Popular!EnglandxBullied!Reader- Are You Happy Now

~*~*~*~*~*~
She stood out in the crowd, was a little too loud

But that's why we love her

She's not like other girls

She could have conquered the world

Until you broke her down.
~*~*~*~*~*~

You sat hunched in your desk, your (h/c) hair hanging in your face as you wrote on the white slip of paper your world history teacher, Mr. (Teacher's Name) had handed out to everyone in the room not ten minutes earlier. The class period was almost over, and yet you were one question away from finishing that nights homework. Smiling silently to yourself, you read over the next question that was written on the slip.

Who were the Ottomans? You read the question inside your head, putting the tip of your pencil to your mouth, squinting your eyes slightly. Smirking, you jotted down your answer on the line below it.

The Ottoman Empire lasted from 1299 to 1923 as one of the largest and longest-lasting empires in history. It's capital city was Constantinople (present-day Istanbul, Turkey). The empire was at the center of interactions between Eastern and Western civilization for six centuries...

The more you thought about the question, the more you wrote down, taking up the remainder of space on the page. Feeling proud of the work you had accomplished, you set your pencil down and stuffed the homework neatly into the front of your binder. You sat through the remainder of class in silence, each second ticking down to the dismissal bell mocking you. It wasn't that you were eager to leave the safety of the classroom. In fact, it was the exact opposite of that. You would be more than happy to sit in your spot the rest of the school day, free from the hallways your dearly dreaded.

Just as you thought, the cheap clock hanging above the whiteboard on the wall struck 10:00, the usual school bell giving off an annoying ring as it echoed through the halls and slowly slipped into the room. A lump began to form in your throat as you grabbed your things and stuffed them into the backpack beside you, waiting for the people in the room to retreat into the hall and to their next class.

As soon as the room was cleared, you made your escape to the hallway, slinging your backpack over your shoulder and walking as fast as humanly possible to your locker. You held your gaze to the ground, death gripping the shoulder strap of your bag, hearing nothing but the sounds of happy murmers surrounding you. So far so good.

Now spotting your locker, the number 87 labled clearly at the top, your arm reached out and hurridly attempted to put in the combonation to get inside it.

13

1

17

You pulled on the handle to open the blue metal locker, but it wouldn't quite seem to budge. Quietly cursing under your breath, you twisted the knob and put the same code in. With fumbly fingers, you were finally able to get it open to reveal your texbooks laying at the bottom just as you had left them yesterday. You opened your bag and switched your History book with your Algebra one, being sure to grab a few pieces of 0.5 lead for your empty mechanical pencil. Maybe you would acutally make it to the next class without any of your 'daily interuptions'. As much as the thought echoed through your mind, your heart still pounded as hard as it always did between classes, knowing you probably wouldn't get to the next class without ending up on the floor or making another scence.

Swallowing, you shut your locker as quietly as you could, rummaging through your bag to find the black mechanical pencil you always used. Once you had found it, you took the earaser off the end and started to feed it the lead as you walked down the hall, not getting interupted by anyone like you usually had. Maybe today was your lucky day after all.

You looked up, the swarm of kids that surrounded you in the hall starting to get less with each second that ticked by.

Two minutes left until class.

You smiled to yourself, fully confident that you wouldn't get bugged today. That was, until you saw who was standing next to the door of the Math room. The confidence inside you intantly melted away, a feeling of anguish and fear replacing it. Leaning up against the wall, the usual cocky smirk he wore whenever his emerald eyes layed upon you, was Arthur Kirkland. The blond was the captain of the soccer team, the guy that all the girls in your school swooned over, and was in fact the biggest bully you had ever seen.

Your bully.

A knot formed inside your stoumach as you pretended not to notice him standing in your way. You walked over to the room, the chatting of kids now visible to your ears. Maybe, just this once, he would let you go to your next class without any trouble. As soon as you walked over to the door, your head to the ground, an arm shot out infront of you, making your escape to the room futile.

