(no subject)

[guppy_sandhu]

"Just leave me alone, I'm not doing anything to you."
"You're in the way Sandy."
"Let's put him out of the way."

The door swings shut - a gym locker door today - with an eight-year-old Guppy with his coat and jumper hooked neatly onto the peg so that his legs dangle. He looks surprised to say the least that he's ended up back in the bar he was in the other day, but right now is more concerned about what his mum will say about the stretched jumper. He squirms, trying to lift himself up on the peg so that he can unhook himself.

And then sighs, because being stuck on the inside of a locker door is just plain embarrassing.

Little help over here?

Comments

[cute_bruiser]

"Shush, okay, I won't if you don't want me to," she says more quietly, putting an arm around his small shoulders again.

"Why does what keep happening?"

[guppy_sandhu]

"I get headaches sometimes when I'm worried or thinking of stressy things. Father says I'm faking it, but I'm not, and he won't believe me."

[cute_bruiser]

"Your dad doesn't sound very nice," Molly comments. "D'you want to try my milkshake? It's pretty good- and you can't get it anywhere but here."

[guppy_sandhu]

He hesitates, then nods.

"Yes please."

[cute_bruiser]

She passes it over.

"Careful, it's pretty heavy."

[guppy_sandhu]

He manages a sip before the heavy glass slips out of his little hands and smashes.

:( !

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to!" he says quickly, looking up at her to see if he's going to get punished.

[cute_bruiser]

"Oooops. It's okay, Fish, I know you didn't."

She didn't mean to call him Fish, it just sorta- slipped out.

"I should probably have held on to it too. Hang on, I'll get a waitrat."

She waves one down. "Sorry, we managed to spill my milkshake, can you get some cloths and stuff? And another milkshake, too, please."

[guppy_sandhu]

Fish.

He stops and stares. How does she know the nickname?

His mind races, and he comes to the conclusion that either she knows his bullies or she knows his dad. Because Jake doesn't have any other friends either.


By the time she has finished talking to the waitrat, he has fled.

[cute_bruiser]

Molly turns around.

"...Fish? Gurpreet?"

Beat.

"...Awww, hell. What'd I say?"

When the waitrat returns, she's still bemused, but it's pretty clear that the younger kid has vanished. Downcast, she takes the cloths from the ratty, quietly helping it to clear up the mess.

"You know what? Cancel the second 'shake, please. I don't feel like it any more."

[guppy_sandhu]

It's only once he's outside the door, having run past the boys who put him there, when he's being grabbed by the arm and forced into another locker, that he remembers. He told her earlier.

And as he sits alone, trapped in the dark and slowly banging on the door, calling for help that won't come for ages, what feels worst of all is that he didn't trust her.