Chapter Two
1865 Words
Cat fights and Bandaids II
“ACHELOIS GWYNN BARTEL”
My brows furrowed. I looked at my side and saw Aiden walking towards me with a scowl, sour look on his face. I quickly averted my gaze as if it wasn't already obvious that I was trying to avoid him even if I was really waiting for him the entire time I was cat fighting someone. I won’t be acknowledging him any time soon – not after he just called me that, that is.
“LOIS BARTEL!”
I jumped from my seat in shock. My ears were ringing from the loud yell. “My god! Are you a dolphin now?!” I exclaimed, rubbing my ears as if it would stop the ringing inside. The long boring classes, the fight with annoying girls, and now him. God, why do I have to deal with so many people when I have so little-but-built-strong body. I grunted in frustration. This day couldn’t get any worse.
He sat next to me. “Why do I walk around the halls and hear everyone talking about how you were fighting with a girl?”
"The woman jumped at me. Sue me for wanting to fight back."
He sighed, taking the seat next to me by the bench. "Your face." I saw him point his fingers at my cheek which I eventually slapped away out of fast reflexes. “I get it. You're a strong independent woman who fights for what she thinks is right. Are you okay? You have a bruise on your cheek.”
“This is nothing. I’m fine.”
“You’re bleeding.” He tried to bring his finger up to my cheek but I crouched away before he touched the wound I realized was there when it started stinging. He leaned closer to examine the wound. “It looks like a scratch. Were you fighting a cat or something?”
Cat, indeed. “Legals happened,”
I often use the term Legals when I’m talking to Aiden about girls I encountered that are partners of guys I played with so he knew well what I was talking about when I said ‘legals happened’. “What?” He doesn’t even sound surprised which makes sense for the most part. “Again?” I shrugged leaning my back against the bench to relax. That midget, Edna Mode did a pretty critical damage to my spine. I blame her if I suddenly die from this.
“That’s twice this week. You’re breaking your own records.”
“That the point.” I turned to him grinning victoriously.
“But you never get hurt when it happens though. You handle all of them pretty flawlessly. What happened this time?”
He arched a brow at me in amusement. He really liked it when I don’t get satisfied with the things I do and I get bummed out and pissed. I ran my tongue over my teeth as I remember what happened a while ago. It still pisses me off that that girl attacked me just like that. I bit my lip in frustration. I would have fought better if I wasn’t
tired from my previous class. “She just got lucky.” I crossed my arms. “I was tired and I wasn’t in the
mood to kick her ass the way I did to the other ones.”
Aiden cluck his tongue, making me turn to him. “This is why you should just stop messing with guys who’re already in a relationship.”
“It’s more fun sneaking them away from their beloved girlfriends.” I said in a disgusted tone. “Boys
will never stay loyal unless they learn the word content. Trusting you stupid men is a woman’s big
regret.”
“Hey,” He frowns. “You can’t say that in front of me.” I let out a small chuckle. “Sorry, Andy.” I teased. “I’m sure you’re one of them when you’re put to the test.”
He squinted his eyes at me and squatted right in front of me. “Someday, everything I do for you will make sense.” He poured water at his handkerchief and leaned even closer towards me. “Stay still.” He ordered before he gently tapped his cold and wet hanky over my cheek.
I stared at him as he cleaned my scratch. He really is a softie. How lucky am I to have this human in my life? He doesn’t deserve someone like me, for crying out loud. He’d jump to the moon for me and I’d cook him rice
in return – big gap right there.
After he cleaned the wound, he pulled something from his bag and showed me a dolphin band aid. “See? They’re pretty useful at times like this, don’t you think?” He flashes a smile before he pulled the protective sticker off. He leans closer to my face and slowly tapes it in. “You always say I’m weird for keeping them in my bag,” He looked at me, raising a brow. “Look at where it is now.”
“I still won’t like you.” I shook my head. “You know that right?”
He laughed and sat back next to me. “Wow.” He looked away. “After I did all that, that’s what you’re saying.” He took a deep breath. “You really are heartless, Gwynn.”
