hey," a voice coos as I breathe heavily. "It's okay, I got you," the voice says again and I feel arms wrap around my waist, pulling me until my head is resting against a hard chest. I can't control my emotions and I uncontrollably start to sob, strong arms holding me close, tears falling down my face on to the bare chest below me. "It's okay beautiful, it was just a dream, I got you," and I finally realise I'm in Nate's arms, his soft words whispering to me soothingly, his lips caressing my forehead with feather kisses.

"N-Nate!" I sob out, wrapping my arms around him and I bury my face deeper into him. He makes me feel safe, like nothing can hurt me if I'm in his arms - in Nico's arms, they are both my safe place.

"I'm here, I got you... I promise I'm not gonna let anything happened to you," he coos, stroking my hair, but all I do is just sob even more.

I cry uncontrollably in his arms until finally my tears dry up, my cheeks stained with tears and so is his chest. I don't know how long we've been like this, but I'm so afraid to let him go that I just hold on to him tighter. "Stay with me?" I whisper to him and his chest rumbles with a low chuckle.

"I wasn't planning on go anywhere anyway and I'm definitely not leaving you now," he says, his words mumbled by his lips resting on my head. His fingertips stroke my back, over his t-shirt and a shiver runs down my spine from his touch. "What was you dreaming about?"

"It... it was another memory," is all I say.

"Like the one you had the other day?" And I nod to his question, afraid if I say yes my words will start my tears off again and I don't think I have it in me to cry again. "What kind of memory?"

I freeze in his arms and I can't speak. Both Nate and Nico obviously know about my bullying, but I have never, ever gone into details about what I've been through. Seeing my bruises or my busted lip or black eyes were enough for them. They didn't need to know how it happened or some of the reasons why. It's always been that way. I told them only what I wanted them to know, which was not everything.

"It's nothing, it doesn't matter," I mumble.

"It might help for you to talk about it Ryan, especially if your having nightmares," he whispers, grabbing my hand that's resting on his hip and bringing it to his lips to place a soft kiss. "How long have you been having nightmares for?"

"I don't get them all the time... only sometimes."

"You can talk to me you know... or Nic... you know we're always here for you?" He whispers, but I'm not ready to tell them that kind of stuff, I've bottled it up for so long that I'm just use to dealing with it myself.

"I know but..." I trail off and he intertwines our fingers together, "not yet."

"When your ready beautiful, I'm here... we're both here."

I lay in Nate's arms, his hand stroking my back while his other holds mine to his chest. I don't know why I'm suddenly having these dreams or memories I've tried to forget. Maybe because I haven't been home in so long and now I'm back, they are just bringing back these horrible memories. They were the worse years of my life and I've never met anyone more mean than the kids I went to school with.

I just hope none of them are back home and I don't run into any of them.

*word count - 3004*

💙💙💙💙💙
I was really nervous about this chapter,
writing the chapters with topics like abuse is hard to write, especially in a
dream & I just hope it was okay? But these types of chapters are important because
I never wrote any of Ryan's bullying in the beginning of the story.

Always remember...
YOU ARE NEVER ALONE.
💙

Please don't forget to vote & comment what you think.

Stay safe,
CeeCee
xoxo
💙💙💙💙💙