1 Daniel Cunningham

"So he's ignoring me," I sighed to myself while looking out into the empty night at the pouring rain. I put my phone away knowing that calling him again would be futile. It was raining pretty hard right now and I felt like crap, probably due to my rising high fever. It was stupid not to bring an umbrella for myself. But that guy, no, that asshole, told me he was on he'd be here in five minutes!

It's been a whole hour since then!

I swear this is the last time I believe him about time since he can't read a clock. It was stupid to believe him in the first place anyway. Why did I have to rush out while I was sick and wait for him with an umbrella? A little rain never killed anyone.

Though I might really be the first to die from it.

With this fever, which feels like it's worsening, i felt colder and warmer and more uncomfortable than I ever had before. My body felt weak and my face felt disgusting as underneath my face mask was now saturated with snot and drool. Really, I should've ignored him and just rested like my dad told me to do earlier. 

I'm so stupid. It might be getting worse. Damn my poor immune system! Damn my poor genetics! Damn my poor decision making skills! Damn the fact that I'm only doing this because I want to have sex with him! 

I'm such a stupid simp!

Just then a blue car with tinted windows pulled over a few feet in front of me, making sure to soak me in cold dirty water from the curb. What a miraculous fucking day this is turning out to be! I swear if he isn't in that car...I'll just die here on this sidewalk.

Is that him? I watched the car door open slowly and a familiar sneaker stepped onto the pavement. I watched in suspense as the tall figure stepped out and proceeded to open a big black umbrella.

He had an umbrella? He left me on read, but he couldn't even tell he had a butt fucking umbrella with him? The asshole knew I was sick, and when I get sick I usually get hospitalized because my immune system had weakened significantly. Yet he has the nerve to do this to me?!

What a joke! 

He just shows up, an hour late, with a well working umbrella, that he clearly borrowed(it was hot pink), when he knew full well that I was waiting for him here after he asked me too. Shockingly, this is how he is normally. 

Inconsiderate jerk!

I hate him so fucking much! I hate him for how he looks carrying around someone else's stuff, and I hate myself even more for putting up with his bullshit like I usually did. For some reason I just couldn't say no to him no matter how badly I get treated. I had to make sure everything was alright with him or else I would lose more sleep than I already was.

But what I hate most is how I couldn't let Vincenzo DeVellis go. It's annoying how much he got under my skin. I still wanted him to ravish me so badly, even if he was acting cold towards me.

Especially now, as he chatted with the driver happily, I was annoyed at how I couldn't help but admire his face. Even on the pouring rain, he was the kind of handsome that really got under your skin and boiled your blood.

No one feature made him handsome, though his eyes came very close. People usually zeroed in on how intense they were, like it mattered, yet those golden brown eyes could look beautiful anywhere. Even in the darkness, they could heal you or destroy you. He was fair, almost pale, except in the summer when he tanned with not a single blemish. His thick bushy eyebrows and slicked styled black hair really solidified that Rodolfo Valentino look he fit perfectly.

His face had that far away look they usually had, as if his mind was always on something else or as if he was thinking of something better to do. His smile, which reached up to his eyes, looked just as sweet as his laugh sounded. To top it all off, his big tall frame and stature made him stand out in a crowd, which was mostly due to how he carried himself.

Compared to what I see in the mirror, a sickly guy with sunken dull black fox eyes with really dark circles, pale waxy skin with precise small features and messy thin lackluster shedding plain black hair, with a slight build, I was looking at Adonis. Or someone that seemed god like to me. On top of that, Vincenzo only confirmed that my personality is just absolute shit, so no one would ever date me.

I couldn't stop staring at him even as he waved goodbye to the driver and started to walk towards me. I moved a bit to scold him but he just walked right past me. Like he didn't even see me.

I shouldn't have picked up his stupid call! Why did I ever pick up for this stupid guy? I feel really stupid. 

And sick.

I don't have the energy to even try and scold the guy. He'd just find a way to turn it on me and not apologize for being late. If I get any colder, I'll really die from complications. I needed to look after my health first.

