Tear You Apart

chapter two

"Go out with me."

It's amazing how you can picture your day going, predict the big details that might happen and pass over the details that always happen.

I wasn't planning on making any new friends, really. I was more leaving it up to fate — if it happened, it happened. But my plans were to never seek out friends, no. I grew up passing thought many friend groups, but none of them ever seemed to last. I was always left out, forgotten, talked about but never around to here the talk. So, I just gave up entirely on making new friends. When I did find that one group of friends that I thought would last a lifetime, they left too.

Boys, on the other hand, I always liked to have a lot of fun with. Especially the boys who never asked questions and left after I was done with them (it was always a mutual agreement). Never hesitated when I knew a "date" would lead to me sneaking out of their room so late at night. Never dared felt shame because, what the hell, I'm young, and life can be hellish and I can be hellish with it.

Yeah, I've had a couple boyfriends here and there, most never lastly. And yeah, maybe I was naive and stupid enough to actually love one of them, but look where it left me. Miles away, in some beach town where the inhabitants don't even have drive thru coffee shops.

Pathetic.

So, you can imagine the irony when my response is a straight and dull: "I'm not really looking to date anyone, sorry."

His stance seemed to almost falter at my words, right side of his body leaning against the cool metal of the dark blue painted lockers. His hands dug into his pockets while I dug around my locker, trying to look for my history book that I threw around here in a rush to get to my first class this morning.

Aha, I thought as I clutched the book in my hand. But I kept my hand inside the locker, pretending continue to look for the book in hopes that he would take my silence as a second rejection and he would just leave.

But alas, things never go my way do they?

From the corner of my right eye, I watched as he leaned slowly into my right side, back slouching just a little in an attempt to sink to my height.

"Who said anything about dating?"

He leaned back into his previous stance, a small grin etched into the side of his lips.

And just like that, he was a completely different person. Like the arrogant remark he made in class earlier didn't even lack confidence. But he laughed so I would laugh, or at least have some sort of reaction because he wasn't confident. And even though I knew nothing about him, I new that was a tell-tell sign that he wasn't as arrogant as he tried to make himself seem.

But then why does he seem to have all the confidence in the world right now? Why is he suddenly oozing so much arrogance, my nostrils almost sting? Does flirting give him confidence?

Whatever it was, I knew that if I accepted his invite, I would be slipping back into old habits. Bad habits.

With a sigh, I closed my locker, history book clutched to my left side. When I finally turned to face him, he was still grinning.

"You seem like a fun time, done get me wrong," I started and I realized I shouldn't have given him any sort of satisfaction when his grin only grew. "But I'm sorta—," another sigh,"—working on myself or whatever you wanna call it, anyway — thanks but let's just stick to being English partners, yeah?"

Why is he still fucking grinning?

He slowly detached himself from the lockers, hands still in his pockets but his shoulder slumped just a little.

"On second thought," he began, head hanging low so his expression was unreadable. "Maybe you should ask Laskey to give you a different partner. Like I said, I've gotten a lot of complaints and I wouldn't want you to fail because of me."

When he finally looked up he wasn't grinning anymore but he wasn't frowning either, like I was expecting him to. He was just staring at me, blank expression like I was even more of a stranger than the stranger I already was.

"Seriously?" It came of more incredulous than intended.

His response was tight and curt nod.

I furrowed my eyebrows and crossed my arms over my chest. "I can't change partners even if—,"

"I'm sure Laskey will figure it out if you ask."

"Okay, but—,"

"But?"

I pursed my lips, my patience seeming to dissipate.

Don't be a dick, don't be a dick.

Fuck, too late.

"You seriously can't handle rejection, can you?"

He had the nerve to glare at me.

"Has anyone ever said no to you? You're going to start being an asshole just because I said no?"

He looked almost like he couldn't believe this was happening. Eyes slightly widened, for just a smidge of a second before he shrugged his shoulders as if my words didn't effect him. As if he didn't give a single fuck. But, I knew I probably struck a nerve.

Again, he leaned forward, invading my personal space as he lowered his voice inches away from my ear.

"I guess your stuck with me then."

And I knew at that moment he wasn't going to make this year easy for me. He was going to be the lazy, incompetent bitch he claimed to be and I really was going to be stuck with his moody ass.

I scoffed, shoving him as far away from as I could.

He only let out a dark chuckle before he turned around and began walked away from me.

There was literally no way in hell he was having the last word.

"Well, fuck you, you dick!" I yelled at his retreating figure, catching the attention of some students that littered the hallways.

He turned with such ease, walking backward as the people behind him opened the halls for him to roam free. With mischievous smirk and shrug of his shoulders he said, "I prefer the name my father gave me, but dick works too. I'm probably the biggest dick you'll come across, mi amor."

No, please. Not the nickname.

"Too bad I'll never be able to see all 3 inches of it, bitch!"

He glared at me yet again.

Ah, I thought, don't like being called a bitch do you?