REJECTS\\M.C.

-54-

-hannah-

I'm so grateful its friday, I think to myself as I head to lunch with Calum, Drew Peske purposely running past him and shoving his shoulder so he drops his items.

"Motherfucker," Calum growls under his breath as we both squat down to grab his anatomy book and notebook.

"I'm so sorry," I whisper, feeling so guilty this is all happening.

All my friends being treated like vermin because they associate with my boyfriend whom the whole school believes hit me. Mikey hid it from me until this morning when I heard some girls in the bathroom discussing it. Discussing me like they knew me or my situation and I stormed out of the stall to inform them to keep their traps shut. I straight up told them they didn't know what they were talking about. It hasn't seemed to help though.

Even Luke got dragged into it, Mikey told me in history, after I had confronted him at our lockers this morning. Drew Peske decided to shove Luke into his locker and tell him he was friends with an abuser right in front of Tannar who shoved him back. She growled as she reminded him he was actually the one who was friends with an abuser. Mikey said that Drew was the one who carried Rick out that night he was going to force himself on Tannar before Luke bashed his face in and the last thing he would want is for Luke and Tannar to match his rumor with the truth about Rick. Rick would kill him. But that hasn't stopped Rick and his other sports to toss Mikey and Calum around, the sports finally cutting Calum off.

"Hannah, no," he huffs and slaps the ground. "This isn't your fault and don't you dare apologize for fucking idiots."

"You guys don't deserve this," I counter him sternly, grateful my voice has returned.

He comes at me, grabbing my wrist and shoving my oversized sleeved up my arm to expose the large purple and brown bruise from shielding myself from my dads boot after he knocked me to the ground. I fall back and he keeps coming, lifting up my sweatshirt at the side to reveal the second deep blue and purple bruise on my side that happened before the one on my arm.

"And you deserve this!" He hisses at me, looking angry but I know it's not at me.

"It's better than the alternative," I spit at him, but I'm not angry at him either. I fear for my life every time my dad believes the lie and beats me instead, but I prefer him to pound me senseless then rip into body my like he has a claim on it. He doesn't. And he never will again. Only Michael.

"Same, Hannah," Calum chokes, his eyes watering. "We all will gladly deal with these shit heads to stand by you and keep you in our lives because you do matter." I begin to cry a I sit up and reach out to his hand, but he grabs me and pulls me to his chest. "Graduation is only two months away, we will get through this and it will be together. I promise."

I nod as I hug him tight, letting him console me as we both softly cry in the empty hallway before we go to lunch.

"Where's your lunch?" Mikey asks us as we sit down.

"I'm not hungry," Calum says emotionless and sits down, laying his head on the table.

Mikey looks at me concerned and I shake my head, "I'm not either." And then I mouth 'Drew,' with a menacing glare. Mikey's nostrils flare as he looks at the table next to us, my eyes following his and I take in the sports with their girlfriends. Drew sits close to Lloyd McFarlen who has his arm around his petite girlfriend, Suzana. Next to her is Marlene, who are both cheerleaders with Bianca and Cheryl who are on each side of Rick. Bianca is Ricks current girlfriend and Tannar's now ex best friend since primary school.

Mikey gets out of his chair abruptly and I fall into his chair trying to grab him when Calum looks up just as Mikey passes him on his way to the sports table. My heart immediately begins to pound as Calum and I stand together. Tannar and Luke watch with wide eyes as we hear Mikey begin to yell at them.