Bolt laid across his bed tired, dirty, and depressed. It has been two weeks since Chrissy dumped him and he still didn't fully understand what happened. One minute he was waiting to use the bathroom and the next Chrissy was crying and yelling at him. Everyone in the group obviously found out and some took sides while most tried to be fair to the both of them. He didn't want this. He wanted to be with Chrissy and not deal with the glares from his friends.
"Found you." Flash said walking over to Bolt who was still in the parking lot of the diner. He was sitting on the curb with dried tears on his face and messed up quills from running his hands through them. "Your Mom is losing her shit because you're not picking up her calls." He told him sitting next to Bolt, but Bolt still didn't say anything and just stared blankly at the asphalt in front of him. "I heard…um, I heard what happened. Are you okay?" Flash asked lamely, cringing because obviously Bolt wasn't fine. Flash's phone rang and he quickly answered it.
"Uh, yeah, Shawn, I found him. We're at the diner and he's not looking too good." Flash spoke into his phone as he stared at his cousin who still hadn't moved. A couple of minutes later, Shawn pulled into the parking lot and got out of his car. He sat down on the curb on Bolt's other side and looked over to Flash who shrugged his shoulders.
"Bolt, you need to come home. Winter is worried sick." Shawn said and Bolt still didn't move. "Look, I know your plan or whatever with Chrissy didn't work out, but that was kind of an asshole move to begin with." He muttered and for the first time since Flash had found him, Bolt moved. In a blink of an eye, Bolt had Shawn pinned to the ground and was glaring at him.
"Bolt! What the hell?" Flash exclaimed, but Shawn didn't look at all phased and even glared back at Bolt.
"What the fuck are you talking about?" Bolt gritted out.
"Look Bolt, we both know. We know you were just stringing Chrissy along for whatever reason. She told us and everything you said." Shawn told him and Bolt looked over at Flash who was shuffling his feet nervously.
"What does she think I said?" Bolt asked looking back at Shawn.
"She doesn't think it, she heard you, asshole. You called her a dweeb and easy for a nerd who wasn't even that pretty. You said you were going to string her along for a couple of more—"
"I didn't say any of that!" Bolt roared in Shawn's face gripping his shirt in both of his hands.
"Chrissy heard you! Stop denying it!" Shawn shouted back shoving Bolt off of him.
"Shawn," Flash said stepping in between them. "He's my cousin and I know him. He's not lying." He told him and Bolt gripped his quills angrily.
"I didn't say that! I would never say that! I don't feel that way at all! I fucking love her!" Bolt shouted before falling his knees and crying angrily. He punched the ground as tears fell from his eyes and let out an angry yell.
"Something's wrong here." Shawn muttered as Flash put his hand on Bolt's shoulder. "I'm going to ask to see the security tape." He told them turning towards the diner.
"Don't bother." Bolt spat. "The damage is done."
While he had Shawn and Flash on his side, practically everybody else was shunning him or wasn't really sure how to act around him. Ivy and Ruby believed him too, but that was just because Flash and Shawn did. There were some like Ginger and Derek who didn't really take sides and tried to be there for the both of them equally. There were also ones like Renegade who didn't particularly get involved with the situation. It didn't matter, Bolt had enough people after his throat.
Bolt slunk into school after missing three days of it. Spark finally had it and forced him to go to school even though Bolt didn't want to leave his room. Bolt made it to his locker and opened it slowly. Suddenly he was thrown against the lockers next to him and saw Shade glaring at him heatedly. Lauren was beside him and Bolt sighed knowing this was coming.
"You have some fucking nerve, Bolt." Lauren sneered and Shade grabbed Bolt by his shirt and banged him against the lockers again.
"I thought you were cool, guess I was wrong." Shade spat looking more disappointed than angry. Lauren pulled her arm back and punched Bolt in the face. Bolt held his cheek and moved his jaw to make sure it wasn't broken.
"You're so lucky my idiot brother is sticking up for you because if he wasn't, your balls would have been mine." Lauren threatened before grabbing onto his shoulders and ramming her knee in between his legs. Bolt collapsed onto the ground in a fetal position and Lauren huffed before turning on her heel and walking away. Shade stared down at Bolt shaking his head before he followed Lauren. Bolt sighed as he pulled himself up into a sitting position and leaned against the lockers. He hung his head down as the hallway cleared with everyone going to their first period. He couldn't bear to see her right now. He heard some footsteps and opened his eyes to see a familiar pair of beat up Nike SB's. He lifted his head and saw Tyler staring down at him and sighed.
"Go ahead. Lauren and Shade got some good hits in." Bolt muttered. Tyler didn't say anything and just sat on the ground next to Bolt.
