The Seven Day Gangster

Chapter 32

As soon as we had rounded the corner outside the classroom and into the front of the school, I spun around, my anger getting the better of me.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing here?” I snapped, glaring up at him.

Nathan flinched at my sudden and angry outburst.

I continued on without letting him speak. “What, here to congratulate me for helping you with your gang crap again? No? It’s not that? Then what is it? Being at the top of the gang isn’t all it’s worked out to be? Well guess what; I don’t care.”

Nathan looked injured at my words, and I felt a flare of mean satisfaction at his expression. “No, no. Listen. It’s not that. Just listen to me.”

"I don't want to listen to you," I said firmly, looking him straight into the eye. "I don't want anyting to do with you. I dont know why you're here. If it's to apologize, you can shove that straight back up your butt because I am not even remotely interested in hearing any of that."

Nathan was silent, his eyes squeezed shut, his fingers clenched. I didn't like this silence between us, so I spoke up.

"You made your opinion of me pretty clear the last time we talked,"  I said, my voice marginally weaker than I had wanted or expected.

Nathan's eyes shot open. "Just listen to me, even if it's for five minutes. Just listen."

God, he was like a broken record or something.

“Why?” I said, finally saying the question that had been pressing at my mouth the second I saw Nathan here. “Why should I? Why should I do anything for you?”

Nathan ran his fingers through his hair. “You have every right to hate me, you have every right to think that all I’m going to say is complete and utter bullcrap. But I’m asking you, please, just hear me out.”

I glowered at him, my outward expression hiding the turmoil inside my chest and inside my head. “You have five minutes to shit out whatever you want to say. Then I’m going back inside.” Which, of course, made no sense because I had been excused from class and I had taken my bag and all with me. But that really was besides the point.

Nathan stared at me, looking frustrated, obviously having thought the same. “To what? Your economics test you’re going to screw up anyways? Hear me out. I know you’re mad and I know you aren’t going to believe anything I’m going to say. I came here to talk to you, even if you’re going to hate me. Because I have to get this out, I have to tell you everything.”

“Oh, you came all this way even though you knew I was mad at you?” I snorted. “Well, good for you. You deserve a fucking gold medal for this.”

Nathan closed his eyes, tilting his head towards the clear sky, breathing in deeply a few times.

We were silent for a few seconds, as Nathan continued staring into the sky and I slowly simmered down.

Ok, ok. I had said I would come out here. But it wasn't like Nathan should've expected anything more from me. Did he think I'd stand here pleasantly while he said whatever he was going to say? He had to have known I would be pissed off.