Previous: With all the things that have been happening at school. It's nice to take a break once in a while. If Blossom's getting comfortable with Brick's friends, it's natural that he'd do the same with hers, right? Does this mean they're getting closer?
Summary:
Moments/ I don't even know why though – Brick's lunch break mishap leads him to take a few days' break from school. On the bright side, it seems as though Blossom has taken more interest in him, but his interest in her is frustratingly intense and there were these little things she did that made him wish he could blur the lines.
Somewhere in between his three-hour study session, Brick lost the will and patience to be a decent human being. Not completely his fault though, the librarian was certainly a vexing specimen. That woman had the nerve to pass three times his table to address his attire. Something about his loosened tie, something about the printed tee under his shirt. Sorry Lady Martha, did you want his nips to chaff against his shirt? He wasn't keen on bloody removing his–
"Buttercup!"
Very few times he was grateful for her existence. The heel of her sneaks was pressed so harshly onto Brick's shoe that he swore she wore stilettos. He hissed, sucking in the cold air dryly. He would have cussed also, but the pain soothed his desire to go off on the librarian.
The borneol terpene fumes calmed him. The taste of sour red liquorice supported him. Brick's first paper? Computer Science Unit 1. Fuck him, right? God alone understood how much he urged to jump off Townsville's highest mountain and drench those grappling frustrations in the current of the cold waters below. The insanity of it all by far trumped the anticipated rush. Brick foresaw it had enough spark to jolt his circuits back to life.
He hesitated on that thought. Brick's not much of a swimmer and heights weren't exactly his thing. The only wetness he felt was the clamminess of his clothes pressed against his skin as he endured the library's absurd temperature shifts. He should have stayed in class. Rain had yet to fall, spring near merged to summer and the spaces near the windows were always the warmest. Sure, the library was quieter — save for the whirring of the dying HVAC — but the seasonal temperature shifts every twenty minutes were damn near criminal. Fuck that school… and his patience too!
Buttercup gave him an even glance. Her stylus held almost delicately in her hand as she continued her own studies. There wasn't much for her to say. She'd returned to her own bubble after there was a sense of calm drifting through his eyes. The weight of everyone's expectations always got Brick in a slump. His ears often strained for whispers, he'd get hyper-aware of any staring and he'd felt extreme shame when getting less than satisfactory test scores.
He'd built himself a particular notoriety; naturally intelligent, well-rounded, and gifted. All lies, but it was important that people never saw the work he'd put into it. An overachiever wasn't his aim. For equally contrasting reasons, those types of people usually disgusted and amazed him. He just didn't want to fall short of his family's name. He knew the sacrifices they all made. Wouldn't he just be trash to be idle and run their reputation to the ground? Well–
"It's lunch."
He obviously hadn't noticed and she wasn't going to wait on him. Had Buttercup known what was soon to transpire, she'd have stuck around. The boy was a ticking timebomb. It wasn't her fault that almost everyone held the trigger.
Lunch in itself had started off weird. Admittedly, Brick should have known something was up the moment Princess's best friend left her side to sit with Boomer. That boy was Malta — or better yet, Switzerland. When shit was near ready to hit the fan, people flocked to his neutrality.
Seeing Blossom in that jovial mix pleased him. She belonged. The girls were gorgeous, talented, and exuding success. It sucked that half of them came with terrible personalities; Princess included. When their eyes matched, he almost choked on his cauliflower. He rehashed complex logic gates to suppress his blush. It was almost insane how she made his chest feel cluttered after a single look.
"You okay?" Paying little attention to Brick's antics, Boomer wasted no time uncorking his bottled water. "Here, take some."
"I'm fine- Wrong hole."
Brick's reply was only awarded a half-assed shrug. Boomer's lunch remained untouched and his attention glued to the cafeteria's double doors.
"I thought you liked Mac'n cheese?" When his question fell on deaf ears, Brick of course followed the cookie crumbs to the tensing sight of Dexter.
Save for a very select few, student council members barely came out of hiding. It made sense; their 'office' was damn near posh, their ventilation system actually worked, and they didn't have to trudge down two whole floors to go to the lunchroom. Obviously, this was weird. Watching how the curly topped ginger shuffled to Princess's table also baffled Brick. Maybe because — like Boomer — he tuned into radio Dorkville, but he could have sworn he heard each tapping stride the lad made.
No debate. Whatever the boy was about to do was certainly stupid. Sure, Dexter had always been rude to him, but that didn't make the boy eligible for whatever wrath lay beneath Princess's god-awful grin. Shifting his eyes to Boomer's giddy composure, then back to the exchange happening at the table, all Brick could do was recount his history with the boy.