"I just want to ask you one thing." Tyler said and Bolt looked over at him. "Why?" He asked.
"I didn't say those things, Tyler. I swear on my life I didn't—not willingly at least. One minute I'm waiting for the bathroom and the next Chrissy is yelling at me. I…I don't know." Bolt sighed running his hands through his quills. Tyler didn't say anything and Bolt expected him to start yelling at him for lying because it sounded like bullshit. Bolt knew that much, no matter how true it may be.
"Okay." Tyler nodded once before getting up and leaving.
Bolt sighed as he flopped from his back and onto his stomach. His heart constricted inside his chest as he looked at the picture on his bedside table of him and Chrissy. It had been the last night of Spring Break where everybody had come back from their separate trips and Lauren decided to have a sleepover, thus Shawn getting to invite him, Flash, and Shade over. It was a simple night of friends just hanging out and enjoying their time together without any craziness happening.
"I call a guest room!" Bolt shouted and Flash glared at him. Alana and Izzy had already claimed the other guest rooms leaving only one. Shade was already passed out on the couch in the living room, leaving Flash with the floor of Shawn's room.
"You win this round, Solari." Flash muttered making Bolt laugh. Bolt walked up to his room for the night and showered in the bathroom on that floor. He put on some pajama bottoms, but decided to forgo his shirt since the weather was now warmer than before. He just had to remember to throw one on in the morning. Bolt got into bed and was about to doze off when he heard the door to his room open. He looked up to see Chrissy standing there in a pair of sleep shorts and one of his football shirts. It ended just above her knees and the sleeves were long hiding her hands in the fabric.
"The Romaro Family really knows how to do room service around here." Bolt smirked and Chrissy rolled her eyes. Bolt just snickered before pulling back the covers on the bed for her to join him. She climbed and snuggled into his side as he wrapped his arm around her.
"Hi." She smiled at him.
"Hi." He grinned back. She didn't have her glasses on and in the moonlight, Bolt watched as her blue and hazel eyes twinkled as they stared back at him.
"I couldn't sleep." Chrissy told him.
"The tragedy. We must put a stop to this." Bolt murmured and Chrissy smacked his chest, but laughed anyways.
"Don't you usually sleep in your boxers?" She asked.
"Disappointed?" He smirked and Chrissy rolled her eyes.
"More like relieved." She grinned.
"Ouch. You wound me." Bolt muttered as he clutched his chest dramatically.
"I've been told I'm good for your ego." Chrissy smiled and Bolt leaned over kissing her forehead.
"You're better for me." He told her sincerely. Somewhere in between talking they both nodded off, still wrapped around each other.
"Wake up!" Lauren shouted as she jumped on their bed the next morning.
"Go away." Chrissy groaned pressing her face closer to Bolt's chest. Chrissy was still pressed into Bolt's chest with his arms wrapped around her tightly.
"Fine, but you're missing out on my chocolate chip waffles." Lauren huffed.
"That's a good thing." Bolt murmured making Chrissy laugh. Bolt smiled as he looked down at her, but soon both of them looked up at Lauren when they heard the shutter of a camera shutter go off. Lauren was standing above them with her phone in her hands and shrugged a shoulder.
"It was a cute moment." Lauren grinned.
Chrissy had both her hands on Bolt's chest and her head tossed back as she laughed. Her hair was splayed out behind her and on top of her on the white sheets. Bolt was staring down at her with a bright smile on his face and his eyes crinkled on the side as he looked down at her with love—even if he didn't know it at the time. Every time Bolt saw that picture it made his heart swell, but now it just makes it crumble inside his chest.
"Hey man," Flash said as he entered the disaster that was Bolt's room. Clothes, papers, and junk was thrown all around that it even grossed Flash out—which was saying something because Flash's room was a pigsty in its own right. "Today's Hydro's birthday party." Flash told him and Bolt snorted.
"Like anyone wants me there." Bolt muttered.
"C'mon man, it's my brother—your cousin. You should be there." Flash said and Bolt rolled his eyes.
"And have Lauren rip me a new one? No thanks." He murmured.
"Your parents are going and it's a big family thing. You're family." Flash told him sitting on the only clean chair in his room.
"Am I?" Bolt whispered softly, but Flash heard him.
"You are and you're stupider than I thought if you think for one second that you're not." Flash scowled.
"No one talks to me anymore besides you and Shawn. I would just makes things worse by going." Bolt sighed.
"Bolt, we want you there. Things are just sensitive right now. But that doesn't mean you have to ditch out on family stuff." Flash told him and Bolt frowned.
"She's going to be there." He commented.
