05: My Delinquent Friends

❝ You got style, I got popular demand, they got envy, I love how we make them mad ❞

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Entering the class, I sat on my usual place waiting for Ray to come. I was going to talk to him about the assignment today.

To pass the time, I decided to stick my nose in another one of Rainbow Rowells novel—Eleanor and Park. I'd read it about five times, and everytime I finished reading it, I couldn't stop crying a little. Everyone deserved a happy ending and I liked to think that Eleanor and Park did too. Every person in love, no matter how difficult it gets, should find a way to be happy.

Two fingers tapped on the desk as Ray looked down at me, his eyes clearly stating boredom.

"You're here." I said, with much effort. My cheek still hurt but it was better.

"Yeah I guess its obvious," he mumbled, rolling his eyes and sitting down. Once he sat himself down, his gaze landed upon my wounds. "How is your cheek? Any better?" He enquired.

"Still hurts, but I can speak. Thanks to you." I bit back, taunting him a bit. He scoffed and looked away muttering what I figured out to be whatever.

"Can we get this assignment shit done with?" He said, rubbing his forehead. "I could be out, you know, hanging with my buddies but here I am, doing an assignment, so can we finish it off?"

"Fine whatever." I replied, opening up the textbook and reference books.

Over the span of next ten minutes, I explained to him what he had to do and how this whole thing was going to work. I could tell he wasn't interested, but nevertheless he paid attention to which I was very thankful for.

"So yeah, basically this is what is to be done," I finished, passing him the paper on which I had jotted down the basic points. "I'll do most of the work, so only if you could find me the material, it'll be a done deal." I said, folding my hands.

"Okay." He stood up, stuffed the paper in his bag and walked himself out of the classroom.

How rude.

I knew it wasn't going to be easy to get through him. He even had distanced himself from his friends, not allowing them to pry inside of his mind and accepting how he was, so I didn't expect him to open up to me with a simple snap of my finger. It would take time.

But it was still a mystery to me as to why did I want to be his friend, why did I feel like helping him and why did I want him to open up to me. I didn't have the answer to these questions and I was extremely confused internally. No matter how much the people around me tried to convince me that he was no good, that he was just another delinquent, just another fucked up, prideful bad boy, my heart didn't seem to agree to that.

He definitely had so much more to him, he had warmth somewhere inside of him and I did believe in that.

Yes, he was scary, he was intimidating and he definitely was an asshole but his eyes. His eyes always gave him away. I kind of knew that he wanted people to like him, to love him but he had these walls built around himself.

Something had definitely happened to him. People always seclude themselves when they feel that the people around them will harm and hurt them the same way they've been in the past. They do not want to open the barely healed wounds again.

I wasn't pretending like I knew Ray inside out. I barely did. But I for sure knew, he wasn't the Ray that people were perceiving him to be and I was going to help him. I was going to be there for him as a friend and I was going to make him believe that even when this world is brimming with the waters of darkness, somewhere in the ocean, a lighthouse is there.

The bell rung, snapping me from my thoughts and I quickly gathered my belongings. I hadn't seen Katie since yesterday and not to mention, I did miss her a lot.

She was supposed to meet me for lunch and so I made my way to meet her.

There she was, leaning against my locker and typing away frantically on her phone, her face laced with concern and anger.

"Hey Kates, what's up?" I smiled at her as she looked up.

Without saying anything she dragged me to an empty classroom and closed the door, rather slammed the door behind her. She paced up and down the room, and I knew that she was trying to formulate sentences.

"Katie are you oka—"

"Did you hang out with the delinquents yesterday?" She cut me off, now glaring at me.

How did she know?

She wasn't supposed to, I mean I would have told her but I knew she wouldn't take it lightly.

"Uh yeah I guess, but I really didn't go there myself." I scratched the back of my neck trying to avoid her gaze.

She scoffed as she shoved her phone under my nose as my eyes made out a blurred photo outline of some people. As I took her phone in my hand, I gasped.

It was a photo of me hanging out with Ray and his friends and that particular click had captured when Olivia had flung her arm over my shoulders and we both were smiling.

"Katie I—"

"I told you to stay away from them June. Now, this photo is plastered all over the school forum, site and group chats. I'm literally trying my best to take down this photo. Do you even know what are they talking about you?" She paused.

I remained silent and she understood that she could continue.

"The nerd wanting to get some D? The nerd looking for good fucks? The nerd and the manwhores of Moordale High?" She quoted some comments from the photo.