He'd be lying if he said the boy wouldn't deserve getting knocked down a peg. The way Dexter always regarded him as wasted potential just… Well, Brick worked hard to become the person he was today. Why Dexter couldn't see that was beyond him, but he'll have to stick his foot in his mouth in a few short years because Brick had plans to take an elevator to his goals.
"What did lunch ever do to you?"
Since Brick wasn't too familiar with Boomer's companions, he considered the question not worth any recognition. The table chatter was booming. Cricket scores were shared, rumours were being debunked and some guy was bluffing about his first time with girl X. This was how he should have been spending his lunch. Instead, curiosity bested him, and he chose to eavesdrop.
"This one's gonna hurt, innit?" Boomer rubbed his sore sides. Chuckling too much could cause injury; who knew?
The girl beside him was unamused. Her face sunk low with a cringed expression as they chatted. Brick couldn't quite follow. Slowly and pensively, he chewed his food to mush. Aside from Dexter's presence, nothing else seemed amiss. Cafeteria chatter was still incandescent, the smell of Clorox and Pinesol were ever-so-present, and random bursts of laughter percolated the air.
Brick took a sip of water. Tasted flat, a little bitter; the brand sucked. Rather than trying to discern the commotion happening just a few tables away, he listened to the small commentaries made by his friends.
'She's going to destroy him. I can't watch!'
'Innit? Such a riot! Can't wait.'
'You're horrible Ainsley.'
It was no secret that trouble brewed usually came with anticipation. A birdie might have whispered a little something to a gossip monster, — maybe Jennie, maybe Juliette — and they simply had to go reporting to Princess for her favour. Said girl smiled sweetly as Dexter tried not to cower. Her chin on her palms, her eyes locked onto his, and her authority absolute. Princess's specialty was intimidation with a glance. If you couldn't muster the courage, then go away.
When her table had gotten still, Dexter shifted in place trying to strengthen his resolve. He looked pristine; clothes starched, tie clipped neatly, contacts in and hair properly styled. There was appeal in his face despite still bearing his mother's milk. "Hey."
Though Blossom preferred staying oblivious to social matters around her, she knew something was off. Aside from class discussions and the mentorship program, they didn't talk. She found him a bore while he found her sneaky. Heck, he'd been blunt enough to say it to her face, thrice! This… this was weird. As much as she wanted to pretend that everything was fine, this felt weird.
"Amh, hi?"
Julie's snicker came with an under-the-bench pinch from Princess. It probably tinted her skin pink and wiped some of her spray-tan off, but Princess didn't give a shit. Time for laughter would come after. She had a game to play!
"Could you come with me for a second?"
Dexter's eyes were beautiful. A crying shame they were dulled by his photophobia glasses. Personality aside, he'd probably be more likable had he flaunted his assets more.
"About?" It's not that she was eager to say no, she just… couldn't he have just sent a text? It would have been far less awkward than this.
Princess never took her eyes off Dexter. It was almost predatory. As if she was ready to do some serious damage to that poor git. He tugged the collar of his shirt as he felt a bead of sweat roll down his neck. Made sense since the air felt stale in such a densely populated room.
This… power struggle, or whatever the hell was going on, wasn't on Blossom's docket today. Jennie's fingers were texting up a storm, Juliette wouldn't stop flashing her pearly whites and fucking Amber had her phone propped nicely to record every moment.
"It's…" he hesitated, "Please?"
He swallowed thickly after his eyes matched Princess'. How could someone so small and pretty be so doggone intimidating and wicked? Was it even worth it? Was she worth it?
"You know what, forget it." He lost. With just a step back, he racked his hands through his hair and exhaled.
It wasn't funny. Brick couldn't see the bloody joke in any of it. Much like Julienne, the back seat view just made him feel uncomfortable. Pity wasn't something he'd usually feel for others, but goodness! The boy was making a bloody spectacle of himself. Dexter needed help.
"Mind filling me in?"
Boomer took a pause in his laughter to stare curiously at Brick. He'd actually preferred if he wasn't in the know. It made the unnecessary tensions amusing. However, there was intent in Brick's words, and Boomer hated it when Brick got all bossy.
"Mate, Dexter's trying to confess."
It did not look like that.
"Come again?"
Boomer grinned, twisting his words enough for him to poke the bear, "Dexter Deasley has a huge boner for a certain curly-haired girl on that table."
Brick blinked suspiciously, "You're shitting me?" That train wreck he was watching did not – in any shape, way, or form – look like a confession. "If you don't want to tell me, fine. Don't bother."
