𝐚𝐭𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐜 • 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐛𝐲 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐤

twenty-one

"I can't believe that, out of all places, you wanted to eat here," Colby spoke slowly, looking around and towards the mariachi band playing Mexican music.

I shrugged. "I don't know. The Mexican food is great and I guess the music cheers me up."

He rolled his eyes, taking another bite of his taco. "Remind me never to let you pick again."

"Oh," I smirked and raised my eyebrows. "So there's gonna be an 'again'?"

He sniffed. "No. I did not say that."

"Just admit it, you like hanging out with me," I replied, poking my fork at the food on my plate.

I watched him as he shook his head, sipping from his coke. "This is just one big pity party. Yours."

"That you agreed to be at," I nodded, mimicking his actions by taking a sip from my water.

He rolled his eyes again, not objecting any further. "Anyways, I'm not going to make it to the tutoring session on Thursday."

I raised my left brow, scanning over his facial features. "Why not?"

"Why does that matter?" he scoffed. "All you need to know is I won't be there."

"Fine," I replied. "I hope you're prepared for the quiz, then."

"Seriously? We have a quiz?" he groaned. "Fuck."

"Yeah. And you need good grades if you want to pass," I chuckled dryly. "So what you gonna do?"

"Damn it," he sighed. "Are you free some other time?"

"Hmm, I don't know, I'll have to check my very busy schedule," I replied sarcastically.

He looked at me with an unamused expression, probably thinking about just running off and leaving me here to myself. "Oh, I'm sorry," he spoke, equally as sarcastic. "I hadn't noticed how many friends you actually have nowadays."

"Now that's just rude," I told him with a slight chuckle. "Anyways. You good with Friday?"

"Have you forgotten there's a football game on Friday?" he snorted.

"What? Already?" I groaned. "Fuck."

He shrugged. "The last one was, like, a month ago."

"Well," I responded. "We could skip last period. It's just English."

"Fine," he grinned. "Skipping class now, are we? I really am a bad influence."

"You're funny if you really think I'm doing this because of you. I'm doing it for you," I explained, after which I finished the last bit of my food. Colby had finished his some time back. "I don't go skipping classes for the Hell of it but I know you need to pass math."

"It's appreciated," he replied with an eye roll. "Anyways, what are you planning on doing now?"

I shrugged. "Don't know. Probably go swim a little to avoid Hero until my parents come home and I get to pretend we're one happy family again."

"I keep forgetting y'all have a whole ass indoor pool," Colby snorted. "Anyways, I don't know how you keep doing that shit. I would have bolted."

"It makes it a little easier that I can just go to the other side of the house to disappear," I replied, looking up at the waitress who came to collect the dishes from our table.

Colby chuckled. "Yeah. I can imagine that in a house of that size."

"So, what are you gonna do?" I asked, sitting back in my chair as the waitress left.

He shrugged. "Nothing, really."

"I would ask you if you wanted to join me but I feel like that would just be weird," I chuckled, crossing my arms. "Seeing we're not even friends and all that."

"Yeah," he replied. "It would be weird."

I stood up from my chair, dragging my coat over my shoulders as I watched Colby stand up and do the same. "Maybe some day," I laughed.

"Don't hold your breath," he laughed back, following me outside and back to his car.

I smiled as I got into the vehicle, closing the door next to me. "You underestimate me."

"You overestimate me," he retorted as he got behind the wheel himself, shifting gears to back out of the parking lot.

I shrugged, still smiling. "Maybe."

He let out a chuckle but stayed silent, him driving off towards my house. I rested my head against the window, placing the hood of my sweater in between my forehead and the glass.

"In all honesty, I don't really know what I'm doing here," Colby spoke up suddenly.

I replied, not removing my sight from the scenery passing by. "What do you mean? I told you why."

"Surely you must have some friend that isn't Emilia you can vent to," he snorted. "You're a fucking Hayes. Half the fucking school is at your damn feet."

Now that made me turn my head. "Are you joking? Or are you doing this shit on purpose? Yeah, I fucking know I'm alone and I barely have any friends, but do you really have to rub it in like that?"

He sniffed. "Damn, no need to get mad, it wasn't that deep."

"No, you should probably start fucking thinking before you assume shit about me, as you have done since the first time I met you," I replied, anger evident in my voice. "You know nothing about me."

He stayed silent, his eyes not leaving the road. His facial expression was blank, I couldn't read what he was thinking. Though it was probably something else that would insult me.

We weren't too far from the gates to where I lived, so I opened the car door once he stopped in front of them. "Thanks for everything, I suppose," I scoffed, before slamming the door shut and walking off. He didn't drive away until after I turned the first corner and I couldn't see him anymore.

• • •

[ Author's note ]

i'm finally back from my city trip!!! sorry you had to wait so long. ♡