Judd Birch

Boys Will Be Boys

Lea wasn't too happy about that revelation. It's been 3 1/2 days since she's even texted you and, during that time, you would only text Judd to tell him it was still radio silence.

But the group chat is always wild:

tallulah: I CVNT BELIVE RUR FUCKIBG JUDD HHAHAAHHA
tallulah: how big is his dick 😏
me: i fucking hate u
me: and i'm not telling you until u tell me what she said today
tallulah: you suck
tallulah: she said that she knew you guys would hook up tho
tallulah: like honestly I wasn't that surprised when she told me
some other bitch: cool now how big is his dick

You make a face and shove your phone in your back pocket as you weave through the hallway.

You've never been on this end of the problem before.
Typically you're the one losing friends because they get boyfriends and blah blah whatever, but now the tides have changed and it still fucking sucks.

You throw your backpack carelessly onto the rusty lunch table and take a seat. You rest your cheek on your palm and allow your eyes to wander through the crowd while you await your friends.

"Dude, Mr. Smith is literally out to get me." Tallulah exclaims as she sits on the tabletop. "He keeps failing me for no reason- and have you noticed he only like blondes?"

"Yea, he's fucking weird." You reply in monotone, obviously distracted.

Tallulah doesn't notice your focused stare at your desk as your mind quickly wanders.

"And then he- y/n are you even listening?"

You don't mean to ignore her, and moments before you can speak she's distracted as well.

"Give me my fucking money back. Do you wanna start shit here, bro?"

Your eyes dart in the direction of the, sadly, familiar voice.

Fucking pathetic.

You watch as one of school's resident pieces of shit starts another scene. Sure, he's annoying, but why wouldn't you watch- there's nothing better to do.

"Wasn't Jack just suspended?" Tallulah asks with a sour look on her face.

"Yea, probably incest."

Tallulah lets out an evil giggle.

"Him and his sister are so weird."

The boy steps into the center of the lunch hall with his arms open as if to invite a fight as he continues to shout baseless profanities.

This should be fun.

"Yea, but I think he got off early cause it's football season."

"That's bullshit."

You huff in amusement and grin, but your expression immediately turns to something much more negative when you see Judd step up to the boy with his hands in his pockets.

"That's bullshit."

The sounds of the crowd and passerbys murmuring and heckling are immediately drowned out due to your pure shock. Judd has had public altercations, for a lack of better word, before, but never like this. He usually conducts his business elsewhere, like at the back of the school or the bathroom- his business being drugs.

"I know your sister's retarded cause you fucked in the ass too many times, but is that why you're a fuckin' idiot too?" Judd asks casually.

A fight immediately breaks out and the crowd forms a circle around the two. You can't see much over the hundred heads surrounding the scene, but you can hear punches being thrown, maybe a bone broken, and, minutes later, only yelling as school security parts the sea of people to reveal the two boys.

They're both splattered with blood and, for a moment, it's hard to tell who's won. That is until you notice the long streak of red falling neatly into what seems to be a grimace on Judd's face.

You stare at his sharp features, looking for any sign of a break or bruise until his eyes find your frightened ones in the crowd.

Judd's smirk grows wider once he sees you and, just before he's forced away, he licks the blood from his busted lip and winks.

Your heart skips a beat. You're obviously frightened, but you've also never been this attracted to him before.

Once you've collected yourself, you look back towards Tallulah and, judging by her expression and short laugh, she knows exactly what's going through you're head.

...

You managed to get through fifth period before being escorted to the office with no explanation, but once you take a seat and see who's next to you, you understand.

"I don't know anything. Yeah, he's my brother- but you think we hang out? He's weird." Leah exclaims.

The principal looks to you with a tired face in disbelief.

"I have word that you spend time with Judd Birch. What can you tell me about him in regard to the situation at first lunch?"

You shrug with a strange look on your face.

"I don't know. I'm just as surprised as everyone else." You pause. "Like Leah said, he's weird."

The principal looks between the two of you, visually begging for more information.

Both you and Leah remain silent. You're not a snitch and neither is she.

After about 45 minutes of interrogation that was met with no answer, the both of you are allowed to leave and the door behind you is shut in obvious frustration.

I should say something. You think as glance at your friend.

"I miss you-"

"I miss you too."

The both of you pause, waiting for the other to respond.

"You should've just told me you liked him." Leah states as she begins to walk down the hall.

"I know, I just didn't want to fuck things up. But.. look where that went."

"Yeah, you kinda did fuck things up.."
Leah continues.
"I knew you liked him, though. You're not that good at hiding things. Also, like, he's weird, and you're weird too, so I just figured something would happen. I wasn't really surprised when I found out."

The both of you walk in silence, absorbing the information until you make it out the double doors of the office and onto the concrete courtyard in the center of the school.

"Jason's Halloween party is this weekend. Do you wanna get our costumes tonight?" You ask hesitantly, stopping beneath a circle of trees.

Leah looks to you with a playful smile.

"Duh."