I walked followed behind Vincenzo for a few feet before turning into own my yard. I could've just waited inside, couldn't I? I'm just making myself more sick for this asshole. It's getting annoying that I can't even blame him for what's going on right now.

By habit, I turned to watch Vincenzo enter his home before I entered mine. We were neighbors, yeah, and I don't understand why he asked me to wait for him either, but I did out of loyalty. I was a fucking idiot that had to stop thinking with his dick!

I slammed my umbrella into the wall, breaking it in half, just so I wouldn't scream in frustration and embarrassment. I opened my mouth to yell obscenities but only my violent coughs would come up, as I fell to my knees so I can try and catch my breath.

I'm never doing this again! This is it! He's made a fool out of me for the last time! I'm going to fucking destroy him!

"What happened?" My dad poked his head into the hallway before rushing to over to me. "I thought you went to meet up with Vinny! Why are you all wet, Dan?"

"Stupid cars!" I said between coughs. My dad immediately took off his cardigan and wiped my face. "I guess I missed him on the way." I lied.

"Where were you waiting?" 

"A block away at the bus stop," I lied again. Me and my stupid blind loyalty to Vincenzo! I'm only covering for that guy because we've been friends since birth and our parents are friends. I kept covering for him so my dad wouldn't flip out and he wouldn't question Vincenzo, basically starting a war with his long time friends and neighbors over me.

"No wonder, his father called and said that he was coming by taxi, you could've waited inside. I wish you did. I swear you're way too loyal for your own good." dad held his sweater to my nose for me to blow into it. After I did he rubbed my back a bit. "Take off those wet clothes and get in the bath. I'll peel you a few apples."

I stripped all the way to the bathroom and luckily, my dad had already drawn a hot bath for me. Which means I'll hear it later from him about me neglecting my health again. Life with chronic illness wasn't easy for either of us, was it? I feel selfish for making him worry about me like this.

I stepped into the bath and closed my eyes.

Ever since I can remember, it was only my dad and I, even though people often mistook us for brothers since my dad looked so young. He had a checkered past, but he turned his life around just so he'd be able to take care of me. My mother, who I never met, ran off somewhere with no worries after I was born to go live her life doing bigger things, and originally, she wanted my dad to leave and go with her. Since I was born weak, her plans were to leave me in an orphanage and cut all contact for good. They fought about it a lot and my mother threatened everything he had if he didn't leave with her. But my father, couldn't do it after seeing me how I was. 

In the end, as sick as I stayed, he chose to raise me by himself. He got a real job and stopped getting in trouble just so he could keep me. He told me when she came back to town a few years ago and if I wanted to see her I could, but I wasn't going to do that. My loyalty was with my dad.

"Are you awake?" I heard someone ask. My dad had slipped into the bathroom without me noticing. "I told you not to sleep in the tub, you might drown. If you felt too weak-"

"Dad, I'm fine," I said with a slightly hoarse voice. Without hesitation, dad dropped to his knees beside me and started to rub Vicks on my neck. "I just need to rest now, I have school tomorrow."

"You shouldn't go, you're too sick. And this time you got sick out of no where," dad told me. I suppose I shouldn't tell him that I got sick helping Vincenzo out by doing the yard work he was supposed to do and went over my body's physical limit. I keep saying never again when it came to Vincenzo, but I don't understand why I just can't quit it with him. I don't understand why I can't pull out from his field of gravity. It was way too strong. Even when that guy wasn't here, he was pissing me off about things.

In all honesty, i was only so willing because I'm hoping so desperately for this to take a sexual turn. I kept dreaming about the day Vincenzo just grabbed me from my room to lock me up in his room so he could be rough, impulsive and fierce and get spanked so badly that I have bruises all over me. It would be great for him to dominate me just one time.

That, and he might really try to kill me.

"By the way, Danny, do you know the teachers you'll have this semester? Or the classes?" Dad asked me. I grimaced. He knew I hated talking about school at home. If I told him I knew, I'd have to stomach him going to each teacher personally to talk about his concerns again. If have to deal with him becoming hostile again if he didn't like their teaching plan. I can't have another embarrassing thing like that happen!

