Chapter Seven - Treat My Heart With Care
Today is the aquaintance party.
As much as I'd prefer snuggling myself on my comforter while munching on the chips I have, I couldn't. I bought a dress, and it wasn't cheap yet my mother insisted and now I have to go to this despicable party.
She also threatened me that she'd cut off my allowance and I couldn't allow that to happen. The cult store has new items and I couldn't shop if I had no money to spare.
I should consider getting a job.
   Retail jobs are a no since my face intimidates them and I'm horrible at interacting with people. Maybe I should work part-time at the library. I don't need to interact with them unless they'd need something and I'd probably spend the entire time just staring into nothingness.
Yeah, I should get a job.
"Stop staring or I'll stab your eyes with my fork and squish it," I narrowed my eyes at him, seeing as he seemed unbothered with my threat.
  Oh I swear one day I'll really follow through my words.
He chuckles, his dimples showing as he gazed at me. "You're really brutal, you know?"
"You're a masochist, you know?" I try to mimic him, making my voice as baritone as I could.
"I don't sound like that," he pouts, denying and I roll my eyes, helping myself to my rice and sunny side up eggs.
I had totally given up on the idea of trying to push him away. No matter how many insults or cold shoulder I'd do, he'd never budge and he pisses me so much when he smiles through all of it, like he's secretly enjoying my misery.
This was maybe a test of some sort like if I could handle this annoying guy 'cause it's not funny. I'm basically getting worked up over nothing and anything I say passes through the other side of his ear.
I finished my meal and close my lunch box, placing it beside me as I lay down on the mat.
I stare up ahead, watching the trees swayed along with the wind and the skies with fluffy clouds above with the sun gleaming in its glory.
  Sometimes, it's just nice to stare and do nothing without thinking or saying anything.
"Are you excited for the party later?" Tom speaks after a minute of silence.
I glanced at him for a split second, then looked back to the skies as I rest my hands on the back of my head like a cushion. "You know the answer to that."
"Not even a percent?" he nudges.
"None. Nada."
He ponders for a bit before he replied. "Is the sky really that pretty?" he inquired.
"Are you really that lonely?" I snap at him. "---I'm not in the mood to talk to you--not like I was ever from the start."
"What if I'm really lonely?" he responds and that takes me aback. "--will you finally treat me nicely?"
I take a deep breath before bursting into a sneer. "You? Lonely? You don't understand what true loneliness means."
"You know, anyone can be lonely," he murmurs aloud. "--you sound as if you're gatekeeping an emotion that is normal to everyone."
"Shut up," I grumble.
"Hey! Get up!" I scowl and try to push him off the mat when he started to lay down beside me, grinning as my small hands don't succeed in pushing him off.
I let out a groan, glaring at him before staring towards the skies again, hoping my attention is diverted from the guy beside me.
He comments, still staring intently at me. "I kinda understand why this feels nice."
I clicked my tongue, not bothering to face him. "Just shut up. You're ruining everything."
"How about we play a game?" he suggests and I flatly decline it with a frown.
"It's going to be fun," he persists, trying to sound cheerful.
I glanced at him, seeing that his body is facing at me. "Don't involve me with your stupid games."
"Come on, Avery," he tugs at my arm, trying to piss me more and I yank my arm from his hold.
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"You will."
"Shut up."
"Yes."
"No."
"No."
"Yes--curse you!" I cried out in aggravation, seeing that he played a little trick on me.
He lets out a small chuckle. "Since you said yes, that means you want to play the game."
"You literally just tricked me," I pointed out.
He feigns ignorance. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"We'll ask each other questions," he perks up, grinning at me while I want to punch that off his lips. "--if you can't answer the question, then you'll get tickled?"
"Rejected," I dismissed him with a wave of my hand. "--that's a stupid idea. Go play by yourself."
"I'm not crazy enough to ask myself, you know," he replied, propping his hands behind his head.
"If I can't answer a question, then you can order me around," he says in a slight interest. "--you can wish me to be gone--which is your dream, right?"
My ears perk up from hearing him say that. A way to get rid of him. It's easy and I admit he's smart. On the other hand, it seems like a trap by the devil himself. Just that condition? There's got to be more than that.
Well whatever. Life is all about taking risks.
I let out a breath. "Fine. Shoot."'
"Alright, so..." he trails off, bitting his lip. "--would you rather be trapped in an island by yourself or with me?"
