Pride

“Louis couldn’t keep his eyes off of me all night,” the blonde devil exclaims. The people pressed together around her gobble the lie up like the fools that they are.

“Do you think she ever gets tired trying to impress people?” Niall asks as he eyes his classmate. His furrowed eyebrows make a crease between his eyes.

“Probably not,” Melissa replies. Her eyes are searching the schoolyard, looking for the three people she doesn’t actually wants to see. The boys may have been nice to her when she was on their boat a few days ago, but that doesn’t mean they’re going to be at school as well. “It’s what her and he friends live for.”

She can’t spot them. Good.

“Come on. Let’s go.” Melissa grabs Niall by his arm. She doesn’t notice the blush that has bloomed on her friend’s cheek. “Her stupid voice is giving me a migraine.”

Niall doesn’t struggle as Melissa drags him away. He feels eyes in the back of his head as they make their way towards the entrance of the school. When he turns his head he sees the blonde bimbo glare at them. He sticks out his tongue.

It may be petty, but hey, so is the stupid girl.

The brown-haired friend of the blond can see her friend’s face turn an angry red. “What’s wrong?” She asks, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

“That little imp,” the blonde hisses from between clenched teeth. “He’s as bad as she is.”

The brown-haired girl doesn’t have to ask which two people her friend is referring too. There are only two people who are a constant thorn in their sides.

“I’m going to get her expelled. Even if it’s the last thing I’ll do,” the blonde promises her friend. Her angry eyes follow the two friends as they make their way safely into the school.
“Oh my God. It’s the F4,” a girl next to the brunette exclaims suddenly.

The four friends have indeed arrived. And their leaders Louis looks the happiest his followers have ever seen them. Liam and Harry are flanking him and seemingly talking his ear off. Zayn as always walks silently behind them.

“I can’t wait for your sister to meet Melissa. They going to love each other.” Harry has one hand on Louis’s shoulder and he’s grinning at him. “They’re going to bond over kicking your arse.”

“Of course she would like Melissa. She’s a good judge of character.” Louis grins as he looks up at his friend. “But Melissa isn’t going to ‘kick my arse’.” He scoffs as he uses air quotes. “She’s in love with me.”

“Hey, Louis,” the blonde calls out as the four boys walk past her and her friends. Her cheeks heat up once more - this time out of embarrassment - as the four friends walk past her without even giving her a second glance.

Fuck.

She can feel some of the people standing close to her turn their suspicious eyes on her. Why can’t anything ever go her way?!

“Yeah right, Louis.” Liam chuckles as he rolls her eyes. “She’s in love with you. Sure. You know when someone kisses you an accident doesn’t mean she’s in love with you.”

What the hell! That stupid brat kissed her future husband! The blonde can feel anger vibrate in her bones. She’s never felt this livid!

“I’m going to kill her!”

“Louis will do that for you when you show him who she’s really in love with.” There’s an grin on the redhead’s face as she lays a hand on her friend’s shoulder. “Your hands will be clean but she’ll still be out of our lives.”

“You know what,” the blond says as she turns to her friend. Satisfaction conjures a smile onto her face. “That’s not such a bad idea. We just have to wait until break and then Melissa will do our work for us.”

Which is exactly what Melissa does. She doesn’t pay attention as she makes her way towards the fire escape after first period. She doesn’t spot three shadows following close behind. Neither does Niall, he’s too busy trying to convince her that meeting up with Zayn might not be such a good idea.

“Why can’t we just spend break together?” Niall pleads. “I really don’t want to spend it with one of them!”

Niall knows he’s being whiny but he doesn’t care. Maybe if he tries it this way, she may listen to him.

“Like I said, he’s different,” Melissa replies with a sigh. “You’re going to like him too, I promise.”

Niall doubts it. He knows exactly why Melissa likes Zayn. He isn’t blind. He may be straight but he knows a beautiful man when he sees one.

“I don’t understand you. You know he’s in love with someone else, right?” Niall has seen Zayn and Suzanne together. He knows what they are to each other.

Melissa stops in her tracks. Someone bumps into her and of course they don’t apologize. They just walk on. Melissa doesn’t. She looks at her friend with angry eyes. “Of course I know. No need to rub it in. But I still consider him my friend.”

“And does he?” Niall knows he’s being a bitch but he would rather be the one hurting her than Zayn. Zayn can hurt her more than he ever could.

Melissa casts her eyes down, making Niall’s heart plummet. Her fingers curl into fists at her sides. She’s trying to stop herself from crying. Niall almost never sees her like this but whenever it happens, it always hurts.

“I don’t know. I think he does.” She lifts her head and looks at Niall with defiant eyes. There are no tears. “He likes me more than most people at this wretched school.”

Melissa can see guilt flit across Niall’s face. Good. He should feel guilty. He knows he’s hurting her, just as when they’re children, he knows her too well, but he’s still saying these things.

“Why do you care whether he likes me or not?”

“Because I don’t want to see you hurt,” Niall exclaims. He takes a step closer and takes a hold of one of her hands. “I know you care about him. I saw the way you looked at him on that cruise.”

