TJ's P.O.V.
I'm effin' frustrated right now. I haven't been able to talk to the one person I wanna talk to the most. It's always "I gotta do something right now" or Leo gets in the way. Then it's Kira, who keeps asking me to hang out with her. 'Bout a week ago, I was able to talk to Cyrus for a minute. It was cut short though cuz he had things to do.
I still think he's avoiding me and that effin' hurts. I'm not really sure why but I'm 'bout to change that. I'm supposed to go to a new smoothie place with Kira today so I'll invite Cyrus. I took out my phone and called him.
TJK: Cyrus mah maaaan!
Cyrus (Bae): Hi. This is an unexpected surprise. Uh. How goes you?
TJK: (Lightly chuckles) I goes fine but I miss ya man.
Cyrus (Bae): Whose fault is that? (Asks seriously with a hint of playfulness)
TJK: ...
Cyrus (Bae): You know what? Don't answer that. So what's going on? Why'd you call me?
TJK: You, me, and Kira. We hangin' out today at Jam Juice.
Cyrus (Bae): No TJ.
TJK: Why Ba- I mean...why Cyrus?
Cyrus (Bae): I told you all ready. I'm Buffy's best friend, she hates Buffy, and she hates me.
TJK: She doesn't hate you.
Cyrus (Bae): She does TJ. Take a moment to really think about what I'm saying.
TJK: Listening...
Cyrus (Bae): Have you ever noticed that when I'm around you her smile fades? How she talks to me condescendingly? How she puts on fake smiles? How she always asks you to hang out and I'm not even an afterthought?
TJK: Whoa...
Cyrus (Bae): Do you understand now?
TJK: When you break it down like that, yeah I've noticed. I never really thought about it though...
Cyrus (Bae): Well I've said my piece. Talk to you...whenever...
TJK: Wait Cyrus! You hangin' with me okay.
Cyrus (Bae): Did you not just hear my explanation? Look! I have nothing against her but when I see you two on the swings of all places...That's where my indestructible wall comes up. (Serious tone)
TJK: Then I'm takin' my M80 and blowing that wall up.
Cyrus (Bae): (Laughs) I just said it's indestructible, TJ.
TJK: I didn't know you saw us. I feel really bad about it.
Cyrus (Bae): Don't feel bad on my account. Y'all are cute together and whatnot...
TJK: Cyrus! We aren't together. I still love you!
Cyrus (Bae): Wow! Uh...That complicates things...a lot...
After I kept bugging Cyrus about hanging out with me, he finally agreed. "Don't even worry about Kira cuz I'm really hanging out with you. If she has anything to say about it, I'm tellin' her off," I explain softly to Cyrus. Around 1:15p.m. we all met at Jam Juice. I noticed Kira crossed her arms and glared at Cyrus.
"Cut that ish out Kira," I said boldly. "Cyrus is hangin' out with me," I concluded firmly. Kira pouted as she leaned up against me. "I thought it was gonna be just us Terraaaa," she whined to me then shot her eyes at Cyrus. Cyrus didn't say anything but maintained his calm demeanor.
"I have something else to do any-," Cyrus began but I cut him off. I quickly took his hand as Kira looked stunned. "Don't go Underdog," I said softly. Cyrus gave me a concerned look so I slowly let go. If only he wasn't with Leo! "So what you choose him over me?," Kira asked coldly.
I nodded my head at that rhetorical question. "Yeah! You're not gonna make Cyrus feel bad for hangin' out with me," I said looking Kira in the eyes. "And you're not gonna make me feel bad about who I love," I added in a serious tone. Kira stepped back a little bit in shock. Then she gently cracked her neck and stretched her arms up.
"Ok Terra," Kira began quietly. "Got some guts talkin' to me like that," she added. It sounded a but sarcastic when she said that. I'm starting to notice more of what Cyrus said earlier. I stood closer to Cyrus as he looked up at me. "Ya can still hang out with us but you gotta change Kira," I offered gently.
Kira looked up at me expectantly. "I do wanna hang with you," she whined. "It's just Cyrus...," she spat looking in his direction. Then Cyrus stepped closer to her and looked her in the eyes. Kira stood firm as she listened to what Cyrus had to say. "You only hate me because Buffy's my best friend. You don't even know me but you automatically hate me. I won't feel bad about hanging with my friend anymore and there's nothing you can do to make me leave," Cyrus stated full of confidence.
"So out come the claws huh Cat?," Kira asked coldly. Cyrus stared her down and Kira backed down. "Can we drink somethin' now? I'm thirsty!," she said walking through the door of the juice bar. I smiled at Cyrus and he nodded at me before we went inside. Kira ordered her juice, saying we could share. I declined at first because I wanted a PiƱa Colada smoothie.
