Right Where You Left Me ✔

Chapter 15: "Twenty Stan" (III).

Kai

What turns out to be a single insult grows more into a fight between the two people. I was crying my heart out trying to get Stan away from the lifeless Hayes that he had punched dozens of times. The other people around us just watch the commotion that happened, scared to even interrupt Stan and in the end, both Stan and I were forced to get out of the bowling centre. 

"Fuck that place! It's not even good at all!" yelled the raging twenty-year-old adult whose now acting like a dissatisfied toddler being pushed out of the compound.

I had to follow what was being ordered to us in order to not make any other scene that would cost me my whole life reputation. I didn't have a big reputation but least I take care of what's so little of a reputation.

All he did when we entered the car was saying how he wanted to beat the shit even more out of Hayes. The only thing I could do for him was to nod and nod with an embarrassing smile because all of this had got even worse between me and Hayes. It would be even difficult for me to even see his face. I should quit my job and find another company...  

Although... I should have realized that this Stan is not the one who would give up without a fight. He's much rougher than any other Stan I had encountered... and to think this was the Stan that told me he doesn't want to burden me.

Now, I was tending his little wounds on his knuckles in front of the pharmacy. Which I had to buy some medicine first to do so.

"Calm down... you're acting like both a kid and an old man," I scolded, pushing his hand down to the bench to keep him from shaking due to his poignant anger.

"I Am! I am trying to take deep breaths as you asked me to," He replied, wincing every time I put rubbing alcohol to his wounds. "And stop going away from me! This is just rubbing alcohol,"

"It hurts!"

I scoffed. "You're didn't feel hurt from a fight, but you're hurt from this liquid? Grow up, Stan," I criticized, pulling him in which then he stops wiggling and stay put while I mend his wounds. He grows silent too which makes me can't help but glance at him to see why he was quiet. Which brings me to a face combination of upset and sadness. Not at me, I presumed, but towards what had happened to him and earlier.

"Ha... your seventeen-year-old self said that you wouldn't try to burden me and yet... here you are," I continued, making him frown even more to my statement.

"I said that?" He asked. "Yeah... a couple of days ago," I replied. I took a glimpse of him cursing himself for what he had done but to me, it doesn't felt like it's his fault. 

"I do remember that-,"

"But even so, I love that you stand up to protect me from getting a homophobic slur," I cut in, having to stop looking at me with growing wide eyes. "Really?"

I nod. "Really,"

He scratches his head, smiling shyly. "I thought you were mad at me... but turns out...you love me even more!!" He chuckled, giving a quick peck onto my cheek for saying that.