» 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐞 «

C H A P T E R 28

"Cliché"

'Do I really?' I thought as I remember what Heather told me earlier as Clayden continued tying my hair while I was in deep thought. "I'm done." Clayden told me as he let go of my hair.

"Thanks." I told him as I turned around to face his direction. Both of us slowly walked towards the studio, neither of us was talking to each other. That was until Clayden started to slowly hold my hand gently, my cheeks started heating up, making me take a deep breath as we continued walking.

"Something bothering you?" He asked. I stopped walking and stared at the floor. 'Shouldn't I be the one asking you that?' I thought. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes before looking at him in the eye.

"Clyde." He tilted his head as the grip of my hand tightened. He glanced at our hand and pulled it against his lips.

"If you're thinking about what happened with my father, don't think too much about it." Clayden told me with a smile staring at my hand while caressing it. I shove my hand away from him.

"Why shouldn't I think about it?" I asked. Angry knowing that he didn't want me to know about it the first place. "I've been friends with you for a long time now, and finding out about your parent's situation was like that, shocked me!" I told him as I started tearing up. Clayden then played his other hand on my cheeks and caressed my cheeks, wiping my tears. "At least let me know about it, let out your anger about something to me, let out your problems to me. Aren't I your friend? Don't you trust me?" I bursted into tears as I lightly punched him in his chest. He didn't stop me from hitting him, he just stood there staring at me as I let out my anger.

I continued to cry as he watched me there in silence. He then suddenly said. "I trust you." I looked up to him and was about to ask him why, but he added. "I promise. I'll tell you everything in the future. The only reason why I didn't tell you, I just couldn't find the right time to tell you. We're having too much fun these days, so I don't wanna spoil the mood." He explained. I leaned in his chest as he started hugging my tight while patting me on the back.

"Please... Tell me next time. You're not alone." My voice muffled against his chest. Clayden then leaned his chin on my head, and said.

"I will."

As I was hugging Raven, I suddenly felt someone patting me on the back. I look back to see, Zenji smiling at us, his veins were popping out of his forehead while clenching his fist. My sweat dropped, knowing that I was in trouble.

"Why's Raven crying?" He asked glaring at me as I went pale seeing that terrifying smile of his. I slowly removed my arms around Raven, as she continued to wipe her tears with the sleeves of her clothes.

Zenji then walked towards Raven as Clayden stood in place, not daring to move at all. Zenji started to check on Raven, seeing if she was physically hurt. Raven couldn't hold her tears back, and tried her best to calm herself down. "What happened?" Zenji glared at Clayden. Clayden flinched at Zenji's gaze and looked down on the floor.

"She found out." Clayden muttered as he turned around to face the other direction, clenching his fist. Zenji started at Clayden's back before looking at Raven. Clayden then looked up in the sky and thought. 'I wasn't bothered by it when I found out myself, even when I also found out that Mom knew all along.' Claude clenched his teeth. Clayden closed his eyes, trying to calm myself down. 'I didn't care. I was with you after all.' Clayden thought as he glanced over to Raven, who was being comforted by Zenji.

"I see..." Zenji muttered as Zenji guided my towards the nearest bench that I could sit on. "Clayden just didn't want you to worry, Rae." Zenji told me as he sat down on the floor in front of me. "It's not like he was trying to left you out on that." Zenji added as I glanced over to Clayden's direction. As I was looking at him, Clayden also looked over to my direction and gave me a small smile. Although, I can't even bring myself to return his smile to him. I don't wanna pretend that I'm ok. 'I'm also hiding things from them. I wonder would they also feel this way?' I thought as I bit my lips.

A little later, I heard someone's footsteps, the longer I hear it the louder it gets. Suddenly, Clayden's shoes were beside Zenji as he suddenly grabbed my cheeks, pinching it, making me look at him. "Stop biting your lips. If you're that angry, let it out on me." Clayden told me, with a worried look on his face, and leaned his forehead on my mine.

"Yeah. Hurt him as you please. Not on the face, though, it might lose his worth in the entertainment industry." Zenji bluntly said while smiling at me, making Clayden sigh and glanced over to Zenji's direction. I chuckled.

"Don't laugh!" Clayden told me as he walked away from me, pouting. Zenji, obviously ignoring Clayden then stood up and offered a hand for me to also stand up. I gladly took his hand as Clayden crossed his arms, and rolled his eyes.

"Isn't that guy, Clayden?" We heard a girl say, making the three of us look over to her direction. Zenji and I looked at Clayden at the same time, and just realized that he wasn't wearing any disguise to cover himself.

"You're right!"
"That's Clayden!"
Girls started to pile up around the girl, as they started squealing and run towards us.

"Let's run?" Clayden said with a smile on his face as he offered his hand to me. I held his hand with my other hand, and narrowed my eyes at him.

"This is all your fault!" I shouted at Clayden as the three of us ran away from the girls, who were also running after us. Clayden started laughing, while Zenji only chuckled at our current situation. I groaned, as we finally reached a crowded area in the city. I look back as we were running, realizing that we had finally lost them.

I started laughing. "We'll always have each other's back, right?" Clayden laughed along with me, while Zenji had a disgusted look on his face.

"Where did that came from?" Zenji groaned as we started to slow down.

"Of course we will." Clayden told me, looking at me in the eye. I smiled at him and looked at Zenji.

"Isn't this too cliché?" Zenji looked away, but we didn't answer him. 'I know it's cliché, but what's the harm in it?' Instead, both of us were looking at Zenji, waiting for him to give in. Zenji was giving us glances. He rolled his eyes and sighed before saying. "Yeah yeah whatever."

Clayden and I started laughing as the three of us headed back to the studio in a different direction, just so we can avoid the fan girls nearby. Zenji then slammed a cap on Clayden's head while we were walking back. I laughed. 'Maybe... Just maybe, someday, I'll be ready enough to tell them everything...' I thought as I grabbed both of their warms, walking in between them.

I hummed. "Let's go!"

To Be Continued. . .