"No. I think it's a surprise until we get to school." I lied.

"Well, I hope wherever you end up, you'll be with Vincenzo again."

"Why would you want that?" 

"Are you kidding, you and Vincenzo have always taken care of each other like brothers. I know I'm usually at work but his parents told me that you and him are tighter than two peas in a pod. Honestly, I'm just glad you have a good close friend." Dad smiled as I felt my heart drop into my ass. "I don't like seeing you having a harder time."

I'm so upset that I had to lie about this so much! That guy didn't feel like much of a friend or a brother. He was more of a spoiled brat to me. I even studied harder this year as to not be put in the same classes as him.

The night passed as usual and I set off to school on my own the next day. I was still a bit sick but me wearing a face mask wasn't anything new, it only mattered that today was the day I could finally start anew.

The high school I attend, is famous for being a school full of talent. Everyone in the area knows that if you're a rich kid, good at sports or just really smart, as is my case, you come to Northskye Academy. Maybe this year, I can find someone with better character to fantasize about instead of Vincenzo.

I was in all the AP classes this semester, on track to Ivy League scholarship education, and this semester I could do it peacefully among peers since Vincenzo couldn't match my intelligence. I could finally try to make a friend this semester as well since I wasn't going to help Vincenzo out anymore anyway. It was because I was so busy with him that I couldn't make more friends anyway.

Everything was finally going to go my way, wasn't it? I'm finally free from him.

What a lovely sight to see the classroom almost full of unfamiliar faces. Everyone was either studying by themselves or talking in a group about class or something irrelevant. There wasn't a trace of bullies or slackers either! 

I must have died in my sleep last night and entered heaven. It was definitely the right choice to put my energy into things other than Vincenzo for once. Honestly it felt so nice to just be able to start anew and be out of people's attention once more.

At the corner of my eye, to my disgust, I spotted a familiar face enter the room. It was, Vincenzo's friend Martin Doolittle. His slicked back hair and sharp facial feature looked leaner than ever. All I could wonder was how they could let such a slacker into the AP classes and not have thought he was cheating. 

Geez, I dealt with him enough over the years. Martin was the fakest guy I knew by far, and my bully for the past few years. He was the type to ask rude questions to disrupt class and if you caught his eye, you couldn't live normally at school. He acts strong with everyone else but acts weak whenever Vincenzo is around, like a shitty folding chair. Even when he seemed nice, he was a user and a loser in my eyes. 

It was hard being so disappointed in someone you liked so much.

Even I was a bit afraid of Vincenzo these days, although we haven't been communicating lately, I've heard about his many 'deeds' around school. Like he and Martin had made this kids life a living hell because that classmate had corrected Martin in front of the class. Another example was Sunny Kiddos, who only implied something wrong with Vincenzo's family. He was beaten until he got hospitalized. Even hearing about it was enough to scare me into an early grave.

I should....just get homeschooled.

The class suddenly erupted in whispers as I put my head down. "Woah, no way he's in this class!" 

"He's smart enough to get in this class!"

"I can't believe it!"

"It's Vinny DeVellis! He's so cute!"

"He's really in this class?"

"Man he's really tall!"

"Hey, Vinny! Remember me?"

"He looks so rich and opulent!"

"He's gorgeous!"

I felt my happiness further drop when I heard the one name I would've died not to hear. Obviously I drowned in my bath last night. Clearly I have entered hell on earth, and everyone was now fawning over the sexy Devil incarnate. Or maybe I died waiting outside for him and now I'm experiencing a new type of hell.

Never ending high school with him.

However smitten they were with Vincenzo's fakeness, it was all because he was the worst delinquent of them all. Why does everyone act like he's fucking Jesus or something? Hes done nothing for anybody and just sucks the joy out of everyday life. He's repulsive and fake and a spoiled shitty sexy brat! He doesn't even know how to be loyal to the people loyal to him.

He'll just make you sick!

I guess he seems like a pretty cool guy to everyone else. Must be nice to be so naturally extroverted and kind to everyone....but me. It may be sexy but it was still so annoying.

