Apricity

28✧Just a Nudge

This is why I don't make friends. Friends make drama and drama makes a mess. Stupid Myles and his stupid antics.

Of course, I don't take this out on Myles. I take it out on the kid who's standing in front of me, probably here for the same reason and I am. Helping a stupid friend.

I let him attempt to throw the first punch and so here we are. I lose sight of Myles as two guys tackle him to the ground. The guy in front of me pushes me back and tries to get an advantage.

I shove him off of me before he can plant himself and throw a punch straight into his nose. He grabs it immediately with an outburst and I finish tossing him to the side as he's distracted.

I lunge for the two guys on Myles. He managed to get one on his own but not without taking a few punches before I can get to him. I help him shove the guys off him and lift him up so we can make a run for it. We may have the upper hand at this moment but we were still outnumbered.

We weave our way through people and make it out the front entrance. I try to lead Myles towards my car and back to Briar, only an arm reaches out to grab me before we can pass.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I ask my cousin and then turn to the one who still has me by the arm. "And you? You're supposed to be waiting in my car." Myles tucks himself into the corner we all hide in now.

"That one followed me," She whispers and nods her head toward someone in the lot. I whip my head around to see one of the boys from the group. He must have snuck out in the chaos. His head turns slowly, eyes peeled and searching for something. Someone.

"The fuck-" my legs lead me towards him on their own but Briar tugs me back once more. "No," she whisper-yells to me just in time for the other guys to burst out of the entrance of the arcade.

"Damn it, come on," Myles says to us all. "My truck is over here, I'll take you all back to your cars later."

>><<>><<>><<>><<

He drives us to a park and we all sit around a picnic bench that's placed under a lamp post. We're all quiet, no one saying much on the entire car ride here.

"Okay, I'll ask," Valentina breaks the silence. "What the hell was that? All of that?" She asks with emphasis on her pointed look at me and Briar sitting side by side.

Myles suddenly breaks out into a burst of maniacal laughter. "Woahohoho man, that was some bullshit. You really had my back there though, huh?"

I just blink at him as Valentina shoots up from the bench. "Briar, a word." That was all she says before she grabs the girl and marches off with her to have their girl talk.

"Come on, man. That was a little fun, no?" He smirks at me.

I refuse to smile or snort or whatever it is that validates his question. It surprisingly takes some effort, but then I think of the guy who followed Briar out of the arcade. "You pull that shit again and I leave your ass behind. I don't care how many guys show up trying to beat you the hell up. I'll let them."

That doesn't discourage this man one bit. He laughs a little more and then takes a breath. "No, but seriously. Thank you. That was cool what you did for me. No one's had my back like that before," he gives a downward nod toward me.

"They were really that upset over a game?"

"Well yeah. That and..." Myles goes red in the face. He gripped the back of his neck and looked around for the girls. When he saw they were at a safe distance away, he still whispered. "I sort of... okay I did... makeout with that dude's girlfriend after the game?"

My face goes slack and he sees the obvious change in my demeanor. "Okay listen," he continues carefully. "I didn't know that she was his girlfriend when it happened. Okay? And that also happened to be the very same day I was brutally rejected by Val. I was in a down place and then we won our game and I needed to know I still had my other game."

I pinch the bridge of my nose as he goes on. "That also happened to be the same day I realized I had it bad for Val man. Like really bad. So much so, that that dude's girl was the first time I attempted to move on and the last time I let another girl touch these puckers."

"Ew, stop talking." He ignores me of course.

"You think she would find that romantic? Or would that be cheating... but we're not even dating yet, so really I didn't do anything wrong. It still felt way wrong though. And then this year with all the progress I've made. She still rejects me all the time of course, but she smiles a lot more. And-"

"Briar!" I call out to the girls down the sidewalk, putting enough emphasis on the name that she hears my plea to come back.

>><<>><<>><<>><<

I put the car into park outside of Briar's house. She starts to get her bag adjusted on her shoulder. "Are you okay?" she asks me with her drifting to my bruising knuckles.

"I can handle a fight," I assure.

She nods. "Yeah, I guess you can." There was something lingering in her tone that amused me.

"Are you so worried about me, Bear?"

She frowns at me. "Yes. I mean..." she looks me in the eye and tells me again. "Yes."

Her response is so simple and genuine that it throws me off guard. I keep her eye contact for a moment and force myself to look away.

"What did Val want from you?" I ask.

She hesitates. "She just worries for me. She thinks I should be careful with you."

That has me watching her again. "What do you think?" She doesn't respond so I push further. "Do you think you have to be careful with me?"

Her eyes lock on mine and I feel the action physically knock into me. I can also feel it adjust the air around us and my pulse rises as I wait for her to answer. "I think..." she begins. "I think for the first time in a long time, I feel that I don't have to be careful."

I'm stuck picking her words apart, trying to understand what the meaning was behind that statement. She leans across the elbow rest in my distraction and I don't process what she's doing until she presses her lips against my cheek.

That was it. Just a nudge of her lips on my skin and then she leans back as I follow her motion with my eyes. "Thank you."

"For what?" My voice sounded miles away.

That little smile curves the edges of her mouth. "For a lot," she says. "I'm glad I know you, Roman Dean Castro," she giggles softly, adjusts her things on her shoulder, and shuts the car door behind her.

I watch her as she walks to the door. I don't think I've blinked yet, so I force the action. The silence that she left behind is so loud. So. loud.

What the actual fuck was happening to me...

A/N: EHEHEHEHEHEEEE

...✨progress✨