"No man, he's right." The guy next to Brick replied, "You daft git! You didn't know that?"
Brick rolled his eyes, "Obviously not."
"Maybe you've been tackled one-too-many times on the field,"
"Maybe you've swallowed too much chlorine in the water."
The boy flinched. His green eyes quickly drifted from Brick's to his fingers, "Oi, Touché."
Pissing Brick off was easy. Irritated brooding was second nature. Anger was his coping mechanism. He was fine until a few seconds ago. Honestly, he was. He didn't care that the food tasted like sand, that the A/C vent blew right onto his undercut, or that he'd only gotten five hours of sleep the night before. Now that he was peeved, his fork screeched against the plate, crushing his vegetables with pressure.
.
.
"It's fine, we'll move. It's obvious whatever you want to say is dire."
.
Though wordless and fast, Princess et al's exit was grand. Didn't take long for curious glances to stretch their way to discern the situation. Blossom slumped on the bench trying to feel small. She could have ditched with them or even told Dexter off, but… she had to play nice… she hadn't yet come to terms with it all. Everything just happened so quickly.
.
.
"So he really had a thing for her?" the words hugged Brick's thoughts until it started to bear some truths. To be honest, it was probably the dumbest thing he'd heard. Not only was Dexter not born into wealth, he wanted to be a scientist, i.e. no money, life, or fame unless he was exceptional.
Princess was the definition of 'high maintenance'. As in, if you can't afford to give her the things she could get herself, then she's not interested. "Seriously? Is he dead from the neck up?"
"He's a boy in love, you wouldn't get it." The swimmer was nonchalant, speaking with just a tad bit of food still stuck in his cheek.
Boomer's choke quickly gathered curious eyes. The blonde just had to keep his head down after that. His smile was wiped clean off his face too. In fact, he'd found it a perfect time to start eating lunch.
"Is there something we should know?" What was his name? Peter? A.J.? Asshole? Yeah, Brick was certain he wasn't going to take well to that guy.
"Is there?" Brick asked, his brows cocking suspiciously at Boomer. It was bad enough his close friends teased him about his small crush, he'd lose his shit if it became locker room antics. He'd probably beat Boomer then and there if it ever escalated to that.
The boy froze. Swallowed his food whole, distracted himself with the pain of the half-chewed bits stumbling down his gullet, "I was agreeing. Yeesh! Always looking into everything! Give me a break! Can't even have a dry throat now?" Most were said through either grumbles or muffled lips. Boomer thought it was best he'd focused his energy on eating rather than… laughing.
Brick didn't know what possessed him to move.
Maybe embarrassment?
He wanted nothing more than to curl into a neat ball!
Pity?
Dexter's face looked almost cherry red and whatever Blossom was doing was making him green.
Then again… Maybe it was Princess.
They'd gotten eye contact for just a second where she chose to blow a kiss to piss him off. He'd have to switch churches one day. There's no way he felt comfortable worshipping in the same place as the devil's reincarnate.
Honestly, he should have just minded his own business. Maybe then his evening would have gone uneventful.
.
"What was that about?" Blossom's voice, despite earnest restraint, had anger.
While Dexter gripped shaking fists onto the edge of the desk, he tried to recentre his energy. Princess bloody scared him. It made no sense since she'd never physically touched him, not even a handshake!
.
"What…" It all seemed so clear before. Brick shifted in his seat with a chuckle, his elbow pushing out as he shook the jacket off. There shove right behind him made the passing senior's lunch tray spill onto Brick. The events seemed blurred into each other after the noticeable stain. Who knows, had Ace not gifted Brick a cheeky smile and a half-assed apology, things may not have gotten that bad. "the actual, fuck!"
The cafeteria stilled.
Eyes which were usually a deep brown hue seemed to turn red with rage. Though the boys next to him had instinctively tried to hold him back, Brick was far too swift to get caught.
The first fist landed firmly on his jawbone, almost knocking Ace flat on his buttocks. Had it been anyone else, preferably younger and not Ace, he wouldn't have lashed out so aggressively. Watching the goop crawl off his shirt and onto his shoe just sparked something nasty inside of him.
It was uncanny how calmly he fisted the mulch and pasted it on Ace's clothes. Regardless, Butch's jaw slackened mid-chew as he watched one of his best friends wage war from the other side of the room. "Shit."
.
.
"I can't believe I got dragged out of work for this, Brick! "Mr. Mathews was trying his hardest to keep his shit together, "I thought you were above this. Did you even, for a second, think about your future, son?" Mr. Mathews paced the room evenly. His hands clasped behind his back as he hissed his disappointment.
