HSMTMTS: The Core Four

10

Anger rises inside my body, if this was a marvel movie, my eyes would be glowing like a demon. I slam the mirror on my locker, actually making a crack, drop my bag and start stomping towards Andrew, ready to start another fight, but EJ quickly wraps his hand around my waist holding me back.

"LET ME GO!!"

"Not until you calm down."

"Ricky, this is nothing, don't let it get to you," Cyrus says. Seb takes the mirror and tosses it in the nearest trash bin. "You okay?" EJ asks me and I nod my head, he finally lets go of me and I grab my bag off the floor.

"We're gonna head to class," Nini says, she and Jack walk away, Nini smiles at me while Jack pats my shoulder. The other soon walk off.

"Later Demon" Carlos snickers running off.

"Carlos! I'm sorry, Ricky" Seb tells me and he walks off trying to catch up with that rude boy he for some reason I don't understand chose to be his boyfriend.

Soon it's just me and EJ, I'm about to walk off, but I slam my hand on the locker and when I see other students run off frightened, I lean my forehead on it. EJ watches me, but I avoid eye contact with him.

"You okay?"

"Did you not see what I saw?  EJ, they think I'm a demon, that I'm rude, selfish and I don't have a heart. Maybe they're right."

My body sinks down the locker, I bring my knees up to my chest and bury my face in my arm, thank goodness no one's around to see my softer side. I hear EJ slide down next to me and he wraps his arm around me, I sink into his chest.

"Ricky, don't listen to them, they don't know the real you."

I take the time to process what he just said. The real me? Who was the real me?  How does he know the real me?  Out of all people?

"EJ...who am I to you?"

I hear him hum, trying to figure out what to say, I should've just kept my mouth shut, but then I finally hear his answer.

"To me, Ricky Bown is a sensitive comedian, your a sweet and awesome guy, your a little dark and mean sometimes, you sometimes say the wrong things, but your intentions are always good. Ricky, you are a kind, caring boy who is always on the lookout for his friends, you just need to see yourself the way I and the rest of the gang see you."

I slightly smile at him, not a creepy smile like I'm about to beat him up, but I small but sweet smile.  I haven't smiled like that in a long time.

"Come on, let's go before someone sees you and I ruin your bad rep" he gives me a squeeze and helps me up. We both walk to class but before we can, he starts to look at me worried. "What's wrong?" I ask. He pulls at the collar of my hoodie, looking at the back of my neck. I forgot I had a bad bruise there because last Saturday night, I even bled a little.

I quickly cover my neck. "It's fine, promise," I tell him.

"What happened?"

"I tripped over a rock and fell off my Skateboard."

"Okay, well, just be careful next time."

I nod at him and we both walk into our class. Maybe he's right, he usually is in these situations, or any situation. Maybe I shouldn't care about what Andrew says, and Gina was right too. Screw him.

____________________________________________________________

EJ's POV

It was the second to last period, then school end. All throughout the class, I was zoned out, but I was trying not to fall asleep, just so I didn't have that nightmare again. I didn't wanna wake up in the middle of class screaming, and definitely not crying, that's a whole new level of embarrassment.