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evangeline blackwood

"Hiss. Hiss."

I ignore the sound, attempting to write somewhat acceptable answers on the surprise exam.

"Hisssssssss."

"Ashanti," I whisper back, "Just because you're trying to get my attention does not mean you need to say the word hiss continuously."

"Where's the fun in that?" She shrugs, "It worked, didn't it?"

"I'm not giving you the answers again."

"I don't need any answers, bitch." She scoffs, running a hand through her hair. "I hate everything."

"Do you ever stop complaining?"

She scoffs, "Have you seen my life, Evangeline Blackwood?"

"Point proven. Well, I'm gonna go cry so see you in a bit." I grab my shit, hand my test in to Ali and walk out of the classroom.

Around 20 minutes later, I'm in the gender-neutral toilets and waiting for Ashanti to turn up with her constant complaining.

"Fucking, stupid-ass bitch." I mumble under my breath, texting her again telling her to hurry up as she's the one who asked me to fucking meet her in here. A sudden, sharp pain shoots violently through my stomach, I keel over in pain. "Fuck."

But before I have the chance to react fully, the sound of someone gagging reaches my ears and then the distinctively horrible smell of vomit.

Shit, I hope no one's pregnant. Julian would have a field day.

I hear the sound again and I stand outside the only closed cubicle with my hand clutched to my stomach.

"Hey, you alright? Need me to get anyone?" I don't get a response so I continue, "Is it okay if I come in? I've got some water."

I hear some shuffling and then the door unlocks. As I open the door, Phoenix Walker is sat on the ground, with his head hanging over the toilet.

"Phoenix." I say softly, "I'm going to touch your back, alright? Just take deep breaths." I rub circles into his back with the palm of my hands, "You're okay, mate."

With my other hand, I texted Ashanti telling her to find one of the other Walkers. Phoenix gags again and I wince and flinch at the smell and sound.

"You're alright. It's okay."

He mumbles something between gagging but I can't understand him.

"I'll find the school nurse or something once I know you're alright."

As I continue rubbing his back, I can literally feel all the bones in his back and it confuses me. He doesn't seem that small under the array of hoodies and jumpers. I shrug it off, some people are just like that.

"Get-" He started vomiting again, "Get-"

"I've texted Ashanti, she's going to find your brothers and sister." I tell him, not expecting the way he tenses up and begins to shake his head.

"Get out." He finally manages, shrugging me off him and pulling himself up. "Get out!"

"Woah, woah, woah." I hold my hands up, "Right, I'll leave. Are you okay?"

"Fuck off."

I take a step back but just as I do, Phoenix shoves me and I tripped, falling straight to the ground.

A searing-hot pain embraces my stomach, tearing and tugging at different parts of my abdomen until I feel like I can't breathe. Phoenix's eyes widen as I cry out but I can't fight the pain enough to tell him that this isn't his fault. This isn't because he pushed me.

The door flies open and, before I know it, a figure is flying towards Phoenix.

"What did you do to her?" Adonis shoves him against the cubicle wall, gripping his collar. "You think it's alright hitting a girl? Why don't you try to hit me? Eh?"

I shake my head, biting my lip. Ashanti and Logan kneel down next to me and I see Ashanti's eyes widen as she realises what's going on.

"Donnie, don't!" She shouts out as his arm draws back in a fist, "Phoenix didn't cause this."

While Ashanti's trying to calm Adonis, Logan is rooting through my bag until he comes to the small, white packet. Once the pill is out, he places it into my hand and grabs my water.

It takes a few minutes for it to fully take effect but by the time it has, everyone is staring at me.

"Cramps." I manage to force out, but I can tell they all think I'm bullshitting. Even Phoenix, whose face is almost as pale as the walls, looks shocked.

Apollo draws his attention towards his younger brother, "'Sup with you?"

"Food poisoning." Phoenix mutters, shuffling out the door before they have an opportunity to ask him anything else.

"Anyone else think he's acting weird?" Rory asks, her eyes on the door that Phoenix just walked through.

I nod my head, swallowing the lump in my throat as the dull pain still hides within me.

"Let's go to Lunch." Adonis says, holding a hand out and helping me up. But once I've stood up, he doesn't let go off me like I expect. Instead, we follow the others with our fingers linked.

I don't physically react but internally, I'm very much freaking out.

By the time we reach our table in the Dining Room, Rory is already back with her chicken nuggets and Morgan opens his bag up to reveal half of the convenience store.

Ashanti steals a bag of sweets before he has the chance to complain and I chuckle as his face completely drops.

"They're my favourite!"

"You've got 4 more bags of them. Stop complaining."

"Are you j-"

Apollo cuts him off, "Incoming missile."

