Welcome To The Media (Dylmas AU)

10. I'm Trying to Be Nice...

Thomas's pov

Saying I was frustrated would be quite a big understatement.

Saying I was angry would be an even bigger understatement.

But saying I was anxious would be the biggest understatement of all.

My mind flew at about a million miles per hour during the next thirty-seven minutes and forty-eight seconds--each moment of which, was incredibly awkward, as my new partner was seemingly afraid of me after the fight (Seriously dude, stop cringing away. I'm not going to attack you--that privilege is saved for someone else). Hundreds of questions and doubts flittered through my head, banging around like angry bees bumping into the walls of a glass container. By the time we were dismissed, my head throbbed painfully and my shoulders slumped in exhaustion.

I grabbed my bag from the corner of the room, finally beginning to address my current thoughts. Lurking at the forefront of my mind, was not Dylan, as one might expect. Though I did resent him to the highest degree, my thoughts clouded more so around Kaya, and specifically what she had unintentionally said.

At least pretend to be able to stand each other.

It wasn't necessarily her words that had struck a chord in me, but the unintended realization that had dawned on me as she said them. I was certainly used to being reprimanded, so her scolding words bounced harmlessly off my skin. However, Kaya had managed to stir a certain memory in my gut too; with just two short sentences, she had made me regret just about everything that had happened over the past week.

Now, before you get the wrong idea, let me explain. I didn't regret fighting Dylan--hell, he deserved to be punched in the face. There was nothing about that guy that I liked, nor would I ever like, so I couldn't bring myself to feel guilty for my incessant jabs and insults at his expense either.

Unfortunately, I did regret the deep hole I had dug myself into.

You see, along the lines somewhere, I had lost myself in the loathsome boy. Distracted by his sassy (and slightly flamboyant) personality, I truly realized for the first time that I had managed to make him hate me too. Now, normally I wouldn't care, but as I had quite a bit riding on the fact that I would make him love me, I realized that this may be a slight issue. At this point I was pretty darn sure he despised every single part of me; was it even possible to trick that hate into becoming love? I almost sighed out loud.

So basically I had dug myself a hole and then jumped in head first, and now I had to figure out some way to get out.

Anxiety leached into my stomach. I couldn't lose this bet. Reggie had threatened the only thing I had vowed to always keep hidden, and if it was ever released to the media, I could kiss my career and my life goodbye. Just thinking about it made my stomach flutter in dread.

As we all slipped out of the room, careful to avoid conversing about the recent events, I couldn't help but lag in the back of the group, still fighting an inner battle. I was in no mood to talk right now, though at the same time, I craved a distraction. I glanced quickly around, eyes meeting a concerned pair of female eyes. I tried to look away quickly, as she was just about the last person I wanted to talk to at the moment, but her determined (and intimidating) female nature meant that within two more strides, she stood directly to my right.

"Thomas," Kaya whispered. My eyes moved to her face in form of acknowledgement, though the rest of my face remained stone cold.

"Thomas," Kaya repeated, this time brushing my arm. "Are you alright?"

"Fine," I muttered gruffly, trying to convey just how much I didn't want to talk to her.

Kaya half smiled, stepping even closer. "I want to talk to you," she said under her breath.