Brick squinted in his chair. His shoulders slumped as if regretful and not one complaint left his lips. The principal and her secretary shared looks before an uneasy nod. The man before them was an up-and-coming mogul with ties most favourable in the school's interest. Deciphering the best way to overcome this situation was of the utmost importance. The last thing they needed was his fury to be directed at the school if Brick kept playing the role of a delightful child.
"Principal Practice," said man jumped from the haunting tone, "is there any way he could make up for his transgressions?"
It was hard for the involved parties to realize they were being manipulated. Ace's mother immediately flinched when their eyes met. She'd suspected that anyone who could make the principal squirm in the slightest wasn't worth fighting.
"You know, his mum and I get so busy with work." Sympathy card. "I think we pushed him too hard. We're stumped at what to do. You know it's hard to raise two kids with such busy schedules. I thought this school was a nice settlement for them but if Brick's having a hard time, I don't suppose Court– "
Her eyes widened that instant. The threat of losing one of her brilliant pupils was not to be taken lightly, "Now, now, Mr. Mathews. I think you've gotten the wrong idea about the situation. From what I've gathered from the students, there's been an accident at the cafeteria that involved food being dumped on-"
"Is my son being bullied?" There it was, his opening. "I'd always had my suspicions about this school. He went to hang out with his 'friends' and then came back with a bruised cheek and his full set of hair shaved off. Now you're telling me someone dumped food on him?" Mr. Mathews cast his glare towards the lanky teen seated behind him, "Is this one of those green gangling hoodlums I've been hearing about?"
"My son is not a hoodlum!" The woman argued. Her aged Hermès clutched protectively in her hands. The effort she'd taken to keep up appearances was sad. Wasn't worth a prod. He knew his way around posers.
He straightened his suit. Not designer, but perfectly tailored and adorned with flashy cufflinks. "My apologies." He said shortly, "But if my son was defending himself, I don't quite see why he should be so greatly punished."
"I assure you, Mr. Mathews, we are not 'harshly punishing' your son. The fact of the matter is, he struck Mr. Copular over there, so we'd like to discuss that matter properly."
"So, your stance on bullying is for them not to fight back?"
"I think you're mistaken; we are simply following protocols–"
"Does your 'protocols' include taking these studying children out of class when they're preparing for a huge exam?"
Bold.
"Mr. Mathews, you're not listening–"
"I am, and I have… and my eyes function well too, thank you. My son is in his– someone's gym clothes and he looks to be freezing. I'm pretty sure he left my house clothed, warm, and happy."
His act went on for another twenty minutes and was closed nicely after both boys had gotten a slap on their wrist for their 'excessive misunderstanding'. Brick shut the passenger seat of his father's SUV and grinned, "Did you see his face?"
Mr. Mathews chuckled, "Should we have taken Courtney out of class too?"
"No, she has practice this evening. She'd pass."
"Right! You too?"
"I'll skip. I need a shower and some sleep." Brick groaned.
Mr. Mathews slowly pulled out of the school compound while tapping a tune on the steering wheel. "So," He whistled, "Have anything to say for yourself?"
Brick looked past the window to the stubble on his father's chin before sighing, "How'd you know about the gangrenes?"
"Oh, that nasty thing? You know, I stayed in a dorm back in college. There were about two or three medical stud–"
"So it's Courtney." A pleased sense of understanding tickled his pressed forehead.
The man grinned, "She didn't want her brother suspended so she gave me some ammo."
Brick rolled his eyes, "Are you going to dump me in 'anger therapy' now?"
The car's silence was unsettling. Brick patiently waited for the answer his father felt too awkward to give. The lulling hum of the car was out of place in this situation. Principal visits were either joint or Mrs. Mathews' job. Filibustering strangers was easy, but his little monsters… not so much.
"I wouldn't quite say dumping," he replied, "I think everyone deserves a little ice-cream therapy once in a while."
Brick squinted, "But I punched someone."
"You want to talk about it?"
"No." Brick soured, "But hey, look."
His father smirked.
"He did it on purpose! And he hit me back too! Watch!" He pointed to the barely pink skin on the edge of his shoulder. Though it paled to Ace's swollen cheek, Brick felt it justified.
"He hit you back?" he replied, "That means you struck first, innit?"
"Dad, he threw his lunch on me. I have the whole cafeteria to vouch."
"I heard you," he blew his horn. Crappy drivers always twisted his nips. "Someone you didn't like spilled food on you, so you retaliated by punching him."
Brick swallowed harshly.
"You hit first?"
"I-"
"Hit first?"
"Quite possible."
"Not 'quite possible'; fact. You. Hit. First."
