chalk ; tyrus {completed}

chapter 2 - expensive chalk

~

Three days had passed when Cyrus saw TJ out on his driveway again, touching up a few old drawings and creating new ones. These ones in particular were significantly more rainbow-themed than the last (if that was even possible.)

He managed to keep his glances to a minimum while he finished his homework, and only when he heard commotion from outside did he fully look up.

His stomach dropped.

TJ was gone, but his gang of friends were all there, clearly sniggering about the chalk drawings. One of them - Isaac if Cyrus remembered correctly - kicked the box that had been sitting there, sending chalk flying everywhere.

Cyrus' stomach dropped even further when TJ stepped outside, his eyes immediately landing on the broken chalk pieces that were scattered across the ground.

Every thought he had about closing the bedroom curtains slipped from his mind then.

Isaac laughingly asked TJ something, to which the boy responded with a half-hearted smile. He told the group something, which seemed to make them all erupt into laughter.

Isaac and TJ exchanged a few more words, then Isaac walked around the back of his house and out of sight.

That really wasn't a good sign.

Despite his best-friend's long-time dislike for the boy, Cyrus found himself feeling bad for TJ as they all began jumping on the chalk and crushing it. The athlete just stood to the side, wincing slightly.

Cyrus thought that had to be worst of it, but when Isaac returned with a hose in his hands he knew that it wasn't. All he could do was watch from his window with a sad as the boy hosed down TJ's entire driveway, washing away all of the boy's drawings.

TJ was obviously trying hard to conceal his hurt, but as someone who was almost constantly being psycho-analysed by his parents, Cyrus could see right through the facade.

Eventually, Isaac turned the hose off and gestured towards the footpath, where a group of bikes were all parked. TJ nodded reluctantly and grabbed his own bike from the front porch, before joining the rest of them and riding away.

Wet ground and mushy chalk was all that was left from the ordeal, and Cyrus had never had quite the urge to yell at a group of boys as he did at that moment.

He sat there on his desk chair for a moment longer, before reaching for his phone and frantically face-timing Andi and Buffy. They both picked up almost immediately.

"Guys!"

Buffy gave him a confused smile. "What's up?"

"Well...I told you that TJ moved in next door to me, right?"

"He what?"

"So...no, I'm guessing?"

Andi looked overjoyed at this news. "That means Amber lives next to you! Say Cyrus, would I be able to-"

"Now is not the time for pining, Andi!" Buffy interrupted. "We have a problem on our hands."

Cyrus sighed heavily at that. "Buffy-"

"He might try to be friends with you just to spite me!"

"I'm sure he won't-"

"Do you know how terrifying that would be, Cyrus? One day you're normal, and then the next you're using a bucket of gel every day and wearing orange Nike shirts-"

"Buffy." he interrupted. "I would literally never."

"Yeah...I know," she sighed. "I just don't want him anywhere near you. You're too nice."