{Arms Unfolding}~ Q. Quagmire

Ch.10~

Pearla—
   
           I am not my lover's lover? Is she now the stranger's heart or his prey? Yet she makes me think I am hers.

                                         —Ira.

"I saw you with him."

"Oh my god, like I didn't know?"

"Why were you with him?"

"Does it matter?"

       "It does when you ditch your friends for a dweeb like him."

"Dweeb? Real mature."

     "You know what, I'm not gonna fake argue with you over a poser."

       "So what if he's a poser, at least he's real. Do you know Vi hasn't spoken to me in almost two weeks?"

        "Cause you've been avoiding us for him."

       Quigley and I have been going back and forth about my recent disappearances. We're arguing like an old married couple and it's not even surprising. We argue like this all the time, ever since we've met. There was no honeymoon phase to our friendship like the rest it was just "I know how you are and I'm not standing for it". Like old friends.

Then there was the "incident", which is why he's so angry right now. Last night, which was a Friday, Rider and I were just talking about...whatever the fuck until really late. We started to goof off and stuff, it ended in him on top of me and laughing in my neck whilst I was looking at the ceiling and giggling. Quigley had come over to see how I was since we haven't seen each other besides lunch. I've been blowing off night rehearsals to finish the work Carmelita has me doing.

When Quigley saw us like that on my bed he simply rolled his eyes and scoffed, "of-fucking-course." He muttered whilst Rider smirked at him evilly. I didn't dismiss this thing and asked why he looked at him like that. Eder just said something like "you talk too much." It annoyed me, yet I stayed quiet nonetheless.

My parents also sent me a package that had different things. "Lady things", hygienic things, even snacks to get me but; along with some clothes. Rider poured all of it out onto my floor to get to the snacks. I laughed as I tried to stop him, thinking it was a game, but then he became mad and pushed me. I shouldn't have been so overbearing.

He's honestly made me realize all the little annoying things I do. Maybe make me a bit better? Also I straightened my hair again because Rider saw a picture of me with straight hair and told me I looked more normal. It all seems wrong and I do have this nagging in the back of my ears about it, yet I don't feel like he's being mean or...

It's just the way he is, he must not mean anything by it. He makes me feel...I dunno, like he cares. He's been around.

"I just don't wanna see you get hurt by a douche like him. He doesn't actually car-" I cut him off and looked at him, we were in gym, by the locker rooms. We didn't raise our voices like always, but the quarrel was still intense. "But you want me to get hurt by you guys? Cause—what— you 'care' enough to lie to me about that tattoo you have below your collarbone and why you've been getting so friendly with Carmelita, and threatening fellow students?"

He licked his lips and rolled his eyes, "You wouldn't get it, we've been busting-"

"Your asses for my sake? Well I've been doing the same for you. I've decided to take matters into my own hands." I crossed my arms.

"What that little book you pretend you've been hiding from us?" He said with a glare, "Duncan said something, has that same symbol as my, sorry, our tattoos. Of course we know about it."