A/N: Good day darling. Thank you for voting and commenting, I don't know where I'd be without any one of you. I just had to dedicate this chapter to Beautiful :) I hope you like it dearie ^-^ Cheers.
Chapter 13: Smiles, Popsicles, and Something unexpected.
Xander's POV
I had to admit, it was a perfect day. And just as I thought nothing could bring me down—a familiar annoying voice pierced my ears.
"Xander? Is that you?"
Fucking shit.
It was Vicky.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The bitch was with a few of her girlfriends, probably after they had some girly chat at a café. Her clique immediately lit up, and began whispering among themselves. Vicky smirked, as if proud of my presence.
I glared at the slut, eyes unwavering. Unfortunately, she was dumb enough to take it as a sign of invitation. Wow. How clever is that.
Vicky sashayed over, hips swaying like a fucking duck.
"Hey," she said, somewhat trying to be seductive, "what brings you here?"
I almost—almost rolled my eyes. "I don't think that has anything to do with you."
I believed my tone was far from pleasant. Still, she was unable to take the hint.
Dumb bitch.
"Of course it does!" Vicky pouted, "And don't forget I haven't forgiven you for spraying white stuff ALL over me!" She winked. I almost puked.
"Yeah whatever—let's go." I gently took Giselle's hand and pulled her along, shoving past Vicky.
"Hey! Don't you need to apologize?!" Bitch-face said in her high-pitched voice, arms on her hips.
I sighed, this was gonna be a long day.
Turning around, I said in the most sarcastic tone I could manage: "I'm terribly sorry for upsetting you Your Majesty,"
"Well, that's better," Vicky smiled, and glanced at her nails, "But of course, that would be way too simple. If you buy me and my girls a drink, then maybe I might forgive you."
I was about to laugh. Seriously—I no longer have hope in fucking humanity. Well except Chip. And Giselle.
"Sorry, I've got plans today."
As if suddenly noticing that I wasn't alone, Vicky's gaze darted to Chip and Giselle beside me.
Her slutty smirk was gone. Instead, it was replaced by a frown.
"Why are you with him?" She asked, apparently appalled by the current scene before her eyes. "And who's that?" Vicky pointed at Giselle and wriggled her nose in disgust. "She looks so ugly! Look, her eyes are crossed and there's drool on the side of her mouth,"
"Ew," She added.
There was absolutely no word in this fucking world that could describe my fucking anger. My blood boiled instantly and it took me everything to stop myself from murdering her at that moment.
But I had to control myself. There was no way I could blow up in front of Giselle. Giselle.Giselle. I'm doing this for you.
"She's Autistic." I managed to choke out, my voice turning throaty with rage.
Vicky took several steps back, as if Autism was some sort of infectious disease. "Why is she outside? She should be locked up or something—this isn't safe!"
I was shocked beyond words. What the fucking hell did she just say?
"What...did you say?" The sound that came out of my mouth was foreign. It wasn't me. It was fury. It was fury speaking in dangerously soft tones.
The calm before the storm.
The bitch frowned, as if confused at my anger. And then it hit her—I saw her eyes grow bigger and her mouth dropped.
"Oh I get it—she's your sister!" Vicky voiced in shock, pointing at Giselle and then at me. "Oh. My. God. I can't believe I talked to the sibling of an Autistic person."
It felt like I had been stabbed several times and hung upside down.
"That's why you're hanging out with him," She jabbed a rude finger at Chip, "the weirdo. All of you are weirdoes. OhmyGod. Ew. All of you should be locked up! You don't deserve—"
Slap.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"How can you say something like that?"
Vicky clutched her cheek in her hand, her mouth agape. "Ugh! Did you just slap me?" Her melodramatic voice attracted much attention from passers-by.
"What you said was terrible. Take. Back. Your. Words."
Chip?
Chip was glaring at Vicky, a fierce anger in his blue orbs—something I've never seen before.
"And why should I—"
"Who are you to comment on other people's appearances? Who are you to demand people to be locked up?" His small chest heaved heavily, and his grip on Giselle's hand tightened as if protectively.
"What?" Was all the whore could say—her face contorted and twisted with disbelief and annoyance at things not going her way.
"Who do you think you are? Going around hurting people's feelings. Have you no heart? Has Giselle done anything wrong to you?"
"No, but—"
"Then why would you pick on her? You can pick on me—that's fine. But please, just leave Xander and Giselle alone!"
The last sentence hit me hard, and I realized that Chip's lower lip was trembling. His face was red—not from embarrassment, but from holding back.
Anyone could tell that he was on the verge of tears.
"F-Fine, whatever," Vicky took a step back, huffed, and sashayed back to her group of friends (who were currently in shock).
When I turned my attention back to Chip, he was gone.