Strangely, I found it funny and my mouth slipped a laugh as Katie widened her eyes. Well, wasn't I called a nerd my entire life? She didn't get furious about it back then. Of course, she wasn't to be blamed, that's what I was and I took pride in it. Nothing wrong to be a person who priorities their teenage life with studies. You want them big dollars, work for it. Parties and drugs ain't gonna help you. Thats what I convinced myself with, because in all honesty, I wasn't made for partying and partying wasn't made for me. But whatever.

"Y—You find this funny June?" She basically screamed.

"No No! Katie, it's just that I'm not really affected by their comments." I stated the truth. It didn't matter if people thought of me that way because Olivia and her friends weren't that bad.

"They aren't the delinquents everyone is perceiving them to be. Katie, they helped me get back to class when I was lost though yes, I had some problems." I said recalling how Ray pushed me.

"Are you kidding me right now? You saw for yourself how Ray beat up that guy, he could have killed him!" She yelled, trying to make me see her point and I did see it, really. But she hadn't been with them and she didn't know how misunderstood they were.

"Katie you are absolutely right but I have been with them a few times and they really didn't treat me any bad. They were, in fact, quite fun to be around and I think they are really misunderstood." I made an effort to negotiate calmly, trying to make her understand me and my point.

"June you're really being unreasonable right now. See, I don't care if they are misunderstood or not. All I know is that they are not good people. They have been in trouble, and by trouble I do not mean being late to class or getting a few detentions.

"But fine, since you have decided to take their side and not listen to me, do as you please. I was just trying to warn you June, because I do care about you. But I can't force you into doing something which you clearly don't want to." Katie spat, storming past me and slamming the door shut.

I sighed. I simply meant that we didn't have to judge Ray and his friends so soon.

Since I had fought with Katie, I had one less person to talk to.

Walking into the cafeteria, people eyed me and whispered frantically. I had gotten used to it by now. There was so much attention on me these days.

Finding a table, I pulled out the cheese and vegetable sandwich which mom had packed for me along with fresh lemonade.

At least I had food in my shitty life.

Stuffing my face with food and my ears with earphones, I decided to blur out the others and simply enjoy myself. If people did decide to stay away from me, I couldn't care less. I had to survive just another year here and then I would be living my dream life in New York.

My daydream was churned back to reality when I realized someone had yanked out my earphones.

Looking up I saw Simon smirking as Jack bit back a laugh. Olivia was already wheezing and Ray, even Ray's lips tugged to form a sort of smile.

What were they laughing at?

Oh shit. I had a whole sandwich in my mouth and I was probably looking so funny.

I choked at the realization and bits of sandwich flew here and there which had Olivia clenching the chairs for support. Jack was now laughing while Ray half-smiled.

Simon handed me a bottle of water which I took thankfully, and gulped down everything. Finally stable, I found all of them still amused.

"Babe, you really are something." Olivia managed to squueze between her hysteric laughs.

"I should have clicked a photo dammit!" Sighed Simon as he shook his head.

"Oh by the photo, I remember what we originally came here for." Olivia pulled out a chair and sat herself beside me as the others made themselves comfortable too.

"Are you embarrassed to be with us now that the photo is all over the net? I totally understand if you are," whizzed Simon as his face turned blank. "And we don't give a fuck about it, if you want to know. And another fuck not given if you don't want to hang out with us after this commotion. We just came by to say that."

Weirdly, everyone fell silent, their faces devoid of any humor. Ray's eyes focused in on mine and it seemed like they all expected an answer.

"Why would I be? I enjoyed being with you all." I stated the truth. I really did have fun with them.

"Really? Why?" Quizzed Jack, an amused and curious expression on his face.

"Well for starters, I did think you were assholes but after hanging out with you all, I actually and genuinely feel that you are the funniest and realest people I've ever met. You aren't like others— acting fake to suck out favours. Trust me, I know whats it like when people act all fake to you, just because they want something out of you. You guys are yourselves and I think I love that. You aren't afraid of anyone, though I'm sometimes afraid of you all because you guys are really intimidating," I shyly but defiantly confessed.

But I didn't lie, I really liked them and the way they were so carefree.

And then Ray broke out a widest smile I'd ever seen on him. It wasn't a fake one, anyone could make that out. It was real and it showed that he was really happy.

He didn't realize he was smiling because all the people on the table were nudging each other to look at him. Olivia's eyes widened and for a second I thought that they would fall out of their sockets. Jack held a breath and Simon nearly choked on his coke. Jason coughed hysterically and I just looked Ray right in the eye.

"What just happened?" Simon blurted out, surprise clear in his voice.

