Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
CHAPTER NINE: ACQUAINTANCES
_____
ೃ⁀➷ VALERIE BLACK
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
_____
"I don't know why I did that," Val muttered, avoiding looking straight into the camera. "I swear I'm not violent, I just... I don't know." She bit her lip. "I thought I would be happy to see him maybe, but then I was mad at him and-" She sighed and shook her head. "I have no idea what's wrong with me.
_____
THE SLAP WAS quick and hard, and it caught him completely off guard. The bag of chips and the can of Pringles fell onto the floor, and his phone slipped from his grasp and cracked. His hat flew off his head and landed a couple of feet away. His hand flew to his beat red cheek and his eyes went wide.
Val stood still, her eyes still on him. He was in shock, and so was she.
"What the hell was that for?!" Anthony yelled, rubbing his face.
"You cheated on me!" All rational thought flew out the window as soon as she began to shout. "You cheated on my with that fucking skank!"
"I-" he began but she didn't let him finish. She placed her hands on his chest and pushed him backwards. It didn't really do much, because even though he wasn't that big, he was definitely a lot stronger than she was, but it still made her feel a little better.
"No, shut up!" She pushed him again. "Don't fucking try and defend yourself! You stupid fucking manchild! You had your hand on her ass!"
Anthony, who was still a little shocked from the slap, took a step backwards. He opened his mouth, pointed at her, then closed his mouth. He did that a couple of times before he could actually find some words to try and calm her down.
"You're still mad about that?" he asked, finally speaking up.
"Oh-you-" She tried to shove him again but he grabbed her wrists and held them up, stopping her. When she continued struggling, he tightened his grip and pushed her up against a row of shelves. She tried her best to look angry, but with his body pressed up against hers and his lips hovering above hers, she was a little distracted.
"Calm down," he whispered, his voice low. "Valerie, stop."
She tried to shove him again, but he just pushed her back against the shelf and held her still. Eventually, she gave up and the two stayed like that, staring at each other, her breathing heavy.
"I'm calm," she said through gritted teeth. He didn't move, but his grip loosened slightly. She didn't attempt to push him away, so they just stared at each other.
"You're not gonna slap me again, are you?"
She was surprised at how he was acting. From what she remembered, he was sweet (well, until he cheated on her), and he was never forceful. She was still trying her best to be mad at him, but the fact that he was pinning her up against the shelves made it a little hard to concentrate.
"I'm considering it," she muttered.
"Don't."
"Let go of me, you little shit," she said, trying to sound demanding but the effect was lost.
He stepped back, let go of her wrists, and in an instance kind, innocent, Ii run away if there's a cockroach within ten feet of me' Anthony was back. She took a step forward, her face still inches away from his.
"So, I guess you're still mad at me," he said, breaking the silence.
"You think?" she snapped. He raised his hands in surrender. For a moment, he thought she was going to hit him again so he prepared to defend himself, but she simply crossed her arms over her chest.
"I'm sorry," he apologized, kneeling down to grab the fallen snacks, his phone and hat. She glared down at him as he put his phone into his pocket. "I fucked up, Val." He was still kneeling and he looked up at her, his face soft. "I'm really, really sorry." When she just continued to glare at him with her arms crossed over her chest, he stood up. "Are you gonna hit me again? 'Cause you kinda look like you're gonna hit me again."
He scratched the back of his neck, his cheeks turning red. She didn't say anything, which was terrifying him. She was thinking, and he knew it, but she also had a great poker face, so her thinking face was the same as her really mad face.
"Do you want me to go jump in a pool or something?"
"What?" Val raised an eyebrow, not understanding what he meant.
"Do you want me to go jump in a pool?" he repeated like that explained everything. "Y'know, like Claire did in Modern Family to prove to Gloria that she was really sorry for calling her a golddigger?
"Make it a train," she replied nonchalantly.
He nodded, understanding that they had a long way to go before they could even be friends. He thought that after she didn't just outright block him that maybe they were past all this, but apparently he was wrong.
"So, can we try to be friends?" he asked, trying his best to hide his hopeful expression.
"I have friends," she answered, giving him a dirty look.
"I know, but can we be friends too?"
She was silent, which was probably a no, and he could've sworn he was going to cry, but before he could, she spoke up.
"Acquaintances," she said, looking him up and down.
"Yeah," he nodded, not wanting to push his luck. "Yeah, that works."
"We'll see."
He gave a small smile, and she didn't return it. She grabbed her stuff and pushed past him, their shoulders brushing slightly. He watched her walk away, his eyes falling onto the sway of her hips. The shorts we wore left little to the imagination and he couldn't help but stare.
Man, those shorts really take the sting out of being slapped.
🌺 🌊🥂
╰┈➤ ❝ LOTTIE'S NOTES ❞
idk how to feel abt this but BABE HIT A 3 RUN HOMER AND HAS THE BEST AVG IN THE LEAUGEEEEE
