The next day in unbearably awkward.
Vincent ignores me, acting as if I am invisible. Naomi continues her strike against me, dragging Tukcer along with her. Jake is well, Jake is Jake. He is still a freaking physcopath. Claire is still a bitch.
But Vincent.
Vincent never brings up the kiss but his smug smirk is present whenever he is near me. He clearly remembers and has a stick so far up his ass because of it. It is written clearly on his face that he knows exactly the effect he has on me.
And it pisses me the hell off.
I avoid all of them like the plague. I rather sit by myself and eat by myself then go through the awkward tension of sitting with them. I eat more, not eating to pass out again. Last time, Vincent ended up carrying me.
Look how that ended up.
It is currently "recess" and I am placed on the ground under the shade of of a near by tree. Vincent is leaning on the brick wall parallel from me. Claire is babbling beside him and I have no idea where Noami or Tukcer are.
This absolutely sucks.
Just then I feel a small tap on my shoulder. I whip my head around to see Noami standing behind me with Tukcer waiting patiently behind her. "What?" I snap. I have to squint a little to see her face in the sunlight but I manage.
Naomi visibly flinches and Tukcer places a warm hand on her bare shoulder. She sports a tank top like usual with suit tied along her waist. Her hair is tied up in a tight bun, straining her features. Her eyes are lined with dark rings showing a lack of sleep. Her hands are constantly being twisted with nerves.
Naomi is scared.
"Sorry. I am just a little uptight." I apologize. I feel a pang of anger. I shouldn't be apologizing, Naomi and Tucker —
"I'm sorry, okay!" she exclaims, tossing her hands in the air with frustration. My eyes widen a little in shock. "Me too." Tucker adds in with a sheepish smile.
But Naomi isn't done.
"I should have trusted you. I kinda knew you wouldn't involve yourself. And if you were, you wouldn't be ashamed of it. I - I was just scared. I made a friend and then she goes and befriends Vincent who has attempted murder!" she rambles.
"I didn't know what to do. I was just scared."
Before I know what is happening, Naomi is sobbing into my shoulder with her arms wrapped around me. My arms hang limply for a moment or two, glancing at Tucker who gives me a small nod. I loosely rope my arms around her shaking torso.
"My grandma is dying Kanin.She is dying and she is all alone and I can't get out of this dumb place to help her." she gets out between breaths. A small cry slips past her lips as she sniffles. I have never had someone cry on my shoulder.
"It's okay," is all I can get out as she weeps.
"And I thought," she continued on. She pulled back a little to look in my eyes. "I thought of you were involved with Vincent's little gang, I could get in trouble by association." Naomi lowers her eyes in embarrassment and guilt.
Oh.
"I get it." I rub her back a little. "I'm not mad and I understand. Okay?" I try to focus on Naomi but I can't stop reeling over her words. Vincent has a gang?
Naomi untangles herself from me and rises. Wipes the snot from her nose and tears off her cheeks. "Okay, well shit." she chokes out a awkward laugh. "That was embarrassing. I am just gonna go. But we're cool, right?" her eyes drop a little is fear that I might say no.
"Cool." I promise.
A grin splits across her face. Naomi looks like a five year old as she skips away with Tucker. But I can't help but think about her words.
Vincent's gang.
He has a gang.
I turn my head to see him alone now, eyes closed as he leans back. I stand up and dust my hands off to march over to him. I need to ask him some things. Especially about the whole gang. Sadly, a bigger part of my mind wants to know about the kiss.
But I push that aside for now.
"Vincent." I say in a steady voice. His eyes remain shut but he hums out a response. "Can you look at me?" I ask, feeling impatient.
"Sorry, I hope to keep my vision intact." he rumbles out.
My lips form an o shape. My courage depletes and I feel like scum on a shoe. I thought I was the girl whose was indifferent to other's opinions. But with one look or a single phrase, Vincent can make me feel like I am less than acceptable.
