GOOD HEART, BAD TEMPER - keene, robby

twelve

"You don't love me back?" Hawk questioned.

"Well, I—" Rory didn't know what to say. "I really really like you."

"But you don't love me?" he asked.

"Look, Hawk. We've only been dating for a bit—"

"We've known each other for 6 years." he cuts her off.

"No, I've known Eli for 6 years. You're this different person." Rory explains.

"I'm still me." Hawk says.

"Are you? Because you dropped out of robotics class, you don't talk to Demetri as much, you get angry if he brings up anything about you being a nerd, you literally cheated on me. Eli would've never done that." she says.

"Oh, my God! I apologized! If you were still angry with me for cheating then why'd you get back with me?" Hawk questions.

"Because I still had feelings for you and believed you when you said you wouldn't hurt me like that again, but maybe that was a mistake." Rory turns to walk away, but Hawk grabs her.

"Rory, it wasn't a mistake. I'm not going to hurt you again. If you don't love me, ok, but I still love you. I have loved you since we were 9. If you don't feel the same, then fine, but I will always feel like this." he tells her.

Rory sighs as she looks up at him. "I love you is a big thing for me, ok? I've never loved anyone before, and I don't want to love the wrong person, or say it when I don't mean it. I don't even know what love feels like."

"What about your dad?" Hawk asks.

"I don't love him." she says immediately. "I told you... he's not a good person."

"Okay." Hawk puts his arm around and kisses the top of her head.

|

"What do you think? Shithead one and shithead two." Hawk says.

"I think you aren't very creative." Rory says.

"I was thinking more Mary-Kate and Asshat." Aisha tells the group.

"Now that's creative." Rory laughs.

"Well, I'm Chris—"

"Did I say you could speak?" Hawk yells.

"Guys, look, they're just messing with you." Miguel walks up. "Besides everyone knows your names are Assface and Douchebag."

"Dibs on Assface." one guy says.

Rory hummed. "I liked douchebag more."

"Wait, no. I want douchebag." he quickly says.

"Too late." Chris told him before smiling at the girl.

Rory smiled back before looking up at Hawk who had already slid his arm around the girl's waist.

Chris' smile quickly dropped as Hawk continued to stare at him until their attention went to the sound of the doorbell ringing.

"Jesus Christ." the man muttered as he looked the students up and down.

"Who's that?" Hawk asked.

"I don't know." Miguel said before him and Rory walked off.

"Hey, uh, can we help you sir?" Miguel asked.

He looked the teens up and down before speaking, "No. But maybe I can help you."

"Hey." Johnny walked out.

"Uh, Sensei..." Rory turned around.

"Let's just—" Miguel grabbed her hand and they backed away.