Everyone at our table stops talking then, all of us diverting our attention to the approaching boys.

"If he comes near me, I'm throwing hands." Logan mutters, "Fucks sake."

"Well, well, well." Julian smirks, glaring at me. "What's wrong with you today, Blackwood? Killed another baby?"

"Fuck you."

"No thanks, I can do better than a fat slag." He hisses back, adding emphasis onto his last two words by looking me up and down.

Adonis stands up suddenly, drawing everyone's eyes to him. The entire cafeteria has their eyes drilled onto the scene.

He stays silent with fury and Julian and his minions start to laugh. "Oh, you're going to go up against me, Walker? Hm?"

The one thing about Adonis Walker is that he's not got a massive build. He's got muscles and he's well-built but compared to both Morgan, Julian and Apollo, he is quite small.

But if there is one thing I've learnt throughout my life, it's that size doesn't make a difference.

And I think Julian's about to be taught just that. Julian may surpass Adonis in size but Adonis is tall, like enormously tall and, at this moment in time, he looks like he's hanging on a thread.

His eyes shine with tenacity, mischief lingering within the striking ocean. He's staring Julian directly in the eye, with no ounce of hesitation and he looks furious.

But then, amid all the tension and the silence, he grins.

A full blown, feral grin. It juxtaposes the side of him that I've started to know massively but I can't find it within myself to care. That smile...that grin. It makes him look even more sexy and dangerous than usual and it's sending my stomach crazy.

Unfortunately for him, Julian doesn't seem to take the warning. "So the rumours were true." He hums, "You are a psycho."

Not even a second later and Adonis' fist is in the air and crashing against Julian's cheek.

Julian stumbles back, his nose bleeding, and crashes into a table, sending some girls drink flying everywhere.

"WALKER!" Janice Carey dives up out of nowhere. I swear she only shows when this school has some kind of entertainment. "And Parks, Principal's office now."

Adonis nods but takes a few steps forward until he's right in front of Julian once again.

"Maybe I am a psycho." He whispers, but I can hear him. "You should fear that."

He turns back around, shoving his hand into his pocket as our eyes meet. He drops a five pound note onto the table, pushing it towards the girl whose drink was spilled and then walks out of the cafeteria without another word.

------

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Ye-"

"But, are you oka-"

"Shut up, I'm fine." I snap, making Morgan back off a little. I sign, holding my head in my hands. "I'm sorry, I'm just worried that Adonis is in trouble."

"Donnie will be fine, I'm more worried about you." I can sense the question in his tone despite avoiding his gaze.

It was just us now. Phoenix, Rory and Ashanti were in lessons and Apollo and Logan decided to wait for Adonis during our free period.

Morgan knows a lot about me. Despite not knowing him as long as Ashanti, he's always been the one who I trusted with everything. Ashanti was my sister, my best mate, but speaking openly with her was difficult due to both of our mentalities that emotions are a weakness.

But I couldn't have not told them about this. Both her and Logan noticed me not being in school a lot more than usual and the conversation was unavoidable.

"After the abortion.." I start off, taking a deep breath. "I got really ill. I'd have these stomach cramps that I couldn't function with, my periods were a mess. I was depressed and just in pain constantly. Eventually, I got diagnosed with endometriosis."

There's no judgement in his stare. If anything, there was just curiosity.

"They had to do bare tests and there was so much confusion and needing second opinions on the diagnosis because I was young, you know? I was 15, 16 getting diagnosed with condition that typically occurs during your thirties. And what basically happens is the cells like those in my womb, grow in different places like my ovaries and the tubes and stuff. It causes really bad inflammation which is a bitch to live with. It does affect everyone differently but I just get these episodes where I can't function. Sometimes, it can take days for me to be fine again and, sometimes, just a couple of minutes."

"So that's what happened before? You had an episode?"

I nod my head, not replying verbally this time.

"Is there anything I can do to make them better for you? Like, if I'm with you when you have them?"

"You're so cute, man." I can't stop myself grinning as I squeeze his cheeks, humbled by his raw and unconditional kindness. "I just get my pills, which is what Logan did before. I have a hormone injection every 3 months."

"Well next time it happens just text me and I'll show up at your house with ice cream, chocolate, a hot water bottle and every John Hughes film I can think of."

"The only acceptable John Hughes film is The Breakfast Club and we've discussed this." I raise my eyebrows, daring him to disagree.

"Erm, Sixteen Candles? Home Alone? Uncle Buck?"

"They don't even compare."

He goes to speak again and I just shush him.

"Um. No. Nope. Shush. No. Not acceptable. End of discussion."

"You're annoying."

I smile, "Thank you."

Confession: I think Phoenix was lying.