"Dad, please don't 'mum' me. I'd take it back if I could."
"But you can't, right?"
He groaned. "Can we just go home?"
"No ice cream?"
He glared, "Not feeling it."
Mr. Mathews stepped on the gas, "Well, if you don't feel like you deserve ice cream, that's on you. I mean, your father was called out of a–"
"Do you want me to apologize to Ace?"
"Well, only if you want to. I'm sure your mother would love that act of matu–"
"Fine. I'll get his number and arrange something… tonight. So please dad, stop talking to me." He whined.
In his proud stupor, Mr. Mathews rose the radio volume as he belted out vocals to one of his eighty's songs.
.
.
Blossom felt relief seeing Brick's grumpy face trudge through the hallways. With him missing almost a week of school, the rumours about him gained body.
Did Brick really get suspended?
Were his scholarships on the line?
Blossom didn't have the right to peer that much into his personal life. He wasn't privy to hers, so why she to his? "You look refreshed." her initiating a genuine conversation was weird. Her face was flushed. Probably because she'd rushed up the staircase to catch up to him.
Brick dumbly stuck his head in his locker to sort out his thoughts. "Spa day."
"Oh, stop kidding." She joked, leaning to his side in wait for him to peer out and talk to her face-to-face.
"No, serious." He pulled a thick textbook out, "Spa day."
"Your parents gave you a spa day after getting suspended?" What the actual eff?
"One," he clarified, "I didn't get suspended. Two. Buttercup's mum said I looked like I needed it."
"Oh?" She followed his footsteps. Didn't matter they didn't share the same homeroom, she wanted to check-in.
Brick chuckled, "She runs a beauty parlour in the city."
"Sounds like a long commute. She doesn't go in the office much, does she?"
Brick shook his head with haste. "Buttercup's parents are divorced. She lives with her dad."
Her brows shot up, "Oh, my bad. I just assumed."
"Well, her dad gets off work late and her mum has the bigger house. It's kind of unspoken that there's the hang-out spot."
"That means…" Blossom tried to piece his story together, "You skipped school to hang ou–"
"Skipped school?" he asked. "I didn't?"
"But… you said you didn't get suspended…" she was visibly confused. "And then… Buttercup's mum…"
"Blossom…" he smiled. Soft, playful, amused. "Classes are optional."
She rolled her eyes, "You and Boomer are really two peas in a pod, you know that, right?'
"I promise you; I'm not lying. Syllabus is done and so is school… Listen, I'm only here for the tips."
Blossom remained unconvinced. Sure, it made sense since her classes fell short of kids. But 75% attendance? Forgive her judgment, but that seemed to be a LOT for an optional choice.
"Speaking of tips," Brick loosened the straps of his bookbag as he hovered in front of Blossom's homeroom door. So involved in the conversation, she hadn't realized they'd already passed his. "I got bio covered. But, for MS? Wednesday said anything important? I mean, I guess I'm supposed to meet Brandon after break, but a second opinion wouldn't hurt."
She blinked forcibly. "Uhm, no, no. Wait, yes! You can borrow my notes for the day… You're heading to the library?" she asked, "You can photocopy them one time. Wait, I think it's in my locker…" She insisted.
"No need." he reassured, "I guess I can take a look at it later… my phone takes decent pics." He flashed his device. Besides, don't think I got my copy-card."
The sleek silver design immediately caught her attention, "No joke!" she exclaimed, "This model's recent, innit?"
"Dunno," he shrugged, "Birthday gift from my sister."
"Really? She sounds nice! Where does she work?"
"Work?" he asked confused.
"Yeah, as in her occupation?"
Brick cringed and shook his head, "Okay wait." He shoved the textbook into his bag, "It won't take long, I'll show you," he muttered issuing the girl follow him his league.
She understandably never ventured to the second floor. Sure, the libraries were interconnected, but she didn't have a reason to leave via any floor but the third. Walking through a throng of fourth and fifth form students reminded her of her first day at school; too many strangers with curious gazes for her liking.
Courtney was acting just as Brick expected. Smacking gum while swinging her legs playfully on top of the table was too much of a cliché even for her. Brick just shook his head as her classmates looked at him with suspicion.
Courtney followed their eyes to meet her brother's lazy smile, "What?" she groaned, almost looking defensive as she pulled down her skirt. Naturally, the people around her began showing their decent side. After Brick's little stunt last week, they didn't want to disturb his chaotically volatile cauldron. "Seriously Brick, what?" she asked until Blossom came into view.
"That one." He pointed. Playfully gesturing buns in his hair.