"Yeah, and you'll ignore each other like you have been for the past two weeks at school." Flash told him bluntly and it killed Bolt to hear that—even though it was true. Chrissy wouldn't even look his way during class and would always practically sprint out of class when the bell rang. He just wanted to talk to her, but it was clear that she wanted nothing to do with him. "Just, c'mon. Maybe it'll take your mind off things if you have some good food in your stomach." Flash was practically pleading with him at this point. He didn't like seeing his usually cocky and snarky cousin depressed.
"Fine." Bolt sighed. Tyler was pacing Julian's room as Julian, Serenity, Conner, Izzy, and Liecy all looked at the footage.
"This doesn't make any sense. What happened while Bolt was talking to this guy?" Serenity muttered as she watched Bolt talk to Cheka on the security footage from the diner. After hearing Bolt's desperation and just general loss at the situation, Tyler knew that something was amiss. He talked to Shawn and he had mentioned something about checking the security footage from the diner, but never getting around to it. Tyler decided to take matters into his own hands.
"Is he someone on the football team?" Liecy asked.
"I've never seen this kid around before." Julian said shaking his head. "And I rarely see Bolt hang out with anyone outside of our group. Even before Chrissy, he was always around Flash and Shawn. Maybe Lazarus or Shade, but I've never seen him with this guy." He explained.
"Whatever happened to Bolt has got to do with this guy. I have a gut feeling about this." Tyler told them moving to look at the screen.
"Are we sure that Bolt's not an asshole?" Conner asked and everybody turned to glare at him. "I'm not trying to rule out possibilities here people." He said holding his hands up in surrender.
"You didn't talk to the dude, he was pretty broken up about it. If he was an asshole out there to break my sister's heart, believe me, I'd be the first person to do something about it." Tyler said and Conner just nodded before taking a step away from Tyler, slightly afraid.
"What's everybody doing here?" Everybody turned to see Renegade standing in the doorway looking at everybody around Julian's desk confused.
"Oh yeah. I forgot that you were coming over." Julian muttered and Renegade rolled his eyes.
"What's everyone looking at?" Renegade asked walking into the room.
"This security footage from the diner. I just don't buy that Bolt would say those things about Chrissy." Tyler explained and Renegade turned to look at the screen. He scowled when he saw Cheka in the video talking to Bolt. Just what the fuck was he doing?
"Bolt wouldn't say those things." Renegade said and everyone looked at him confused. "That guy," He said pointing at Cheka. "Has illusionary powers. He can make anyone see what he wants, do what he wants, and say what he wants." He explained and Izzy looked at him confused.
"How do you know him?" She asked.
"He goes to our school." Renegade shrugged.
"So he made Bolt say all those things so Chrissy could hear." Liecy said and Serenity crossed her arms.
"Why though?" Serenity wondered.
"I'm willing to bet it has to do with that group Cassandra has going. They're always fucking with us." Conner muttered and Serenity scowled.
"This time she went too far." Serenity said.
"We need to find this guy." Julian said pointing to the screen.
"Leave it to me." Renegade said turning his back on everybody to leave the room.
"I thought you didn't want to be involved?" Izzy called out.
"I'm making an exception." Renegade said as he left.
Outside the Prower House, Lauren was standing there and she sighed heavily. She marched her way into the house and upstairs before throwing Chrissy's door wide open. Chrissy was still in her pajamas—despite it being nearly three in the afternoon—and her hair was a rat's nest. Her usually tidy room was a mess with papers, clothes, and books all around the floor.
"Get up. We're going to Hydro's birthday." Lauren ordered as she started to pick up the clothes on her floor.
"I'm not going." Chrissy murmured as she pulled her laptop closer—that was currently streaming some documentary—to her and buried herself into her bed more.
"Yes you are!" Lauren shouted dumping all her dirty clothes in her hamper.
"No, I'm not, Lauren. Just leave me alone." Chrissy gritted out angrily.
"Chrissy, you're my best friend and this is my boyfriend's birthday party. I really want you to be there." Lauren said softly.
"Shade will be there." Chrissy muttered.
"Chrissy! I'm tired of you being all sad over that asshole! You need to get out and spend time with your friends!" Lauren shouted and Chrissy huffed.
"Get out, Lauren! I said no!" Chrissy shouted back and Lauren, who looked extremely hurt, left with a huff. Chrissy sighed before covering herself with her blanket and going back to absentmindedly watching the documentary.
