Chapter 20 #2
“No, Peps, we need to ignore it like everybody else,” he said firmly. “Don’t involve yourself with them.”
“Ignore it? Maybe you can ignore it, but I can’t,” I said. “I know you hate him and all, but bullies don’t stop being bullies unless we do something about it.”
“What can we even do, Peps?” Ayden inhaled. “He almost killed all of us, don’t forget that. They’re bullying him because of his actions. It’s his fault, so why should we get involved?”
“Don’t even try to excuse their actions. You know that they have been bullying him since middle school.” I stood up. “Plus, two wrongs don’t make a right. If you don’t come with me, I’ll just go alone.”
Ayden didn’t budge. I took that as an answer and walked away, trying to find the boys that bullied Hero. I found them eating at a table on the other side of the restaurant—with the rest of the popular clique—laughing and chatting about Hero.
“Hey,” I said, approaching them. “I’m here to have a chat with Reese, Colin, and Kayden.”
The three of them turned their bodies towards me and tilted their heads, expecting me to continue speaking. They looked me up and down, judging my outfit. I hated how they believed they were so above everybody else.
“I saw what you did,” I said. “Bulling Hero? I was shocked, especially since we just did that assignment on bullies, Reese.”
Obviously I wasn’t, but I wanted to embarrass him.
“Shut up,” Reese snapped. “Mind your own business.”
“What you did wasn’t okay,” I scolded.
The three of them rolled their eyes at me. “What are you, our moms?” Kayden asked.
“Listen, Peppy,” Reese said, leaning in his chair.
“Pepper,” I corrected, crossing my arms.
“Peppy,” he continued, and I gritted my teeth. “I know you have some savior complex or whatever, but you have to remember that he knows how to make potions. If he has had enough, he’ll be sure to let us know.”
That’s when it clicked.
They bullied him in a public area because they wanted Hero to be caught. If that happened, almost all of my classmates would end up testifying against him for what he did last year. He would get arrested, for sure.
Cruel.
I winced. It was pointless to argue any further. There was nothing I could say or do to convince them to stop.
Reese smirked. “Is that all?”
“If you have nothing else to say, be on your way then.” Colin waved his hand, shooing me away.
I walked away, sticking the middle finger up. I made my way back to where Ayden was sitting, but he was nowhere to be seen.
Hero sat at a nearby table, a cup of coffee and chocolate chip muffin in front of him. And in his hands…
The grimoire.
I couldn’t believe my eyes. There was no way he actually brought it with him on the field trip, let alone had it out in public. What was he thinking? Did he want to be caught?
More importantly, was he planning on using it?
I approached him as he took a bite of his muffin, some crumbs on the corners of his mouth. He maintained his gaze on the book. Clearing my throat, I made my presence known. He continued to ignore my existence. I cleared my throat again, louder this time.
“Do you need something?” Hero asked, turning the page without looking up at me.
“You brought that.” I pointed at the book. He didn’t have to look up to know what I was talking about.
“I did.”
Pulling back the chair in front of him, I tried to sit down but Hero slammed the book shut, startling me. He gave me a cold, deadly stare. Chills ran down my spine. He had never given me a look like this before. This look was new.
“Leave,” he said sternly. The cold stare was still on me.
“Do you…” I observed him to see if I should continue asking my question. He nodded for me to continue, seeming to wonder what I was going to ask. “Do you know where Ayd is?”
He instantly went cold again but couldn’t maintain eye contact with me anymore. “Leave,” he repeated, but this time I could hear a bit of shakiness in his voice.
“Hero?” I asked with concern. “Where is Ayden?”
He pushed his plate away and set the book down on the table. He stared down at his hands—or his nails? His cold stare turned to one of guilt and regret. “I…I am so sorry, oh my God, I am so sorry.”
A few tears fell gracefully down his cheek and onto his lap. Then, it turned into ugly crying—sobbing into his hands. Yet, he was still as handsome as ever.
It hurt me to see him cry. I did everything to hold back my own tears. “What did you do?” I asked with a tone of urgency. “Hero, what did you do?”
“I’m sorry,” he sobbed.
I stepped closer to him. “Just tell me what you did.”
“I hurt him,” he whispered, taking his hands off of his face and making eye contact with me. “I used the book and I hurt him.”
I shook my head slowly, not wanting to believe it. “How badly?”
“I’m not sure,” he bit his lip, “but he was in good enough shape to run away.”
“Where did he go?”
“I don’t know.” He sniffed, wiping his tears away. “You should try to find him, though.”
I nodded. “I will.”
I rushed out of the buffet, proceeding to search every floor. Every single area. My legs could barely move anymore. I had to rest.