"Hey friend." I walked in as soon as Henry opened the door.
"Friend? What's up?"
"Nothing's up." I lied.
"You either call me punk or dude or some other insulting word but never friend." I kind of hated how he knew me so well. I sighed heavily.
"I'm worried about Riley." I plopped on his bed.
"Why? Is she not fitting in alright at school? Is she being bullied?"
"As bold as she is? Riley could never be bullied."
"She's a nice kid though. Now, what it is it that you're so worried about?"
"The kid is fifteen and she has like what, five piercings and seven tattoos. Most of the tattoos have dark meanings and shit, like a depressed person. She's too young for the baggage that she's carrying." My eyes teared up and I avoided eye contact with Henry.
"Seven tattoos?"
"Yes. A skull, a wolf, some rose with small petals, a quote about devilish thoughts and an angel face, some snake biting a hand, now she wants to do one with open space because 'her soul is empty', dude she's freaking fifteen." I was moving back and forth, flailing my hands in the air. Henry slowly moved towards me, his face laced with calmness. How was he so calm and not matching my energy? It's like he was amused by my raging.
He then held both my shoulders. Blood was already rushing through my veins and my brain got scrambled. He looked into my eyes and my shoulders relaxed when I looked into his. It was like I was watching the sea, and I was lost in its rhythmic percussion of waves on sand. His lips bear the semblance of a smile, as though he was enjoying gazing at me. But we all know I was getting ahead of myself. But I sure was enjoying gazing at him. He moved closer and I felt his presence a lot more, I stayed quiet, allowing myself to get lost in the moment for a while.
"Calm down Bonita." The butterflies in my tummy fluttered and I felt my knees weaken.
"When did you learn Spanish?" I chuckled.
"I don't, that's the only word I know and it helps me with the girls." And then the butterflies died. I tried hard not to show my disappointment. On the bright side, he did call me pretty and cute.
"Riley will be okay. You just have to be there for her, you're the big sister now. You can indirectly drag her to the light, don't force her, remember she had nobody for all these years and probably doesn't do well with compassion from people. So don't show pity, I'm sure she hates that and she'll close up after that. Just be there the way she'd want you to be, don't cross any boundaries otherwise you'd be pushing her away and she'll end up resenting you." He was really good at this making me feel better thing, I loved that about him.
"You're probably right. I wouldn't want to push her away. I want the best big sister in the world award." I smiled.
"I'm sure you're going to get it." I was used to Henry being playful, when he was being this compassionate, as much as it melted my heart, it was kind of surreal.
But I won't lie... I loved it.
"Okay now give me some food."
"You eat a lot."
"When you're privileged like Elena Navia Monroe, and don't gain weight when you stuff yourself with food, that's what you do."
"Ugh! Show off."
"Do you work out? Because I don't think you can have all those... you know muscles just by sleeping and waking up."
"What can I say, I'm also privileged my dear Navia." He sat on his bed and I rolled my eyes at his words. He was probably telling the truth because I had not seen him work out or anything.
YOU ARE READING
The New Boy
Teen Fiction"I'll tell you what they have in common; love. This overrated feeling that everybody desperately wants a piece of." He said it so casually, as though no matter how many arguments I would throw at him, he would still stand with his word. • "I'm not...
