Cry-Baby

Chapter 9

"Julian, I don't see your issue, you're great at math." I told Julian after an hour of studying geometry. He grasped all of ideas quickly and was pretty good, calling me out on some mistakes.

"Thanks. I just don't pay attention in class." He closed his notebook and leaned back on his chair, resting his hand behind his head.

"Well there's your issue! Just pay attention." I threw my pencil at him. We were in his house alone and he was actually really good company. He was diiferent than the few times I saw him with his friends. However when he pulled out a pack of cigarettes I couldn't help scrunching my nose in disgust. He wasn't the best of people to hang out with and you could see that by his intricate tattoo sleeve. Not that tattoos meant trouble, but I'm quite sure some of the rumors about him weren't completely incorrect.

"Blah blah. Why would I do that when I have you to tutor me?" He lit the cigarette with a lighter and inhaled a long drag of smoke. He blew out and I stood up. The smell of smoke was not my cup of tea.

"Why are you smoking that indoors? And right now?" I placed my hand on my hip like a concerned mother.

"Cuz I can." He smirked and blew more smoke, but this time in my direction.

I hurried away to his living room not trying to get the stench of smoke on my clothes. I watched some of his t.v. for about 5 minutes and then he entered without a cigarette in his mouth. "You should try a smoke one day." He sat down right next to me although I was already by the arm of the sofa. Our legs and arms were touching. I looked at him with a scowl while he smirked.

"Um, mind giving me space?" I pushed him and he laughed but reluctantly moved over.

"You are no fun." He put his feet up and rested it on my lap. I groaned and tried to move them off just to have him put them right back.

"No, you are no fun." I complained but watched the screen trying to ignore him. Then there was a knock on the door and in busted Clyde. Of course.

"Hey dude." Julian called as Clyde looked between the both of us.

"What's she doing here?" He asked Julian looking upset. He had such different personalitites at the same time always. Like he could be cool the one moment, and stupid the next.

"I was helping this kid study." I spoke up for myself and got an ugly look from Julian.

"Thanks for telling the world." He blushed a bit. It was adorable, I didn't know he didn't want people knowing he wanted tutoring, especially Clyde who was his friend.

"Sorry." The tension got a bit weird with Clyde just standing there and I decided now was the best time to leave. "Well anyways I should be going. Rick wanted me to go to his place anyways which is close to here, so he'll drive me home." I stood up and grabbed my belongings in his dining room where we had studied.

"Rick. That's the one who's your boyfriend?" Julian asked and I rolled my eyes. I had told him I was dating a boy named Rick and he swore we were boyfriend/girlfriend. He says he always sees us together in lunch, which I tried telling him we were only friends but he insisted we were together.

"Boyfriend?" Clyde chimed in sitting down on the couch next to Julian where I was once. "Who would want to date someone like her?" He laughed and I looked over at him from the door frame. I hate to say it but coming from him that hurt. It probably would have felt better if Julian would have said it. Which I don't understand, Clyde always talks bad about me and I'm not really his friend anyways.

Julian was looking at me with a concerned face which only made me feel worse. He didn't even know what to say. "Thanks." I practically mumbled to Clyde without even looking at him and left.

I cried a bit on the way to Rick's house and when he saw me I told him I got into a fight with my mom. I'm not sure if he believed me, but I felt that since we were sort of together in a small sense, it'd be best not to tell him it's because of Clyde. But I was never a good liar, but luckily he didn't say anything and drove me home without having to stay over too long.

I decided now was the best time to call Dani and tell her about the date I had the other night with Rick since she was still waiting for that. I hoped it would get my mind off of feeling bad at what Clyde said. It didn't.

I know I cry for everything, but why did what he said hurt me so much? I could have taken it better from anyone else, but he had called me undateable and it made it all the more worse. I know I am a perfectly fine date and he suffers some crazy mood swings, so why is it that when he put me down, I didn't even dislike him as a person. If anyone else said it, I would have been mad for a good while. But I just felt, let down, I guess. I just want to forget that whole thing and have it be like the morning at his house. I don't want to be his friend I had told myself, but why do I want to talk to him more, even after that?

Author's Note: Really short update and this chapter lacks detail (my fault). We still need to have these progressions sad to say. And Clyde is really starting to irk my nerves. One moment he's all happy and the next he's like I hate everything. But I just wanted to have you guys understand that he's a very broken child. I tried to emphasize that in the last chapter. So although he's all crazy moody it's because he has like 10 internal battles he's dealing with and none of them are minor and some also physical. He, as of now, is also dealing with the stress of Alex. I'd tell you more, but I'd rather tell you less. Haha. Comment and Vote :)