Chapter 6(2)

Right, that's me. Very uninterested person. I wouldn't lift a finger even if flames rose on the ground next to me, capturing me with a matter of life and death. I don't usually question about people, because they aren't the least bit intriguing to me, but I somehow feel like it today. Ian has this unexplainable weird personality that makes me wonder what he's going to do next. Strange.

"Am not. He just might get lost all by himself. He gave me his phone number but you call him for me to check up on him. ",I shrug.

"Alright.. ", Colton gives up on farther questioning and takes his phone out. Good for him.

I just don't want trouble on campus, in case it wasn't caused by me.

I once fought a guy. I beat him to dust and they almost got me expelled. Luckily, Colton has connections so they let me stay with a lot of conditions.

"Hey... Where are you? .. Lydia? What the fuck?", my cousin almost yells and my curiosity grows. "Yeah, yeah... We are all at Sugar & Spice, our usual place. Want to join? .. Do you know the way? ... You turn right at the corner. Yes. Okay. Okay, see you. "

Then he hangs up and we stare at him like kids waiting for their candy.

"Trouble in paradise. Lydia crashed his car a little. Though, he thinks she did that on purpose. I don't know why he would think that, but I was just like... Ok. ", Colton shakes his head. "He'll be here in ten minutes. "

"Oh joy. ", my forehead falls on the table again.

"You told me to phone him. "

"Yeah. Not invite him to join us. "

"What's the big deal? Not like he is going to speak to you."

That's what you think.

"I just.. I think I'm going to go to my dorm room. There is only sociology left and I really can't go through with that. ", I slowly rise to my feet. "My head is killing me. "

"When did you fall asleep last night? ", Colton asks concerned.

"Late. Or early. Depends how you look at it. It's none of your business anyway. See you tomorrow. ", I step away.

"Bye. ", Anna says.

"See you. ", Kate nods and Colton just shakes his head at me.

"Take a nap. Take care of yourself, Victoria. Nobody can help unless you begin to care about your health. ", my cousin tells me.

"I don't care. ", I say and leave the restaurant in slow steps.

The day is bright and the sun is high, unlike my inner lack of enthusiasm.

Hurrying down the road, I crash into hard chest a few minutes later.

"Shit. ", my balance decides to play games with me and my head spins.

Two strong arms keep me from falling. I look up only to get a bigger headache.

"Hey, sexy thing. ", Joey smiles.

It's not a genuine smile. It's more like a 'you're close to me and I like it' grin. He's a little obnoxious and I don't think I want to be with him any longer. You officially bored me to death, Jo. Sorry.

"Joey. What a coincidence.. ", I step away and he follows closer again.

"Where are you going?", he asks.

"Just to my dorm room. I don't feel so good. "

"I could walk you there. "

"I don't think I would like that. ", I give him an obvious fake grin. He ignores it.

"Oh you would, trust me. "

"I don't trust. "

He grabs my arm gently. "Come on. Let's have some fun. I have toys at my place if you want to go there. "

"I don't like sex toys. Release my arm. "

He doesn't let go and starts dragging me. I'd kick him in his balls if I wasn't feeling like a crap.

"Then it's your dorm, sugar. I know you'll like it. Stop resisting me. "

"Leave me the fuck alone! ", I yell and yank my hand from his grasp.

He stops walking and looks at me. "What's the problem? "

"I don't do one guy more than once. ", I lie. I have had hookups that lasted a few weeks but they still meant nothing.

Joey is too clingy and too revolting to me. He is lucky I didn't cut off his balls when I had the chance.

"Oh come on. You loved it with me. "

That's when I notice blonde hair a few feet away. It's my only chance to get away. The old friend I don't really want to rekindle my relationship with, for whatever inner conflicts that are stopping me. He doesn't see me at the moment but I speed up towards him.

"Ian! Hey. What's up? Want to go to my dorm now, you know, because we've planned it for a while?", I give him a dead glare. Ian looks caught off guard but straightens his back.

"What the..", he looks at angry Joey approaching us. "Oh. "

The smirk on Ian's face becomes easily seen and I thank god he got the message.

"Yeah. Let's go. "

"Victoria, wait. ", Joey rushes up to me. "One more time. "

Ian glares at him. If looks could kill, crazy Joey would be lying on the ground in a pool of his own blood.

"She's with me. Get lost. "

"I..."

"Get. Lost. ", Ian threatens. Joey steps away and looks at me in anticipation. Then him. Then he walks away.

I breathe out. "Thank goodness you were here. Now I can finally go. "

"Oh you'll tell me all about this on the way to your dorm room. ", he smiles.

"What?", I look at him in disbelief.

"You just invited me, remember?", his smirk reappears.

I groan and begin to rush away. I hear footsteps behind me. Ian follows.

"What do you want? Don't you have a girlfriend to bother?", I snap, annoyed with the whole scene with Joey.

"We kind of broke up. ", he shrugs. I keep walking in front of him.

"I think you'll be fine without her. Anyhow, I don't feel like hanging out with anyone today. "

"I just wanted to keep you company. "

"You have Colton, Kate and Anna at S&S. That's where you headed, remember?"

"Yeah but I was going to talk to you. I haven't hung out with you in ages. "

"What about? "

"About.. ", he thinks for a moment. "The weather? "

I laugh and shake my head. "Is that all?"

"No. Just wanted to hang out. "

"Why?", I groan. "Why do you want to hang out with me out of all these people on the campus? I don't want to hang out. I don't like new people. ", his finger gently picks me, attempting to shut me up.

"You're just fun to be around. "

"I am not fun. ", I mumble. "I hate everyone. "

"Everyone is a group of people. You could hate the group but I'm sure you could like individuals. Why wouldn't you give me a chance? ", he lets go finally.

"I was quite drunk when you came up to me. ", I protest.

"Doesn't matter. We are childhood friends after all. "

"Here's what matters. ",I take in a sharp breath and look him in the eyes. "I just want to have a few hours of sleep without people constantly getting on my nerves. My head hurts and I can't stand making more conversations today. We connected for one event because I had nobody else there to talk to. That's it. I don't particularly need to hang around you, despite our childhood days. "

His look hardens and he looks like he mentally gave up. I start getting chills from his cold gaze but keep looking at him. I am not going to look away. I am not weak. I don't know what guilt is.

"Fine. As you please. Colton told me you were difficult to handle. Now I see it. See you at campus. ", he glares once again and walks away, seeming quite sad. I almost want to pat his head and console him.

"You obviously should have listened to him. ",I yell after him, frustrated from this whole scene.

"I will from now on. "

"Good for you!"

"It is!"

"Fine!"

"Why are you still arguing? ", he shouts without turning to look at me.

"I don't fucking know! ", I shout once again and notice an old lady looking at me like I was crazy.

I just look away and walk in the opposite direction from the blonde. My head throbs. I may have overreacted, but I was really tired. Deep inside me, a sense of fear of a new unknown relationship rises. Ian is interesting and makes me feel nice, and I don’t like that because it’s not my usual comfort zone. I drove him away because, for the first time, I felt as if I would enter our friendship with great ease, which was not the case with anyone else. Why would he be any different? Unless it's a matter of being friends since we were little. I'm not good at this.