My eyes darted around instinctively, searching for the small frame. I caught him rounding a corner, running away.
"Chip? Chip—wait!" I grabbed Giselle's hand and pulled her along in attempt to catch up with my angel.
"Chip! Where are you going—"
"D-Don't follow me!" He cried in between sobs.
My heart wrenched painfully at his soft voice.
"Chip," I called again, picking up my pace to close the gap, "please, will you just fucking stop?"
He stopped.
And crouched into a ball on the pavement, hugging his knees.
I rushed up to him and without thinking twice, embraced him in public.
Fortunately, the street was quite deserted.
I knelt on the hard ground, encasing his small head in my arms while he sobbed softly into my chest.
"Shh, it's alright now—don't cry, please don't cry..."
Fuck. I'm useless at this. I can't even comfort someone who's crying.
Giselle took that as a sign to pat Chip's head. "Don't cry Chocolate Chip! Eat cupcake, happy!"
"Pfft," I let out a small smile, and I thought I felt the small frame shake, followed by a small laugh escaping his lips.
Chip lifted his head from my chest and looked up at me.
"S-Sorry—that...th-that was so sc-scary..." He said between sobs, "B-but it was w-worth it...right?" And there it was again—his smile.
Fake smiles—that, I never understood.
But crying, and still being able to smile, to show the world you were fine—that, I respect.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Chip's POV
I never thought standing up for someone could be so...frightening.
I could still feel the tremble in my hands, and the abnormal racing of my heart.
If anyone asked me a week ago whether I'd tell someone off on the streets, or worse—give them a slap, I believe I'd say no.
But what Vicky said was just too mean!
A-Actually...I've already forgotten (and forgiven) the fact that she used my recipe and put the blame on me. It was fine that way—besides, it was just me. Until Xander took the blame.
But calling Giselle names and saying that she and her brother should be locked up was just crossing the line! I didn't know what got over me, but before I knew it, my hand was at her cheek, dealing a stinging slap across her face.
I-I didn't mean to...it just...it just happened.
I was really scared after that—afraid that she would do something worse, but I tried to put on my best front.
After all, I couldn't let Vicky take advantage of Giselle! A-And...Xander.
I felt my cheeks grow hotter at the thought of him. W-We hugged...on the street...
He was so warm...
"What are you thinking about?" A teasing voice spoke huskily in my ear, startling me.
Xander chuckled at my reaction, a smirk on his flawless face. "Your face is red."
I quickly hid my face behind my hands.
"Your ears are red too."
I tried to hide my ears.
"Now I can see your face."
I pouted, realizing that he was simply doing that to tease me.
Xander laughed.
"C'mon, Giselle wants to grab some ice lollies at the stand over there," He jerked his thumb in a direction, indicating the Popsicle stand across the road.
"Loli-Loli-Loli!" The adorable girl giggled. I felt a smile coming along.
We crossed the street and approached the man behind the stand.
"Good day, what would you like?"
Xander pointed to a red ice lolly on the menu, which the man proceeded to fish out from his cart. Xander handed the red popsicle to Giselle.
I noticed his gaze on me. "You want anything?"
I bit my lip in consideration. Well, it was indeed a sweltering day, and the popsicles did look rather inviting...
"C-Can I have the strawberry-flavored one...?" I asked tentatively.
"Pfft—I mean, sure. I'll take the ice-cream soda." Xander was covering his mouth, trying to suppress his laughter. I could almost see the grin behind his hands.
Rather annoyed, I puffed up my cheeks indignantly. "What's so funny?"
The towering frame reached a finger down to poke the air in my cheeks. "Kinda reminds me of the strawberry-flavored condoms."
My cheeks flattened out instantly and I could feel my face flush in embarrassment. "Y-You...You pervert!"
"I was just—"
"That'll be a dollar and a half, young man," The popsicle man interrupted Xander mid-sentence.
Before I could fish out half a dollar from my pocket, a hand gently pushed mine, preventing me from doing so.
Xander placed the coins on the counter, took the ice lollies, and passed a pale pink one to me.
"T-Thank you," I received it with two hands, relishing the cold frost on my fingers before slipping the wrapper off.
Xander shrugged, ripping the plastic off the popsicle—a strange smile still etched on his face.
"Let's go," The tall figure grabbed Giselle's hand, "This way right?" He asked, looking at me for directions to the bakery. I nodded, licking my ice lolly.
For quite some time, we walked in silence, enjoying the popsicles—with the occasional sound of Giselle biting hers. She didn't cringe at all from the cold.
All of a sudden, Xander broke the silence.
"Hey...thanks."
I looked up at him. "M-Me?"
He laughed. "Yeah, you."
I was pretty sure I looked kinda confused, and maybe a little dumb. Tilting my head to the side, I asked, "But...But what did I do?"
