Softie

CHAPTER IX: Softie

"Hey, are you fine now?" Cameron asked while sitting at the bed beside me.

My face flushed when I remembered the scene earlier on how I managed to go to the clinic when I'm badly bruised.

He carried me bridal style!

Can you imagine that? He still carried me knowing that many students are watching. The possibilities of us in the headlines later would be very high because of his risky move.

"I'm fine, thank you for bringing me here." I smiled at him.

He stood up and walked his way towards me.

He started caressing my face. I tilted my head towards his hand so I could feel his warmth. It honestly felt like an hour when it's only been seconds.

Our moment has been interrupted by a sudden bang at the door. I was about to turn around to see who it was when a fist is welcomed by Cameron's face.

That made Cameron fell butt first.

"Look at what you have done!"

Based from the voice, I figured out it was Tyler and he is raging mad.

I thought one punch is enough but he ran to Cameron and punch him once more. That punch was followed by another punch.

I can't stand this anymore! I ran between them and blocked Cameron out of Tyler's sight.

"Stop it, Tyler! He had enough. That's enough!" I shouted at him.

"It is not! He knew the consequences but still, he continued!" he shouted back. Now, I'm feeling embarrassed because of the commotion we're causing here at the school's clinic.

I was about to answer Ty when someone held my hand and kind of like pulling me back. Then I heard a whisper from Cameron.

"It's okay, I'm fine. I deserved this." It doesn't seem like a whisper because it can be heard across the room.

"See, Blaire? He's fine, he deserved my punch. He said it himself. No need for you to protect him!" Tyler said.

"It is not just him whom I'm protecting! I'm also protecting you Tyler! I don't want you to get detention nor get an expulsion." I said defending myself.

"Okay. I just want to teach that jerk a lesson. We'll talk just talk at home." He sighed then took one last look at me and Cameron before he walked out of the clinic.

I sighed then offered my hand to Cameron. He took it and I helped him sit at the bed beside me.

I scanned his face and so far, so good, he didn't have serious injury. Just some scratch and little bruises near his lips and cheek.

"Nurse, can I have a first aid kit?" I asked the nurse. She gave me a small bag.

I started treating him.

I heard a groan from him when I accidentally pushed the cotton harder in his lips than how it should be.

"Does it hurt? I'm sorry." I asked and apologized to him.

"No. It just stung." He said as I continued my treatment to his face.

"I'm sorry I dragged you into this mess. I know the odds but still I insisted on you." He looked down.

"It's okay, don't be sorry because we both didn't want this to happen." I held both his hands.

"We are in this together." Then I smiled reassuringly at him.

___

I am here at our headquarters because Aspen summoned me here. I bet they already know what happened earlier. They have many resources and the students can't just help their mouth.

We're sitting at a round table and I'm the only one who have no one near me. At the other side, the boys were sitting near each other.

"What is this? An interrogation?" I asked almost laughing at their serious faces.

"You happy? Why are you laughing?" Maddox asked.

"For someone who's beaten up, you sure you are beaten? You laugh like you are not." Damon added.

"I'm fine now, I can walk properly and such." I smiled at them. I noticed that they are so serious about this matter. I don't even know why.

"You didn't even bother to call us, shout are names or what!" Aspen hissed.

"Because I don't want to make another issue anymore. I'm protecting your reputation guys." I said without looking at them because I don't want them to know that it is not the truth.

I don't want them to know that what I have said is a lie. I was expecting someone, and that someone is Cameron. I'm not starting to fall for him, am I?

"We don't care about our reputation, little Blaire. We just care about you." Stephen said softly.

"You guys only cared about me. You didn't even pay attention to all the girls who like you. That's why up until know, you didn't have any girlfriends." I hissed at them.

"Blaire, it is not our priority for now. We'll just get ourselves one when we saw someone who can take care of you like us." Aspen's eyes softened.

"Well, I seem to have one now." I said with a very small voice hoping that no one heard it. But someone still do.

"What? You have one?" Maddox blurted.

"U-Uhm, sort of." I said nervously. All eyes were on me.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Stephen asked whit his eyebrows creased.

"I w-was planning t-to. B-But I d-didn't know h-how." I said while playing with my fingers.

"And who is that?" Damon eyed me.

"C-Cameron." Then I smiled sweetly at them.

"Are you out of your mind Blaire? He is a playboy!" Stephen shouted.

"No! He is not." I defended Cameron.

"Really? That's why you kept it from us?" Maddox said as they all stood up.

"N-No, I-" I didn't even finished my sentence when Aspen spoke.

"Don't want to hear your excuses, Blaire." He said then they all walked out the door.

I sighed. That's what I get.

_____

It's already past bedtime but I'm still widely awake. I decided to just talk to Tyler since he said earlier that we would talk by the time we're home.

I knocked the door three times but no one answered. Maybe he's asleep already. I was about to return to my room when Tyler's room opened.

"Sorry, I was at the bathroom." He said then gestured me to come inside his room.

We're sitting at his bed when I decided to settle things between us.

"I���m sorry Tyler. I know you were just worried about me." I said while looking down.

"Nah. I should be the one saying sorry because I know that I'm wrong in the part that I punched him inside school premises. I should've done that outside." I don't know but we ended up laughing so hard.

"You know that I love you and I will do anything for you, right?" Tyler asked.

I nodded and jumped to hug him. Maybe I should just sleep here.

He's still a softie when it comes to me like from the very start.

I was hugging him while his arms became my pillow when he started combing my hair. I felt my eyelids slowly dropping.

"I love you too, Tyler." I whispered to him before I dozed to sleep.