Tyde - Friend for hire

Chapter 4

Tolkien sits up in his chair. "You... Did you just call me a stubborn brat?"

Clyde sinks down. "Uh... yes... Only because you are!"

The corners of Tolkien's mouth morph up into a slight smile. "No one who has tried to befriend me has ever insulted me to my face."

"Really? I rip on my friends all the time."

"Maybe you're an okay guy. Here's my number."

Tolkien slides a scrap of paper with his phone number on it over to Clyde. After that, he finishes up his coffee in two big gulps and leaves the cafe.

Clyde takes the paper. He already had Tolkien's number from Linda but he didn't want Tolkien to know that.

As soon as he gets back to his dorm he sends two texts. 

Clyde: Hey Linda, met up with Tolkien. Looks like things should work out.

and

Clyde: Hey Lamppost, This is Clyde

He puts his phone on a charger and works on his homework. As always, he half-asses it so that he can get it over with as soon as possible.

Clyde stretches his arms over his head and lies on his bed. He almost falls asleep when his phone buzzes next to him.

Tolkien: Lamppost?

Clyde: Yes

Tolkien: Why?

Clyde: When I first bumped into you I thought I had run into a lamppost. So, that's what you are!

Tolkien: Do not call me that in public.

Clyde: No promises, Lamppost.

Tolkien: I'm going to block you.

Clyde: I was joking! I won't call you that in front of people. Though, you are ridiculously tall. Do you play basketball?

Tolkien: No

Clyde: Then what do you do?

Tolkien: Other stuff.

Clyde: Like..?

Clyde: Hello?

Clyde: Brat.

Clyde smiles to himself. "He isn't as difficult to talk to as I thought he would. I just kinda assumed he would be a pain since his parents are paying people to hang out with him."

That's when the realization hits him: How many other people are being paid to hang out with him?

Clyde has always been the competitive type, he wants to be the best friend candidate Tolkien has. 

"Maybe if I do super good I'll get a raise." He giggles to himself at the thought of more money. He was definitely the type whose cooperation could be bought for the right price for almost anything.

-

5 days pass after their first hangout. Clyde only had to do it once a week so he hadn't been too stressed about it. Time was starting to catch up with him. The procrastinator in him told him he still had a couple of days to figure it out.

It's a Tuesday morning when Clyde sleeps through 4 alarms and ends up being 30 minutes late for class.

He stumbles into his ethics lecture and is faced with the whole class staring at him for disrupting. His eyes meet Tolkiens and he smiles and waves. This is met with a long eye roll from Tolkien as Clyde takes his seat in the front of the class.