My fingertips are holding onto the cracks in our foundations
And I know that I should let go but I can't
And everytime we fight I know it's not right, everytime you get upset and I smile
I know I should forget but I can't
3 Kate Nash - Foundations
"WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM?" Roger bellowed at me. It was the end of breakfast time in the great hall, and people had started exiting to go to class. That was until Roger's explosion. People turned back to watch, some shocked, some amused. I could see it on their faces. They were all thinking the same thing: 'when will she learn?' Even the teachers had stopped to watch.
"MY PROBLEM? MY PROBLEM? You are the one that can't handle loosing. You knew we would be playing each other and that there would be every possibility that Gryffindor would win. I'm not going to apologise for belonging to the better team!"
It had been a week since we had played Ravenclaw, and things had been bad between me and Roger since then, but it had yet to come to a head. Needless to say, Roger's timing was as impeccable as ever. Lovely big audience. Plenty of girls watching. And my friends too far away by now to stop anything bad from happening. They stood at the entrance to the great hall, surrounded by a throng of people. Lee was trying to make his way through the crowd, but despite his large body mass he made little impact on the jostling spectators.
I had been with Roger for about 8 months. True to form, I was head over heels in love with the boy after our first month of dating. But the honeymoon had most definitely been over for quite some time, and despite how much I thought I loved him, I could see things heading south. It broke my heart. I felt tears start to sting in my eyes.
"I DON'T EXPECT YOU TO APOLOGISE, BUT I EXPECT YOU TO APPRECIATE MY FEELINGS AND NOT RUB IT IN MY FACE ALL THE TIME! AND BY THE WAY, YOU AREN'T THE BETTER TEAM. YOU GOT LUCKY," he spat at me. A couple of Gryffindors let out sounds of annoyance and a few Ravenclaws cheered. I glared up at Roger.
"I didn't rub it in your face. I said I had practice later tonight and couldn't meet you. That's it." I said through gritted teeth. I was trying desperately to retain my cool. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Lee edging slowly closer, the rest of the gang in tow behind him.
"It was the way you said it. Like you are so much better than me. Well, let me tell you Katie Bell, you are not. I hate the way you look down on people," he hissed.
"ME? I don't look down on anybody, its you who looks down at people. You constantly slate my friends and you are always putting me down for things. Why can't you just be happy for me that my team won? Why won't you're stupid, fat ego allow me that one thing, huh?"
He visibly bristled. I knew as well as e did that my friends were getting closer, and that the Weasley's would have something to say about the "slating my friends" comment. Fred was pretty open about how much he loathed Roger anyway, so any excuse would probably do for him to punch him in the face. He had hated Roger ever since I had caught him in the broom cupboard with Marietta Edgecomb. The memory of that particular incident lingered in my head as Roger made his rebuttal;
"MY EGO? YOU ARE THE ONE CONSTANTLY NAGGING ABOUT HOW GREAT YOU ARE AND HOW WELL YOU ARE DOING IN CLASS. AND YOU ARE HARDLY AS NICE AS PIE ABOUT MY FRIENDS EITHER."
"WHAT, THE FRIENDS THAT HIGH-FIVED YOU AFTER YOU CHEATED ON ME? WHY DON'T YOU GO SLEEP WITH SOMEONE ELSE ROGER, THAT'S WHAT YOU NORMALLY DO," I screeched, as I turned on my heel to stride away. I had had enough. It was too early to take abuse from a bad loser. A bad loser who was lucky to have me after all he had put me through, I might add. Some people just don't know a good thing when its gone. Unfortunately for me, I knew I wouldn't be gone any time soon. I loved him too much, despite everything.
"Mental bitch," I heard Roger say from behind me.
That's when I slapped him. Hard.
His head snapped backwards. He breathed deeply. I breathed fast and hard. The crowd watching us didn't breathe at all. He turned his eyes back on me and we stared at each other for what seemed like an hour.
Eventually, not wanting him to see that he had made me cry, I made my way out. My bag had slipped down to my elbow as a result of the force with which I had hit him, and I pulled it up as the crowd parted to let me out. I didn't look at anyone, but I knew what would have greeted me if I had. I had seen the looks countless times. Some would look sad for me. Some would give me small encouraging smiles. And some would scowl and look disgusted with me.
The tears stung in my eyes, but I managed to keep them from spilling until I was past the crowd. Only then, did the salty droplets start to silently burn my cheeks. My hand stung from the force with which I had hit Roger. It swung limply by side, pulsing and lonely. I felt large, warm fingers slide in between mine and grip my hand in a comforting fashion. I turned and saw Fred standing beside me. I smiled sadly at him. He wiped the tears from my cheeks.
"Love you Katie," he whispered.
I sniffed and clenched my lips together, as I started to feel the hands of my other friends touching me. Angelina slid her arm around my wait, Alicia rubbed my arm and Lee and George patted my head simultaneously.
"I'm sorry we weren't close enough to hit him Katie, but nice slap! He definitely deserved it. Madame Pomfrey should have a bed put aside for his bruised ego, it will definitely need an overnight stay," George said reassuringly.
I laughed in spite of myself and squeezed Fred's hand.
"Love you all," I said softly.
The day was long and horrible. I often wish that I could be in the same classes as Angelina and Alicia, being that we are all so close. I'm glad I'm not in class with any of the boys though, I would never get good grades if they were. But today, I wanted my core group around me. Leanne did a good job of trying to look after me; she practically did all of my work for me. But unfortunately she didn't do a great job of taking my mind off the events of the morning. She kept throwing me nervous glances and asking me if I was ok. It is very hard to be ok when you are constantly being asked if you are.
