"Alex, we're leaving now." My mom came in my room. I was still just laying down and thinking.
"Okay, see you tomorrow?" I asked, just making sure.
"Well, we were going to come late in the afternoon, but your dad wants to be able to work in a smooth pace so we'll be gone until the day after."
"Oh. Is everything alright?"
"It should be fine. Don't worry." She smiled reassuring.
"Alright then. See you."
"See you! Love you. Oh and here." She reached into her pocket and got some money, placing it on my dresser.
I waited and listened for the front door to close to leave my room. I grabbed my bookbag, grabbed some dinner that was left for me in the kitchen and went to the couch. I turned on the t.v., putting the volume on low while opening my notebook. Might as well try and get some homework done.
I woke up to the sound of knocking. I hadn't known when I went to sleep, but my notebook was still open, sprawled on top of my body. I looked at my phone to see it was 12:34 am. I wiped the sleep from my eyes and lazily made my way to the door. I forgot my bat, but was feeling too lethargic to fix it.
Who the hell could it be? I opened the door, getting ready to b!tch at whoever was there. My eyes had gotten terribly wide when I saw the sight before me. It was Clyde. However, it wasn't just plain ol' Clyde. He was crazy bloody and bruised up. He looked close to death judging from how he looked from the 2 previous times he had gotten beat up.
"Oh my goodness!" I couldn't help yell out grabbing my heart. "Come here!" I made room for him to enter. He was breathing hard and didn't say a word. I closed the door, locking it, and made my way quickly to the bathroom holding his wrist.
He sat on the toilet as I brought out the cloths. I wet them a bit and turned around. In the lighting, I could see the full extent of his injuries. His right eye was closing with a bruise, and that same cheek was purpling. There was blood around his nose and his lip was busted.
He grabbed the bottom of his shirt and started lifting it but stopped half way groaning in pain.
"Wait, let me help you." I tried removing it but he wouldn't lift his arms more. I grabbed his left arm and started to raise it.
"Ouch, stop!" He yelled, and I dropped him.
"I'll get some scissors." I ran out to grab some scissors in my room. I made my way back and cut it off of him. There were bruises all over and some blood. He looked absolutely terrible.
"Is it really bad?" His voice was hoarse. I wasn't really sure how bad it was. I'm not a doctor.
"I don't think you'll die." I said honestly after closer inspection. I started to gently wipe the blood from his face. The cloth got bloody quickly and was starting to just spread blood around.
"Can I take a shower?" He asked realizing the dilemma.
"That's a great idea. Will you be able to do it?" I asked getting up and throwing out the cloth.
"Yeah why wouldn't I?"
"Oh, I just asked because you couldn't lift your arms." He tried lifting his hands to his face, but failed halfway.
"You're right." He groaned in more pain.
I didn't like what I was about to propose, but I had to do something. But I still didn't really want to suggest it. "You sure I can't call an ambulance?"
"No." He gave me no time take a breath.
"Alright. How about we take off your pants, leaving your underwear on, and I help wash you off?" My face reddened without my permission.
"Okay." He started to unbutton his pants and my face was probably becoming a tomato even though my skin was tan. I decided to start taking off his shoes to shield my face. I removed them and his socks and got up to turn on the shower. "Can you help me up?" He asked and I did. He made groans, but there wasn't much I could do.
I started the shower while he configured his pants. He sat back down and took them the rest of the way off. His boxers were solid red with a black band. And I couldn't help be glad about his underwear choice. They weren't tight around his area, which would have been incredibly awkward. I helped him up and into the shower.
He was nearly naked and I was feeling so awkward. The water poured down on him while I stood on the outside. I grabbed my other cloth and started to wipe his face. He was staring at me again.
"Why is your face so red?" He asked me after a little while. Why must he ask such questions?
"Well this is kind of awkward." I said looking away.
"Do you know the best way to calm nerves in an awkward situation?" He asked and I looked back into his eyes. I shook my head no, ready to hear what the solution was.
He moved forward, and before I knew it, his arms were wrapped around my waist and he brought me into the shower, clothes and all. He groaned in pain again. "That really hurt." He laughed but his arms were still wrapped around me and I was freaking out, not sure what to say. "It's to get used to the situation." He said in my ear.
I finally pushed him away and wiped the water from my face.
