First Punch ➟ Kellic

F O U R T E E N

I never expected my day to go the way that it does. Maybe I would've done something differently if I had anticipated this, but it still would've lead to the same thing.

I wake up as per usual, Dimitri banging on my door. I groan, not wanting to go to school. But I took the day off yesterday to avoid Jacob and Dimitri definitely won't let me take another one.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm up," I say to him through the door as he knocks again.

"Better be," he replies, his footsteps echoing as he heads off somewhere.

I sigh loudly, my face collapsing into the pillow. Getting up is the last thing that I want to do, but I know that Dimitri will just come knocking again if I don't show my face in a few minutes.

I slowly get up, accepting the reality of a new day and dressing myself in black like always. I tie my bandana around my ankle, shoving my phone and switchblade into my pocket before going to the door. My hand stalls, holding the handle as I close my eyes and try to cement my plan for the day. I need to ignore Jacob. But for whatever annoying reason, he won't leave my mind.

For the past day and a half everything I do reminds me of him. Why can't I manage to escape him? What does that mean? Is this the universe's way of saying I need him? Psh, yeah right.

I wander to school in a bored haze, trying my best not to think about he who must not be named. Of course, I have to pass by all the landmarks of our short-lived friendship. My morals waver for the millionth time, my brain forcing myself not to forgive him. I can't forgive him. He's done so much.

Then I pass the convenience store where his friends attacked me. But he saved me. I hate to admit it, I was pissed for like a week about it, but he did save me. So many fucking times Jacob had my back. Scratch that, Jake had my back. And he fought so hard to make everything up to me. To boot, the stupid idiot allegedly got his friends to agree not to hurt any of us anymore. I don't know what deal he claimed we made, but he got them to stop. Sure, he started this whole thing. Sure, he tried to kill me. But he saved me so many more times than he ever hurt me. And even if he started this war, he also ended it.

"Stop it, Cooper!" I curse myself, trying to physically shake the thoughts from my head. He's the enemy, I continuously repeat to myself. It doesn't help.

To make matters even worse, which I didn't think was possible, I turn the last corner and spot the evil bastard. I'm still repeating the words in my head and the sight makes me freeze. My mind ceases its repetitive jabbering and I skid to a sudden stop. Jake is the only word my brain can manage to bring up. It's like I don't even know English anymore.

The frustrating asshat is slipping the notorious brick back into place and I still can't move. Once again all the memories of our friendship flash through my mind. He's a good guy. I need to hate his guts, but he makes it so fucking hard. He turns away from me, walking over to the school. I have to blink a few times before I snap back into everything, finally moving forward again. It's the start of second period, so I wasn't expecting to see him on the way here. It kind of confuses me that he's late, but Principal Litchner did mention that both of our attendance records suck. I guess I shouldn't be so surprised.

I head over to the abandoned house, our in-school fist fight and the detention it caused swarming my thoughts. Why is it so hard for me to think about anything else except him lately? Stupid idiot. Ugh, I already used that one. Uh...murderous fucknut. That's better.

I pull the brick from its place, feeling the warmth from where he held it. How long had he been holding it in order for it to get warm? Ugh, I should've loosened a different brick. Instead, I find myself holding it the exact way he had, gripping the brick as though it'd make me feel closer to him. Oh God, what am I thinking? I drop my blade inside, shoving the brick back in with a surprising amount of force. I'm still mad though, annoyed with myself and my brain. The feelings still burn inside of me and I focus it all into my fist as I slam it into the wall, hoping it would help to get out the frustration. It works, sort of. I hiss though, leaning my forehead against the bricks as I shake my hand. That fucking hurt.