"Gee," I start with a sour tone. "Sorry for even asking."
I begin to turn away, not wanting to speak anymore. "Aw come on Kanin, wait." he says. I feel a hand grab my wrist and yank me back. I come face to face with Vincent his grayish eyes are locked on me. "You didn't take me seriously, did you?" he asks, quirking one brow.
"How else was I supposed to take it Vincent?" I scowl. I don't want to be belittled by him any longer. I tug my hand out of his and pull away. "Like a joke." he says annoyed. I roll my eyes.
"You're a hypocrite." I point out.
"Oh really? How so?" his eyes flash with a challenge.
"I called you an ass the first day. Maybe I meant it, maybe I didn't. But it was one words from a girl you barely knew. You, almost everyday, taunt and pick on me. Take it like a joke, Kanin. But why do you get to go mad and threaten me when I can't?" I rant.
Vincent doesn't answer right away. He purses his lips and for once in his god damned life, he is speechless. I nod. "See? I'm right. All you do is make people feel like shit and keep secrets." I scoff. His eyes grow dark and I know I pushed it too far.
"Did you feel like shit when I was kissing you?" he asks in a deadpanned voice. My eyes widen and I feel my jaw drop. Did he really just say that? I clamp my mouth shut and look away. "That's a low blow." I mutter.
"Still didn't answer the question." he reminds me, but caring about his insensitive words.
"Would you care?" I shoot back.
"I asked, didn't I?" he counters. I clench my hands and look away. "You shouldn't care." I mumble. Suddenly his fingers are grabbing my jaw and yanking my face to look directly at him. "Answer. Me." he growls.
He fingers are calloused and hold tightly to my face. Why does he care? So he can make fun of me even more? It shouldn't matter to him. But it matters to me, I realize. And I can't stop myself f m glancing down at his lips. My throat feels dry, like someone stuffed it with straw.
Stop it Kanin.
I lick my lips and bite down hard to focus. His eyes lower to my mouth and my stomach feels like it is caving in and my heart leaps up to my throat. "Quit that Kanin." he demands.
"What?" I ask, breathless. My heart pounds into my rib cage and I am pretty sure it cracked a rib. When he leans in a fraction of a inch closer, my heart goes into the danger zone of cardiac arrest. Maybe even a heart attack.
He drags his tongue over his bottom lip.
I think I am having a stroke.
And just when I myself am about to pull his lips to mine when a voice barks out, "Vincent!" I must have jumped at least a foot. My heart stops for split second before continuing on its march on to a stroke. I pull out of his now loose grip and take several steps away to clear the space.
He was way too close.
I run a hand through my knotted hair and sigh. I glance in the direction of the voice calling his name and see a kid I have never seen before. He looks no older than seventeen,maybe sixteen. He has copper brown hair with light brown eyes and an easy smile. He has a built body shape but it is lean and smooth. A little like Vincent.
The boy has a calm, relaxed manner as he nears us. But when he gets closer Vincent and I, he slugs him straight in the shoulder. "Really dude? I said I called dibs on Juan's sis." he chuckles out. My eyebrows knit together.
Sis? As in sister? I had no brother names Juan and I knew that for a fact.
"She isn't his sister, dumbass." Vincent lands a solid blow open the other guy's shoulder in return. The other boy gives out a laugh. "Sister or not, I would love to —"
"Banjamin." Vincent's voice is low and threatening. Once more, Benjamin laughs.
"Okay, okay. Stop getting all uptight. You can't have her either so why not flirt?" he shrugs and shots me a quick glance.
Benjamin wasn't ugly, that's for sure. He has a strong, firm jawline with thin muscles under his skin. He has his hair sweeped above his eyes, showing his gold flecked eyes perfectly. All in all, he was gorgeous.
Vincent was better, though.