If she were being honest with herself, these last few weeks sucked. Chrissy hated all the rumors circling around about her at school, she didn't like feeling tense in all her classes because Bolt was there, she hated him for the things he said, and she hated the fact that she still wanted to be with him despite everything. She felt like she was being pulled in so many different directions because of her heart and brain. A part of her wanted to say "fuck him" and move on because he was an idiot. A part of her wants to run back into his arms and just be with him again. Another part of her doesn't quite believe what he said about her was true because it didn't add up and it was just very out of character for him. While the other part said she never really knew him. She just wished she could have stayed in that bubble of being in love a little longer.
Elsewhere, Renegade was waiting in an alley near the warehouse that Cassandra was using. The idiots didn't even pick a place where they could be inconspicuous. A warehouse is so cliché for a bad guy hideout. Renegade saw Cheka leave the warehouse and followed him with his eyes as he walked down the street. Renegade soon saw him approaching the alley he was standing in and grabbed him.
"Pinche, Renegade! You scared the shit out of me!" Cheka exclaimed and Renegade just glared at him.
"What's with you messing with Bolt and Chrissy's relationship?" He asked and Cheka sighed.
"I'm undercover, remember? Cassandra asked me to do that and I had to follow if I wanted to stay undercover. Frankly, there was a lot of other shit she could have asked me to do." Cheka explained and Renegade sighed heavily.
"You know you totally destroyed their relationship, right?" Renegade asked.
"Look, I feel terrible, really, but I'm following orders unlike some people," Cheka said and Renegade glared at him. "Some collateral damage was bound to happen." He sighed.
"I'm taking you so you can explain everything." Renegade said.
"Jódete Renegade! I'm not revealing myself to your friends." Cheka scowled and Renegade rolled his eyes.
"Look, we'll act like I beat you up or something and dragged you there to tell the truth. You don't have to renounce your precious undercover status." Renegade muttered and Cheka frowned.
"I'm telling Arianna about this." Cheka mumbled.
"Let's just go." Renegade said as they walked out of the alley with Cheka cursing under his breath in Spanish. The ruffled up Cheka's clothes a bit on the way there and Renegade proceeded to drag him into Julian's house while Cheka faked unconsciousness.
"Found him." Renegade announced before dumping Cheka onto the floor.
"You just beat up this guy and brought him here?" Ginger asked surprised while Renegade shrugged. Julian lifted Cheka up and Cheka fought hard not to wince when Julian threw him into a chair. He pretended to wake up groggily before looking around and seeing the small group of seniors standing in front of him.
"Uh hey," Cheka grinned sheepishly and Tyler moved to stand in front of him.
"You're the one that made Bolt say all that vile shit in front of Chrissy?" Tyler asked and Cheka gulped looking into the angry eyes of a usually calm person.
"Cassandra told me to do it!" Cheka blurted out playing his role as a captive convincingly.
"I knew it!" Conner exclaimed.
"You're coming with me." Tyler said grabbing Cheka by his shirt and dragging him out of Julian's house.
"Where are you taking him?" Liecy called out.
"To Chrissy. So she can hear for herself that this whole thing was bullshit." Tyler said before stuffing Cheka into his rarely used car and driving back to his house. Cheka just sat for the ride not really making conversation with Tyler, but did observe how similar to Isaac he was. They sure do know how to pick them. They soon arrived at The Prower House and Tyler used his powers and lifted Cheka out of his car. He kept Cheka floating behind him and Cheka had to admit, the ride was enjoyable.
"Hey Squirt," Tyler spoke softly as he opened the door to Chrissy's room slowly.
"What do you want, Tyler?" Chrissy grumbled.
"I want you to meet someone." Tyler said dumping Cheka onto her bedroom floor. Chrissy looked at Cheka and recognized him as the guy that Bolt was talking to when they were in the diner. "He has illusionary powers and made Bolt say all those things about you." Tyler explained and Chrissy stared at her brother wide-eyed.
"What?" Chrissy gasped jumping out of her bed.
"Yeah, yeah, it's true, okay? Cassandra wanted me to break the two of you up so I made the sorry sap say some bad shit about you. Can I leave now?" Cheka grumbled and Tyler just glared at him.
"You mean Bolt didn't say those things?" Chrissy stuttered.
"For the love of—didn't you hear what I just said?" Cheka exclaimed and Tyler lifted him off the ground before slamming him into the wall. "Ouch." Cheka murmured.
"So, does that clear some things up for you?" Tyler asked and Chrissy just sat back on her bed shocked and confused. "Um, I'm just going to take this guy away." He said noticing Chrissy's distress. Tyler dragged Cheka out of her room and Chrissy sighed.
