Into An Idiot

3. Friends

Sophia

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Michael and I make breakfast and eat in the basement, playing video games.

"Soph, can you come up here please?" Ashton calls from upstairs.

"One minute, I'm winning!" I yell back.

"No you're not, that's my score." Michael laughs.

"Oh." I say. "One minute, I'm losing!" I yell to Ash. Michael laughs and pauses the game, and I run upstairs to my brother. "What?" I ask.
"Your friend just called, he's wondering if he can take you out tomorrow." Ashton scowls.
"Who, Jack?" I ask.
"Yes, Jack." Ashton rolls his eyes. "How many boyfriends do you have?"
"One." I reply matter-of-factly.
"Whatever, just go back downstairs. But I'll have to kick you out when the other boys get here for band practice. We're playing at the Talent Show next weekend. "
"Okay." I skip back down to Michael, flopping myself onto the bean bag chair and picking up my controller.
"I bet you can't beat me." Michael says.
"I bet I can." I say, elbowing him.
"Ow, that hurt." He laughs, elbowing me back.
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Michael
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"I practiced with Ashton after you went home." Sophia says. "I think I might be able to beat you now." She puts the cookie sheet on the counter.
I shake my head. "I doubt it."
"I bet I can." She reaches for the mixing bowl.
"No way."
"Michael, come on, be serious." She says, facing me.
I laugh. "Fine, I think you could beat me."
"Thanks." She smiles, taking out the chocolate chips and giving me a handful.
The doorbell rings, and Sophia runs to the front door, opening it.
I hear a boy's voice, and she walks back into the kitchen, the boy behind her, a basketball under his arm.
My heart pounds when he sets his eyes on me.
I want to scream, to run away, but I can't move.
"What's he doing here?" Jack and I ask at the same time.
I feel my face heat up.
"Oh, you know each other." Sophia says, kind of surprised.
"Yeah. This is Clifford, the idiot. Dumbest of the dumb. Almost as bad as that Ashton kid." At this, Sophie nervously shifts from foot to foot and shrugs.
"Well, we're making cookies, so you can help me get things." She says quietly.
I raise my eyebrows at Jack, who rolls his eyes.
About five minutes later he starts complaining:
"Cookies? Still? It's taking forever."
"Come on, this is stupid."
"Can we go play basketball now?"
"Basketball is so much more fun."
"Why is this idiot even in your house?"
"It would be funny if you knew the first idiot too."
"Remember that kid I was talking about who always wore those dumb bandannas?"
Then I realize why Ashton said to call him when Sophie's friend left.
Ashton was the first 'idiot'.
After all, it makes sense.
Jack is in my year, and has had classes with Ashton before I knew him.
Jack starts complaining about how basketball is more fun, and I get up. I'm done with his annoying comments. I punch him right in the face, hearing a crunch as my fist hits his nose. Blood spurts to the ground, and he gasps. Then he swings his fist into my temple. I bang the other side of my head on the wall, seeing double for a minute, stumbling to my knees. A foot comes into view, and I try to move but I get kicked anyway. "Stop it! Just fucking stop it!" I scream. Sophia's arm wraps around my shoulder, and helps me up. "I should've fucking punched you as soon as you walked in here." I snap. "Ashton is possibly one of the best people I've ever met, and he's an amazing brother to Sophia. He works every day just so they can live in a house. I don't know anyone else who could do that." I say.
"Get the hell out of my house." Sophia growls to Jack. "I don't want to see you again. Delete my number, everything."
Jack holds his nose and mutters curses, leaving.
Sophia hugs me. "You beat him up. Thanks, it really means a lot."
I breathe in the scent of her hair and clothes as she hugs me.
"It means a lot to me, too." I say when she lets go.
"Oh, God, he's the one who ganged up on you last week, isn't he?"
I nod, and she flings herself around me again.