Everybody Needs Somebody

“Hey, look, there she is!” Scott laughed, pointing down the corridor at Hayley’s back. “Not like you can miss her,” he added spitefully. Will forced a laugh, hating himself.
“Where’re you going, lover girl? Will’s here, don’t you want to snog him again?” He shouted after Hayley, to many laughs from people around him.
Hayley whipped round, shot Will a livid look, and pushed some younger students out of the way as she ran out of school.
“Come on,” Scott grinned to Will, leading him down the corridor and chasing Hayley out of the school gates.
“He doesn’t even like you!” Scott yelled after her. Hayley ignored him, clutching her blue English folder to her aching chest. She wiped away tears angrily and walked faster, fighting back sobs. She pushed the diamond on her mother’s engagement ring into her hand.
“I love you, Mom,” she muttered, squeezing her eyes shut.
“He only kissed you because he felt sorry for you!” Scott shouted, louder, because now there was a crowd gathering, watching to see what the weird girl and Will would do. “Did you think he would actually like you? You’re pathetic! Will felt sorry for you! Why would he like a freak like you, Hayley?”
This question made Hayley Hepburn stop.
“Is that true?” She asked, tears no longer falling from her eyes. She addressed Will and only Will, ignoring their entire year group now standing mainly behind Scott and Will.
“I...I...” Will didn’t have the words to answer her.
“Of course it is!” Scott laughed. “No-one likes you, Hayley. He just pitied you.”
Hayley drew herself up, her eyes narrowing on Will Matthews.
“Fuck you, Matthews,” she spat, and walked away.
Everybody needs somebody, that’s what he had once told her. What a damn lie that turned out to be. Hayley Rose Hepburn didn’t need anybody. She definitely didn’t need Will Matthews. She could make it on her own.