My brother's bestfriend - TayNew FF

Chapter 9

Tay's POV:

New came over after school. I wanted to ask him about the notes but I chose to observe his behavior before dropping the bomb. He was smiling for no reason. I taught him the concept and he easily caught up with everything.

" I guess, you are grasping everything fast.", I said while choosing some numerical for him.

"No~ Phi."

"Um..., you can call me Tay, when we are alone.", I have practically known him all my life but we had never interacted like we did. I only knew him as my brother's bestfriend who used to hang out at our place occasionally. 

"Okay Te"

"You can call me that too", I smiled to myself at distant memory. 

"What happened?", He cocked his head from side to side and looked at me with his innocent beady eyes. 

"Nothing."

"Then why are you smiling?"

"I just remembered something."

"Tell me."

"Its nothing.", I chuckled looking at his slightly annoyed face.

"Then why are you laughing?"

"Do you remember the first time you called me Te?", he scrunched his nose after thinking for a while.

~ Flashback ~

It was a hot summer day and I was sitting under the fan wearing a loose undershirt and shorts. I was in 5th grade while Earth was in 4th grade. I was engrossed in reading a book and eating a watermelon which was dripping over me. 

"P~", Earth came running from backyard.

"What is it?", I asked without looking up.

"P~ Neww~ beaten up~", He was panting so I looked up and saw the cut on lip.

"Who did this?", I asked clenching my fist tightly.

"Come with me.", I started running and I was close on his heel.

Earth was a lanky kid back then therefore he easily got bullied from time to time. He lead the way to the nearest playground near our place. I reached there and was shocked at the scene unfolding in front of me. New was fighting with a senior. His lower lip had started bleeding too with a bruise which had started showing on the face. I ran to them and held New by his waist and pulled him away from the senior. 

New kept on flaying his hands and legs as I easily picked him. I leaned on his shoulder and whispered in his ear,

"Its okay, you're safe now. Calm down.", he stopped flaying his hands but he tried to free himself, "I'm not going to hurt you... calm down.", He then stopped struggling and went limp in my arms. 

"Why were you bullying the nongs?", Earth pulled New away from me as I approached the seniors. 

"They started it first.", One of the boys defended.

"P~, they took our ball and were not returning it, till we do something for them.", Earth explained from behind me.

"What did they want you to do?", I asked glaring at the seniors.

"They wanted us to...", he suddenly stopped and I turned around to see New squeezing his hand as if his life depended on it. It gave me an idea of whatever these bullies were expecting. 

"I'm going to report this in my school and tell my parents about this", I tried to threaten the seniors.

They didn't buy it at first but I took the name of the principle and they ran away. Earth could hardly bear New's weight so I walked back to them held him by the waist as he hooked his hand on my neck.  We walked back to our place and I handed them a ice pack each.