Meet Me in the Hallway (HS AU)

sixty two.

Clem and I watched as Ella stormed across the grass towards her car, neither of us having the energy to chase her but we didn't need to. Halfway between the bench and her car, Ella spun on her heel and stormed back towards us. Her eyes were set on me and full of hatred.

"You know what, Joanne? Go to fucking hell. You're right, I don't like you very much. In fact I hate you. You ruined our friendship group and now you're trying to ruin my relationship. Will would never hit anyone, he is the nicest guy I've ever met and I've met Harry!

Do you seriously think so highly of yourself that someone would believe the pure shit you just spilled? That someone would even want to touch you, let alone hit you? You are a pathological liar and I hope your web of lies catches up to you and strangles you one day."

Her voice did not waiver, she did not stutter. She was speaking from a place of pure hatred and anger, she meant every word she was saying. I was taken aback by her outburst though, I hadn't expected her to come back and go off like she did. In my mind, she drove home and ignored me and Clem for a while before she inevitably made up with Clem.

The words cut deep. As much as I tried to pretend her opinion of me didn't matter, her willingness to invalidate the biggest trauma I had ever been through made tears sting the back of my eyes.

Verbal abuse was something I was unfortunately accustomed to and all I had ever known was standing in my place and taking any words thrown at me. But apparently, Clem was not.

"Back the fuck up, Ella. I don't even know who you are anymore. Once upon a time you would hold me and tell me that Patrick was the scum of the earth for doing what he did to me, you would stroke my hair and tell me that everything was going to be ok. Where is that friend? Because right now in front of me, is a stranger.

Who the fuck do you think you are, Jo in no way 'ruined our friendship group'. The group was 'ruined' once your petty obsession with my brother was obstructed! As soon as Jo turned up, you got all jealous of her and made every single group encounter we had weird. I tried to ignore it but my god it was suffocating, El!"

Her face was red, hands flailing around in anger, eyes were narrow and her chest was puffed out. She was livid and understandably so. Not only was Ella offending me as a victim but she has also, even if it was unintentionally, discredited Clem's suffering as well.

"Clem, you know I didn't mean yo-" Ella's hand reached to hold Clem's but Clem was quick to slap it away.

"Don't touch me. The things you have just said make me sick, looking at you right now is making me sick." She spun on her heel and started pacing the length of the park bench.

Ella turned back to face me with a face laced with such hatred I wished the ground would open and swallow me whole. Slowly she stepped towards me, looking down at me with a level of intimidation almost comparable to Will.

"He warned me about you, you know that? When we started seeing one another he would tell me about the crazy bitch he used to date. He told me everything about you, yeah he did. Told me how useless you were, how little you could do on your own, how boring you were in university... how much you weigh." Pure venom, that's what her words felt like. As she progressed, her voice lowered to a scary whisper.

"Guess what else he told me? He told me how much he wanted to leave you throughout the whole relationship but you would beg him to stay. He told me how desperate you were for his attention. He warned me that you tear apart any friendships around you for your own pleasure. He told me how damaging your presence was."

I couldn't react, as much as I tried to form a sentence to defend myself, nothing came out. I felt like I was back in that bathroom again patiently waiting for Will to come and beat me to near-death, like I had never gotten out.

"You're so jealous of me aren't you, Miss Cook? So jealous that Will didn't want you anymore, he wanted me instead. He finally got rid of the parasite that sucked the life out of him. You drained him-"

"You're done. Don't ever show your face at Harry's again or I will personally rip your fucking acrylics off with pliers. I'm taking Jo back home where she shares a bed with the guy you were in love with for years, you selfish cunt."

The drive home was silent, my brain was going at a million miles a second trying to comprehend everything that just went down in a children's park. I was still in shock, Ella's words were on a constant loop.

I could see Clem's lips moving as she spoke to someone on the car's hands free system but I couldn't hear her or make out the words. The house came into view and I could see someone standing in the driveway with a phone to their ear but my eyes refused to focus on the figure.

The car came to a stop but my mind didn't, my arms refused to move to open the door but somehow the passenger door swung open and let the cool breeze pass over me. Two warm palms are gently placed on my knees and although they have caught my attention, my head refuses to turn to them.

"Hey Pretty Girl, do you want to come inside? We can sit out here if you want or we can go lay down for a bit? Whatever you want to do, baby. You're the boss, you're in charge."

Harry.

I wanted to hug him and sob so bad but I couldn't. Instead, I sat frozen in my own thoughts. Time was irrelevant, I had no idea how long I sat there for with Harry crouching beside me. It must have been a while because eventually Harry's hands fell from on top of my knee and moved to hook below my knees and around my lower back.

Panic set in as he lifted me from the seat, the thought of him struggling to lift me was enough to snap me from my frozen state.

"Oh my god, Harry. Put me down, you'll hurt yourself." I tried to wriggle my way out of his hold but it only tightened.

"Shut up." He whispered before kissing the top of my head.

I stayed in his arms as he walked us up the driveway, into the hallway and into his room. My back hit the blankets on his bed and he laid down on top of me, head resting on my chest and arms wrapped around my waist.

"You're ok, breathe Josephine."

And for him, I'd try.

*****

This chapter was very dialogue heavy and for that I apologise but Clementine Styles needed to let her protective side shine. The next few chapters will be easier to read but bumpy for my baby Jo.

I love you.