"Hey, git, you have my homework?" Arthur asked in the british accent he sported.

You looked up to him, your throat tightening at the sound of his voice.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about." You murmered, shifting your backpack slightly.

You knew what was about to happen. By this point, it wasn't that much of a surprise, but it didn't cease you to try and squirm your way out of it. You felt his hand make its way towards your shoulders, shoving you the slightest bit, just to get the messgae to your head. You stumbled backwards, making sure to keep your balance.

"My homework." He said, extending his hand out infront of you. "Cough it up."

You eyed the door, not answering the british teenager's request. When a few moments went by without making any sudden movements, Arthur gave an irritated sigh and shoved you, even harder this time, against the lockers behind you. You winced as the loud, echoeing boom rang though the hallways. Sliding to the floor, you brung your knees up to your chest so the brit couldn't make another attempt to push you. The boy stared down into your (e/c) eyes, his emerald orbs showing no compation towards you in the slightest. But the usual hard glare he gave you each day, for some reason, didn't seem to be as menacing as it usually would have. You looked up to him in pain, your back throbbing from the impact of cold metal against bone. Making no more attempts to try and leave, you rummaged around in your now disorganized backpack, bringing out your (f/c) zip up binder. You pulled out the history paper you had worked so hard on last period, and held it up to him with a shaky grip. He snatched it from you, reading it over as slowly as he could.

Arthur peered at your from under the paper, a snake like smile spreading across his face.

"This really is one of your finer works, isn't it, ______?" He asked, folding the neat, crisp paper into four sections as he stuffed it in his back pocket. "I'm impressed. But then again, I guess nerds are just all around smart, right?"

You held back the tears that dared to prickle at the edges of your eyes, your jaw tightening the longer you looked up to the blond. Why did he have to be so mean to you all the time? It seemed that he had hated you ever since he first layed eyes on you. The only thing you had ever done to him was smile and try to get to know him better, but he simply turned his back on you, not giving it a second thought. Ever since then, he had bullied you, calling you names and stealing your work to call it his own. You looked down, trying not to let him get the better of you.

The menacing laugh of the british boy rang in your ears, his footsteps slowly trailing off down the hall. As soon as you couldn't hear him anymore, you let the silent, blubbery tears flow down your rosey cheeks.

"Why do you hate me?" You murmered, putting your hands to your face.

~*~*~*~*~~*~
Are you happy now

That she's on the ground

And do you relize the words you say make bruises that don't fade away

Are you happy now

That you've brought her down

And she's thinking that she won't fit in

'Cause you said something's wrong with her

Are you happy now
~*~*~*~*~*~

You walked along the cracked sidewalks leading off the school, feeling nothing but numbness inside. The gaze you held to the ground soon broke away as you felt the sharp contact of another person.

"Hey, watch where you're going!" A snobby girl hissed, holding the phone she was talking on away from her face, giving you a rather unpleasing look.

"S-Sorry." You murmered, holding up both hands infront of you, flinching the slightest.

"You better be." She murmered under her breath, giving you one last look before returning to her pink, rhinestone covered phone. "Yeah, sorry, Clarissa. Some dumb (h/c) haired girl just bumped into me."

You felt the words snip at you, a little harder than they usually would have. Normally you were used to snide remarks, but at that particular moment, you felt like someone had just stabbed you repeadedly in the chest. You looked down to your feet and pulled your hood over your head, continueing to walk silently to your house a few blocks away.

After a few minutes of walked, hands tucked in your (f/c) sweatshirt, you started to become aware of quiet murmeres behind you. The more you listened to the voices behind you, the more they became familiar to you. Which, in your case, wasn't really a good thing. The only people that talked to you were teachers, and the usual few that made room in there day to personally point out your flaws and pick on you constintally. The two people sounded to be male, unlike the snobby blond you had accidentally bumped into not moments ago. As you continued to walk, you tried to listen in on the conversation going on behind you, no matter how much you knew it was wrong to budge into other peoples buisness. But then again, that really didn't stop other people from doing it to you every single day.

