Masterpiece | Christian Akridge

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Tanner

When we pulled up into Christian's driveway, I got out of my car and followed behind him as he sped inside.

I greeted his mom and sisters as we passed through the living room, and was led to the very back of his house which contained his room.

I shut the door behind me, taking off my jacket and taking a seat on the corner of his bed as he paced back and forth.

His pacing always made me anxious, because it meant that he was doing some serious thinking. So I busied myself with his posters that covered most, if not all of his wall space.

I had only ever been in his room once, and even then, I wasn't paying attention to the walls.

"So tell me exactly what happened." He said, stopping abruptly and looking at me.

I heaved out a sigh, looking down at my hands.

"You had come up to me at the party, asking if I had seen Kennedy. And when I said no, you went to look for her and didn't come back. Me being the paranoid person I am, I thought that you had found her and you know- but anyway...I was upset, and so was Jack and just a lot of things happened." I said, pressing my palm to my forehead as I realized how dumb I sounded.

"Did you feel anything?" he asked.

I looked up at him, "Of course not."

"Good. Because you can only feel that way with me, okay?" he said. I nodded slowly, feeling small.

He then stepped up to me, his previously angry look wiped away and he looked sorrowful. I started to wonder to myself if he was bipolar, but then again, that's not a title to just throw around, and I had no right to assume so.

He bent down on his knees, to reach my height as his hands rested on the sides of my neck, callused thumbs brushing across my cheek. I leaned into the touch.

"I'm not a child, Tanner. I know what I want, like I said before. I got what I wanted-you, and because I have you, I'm never letting you go, okay?" he asked, his look regaining it's hardness. I nodded again.

He hesitated before pressing his lips to mine. It was chaste, and simple at first; no emotion.

He began to push me back slowly, getting more into the kiss, and hands held tightly on my hips when someone knocked softly on his door, interrupting us.

"Christian, Tanner can stay for dinner if she'd like to." Christian's mom said.

I looked away from the door and back up at Christian, feeling a sense of nervousness as his face was etched with blank look, his pupils dialated and empty.

"No thank you. I think I better head home." I called out, and I heard the patter of her bare feet walk the other direction down the hallway.

I pushed him offgently, and grabbed my jacket and my keys, walking over to his door.

"I think I'll drive myself home. " I said, opening the door.

"Can I call you?" he asked. I nodded, turning to head out.

When I was halfway to my car, I was yanked around and his lips were pressed to mine once more, but this time I could tell it was genuine; I felt it.

"I love you so much Mancari." he smiled, kissing my nose.

"I love you too." I smiled, feeling as though we both made some sort of indirect apology.

-

Two months later

Jack isn't too fond of Christian now, even after multiple apologies. He never really had been, but I'm sure the punch had only made it worse.

Christian explained to me that it was only because Jack had called me a few names, and said some harsh things so he felt it was needed, which I don't think it was.

We were back to being the golden couple of the school, which I was completely indifferent to, but it made Christian proud.

If I'm going to be completely honest though, after an incident that happened last week with Christian and a guy named Benny, Christian kind of scares me at moments. I hate to say it, but he acts out in blind rage, which has only gotten worse ever since he hit Jack.

It started in the middle of our Calculus class. A comment was made about Christian's dad, a few snickers here and there, and before I could even process what was happening, a desk was flipped over and Benny was sent to the nurse with a black eye and a broken nose.

Of course he fought back, so I found myself cleaning off Christian's now busted lip while he held ice to his jaw.

"Are you okay?" I asked. I was flooded with questions but was sure I would get more than vague answers.

"Mhmm." he hummed in reply.

"What happened with you? You weren't like this before." I said.

He flinched as I dabbed on the gash with an alcohol-soaked cloth.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"I mean lashing out like this all the time, why do you get so angry?" I asked.

He shrugged, and I knew he was going to do that because he wasn't upfront with me anymore.

When I took a glance at him, I wondered to myself, What happened to the Christian I met at the art gallery? Or the Christian that becomes so childish when he sees penguins at the aquarium?

Now he's just, Christian Akridge. Labeled boyfriend, filled with blind rage, captain of the baseball team, not a care in the world for other's feelings except for mine and his family's-occasionally.

It all seems as though we have gone downhill, and at that moment I wasn't sure if we'd be able to make it work again.