BB didn't apologise by the end of the hour.
Or by the end of the day.
I assume he would've at some point because the pair live together, but as the bell rings for the end of the final lesson, and BB still hasn't apologised, I begin to wonder. A comes over to me, nervously twisting his thumbs.
"Melly, did you make BB mad?"
"I think I might have done, yeah"
"Can't you make it better?"
"I really want to A, but I think BB just needs space at the moment"
"But you know what he gets like when he thinks too much Melly, his head goes-... he goes all... he won't be BB any more" I sigh hopelessly and hug A. "Melly you have to do something; you're Melly, you can do anything" He's right. I am and I can.
"BB wait!" I holler, making A jump in surprise. "Sorry" I whisper, taking his hand and pulling him to where BB had walked ahead. Just a few more strides away and Derrick steps out in front of me, pushing a very surprised A back and onto the floor harshly. "Derrick-" I glance at BB who's watching with a glare. 'If he so much as touches A, or even looks at him wrongly, I'm going to kill him'
"You don't want to do this" I say calmly.
"Really? It's only, what, Wednesday? I've been back one day – just one, and I'm already sick of seeing your faces"
"Derrick, leave it. This isn't the way" I keep my eye on BB but he's not doing anything. A's still uselessly on the floor, probably wondering why BB hasn't come to his rescue. He staggers up himself and I offer him a hand. Derrick slaps him down again. "Stop" I grab him and push him back.
"Hitting a nerve, am i?" He laughs, a few more of his friends joining in. "Fight back" He demands. I shake my head and glance at A. He's bleeding from his nose, but seems content at staying on the floor. His eyes are focussed wholly on BB, confused. "C'mon Bitch, fight back!" Derrick shoves me backwards and I fall ungracefully into someone. As I can see both A and BB in front of me, I'm cautious as to who it is I've stomped on.
"Back off Derrick, this isn't necessary" I'm lightly replaced back onto my feet by Oli, stepping beside me with a few of his friends and a stern face to boot.
"It is necessary; what are you on about? That..." He points to me. "Is not normal, neither are those two freaks" I reach for a fist full of his hair, but Oli holds me back quickly and effectively. He wasn't a jock for nothing.
"He's not worth it Mello, leave him" I relax and glare.
"Not worth it? I doubt you were saying that when poor little A had a fit of insecurity!" Derrick laughs as my eyes widen. Derrick caused A to attempt- "Or even better, when that psycho-freak over there couldn't take a fucking punch!" I went blind with rage, launching forwards and tackling Derrick to the ground. It was all his fault, I realised. He had attacked BB that time and he sure as hell did something to A to make him try—
I'm pulled off him by three of Oli's friends, whilst Oli himself holds back Derrick as he squares himself up.
"Come on Oli-mate, man it up a bit!"
"This is pathetic, and so are you" Oli pushes Derrick back his hand remaining outstretched to keep him at a distance. "Move. Go on"
"Obviously Mello isn't the tough guy we all thought you were; girlie" I'm ready to knock him dead, but A springs up and hugs me tightly. In my unsuspecting state, I trip a little and fall on A, so we both collapse to the floor as I growl harsh curses in many languages at Derrick, but he leaves.
Oli makes sure everything is ok before leaving with his friends a whole fifteen minutes later.
We're left alone, myself, BB and A. A scrambles up, shaken, automatically heading for BB's security. I bolt up and stalk ahead, mumbling "I'm sick of this!" as I pass BB. Worryingly, I'm almost certain I heard BB answer dangerously "Me too"
I walk home ahead of BB and A. It's the closest we've ever got to an argument and I find it slightly eerie. At home, I walk in, dump my bag and remember to compliment Rod's acting skills.
"Heard you on the radio; well done" Rod grins.
"Halle helped on the figures n' shit. I defended yeh' the best I could" I nod. "Whassup with you?"
"You wouldn't care" I grumble, flopping on the sofa.
"Ey! I just said 'i defended yeh' the best I could' and you accuse me of not caring?" He drops into place beside me and gives me a concerned look. "What's going on?"
"I'm sick of Derrick" I hiss. "Can we put him on the Hit List?"
"Mel-"
"I'm kidding" Rod sighs in relief. "Why get the Mafia to do it when I can do it myself"
"Mello don't go sayin' things like that" He warns. "If something were to happen, then you'd be a suspect"
"I wouldn't mind if it did happen" I scowl. "BB and A have been back a whole day, just one whole fucking day. Derrick's back too, so yeah, possible conflict... he's a fucking dick" I kick the coffee table leg in anger. "He threatened A. Well, me...but by using A"
"Maybe going the traditional way could help this; why not talk to the police?"
"They won't do fuck all; I've already got a previous restraining order from him as well as various assaults that haven't been recorded on file – there's no way they're going to believe me" I sigh and drop my head into my hands with a groan.
"Maybe moving to LA wouldn't be so bad" I mumble quietly. "If BB and A came too...it might actually be fun"
"Mello..." Rod doesn't finish, instead he gets up and goes to the liquor cabinet and pulls out some good old pure Russian vodka. He places the bottle in front of me. "I'm not teaching you to drown your problems in alcohol – but you need to think straight. Get a fresh head. Once you've filled it up with pixies and fairies, you can make decisions. So get drinking"
Thursday. I wake up with a minor headache, but my brain feels quite empty. In a good way. As Rod said it would, I have a now fresh head. I don't want to move to LA any more, I'm happy here and I won't move because of some shit fuck like Derrick.
I spend the morning with BB and A, and we make a point of ignoring Derrick in any way we can, even going the long way to our lessons to make sure we ruled out any in-school collisions. I catch up on some work that I might have missed during lunch, BB and A don't mind. We aren't talking so much, so I don't really know what they're thinking. We seem comfortable despite our silences, but we don't bring up Derrick's attack. My tutor pulls me aside at the end of the day, congratulating me on my new efforts to actually succeed in my work, and they're glad to have me back. Theoretically of course, meaning I was back on board the academic ship and was willing to resume my place as top of the school. Which, by Friday, I'd already done. Yay.
I go to see the councillor on Friday too – talk to her about a few things, just so they go on file. I tell her about Derrick's attack but leave in perfect timing with the bell so she can't ask questions. We manage to successfully avoid Derrick for another day, and I'm glad to see A and BB holding hands and looking happier today. The weekend looks brighter when they invite me to their house for tea and cake, so I accept gratefully and we get back on our friendship train. I head home at seven-ish so Rod doesn't yell at me for being late, but when I get in, he simply smiles and lets me go to my room, where I do all my homework, plus extra work, as well as text both A and BB before I go to bed. Feeling like a successful day has finally come around, I allow myself a scary 'bonding session' with Misa, as she's home from Uni for the weekend. We watch horror movies until one o'clock in the morning whilst eating popcorn, chocolates and sweets and drinking cola. She'll be moaning in the morning when she thinks she's fatter than she really is.
Skinny Bitch.