That Jerk [DISCONTINUED]

[8] Just A Friend

[8] Just A Friend

"Everyone will have a partner. The partners are your rivals. So for example, Lady Capulet and Lady Montague, Capulet and Montague. Except Romeo and Juliet, they'll be each other's partner. I want you guys to spend time with your 'rival'. Try to create some tension between each other so when you are rehearsing or during that actual play, the tension will come out," Mrs. Verde announced.

I walked up to Braxton and sat next to him. Spend more time with Braxton? Hell no. I have to spend time with him during school because we have about four classes together. I have to spend free period with him because we all have to practice out lines. Then he said he wants to practice our lines after school, when we practice a lot during school.

"Looks like we'll be seeing each other a lot," Braxton smirked.

"Braxton, I will smack that smirk off your face," I snapped. I have a major headache and a stomachache. He's not making it any better.

"What stick got shoved up your butt today?" He asked in mock surrender.

"I am feeling sick. My head and my stomach hurts, thank you very much, asshole," I said, annoyed.

"Alright fine." The bell rang and I walked to my locker.

I leaned against the locker and slid my back against it, so I was sitting on the floor. I closed my eyes and buried my face in my knees.

Someone kicked me lightly on the knees. "Get up, loser," That deep angelic voice said.

I looked up. "What, Braxton?"

"Get up. We're taking you home," Ge gestured for me to get up. I jumped up.

"I can't go home. I still have classes," I exclaimed.

"Don't worry. I talked to all your teachers. I took care of it," Braxton reassured me.

Since when did Braxton care about me? Isn't he supposed to be a cocky, narcissistic, asshole? Not some generous, caring, sweetheart? That's a first.

"But I don't want to walk. That would mean effort and I have zero effort." I made a zero with my hand.

Braxton rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Lazy," He muttered then picked me up, bridal style.

"Why are you doing this?" He didn't answer, just ignored me.

He placed me in his car and drove to my house.

**

He took off my seatbelt for me and opened the door. He walked to the doorstep and I shut the car door. He picked up the mat and picked up the spare keys.

"How'd you know my spare key was under there?" I asked in confusion.

"Typical cliché families do that," He simply answered and opened the door. He threw the key back under the mat and walked inside. Gage wasn't home. "Do you have Tylenol or aspirin here?"

"Under the sink, in the bathroom upstairs. The bathroom is obviously upstairs, down the hall on the left," I directed. He nodded and trotted up the stairs.

I laid on the couch waiting for him to come back. He did come back, but went into the kitchen. When he came back out, he had a tray that consists of: a glass of water, Tylenol, a tub of Ben and Jerry's ice cream, and two spoons.

"Take this," He pointed at the tiny pill. "And drink that water." I did as he said.

"Do you have any movies?" He asked.

I nodded. "In my room. It's upstairs and it's the last room on the right."

He went back up the stairs. I waited and then I heard a crashing sound. I ran up the stairs and into my room.

Braxton was there and case of movies were all over my floor, scattered. I chuckled at him. I wasn't mad, I always knock over the shelf myself. "You're not mad?" He said, worriedly.

"No. I always knock over this shelf."

"You are pretty clumsy," He chuckled. I laughed and remembered the first time I interacted with him. He sneered at me and then shoved past me. We picked up the movies and set it back on the shelf.

"I'm too lazy to go back downstairs. Lets just watch movies in here," I complained. He rolled his eyes, but went back downstairs to go get the ice cream.

I looked at the movies and picked out Easy A, Pitch Perfect, and Silver Linings Playbook. He came back in and I held up the three films. "Which one?"

"Easy A," He said.

I put on the movie and laid down. I pat the bed next to me, so Braxton could lay down.

**

We weren't even playing any attention to the movie. We were only talking. "So...do you have any siblings?" I asked Braxton.

"Actually I have, two twin little sisters, Janis and Jessica and an older brother, Ivan."

"How old are they?"

"The twins are seven, turning eight on the 31st. Ivan is barely 19."

"Gage is twenty." Braxton got up and looked around my room. He picked up a picture frame and turned to me.

"Who's this?" He asked. It was a photo of my parents, Gage, and I, two years ago when I was fifteen. That was the last photo week took together as a family before they died. I felt the years brim in my eyes, but I blinked it away.

"That's a family photo. That's Gage, my parents, and me," I smiled sadly. Braxton set the picture frame down, gently, and then sat next to me.

"Where's your parents?" He asked.

I took a deep breath. Might as well tell him right? "Two years ago they die-" I was cut off by the door being opened.

"Oh I'm so sorry," Gage exclaimed.

"It's fine," I smiled reassuringly. Braxton looked at his watch and got up.

"I think it's time for me to leave," He walked out.

When we heard the door shut from downstairs, Gage sat on my bed. "So...what was he doing here?" Gage winked and smirked. I threw a pillow at him.

"Nothing. I was feeling sick, so he talked to my teachers, and he took me home early," I smiled at the thought of the sweet gesture.

"You're smiling at that. Do you like him, Lyric?" Gage questioned.

"No. I do not like Braxton. He's just...a friend."

"A friend?" Gage raised his eyebrow. "Sure he is," He said sarcastically.

"Braxton is a friend," I defended myself. I do not like Braxton. Braxton is merely a friend. A rude friend, but he's a friend. Nothing more, nothing less. I will never feel that way for him.

"You keep thinking that," Gage pat my knee and walked out.

He's a friend. Nothing more, nothing less.