You and I » Lip Gallagher [1] {EDITING}

»part 9 » pure bliss

YOU AND I 
part 9 » "just give me something to think about..."

     He was waiting for me.

     The beauty with the fainted black eye and recovering busted lip was sitting on the steps of the liquor store below my aunt's apartment. He was twiddling his thumbs as a cigarette hung low from his mouth.

     I stood at the end of the street watching the smoke cloud disappear into the sky like a piece of art. It was beautiful. He was captivating. As corny as it sounded, I wanted to draw him.

     And then I remembered.

     My fists balled into a fist as I stomped over to the boy who made me cry. I don't cry. Not in front of anyone. Especially not in front of him.

     He stood up as he saw me charging over to him like a bull. The smart guy stomped out his cigarette and held out his hands.

     "Are you gonna try and hit me again?" The stupid boy asked with a grin on his mouth.

     I answered by throwing him a weak punch that I knew he would catch before it met his face.

     He gripped onto my balled fist and restrained my arms to my side, "I don't want to fight. I came to talk."

     An angry laugh shook my body, "Talk, huh? Talk about how I'm so ignorant? Talk about how I'm stupid? An idiot?"

     He shook his head, "I never called you any of that."

     I pulled myself from his grip, "But that's what you implied, wasn't it?" Anger tainted my voice as I looked at the boy who I wanted to kill 9-hours prior.

     A defeated sigh escaped his soft lips, "I'm sorry, okay?"

     He was...apologizing? That caught me off guard. Lip never apologized for anything, that's one of the things we shared.

     "There I said it. I'm sorry. When I think about you with," He gritted his teeth, "Him, I get angry and I say stupid shit."

     So he's jealous? Hmm. "You're the one who brought him up." I crossed my arms.

     "Because you were trying to feel sorry for him-,"

     I interrupted, "I was not."

     "Yes you were-,"

     I cut him off again, "I wasn't, Lip," My voice grew aggravated. We had a habit of never letting each other finish the other's sentences. It's one of our biggest pet peeve's of each other. We knew it pissed the other off so we used it.

     He sighed, "Don't lie to me, Cash. I can see right through you," He cupped my cheeks, instantly calming my nerves, "He doesn't deserve your thoughts. It just gives him more power."