"So, did you try talking to that one girl again?" The first guy asked to the second.

"...I-I didn't know what to say.." The second murmered rather quietly. "So I-"

"Dude, you didn't hurt her again, did you?"

"........"

"Come on, Arthur, dude, you really gotta' knock it off!"

You instantly tensed at the name, stopping dead in your tracks. Arthur? Is that who was walking so closely behind you? Then the other guy with him...it must have been Alfred, Arthur's rather annoying half-brother. Just like the blond british, Alfred was one of the most popular people to attend your school, excelling in both sports and grades. Everyone evied the two, loved them, tried to be exactally like them. It was true that he had never picked on you once, but then he had never tried to stop it, either. And why should he? You were really no concern to him. What puzzled you the most, though, was that had never seen Arthur push you against any lockers, knock you to the ground, or steal your things.
Or had he?

The two behind you probably didn't recognize you by the fact you wore your hood over your head, covering up your (h/l), (h/c) hair tied messily into the ponytail you put it into this morning when you woke up.

It wasn't until you felt a tap on your shoulder you were knocked out of your thoughts and brought back to reality. You covered your face the best you could, making sure that the brothers couldn't recognize who you were.

"Hello?" You heard Arthur ask, eye squinted. "Something the matter?"

"Yeah, dude, you're just standing there." Alfred joined in, popping his head out infront of you to get a better look.

You slid your hands down from your eyes, just enough to look at the american. His baby blue orbs grew, staring at you for a moment or so, trying to make out exactally who you were. He must have figured it out, because his gaze that was fixated on you now looked over to Arthur.

"Hey, bro, I think it's-" He started, pointing his thumb to you.

Before he got a chance to finish, you broke out in a run. You knew that if the brit found out that it was indeed you standing before him, he would push you to the cement and say nasty things to you like he always did. You thought you heard one of them yell after you, but you tried to drone out any outside noise, the only thing visible to your ears being the fast, rythemed thumping of your heart and the clacking of converse on pavement. Closing your eyes, you tried to run faster. Away from the brothers.

Away from everything.

~*~*~*~*~*~
He liked science not sports

He knew what he stood for

He's not like you, you don't like that

Fifteen years down the road

He could be everything that you won't

But right now you're breaking him down


Are you happy now

That he's on the ground

And do you realize the words you say make bruises that don't fade away

Are you happy now

That you've brought him down

And he's thinking that he won't fit in

'Cause you said something's wrong with him

Are you happy now
~*~*~*~*~*~

You walked to lunch that day, tray held tightly between whitened knuckles. That morning you saw no sign of Arthur or his brother, which seemed to bring you up into a lighter mood. But in all honesty, you didn't know if actually made you happy, or scared beyond all belief. It was normal for Arthur to pick on you before second period in the mornings. But as you were proceeding to your locker with caution, just like you normally did each morning, you saw no sign of the shaggy blond or his persed, tight lipped sneer leaning by the doorway of the algebra room. You had felt your nerves both lighten and sink at the same time as you couldn't help but wonder if this was just the calm before the storm.

Shaking the thought out of your head, you proceeded to your usual, empty lunch table by the window overlooking the football field. Squeezing your way into the table spot, you peered out the window as the football players ran up and down the fields, more than likely practicing for their next game. You picked your spoon up, dunking it into the half-edible applesauce you had scooped onto your plate from the salad bar, shoving the fruity mush into your mouth. As you did so, your gaze couldn't help but to fall on one of the guys on the field, looking over in your direction. Your eyes widened as you cocked your head to the side, wondering who could possibly be looking over to your table through the window. Soon enough, the persons helmet came off, revealing light brown hair and distracting cowlick sticking from the top.

Alfred.