She was relieved to hear that it wasn't really Bolt saying those things about her, but still…she felt a painful burn in her chest when she thought about those things. One that clenched her heart and caused tears to well up in her eyes. If she were honest to herself, she knew that it wasn't Bolt saying those things that hurt…because she was already saying that all to herself. Maybe not the stuff about being easy, but everything else. She was always just the nerd. Friends with popular people, but never quite popular herself.
When she started dating Bolt, she couldn't really get it through her head that he would be interested in her. He was him and she was…well her. They don't really make sense together, but she had always told herself that with him it did make sense. But even now, no matter how happy she is to hear Bolt doesn't think of her like that and they could be together again, she knew that she wouldn't be getting over these insecurities anytime soon. Sure now it was a weirdo brainwashing him, but what's next? A girl who says she's better? Bolt winning Prom King while she's stuck in the shadows? They're different. Maybe too different.
Chrissy sighed before grabbing a towel and heading into her bathroom. She was going to Hydro's party and she was going to talk to Bolt.
Bolt leaned against the fence of the Storm's backyard watching as everyone laughed and had fun waiting for Hydro to show up. As soon as Hydro showed up and he wished him a happy birthday, Bolt was out of here. There's only so much he could put up with Lauren's death glares. He didn't see Chrissy here and he wasn't sure if he felt relieved or disappointed by that. He was leaning closer to disappointment.
"He's coming! He's coming!" Midnight announced as she ran into the backyard. Soon enough Hydro walked out with Static behind him and everybody yelled out surprise while Hydro put on a dramatic performance of him being surprised.
"O-Oh my God! I'm just so surprised! I didn't see this coming at all!" Hydro gasped with a hand on his chest and Lauren frowned.
"Who told you?" She asked and he smirked.
"Roddy." He said and everybody glared at Roddy.
"Next time don't make me the guy who's supposed to stall him!" Roddy exclaimed. Bolt shook his head with a small smile on his face before pushing himself off of the fence. He started to make his way over to talk to Hydro, but he froze in his steps when he saw Chrissy looking right at him. She smiled tightly before offering him a small wave and he looked behind himself to make sure it was indeed him she was looking at. Chrissy laughed softly before walking over to him. She was wearing the new glasses Lauren had gotten her, they were the black rimmed, wayfarer glasses that hipsters seemed to always wear, but on Chrissy they looked good. Her hair was pulled up into a ponytail and she was wearing jeans and a flannel over a white t-shirt.
"Hi," Chrissy said once she was close to Bolt.
"Chrissy, I—I'm so—"
"Stop," Chrissy interrupted lifting her hand up. "Tyler found out that the guy you were talking to had illusionary powers and was put to the task of breaking us up by Cassandra." She explained and Bolt scowled angrily.
"That little—"
"Bolt, it happened. We'll deal with her sooner or later." Chrissy said and Bolt sighed.
"I was killing myself over here, Chrissy. I didn't know what happened and Shawn told me what I said and I just couldn't stand it. I would never say those things to you. They're not even true!" Bolt told her and Chrissy smiled sadly.
"I sometimes think they are." Chrissy admittedly softly.
"Chrissy…how—they're not!" Bolt told her earnestly.
"I…I'm trying to tell myself they're not. But Bolt, you have to know that during our relationship I thought it was wrong for you to be with me. You were this athletic, smart hot guy and I was a nerdy, stuck-up girl. We didn't belong together and it never made sense why we did." Chrissy explained and Bolt put his hands on her face.
"No Chrissy! It always made sense to me why we were together. I love everything about you and everything you are to me. You make me a better person and I want to be that person. Who cares what everyone else thinks? You're not a nerd and I'm not some jock. We are more than that." Bolt said while tears Chrissy trailed down Chrissy's cheeks.
"I want to believe you so badly, Bolt. But I can't help but let these insecurities eat me up and doubt our relationship. You don't deserve to be with someone who can't even love herself." Chrissy told him sadly and it broke Bolt's heart to see her struggling with to accept all the things he loved about her as truth.
"What do you want me to do, Chrissy?" Bolt asked softly as Chrissy put her hand over one of his.
"I want you to be my friend right now, Bolt. Just…while I figure things out." She told him and while it killed Bolt to hear her not want to get back together, he could tolerate being friends with her.
"Best friends right?" Bolt grinned and Chrissy laughed softly.
"The best." She promised and he hugged her tightly while she buried her face into his chest.
"I don't want to alarm you, but everyone is totally staring at us." Bolt whispered to Chrissy making her laugh and look up at everyone who was indeed staring at them with a mix of emotions.
"Guess we did make quite a scene." Chrissy muttered.
"I've always been a fan of the theater." Bolt smirked and Chrissy smacked his chest making him laugh. They were going to be okay.