Meet Me in the Hallway (HS AU)

twenty four.

I froze. He froze. His eyes couldn't stay still as they jumped from one exposed spot to the other. I felt my stomach sink and my heart got caught in my throat. This can't be happening. I was always so cautious, there was only ever that one time with the black eye that I came close to being caught. This wasn't happening.

"Why are you here?" My words mimicked his from the night of the storm. If he was allowed to be defensive at his lowest, I had every right to do the same.

"What the fuck happened? Was it that fucking boyfriend from the bar? I knew I shouldn't have dropped it. You need to get to a hospital! Why didn't you tell me?" The questions shot at me like rapid fire and while he had good intentions with his questions, they suffocated me and I couldn't breathe once again.

The realisation hit me harder than Will had all night, I was crying in front of him. I didn't cry in front of people, it gives people an upper hand to hurt you if they see you broken. I wiped my eyes as carefully as I could and did my best to stop my tears.

"I'm fine. I'm a big girl, I can handle this myself. Stay out of it, this is none of your business. I am just going to sleep here for one night until things settle down then my wellbeing will be none of your concern." My nose lifted to the ceiling slightly. Arrogance is the best way to manipulate someone into believing you.

"I don't doubt you can handle this on your own, nor did I ever say you couldn't. I'm saying I'm not going to let you. There is not a chance in hell you are standing in front of a classroom of little kids tomorrow looking like that. I mean, have you seen yourself? You need serious medical attention." Great, now he was yelling at me. Exactly what I needed tonight.

"I can't go to the doctors, are you fucking stupid? If I go to a doctor or hospital, they will ask questions and get police involved, which I don't want. Plus my medicare card is linked to Will's, meaning he will be notified I have seen someone about this and know where I have gone. Then he will probably kill me, or not, I don't really know what he is capable of anymore." The rasp of my declining voice was evident and I hardly recognised the sound.

His eyes still hadn't stopped moving, jumping between parts of my face and upper body. I could tell he was having an internal debate with himself, which there was no point really because I had already said I wasn't seeing a doctor and that wasn't going to change.

"He won't kill you." He spoke so calmly, looking into my eyes. His eyes held sincerity and determination but he didn't know the situation I had just fled.

"You don't know that. I can't go to a doctor, he will find out. Dealing with this in the short term will hurt less than if he finds out I told on him like a child."

"So explain to me what your plan was? How about coming here at 7:30 to sleep, start there."

My mind immediately drained empty. I hadn't really thought much into the future, I knew that sleeping at school tonight was a temporary solution.

"I was going to come and shower in the gym, then sleep here, like I have once before. Tomorrow morning I was going to run to the supermarket as soon as it opened and buy some concealer and foundation to cover my visible bruising, like I've done every week. Then after school tomorrow, I was going to repeat the process until everything dies down and I can go home. It was that simple, except I hadn't accounted for a psychotic principal who sits at the school until 7:30. Why are you still here, huh?"

"I was at the principals meeting all day and I still had things I needed to finish before I headed home. If you didn't have a proper plan, just say that, Josephine." He shifted his weight from one foot to the other before looking at me again, "C'mon. I'm your new plan."

He started on his way down the hallway towards the entryway, but I stayed in place, holding the blankets still. He soon realised that I wasn't following him and turned to face me.

"If you come with me right now, I will help you. I promise I won't make you go to a doctor but for fucks sake, don't be stubborn for once and let me help you. Whether you come with me or not, you are not sleeping here, or teaching those kids tomorrow looking like that."

I knew it wouldn't be fair to the kids if I turned up with even the slightest indication of my trauma tomorrow. I also knew that I would be distracted more than usual, so going with him was my only option. But that didn't mean I had to like it.

"I'm not going to see a doctor. We are not going to talk about this tonight, or possibly ever. It is just one night and then I'm in a hotel." I crossed my arms over my chest and tried hard to not wince at the contact.

He sighed, rolled his eyes but finally turned again and headed towards the alarm system. "Deal."

I followed with only a little hesitation, I was itching to sleep. Tonight had exhausted me physically and mentally.

The car ride was silent, but not the same silence I had dealt with earlier tonight. There wasn't any tension and the air wasn't heavy to breathe. This was the silence of someone who knew the other didn't have the energy to hold a conversation.The rain had lightened and the soft tapping against the windscreen was enough to lull me to sleep.