<div align="center"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 18pt;"><strong>Trouble in Paradise</strong></span></div><hr/><br/><div class="floatleft">(https://i.imgur.com/fgm5IMb.png)</div><strong>NAME:</strong>Mallory Minato<br/><strong>DAY:</strong>May 6th, 2019<br/><strong>LOCATION:</strong>Mitsuhara Private School, School Gates<br/><strong>TAGGING:</strong>Reckley Stiles, Kevin Finch, Hanna (Mention)<br/><strong>EXTRA:</strong>Need to Get Away<br/><strong>WEARING:</strong>Clothes (https://i.imgur.com/rH3tFvs.jpg)/Hair Style and Glasses (https://i.imgur.com/5vPZGY8.jpg)<br/><hr/><br/>God, her breath was so heavy she felt like her vision was becoming blotted. A bit dizzy from the stress and worry of what was going on, of the flashes and memories of what she didn’t want to remember consuming her, Mallory wasn’t sure if she would even be conscious enough to help Kevin if this guy started fighting him. Reckley was a bit taller than Kevin, and at least from her standards he didn’t seem all that lanky in stature; he seemed, if anything, around the same build as her friend.<br/><br/>It was almost a ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ moment, because as soon as Mallory had turned to look back at Reckley when the man noticed Kevin had arrived, a loud bang rang through the halls of the school. The small crowd that had gathered seemed to have all jumped at the same time, as a clearly large dent had been made into the lockers right next to Reckley’s skull. It had been so fast, Mallory had nearly missed seeing Kevin of all people do that. Still huddled against the lockers, trying to process her thoughts and calm her mind, Reckley had pounced, throwing a punch at Kevin.<br/><br/>She almost missed it once more, seeing Kevin dodge the attack easily, before retaliating full force, another punch bring Reckley crashing again the lockers; dent and all.<br/><br/><em>”How did I get a doormat as a niece.”</em><br/><br/>Her eyes closed in that moment, shaking her head lightly to get that thoughts and memories to go away, to leave her alone. She didn’t want to her these words again.<br/><br/><em>”Don’t be so pathetic. People around here gossip, so be a good girl and do as your told. You don’t want to inconvenience people, do you?”</em><br/><br/>Even as she tried to wipe those thoughts from her mind, to just ignore them, they continued like an onslaught. Always watching her every move as soon as she woke up, Mallory never felt like she was free from herself. With those eyes always watching, always giving her that feeling of being followed, she could never be free from it. The silence was deafening, as all she could hear was her own labored breaths, and those matching her own; Kevin’s. Her gaze turned to look back up at her friend, and the movement had caused something wet to fall down her face; how’d she not even notice that her eyes had tears in them?<br/><br/><em>”Do as your told, Mallory. Tell him that you’re fine, and finish this day with no problems”. </em><br/><br/>That voice echoed in her mind, and even as she tried to speak, her words caught in her throat. Hanna had always told her to not cause problems for others, to not appear weak when she was out in public. People were always watching you, always judging you; Hanna didn’t want Mallory to reflect on her parenting, and that was a known fact to her niece, and to anyone in contact with her. The lesson had been drilled into her brain, and even as Hanna’s voice echoed in her mind, Mallory couldn’t seem to comprehend, not when her best friend was asking if she was ok.<br/><br/>While Hanna’s ‘lessons’ had been taught to her since she was a child, her and Kevin’s friendship, and subsequent trust in one another, had been just as strong.<br/><br/>“No...”<br/><br/>Her eyes looked over Kevin’s shaking form as her hand took his on; in hindsight, they both needed the familiar touch they had been used to. Her words were so broken she could barely speak, so all she could do was convey with her eyes, still puffy and red from the previous tears. “Please.”  Her words were a whisper, the sheer worry of someone hearing her causing her heart to race and beat faster in panic. Her other hand clasped the one she was still holding; the sheer state of her all but conveyed to Kevin that she wasn’t ok, but with him, she was better than she had been.