Lorcan - POV (Cafeteria)

Note: I wouldn't say this has spoilers but it might create theories.

He was putting his ass on the line. He had done some stupid shit in his life but this really is up there. Fuck. But the cross country team for god knows what reason had decided to have their practices at lunch two times a week and if Mr. Boulder saw Lorcan loitering at the back doors of the old choir room he would get another suspension.

The only reason he hadn't been expelled is because of his grandma. She knows when to turn on the sweet old lady charm, she even has a floral floor-length dress for it. Principal Sanders probably comforts her because he wants to get her out of his office.

So it's either detention or suspension. Lorcan usually never goes to detention so it doesn't matter much. But the problem is that when he gets in trouble they keep on an eye on him for the next week and he can't sell on school grounds.

His clients don't like going to Cam and they don't want to risk their parents seeing him at their front door. So school it is. To lower his chances of getting caught he changes his location everyday. Today it's the cafeteria. So far he's sold a few grams to some football players.

He leans against the windows and watches people file in and sit down. Everyone is talking at once he can barely hear himself. But he likes that. It makes him invisible and it keeps the thoughts he doesn't want to think at bay. Which lately have been harder for him to ignore.

It's all that asshole's fault. He has to do it but that doesn't make it easier. Every time he sees them he feels boiling pit of anger in his stomach. Why do they get to live while Orla doesn't? Why do they get to go around as if nothing happened when he can't? His mother is dead because of them and they don't even care.

It's like he can sense them without seeing them because he just knows the moment they step into the cafeteria. He doesn't look directly at them but always who's ever closest. He gets strange looks from a girl right behind them and she whispers something to her friend, then her and her friend both stare at him and gossip. He doesn't give a shit. He's very good at not giving a rat's ass about what any of these motherfuckers in this town think.

Well, mostly everyone.

He finds everything they do annoying. The way they pick up their tray, the way you order food, the way they walk past Imre's and his ass kissers' table. Even the way they sit down. He also gets pissed off at how slowly they eat. Like if you're going to waste money on food don't be so fucking delicate about it for fuck's sake.

He should just kick their ass.

"My dad said he's going to talk to the Principal to get that piece of shit out of this school," one of Imre's lackeys says.

"Good. How wants to go to school with a murderer? Makes me scared to go to class knowing they could pop out of nowhere and stab me," another one answers.

It seems like there's a queue for kicking Crowny's ass. Lorcan grimaces. It's not like he cares if someone kicks the shit outta them. It's just that the reason he wants to hurt them is different from the reason they want to hurt them. And he doesn't want to let anyone talk his chance.

"Why don't we show them not to fuck with us?" a voice suggests. Female.

Lorcan perks his ears up and tries to find the owner of that voice sitting at Imre's table. "How?"

The female voice giggles, a rich girl giggle. An annoying giggle that makes Lorcan wince. "Just watch." The voice sounds familiar but he can't see which one of them said it. Fuck Imre for having too many friends.

The bell rings and Crowny gets up. Lorcan knows something is about to go down. He crosses his arms and watches as the lamb goes to the slaughter. That's how that saying goes right?

It happens really fast too. Crowny walks past a blonde girl and they fall out of view. Lorcan pushes off the window and tries to peer over the many heads of other's who want to see what happened.

He's surprised when Nia gets up and crouches down. He still can't see what's going on but he hears the comments people make. The jeering and laughter that people are doing a poor job at containing. Nia helps Crowny get up and their nose is runny. It doesn't look broken — he's an expert at that — but their shirt is stained and they're looking around wildly like a small forest animal caught in a trap.

They run out of the cafeteria and even before the doors fully shut behind them the laughter breaks through and it's complete chaos. Lorcan pushes past throngs of people and quickly gets to the doors.

In the hallway he looks around to see where they went. He catches the edge of their shoe disappearing behind a corner and he starts jogging after it. They're fast but he manages to keep up. When he turns into an older hallway he sees them push in a door at the end of the hall.

He slows his jog into a brisk walk and then a slow one as he nears the door. He stops in front of it and tries to hear anything. At first there's nothing but the old piping in this part of the school.

He's about to walk away when he hears something. A sound. Gasping? Why would they be gasping? He could understand crying although he's never seen them cry but gasping? Sounds they're drowning, the fuck?

Lorcan followed them for two reasons and one of them was to enjoy their suffering. But now he's just confused. He backs away from the door, thinking that he'll have to come up with another plan when his back grazes against something solid.

He looks behind him to see the last person — apart from Crowny — that he doesn't want to see.

Imre has his hands in his pockets. "Are they in there?"

Lorcan turns to face him and asks, "why do you give a shit?"

Imre puts a finger to his. He goes to a side door and opens it. Lorcan can hear sounds from outside. Imre looks back at him and says, "I think we should have a conversation."

Lorcan snorts, "why the hell would I wanna talk to you?"

Imre pushes the door open even more. His back is to outside. The day light outlines his face so that Lorcan can barely see it shrouded in shadows. But he can tell he's smiling.

A smile that makes Lorcan feel uneasy. "Because I know and I think I can help."