50 Things I Hate About You

I Hate Your Attitude In General

I had just wandered into the kitchen for breakfast when I spotted Olivia a sobbing mess at the end of the table. Though I knew that Mom was nearby, she wasn't anywhere in sight and I felt as though slipping by her without a word wouldn't only be disrespectful, but I couldn't find it in my heart to not comfort her.

"Olivia?" I whispered, touching my hand flat against the table a few feet away from her. "Are you alright?"

When she looked up, I saw so much of Onyx in her that it was startling. Her blue eyes were rimmed in red and puffy from excessive crying, her cheeks blotchy and red, stained with tears. My first instinct was to ask what Onyx had done, but I bit down hard on my tongue to keep it from slipping passed as she reached across the table and rested her hand on top of mine.

"Yes, honey. Everything is fine."

My mom took that moment to walk back into the kitchen with a couple manila folders. Her eyes drifted passed me and to her friend, then went to me and she jerked her chin toward the front door. "You better get going before you're late."

I couldn't help but feel as though there was something both women were keeping from me, but I knew better than to try and pry. I leaned forward to give Olivia a quick side hug, kissed my mom's cheek, and grabbed an apple from the fruit basket before heading for the door. "Bye guys! Love you!"

The moment I stepped outside on to my porch, the feigned peppiness dissipated and my eyes shot across my yard to see if the perpetrator was still here. He was and was sitting on his porch steps, rubbing his hands down his face. My head told me to keep moving forward, down my driveway to my mom's car, but my heart had me veering off toward the Hayes front yard. Onyx had heard me approach and lifted his head up, and all but rolled his eyes when he saw me.

"Go away, Sky."

He was crying. Onyx freaking Hayes was crying on his porch. The boy I had thought was incapable of having any human emotions outside of vanity and narcissism was as an emotional, blubbering, red faced mess.

"What happened?" I asked before I could stop myself.

He wiped at his cheeks with the collar of his shirt in an attempt to dry the tears. "None of your business."

"Onyx—" I started.

"Look, I don't want to talk about it, okay?" he snapped, blue eyes icing over. "Just go."

"Whatever." I shrugged a shoulder and started to walk away.

I heard the thudding of his footsteps against the concrete descent into the grass until he caught my arm and forced me to turn and look at him. Being so close, I could see just how shitty he looked. Dark circles and heavy bags were under his red, swollen eyes. He looked as if he hadn't slept in days.

I expected him to bark out some cruel or sarcastic remark, or possibly even make a dig at me as he usually did. What he did was the last thing I thought he'd ever do; Onyx hugged me.

It was a little awkward at first, as if he'd never had the opportunity to learn how to show physical affection, but once he had me against the warmth of his chest, it became more relaxed. Knowing better than to stand stiff, I set my backpack on the damp lawn and wrapped my arms around him. I was thankful that Angie and Mikey were likely already at school and weren't here to witness this moment. It quite literally contradicted every single thing on that list.

"Thank you." he whispered, pulling away, and as if he felt the need to clarify what he was showing gratitude for, he added, "For caring, I mean. I appreciate it."