Handcuffed Rivals

8

This is what I've been afraid of, I thought looking at the sight in front of me.

„You caused enough as it is. This is a lesson we highly hope you'll learn from. It would seem you weren't keen on cooperating so it is the only solution to your disagreements. And Mr King, those are no threats whatsoever, perhaps a warning on my behalf justified from everything I've seen you've done." The old men stood firm as a statue of a greek god but not good looking one, just an ordinary, beardy guy, with a hint of gray ends of his hair and a modern utensil, his glasses. He wasn't pleased, almost like my mother who never looked me differently then from what I've gathered here.

I found my straight to speak fluently without allowing my nerves to overpower it „How can we be sure our parents gave you permission? And even so, why would they and on what grounds have the authority to do such thing?"

„I'll show you signatures Miss Cooper, of course, I'm not like yourself to accuse someone without evidence." My teeth gritted angrily while King found him amusing, charmfull even. Of course he would find him blastufly amazing the moment he starts his chauvinistic ways discriminating me. He loved it when he felt superior. I wonder if he ever spoke to him like that or was it just me.

To all appearances, it must be just me.

„Will you just show us." His lip twitched from my disrespectfulnes and impatience when he put the paper in front of us with a two signature marks: my mothers and Kings dad, I assumed. I could only bear witness for my mothers.

King didn't hide his aggrivation anymore „That stupid, half-ass son of a bitch." He swore under his breath taking it from the surface and examining it closely. Like seeing it up close would make a difference. I figured it was his daddy issues after all, that made him sound so animalistic.

Principal interrupted him „Satisfied?"

„Not at all. And what do you expect us to do with this now?" King held our chained hands in front of his eyes „ I can't walk around with her sticked to my ass like a gum I wish to step on."

I pushed my hand down feeling my muscles ache from the position making his fall with it too „Ah thank you so much for the description, the feeling goes both ways."

„You'll find a way. After all, that is your task. As far as I'm concerned, do whatever you'd like, it's not like you can do much anyway." And then he smiled, like winning a championship smile, like all his life problems left and he could sit around in his chair to catch a fresh air without disturbance. It looked almost as if we were his only problem and now that he was done, he was free.

He didn't keep us long after that, just spoke technicalities of switching our schedules so we'd have same classes in the same hours. Bless my poor soul for having to stand this. It felt uncomfortable, strange and unusual. Most of all, it felt unnatural.

„This is your new arrangement." The secretary gave us two copies swaying it in front of our faces but never raising her head from the paper that took her attention so ravenously. I took it sharp-setted from her hold, too lost in my spiraling thoughts.

I didn't like any of this. I felt scared, unprotected, violeted, disrespected, you name it and I felt it. My mother had some serious explanations to give me once I enter that door. And to think I pitied her this morning after the fight with dad. Huh, she'll never get my help at anything anymore. Screw her and equality among her children. She treated me like a insect.

„Have fun!" I heard the women behind her desk yell after King hauled me to the door like a field laborer doing his work of getting the sack of potatoes from one side to the other. I cried in pain and tried to keep my footsteps maching his. Highly unattainable, we couldn't walk two steps together without me doing two at once to keep up with his long strides.

I got tired after less then thirty seconds „Will you slow down?" He didn't. „Oh, now you're ignoring me?" Silence.

„I should scream bloody murder to you not the other way around! This is all your fault!" that stopped him. Huh, at least some of my words held a meaning to him.

He turned around red like a sea crab „My fault? My fault? You are the one who acts around like a god-damn brat yelling without any reason. What do you have in that stupid air-head of yours huh? Nothing."

„My fault? You are the one who jumped at me, don't you act so innocent now! I know everything you half-man. No, you're no man at all. A stupid immature boy, that's what you are."

„I jumped at you? You are the one who came running to me, sitting on my lap and pushing away other girls from me. I didn't do anything."

My cheeks flushed, I surely didn't do that. No, it's impossible. He is only trying to confuse you and let you in his trap „I would never do such thing. You're lying."

