Jenga

Chapter Six- I Beg to Differ, Though You May Be Afraid

I gather my belongings quickly and furiously, and head for the door.

Charlie grabs me by the arm, and I glare at him, hurt.

"What? You actually believe what she said?" he asks.

"And do you expect me not to when I don't even know you?"

He doesn't say anything, but still holds onto my arm. I continue, "So? Is it true that you caused violence for no reason? Is it true that you went to juvenile prison in the eighth grade?"

". . . Is it true that you were apart of a gang? Is it true that you often got into trouble because of other buisnesses against your father? Is it? Tell me."

Charlie's speechless; of course he is. It's because it's all true. 

"I beg to differ with some of that, though you may be afraid of me right now," he finally says.

I back away, his hand still clutched to my arm. "What, who said I'm afraid of you? What does that have to do with this?"

"Upon hearing what Civa told you, you're afraid of me now, aren't you? That's why you're being so melodramatic about it."

He's right.

 "So what if I am?"

"Though you may be afraid of me, we're even more alike than before."

"That means?"

"It means exactly what it says. I'm afraid of you, too."

I feel my eyes widen, release my arm from Charlie's grasp and walk out the door.

Why do I feel like hitting something?

I don't need him to tell me that we're alike. I don't want to be the same as him. I don't, but still, he's not wrong. Is he always like this? Does he always act annoyingly clever?

<> <> <>

"So you're new? Wow, you're extremley handsome."

"I know. It runs in the family."

Wait!

Don't tell me that's. . . Jesse?

The almost-black-haired boy looks up from the girl he was talking to and spotts me. He grins.

Yup. It's him, one of Charlie and Cyan's cousins. He's Cyan's age.

"Hello, my little kitten. Spying?" he says.

"No, just wondering why you are at my school," I bluntly reply.

"Macey and I go here now. Civa had no intention to do so as well, but she and Macey have a tight bond." Macey's his younger sister.

"Just like you and Cyan. You're personalities are quite similar. Well anyway, see ya, I've gotta head to my club."

"See you, my kitten."

<> <> <>

"It's getting crowded," Charlie complains.

"It seems like they're only transferring here to aggravate us. But it's working," Cyan adds.

"They've become popular in a matter of seconds," Arthur includes.

"Aren't we supposed to be working?" I ask.

And as I thought, everyone silences.

Then minutes later after some jokes, Julia, out of all people, Julia Parker barges inside and announces something I wish isn't possible to say coming from her.

"I'm joining."

Arthur raises an eyebrow. "Oh, really?"

"Y-yes, really."

"I can already tell your motives are impure. Going after someone?"

"Cyan's motives are kind of strange also, Arthur," I say to him, but he only holds a finger up at me.

"Are you positive you want to do this?" Arthur asks Julia.

"Yes, I am."

"Fine, then." Arthur looks down at a sheet of paper he's holding and looks back up. Come over here, let me ask you something."

"What is it?" she asks, walking cautiously up to us.

"We were just thinking of dwarf names from Snow White for the four of us, so now there's five, and we need you to think of one, too. Noa is Happy, I'm Doc, Charlie is Grumpy, and Cyan is Sleepy."

"Are you serious? You guys are stupid. But, if you insist, I should be Pretty."

"They have to be from Snow White, Julia," I interject. I didn't plan on saying something after Arthur's finger.

"Oh, but, Noa nicknamed Happy is weird, don't you think? It's an oxymoron," she snaps.

How rude.

"I didn't know being pretty is weird for you. I mean, I didn't expect a word like that to make sense to someone like you at all. It's an oxymoron also, wow!" I snap back.

Julia begins to growl at me, some of her focus on a slightly angered Charlie behind me.

For some reason, I feel a thunderstorm coming in soon.

It's going to be a big one.