This Rose Bleeds

Chapter ~Sixteen~

.:~* NATHAN *~:.

I wasn't crying. No. Why would I cry? I'm used to it. Crying doesn't do anything. It shows you're even more weak than people thought you were. So I held it back and bit my tongue. I forcibly blinked and pushed my legs harder through the cinema. I needed somewhere to sit and calm down where people wont stare. I just wanted to be alone for a moment, like how things used to be before I met Ryder.

Ryder.

I bit my tongue harder.

I found a bathroom near the entrance. It was empty so I locked myself in one of the stalls. I leaned against the door and slid down to a sitting position. I stayed absolutely still and breathed deeply.

There was a squeak as the bathroom door opened. If that was Jonah, how the heck am I going to get out of here? Alive?

But the voice was too familiar to be his. "Nathan?" Ryder's voice broke my much-needed silence.

I breathed deeply. I saw his shoes stop in front of the stall. "Nate! I'm sorry. I dealt with them. Are you okay? Did he hurt you? I swear if he-"

"I'm fine." I said. I really was. I wasn't hurt, or scared. Just really tired of his annoying antics. I got up and brushed myself off, opening the door.

I was tackled further into the stall. "What are you-?" I could barely breathe. Was he hugging me? "Ryder, you're kind of killing me."

"Sorry." He held me at arm's length and I took in a big breath of air and stared back in surprise.

"Ryder," I said slowly, "Please don't tell me you did anything stupid, to any of your friends or Jonah."

"I was too shocked, so I could only manage one punch." He said. I sighed in relief. If he did any more, Jonah would harass me the rest of my life. "Your friend Kristy beat me to it."

"What!" Oh Kristy, what have you done?

"Yeah, I was kind of surprised. Marcus had to pull her off of them. I swear, I had never met a girl with enough balls to kick someone in the balls." He chuckled at one of his thoughts. "Man, he will definitely be having some trouble walking for a while..."

Oh god. I groaned. I stared at my feet shuffling on the ground. "Ryder, I- I don't know if you heard anything. B-but I'm not trying to do anything to you. I'm sorry. I'm not after your money; I'm not doing any of those things he said. I'm not like that. Pleas-"

He lifted my chin so I stared straight in his grey eyes. Uh...what were we talking about...? "What are you saying? He's the ass. I know for a fact that none of what he said was true. I know, better than anyone else. That includes Kristy. You don't need to convince me of anything."

My heart. Something was wrong with my heart. It was beating really fast. I bit my lip, and I knew he hadn't expected me to hug him fiercely back. He wrapped his arms around me and rested his chin on my head.

"It's about time." We jumped apart. When did Marcus get there? And...Kristy?

"Kristy, what are you doing in the men's bathroom?" I hissed.

"My best friend could be getting hypothermia from soda and all you care about is me being in the wrong bathroom? Well too bad, 'caus I love you too much to care." She hugged me fiercely too. It didn't feel the same as when Ryder did it, and I felt ashamed thinking so. "Are you okay? You don't need to worry. I taught that Jonah a lesson in Kung Fu, and let me tell you, he sucks-"

"Oh my god Kristy." I groaned and hung my head.

"Shut up, as if I'm going to sit around and allow people to mess with my Natey."

"I told you to stop calling me that when we were thirteen."

"Can I call you that?" Ryder perked up.

"No!" I saw Marcus open his mouth and I glared. "You too!" He shut it and nodded. "Um, can we go now?" I asked. They all nodded and we headed out the door.

Marcus and Kristy walked in front. They got along really well, and it made me wonder what they were whispering about. "Sorry about your jacket." I said to Ryder.

"No problem. Want me to take it for you?"

"No." I said, and realized it might have been said a little too quickly. I blushed and looked away. I still wanted to wear it. "I mean, I'll wash it and give it to you on Monday. If that's okay."

"No." He shook his head firmly. Wha-? "You'll give it back tomorrow."

"I'm not going to see you tomorrow. No tutoring, and I'm working–"

"Work?" He made a funny face. "Who said I was going to let you work on a weekend like you don't have a life?"

"Um, if you haven't noticed, I dont have a life." I deadpanned. He laughed and shook his head.

"I'm giving you one." He put an arm around my shoulders. I shivered. It felt nice. Like friends, I figured. Friends do that all the time.

"I already rested today, I need to make at least forty an hour tomorrow to make up for today."

He stopped walking and faced me with both hands on my shoulders. "I have it all planned. And I'm not really giving you a choice." He took a big breath and looked away. "So...I'll pick you up tomorrow, at ten?"

Don't say yes...don't say okay... He looked me in the eye and I heard myself whisper, "Fine."

His smile lit up my entire vision and before I could take a breath Kristy nudged her way into our conversation. "Yay! Natey's going on a date!" She jumped up and down.

"N-no I'm not!" I felt my face heat up.

Ryder's face had a pink shade but he turned to me and spoke first. "I mean technically speaking..."

"What? But-"

Marcus interrupted and took Kristy's hand and asked, "Well, we know what we're doing, right?"

She turned pink but said, "right. Let's get scheming, young man."

"Young man? I'm older than you." Kristy burst laughing and pulled him away. "Come on Ryder, we gotta plan."

"They're getting along well." He said, letting them run ahead.

"I wonder what happened during their movie." We glanced at each other and I couldn't help but laugh.

To think it was so easy to laugh sometimes. It was surprising. Ryder seemed to think the same thing and his grin grew wider. "Okay, I'll see you tomorrow then?"

"Well-"

"Great."

He stared at me for a moment longer before reaching out and ruffling my hair. He tapped me on the cheek once with his finger, then ran off to catch up with Marcus.

I need to see a doctor about my heart.