I mentally shove my fist in my throat. I can't keep thinking things like that. I need to pay attention. "Go ahead Benjamin. Spill the elntire plan right now." Vincent says sarcastically, waving his arms in emphasis. A tiny smile cracks on my lips.
"Okay, geesh. I'll keep my mouth shut." he holds up his hands and uses one to pretend to drag a zipper across his lips. Vincent mutters something that sounds like a profanity that would make a sailor blush.
"So, you're name is Kanin, right?" Benjamin ask, leaning on Vincent shoulder. Vincent quickly shrugs him off and rolls his eyes. I give a silent nod. "I am Benjamin. But everyone calls me Ben or Benji." he informs me. "The ladies refer to me as sex god, sometimes—"
"Please, Ben, nobody calls you that." Vincent reveals.
"Of course they do! Margret always calls me —"
"Margret as in the lunch lady Margret?" Vincent raises one eyebrow and his lips tug into a smirk. Benjamin sputters for a few seconds.
"Well it's more that what you get." he argues.
"Sure."
Benjamin bicker with him for a little longer and I can only think how easily Vincent and him get along. They act like close friends, brothers almost. "Really, you wanna bet? I bet I kiss more girls that you ever have." Benjamin challenges.
"I seriously doubt that Ben." Vincent doesn't even give much effort into his words.
And suddenly Benjamin is holding my shoulders. "Watch me." Then he leans in and presses his lips to mine. I am startled and my lips hand by my side, unmoving. My eyes are wide open and I can see that Vincent is watching.
His jaw is in danger of being disconnected from his face.
I decide a little taste of his own medicine can't hurt him. Just as Benjamin starts to pull away, I grab him shoulders and yank him back to me. I plant my lips firmly on his and kiss him back. I can tell by the lack of response, Benjamin is shocked.
But he takes no time in returning the kiss. It doesn't make my heart pound like it does with Vincent, but he isn't an awful kisser. He leans back and looks at my eyes.
"Well damn Kanin." he lets out a low whistle. "I mean, I get it. I am sexy and all but let's save the rest for the bedroom, yeah?"
I take my hands off his shoulders and let out a breathy laugh. My neck is burning with embrassment and my heart is now racing due to the burn of someone's gaze. Vincent looks like he could kill us both.
"I mean, you have an awesome —" Before Benjamin can finish his words, Vincent slams his fist into his face.
I gasp as he shoves him up against the wall. Benjamin's face is turning red from lack of oxygen as Vincent holds his hand in a iron grip around his throat. "Vincent!" I shout. But Ben isn't as helpless as he looks. He manages to get a clean hook on Vincent's jaw.
Vincent drops him and Benjamin already had his hands up ready to fight. "Really? You're gonna fight me over a girl?" he shouts at Vincent.
Vincent glances at me. "I told you that you can't have her." he said in a husky voice.
"Oh, but your can?" Benjamin snaps.
Vincent doesn't respond and suddenly, I feel guilty. I just caused a fight between two guys who were probably good friends. Way to go Kanin. I open my mouth to apologize.
"Why did you even care man?" Benjamin's voice is cooler now and not as angry. Just confused. I squint my eyes as I look at Vincent. He still isn't talking but his eyes are trained in on my face and I feel like I am being picked apart.
"I don't. I just don't want Juan getting mad at us."
My apology dies on my lips. Who the hell is Juan? Why is he so concerned with my well being? And why is Vincent so damn moody? Through all my thought, I still feel a gnawing guilt inside of me. "Sorry for causing a fight." I say softly.
Benjamin cracks a lopsided smile whole Vincent only stares. "Awe, you're fine babe." Benjamin grins. I feel my cheeks warm a little at the words babe.
"Don't push it Ben," Vincent warns before stalking away.
Ben just laughs and sends me one last wink before heading away.
What the hell is going on?
Once more, a lovely update of 2,360 words. Again for @requestingblake, I think that is her username now. Enjoy and VOTE COMMENT SHARE!!!