"Ouch." He said.
"What the hell!" I yelled and got out of the shower. I felt butterflies in my stomach and it didn't help calm my nerves at all. "I'm going to get you some clothes." I looked away and walked out. I went into my parents room and stood there for a bit. I needed a moment to cool off. I was feeling abnormally hot, despite being in the water, and my mind was racing fast. When he had pulled me into the shower, I felt his...junk...on my lower stomach.
I placed my face in my hands. I need to calm down. It was just so weird, and I was feeling weird. I grabbed some clothes quick and went to the bathroom. I knocked on the door before opening. He was out and had a towel wrapped around his waist. "Here." I placed the clothes on the sink. "Just come to my room when you're done." I said and walked out.
I went into my room turning on the light and I grabbed an extra blanket in my closet and placed it with the pillow on the ground. I changed out of my wet clothes quickly and made sure to be comfortably covered, and plopped onto my place on the ground. Clyde walked in not long after that, shirtless, with the shirt in his hand.
"Why didn't you put that on?" I asked keeping my eyes on his face. Even with his bruises his body had mine reacting.
"I can't lift my arms, remember?" He tossed it at me hitting me square in the face.
"Oh." I felt a bit stupid, removing it. "Well you can sleep on my bed, and I'll sleep here, just in case you need to get up and your muscles are still too sore to move." I got up to help him in bed.
"I don't want to kick you out of your bed." He said as I sat him down.
"It's fine. I don't mind it." I yawned. It was past 2 in the morning. "I think it will be best if we both miss school tomorrow." He looked terrible, and since he came here, I assumed I was to be his care taker.
"Alright." He moved into the sheets with some grunts here and there. "Your parents won't mind?" He said when he was comfortable.
"No. I'll just tell them I wasn't feeling well." I got up to get the light. When I got to the switch an idea popped into me head. "So you woke me up in the middle of the night, made me take care of you all by myself, put me into the shower, and even stole my bed." He was looking at me with a smirk on his face, apparently happy at the trouble he's cost me. The comforter was only up to his waist and his hands were crossed over his chest. And damn did he look good. I never denied this boy was good looking, but I was trying to deny the effect it had on me. "You owe me."
"Well I guess you do deserve something for your troubles." He looked even more tired than I felt. "What do you want?" He yawned now.
"I want to know why you've been getting beat up." I bit my bottom lip nervously, remembering how the reaction to this request had gone before.
He rolled his eyes. "Why?"
"Because I'm caring for you! I can't call an ambulance, and so the least you can do is tell me why you're in my care." I was exasperated and tired, and I just wanted to know this one thing. I didn't want him to say no.
"Fine." He said after some time.
"Really?" I smiled.
"But you have to wait till tomorrow." His smirk was back, and I immediately frowned. "No exceptions. I'm tired." He had a point.
"Ugh, fine." I shut off the light and made my way to my spot.
"Alex?" He called me in the dark.
"Yeah?"
"If it's not too much to ask, can you pull up the sheet for me?"
I rolled my eyes in the dark smiling. "Okay." I pulled the sheet up to his neck. "There you go."
While turning around he grabbed my hand turning me back. "Thank you Alex." His gratitude was genuine and I couldn't help smile. I'm glad he couldn't see how cheesy I was being.
"Your welcome." I squeezed his hand and he let go. Even with all in my mind, as soon as I hit the floor exhaustion took over and I fell fast asleep.
I woke up around 11 am, and looked over to find Clyde still fast asleep. I walked over to wake him up but paused. His sleeping face was so peaceful, he still had his dead face but you could tell he was at peace.
Hi eye had gotten worse, the bruise on his cheek and lip darker, and the cuts were visible, but even with that he was stunning. Not stunning like I wanted him. I didn't.
"Enjoying the view?" Clyde startled me, causing me to jump backwards having been caught. He opened one eye to look at me and his smirk appeared. Those damn dimples.
"You're up." I said more to myself than him.
"Yup." He shifted a bit and groaned loudly. "Sh!t that hurts. More than yesterday." He said sounding surprised.
"Yeah, that usually happens when the adrenaline wears off." I pointed out the obvious. "Let me help you up." I was glad to avoid him saying anything about me staring. Dodged a bullet.
