The Original Bad Boy

25| Friendships Never End

A little life update: I work two jobs (6am-1pm; 2pm-9pm) and college is starting soon. I know I take forever with updates but I have my parents constantly tell me to get my degree and do something with my life life. Just a FYI, once you graduate high school, life is pretty much over. I don't know how to be an adult. And writing doesn't exactly pay university tuition or bring home income. Most of you readers who are writers are aware of that already. Writing is an outlet for me to escape reality for a little bit. I have constantly suffered through depression and it's not a battle easily won.

I want you guys to know you mean a lot to me as you've been with this story and me for God knows how long. Your support is beautiful and helps me so much. All I've ever received from Wattpad is love and that's why I still keep coming back here. Thank you all of you for being the amazing people you are. The world deserves you.

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"The original bad boy . . . can't forget his past's mistakes."

25| Friendships Never End

Despite the fact my brain screams at me to stop, I continue.

I continue kissing Arsen.

Though hesitant, his hands slowly make their way to my bare hips and then travel up my sides and arms, all the way to my face, cupping it. He pulls me closer to him and he kisses me back roughly, as if he can't get an enough taste of my lips.

We barely have time to catch oxygen which is already low in the party. I try not to think which is impossible to do anyway.

Arsen and I kissing isn't something I ever imagined happening after our separation. I don't even know whether I kissed him because the alcohol got to my head or because I genuinely wanted to.

A part of me feels giddy by the turn of events and the other is unsure of what will happen when we break apart. I didn't want to let go.

All of a sudden, Arsen jerks away from me and steps back breathing heavily. My own breath comes out in short intervals as I suck in more oxygen. I stare at him dumbfounded. One minute he kisses me intimately, the next minute he pushes me away as if we've committed a heinous crime. 

"What the hell, Arse?"

He rubs the back of his neck and looks anywhere but at me. "No. Just no." He says retreating a few steps.

"Arsen," I say in disbelief. "What is wrong with you?"

"We can't be together, Valerie," he says as if some kind of a realization dawned on him. He finally looks at me right in the eye. "You need to take yourself and Ben out of this mess or you'll be in so much trouble."

I step forward covering the distance between us in irritation. "Why do you keep pushing me away from you?"

"Because if I don't, we'll both regret it," he says regaining his cool composure. I watch him try to fix his hair with indiscernible grace. He turns to leave when I grab his elbow.

"What are you so scared of Arsen? Your stupid gang is just a bunch of teenagers--"

He puts a finger on lips and looks past me to check as if someone might be listening. Deeming the coast clear, he takes my arm and steers me to an empty room. The room didn't have much except for a few cardboard boxes. 

"What?" I snap. "Why did you drag me here?"

He exhales loudly before letting me go. "I think we need to get a few things cleared. The first one being you not saying a word about the gang in public or private setting. Got it?"

"You're just a bunch of rebellious teenagers--"

"No, Val," he says firmly. "Rebellious teenagers don't try to kill a man who tries to leave the gang. Also, they don't come across dead bodies as often as we do. Nor do they break into rich people's houses every other day. They don't deal drugs or look for clients and vendors for a drug business." I stay silent. "There's a fine line between rebellion and crime."

"Why are you telling me this?" I ask.

"Because I'm afraid . . . " he trails off slightly before coming back on track, "That our past might come between our present and ignite something that shouldn't be happening."

I fold my arms across my chest. My heart prepares to explode at the honest words that escape my lips: "You think I'm going to fall for you? Again."

He doesn't let go of my stare and replies, "No, I'm afraid if I kiss you I'm going to fall in love with you. Again. And it'll kill us both."

His calm words catch me off guard, terrifying me. I didn't think I'd ever hear him say he loved me. Ever since our little traumatic experience post his parents' death, I thought Arsen despised me. At least, that's what he let me believe. His words bring a sense of warmth in my heart but only for so long. 

I swallow hard and let the sound of heavy breathing surround us. The party going on in the other room seems a distance away. I don't know what I'm supposed to be thinking anymore. Dwelling on Arsen's agonizing words doesn't do me any good. 

"Can't you move to another state, Arsen? Get away from the gang?" I ask quietly.

He laughs. "Yeah sure. You don't the ins and outs of this business. Moving to another state or leaving the gang is the worst form of crime one can commit. I'd be asking for a death wish."

"Then how do I get Ben out?"

"Ben hasn't seen the details of our business yet, but the guys are planning on involving in the drug dealing," he explains. "Once he's initiated into that, he's done. He's gone for. We have less than a week to salvage this mess."

"After that, you'll go your way and I mine . . . ?" I wonder. He had been hesitant to talk about our future.

"It's better to not start something that won't end well," he says assertively. He doesn't wait for my response and moves past me to leave.

"Arsen," I call out. I hear him keep moving. "Can I at least my best friend back?"

He stops in his track and I turn around to find him with a blank look. He says nothing and continues on his way back to the life he's built for himself. The life he refuses to let me enter.

I try to fix my hair but in vain.

When I enter the scene again, I find all of Arsen's friends either completely intoxicated or nowhere to be located. Ben, fortunately, is busy eating some stranger's face when I drag him away.

"Time to go home, Benny," I say sharply.

He protests, shrugging my hold. "Leave me alone. You're not my mom." He's slightly tipsy which infuriates me. Ben took an oath he'd never drink after one of his cousins passed away from alcohol abuse.

"I'd be slapping you right now if I were your mother. You're drunk, you stupid moron!" I nearly scream.

I grab him by the collar and lead him out of the place. Arsen bumps into me halfway through my adventure and helps me take Ben out of there. For some reason, a certain kind of awkwardness has fallen around Arsen and me. Arsen wordlessly adjust Ben on his bike and take the front. I sit behind Ben so that he's sandwiched between us and less likely to fall down.

He drops off Ben at his house which is surprising. How'd he know where my friend lived?

Next, he gives me a ride home and as I wave a small goodbye, he says, "I thought about it, Valley. Friendships never end. No matter how hard we try, a certain part of me and a certain part of you will never stop caring about each other. That's alright. But I can't afford to emerge myself in a friendship that'll tear me apart again. I lost so much of myself last time that I'm afraid I won't be able to pull myself together if it happened again."

He leaves before his words sink in my heart.

He's downright refused to let me enter his life again and hurt him.

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A/N

Short chapter I know but I didn't wanna add another scene and take away the emotions that are playing in the characters' hearts.

I would've published this sooner had Wattpad not been so glitchy. I was having trouble seeing my stories because it looked like it was deleted. My notifications worked but whenever I clicked on anything, it just kept loading with no response. Not that that's any excuse. (Web worked fine but I am usually on mobile).

Peace out.