He waved excidedly your way, giving you a giant, toothy smile all the girls seemed to swoon over. You squinted, looking behind you to see if he was possibly waving to some other friend of his. But again, you were the only one at your table, and everyone else seemed to be in their own little world, chatting to the usual people they always sat with. You turned back to Alfred to give him an odd look, but the happy-go-lucky american had seemed to travel back to his pack, the brown football traveling through the air and over to another player.

Sighing, you took the silverwear out of your mouth and set it back on your tray, suddenly losing all appetite. Your peered up, looking at the people sitting at the table across from you. They were all smiling, chatting amongst themselves and laughing at inside jokes you had never seemed to be apart of.

It could have been you were staring for so long and you didn't notice, or the girl sitting at the table just didn't like you, but she knudged the red-headed boy smiling beside her, whispering something into his ear and looking over to you with a smirk. The boy looked your way, a nasty smile and an equally nastly cackle illuminating from his mouth, patting the girl on the back. You averted your (e/c) eyes, peering down at your red tray through a pained gaze. Why did people hate you so much? You had never done anything to make anyone have a reason to hate you. It just seemed like one day everyone stopped giving you warm smiles and hello's, their looks at you sending nothing but hate and mockery. And again, it all seemed to have started with Arthur.

As soon as you said his name, you mentally cringed. You had no desire to start thinking about the british bully. And yet, ever since you stared into his emerald eyes the other day, his usual hatred look he gave you softening the slightest, you couldn't get him out of your mind. A few moments past as you set your head in your hands, trying to clear your mind and think about something else, like the answers to the science test you would have later that day. But that only reminded you of how Arthur would have tried to weasle them out of you, like he always had. And that's when you heard someone come over to your table, sitting down across from you, their tray sliding onto the brown, wooden table. You kept your head in your hands, your eyes growing and heart pace increasing. Who could possibly want to sit by you?

You slowly lifted your gaze off the palms of your hands up to the person infront of you. Instantly feeling your fast paced heartbeat stopping all together, your cheeks growing surprisingly warm as you tried to find the words to describe your exact feelings at that moment.

For there sat Arthur Kirkland, his emerald eyes fixated on yours.

~*~*~*~*~*~
I've heard that it was done to you

Is that why you do what you do

Well that's no excuse, no

And if it felt like hell to you

Then why'd you want to put them through what hurt you

Are you happy now

That you've brough them down

I-I-I-I don't think so
~*~*~*~*~*~

"A-Arthur?" You managed to squeak, sinking down in the lunchseat bench you sat on.
He simply looked down to the mashed potatos and gravy that sat blankly on his tray, rubbing the back of his neck as he did so. The brit peered up at you, his hand still placed on his neck.

"Look. I'll just cut to the chase." He murmered, looking around to see if anyone was watching him sit at the loner table. "I need you to meet me in the alley behind the school after your last class if over. Got it?"

You felt a lump form in your throat, not fully comprehending what he was telling you. Why would he want to meet you in the alley? Isn't that where all the fights took place? You had always heard of kids getting sent to the hospital because of a tussle gone wrong.
"W-Why?" You asked quietly, trying your best to keep eye contact with him, no matter how much it pained you on the inside to do so.

"Just meet me there after school." He murmered, picking his tray up in both hands and sliding back out of the table, making his way over to the one where all the cooler kids hung out at. The table you had never been invited to sit at. Just before he sat down, Arthur gave you one last look as if to say 'You better be there'.  Sighing, you grabbed your fork and dug into the chicken nuggets you had gotten to each for lunch.

Just one more thing to worry about

xxx

Just as you were told, you walked directly to the alley behind the school as your last class had ended. You made sure not to waste a single second of your time, afraid Arthur would get mad if you did so. But the closer you got to making your destination, the more you just wanted to turn back and forget about the whole thing. A tiny part of you had a sick feeling that this was all just a prank and thay he wouldn't actually show up. Or even worse, he would show up, but just humiliate you in some way, having all his groupies tape it on their phones and hold it over you for the rest of your life. Sighing, you stould in the middle of the alley, adjusting your backpack so it was slung over your right shoulder.