I removed the sheets and pulled on his hands. "Owww!" He went back down and I released his hands. "Let's not do that again. Can I just stay here?"
"No, you have to get up." This time I grabbed him behind his shoulders and tried again. His face was scrunched up and I managed to get him in a sitting position.
"Please, no more." He pleaded and looked so adorable. He was never in this much distress and I found it funny, refreshing because it was a new emotion, but funny nonetheless. Also because he looked like he got hit by a bus.
"Fine. Be a bed bum." I chuckled at the alliteration.
"Make me breakfast."
"What does this look like? If you want breakfast you have to get up." I walked over to the door slowly, enjoying this.
"Alex!" He called out in desperation, "Don't do this! You're too nice to do this." I almost laughed, remembering the time I almost just left him to sleep uncomfortably on the floor when he passed out.
"Fine." I walked out without turning around. I assembled some cereal and brought 2 peaches. "Here you go." I set it down on his lap. I grabbed the pillow on the floor and walked over to the other side of the bed. I placed it on the foot of it and sat facing him.
"Thanks." He grabbed his spoon and started eating his cereal. "So why were you staring at me?" He smiled, taking a huge bite out of the peach.
I almost choked on my cereal. So much for dropping it. "I was just looking at how much worse your face looks today." It was my turn to smile, finding a working half-lie.
He frowned. "Thanks."
"Anytime. So..." I started taking a dramatic bite of food. "You promised to tell me why you keep getting beat up.
"Okay okay. Sheesh." He looked annoyed, but as long as he was telling me, he could be pissy. "Well for starters my mom, along with many people at school thinks I'm selling drugs." He smiled. "Not that it's better than what I actually do, I just find it funny." He clarified the reason for his smile. "William, Julian, James, and Evan know."
"That's his name!" I cut him off excitedly. That was the other boy in history class.
"Yeah." He gave me a confused glance, but shook it off. "Some of my other friends know, but that's about it. Everyone else spread a drug selling rumor, and a girl once sort of told my mom that. It's whatever. They don't need to know my business." There was his secretive side again. "I'm a fighter. Well, a street fighter I guess. I go to some underground rings, fight and make money. I used to spend money on those nights to go to a nearby motel until I found you to take care of me." He winked.
"Does Julian fight?" I couldn't help but ask, ignoring his wink.
"Yeah, sometimes. He tries to stay away from it with help from us. He shouldn't fight, and many people don't want him."
"Why?"
"I'd rather not say."
"Oh." I understood. Just like he didn't like people knowing his business, he probably wasn't one to tell about other people's business. And then I remembered the time I saw him get jumped in an alleyway. "Wait, what about the first night I saw you? You were being jumped."
"Well you see. Some people are lying cheap @ssholes. I had won a fight and those guys were supposed to give me my money but said, in a not so kind way, that they were broke f#ckholes who didn't need to pay anything. I had thrown the first punch, but my match and that whole day in general had me so weak and they managed to beat me up." He finished off his peach. "If I was in top shape, they would've been done. That's the only reason I passed out."
"Oh." I said in almost in a trance-like state. It was all making sense now. "So what happened last night?"
He chuckled before starting, "I was able to book a pretty early fight that night, but my mind was on other things." He paused looking deeply into my eyes. "So I lost. Badly actually, as you can see." He chuckled again.
"So why do you do it?"
"I need some money. Well, I already made as much as I was fighting for primarily, especially since my mom had promised me months ago she'd do me a favor, but some pocket money is nice." He placed the bowl on my nightstand resting his head back.
"So why don't you stop?"
He just smiled at that. "Do you want me to?"
"Yes." I smiled now.
"Why do you care?"
"I don't like seeing you all beat up." He was still smiling, appearing amused. I placed my bowl on the floor and moved over to him. I poked him in his dimple. "So would you?"
"I could."
Not necessarily a yes, but I decided to run with it. "Good, because you are quitting that occupation today." I got up and went to look for clothes for me to wear.
"Wait, what?"
YOU ARE READING
Cry-Baby
Teen FictionI wiped my eyes once again to see deep piercing green ones looking down at me. More tears came as I saw the root of my anger, and I stood up pushing past him. I tried to run but got pulled back by a hand grabbing my wrist. "What happened?" Clyde de...