"You're nothing ali–" she paused. Courtney's suspicious gaze looked too much like half a glare. "Ooh," a deep chortle, "I see the resemblance."
Courtney pressed her lips together in slight understanding. Her focus danced between the two to measure their body language, "Okay, what did this jerk say about me now? Trust me Bloss, whatever comes out his mouth is a lie!"
Blossom shook her head in denial, "I'm still coming to terms that you two are siblings… Wild!"
"I know right! He's my dirty little secret!"
"You know her?" Brick was perplexed.
"Jesus Brick," she climbed off the table, "stop shouting, we're right here." She pivoted herself between the two, resting her shoulder on Blossom's to imply they were close. "Remember that cake sale you absolutely refused to help me with way back when? Well, she was there… helping." The shade was necessary and so too her teasing face.
"Did not know that." he muttered.
Courtney used the sound of the warning bell to whisper, "Are you two dating or something?" and he'd negated it too quickly. The thought that Blossom may have heard her question terrified him.
"I guess you two are going now?" She smiled, "And remember Blossom, you know me! Everything he says? All lies!"
.
.
Incidentally, talking to Blossom became progressively easier. Maybe it was the whole common goals thing, or maybe she was finally warming up to the others. Ever since he'd returned, Brick found himself hanging out with Blossom more than his other friends. Then again, numbers were dwindling.
He'd expected her to cut him off after seeing his aggressive side. Blossom seemed the type to thrive on a quiet lifestyle. During his much-needed break from school, a lot of people had bombarded him about the altercation, but she was one of few who didn't. The closest she'd imposed was when she'd texted, 'Are you fine? Are you ill?' and it came out of concern from him skipping practice.
She certainly wasn't aware of it, but it was these little things that made him all the more grateful to be her friend. "So, moment of truth! Ready to try these famous almond cookies?"
It was Thursday, just three weeks till exams, and she'd taken Brick's playful suggestion of a café study seriously. "I dunno Brick," she'd exaggeratedly scoffed. Acting wasn't Blossom's forte. Thank goodness for her academic feats. "I have high standards."
"Ooh," he teased, "High standards as in a peanut butter and Nutella bagel?"
"Wow," she looked so bewildered, "Who told you that?" she playfully smacked his blazer, "No, tell me! Who told you?"
Brick grinned and dusted her hands off him, "Don't know what you're talking about. I just figured you're the type of gal to eat your bagels with a coat of peanut butter and Nutella. High standards, right?"
"Oh, come off it. There's only three girls who... Wait... Four... Did Bubbles...? That snitch!"
He shook his head, "Even if I lied and said yes, you wouldn't believe me."
"It's gotta be Juliette. Loose lips."
He shrugged, "Julie-who? Forgive me, but there's about five Julies at our school. You think I know the -ennes, -ettes or -as? Look, I don't know about anyone else, but these lips aren't loose. You're not prying anything out of me. It could be a guy, a girl or your bloody pup. The only thing you're going to know is that I know."
"Well," she giggled, "at least my thing is good. Yours is just weird."
"I don't have a thing though."
"You drive a moped, Mathews. A moped."
"It's fuel-efficient... And safe."
"So is a car? Reasonably, wouldn't a second-hand car be the same price? I think?"
"If we ignore things like insurance, gas, maintenance, oil change, yada yada, yes, sure. But you want to know what's cheaper?" he watched her try to wipe the exasperation off her face, "Public transportation."
"I've never seen you use public transport," she quickly admitted. "Like ever!" she paused, recounting the times she'd seen him travel, "Unless you consider cab app or Boomer public transport?"
He almost scoffed. "I take the bus, religiously."
"I literally can't imagine you in a bus."
"Even the tram!" he insisted.
"Yeah, yeah," she shushed. The cookie failed to disappoint. Soft, chewy, scrumptious. "Okay, this! This is good! I won't lie, Mathews, this is good!"
"Right?" he mentioned pulling his tablet out of his bag, "Can't believe you've been here for more than two months and you never visited."
"In my defense, I'm new to this city."
Brick rolled his eyes, "Please. Your newbie card is expired, try again!"
Her mouth widened, "Wow, no filter."
"I have a filter."
She giggled, "Then I'm terrified if you lose it."
He traced a troubling question, "This one? What did you get for it?" Tasty treats couldn't distract from their true purpose.
Had Boomer gotten wind of this little meeting, he'd have intervened to 'get the ball rolling'. Watching Brick's passive pining was frustrating. Sometimes he'd just stare at Blossom and fight the urge to spill the beans about Brick. Other times, he wanted to ask how on God's green earth could that girl ignore obvious signs. Fact? Brick wasn't the only guy interested in her. Since Blossom was the type to ignore advances without thinking, she'd been royally pissing off Boomer lately.