"Okay Terra," she said softly as she threw her hands up. "Underdog whatcha want?," I asked as Cyrus stood next to me. "I'll take the small Strawberry Lemonade iced tea," he began. "I'll pay for it," he added quickly cuz he saw me pull out ten dollars. "Nah Cyrus. I gotcha," I assured Cyrus gently.
"Stop tryna be my Romeo," Cyrus said softly. I can still make him blush? That must mean something. Right?! Maybe I'm getting too hyped about this. After we all ordered and paid for our drinks we sat down. Cyrus sat on my right and Kira on my left. "Just try it Terra," Kira kept suggesting I try her drink.
I shook my head as she poured some into a spare cup she took. "What is it?," I asked as I inspected the contents. "It's Apple Upside Down Caramel Passion Fruit...Cake!," Kira giggled as she read her receipt. I took my straw outta my cup and sipped. It was a very different taste that I couldn't describe.
"Taste some Cyrus," I suggested as I moved the cup closer to him. I moved my straw over to him so he could sip. Cyrus furrowed his eyebrows at me as he smiled. I nodded slightly at him as Kira protested. "Mmmmmh!," she whined forcefully as she reached for my cup. I moved her hand away as Cyrus drank from my straw. "Whadda ya think?," I asked lightly chuckling as he smacked his lips. "The Passion fruit and Caramel come through strongly," Cyrus stated before he took another sip. "Ah!," Kira whined again.
"Kik chill," I said as Cyrus continued his assessment. "I barely taste the apples and it really does taste like cake," he concluded. "It does give ya that cake taste!," I agreed full of excitement. Cyrus moved the cup back over to me as he smirked in Kira's direction. "Y'all this ain't no competition," I stated gently as Kira stared Cyrus down.
"I know," she said. "Just tell your Cat to keep his paws off," Kira demanded. I shot my eyes at Kira. "Ya do like Cyrus!," I said happily. Kira widened her eyes at me with a slight smirk on her face. "What the eff are you talkin' about?!," she broke out into a laugh. I leaned closer to Cyrus as he smiled.
"Ya gave him a nickname!," I said as she continued to laugh. "Just because I give him a nickname doesn't mean I like hiiiiim," Kira whined like a child. Cyrus shrugged his shoulders as he grinned. "You also tease me a lot," he added. Kira almost spit up her drink after hearing that. "So what? Still doesn't mean anything," Kira said firmly.
Cyrus leaned into me as I smiled. I missed being this close to him. "Why do you hate me Kira?," he asked softly. Kira stirred in her seat as she smirked. "I don't hate you per se," she began slowly. "Buffy," she concluded. Cyrus sipped on his tea then shook his head. "Kira that's awfully petty," he commented.
"I agree with Cyrus," I said adding my five million dollars to the conversation. Kira playfully scoffed at us then she sipped from her straw. "You don't think I all ready know that?," she asked. "Petty is in my nature," Kira admitted. "Somebody takes somethin' away from me," she began arrogantly. "I gotta get 'em back," Kira concluded.
"It's natural," she added as she flipped her hair back. I knew something was different about her today! I just noticed her hair is straight. It's flowing down her back! "You gotta let that anger go," Cyrus said. I know that tone of voice.
Dr. Cyrus come through! I got excited as Cyrus continued. "You really want pettiness to rule your life?," he asked softly. Kira looked around the juice bar at different people, trying to avoid therapy. Then she finally spoke up as Cyrus and I looked at each other. "Ya don't ask me to be apart of the team then kick me off knowin' the team sucks without me," Kira clapped back gently.
Cyrus sat up straight as I kept my eyes on him. "What Buffy did was right though. Your arrogance and messy behavior cost you a spot on the team," Cyrus reasoned. Kira looked like she was about to get up after that. "How are you gonna say she was right when she begged me to be on the team?!," she asked clearly getting ticked off.
"Kik," I said softly. She calmed down after that. "See how hostile you got?," Cyrus asked gently. "You don't take criticism well. I'm not saying Buffy wasn't wrong for saying the team sucked to you. I'm saying you were wrong for getting arrogant and not being a team player," Cyrus explained calmly.
Kira rolled her eyes but didn't look away from Cyrus. "Kira I used to be the same way," I interjected. She looked at me in surprise as I sipped my smoothie. "I treated Buffy like crap because of what I was going through," I explained as she listened attentively. I looked over at Cyrus and he gave me a nod. "Then I met someone I could talk to about stuff and I started changin'," I added fondly.
A smile slowly crept up on Kira's face cuz she knew I was right. "Okay," she began in a drawl. "So you're tellin' me that I need to be with someone who I can talk to about stuff?," she asked quietly. Cyrus and I nodded at her. Kira let out a heavy sigh then drank the rest of her drink. "I dunno. It's kinda hard to do that," Kira said looking off into the distance.
"Never had anyone like that until you TJ," Kira added slowly. Cyrus nudged me with his elbow as he smiled. "You could be the one to help her get better," he whispered all giddy. I smiled at both of them. Could we be making progress?