“I’m the one who keeps you from being hurt, not the other way around!” Melissa pulls her hand away from Niall’s soft and warm touch. “And you know what, I don’t care if he’s in love with someone else.” She lies. “I just want to be a part of his life and if you can’t respect that, then I don’t want you in mine!”

The three shadows are recording every minute of the conversation. The blond has her cellphone out, a wicked grin on her face as she watches the fight unfold through the screen of her smart phone.

“Do you think that’s enough?” the brunette whispers. She’s watching over her friend’s shoulder, taking everything in with a grin as big as her friend’s.

“We should film her and Zayn on the fire escape as well,” the redhead replies. “When he sees the way she looks at him, it’s game over for her.”

They watch as Niall walks away with tears in his eyes. Melissa’s eyes are dry as she watches him go.

“What a woos,” the blonde sneers, soft enough so Niall doesn’t hear as he walks past them. “He belongs here even less then she does.”

“I wouldn’t say that,” the brunette disagrees. She watches Niall throw narrowed eyes. “He has money at least.”

Not wanting to waste any more time, Melissa turns her back on her friend and hurries down the hallway.

Melissa’s can feel her heart beat stutter inside her chest when she’s reached her destination. Her hands tremble as she opens the door.

Zayn is already seated on the stairs. He looks straight at her as she crosses the threshold.
“You’re late today,” Zayn comments.

Zayn remembers at which time she usually has her first break! Melissa can feel butterflies erupt in her stomach. He cares enough to remember!

“Did you miss me?” Melissa only half jokes.

“No, not really.” Zayn shrugs his shoulders as he turns his eyes towards where the wind is rusting the trees. “I just noticed. That’s all.”

“Oh.” Melissa can feel her face fall. She quickly forces herself to smile before Zayn can notice the look on her face. “So, how was the rest of your vacation?”

Once again Zayn shrugs his shoulders. “Was okay. Spend some time with Suzanne. Played on my violin.”

Thankfully, Zayn’s eyes are still on the trees. Melissa can feel her smiles turn into a grimace at the dreaded name. “Did you do anything interesting?”

Other than thinking about you and Suzanne? Or the stupid kiss I and Louis shared?

“No, not really,” Melissa mutters. She lowers her head as Zayn turns his eyes on her. She can’t stand his eyes on her.

Zayn’s fingers are soft as they find their way to Melissa’s chin. She shivers at their light touch. Her breath hitches as Zayn lifts her head and their eyes meet.

“Why are you suddenly afraid of me?” he asks, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
“I don’t… I’m not…” Melissa stutters.

She shakes her head. Zayn’s fingers fall away from her chin at the movement. She takes a shuddering breath and smiles at the dark-haired boy.

“I’m not afraid of you. I just…” How can Melissa end this sentence, without giving herself away?
“Has this something to do with you being in love with Louis?”

“What!” Melissa’s eyes widen with surprise as she looks at Zayn. She can feel her cheeks heat up. “I’m not in love with Louis!”

“Why’d you kiss him then?” Zayn asks and he chuckles.

He chuckles!

“That was by accident,” Melissa exclaims. She throws her hands into the air. “It meant nothing. I tripped and he caught me. For some reason he thought that was some invitation to kiss me.”

The kiss had felt nice. But that’s not something she going to share ever with anyone, least of all Zayn.

“That’s not what Louis thinks. “ Zayn looks at Melissa with his head cocked. It looks adorable. “Maybe you should tell him.”

“Oh, I will,” Melissa replies, her eyes narrowed in irritation.

Melissa doesn’t have to tell Louis she doesn’t feel anything. Her enemies are doing it for her. All that they needed was an intimate moment between Zayn and Melissa. And now they have just that on camera.

“Let’s go.”

“Where is Louis when you need him,” the blonde girl mutters as her and her friends search the school for their attended victim five minutes later. None of their school mates they ask seem to know.

“I can see them.” Exclaims her redheaded friend as she sees a cackle of girls at the end of the hallway, which is always a good indication of where the F4 are.

A grin curls the blonde’s lips upwards as she makes her way towards the group of girls. They split apart like the red sea when they see her coming.

“Louis. I have something for you, that I think you should see,” she announces as she holds her phone up in the air.

The blonde expects Louis to dismiss her at first but instead he smiles at her and hold out his hand. “What is it?”

“It’s a little movie of Melissa, flirting with Zayn.”

A sudden black cloud passes over Louis’s face. He jumps up form where he was seated on the ground and grabs the phone out of the blonde’s hand.

His friends crowd around him as he watches the movie. Louis sees it, clear as day. Zayn touching Melissa’s chin, lifting her head so her eyes meet his. Melissa is looking at fucking Zayn like he hung the moon!

Louis can feel something claw at him. Its sharp edges cut into his heart, his lunges. He can’t breathe. He lets out a scream, starling everybody around him.

The girls scatter. Run away with fear in their eyes. They know what’s coming. So does the blonde but she’s too afraid to move. She’s nailed to the ground as she looks at Louis with eyes wide with fear.

The crash is loud as the phone meets the unyielding concrete of the wall. The blonde whimpers as the phone is shattered against the wall.