The question was tricky enough to warrant two minutes of their time. Not retreating to textbooks or their notebooks brought them both satisfaction. Brick knew she was going places. He couldn't help but be curious about her college plans.
It was a touchy topic for her. In her mind, making the wrong decision could set her life back a couple of years. Following in her father's prosecuting footsteps seemed easier, but she had a love for science and even medicine. "So, I'm letting my acceptance letters decide my program."
She shuffled in her seat. Almost squirmed too. Her answer seemed flat, thoughtless, and prideful. She should have stayed quiet; followed her script and address her ideals broadly. He'd probably seen through it anyway… she should have simply redirected the question.
"Honestly, same. Still don't know." He sipped his tea.
"So, what's that you're drinking?"
She sucked at changing topics, but Brick still complied. Chatting with her was nice, and he'd prefer they continue their impromptu break. "Ginseng tea."
"Rooty and earthy flavours are your favourite, innit?"
He'd never really thought of it, so he pressed, "Not… really?"
"Well, if you had a choice between a cinnamon Chai tea, caramel black tea, jasmine, and puerhs, which would you have?"
"How about you put the cinnamon in the puerh and sweeten it with honey? Call that a day?"
"The fact that you know about puerhs... An old soul, aren't yah?"
"Before my mum was licensed and my dad was… well, good at his job, I stayed with my grands."
"The ones in... York?"
It half-shocked him she remembered that detail. "Yeah! How'd you guessed?"
"Because you talk like a northie."
"Okay, first! Rude. I only spent six years there. Second, I'm southwest! Been in different parts for most my life! I swear, you die-hard Londoners are impossible! Well, forgive me for actually knowing how to enunciate!"
"Okay, no need to roast me! I'm only kidding! Just kidding." She giggled. It was adorable how easily his feathers got ruffled.
"You weren't, but I'll forgive you this once. I'm nice like that."
"Sure you are."
He put a hand on his chest and fake gasped, "I'm hurt."
"Big baby." she sighed looking out the window.
"Can I ask, what does your mum do for a living? Or does she–"
"Exec Secretary." Brick could hear the pride exuding out of Blossom's voice. No doubt that she was probably her mum's biggest fan.
"Wow! And… your parents work together?"
She chuckled softly, "No, she's corporate." she smiled taking another bite. "Honestly, these are so good!"
"I have good tastes, Blossom. Better, actually."
"Right, like your moped."
"Is it really that bad?"
"Hey, if you like it."
Blossom's refreshing company was just what he needed. She danced in his thoughts often. Sure, he understood that his little crush on her was the culprit, but even more so, she was worth it. The girl was such a pleasant constant that he'd feared losing her because of his out-of-control feelings. True, it was nice to indulge in the fantasy of being hers, but he was more interested in joining her inner circle.
"Hey, I've been meaning to ask…"
"Yeah?"
"Was studying at home better than school? I'm thinking about stopping classes too. But, well, FOMO. And what about the textbooks…"
Her concerns were valid. As much as he enjoyed stealing glimpses of her, he wanted her mental health protected. Somehow, their school managed to militarize study workshops to maximize the students' grades. Some would argue that they prepared the kids for college, but, at what expense? Pokey Oaks alumnae were notoriously ruthless. Yes, it made ladder-climbing much simpler, but it usually came with an underground dislike.
"Who knew today was the last we'd see you at school?"
She playfully pinched his cheeks, "There's still a year to go… then there's exams."
"And then there's exams." His sulking barely lasted a minute. Just a sip of tea and he was 'Brick' again, "Guess I'll make the most of now. Don't know when next I'll see you." His eyes matched hers, "To… um… study… you know?" he usually wasn't aware of his suggestive nature. Imagine what Boomer would say if… Dammit! Why did that little brat crawl into his head? Everything that boy said was manipulated and twisted truths. Dammit… Blossom was just a crush… Brick hated that he'd been putting so much thought into it!
"My phone works, silly. If you want to study together, you can just text me. It's not like you don't know where I live."
Brick blinked, "But… I don't?"
She pondered, "You do?"
"I'd know if I did, Blossom."
"Wait, really?"
"I have an idea of the area… but Blossom, I'm not going to drive around until I see red curly hair. That sounds jail-worthy!"
"And you won't do well in there," She giggled, "I'll send the location. You should bring along…" Was it bad that he'd been hoping it was just them two?
"I guess that's fine, but… are you sure you're cool with me coming in after school?"