"I'd rather starve by myself than be with you," I sneer. 
"Ouch," he feigns hurt, placing a hand on his chest like Judas the betrayer kissed him in the cheek.
"You're such a drama queen," I roll my eyes, unamused by him.
I faced him, eyeing his olive eyes, trying to find something at least anything with those eyes of his. "Why are you hanging out with me?"
"Because I enjoy being with you. Is it wrong?" he responds casually. "--I mean friends hang out together, so this isn't anything abnormal."
"We're not friends," I clarify for him.
"Right," then he smiles at me. "--not yet."
''You must like living in misery, Beckett," I murmur, letting the skies entrance me. "--even I wouldn't want to be friends with myself."
  "You can still change, Avery," he responds. "--if you'd let me help you, then I will do the best I can."
  I eyed him. "No thanks."
   He shrugs. "Suit yourself."
"So.......when did the rumors started?" he perks up, eyeing me with a serious gaze.
I stare up ahead the skies, feeling the memories coming back to me as it flashed back.
Emotions whirled inside me but all I could manage out of it was a faint smile. "It's kind of stupid, really. Someone said that they saw me playing with a vodoo doll--which is intended to curse someone. Then this guy who I never really liked, accused me of cursing him."
"He said that because of my vodoo doll, he got his legs fractured and his hair almost burned. I tried denying it, but some girl confronted me and forcibly opened my bag."
  "They saw two to three vodoo dolls with potions and some animal blood inside my bag," I trail off. "---that was enough evidence for them to suspect me of cursing people when in actuality, it wasn't even mine."
"Someone planted those things in my bag to sabotage me and no one tried to defend me."
  "Then people started making things up," I clutch on the sleeves of my blouse. "--like because I glanced at this basketball player, he suddenly tripped and had to sit down for the games, or that I was seen selling potions to curse people."
  "That's when people started avoiding me. Afraid of being cursed by me, or being acquainted with someone like me."
He doesn't say anything, but ponders deep in thought about what I said. Like I said, I don't want his pity. I'm not some charity case that needs a saving from some hero. Things will get better once I graduate from this school. I'll just have to endure for a little bit.
"Avery, are you seriously okay with people treating you like this?"
I stared at him, then I felt the cold yet harsh gush of wind that flew past us, covering my face with my hair as I had some of them in my mouth.
I removed the strands of hair from my eyes and uttered. "What if I do?"
"But this is wrong, isn't it?" he reasons out, eyeing me with such intensity in his eyes.
"Why are you letting them treat you like this?" he murmurs, frustration laced in his tone. "---this is too cruel, Avery. So much that I might as well cry in stead of you."
"I'm okay, Beckett," I reassure him. "---it's okay. There's evidence of their accusations so I can't do anything about it."
"But still!" he raised his voice. "--this doesn't mean you'll just let them do as they please."
"Why....why are you crying?!" I blurted, watching as a tear falls off his eyes whilst he tries to wipe them away. "--There's nothing to cry about!"
"Oh shut up, Avery!" he cried, making me surprised. "---I'm so frustrated, so much that I'm going to cry out of anger."
"You're seriously crazy," I whispered, afraid to touch him. "--you....you're the only one who cries out of people's misery."
"It's called emphathy, Avery," he sniffs, managing to wipe his tears with the back of his hand. "--I'm a highly sensitive person, okay?"
I could only stare at him with so many things to say and yet I couldn't. He truly is so peculiar, or maybe I've been subjected to hostility that I forgot what genuine kindness feels like.
  I sigh, shuffling around my bag and handed him my handkerchief. He looks at me, then to the handkerchief on my hand like I was about to give him poison.
I nudge my palm, urging him to take it off my hold. "Wipe your tears, will you? You're such a girl."
He takes my handkerchief and clenches his palm close. "Well you're such a boy."
I shake my head in disbelief, a small smile forms at the edge of my lips. He sees my expression and his face softens, breaking into a small smile as well.
"They say your face is intimidating," he trails off, pointing at me. "--but when you smile, you'd be the prettiest in my eyes,"
  It takes me a second to sink in his words before my cheeks turned into a deeper shade of red with my heart starting to palpitate like a horse on a rampage.
   "I---" I breathed, feeling myself conscious in front of him. "---I gotta go...yeah...to the bathroom."
  I push myself off the mat and with my trembling legs, I took off without much as a goodbye.