Bubble Gum Kisses

**Kapittel 41**

***Vanessa***

**"Oh yeah,** so as I was saying. I feel like Bret totally has a crush on me since he sat beside me rather than his usual seat, which was away from mine." "Maybe you were imagining it, Olivia. Tyrone sat on his seat that's why prolly why he sat beside you."

"Girl, he poked my arm and asked me about today's date. Bret doesn't talk just to anyone!"

"Gosh, this girl's delusional."

"Tyrone also talked to me back then, asking me if he could borrow my umbrella. Does that mean he's into me too? He hasn't returned it yet." "Killed it!"

"You guys are so gonna regret this once he takes me out to the senior's prom."

"Wanna bet on it?"

"Dude, I'm in! I'm betting on my Ferrari. I bet that he doesn't ask her out."

"Same wager, betting on my Aston Martin and mom's Birkin."

"Sweet. I'm in, waging my Apple Inc. stocks."

"You guys are seriously...!"

"Excuse me." Oh, God. I just opened my lips to prepare myself but I didn't expect the words to come out of my mouth with a single gasp. Was that even possible?

"Yeah?" they all turned their heads to look at me simultaneously, and I swear to God my social anxiety rose to the exosphere that I felt my knees shaking.

No, Vanessa! Stand loud and proud! You got to punch someone in front of everyone, and you weren't afraid. You even withstood that time when someone messed with your desk. You could also shoo these people awa... But dang, talking to people huddled into a group is completely different!

"You're standing by my locker. Could you please scoot a bit so I can open it?" Fortunately, the acting skills I honed back when I did school plays weren't getting rusty and I managed to appear confident in front of them when I was actually on the brink of crying.

"Oh yeah?" the girl who was talking about the Bret guy liking her was the first one to react to my request, raising her brows. "What if we don't want to?" she walked over in my direction, crossing her arms as if she was trying to make herself appear intimidating. Through my peripheral vision, I saw a few students stop in their tracks to look at us, while others carried on but spared us a few seconds for a glance. I guess this was one of the cues where I should bark back and humiliate them in front of everybody. Sucks.

Hoo, you can do this Vanessa. Act tough. Remember what Nikki used to say, when they try to pick up a fight, you remove your earrings and tie your hair up. If it doesn't scare them enough, then go rabid and hit her on the fa... er, scratch the last part.

"I just need to get things off my locker then I'll get out of your hair," I said, taking a step forward as well to match her mean stature. "Is it that difficult to move aside?" I asked, which earned scoffs from her friends and from several students who passed by.

We stared at each other. In the middle of the busy crowd. Inside the school grounds. A spark of lightning lit between us. She was staring daggers at me, widening her eyes so wide that I could see the veins popping in her eyeballs while I nonchalantly stared back, hiding the fact that my eyes were getting dry and I was so close to releasing a tear. Just look away. Look away right now, and move aside!

"Hang on, you look familiar..." one of her female friends interrupted, subsequently ending our intense staring contest. We looked at her in unison. I couldn't help but notice how big the bow tie clipped behind her head. "Now, that you mention it, I think she does look familiar." One of the guys in the clique rubbed his chin, his forehead scrunching and his brown orbs piercing at me like I was some sort of magnificent spectacle. "Ain't she that girl who punched Drew earlier afternoon," another guy spoke when he recognized me.

"Heck yeah, you're right!" the guy beside him replied and snapped his ring-armored fingers like he just hit bingo.

"Oh my gosh, so it's you!" the girl in front of me exclaimed, pointing her fingers coated in finely-made soft-gel nails at me. "The one who punched Drew!" Drew... as in Friso? He was known as Drew now? I thought he hated it when other people call him by that second name.

"Alas, all the more reason why we shouldn't move," the guy with brown orbs remarked, his lips widening into a grin which was much to my chagrin since it reminded me of Friso.

"So, how does it feel? To have a few minutes of fame?" he proceeded to ask, now taking a step towards me as well.

"What?" I asked through gritted teeth. That triggered me. I was already using diplomacy here, looks like the odds were against me and peaceful negotiations for today.

"Surely, she's enjoying it," the girl with the bow tie said while looking at her nails. "Not to mention that it won't die out immediately like how it did with Darwin being confronted in the park by Taniesha about him cheating on her with Amber." Vanessa, no. They're a bunch of bullies, and they were clearly taunting you. You need to be clear-minded. Stay clear-minded.