Whatever, Vincenzo is just a slacker and a loser. He's just the son of my dads friends. Since our births we've been considered friends and brothers, and for most of that time, he was just an asshole who liked to take advantage of my kindness and loyalty. Then he got comfortable and started to treat me as your personal slave for some reason! Maybe I had a little crush on him, who didn't, and maybe I wanted him to fuck me until I cried. So I still helped him, but that'll just go away with time, right?!

There goes my peaceful semester! 

NO! Fuck that! It's time I started to live for myself! I picked my head back up suddenly feeling very brave. I wasn't very keen on hiding myself anymore.

From now on, I'm going to ignore Vincenzo this time around. That's what best for me! It's the end of Spring! The flowers are blossoming which means the air is ripe for making new friends and starting over with classmates who probably have no idea that I exist since the advance classes are very diverse.

I will start over!

At lunch time I couldn't really keep up my brave act anymore. I haven't been able to talk to anyone since they all seemed to want to keep distance from me, as if I was suddenly social poison. Everyone avoided me unless they had to interact with me because they thought my face mask was weird as well. And, as usual, I feel like I'm dying by myself, while Vincenzo and everyone else were having fun.

I did the best I could but, life never works as planned does it? It was the only lesson I knew to be 100% true. Misfortune sure has a way of sneaking up on you, that miserable bitch! Well, I guess it didn't really sneak up on me since I knew it would happen.

My phone started to ring and I saw it was my dad so I answered it. "Hello?"

""Geez, you sound awful, Dan. Drink some tea or something,"" Dad snapped. ""I knew I should've kept you home today! What good is a fathers love if he can't see these things!""

"I'm fine, dad. I just walked up some stairs," I lied again. I'm a bad son for sure, but I didn't want to worry him more. "If it gets too much, I'll do the homeschooling like you suggested."

""Fine,"" dad sighed. ""I won't press the issue anymore. I need you to drop something off for me, I put it in your gym bag but you left before I could tell you.""

"Where?"

""Vincenzo's dad, he always leaves things behind after visiting. If he goes home and find stuff missing it might cause problems in that house,"" dad explained.

"Dad, no, I don't want to!" I started to bite my fingernails again. It was a nervous tick I developed a few years ago to help me deal with Vincenzo that often left my hands bleeding. "I don't want to!"

""Please! I'll make you some really good food tonight if you just run this errand for dad! You don't even have to bring it to their house, just hand it to Vincenzo."" Dad pleaded.

"You can't cook, dad." I hissed at him.

""Dan!""

"Fine!" I gave up the good fight not being able to bear hearing my dad plead. He doesn't even deserve it. It's not like he knows that Vincenzo and I aren't in a good place, of course he expects me to do this. Yeah, all this is just to keep the peace around here and between the two families. I don't have much time before I can just just go off somewhere Vincenzo wasn't around.

""Thank you, make sure you take your medicine after you eat, Danny. I'll see you when I get home,"" I could hear my father smiling right now. The lie kept him happy so I can't just go back on it now, can I?

"See ya," I hung up defeated. I felt like I just got a call from my doctor and he told me I had a few months left to live. 

I slouched over to my locker and grudgingly took out my gym bag noticing it was bigger than normal. It's time for me to die isn't it? My body feels that way. Weak and nauseous. But this had to be done right away so I didn't get worked up.

Slowly, after taking my medicine and using my inhaler, I made my way to where Vincenzo and his goons usually had lunch. That would be in the corner of the schools large pavilion that smelled like ass and cigarettes.

Where all the undesirables met up. As they saw me approaching them, they glared at me. I wish they wouldn't stare at me like that, it's not like I wanted to be here either. I can't believe how careless Vincenzo was about the company he kept. It was even more disappointing this year.

Fucking delinquents. Like the guy Vincenzo sat next to had gotten arrested a for fighting some guy and disabling him....and the other was Martin! I was looking a trio of trashy people.

Vincenzo wasn't always like this, so I wonder what changed.

"I was wondering when you'd come," I heard Vincenzo call out smugly when I got close enough. 

