FicWad

We were a few minutes late for art, but the teacher didn't notice. I went to my usual desk at the back of the class, and a second later, Gerard sat beside me. I glanced at him briefly as I got out my pencil and eraser.
"I thought you said 'walk to class'?" I muttered. He smiled.
"Well, we're in the same class, and we both always sit alone, so I thought maybe we could sit together."
I shrugged, taking out a blank piece of paper, blushing slightly.
"So, Jimmy's your sister."
"Yep."
We sat in silence for a second as I sketched.
"So, why don’t you want to come over again?"
"Because I don’t know you."
More silence. He sighed.
"Why don’t you like me?"
'On the contrary.'
"What are you talking about? I never once said I didn’t like you."
"It sure seems like it."
I didn’t reply and he sighed again, standing. I thought he was leaving, but he just headed to the front of the room for supplies.
When he came back, he sat without a word and began sketching out a design.
"Why did you guys sit with us?" I asked. He stopped drawing for a second, then continued.
"I told you already."
"Because we’re cool? I doubt that very much."
He slapped his pencil down on the desk.
"Why are you so defensive?"
"I’m not defensive. I asked a perfectly logical question. Now are you going to answer it properly?"
"I… I don’t know why we sat with you."
"Please, don’t lie to me."
He put his pencil down, sighing, and frowned, avoiding my eyes.
"Fine. We, uh, we saw you guys in the hall this morning and, we all kind of felt sorry for you, because you don’t look like you have very many friends…
We all agreed that at lunch, we’d go and talk to you."
I went back to drawing, annoyed.
"That’s very nice. It’s great to know we’re pitied."
"I’m sorry."
"No, it’s fine. Everyone feels like they need to be “heroic” at least once.
What a better way than to talk to a few pathetic losers and fell you brought some joy to their lives."
"Tammy, that’s not what I meant…"
"Just to let you know, we do have other friends, and we’re quite happy."
"I said I was sorry, what more do you want from me?"
"Nothing. I didn’t want anything from you in the first place. You just seemed to have assumed that." I snapped. He stared at me for a second, as if
He had been slapped, before his eyes narrowed.
"You… you’re a real bitch, do you know that?"
I stopped drawing again, feeling tears jump to my eyes. I choked them back and looked up at him.
"Then why are you still sitting there?"
He looked away for a second and I stood, collecting my things angrily. He grabbed my hand as I picked up my backpack.
"Stop, I didn’t…"
I cut him off, tearing my hand away from his, and walking away. I walked around the desks, ignoring the curious stares of my classmates.
"I’m going home." I told my teacher as I passed his desk.
"Tammy, wait." I heard Gerard call across the class. I swung the door open, ignoring him, and slammed it closed, staring up to the school. A second later, the door opened and shut again.
"Wait, I’m sorry."
I whipped around to face him.
"No you’re not.
"Yes, I am. Why would I lie?"
"I’ve know you thirty fucking minutes and you’ve lied twice, why should this be any different?"
"When did I lie?"
"When you said you were hanging out with us because “we’re cool” and when you said you didn’t know why you were hanging out with us."
"I didn’t want to hurt your feelings!"
"No, but you’ll call me a bitch."
"I said I didn’t mean that."
"Then why’d you say it?"
"Because…" He stopped talking and I rolled my eyes, turning away.
"Please, I really am sorry."
I continued walking and he followed.
"Why are you so stubborn?"
"I’m not stubborn; I’ve just realized what a complete dick you are." I replied angrily. I felt his hand on my shoulder and he spun me around. I was shocked by his actions; I hadn’t realized he was so close. He stared at me furiously, his features twisted in anger.
"I apologized over and over again. Why can’t you just accept it?"
"Because you don’t mean it."
His grip tightened on my shoulder.
"I do mean it, why are you being like this?" He yelled. I shook my head, the tears I had been holding back choking me. I began coughing as I cried and he let go of my shoulder.
"Oh shit," he mumbled, "Are you alright?"
"No." I squeaked out between coughs.
"I'm sorry."
"Just get away from me."
He stepped back slowly.
"I didn't mean to make you upset." He said softly.
"Yeah, well, that didn't stop you." I replied, sniffling as the coughing subsided. I looked up at him and put a hand on my shoulder lightly. Before I knew what was happening, he had pulled me into a tight hug. I stood dumbly as he embraced me for a moment before he stepped back.
"Come back to class?"
I shook my head no and he sighed.
"Look, I'm sorry."
I nodded and looked away.
"Come on; let's go get you cleaned up a bit."
A few minutes later, we were in one of the girls’ washrooms, Gerard sitting on the counter top and me in a stall, wiping my eyes.
"Are you okay?" He asked.
"I'm fine." I replied, sniffling, "You can go back to class, now."
"What about you?"
"I'm just going to stay here until school is over."
"Tammy, that's like, forty-five minutes."
"That's fine."
"That's a long time to wait alone in a bathroom."
"I'll be fine."
"I'm not going to leave you here."
I sighed, smiling lightly.
"Why are you doing this?"
"Because I feel like shit for what I said."
"Well, its okay, don't."
He went silent for a second, and I thought, maybe he had gone back to class,
"Hi."
I jumped, looking up to see him peering over the stall from the next one over. He smiled.
"Come out?"
I nodded, unlocking the door and stepped out. He hopped off the toilet and walked towards me, holding out his hand.
"Wanna go walk around until the bell?"
"Sure."