I glared at him and threw him a fist. “I told you already to stop calling me that! It’s so…” I shuddered in cringe. The thought of people calling me that sends shiver down my spine.
He finally turned to me with his tongue sticking out. “Gwynn’s such a pretty name. I don’t understand why you don’t like it. It sounds really cute.”
“It’s not cute! It’s ridiculous!”
He laughed harder. “It’s cute because I’m the only person who gets to call you that and I like it.”
I shook my head, rolling my eyes in defeat. Should have seen that coming. Aiden is Aiden, after all. He enjoyed this – pissing me off by calling me by my real name and this is the only happiness I can give him back for all the things he’s put up with me. “I still won’t like you. I hope you remember that.”
He pounded his chest and acted as if he just got shot in the heart. “That hurts more than when I fell from the attic.”
I raise a brow. And this is my entertainment.
“It’s funny. You rejected me so many times already but the pain still lingers.”
I nodded at his statement. “I can keep rejecting you until the day we both die.” I heard him sigh. “I told you to stay away before it gets unbearable. You brought this upon yourself.”
“That’s fair I guess.” He replied with a small shrug. “But who knows, girl-boy best friends can end up together too.”
I turned to face him and immediately regretted it the moment I saw him wiggling his brows like a p*****t. I slapped his face to make it stop and it worked, thank God, which he replied to with a chuckle saying ow. “You’re disgusting. Are you hearing yourself?”
“I have ears. Of course, I hear myself.”
“Of course, you have.” I wheeze.
Aiden and I aren’t childhood friends.
We’re nothing like usual childhood friends. We didn’t have close parents, we didn’t live in the same neighborhood, we didn’t live in the same house, we didn’t know each other from a young age before we became this close – we were never any of the type of relationship you read about. I was already a well-known playgirl in MESPA High since Year 6, but for some reason, he really liked me.
Five years ago…
“Gwynn Bartel.”
I turned and saw a guy with a really big smile on his face.
“I like you! Can you please go out with me?”
I frowned, staring at the guy in disbelief. “Sorry, but I don’t date transferees. You’re new and I don’t know anything about you. I can’t really, you know, have fun with that. You don’t look like a challenge even so,”
The guy blinked innocently before he spoke again. “I’m Aiden! Aiden Mitchell. I’m a Performing Arts student. I like making rap songs. I play the guitar. I was born and raised in Toronto Canada. In college, I want to take up journalism. My parents are—”
“H-Hold up, new kid. That’s not what I meant.” I creased my brows at him, shaking my head.
“Minnie mouse. Look,” I slouched, crossing my arms. “I don’t know how you got this courage to confess like that but I don’t do commitments. I just play. Thank you though,” I nodded at him before I turned around to leave him.
“Then,” I stopped, waiting for more. “Can you please play with me?”
I turned and stared at him in amusement. Interesting. Did he really ask that? I was so fascinated. For the
past years, I have never been asked by someone to play with them. I slowly walk closer to him. “And
I don’t just play with whoever,”
Aiden's smile slowly faded. “Then,”
I waited.
“Can’t I just like you even if you don’t want me?”
Until now, I still can’t believe I grew fond of him. I remember how persistent he was. He had always been determined and clingy around me until I realized a day isn’t the same without him. I, for some reason, depend on him a lot more than I used to and it just happened. We became friends and now he’s the only one I actually trusted – one I can lean on at times of misery. It’s actually funny, looking back at how we met.
“I have tickets for Shazam,”
I turned to him in excite. “With popcorn?”
Aiden bobbed his head after sighing. “Yeah, sure. It’s not like you buy anything whenever we go out.”
“Awesome.”
But, of course, there are also things I decided not to share with Aiden even if we’re this close to each other. “You’re taking advantage of me, huh.” He laughed.
“You know me too well.” I bumped my shoulders with his and laughed.
“You’re lucky I like you.” I looked at him, smirking. “These tickets were hard to get!” He exclaimed and I laughed harder at his funny face. “Even if you always throw me away.”
Things like I fall in love with him whenever I see him in a black shirt – well, he makes me want to
punch his face most of the time, but he looks good in a black shirt regardless.
- Writer
