Calmly || Be More Chill

You Realize Things

I don't think you guys understand how happy I am that you people like this story

The boy had a tight grip on my arm, pulling me through the halls that were thinning out quickly. Suddenly we were in a closet and I grew more scared of the creature, usually not being so close to him when he was angry. Bax ran a hand through his tousled hair in frustration, his freckles being surrounded by the red of his cheeks. We're less than five feet apart, the height difference was no help either.

"What am I going to do with you?" He asked in exasperation. I kept quiet as he seemed on the verge of tears or breaking something. "The plot is beyond changed now, I can't make you say anything or do anything that'll help."

"How's that possible?" I asked with furrowed eyebrows. Bax always dug me out of the hole when I accidentally messed up. There was always a way.

His eyes turned into slits as he kept his glare on my and not flickering towards any object he could break. "I have limits. Everyone has their limits."

My mouth sputtered and tried to come up with something to say, but instead I watched the strong boy I have come to know sink down to the floor. His freckled arms were wrapped around his knees, constantly pulling at his hair. I frowned at this. Bax never broke down. After all we've been through, after all the trial runs in the beginning, Bax never lost control of his emotions like this.

"My-My mind is like a," he sniffed quickly, rubbing the tears out of his eyes. "It's like a web of instructions I could tell you. If you do something wrong, we go down that path and I find solutions that can bring us back to the main goal. Things branch out."

Crouching down, I brought a hand up to place on his arm. I felt it tense as he usually didn't like affectionate touches, but he did nothing to change our position. "Why is this time different?"

With a sigh, he explained, "I'm usually good to go when it comes to keeping you to the main path. This time it got of hand, you made friends with Christine, but broadened her mind set. So we're going down the opposite path and we're too far down."

"That's not bad though," I assured. "Right? The outcome can't be as bad."

Bax chuckled and stood, leaving me on the floor with my hand still on his arm. He shook it off in playful distaste, getting back to normal and composing himself fast. I stood along with him, ready to leave the stuffy room that smelled of bleach. The stench was getting to my head.

I was the first out of the closet as he threw me my bag and pushed me out. My body collided with someone else's as we both fell to the floor, the person groaning in pain. Luckily, my impact was softened by two bags, which meant the other person was met by the cold hard floor.

"Oh boy," I sighed softly. On my hands and knees, my body shuffled over to the boy on the ground who was quite tall, not to mention familiar. His hair was brown and his hand was covering his face as the boy made no move to stand. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Get away, nerd," he grumbled. I backed up a little ways from his face, loosing my confidence.

"Oh, okay." This is Jake, be nice. Not mean, not sarcastic, and not annoying. Be an innocent and nice person.

I kind of figured that out.

Doesn't mean I can't make sure, sheesh, mortals these days.

"Wait," Jake paused as he sat up. We stared at each other, him on his bottom, me on my knees, both of our heads tilted slightly. "No, I'm sorry, you were just trying to help."

A small smile was forced upon my face as I began speaking, "Isn't there class going on?"

He nodded.

"Then why aren't you in class?" My voice was sweet and quiet. Not at all loud and energetic as Bax had influenced me with when I spoke with Christine.

Jake mulled over my words, growing redder by the second. What is he thinking about?

Isn't it obvious?

No, that's why I asked.

"I-uh- I needed some air," he managed to say. "Aren't nerds supposed to want to be in class? What are you doing?"

I nodded, understanding why he asked that stereotypical question, "What kind of nerd likes class? Just because you're good at something, doesn't mean you have to like it, right?"

Watch the sass.

Oh, boy.

Jake's face was taken over by a suggestive smirk as I kept an indifferent look, trying to play innocent when it was obvious what he was hinting at.

Ask him about Rich.

You mean the one with the red streak in his hair.

No, the one with the purple streak in his hair- Yes the one with the red!

Be more chill, Bax.

Сука.

"Do you know a kid named Rich?" My voice drawled out the sentence, trying to put hidden meaning into the words.

Jake grew beet red trying to play it off as an allergic reaction, he insisted he was okay. "Uh, yeah, but we're not good friends."

I pushed it, "Why not?"

"Because Rich-" Footsteps rounded around the corridor soundly, only to reveal the same short blond boy with the faint red streak looking a bit angry.

"Because I what?" He spat out the words like venom. What Jake did next surprised both of us.