Jenga

Chapter Ten- Hidden Desires and Pocky Sticks

I must be a clueless person, and a careless one, too.

"N-Noa?" Charlie shakily asks, a bead of sweat running down his face as we both exit the theater.

"What is it?" I ask.

"You're. . . holding my hand. You have been ever since the movie began."

"Seriously?" Okay, then. When did I do such a reckless thing? "Sorry. The movie was scarier than I thought it'd be."

Charlie shoves his hands down his pockets and hangs his head as I let go of his hand. "Whatever." Is he embarrassed or angry? I can't tell.

"Hey. . .," I say, smelling something fishy. "Why didn't you tell me this earlier if I held it for so long? Ah, whatever. I don't really care."

Charlie suddenly looks at me with serious eyes. Startled at such a nice face of his, I take a step back and ask, "W-what is it now?"

Of course, he doesn't answer, he wouldn't, usually, but something's weird. I glance at Charlie and his eyes, and they seem as if they're about to pop out of their sockets. "Go home," he finally says.

"Why? It's not that late out. We could sit down at the park for a while--"

"Go home! Now!"

He's an idiot for thinking that I'd listen to him. I don't move a centimeter, but I do stay quiet. Then it comes to me. The possible reason for Charlie's sudden change in behavior. It's a long shot, but . . . "Is he here again? Has he come for you again? What's your relationship with him, anyway?" I ask. I guess I can't keep quiet.

"Shut it. Just, if you're going to stay with me, don't say anything," he says, a little calmer than before. He grabs my hand and we run inside an alleyway. 

We stand in silence for a few seconds, me following Charlie's orders and staying quiet. That is, until I see a super-fast fist fly in back of Charlie. "Charlie, behind you!" I shout, and in the nick of time, Charlie whips around and catches Neil's fist.

Yeah, unfortunately, Neil Rosen is back.

"Now you've even got your girl interfering with this? You're despicable," he says rudely.

I step up. "In Charlie's defense, I don't really know what's going on."

"You can't be quiet for anything," Charlie snaps.

Neil waves his hand around in objection. "I don't care, really. I'm just continuing what you had stopped before."

"What makes you think I won't stop it again?" I ask rather confidently. Then, glaring at me, Neil trips me and I fall on the ground. He attempts to throw a punch at me, but I catch his fist, my hand literally almost breaking. Charlie punches him in his gut and he throws a punch at him.

Somehow, I get up, totally dismissing the pain in my back and hand. Right when Neil's about to throw another punch, I stand in front of Charlie and take it instead. "Noa! This is why I told you not to interfere!" he shouts.

I ignore his sass and say, "I don't even get thanked! Some boyfriend. Aren't you the least bit worried about my safety?"

Charlie dodges Neil's attack and elbows him in his stomach. "I'm not your boyfriend!"

Oh, I see how it is. "You can never admit anything, can you?! I asked you a question and you don't thank me,  but instead you say that?!"

I knock Neil in the head and begin to stomp off. "Noa!" Charlie exclaims.

I turn around, mild anger and the pain I got from Neil rising inside me. "What now?"

Charlie staggers toward  me like and old man and asks shakily, "Are y-you that m-mad?" 

"Of course! I still didn't get my thank you! Neil's out cold thanks to me, and I don't even have a reason to fight him!"

As I turn back around and walk away, holding my side, Charlie yells out, "Thanks!"

You're welcome.

I continue walking, but if I weren't so stubborn, I'd hug him. As a matter of fact, I do have a reason to fight Neil.

I could tell he has emotionally and physically hurt someone important to me.

Maybe I'm not that stubborn.

<> <> <>

"How'd it go yesterday?"

Arthur's clear, bold voice rang through my ears as he asked this, bringing attention to both Cyan and Julia.

"It was fine, until I found out I held Charile's hand the entire time, and then, we got an unexpected visit from a friend of his," I explain, and Cyan and Julia jump out of their seats.

"So, you two were on a date? Charlie, you actually went on a date with Noa?" they say together.

I turn to Charlie, just to see his expression, but it seems lifeless. He twirls around the Pocky stick in his mouth. When did he get Pocky?

He glances at me for a milisecond and says, "Relax, relax, it wasn't a date. Besides, even if it were, it would've been terrible. He showed up, after all."

"Will you stop twirling around your Pocky like that and be considerate for once?" My voice unusually raises, me glaring at Charlie. Why am I so angry all of a sudden? Because he doesn't know my feelings. I should be angry with myself . . . because I can't tell him.

"Hey! You have no right to talk to Charlie with that tone!" Julia complains. She's about to continue, but Cyan covers her mouth.

"And I need to be considerate because?"

Why is he in such a crabby mood all of a sudden? Is it because of Neil and he's taking it out on me? Probably so, he's the type to do so.

"Because I want you to be!" I exclaim and jump up from my seat. "Like when we first met! How I acted towards your fight with Neil! I got hurt and you carried me to the nurse, didn't you? Why can't you be like that all the time?"

"I can't, because I'll lose myself just like that time before. That time where I first made Neil my enemy. Do you understand? I'm not the kind of hero you think I am, nor am I the guy you want me to be."

At this, Charlie leaves the club room and I fall to the floor, pain and anger rising within me again.

But you're the guy I love.