The Boy Who Fell Off a Lawn Mower | Watty's '18

6. Attack Dog

Chapter 6

Attack Dog

Almost in slow motion, the boy turned around, huffing from what he'd just done. Aida struggled to make out his face in the dim light, but his sheen of sweat twinkled in the moonlight. She tentatively stepped forward, drawn closer to the event.

Ian lay on the ground with one arm propping him up, holding his nose and staring up at the boy who'd hit him, also panting heavily. He squinted his eyes and suddenly looked furious as recognition dawned on him. "What the fuck, Connor?"

Aida gasped and reversed her steps, backing up quickly. Connor swiftly directed his glance towards Aida and also took a step closer to her, away from his friend. He stepped into the light of the moon fully so that Aida could see that it was in fact, Connor, and not who she thought it was. "Are you okay?" he asked quietly.

She stood there for a moment, assessing the situation.

"I was fine, actually." She paused and looked between the boys. "I had the situation handled." She pivoted, almost gracefully, and walked back towards the house. The liquor had washed away from her body in the drama of the moment.

They both stared at her for a moment. "Where are you going?" cried Ian, still stunned from what had just happened to him.

"To find Diane," she stated matter-of-factly, without turning around.

"Shit," mumbled Ian, getting up as quickly as a boy with a bloody nose could and rushed towards her. Connor quickly put an arm in front of him, stopping him.

"What gives?" asked Ian, as blood dripped onto his dark jacket and jeans, while his target continued moving away from him.

"Nope," he insisted. "Let her do what she wants. This is a consequence of your own actions."

"But, pal, come on. You don't want Diane to break up with me – she's the best thing that's happened to me in a long time." He was using his typical smooth voice to try to schmooze past his old friend, but Connor wasn't having it.

"You did this to yourself this time. I'm not going to let you take advantage of such a pretty girl like this, all while making a fool of your own girlfriend." Ian could have easily pushed around Connor's arm, but as he looked at the expression on his friend's face, which had quickly turned from loyal puppy to attack dog, he knew he had messed up and didn't budge. The boys looked into each other's enraged eyes until Connor broke the stare to walk towards Aida, leaving Ian standing there lost.

"Aida, wait up!" called Connor. She was almost inside and didn't stop moving. "Aida?"

She stopped and didn't turn around. "I said, I had it covered. You didn't need to butt in then and you don't need to do it now. Let me go speak with Diane."

Connor wanted to help but couldn't think of anything to do at the moment. "Fine," he whispered under his breath. He had wanted to look like a hero to her, but wasn't succeeding.

She left him outside as she swept into the party, her cheeks turning red in rage and confusion at the past ten minutes. She looked for Tiffany, knowing that Diane would be glued to her hip.

Aida pushed through mounds of people who currently didn't have a care in the world, searching for her newfound friends. Suddenly, she heard the iconic Tiffany gossip voice from just a few feet away.

"Tiffany... Diane!" called Aida and their heads snapped around to look at who was calling to them.

"Aida!!" they squealed and rushed up to her.

"I have some horrible news," cried Aida. Tiffany's eyes lit up at the potential of a good piece of gossip, her hair slightly frizzing due to the heat from the massive amount of people in the confined space. "Ian tried to uhh..." Aida wasn't sure how to phrase it.

"Tried to what?" asked Diane, her eyes filled with suspicion.

Aida sighed, knowing her friend would be disappointed once she finished the sentence. "He tried to make a move on me."

Diane looked at Aida timidly, apprehension lacing her features. "What did you do?"

Aida didn't want to mention Connor, so she didn't. She wanted to appear to be the strong one, which she was until he intervened. "I walked away."

Diane looked angry for a second but took a hardy breath. "It's fine." She took another and looked completed collected again. "Boys will be boys, won't they?" She turned and left, approaching a kid who was holding her mother's vase.

Aida's mouth dropped to the floor. She turned to Tiffany who just ran off after Diane, not sure if she actually needed comforting or a reality check, but also ready to tell the entire party that Ian was a slime-ball.

She sat down in a quiet corner, not sure what to do. Connor cautiously pushed through the crowd towards her. In silence, he joined her on the couch she was perched on so meticulously. They sat there for well over ten minutes, not talking, not looking at their phones, and not looking at each other. The stillness was not awkward nor bothersome, but meaningful. It was Aida who finally broke it.

"I can stick up for myself, you know," she muttered, crossing her arms and probing the crowd for familiar faces.

Connor opened his mouth, seemingly fighting with telling a secret or not. He closed it. Aida finally looked to him, confused on why his big mouth wasn't saying anything for once. "Aida..."

Her hazel eyes tempted him to speak into the moment and suddenly their proximity was becoming hot in the busyness of the full party. "I knew you had it handled," he admitted. Her chin tilted up in uncertainty.

"Then why did you have to butt in?"

The same expression he'd made a few seconds ago returned to his face, an internal conflict coming to light on him. "I... well... I thought I could impress you, I guess. I knew you were walking away by the time I saw what was going on but I wanted to help. And I am sick of Ian being a big jerk to everyone. He's my friend, but he's really an ass sometimes."

Aida was amazed and silently in disarray. No guy had ever tried to impress her like that, but she was still angry that he thought he would have some sort of control over her for hitting some dude. "That's sweet of you." She meant it, but it was stiff.

"Yeah," he mumbled, displeased with her reaction. He fumbled around with the edge of his white t-shirt, leaning back into the couch as though he wanted it to eat him. "Call me some time," he said, standing up and leaving.

"Connor!" she called. He turned his head swiftly, almost out of sight, hope lighting up his eyes. He nodded in acknowledgment. "Come over for dinner sometime." She didn't know why she offered it, but for some reason she felt compelled to in the moment.

"I'd like that," he smiled. And with that, he really left. Aida was alone again, alone in a room full of people.

---

A/N: Hi all! New cover created by the beautiful  – Hope you like it!!

Don't forget to vote and comment!!

Let's hear your opinions on Connor – go!

Much love xx