CHAIN MAILS [RICKY SHEN] ✦ZEROBASEONE✦

PART 17

{airi}

my eyes widened when i saw the enraged ain.

he fastly walked up to us & pulled me by arm, hiding me behind him.

"didn't i tell you to stay away from my sister?" he gripped on my arm tighter.

ricky cannot say anything so he just sadly looked at me.

"and even if you say you changed, i bet you're just lying." my brother scoffed. "that's what people like you do, right?"

"ain!" i yelled at him, hoping he would stop saying negative things to ricky.

he turned his head to me. "and for you, i'm telling mom and dad about how you skipped school for this jerk."

i looked at him in disbelief. i then averted my gaze to ricky who was just looking down with tightly clenched fists.

"but ain, ricky isn't going to fight anym-"

"oh, so you're defending him, huh? you like him?"

i didn't get to answer. i don't know what to answer.

ricky's eyes were also on me. i want to defend him but i don't fucking know how. ain is much smarter in words than me.

"you do?" he scoffed again. "i thought you could do better."

i bit my lower lip. what the fuck is wrong with him?

"sh-she doesn't." ricky spoke.

ain let out an amused noise and raised a brow at him. "you're defending her too. so you also like her?"

ricky gritted his teeth. "we don't like each other. we're just friends."

"i can see lies all over your face." ain spat. "after all, people like you shouldn't be trusted."

the wind blew across our suffocating atmosphere that sent shivers down my spine.

ain then tugged my arm, signalling that we should get going.

"let's see what mom and dad says about this."

°

"WHAT?!"

i looked down at my fiddling fingers.

"airi, we didn't raise you to be like this! you should be like your brother!"

"ain's smart, responsible, independent, active, and you name it. why can't you be like that?"

"now, i have also heard that you skipped school two times!"

"you're grounded!"

i looked up at them with widened eyes.

"m-mom-"

"no more, airi. you may not go to school some days but we'll inform them. tell someone to send notes for you."

"dad-"

"go to your room!"

i couldn't do anything against them anymore.

i slowly walked in my room and slammed the door shut. i made sure to lock it before dropping my exhausted body on the floor.

and so, i'm gonna be locked in here for a while.

i sighed, closing my eyes.

i hope ricky is okay out there.

°

{ricky}

i just watched ain drag airi away.

i stood there at the middle of the sidewalk, all alone.

people like me shouldn't be trusted?

i closed my eyes for a bit & tried to think positive even just for now.

but i thought of ain's question to airi if she likes me. why didn't she answer?

for some reason, my heart started pumping loudly. i held onto my chest, "no.. stop."

i suddenly heard a metal sound coming from behind me.

i immediately turned around.

"look who we got here."

°

[ a/n: ]

s h o r t.