"If you think it's too late then what about during? Or if you skip? If you're up for it, a Saturday, maybe? But text first, please?"
And that's alone, or… "Your parents… they'd be down with that?" He was nervous.
"As long as you don't break anything, it's fine. Trust me."
Silence swiftly followed. She seemed comfortable in it while Brick desperately wanted to continue. He tried to distract himself by guessing the theme of her house or the type of people her parents were, but his mind couldn't help but settle on a disturbing thought; Blossom invited him over without any hesitance.
If it were him, he'd be freaking out. Did she not have the slightest interest in him? Couldn't she see past him being her friend or study buddy? Was it odd that he'd wished she'd reacted differently?
Was it too desperate to want more from her?
"What are you thinking about?"
"It's nothing, really." He lied. What was he supposed to say, 'you'? That was social suicide. He couldn't risk his budding friendship on a premature feeling. Stupid Boomer and his stupid insistence! Blossom was simply a pretty girl who he liked talking to… that was it! Anything else was tosh!
"Well, I have a question," she perked up, "Do you have any other siblings? Like an older brother or something?"
Brick rose his brow, "I'm the oldest and only one sibling... Unless my dad's a rascal, but then we wouldn't know, now, would we?"
She shrugged, "That's true."
Being under Blossom's gaze was both suffocating and mindbogglingly amazing. She seemed to look more beautiful sitting before the setting sky. He made a silent promise that the next time they'd eat out close to sunset, she'd definitely have a window seat so he could properly admire the views.
"What?" he wiped his mouth with a napkin, "Crumbs?"
"No." she admitted, "I got to see Ace's face… but not yours. Were you hurt?" She took care removing his hands to properly inspect his face.
Her studying his features in such a practical way irked him. Had tables been turned, he couldn't have done it. He could barely return her a glance; the thought soured his mood. "He jabbed my arm, but it was nothing."
"Did it get dislocated?" she asked with worry. Her hands hesitated to touch him. He'd let her if she really wanted to. Sometimes it got hard for Brick to compartmentalize his affections into simple categories as crush, intrigue, and friendship. They always felt as though they brimmed to something more.
He scoffed, "I fell down the stairs before, remember? You think a little jab would dislocate my shoulder?"
"Brick, you said it yourself… it was barely three steps. You tripped on a platform."
"Last I checked, more than one is plural. So 'stairs' still hold. It counts!"
"I also remembered you saying something about getting injured on popcorn walls."
"Popcorn walls are worse than stucco, Blossom. Try rubbing your face on it."
"I'm quite fine with my exfoliator, actually. No need for hasty experimentations." She grinned.
He rolled his eyes, "Funny. You got jokes, ay? But I'll say this properly, Ace did NOT hurt me. I stayed home to cool off."
She laughed, "I'm glad for that… Also, I think Miss Keane might have missed you."
"Of course she did! I'm her favourite student."
"We all know that Desmond is."
"Please, did you not hear her cheering me on in class last month."
"That's because you got smart overnight."
He faked offense, "I'm hurt."
"Truth does sometimes."
Spicy. Fun.
"About that… uh, hey, um... So-" It was stupid. He knew it. Because seriously, what was he trying to apologize for? Being lazy? Goofing around? Being a bored teenager? Sitting next to her in class? He needed to abort… it was a terrible idea! "So," His tone quickly changed, "After today, could we do this again?"
"It's that late already?" she rushed to turn her phone face up.
"No, well… no. Not the studying part. After exams, you think we could...?" He knew he'd phrased it poorly and his timing was shit. But whatever. He said what he said. He was comfortable with it.
Blossom flashed him a gentle smile, tilting her head slightly in glee. "You really have to ask that?" she questioned, "We're friends, aren't we?" Her words lacked confidence, almost as if it was a test. Since Brick hesitated a lot when it came to her, she had to be cautious of the obvious walls he'd put up against her. She understood. Or at least, she thought she did. Maybe if she'd been a lot nicer to him at the beginning, she'd get to know the guy her friends enjoyed. But she was fine with the little fragments he'd let her enjoy. It humbled her immensely.
"Yeah."
She smiled, "Good, you have yourself a promise!"
.
Chapter End Notes
Jullienne: Gettin' Twiggy With It- Season 3 Episode 5A (blue eyed brunette)
Juliette: Supper Villain - Season 2 Episode 2B (Originally Julie Smith)
Jennie: Equal Fights - Season 3 Episode 10
Next:
Thinking bout you– Exams are approaching, exams are near, exams have gone. But Brick's mind rather stray on the friendly gesture that could understandably be misinterpreted.