"Please, I just need to get my things..." I said politely, forcing a civil smile, and started to move forward when one of the guys suddenly backed off and the girls giggled. I couldn't afford to be rude around here, I didn't want to ruin my day further that they were making it hard for me. Gosh, was this school or hell?

"Oh oh, you gonna hit us too?" the guy who recognized me put up his arms like he was in a defensive stance and began backing himself away from me. My ears immediately turned red when I recognized what he was implying. "Hey, everybody! This girl's tryna..."

Somebody better stop them from talking before I-

"There's my favorite," a familiar voice said and I felt someone's strong arm suddenly go over my shoulder. "I've been looking for you everywhere," he cooed in my ear, his breath fanning over to the side of my face. Friso. "Wh..." I turned to face him but immediately paused midway. Wrong move. Now we were close to each other's faces. Too close that the bridge of our noses was touching and I could smell the mint-flavored tictac in from his mouth's breath. I gulped, sealing my lips as I waited for my wavering heart to be still and calm. "What are you doing here?" I asked in a small voice when I managed to calm down.

"What are you talking about? We're on community service together." He raised his brows at me. "I can't get started without you. Let's go," he demanded, tilting his head sideways, and turning us around effortlessly. I liked the idea of walking away since it'd save me from trouble but I needed to put some things in my locker first. I also needed to take his arm off me. It felt like he was showing off the everyone that he had me by the neck.

"So? That doesn't give you the excuse to put your arms around m..." I tried to remove his arm from my shoulder but it only ended up with him tightening his arm grasp around me. Man, this guy's got a formidable strength. "What the hell, Friso? Let go of m..."

"Hey," he suddenly leaned close and growled in my ear which sent an electrifying chill down my spine. "Play nice. I'm doing you a favor here."

I froze on my spot. He was right. Among all the people in this place, he was the only one who could get me out of this tight spot right now. I was close to getting into trouble again, but he swooped in and prevented me from exploding. Why? "Now let's go," he demanded again and I couldn't help but comply, leaving my plans behind.

"Drew...!" one of the girls called for him as we proceeded to walk away.

We halted in our tracks and he looked behind, I could tell from my peripheral vision that he was glaring at her. He wasn't wearing his usual smirk as well, he wore a frown so massive that the corners of his lips could reach six feet underground, much to my wonder.

"We're sorry, we..." I heard her try to apologize but he immediately cut her off.

"Save it," he said in a booming voice that could probably be heard in the corners of the halls before he motioned us to walk away again.

The forming crowd quickly dispersed at our somehow flashy exodus.

I pursed my lips and slumped my shoulders as I silently followed his lead. I mindlessly walked beside him, with his arm still around me. From crowded halls and pathways, we descended floors and entered empty corridors where the ear- splitting silence and the neck-tethering awkwardness reigned like tyrannical kings.

We were now far away from everyone, who was looking at us like we were time's paradox or some kind of absurd bastardization of a well-made novel into a hideous movie. It was nerve-wracking, being scrutinized by countless strangers, and being talked about. Like you were put in a spot for an unpracticed play. But being with Friso alone in silence, after all these years and with no one and nothing but the rage we have for each other was more terrifying.

I sneakily glanced up at him and noticed that he still had his frown own, his eyes were still glaring daggers, and veins were visibly popping on his neck. I shrunk on my spot. I couldn't find myself opening my mouth and talking to him with his face looking like that. Now, I felt like a dog tucking his tail like a coward. How the hell did I have the courage to punch him in the face?

We were now approaching the building to the garden. Time felt so slow in the stroll, and our steps echoed loudly like our shoes had microphones on. Every step tapped, every leaf stomped crunch, every slip squeaked. Neither of us was talking but I could hear our breaths synchronizing as if we were breathing at the same pace. I couldn't take this. He wasn't being the ass he was, and I couldn't get used to it! I didn't know what he was thinking, and I'm growing anxious about it. Not to mention that I was feeling more stuffy with his strong arm still around me. It felt so heavy that I thought I was Atlas shouldering the earth!

"You can let go now," I mustered the courage to speak.

"No way."

**

Thank you for reading Bubble Gum Kisses! To keep up with my work, future works, and endless frustrations on Twitter: https://twitter.org/RiosMorpheus**