"Fuck you." Love you, too

Friday

"Morning, Ash." An unfamiliar voice from next to me, says.

I turn and it's Phillip. I watch as Ash's face brightens.

"Hey!" She smiles and lets him wrap his arm around her. 

"You two together?" I ask, looking between the two.

"Yeah. He asked me out Yesterday after I left the apartments!" She beamed.

I nodded, and shut my locker, holding my bag in my hand. "Cool, I'm happy for you guys." 

Phillip smirks. "Thanks dude. Also, thanks for reminding me of you know who's birthday." 

"Yeah, even though you were a day late."

"He was still glad I said something. So, I thank you for that." 

We talked for a bit longer, then I said my byes to them to go to English. Larry was skipping math since he sucks at it, and is probably behind the bleachers smoking and drawing. I walk into English, and Travis was in his usual spot, front middle. I go to my spot a few desks behind Travis, and set down my bag. He glances back at me and rolls his eyes, then turns back around.  (ik Mrs. Packerton teaches math but shut up) 

~~~

I was walking over to the table everyone was at, when my tray flew up into the air and back down. 

"Oops." 

I turn to see Travis walking away, a wide grin on his face. Everyone turned to glance, but turned back around when they saw it was me. Larry turned and got up. But it wasn't me that he was going towards. "Larry-" I turn to stop him, but he started running after Travis when he saw Travis run out of the lunchroom. I shake my head in annoyance and my pigtails slap me in the face.

"Sorry about him." I literally jumped when I realized Phillip was next to me. "And sorry for scaring you." He chuckles, and bends down to help pick up my tray.

"Why're you sorry about that?"

Phillip sighs and dumps the tray in the trash. "If I could tell you, I would, man. I really would. But it's not something for me to tell. It's something for Travis to tell. Just know he doesn't hate you just because. He may not tell me why he hates you, but I can tell there's a reason. I hope one day he'll tell you why. You're someone he needs in his life." Phillip pats me on the shoulder then walks out of the lunchroom to what I assume is to go find where Travis ran to. 

I stand in the middle of the lunchroom, in disbelief. I always assumed there was a reason he hated me so much, but I didn't know there actually was one. I thought it was just because I was a freak, like how everyone else hates me, but by what Phillip said, it wasn't that. I was still focused enough to walk over to the table and sit down, but right after my mind went to the conversation me and Phillip had. The more I learn about Travis from Phillip, the more curious I get about him. About his life at home, about what he thinks about me, about why he hates me, and just about him in general. 

"Sal?" Ash waves a hand in my face.

"What?"

Ash glares at me. "What was that all about?"

"Which part?"

"All of it?"

"Oh. Well, Travis smacked the tray out of my hand, ran out of the room since Larry chased him, then Phillip helped me pick the tray up."

"Yeah, we saw that much, but what were you and Phillip talking about?" 

I shrug. I really don't want to tell Ash and Todd that I'm learning about someone that hates me, from his best friend. "Nothing much, he just said he was sorry about Travis."

Ash nods. "Is Larry ever going to come back?" 

I laugh. "Should we go look for him?"

Before they could answer, Larry walked back in with a sneer on his face. He stomped over to us and sat back down. 

"What happened?" Todd stared at Larry.

"Stupid fuck locked himself in the bathroom." 

I gently tug on a pigtail. "Maybe you shouldn't have chased him."

Larry glares at me. "I was helping you." 

"I didn't need your saving, Lar."

Ash glances at me and frowns. "We love you Sal, but Travis seriously needs to fucking grow a pair and stop." 

"I love you guys too, but you don't know what he goes through at home."

Larry lets out a loud laugh. "And you do?"

"No-"

"Exactly. He probably doesn't go through shit. His parents are probably rich assholes that raised a rich, stuck up, kid. I've seen shit like that all the time."

"I'm not going to argue with you over this. I'll see you guys later." I get up from the table, and walk out of the lunchroom. 

I walk into the bathroom, and Phillip wasn't in here. But I could tell Travis still was. I walk over to the only occupied stall and bend down a bit to see Travis's shoes. "Hey."

"Fuck off, Phillip."

"Not Phillip."

"Who- Lar- Fisher?!" Travis sneered. 

"That's me." I lean against the stall door and slide down it. Travis was against the door on the other side. 

"You can definitely fuck off."

"Thanks, but no thanks." 

We sat there in silence for what seemed like forever, but the bells never rang for lunch to be over. So, we continued to sit there.

"Why the fuck are you still here?" Travis finally decided to break the silence.

"Why not?"

"I don't fucking want you here." 

"You don't own the boy's bathroom, Travis."

"Can't a guy get fucking privacy?"

"You are sitting on the floor."

"Shut the fuck up, Fisher."

"I will if you answer a question."

"..What is it."

"Why do you hate me so much?"

"...I can't."

"What?"

The stall door unlocks, and Travis swings the door open. I saw tears in his eyes. "Wait- Travis!" I quickly get up but by the time I'm up he's already gone. "Shit."