Far From Perfect || Tronnor

13: Band-Aid

"For the last time, Tyler, I can't come!" I hissed under my breath into the mic of my phone. Connor was sitting on a stool in my kitchen, watching me with expecting eyes.

"But you have to!" Tyler whined.

I sighed and pulled on my hair with the hand that wasn't occupied with my phone. Sometimes Tyler was an amazing friend, but the other times he can be a bit too pushy, like then, for example. He and Zoe wanted me to go see a movie with them. We had been planning to do something like this for the last week or so. Unfortunately due to the circumstances, it looked as if this thing wasn't going to happen.  "Look, Tyler," I began, "I don't have time for this shit. Connor's waiting."

Before I could hang up after saying that, Tyler perked up and quickly said with disbelief, "Wait...Connor? Why didn't you just say so? If you'd like, I have some condoms for you to borrow—" He started rambling before I stopped him. Everything in Tyler's mind led back to something sexual.

"Tyler, what the fuck? He just needed a friend!"

Aren't fights with your friends the worst? You want to just scream at them, but at the same time you can't because you don't want to hurt them or lose them. It becomes so frustrating and after the fight, no one wins and everyone is in a piss-mood. Who do they benefit? Absolutely no one.

"Geesh, I was just promoting safe sex. You don't need to come for me," He said, tone dying down. Often times Tyler took my anger too personally. Even though  I'd never hurt him intentionally, when things did get too heated, he was always the first to get cold towards me.

I responded with a sigh and said, "Sorry, I just have been a little stressed out with everything that is happening. I'll fill you in on that later, I promise. But for now, I have to go."

Tyler quickly cut me off. "Wait, why don't you ask Connor if he'd like to come? Zoe and I would love to meet him. Besides, she's bringing Alfie with her." I looked over at Connor, and he quirked an eyebrow at me. His eyes read curiosity, but outwardly, it was obvious that he was trying not to show it. I gave him a sad smile and he mirrored it.

"I'll ask and call you back," I reasoned. Then I quickly said goodbye and hung up. Sighing, I sat down next to Connor at the counter.

I put my head in my hands out of frustration. I wouldn't have called that phone call a fight, but it definitely wasn't a light headed conversation, either. To say that that discussion wore me out would be an understatement. I was tired from having to stay strong for myself and Connor. I really wanted to go hang out with Tyler, and that was probably what made that conversation so physically exerting. I was literally arguing not only against him, but myself.

Figuring that I really needed to see my best friends, I spoke into my hands, saying, "Connor, are you feeling up to doing something today?"

I moved my head so that my cheek was positioned on top of my hands. He shrugged with a smile on his face. "Depends, what would we be doing?"

Lazily, I stretched my arms forwards, while sitting back in my chair. I sighed, and got ready to give a quick explanation of what may or may not be happening. "Tyler, Zoe, and I wanted to go to a movie today. They'd like to meet you, but we don't need to go if it makes you too uncomfortable," I said.

He nodded, the mood suddenly dropping to one that was much more solemn. "I mean, I guess?"

Quickly, I rushed to back-track my footsteps. "No, never mind. It was selfish of me to ask in the first place." He looked at me with slight confusion, but at the same time, a little bit of understanding. It was like he knew what I was getting at, but at the same time, he didn't. "Look, Connor. You need time before meeting other people," I said, thinking of how flamboyant Tyler might seem to people who are not used to him.