"What? Why would you be waiting for-AH!" Vincent had grabbed my arm and pulled me forwards but making me trip over my feet. He laughed with his friends knowing better than them that my body was too weak for me to catch myself. 

"You keep following me around like a sick puppy, are you doing that still? You've always been like that, right? We're even in all the same classes this year. What kind of strings did your dad pull this time?" He asked. "Who did he harass this time?"

"Must be hard being so popular, Vinny," Martin chuckled. "Doesn't it bother you, getting random shit from this guy."

"Our dads are friends. My dad just feel sorry for his-"

He knows better than to talk about my father that way. "Listen up, Asshole!" I snapped at him as best as I could. I was still hoarse and sounded bad but my anger seemed to be coming out correctly. "You think I want to do this? What a fucking pain in the ass you and your family are being to my father and I! We'll just pretend we don't know each other and I'm never running errands like this again! Ever!"

"Shut up, you're turning pale-"

"Take this shit your dad left and stay out of my sight!" I threw his fathers clothes at him feeling my heart rate go up as I started to breathe heavily. "Tell your fucking dad to stop forgetting his shit!"

"Danny, just-"

"Fuck off!" I snapped a bit louder. Being firm about this was more important than anything else! This guy didn't have any right to try and embarrass me!

Embarrassment came anyway as I started to cough heavily. All the adrenaline I felt before had fizzled out when Vincenzo had entered the classroom. I had no strength to carry on this conversation any longer than I already had.

I used my inhaler again once I started to walk away from the group. A hand grabbed me and held on lightly, still too tight for me to get away. I hated this stupid weak body!

"All you did was talk, why are you like this already? Are you looking for my attention or something by acting pitiful?" Vincenzo asked. I turned to glare at him seriously.

"Think whatever you want, let go of me now," I sneered. I could see that Martin had lit a cigarette from my peripheral and immediately knew why I started to feel sick. I gotta get out of here! "Let me go!"

"Shut up!" Vincenzo snapped at me but still let me go. He must've seen my resolve or realized that Martin's cigarette was killing my air, because he didn't try to stop me from leaving again when I finally slipped from his grip.

The rest of the school day went by very quietly for me. No one even tried to talk to me, and I sure didn't have the energy to try to talk to anyone. It was incredibly depressing to realize now that no matter what I changed, that I was still just a sickly weak loser.

My only 'friend' was Vincenzo.

My way to the bus stop after school wasn't very easy either. I'd gotten these ridiculously heavy new textbooks to take home and study and boy was i struggling with it. It especially sucked when I had reached the bus stop and saw Vincenzo waiting there with his friends.

The universe must truly be trying to get rid of me at this point. I just can't catch a break can I? I was just a little bit scared of them, not that I let it show, but I don't want to be bothered by them. I'd better ignore them, because I was getting extremely nervous now.

When the bus pulled up, I quickly got on and paid before heading towards the back. Before I could even get two steps forward, I saw Vincenzo enter thru the back doors while some people were getting off and sit in the area I was heading too. I quickly retreated backwards but realized that I was on a stupid bus.

I ignored the weird looks I got and found a handrail to hang onto. I'll just lay down and rest when I get home, I don't have to sit even though my legs feel like they're about to give out.

My phone notifications sounded off.

It was a text message from....Vincenzo? Why hadn't I blocked his number by now? I wanted to ignore it, but I made the mistake of looking at Vincenzo before reading the message. 

We locked eyes and he motioned for me to come back where he was. Of course I knew there was a seat over there where he was! I just don't want to sit next to him ever again!

But I really was exhausted.

Feeling defeated, I put my phone away and dragged my feet over to the back of the bus. I didn't want to look at him too much, but I didn't want to lower my head while I was around this guy, so I settled for staring out of a window.

"Why won't you look at me?" I could hear him smiling. I looked him in his eyes again and glared. "You look like you're dying." How could he tell? "It's all in your eyes. They're almost completely dead now that I'm looking."

"Everyone is dying, just slower than me," I mumbled averting my gaze again. I was just waiting for another insult about my body's condition to come out so I could hit the guy, it wouldn't do any damage, but I would feel better.

