Pain And… 19B

Two nights of plays held outside in the school's grand garden. Used for all sorts of out door events. Besides the various sports fields and the other two smaller gardens. The first through third year drama students had their plays in the two nights and the third night, the fourth years. All five of them together the whole time. Noelle more or less on her own. In between Sawyer and Otto with their girlfriends on their other sides. Both nights. Which she felt was a bit awkward. Especially because both boys kept whispering to her during the plays. In spite of the little awkwardness between her and the girls, giving her a glare or two when the boys held on to them. It was fun. Especially with the long tables of seemingly never ending snack and drinks. Most people hung around it during intermission.

The third night. With the way the last two nights went, with the plays being so very interesting, the group was more than excited to see the last one. Noelle took a precaution and sat away from the couples. All the classes had chosen plays that weren't as popular as Romeo and Juliet or Macbeth. One of the plays from the previous nights was Midsummer Night's Dreams. And tonight, for the final play; Much Ado About Nothing.

Considering Sawyer was not interested when they all decided to attend. He very much was by the third one. Clearly, his main purpose for going was working. "Where's Elle?" He asked Otto. Looking above heads for her.

"Yeah, where is she?" Hannah looked around.

"I'll call her." Wendy volunteered. Otto looked down at Wendy's phone as she did. "No answer. Should we go look for her?"

"It's about to start. She'll let us know where she is." Sawyer said, taking his seat between Hannah and Otto.

Neither one of them moved. Their eyes all glued to the stage, enthralled and laughing with the crowd until the stage went dark and the expected intermission came. Sawyer left Hannah, Otto and Wendy who went for the snack table. Sawyer headed for the rest room. In his absence, Noelle appeared and they all went to get drinks. Noelle giving the excuse that she arrived late. She couldn't tell if she liked Sawyer for not inviting his girlfriend to make her not feel left out. Or not because by doing so, he left his girlfriend out for her sake.

Sawyer thought about the last few days. Nights actually. And how nice it felt to be out. What was the difference between the last few weeks and these few days? He made his way back to the garden with this thought in mind and a small smile on his face. He looked up, searching for his friends and found them, Otto and a Noelle with remorseful looks on their faces while a guy yelled at them, looking very much like he would hit someone.

"It was a mistake."

"Like hell it was! Let me ruin your night and see how you feel!" The guy barked at Elle.

"I bumped into you. Don't talk to her."

"I'll talk to whoever I want to!" He raised his hand, already a fist.

Sawyer placed his hand on the guy's shoulder, forcefully turning him around. Hit him. He did. It felt so good. Do it again. He did, then grabbed the guy by his collar and hit him again. He got a punch right back. So this is what Tom does. Giving out pain and taking some more. Better than the one he felt inside, the pain he wakes up with every morning: that follows him around. He punched and was punched. He could taste blood. He understood now why Tom got into fights. He liked this. This pain he gave out and got. Over and over again, a scowl filled with pain on his face. The leak, bursting through the walls, damaging everything it came into contact with.

"Wade!" Otto called. A crowd forming.

"Wade stop!" Noelle this time.

Wendy and Hannah looking on in shock. They had just turned from the drink table and instantly saw Sawyer punch a guy. Why would he suddenly do that?

Otto recovered quickly from his own shock. By then Sawyer was on the ground with the guy. Otto went to them. Among others. Pulling them apart. "Wade stop!"

They got Sawyer up. A deep scowl on his face, his jaw clenched. He wanted to keep going. Sudden rage so blinding, so consuming, he didn't see his friend standing between him and the other guy. He kept trying to free himself from the people holding him back.

"Wade!" Otto punched Sawyer in the face. An attempt to stop him. Sawyer did stop moving. Those holding him let him go. His eyes narrowed on Otto and punched Otto right back. Ready to attack him.

"Sawyer!" Noelle jumped in between them, arms spread out. Wendy and Hannah shouting his name along with her.

Hannah couldn't believe it. Sawyer is anything but violent. The look of pure anger on his face. Where did it come from? He was fine a few minutes ago. Did something happen? This just can't be real.

His name reached his ears, his arms fell. The look still on his face. He didn't see all the people looking at him. Including his friends and the guy he was fighting. He turned around and left the garden. Back to his room where he won't be bothered.

All three girls went up to Otto. "Are you alright?" Wendy asked, assessing her boyfriend. A cut on his lower lip.

Noelle and Hannah looked back at Sawyer shrinking and fading away with distance and darkness. So familiar to Noelle. Anger or concern, she couldn't decide, so she turned back to Otto. Meanwhile Hannah wasn't sure. To go to him or stay here with them. If he wanted her with him, he would have let her know. She turned to Otto as well.