The Bad Boy Kept My Secret (Undergoing Heavy Editing)

~|Chapter 11|~

~Avila~

"Why do you have a bat?"

That was the first thing Joy asked me as soon as I barged into his room. Since I've known him for so long, I obviously expected that.

"Why aren't you at school?" I asked bitterly.

He gave me a flat look and pointed to his forehead which was covered in a white bandage, and then to his foot which was covered in a bright green cast.

"I answered a stupid question, with another stupid question," I bit out.

Joy sighed and looked behind me. As if a switch had been flicked, Joy's face lit up and he grinned from ear to ear.

"Charlie?" he asked, excitement dripping through his words.

Joy looked just about ready to jump off the bed and run over to his longtime best friend, cast forgotten and all. I would've smiled at that, if it weren't for the fact that I had a baseball bat in my hands and I was ready to use it.

"Yeah, it's Charles," I snapped. Joy's head turned to mine and his face suddenly grew from ecstatic to grim. "He was back four days ago and has been trying to get in touch with you since."

Joy looked like a little kid who got ate the last slice of pie from the fridge, and was caught by his parents that were now beyond disappointed in him.

In short, Joy looked guilty as hell.

His head bowed down, which I took as the sign for me to continue.

"Do you have any idea how worried we all were?" I asked in a deadly whisper.

Joy looked uneasy under my glare and he looked toward the big window in the room, avoiding my gaze. I took a step closer to him, the bat tightening in my hand.

"We went over to your house on the weekend and were willing to climb the small pipe that leads into your bedroom just to see how you were, and we would've if Jake didn't stop us. Jake and Rose are skipping school to come over here and spend the day with you to make sure you're okay. And you know what? Bree has been an episode of the Walking Dead ever since you broke up with her, when you promised a million times that it wouldn't happen in any of your lifetimes," I broke off, breathing heavily.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and I roughly pushed it away, knowing full-well that my anger wasn't directed towards Charles. I just hope he knew that. After another moment of silence, Joy looked away from the window and looked down at his lap.

"Why did you do it Joy?" I asked in a calmer tone.

"Do what, Avi?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Let go of the best thing that ever happened to you?" I asked.

Now, if any of the girls heard me right now, they'd probably take me to the mall and give me a girly make-over and start making me walk in heels. If anybody else heard me, they'd probably wonder what kind of a magical force took over my body and made me all mushy. If the moment wasn't so serious, Joy and Charles would've been the first to laugh when they heard me say that.

But they didn't laugh, snicker, or even smile when I said that.

Well, I don't know what Charles did since he was behind me, but Joy definitely didn't do either of those things. Instead, a small tear fell from his eye and dropped to his hands that were clasped tightly in his lap.

My heart ached seeing him like that. I put the bat up against the wall and walked up to Joy. I took a seat on the empty chair beside him and Charles followed my lead, coming up to stand behind me. I grabbed Joy's shoulder and turned him around so that he faced me.