"Why are you standing? Sit down, the seat is right there," he rolled his eyes. Feeling ill at ease, I immediately sat down and felt instant relief. My heart was beating like crazy only because I felt like maybe Vincenzo had finally lost his marbles.

I'd taken this bus all freshman, sophomore and junior year, and not once had Vincenzo joined me for a ride home. Let alone invite me to sit with him. I'm only paranoid because I know how he really is!

Shitty!

"How'd you hold up last night?" Vincenzo asked.

"Fine," I mumbled unsure of why I was answering his questions. This was my chance to really chew him out, right? Wouldn't I just be wasting my breath telling this guy about it though? He's not like he was when we were younger anyway.

He won't care! He saw my condition in the rain yesterday and he knows that I get sick incredibly easily. All he was doing right now was trying to get under my skin anyway he could by reminding me exactly how weak I was.

Just then the bus prompted that we were at our stop. Just a block to walk and I'd be free of this bullshit act! I got up and took a step forward wanting to run, but I was held by my shirt.

"Why are you trying to run? You'll end up killing yourself," Vincenzo laughed at me. Together we exited the bus appearing like we were all buddy buddy. "You look like you're still trying to run. It's funny how fast you're trying to walk."

"I said we're pretending we don't know each other, so why are you talking to me right now?" I begged to know. He obviously doesn't like me and I gave him an out to knowing me! Why won't he just accept it and cut ties with me mutually?

"Because who else will report your body when you die doing something small," Vincenzo joked. I didn't find the joke funny, just hurtful. It felt like everyone but my father was just waiting for me to die!

"I don't expect someone like you to do that, so you shouldn't worry," I hissed at him and turned my head to hide how much that actually hurt me. He'd probably dance on my grave. The last thing I needed was this guy thinking he got to me somehow. "Leave me alone now."

"I'm not done talking."

"I am," a few more feet to my yard, then I'll go and sleep off the rest of my fever! Vincenzo grabbed my arm again and pulled me around to face him. "Let me go!"

"Stop it!"

"Let me go!"

"Hey! I told you to fucking stop!" Vincenzo snapped at me tightening his grip on my arm and raising his other hand as if he were threatening to hit me. "I already have a headache so if you don't shut the fuck up-"

"Oh, it's Danny!" A womans voice interrupted us. Vincenzo immediately let me go and shot me look before facing his mom, Apolonia. "It's been so long! Come in and have a snack with us. I've got Pignoli cookies!"

I don't know how or why I went, but I ended up on Vincenzo's couch eating cookies with him and his mother and not going to bed. I could tell that someone was just smoking in here as well, the air reeked of cigarette smoke and food. I started to wonder just what hell I was doing here in the first place if it just made me feel more sick. If I had known things would turn out like this, I would've just given the clothes to Vincenzo's mom and left quickly without being seen.

"Did you and Vincenzo get to hang out at school today?" Apolonia asked us while opening windows. "You two look more friendly lately."

"Yes," I lied on cue. This was too normal for me. But why would it not be, I've been lying to them for years about this.

"You know, once football starts, you two might not be able to hang out as much. I hope you won't get lonely, Danny," it's a bit late to worry about me being lonely. 

"It's fine, I'll just study," I told her. "I'm not lonely at all anyway."

"Are you catching the bus to school together still?" She pried. Like hell! We haven't gone to school together since the seventh grade. I don't have to tell her about a one time instance, do I?

"About that-"

"We are!" Vincenzo jumped into the conversation suddenly. Right, he was a practiced liar as well and for some reason his parents had to believe this.

"Any homework?" Apolonia tried again.

"The semester just started. There's no homework today," I told her.

"Well, if Vinny acts up at all, even if a teacher isn't around, you have to tell me!" 

"O-ok," I shifted uncomfortable under both their stares. I want to just leave and go to bed! "Actually, there's a lot I don't know about Vincenzo, he does have other friends and we aren't as close as we used to be. You should ask them to keep an eye on him instead of me. I'm really not interested in doing that."