He stood in unsufforable silence until his eyes lit up „You don't remember do you? You just took it as it is and run straight to accuse me?" I gulped the saliva in my mouth „I remember perfectly well what happened. Don't play games with me."

We were the only people left in the hallway and when a stillness emarged, you could only hear our breathing and how intimidated this all felt. We were too close for our usual distance patterns and it felt scarier then before. I couldn't run even if I wanted to „You are the one who plays games with me."

I pushed my chin higher „If you have nothing to say about the party then tell me about Jareds car. You slit his tires didn't you?"

He had a smug look on his face „Since when did you become so sensibile of my working ethics? A game is a game after all. Tied or not." It sounded like a vow, an assurance, chained hands won't stop him from torturing me. I didn't find it surprising, I found it like something that has to be done. A war was never canceled when both of the sides held same power and circumstances. Only a fool would find it otherwise.

„You had no right to do that! You have a problem with me not my family, you understand? Leave them out of it." I was very guarded when it came to my personal life. He could destroy me, bully me all he wanted, but my family stays out of it. That was my rule. He had one, I had one. „I never did anything to yours did I? Or do you want me to start?"

He strut like a hulk, deliberately lengthening his back to show me how much taller he was then me. His eyes held a storm so big, my body got chills all over it „Don't mention my family ever again." It was ice cold, sharp edged. It made my breathing quicker.

„I'm not afraid of you."

„I never said you have to be." The atmosphere changed in a second, to a foreign path we never crossed. It was silence again and I didn't like his presence calm, without fighting and yelling.

 „Can we just go? I hate this."

„You think I enjoy being so close to you? You think this is funny to me? I'd be damned to keep this going on." He took the papers I held insolently „What's this shit? I don't want to listen to International law, what the fuck are you studying?"

His look made me strangle him with the one hand that was left of me „It's my passion and stop with the premises. You have no choice therefore stick with it. You can't judge worth or value of something based on outward appearance."

He rolled his eyes „Why aren't I surprised you're interested in bullshit?"

„You're such a hypocrat! You know nothing of it and don't shatter my choices just because you don't like them. I never asked you for oppinion." I got so rilled up from his prejudgment, all I wanted was to run to class and shut him up. We only just started this chaining-up thing and already managed to almost kill each other two times. I don't see how this is going to word anytime soon.

„I never asked you to breathe but here we are." Was his smart response. „Can we go?"

King crunched the paper in his hand and put in his back pocket of his jeans maintaining his walking tehnique like the one I cried about. I rushed again after him like a puppet. We moved through the long hallway, only our sneakers making a sound as our hands brushed couple of times and I resisted the urge to throw up on his back. This was a nightmare.

 Kings steps got rusher and his movements stronger, his profanities that he so lightly delivered it to no one, nerved me and kept reminding me of our hands.

"Will you just deal with it?" looking at our chained hands and King dragging me around with him, his face red from anger, I screamed from the pain it caused me. With every stride, it scratched on my wrist more.

He looked murderous "Deal with it? Deal with it? Did I hear you correctly? You want me to deal with the fact that I have to spend two weeks chained to you like I'm some prisoner? Are you nuts?" It looked only then did he realise the meaning of us together for so long. A cat and a mouse, almost absurd. It was absurd.

We were both too scared, too shocked at what we just witnessed and our clashing personalities weren't helping our situation. We didn't know how to support each other, we hardly knew how to talk like a civilised individuals, let alone tell anything that could possibly calm this blizzard.

I tried to calm him from panicking because it was making me involved whether I liked it or not "Well what else can you do except break my arm in half like you're doing right now by pulling her like a maniac?" That's all I could say, really. I didn't know right words when it came to him.

He didn't appreciate it "I'd rather go to jail then look at your face for that long."

"The feeling is mutual King, don't get your hopes thinking otherwise." I rationalized. That's what you get for trying, stupid.

"Wasn't planning on it." he scoffed. Both of us looked exhausted and the least we wanted was to deal with each other but it was undeniably hard to escape from it. Not when you're linked to a person you would rather run away from.

"And stop with the pulling before I eat you alive." Was my last sass before he opened the classroom door.