The moment you heard footsteps making their way towards you, you straightened up and turned your head around to face the person. Surprisingly enough, Arthur had shown up, just like he said he would have. You turned around to face him, your heart once again increasing its pace.

"You...wanted to see me?" You asked hesitently, gripping your backpack strack and shuffling your feet slighlty.

He nodded, stepping closer so the two of you were about a foot or so apart. You squinted an eye, noticing how he was acting slightly different than he normally was. He seemed sort of....flustered, with a dash of embarrasment. Still, you couldn't quite help feeling alarmed, as if he was just going to make fun of you again. Pushing the feeling down, you awaited for the reason you had met him here.

"Look, ______." He sighed, looking your directly in the eyes. "I'm sorry."

You froze, not quite beleiving the words that had come out of his mouth. Did he just...appalogize?

"I'm sorry for all the mean things i've done to you. A little part of me has always felt abandoned and alone. As a child, I never had any real friends. I'd spend all my time in the woods, locked away from the real world. When I came to the school and got a reputation, I couldn't help but feel loved. Everyone around seemed to swarm me, wanting to be in my pressence, and I guess when you came and tried to get to actually know me, I felt...different. It struck me that no one around me wanted to know me like you did, and I really didn't know how to react to it." He rambled, a light pink dusting his cheeks. "I went about it the wrong way, and ended up hurting you. In the end, I never really meant the things I told you. I never wanted to cause you any pain, physicly or emotionally. And...i'm sorry."

~*~*~*~*~*~
Are you happy now

That they're on the ground

And do you relize the words you say make bruises that don't fade away

Are you happy now

That you've brought them down

And they're thinking that they won't fit in

'Cause you said something's wrong with them

Are you happy now

Are you happy now
Are you happy now
~*~*~*~*~*~
You felt tears prickle at the ends of your eyes, your heart throbbing with forgiveness. There Arthur stould, a slight pain casted in his eyes, actually telling you that he was sorry. The words you had waited to long to hear had been casted at you, making you swell and mix with different emotions.

Nodding, you set a folded fist to your heart, staring back into the emerald eyes of Arthur. "I forgive you." You said, a single tear crawling from the tip of your eye down your cheek. His eyes grew, a bit of confusion washing over him.

"You...do?" He asked, taking another step forward, only a few inches sepperating the two of you. "After everything i've done to you?"

You nodded once more, giving him a toothy grin, attempting, and failing, to hold back the tears that rolled down your cheeks. "Look I forgive you. But it might take me awhile to do it." You said, your smile going away the slightest bit. "You really did hurt me, Arthur, and I understand you didn't really mean any of it. But the pain is still there."

He gave you a small nod, looking down to the ground and rocking back and fourth on his heels. Taking your hand, you lifted his chin up so you were looking into his eyes, a small smirk forming on your face. "But i'll heal over time."

Arthur returned the smile, not uttering another word. When it looked like he was about to turn and leave, he stopped and stared at you a moment, seeming as if he was contimplating on what to say next. You simply stould there, wondering what he was thinking.

"______?" The blond asked after another moment, a serious tone detected in his voice. You nodded, tucking your thumbs in your sweatshirt pockets, awaiting his reply.

He seemed to hesitate a moment, but started to lean forward after another second or two.  And instead of words, you soon felt the warmth and softness of his lips against yours. You felt your face grow extreamly hot, but you didn't protest against his action. Instead, you wrapped your arms around his neck, moving slowly into the kiss. You felt him smile against your lips, finally pulling away after another moment.

"Can we start over." He whispered, the british accent you used to hate starting to sink into your very core, warming you to the bone.

"I..I'd like that." You said, pecking him on the cheek. "I'd like that alot."