Anti Cupids

Sixteen

C H A P T E R  S I X T E E N

"You probably think of me as a pretentious moron now, don't you?" Julian said, laughing a humorless laugh. He looked flustered, and he wasn't his usual self.

I couldn't help but stare at him, taking in every detail of his face, as he looked up at the sky above, the dim-light from the streets illuminating his features.

His hair were messed up, like always. His bright green eyes were so beautiful; it was hard not to be captivated by them. He had a perfectly shaped nose, not too pointed, and not crooked either. His jaw-line was just the right amount of sharp, and his lips were flawless, just right for a guy. Not too plump, not too thin.

How could he look so darn perfect all the time!?

"I don't," I finally answered, when I was done analyzing his face like the creepy moron that I was becoming.

"You don't?" He repeated, just to make sure. His forehead was cringed, and dubiousness was written all over his countenance.

"I don't," I confirmed my statement, because it was true.

"Yes, it was a bit strange, and it may make you seem like a 'pretentious idiot' to others, but somehow, I understood. Yeah, it's not very ideal to have a view like that, but it's a part of your personality, and it's your opinion. You have a right to think the way you want to, though, you don't need to look at things like that, you know. You'll retain what you've worked so hard for, even if you don't keep that way of thinking up. Everybody knows you're a talented guy Julian, it'll stay that way," I added after a moment of pause, because I felt the need to explain my vague answer better.

All of what I'd said was the truth anyway. There was no need for him to stress himself like that. He could be himself and just lay off on keeping up a façade.

"Thanks," he replied, smiling up at me. I couldn't help but return his smile, embracing the happiness that came along with making him feel better.

"Come on, I'll show you something!" He suddenly said, after a couple moments of silence, and stood up from his spot on the ground. I followed his lead, with curiosity bubbling through me.

He started walking towards the greener part of the school, which was behind the campus area, and had lots of tiny shrubs and a few big trees. I followed behind him, making sure to not trip over a twig or some branch in the dark.

"Look at that tree. It's my favorite one here among all the others," Julian said, pointing to a huge maple tree, when we reached our destination.

"Is there a particular reason behind it?" I asked, gazing up at the mighty tree. It was humongous, with its branches sprawling out, and with red leaves spread all around it on the ground, since it was fall season.

Though, I didn't come to the school garden often, I have to admit, I'd always liked this tree because it was so big and tall, and it clearly stood out from the rest of the trees around it.

It wasn't very unusual to find maple trees in our area, especially since Maple Tree was the state tree of New York and all, but this one was definitely exceptional in its own way.

"Nah. There's not much of a reason, really. When I first came to this school, I didn't have many friends, you know. Most of the time, I ended up eating my lunch here, and I just started liking it a lot, it's more of an attachment thing," he laughed, answering my question.

"Seems like a good enough reason to me," I remarked, with my eyes still fixed on the tree.

Being honest, I almost felt bad for Julian for a second, as I pictured him sitting here, all alone. But then I realized that that phase was long gone, buried in his past. People would die to be associated with him in any way possible now, and that was what mattered.