Ray snapped out of his trance and he suddenly realized what had he done. His eyes turned emotionless yet again and he snapped back a hushed what at Simon.

"Ray has never smiled this wide since what? Eight years? Nine Years?" Said a shook Olivia, patting me on the back. "You made him smile June, congratulations!" She said, shaking me.

Ray just grunted and threw a line of cuss words at Olivia to which Olivia just stuck out her tongue.

"That was wonderful June. Thank you for saying that about us. We're glad we met you." Jack said, a smile on his face.

"Yeah, I mean, I knew we made a pact that we wouldn't make friends ever, I think we all can agree on this that June is a part of us now." Jason said, winking at me.

"I agree."

"Definitely!"

"Of course!"

Everyone, except for Ray.

He remained silent.

"You don't want her among us?" Asked Olivia as Ray raised his head to look at me.

"It's just sick that you are trusting her so soon. She could be faking it, for all you know," grunted Ray, rolling his eyes at me.

Oh how dare he.

"Listen here, I've absolutely no interest in faking friendships. I barely have two friends and one has already fought with me today. So I would appreciate that you kept your theories to yourself." I snapped.

"Your friend? Katie? She fought with you? Why?" Simon fired tens of questions in one breath. I sad-smiled.

"Well she found out I was hanging with you guys and she just blew off." Sighing, I took a sip of my lemon juice which was left untouched. "She'll come around, I've known her for years." At least, that's what I was telling myself.

They all looked at each other and nodded. Even Ray looked like he was trying to figure out something.

"Do you want to hang out after school today?" Asked Jason, raising his brows.

"Umm..." I hesistated.

"You don't have to be shy, you're not bothering us." Assured Jack as he gave me a small smile.

"Oh okay, sure then!" I gave them a thumbs up as they nodded appreciatively.

"Simon's house at 4 okay?" Stated Olivia as she typed away Simon's address and my phone instantly pinged telling me that I had a notification.

"But what will we be doing?" I was curious. What was their ideal protocol of hanging out? Mine was to just binge watch movies with Katie. I feared I wouldn't fit in.

"Nothing illegal dear." Laughed Simon as he threw a smirk at me.

Oh lord, help me today.

I just faked a smile, while I was screaming on the inside.

"Dont worry, you'll enjoy it June," said Olivia, flinging an arm around my shoulder. "Oh how glad I am to have a girl now, there was just so much testosterone around me." She sighed as we both laughed.

"Oh shut up Olivia." Ray mused as he smiled too. It was good to see him smile. I was glad I made him smile today.

"June."

I looked up to see Stefan standing there with some of his friends.

"Oh uh, hi Stefan." I stood up from my chair to face him. "What are you doing here? I thought you were practicing?"

"Nah I just got off because I heard some things going around the school. Came to confirm them." His voice was pitch cold.

"Oh like what?" My voice matched his—pitch cold.

"I see you've been hanging around with the delinquents." At this sentence of his, Ray scoffed while Simon shuffled uncomfortably in his seat.

"Yeah we're her friends, so what?" Seethed Jason.

Stefan scoffed. "You? Her friends? You all don't deserve to have friends okay?"

Simon stood up, rolling his sleeves. "Are you trying to pick up a fight? Because if that's the case, you don't stand a chance prick." Simon threw back his thumb at the other three guys intimidatingly eyeing Stefan.

"Nope, I'm just stating the facts." Suddenly, Stefan pulled me towards him and held my waist firmly.

I thought he hated PDA?

"She's my girlfriend, better stay away from her." His tone was rather rude and blunt.

Everyone looked up at me, shocked. Of course I hadn't had the chance to tell them that I was dating Stefan. Ray's head snapped up and his eyes bore into mine. He could burn me from his gaze itself.

"Whoa whoa we didn't know that!" Chimed in Simon, looking at me.

"It wasn't important. Anyways I've told you right now, so it shouldn't matter." Stefan held me so hard that it hurt and I winced. Ray pushed back his chair and grabbed my wrists, yanking me away from Stefan's hold.

"You're hurting her." He stated plainly, again sitting back on his chair.

My hands burnt from where he touched me. I was sure my arm was warm as hell. Stefan just glared at him and intertwined his fingers with mine. Ray stared intimidatingly at our laced hands.

"Let's go June." Stefan called me out.

As he dragged me along, I signalled to Olivia that I would call her and be at Simon's house to which she and the others thumbs uped.

Now onto Stefan.

What the hell was wrong with him?

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This took me long enough to post. What do you think is wrong with Stefan? 👀 Also, this chapter was a filler, more drama to come *face palms*