Euphoria

CHAPTER 13

    *TINSLEY'S POV*

    I walked into the cafeteria with Tony by my side. 

    After we ran into each other at the club, Tony offered for me to stay at his house for the rest of the week. It was tempting really, but the image of my little brother filled my head and I had refused. I needed to get through this by myself. 

    Tony and I had exchanged numbers and after he dropped me at my house, we had stayed up till 1 am, texting each other.

    The conversation went something like this:

    Tony™: I have a surprise for you sweetheart. 

    Tin-tin∞: Oh, really? What is it?

    Tony™: I transferred. To your school :)

    Tin-tin∞: Oh my god! You're kidding

    Tony™: Nope. Now I get to see your gorgeous face everyday :)

    Tin-tin∞: :)

    Tin-tin∞: I don't know if I'm going back to school though. 

    Tony™: What do you mean? Of course you have to go back to school! 

    Tin-tin∞: Tony. I don't have the time. I would love to go but we need money and my daytime job is important :/

    Tony™: You work at a supermarket, Tin. I'm sure they can spare one person. Plus my parents give me extra money every month so I can just give you it.

    Tin-tin∞: No! You know I can't do that Tony. I have to get through this by myself. It is my problem not yours :(

    Tony™: The accident was not your fault and you know it. I'm sending you the money. 

    Tin-tin∞: Tony! Please! 

    Tony™: Come on, Tin. You need the money, I certainly don't and plus, you know my parents are rich. Just take it.

    Tin-tin∞: Fine. But I have to do something for you. To pay you back. So what do you want?

    Tony™: I want you to take the money, quit the strip club and the supermarket job, and go to school tomorrow.

    Tin-tin∞: I’m not quitting the strip club. I have time at night, it pays well and I can’t just keep relying on you

    Tony™: Yes. You. Can. Quit the job Tinsley.

    Tin-tin∞: No.

    Tony™: You know how uncomfortable and angry it makes me, thinking about all the pervy guys who look at you at the club? Quit the job Tinsley. 

    Tin-tin∞: Tony.

    Tony™: Tinsley.

    Tin-tin∞: Fine. I'll quit.

    Tony™: :) Good.

    Tony™: See you at school tomorrow.

    Tin-tin∞: I love you

    Tony™: Love you more :)

                                                                                            ****

    I led Tony around the cafeteria towards the usual table where all the guys sat. As I got closer I could see Jax waving    excitedly at me. I smiled and walked towards him. 

    “Hey Jax. How’s it going?” He smiled and then whispered, “Is everything going well now?” He glanced at Tony and then gave me a look.

    I nodded and left it at that. “You got any more seats?” I scanned the table and only saw one empty seat next to Evan and Finn. When I looked back at Jax, he was grinning slyly at me. “My lap’s always open darling.” 

    I scrunch my nose at him and then he leaned in closer to me and loudly whispered, “By the way, who’s that angry looking guy behind you?”

    Jax pointedly looked at Tony and when I looked back at Tony, I could tell that he was quietly sizing up Jax. But Jax, totally unfazed, just laughed and said, “Whatever. Call me if you want to sit in my lap.” 

    I rolled my eyes at the back of Jax’s head and then turned to Tony. I looked up at him and then back at the empty seat. Tony was grinning and said, “Just like old times.” When Tony and I were back in elementary school and there was only one empty seat, we would always share.

    Now, I watched as Tony slid into the seat and then I gently sat down and felt Tony’s arms wrap around my waist. 

    “Comfy?” I could feel his breath near my ear and I shivered. I nodded, afraid my voice wouldn’t work. 

    I pulled out my bag of Goldfish and looked around the table. Finn was on my right and Evan was on my left. I turned to face Finn and stared at him, waiting for him to look up at me. 

    When he finally faced me, I gave him my brightest smile and stuck out my tongue at him. I watched as he laughed and then turned a shade of red. I giggled at his reaction. 

      “How’s life?” I asked Finn as he opened his lunch box. “It’s alright I guess.” He shrugged carelessly but I could see the fatigue and tiredness in his eyes. I watched him for a few more moments but decided to ask him later. 

    As I turned back to my lunch of Goldfish, my shirt sleeve caught on the edge of the table and it rode up a few inches. Horrified, I quickly pulled it down, and frantically scanned the people at the table, trying to see if anyone saw what just happened. 

    A few days ago, as I was riding my bike to my shift at the supermarket, a car had rammed into my bike as I was crossing the street. My body went airborne at the impact and I tumbled across the roof of the car. My arm and a part of my waist had scraped against a part of the car and started bleeding almost immediately. 

    Afterwards, I laid on the concrete, staring up into the sky. My vision was spinning and I could just vaguely process the fact that the car who had hit me was gone. My bike lay in the road, a reminder that I just got hit by a car. A hit and run. 

    When I got to the supermarket, my shirt was soaked through with blood. The cut at my waist was deep but the one on my arm was even worse. I could almost see the bone. 

    My coworker threw up at the sight of me and my boss immediately sent me home. The trip home took about two hours, me navigating the rough terrain with a hand on my bike. Riding made the blood gush and by the time I got home, I was lightheaded and dizzy. My mother wasn’t home and I told my brother to go into his room. 

    The blood gushed out of the wound in my arm and it took me forty minutes to finally stop the flowing of the blood. A few minutes on Google and I knew the wounds would scar. Great. 

    Now as I sat with the boys at the table, I gently tugged the sleeve of my shirt down only to suddenly see a drop of blood on the sleeve. It spread and when I pulled the sleeve back, my eyes widened. The wound had opened again and blood was slowly leaking out the wound. 

    “Tinsley! Your arm! What-”

Hey y'all! What do you all think about Tony right now? And the accident? I kinda forgot to include the scars and stuff so I sorta squeezed it in but I hope you like it :) Thanks for reading and please like, comment, and follow! ~Hazel