Heartbreak Story - Byler

XXI - You and I

Tentatively, I stretched out my right arm towards the boy in front of me as an offer to help him up but he withdrew from me and I lost myself to heartache.

Will had declined any offer I'd given to him all day of physical contact starting with the rejected hug in the morning and now he wouldn't even take my hand so I could help him to his feet. My heart craved the feeling of his soft skin against my own but that wasn't the case for him, he seemed physically repulsed by me and I couldn't help but feel as though I'd been mortally wounded.

"Are you ok-" I started to ask but was cut off by a swirl of crimson hair and a terrified female voice brushing past me and forcing me out of the way.

"Will, what happened? Oh my god, are you okay? Shit, you're bleeding. Your head's bleeding!" Max had arrived on scene and had dropped to her knees beside Will and had her hands on his delicate shoulders to with which he seemed comfortable and I felt yet another pang of jealousy.

The love of my life gave her a weak smile as he responded to her panicked question, "I'm okay, don't worry. It's just a little cut, I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" The red-haired girl badgered him as she threw her arm around his waist and lifted him to a standing position. I observed as Will allowed Max to cling to him even after he was on his feet and my heart sank as I realised with agony that perhaps I was the only person who wasn't allowed to hold him when I could guarantee that no one else in this whole goddamn world could long to do so more than I.

"Yep, I'm fine. Erm...Mike was here for me and he stopped those dicks from hurting me and saying stuff."

"Mike?" Max queried with a frown eminent in her voice as she whipped her heard around and saw me now standing behind her. It was clear to me that she had been so caught up in Will she hadn't even realised I was there and now felt guilty for interrupting our little moment.

"Hey, Max." I had hoped to portray politeness in my words but I was sure she could hear the animosity I was struggling to mask hidden deep within them. I remained grateful for the time we had shared only a couple of days before and all the help she had given to both me and Will but it didn't change the fact that I'd always feel insignificant in Will's life when she was around and that feeling burned like magma bubbling away in my heart and destroying me from the inside-out.

"I'm glad you were here, then. Thanks, Mike."

The words leaving her mouth and the fact that her arm was still draped across Will irked me to the point where I had to steady my breathing. "You don't have to thank me." I said with a hint of reproachfulness. "I've always been there for him since we were little kids and I always will be. Besides, Will is perfectly capable of sticking up for himself. When I was making my way down the corridor to him, I saw the defiance he was showing and it was so ho...brilliant, it was brilliant."

Mentally, I cursed myself for my almost verbal blunder however it didn't appear that Will had picked up on it and I thanked god. Mike Wheeler, the master of fucking things up.

The sapphire eyes of our Zoomer widened and I saw a glimmer of alarm flash in them for a moment and I read the tale it told, of a girl who had spent years treading lightly around a boy who had never shown her whole and honest decency though she most definitely deserved it. The story of a girl who was clearly afraid she'd stepped out-of-line with what she had said and now wanted to backtrack despite it being the stupid fucking boy's fault for letting his temper flare yet again and he the one who had spoken to her unkindly. "Of course I know he can look after himself, I've known that since we were thirteen." Max voiced delicately and steadily whilst glancing at Will reassuringly. "And I more than know you'll be there for him, I'd never doubt that in a million years." Max gave me a beaming smile, one that lit up her entire face and made her eyes shine just like the jewels they so reminded me of. In that moment, I decided to let my resentment towards her go completely and we could become maybe genuine friends the way she always wanted so, in response, I heartily grinned back at her.