"But you're so much more trustworthy! You're a really good kid, Danny, so I hope I can count on you." Apolonia insisted. Why do I have to look after him? If I don't start looking after myself soon I might actually die! Why the hell could these fucking people never look after their own kid? I wanted so badly to tell her about herself, but I was to afraid of what Vincenzo might do to me, as I was in enemy territory.

She still wanted me to take care of him, despite him being the source of my nightmares every night? And wanting to die from self hatred every day? Even my own dad couldn't see it! Why can't anybody see? Why won't anybody help me? I'm in so much pain already! Why is it only me she can count on? 

I wonder, if i had never stopped him from going to Italy with his grandmother, would I be going through all this pain right now? This is the worst timing!

My life as Vincenzo's babysitter has a long resentful (on my part) history starting back in kindergarten. The one to start it all, was my own father. Of course, it wasn't on purpose, he just thought I needed a friend or would do better with something like a brother. Thanks to that, I've been tied to this asshole for my entire life. My own two hands were always carrying both of our stuff, I'm sure that's why I never grew very much.

For our entire lives, we were forced together like that, until I was able to cut most ties I had with him. But now it feels like all my efforts to get rid of my crush was about to be in jeopardy! We're about to be forced back together again.

Of course Vincenzo acted like none of this effected him and continued to lay around idly on his phone.

As usual, my dad was enthusiastic to help. The next morning I found he had packed a huge lunch for me.

"It was just a few cookies! Why the hell do I have to bring him lunch?" I whined.

"What? They invited you in and fed you, Dan. We have to return the favor somehow," dad explained. Him and his manners, why couldn't he just be rude to them once for me? "I don't like owing people."

"I don't wanna, bring it to him yourself."

"Why? Vincenzo's mom said you two still take the bus together to school, so it'll be easier for you to do it."

Apolonia DeVellis, you're ruining my life.

"Geez."

"Thank you! Make sure you give him the lunch! I'll ask him if he got it. And fix your attitude."

"Fine," I waved him off before opening the front door. I can't say that Vincenzo was lying about us being somewhat friends, but of course we don't walk together or ride the bus together and we haven't in years.

"Look at that! Vinny's waiting for you!" Dad exclaimed. I looked up from tying my shoe at the open front door. There Vincenzo stood with an innocent smile. "Or are you here for something else? Did I forget to give your dad something back?"

"No sir," Vincenzo continued on smiling. "I'm here for Danny." What the actual fuck is going on here? I know he's fucking lying right now! Dad finally closed the door happily to my dismay. "You're late today."

"I don't usually leave at this time," I said trying to get rid of him.

"I know, you're usually thirty minutes earlier," Vincenzo rolled his eyes. I was obviously trying to avoid you after yesterday idiot! Why couldn't you just get the hint?

I put on my face mask and looked up at the sky to see if the sun was rising from the West today, but unfortunately it was rising from the East. Everything was normal but weird.

I get why Vincenzo was lying to his mother about this, but I don't know why he actually got on the bus with me. Usually someone picks him up by the bus stop, so why not today?

What's he scheming?

"You're late!" Our teacher snapped at us.

"The bell just rang a second ago, give us a break!" Vincenzo snapped back at the teacher.

"Us?"

I stepped out from behind Vincenzo so the teacher could see me. Everyone is staring at us weirdly now! Why is he sticking to me now? "We came to school together, but I got sick."

The teacher turned red, knowing that she couldn't punish me for this. I had a lifetime pass to be late to class. I didn't intend to save Vincenzo's ass too but he got lucky and we were waved off to our seats.

This whole thing is going to make me sick wasn't it?

During the morning lessons, I couldn't absorb any of the information thrown at me despite my notes being A1. Firstly, it was because I hated math even though I was good at it. Second was because Vincenzo sent me a text asking me to eat lunch with him, which I ignored. Third was because Vincenzo kept looking back in his seat to watch me after I ignored him.

My mind was in pieces right now!

During lunch time I went on my own to the cafeteria. By the time I got there, it was packed. I went to the shortest line and waited. Why didn't I just eat the lunch dad made?

