Bar Red's Redemption (Edited)

22: To Name the Fears Inside You

"Through the blur, I wondered if I was alone or if other parents felt the same way I did - that everything involving our children was painful in some way. The emotions, whether they were joy, sorrow, love or pride, were so deep and sharp that in the end they left you raw, exposed and yes, in pain. The human heart was not designed to beat outside the human body and yet, each child represented just that - a parent's heart bared, beating forever outside its chest."
― Debra Ginsberg

It's like, a month and something into the school year and college is thoroughly kicking my ass. I am so tired. My eyes hurt. And like, my classes are so boring - I can't test out of these ones and I already no everything. I could teach it better than the professor, and I am, because multiple people have asked me to tutor them. Now, at least, I have something more to do.

Chapter 22:
To Name the Fears Inside You

The entire ride to the ice cream shop was full of Clementine rattling off her favorite flavors in a shakier than normal voice— Bar knew that her stuttering got worse with any raised emotion— and contemplating over what she was going to get.

The broken boy loved hearing her talk, it was... comforting, familiar. Something he could always look forward to.

Besides, the little goddess had a beautiful voice.

It was just a shame that she felt like she didn't.

It's not what he was meant to be thinking about and it wasn't long before Bar and Clementine were out of the shop and sitting in the school's parking lot, so he rerouted into something else.

Perched next to his car and outside of the school's cafeteria with cups of ice cream in their hands, he got them poking fun at one another by playing confessions—it was a game where whatever the person asked, the other had to answer truthfully without lying and they only had three passes.

It was a bonus that the other couldn't retaliate against the first's question by asking the same, but could do a follow-up question.

"Stupidest t-thing you ever did by accident, go," Clementine said, popping her (oreo-flavored) ice cream covered spoon into her mouth. She got four scopes while he only got two, and he warned her not to eat that much too fast but the little goddess was having a hard time listening.

Bar had a sneaking suspicion she wouldn't feel good in a little while and that she wouldn't be hungry for lunch. Two things he didn't like.

"Being born," he said, without missing a beat. He took a bite of his own strawberry and vanilla ice cream and finished it. "Most embarrassing memory?"

"I fell down a, a flight of stairs in front of m-my homeroom teacher and then, then got my period in the middle of h-her class without noticing."

"Ouch." Bar winced, remembering how utterly mortified Law's last ex was when she bled through her pants. "If that happens again, just find me, okay? I always have an extra jacket in my locker that you could wrap around your waist and this small bag thingy with pads and tampons in it that I keep in my bag."

"What?" Clementine looked thoroughly confused. "Why do y-you have those with you?"

"My sister." He shrugged— it wasn't a big deal. "She's really shy about those girly things since she started so early and the last time she got her period when we were out somewhere and didn't have anything, we had to go into the store to buy some and she was so embarrassed. I just want to be prepared."

"You, sir," Clementine said, looking up at Bar in an expression he couldn't understand. "Are literally t-the best big brother ever."

"Uh." Bar felt the heat creeping up his neck and dunked his head. "Thanks?"