Xander looked at me as if I was asking the obvious. Then his gaze returned to the road in front, and he shrugged. "I dunno, stand up for me?" His tone was strange—like he was asking a question. Just that he wasn't.
"And for Giselle too of course." He added, ruffling Giselle's hazel hair as she looked up quizzically.
My lips were stuck on the tip of my popsicle in mid-suck, trying to think of what to say in return.
"I wasn't...exactly...standing up or anything...I was just saying the truth, that's all. A-And besides, I do owe you one...I just didn't want to be the only one being...protected," I felt heat crawling up my cheeks when the word came out of my lips, "S-So you don't have to be—w-why are you looking at me l-like that?"
I realized half-way through my mini speech that Xander was looking at me weird. He was looking at me with an expression he would give to a slice of meat when he was hungry.
"X-Xander? What's wrong?" I was kinda getting worried because his gaze was getting more and more intense, his eyes sort of roamed up and down really slowly, but stayed on me.
(A/N: Oh God! Xander, if you wanna eye-rape someone, make it less obvious would ya??)
"Xander!" I jabbed him in the ribs, eventually getting a reaction.
"Woah woah—what was that for?" The towering figure rubbed his side as his gaze finally met mine again.
"Were you listening to me...?" I asked, slightly disappointed.
Xander scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Sorry...you were saying?"
"N-Nevermind..."
We let the matter rest, and the three of us sat on a bench, Xander and Giselle biting into their ice lollies skilfully while I simply watched them in envy.
Sensitive teeth never come in handy, I thought miserably—licking my strawberry popsicle slowly.
The siblings finished their lollies in a matter of minutes, and flicked the sticks into a nearby bin. Both of them sat and watched me finish mine. (Oh gosh, it was awkward)
It's not my fault I'm a slow eater. Honestly, ice on sticks are the hardest! I would constantly try to lick the parts of the popsicle where it was dripping the most to ensure that none of the ice would melt and drip onto my lap.
But that just made the whole process slower.
Xander had an arm slinked over the back of the bench while he checked his phone, Giselle sitting in between the two of us like the adorable, obedient girl she was. She stared at me intently with her huge green orbs, a different world from her brother's stormy grey ones.
"Chip," Xander said my name shortly, and I almost didn't catch it.
"Hmm?" It was quite hard for me to speak while sucking on the ice lolly.
"Give me your number." His low voice created a tone that sounded almost like an order.
"M-My number...?"
"Yeah. You do have a mobile phone right?" Xander raised an eyebrow, suspicious.
I nodded, and he proceeded to pass me his cell.
Oh. It's the same model as mine. Somehow, I couldn't help but blush at the thought of that.
I keyed in my number and handed the device back to Xander, down to the last half of my strawberry popsicle.
Giselle was humming the tune of 'Itsy-bitsy-spider', playing with the strap of her bag as she occasionally turned to look at me or Xander.
Just then, Xander inched closer to Giselle and leaned over her, eyes on me. "Is the strawberry-flavor good?"
"Un!" I nodded excitedly, "You want some?"
"Sure."
I shifted closer to Giselle and reached out my hand that held the popsicle. "Quick it's dripping—"
The next thing that happened was the last thing on my mind. The very last.
All of a sudden, Xander leaned entirely over his sister's body, and closed the distance, ignoring the ice lolly completely.
In a split second, I felt the tingling sensation of something soft over my lips.
And then it was something moving over them.
I froze.
Xander pulled back, licking his lips.
"Hm, not bad."
My entire face lit up like a kettle on fire.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
I climbed up the stairs to my room in a complete daze.
My mind was fuzzy with fluff and marshmallows and candy floss...a-and him.
W-What was that?
My phone buzzed.
Flicking it open, I saw that it was a text from an unknown number.
It read:
Tastes like strawberries. ;)
I buried my heated face in the pillows.
Th-That was my first kiss!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A/N:
Lemme guess what's on your mind: FINALLY!!!! *shot* Okay, don't kill me for the first kiss between them, I'm sorry if you find it cliché (cuz I do), but if not, I hope you liked it ^-^"
Okay, so there's something I wanna make obvious—Chip's characterization. This chapter has a lot of character development (I hope you can tell ><). Chip is the type of person who would do anything for his loved ones even though he is really, truly scared of doing it. He will stand up for anyone except himself, and will be the first to protect his loved ones when they are harmed. He's that selfless and adorably naïve, dumb guy.
Thank you for reading my awfully long A/N and for that, you can have a cupcake. ^-^
The strongest are those who always smile, despite being in this cruel world.
So smile, because you are the strongest.
-Cupcake
P.S Vote for the first kiss ;) Well, aaand the slap.
21/2/2014