I could hear the people around me start to whisper. I looked behind me to see the crowd of students part like the Red Sea forming a path for Martin and Vincenzo.

Seeing that they were headed in my direction, I turned back and silently hoped they were just cutting the line and didn't see me. But that would just be too easy on my already tiresome life, right?

Vincenzo walked right up to me. I wasn't going to move for them so I stayed in my place in line, ignoring them. "Why didn't you reply to my message?"

"Haven't seen it," I can't have one honest day, that's why I'm cursed, right? "Or maybe I did and couldn't give a shit about it."

"Do you need to me to read it to you directly?" 

"No. I can read."

"Then don't act stupid," he told me. At this point I closed my ears and blocked out his and Martins ramblings about nothing until I received my food. Without more words, I went off to go find a seat.

To my absolute surprise, Vincenzo and Martin sat right across from me.

"So you're the infamous Danny Cunningham?" A third guy, blond, tall, huge and handsome, set his tray down and sat next to me. He was another of Vincenzo's friends, but I never saw him with anyone Vincenzo regularly hung out with....or even with Vincenzo for very long at a time. He was never present for the bullying when it happened, but I think I remember him as an innocent unaware bystander a few times. Although he was a big bulky guy, I don't think I've ever heard anyone speak about him unless it was to say how scary he was. "I'm Ashton Belle."

"Pleasure," I mumbled noticing his southern drawl.

"You're good at all the subjects, right? Do you tutor at all?" He asked. I shook my head. "Oh, if you're not going to eat your fries you can give them to me, I'll give you this apple. I hate the fruit from school," Ashton smiled right at me.

"Don't touch his food, he's sick," Vincenzo smiled devilishly. 

"What do you have? The cold?"

"Athsma, anemia, chronic immunodeficiency," I listed. "Chronic stress."

"He's wearing a mask and he's not in a hazmat suit dude. He's not even contagious, don't be ignorant. Want to switch, Dan?" Ashton asked me. At least someone knew the obvious and could treat me like a normal person instead of like some kind of disease. I wonder when his rumored scary side would kick in.

"Yeah, take the fries," I told him. I've never exchanged food before. "How did you know my name?"

"We're in a lot of the same classes man. I'll sit next to you next class since we're friends now!" Ashton helped himself to the fried on my plate. I turned my head and coughed a few times.

What the fuck is this? Friends?

"Vin, you going to Kates party on Thursday? It goes all night." Martin asked.

"I don't think I can make it this year," Vincenzo told him. "My parents are really cracking the whip for senior year."

Thursday was my birthday as well. Vincenzo and I haven't celebrated my birthday together since we were twelve, but we celebrated all of his to this day. If he can't go to the birthday party, does that mean we'll be hanging out that day? Maybe he can grant my wish and pop my cherry.

Don't get your hopes up for something so idiotic Danny. Control yourself, Danny! Don't be swayed by the first bit of kindness he's shown me in fucking years. He's clearly up to something awful! And why the hell was this guy just staring at me like he was? Is it all out of curiosity? While the three talked, I silently was able to make an escape.

Unfortunately, I wasn't halfway out of the cafeteria doors before Vincenzo appeared next to me. "Hey! Help me with this badge thing! I just stapled it on."

I looked at his jacket with had a single patch on it that was crudely stapled on. Unbelievable, how old was this guy? Why couldn't he ask his mom to fix up his clothes.

"I'll let you borrow a sewing kit later." I said. I wasn't going to help him with anything anymore! Just because I knew how to sow and make clothes, doesn't mean I wanted to! I'll just resist and eventually I'll get over whatever it was I still felt towards this guy. 

"Sorry," Vincenzo suddenly told me.

"Huh? About what?"

"About everything, I'm sorry for it." He repeated. An apology to me from Vincenzo? My first apology ever from him since we were ten years old. I wasn't sure what to do about it right now, but I heart was beating out of my chest and I could feel my entire body heating up. I think I might throw up from this intense feeling! 

I think he should take me now!

Before I could think, I opened my stupid mouth.