The Bad Boy | Butchy X OC

4

❀︎𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐨❀︎

I sat with my back to the crackling fire, gazing out at the vast expanse of the ocean, its dark waters shimmering under the moonlight. The sound of the waves crashing against the shore was a comforting background melody as I waited for my friends to join me.

"Butchy, it's cold. Give me your jacket," CheeChee's voice cut through the night air, breaking me out of my reverie. I turned my head in their direction, amused by the familiar banter.

Butchy snapped his fingers, and before I could register what was happening, Lugnut was handing his jacket over to CheeChee instead. I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

Returning my attention to the flickering flames in front of me, I found myself eavesdropping on Lela, Brady, and Mack's conversation for a while, their voices blending together in a comforting hum. But as their chatter continued, I found myself tuning them out.

I became aware of CheeChee and Struts' hushed giggles nearby. Their voices carried over to me, laced with amusement and mischief.

"Look at Cleo, all alone by the fire," CheeChee whispered, her tone teasing. "Maybe she's waiting for her imaginary boyfriend to show up."

Struts joined in, his laughter echoing hers. "Yeah, poor Cleo. Must be tough being the only one without a date."

Their words stung, piercing through the tranquility of the night. I felt a flush of embarrassment rise to my cheeks, but I refused to let their mockery get to me.

As CheeChee and Struts continued their mocking whispers, Butchy emitted a low snort of amusement, catching my attention. "She ain't the only one," he remarked with a smirk, glancing towards CheeChee and Struts.

CheeChee's eyes widened in surprise, while Struts' expression faltered momentarily before regaining his composure. "What's that supposed to mean?" CheeChee retorted, a hint of defensiveness in her tone.

Butchy shrugged casually, his smirk widening. "Just saying, Cleo's not the only lady flying solo tonight," he replied cryptically.

CheeChee and Struts exchanged uncertain glances, their teasing banter momentarily silenced by Butchy's remark. Unsure how to respond, they fell into an uneasy silence, allowing the peaceful sounds of the night to fill the air once more.

"I'm getting outta here. It's way too cold now," Lugnut complained, rubbing his arms for warmth.

"We'll join you," Struts chimed in, seizing CheeChee's arm. "You coming, Butch?"

Butchy shook his head. "No, I'll wait for Lela," he replied.

As Lugnut, Struts, and CheeChee departed, I couldn't shake the feeling of eyes burning into the back of my head. With a sigh, I turned to face Butchy, who indeed seemed to be staring at me.

"It's rude to stare, you know," I quipped, meeting his gaze head-on.

"It's also rude to eavesdrop, but you do it anyways," Butchy retorted, a playful glint in his eye. I bit my lip, momentarily caught off guard by his quick comeback, before turning back to the water.

Scanning our surroundings, Butchy settled down beside me. "You know, I really thought your boyfriend was gonna beat me up back there," he remarked casually.

Furrowing my brow in confusion, I asked, "What boyfriend?"

Butchy scoffed, gesturing to his head. "You know, the curly one," he replied, prompting a laugh from me. "Seacat?" I clarified, and Butchy nodded. "He's not my boyfriend. He's my friend, he's like a brother to me."

Butchy nodded in understanding. "He's real protective, isn't he?"

"Aren't all brothers? He's just trying to look out for me," I explained, absently tracing circles in the sand.

Butchy frowned slightly. "Does he not trust me?" he asked.

"Of course he doesn't. Did you forget that we are literally in the middle of a surf and turf war?" I reminded him, mimicking his voice.

Butchy clicked his tongue in acknowledgement just as we heard footsteps approaching, accompanied by the faint strains of music. Groaning in exasperation, I muttered, "Oh gosh," before darting off towards the sound, with Butchy following close behind. "Ugh, another song, really?" I groaned as I peeked around a surfboard, the unexpected melody signaling the start of yet another unexpected twist in our evening.

As the music filled the air and the others continued singing and dancing, Butchy reached out to grab my hand, a playful glint in his eye. I instinctively yanked it back, laughing at his persistence. Butchy rolled his eyes, undeterred.

"Come on, quit playing hard to get," he urged, holding his hand out to me. After a moment of hesitation, I reluctantly grabbed it. Meanwhile, Brady, Mack, Lela, and Tanner carried on with their lively performance.

As the song continued, I couldn't help but laugh as I playfully pushed Butchy into the sand. Offering him a hand, he unexpectedly pulled me down beside him, and we both erupted into laughter, our eyes meeting in a moment of shared amusement. Chuckling, I helped Butchy up, and he grabbed my hand as the song slowly came to an end. Sensing the moment winding down, I reluctantly admitted, "Uh, I should probably get going."

Butchy nodded in understanding. "See ya, Cleo," he waved before turning to leave. Feeling a pang of disappointment, I turned on my heels and began to head home.

Just as I started to walk away, I heard Lela's voice calling out to me. I turned to see her dragging Mack towards me, excitement written all over her face. "Cleo! I'm having a sleepover tonight, you should totally come!" she exclaimed.

I hesitated, unsure if I would be welcome among the other girls. "Uh, I don't know, Lela. I don't think the other girls would like having me around," I confessed.

Lela scoffed, dismissing my concerns. "Oh, come on, they'll love you. And it's the least I can do, you did pay for everyone's sodas... after you broke them," she teased.

I shrugged, unable to resist Lela's infectious enthusiasm. "Okay, fine, I'll come," I relented. Lela squealed with delight and dragged me and Mack back to her house, the promise of a fun-filled sleepover outweighing any lingering doubts I may have had.