“Go, before I kill you.” Louis’s voice is icy. His eyes are the same as he glares at the girl standing in front of him. His fingers are balled into dangerous fists.

The blonde doesn’t need to be told twice. She’s off like the scared girl she is.

“Louis,” Liam tries, carefully. “Try to breath. They weren’t kissing. Zayn did nothing wrong.”
“I don’t care,” is Louis’s reply. He turns towards his friend to glare at him. “They’ve made a fool of me. The both of them.”

“Just don’t do something you’ll regret,” Liam pleads. He sounds unafraid, but he’s not. He knows how his friend is when he gets like this. “Just go home. Blow of some steam.”

“Watch it,” Louis hisses. His eyes narrow in anger. “Nobody tells me what to do.”

“It’s just advice. Not an order.” Liam takes a step back and shrugs his shoulder. “You can do whatever you want.”

“Believe me, I will.”

Liam doesn’t stop Louis as he stalks away. There isn’t anything he can do. Neither can Harry. That’s why the younger boy hasn’t even tried. His eyes are back on the phone in his hands.

“She really got him good, hasn’t she?”

“Yes, she has,” mutters Liam.

--- Melissa curses softly as she sneaks down the deserter corridors of the school. She blames her fight with Niall. That whole thing with Zayn. And then there were also those angry glares that her classmates had suddenly decided she deserved again. It’s the only explanation why she would suddenly forget her gym clothes. Thankfully, she didn’t only found out when she was already back home. Something had felt off and halfway home she had realized why.
The school is kind of creepy, empty like this. And with an shattered window? Melissa stops dead in her tracks and studies the broken glass. It looks like a chair was thrown through the glass from the inside. What the hell!

“You know, that’s your fault,” a voice suddenly says behind her.

Melissa lets out a yelp of surprise and turns around as her heart beats out of her chest. It’s Louis and he doesn’t look happy.

He looks dark. Like he’s hallow. Melissa doesn’t know a better way to describe it. It looks really scare.

“What are you doing here?” Melissa asks, her voice not as strong as she would’ve liked. “Do you do that often? Linger around the school after everybody else has gone home?”

It doesn’t work. Making a joke out of this doesn’t have the desired effect. Melissa doesn’t feel stronger and Louis doesn’t look any happier.

“You think you’re funny. Don’t you?” Louis asks. His voice is like a cold blade as he takes a step closer to Melissa. She doesn’t takes a step back but she really, really wants to.

“I do think I’m funnier then you.”

Why can’t she stop?! She should stop!

Suddenly, Louis is right in front of her and he grabs her by the arms. His fingers feel like vices around her arms as he presses her backwards, up against the wall.

“Hey, what are you doing,” Melissa exclaims, her voice a mixture between anger and fright. “Let go of me!”

“You think this is a joke, do you?” Louis hisses. He takes a step even closer and now he’s pressed up against her. Melissa can’t breathe. “Playing with my emotions. Like I’m nobody. I’m not your friend Niall.”

“He wouldn’t do this!” Melissa tries to move her arms. Tries to get him off of her. “Let go of me!”

“I can’t. I don’t want to.” There’s something in Louis’s eyes. Something that looks like hopelessness. And fear. “Why are you doing this to me?!”

Hot puffs of air ruffle Melissa’s dark tresses as Louis leans forward. She stiffens as he feels his hand find her waist, pressing her even closer to the wall. Her voice breaks. “What the hell are you doing.”

“I just need to…” Louis’s voice sound weak, fragile, like he’s the one who’s being touched without his consent.

Melissa freezes, shock keeping her in her place as he moves closer and kisses her. His lips are dry and eager. Very different from when he kissed her on the boat. This time he knows he’s kissing her and he wants her.

A yelp escapes from Melissa’s lips when she feels something touch her leg, move upwards towards the bottom of her skirt.

“Please, don’t,” Melissa pleads against Louis’s lips, voice soft with fright.

Louis doesn’t listen, moves his hand upwards beneath the skirt. His hand is clammy against her naked skin.

Why isn’t she moving? Why isn’t she pushing him off of her. She should give him a kick in the groin. Pull his hair. Something more than just cry.

Melissa doesn’t know when the tears had started falling, she’s too numb with shock. She only now notices because Louis’s hand has traveled from her hip to her cheeks. His fingers flutter along her skin as they collect her tears.

Suddenly, the pressure is gone. Melissa opens her eyes carefully. She had closed them when Louis had started kissing her. There’s a look of shock when he looks at his wet fingers.

The only thing holding Melissa up for now is the thing that’d trapped her only a few seconds ago.

“I’m sorry…” Louis mumbles. Guilt is written all over his face as he looks up at Melissa. “I didn’t mean to.”

“Assault me?” Melissa wants to say but she can’t. Her throat is screwed shut. The only thing she’s capable of it seems is to cry.

“Are you okay?” Louis asks. The look of guilt has been replaced by one of concern.

This is all Melissa needs. What the dam needs to break. Her anger, her fear, her hate comes out in one loud scream.

And Louis. He runs like the coward he is.

Notes