My Bubblegum King - Chapter 12: Chapter 12

"It isn't all that hectic, really," Ryder explained, putting books together to get the place tidy. "Although when I came on Friday, it kinda was. It was like that afternoon and evening was the free time everybody had to bring their pet in and almost run into strays with their car. Also do you know you can also adopt a dog here? It insane that I didn't know that. If you see their collection of Chihuahua, oh my gosh Pax."
"How did you not know that? There's literally a line of now empty cages by the window and it's an Animal Shelter, slash vet, slash orphanage."
"Doesn't Shelter cover orphanage?"
I shrugged, crossing my legs on the comfy seat. "Shelter means housing, so maybe yes but you know you need the specifics broken down for you."
Ryder rolled her eyes at me, "I almost forgot how annoyingly nerdy you are. Oh, Pax I've missed you. Let's not have this kind of week again, how can we not see when we live on the same campus?"
"One word, college. I think it'll happen again, we'd just have to survive through it."
"Yeah," she pouted, I did too and we hold hands. "Also, Jodi and Diego are siblings, did you know that?"
I rolled my eyes, "since the 1990's bitch."
Ry smacked me, "Why am I the last to know stuff?"
"'Cause you're slow." I laughed and got another smack.
"Anyway, they are making my time here more fun and worth it. I've never seen siblings who bicker so much. Almost every word exchanged with them is an argument."
"They surpass me and Percy?"
"Oh, you and Percy were in love with each other, in this case." Ryder laughed. "It's all good with them though, hopefully it never gets physical."
I nodded and then leaned back on the seat so I could sneak a peak through the opened door leading to the clinic room where I could still hear Diego and Jodi's hushed voices coming from. They went to finish up with the barfing dog and it's been a while now. I didn't see anything from my peeking, the door wasn't opened wide enough. "What are they even doing in there now?" I gasped, "are they operating on a dog right now?"
Ryder shuddered, then shrugged. "Probably, poor dog came in really sick and crying with a hurting stomach. I feel so bad for it, only good thing is we had a good laugh out of it barfing on Diego."
"Yeah," I smiled to myself remembering the scene when I came.
"Oh my Pax," Ryder tapped, more like slapped, me to get my attention. It's something that happens when she can't wait to pour out whatever it was that was on her tongue to me. "Did you see Diego's body? Woohoo!"
"Ryder," I warned, leaning over and placing my hand around her mouth. Then checking to see if there was any sign of Diego hearing her. "Keep it down."
"Sorry but my oh my, even if I was distracted by the laughter, I just couldn't help it. The guy is packing guns and not the disgusting wrestler way, this one was perfect, defined in all the right area."
"Mmhm," my face was getting hot remembering that I actually did see it and getting embarrassed and I didn't want Ryder to notice a thing so, "wait aren't you into his sister? I think this is so inappropriate."
"Shut up, did you see the body or not?"
"I didn't," I choose the easy coward way, excited or not Ryder would surely chastise me if I explain to her just what I saw, my face would throw me under the bus and I'd surely be reminded that I have a boyfriend. Which I know and is why I'm embarrassed but it wasn't also my fault that I saw. Anyway, long story short, Ryder didn't need to know that bit. "I came in when he had a shirt on."
"Oh, yeah," she shook her head like she was sad for me. "It's was perfect, how can two siblings be so perfect?"
I shrugged, "I've heard Percy and I are perfect."
Ryder paused to fix me a look that said, 'are you kidding me' in three different languages. I burst out laughing, "it's true."
"Babe, this level of hotness is so beyond the Flynn's, maybe Tracy, I see potential but definitely not you and Percy."
"Ouch and you're just saying that because we're family. Have you seen Percy lately, he's been working in that gym and though it hurts me to say but he's really building that body well. He's way taller with all the right definitions. If you were at home, you'd probably have taken him up on that offer to 'rub one in'."
Ryder made it look like she was about to choke, gag and die. I wasn't done though, "yeah, you do that. Already imagining his probably very big something in your mouth, right?"
"Oh my God!" Ryder literally screamed, about to shove me off the chair. But I did myself a big favor by getting down and running from her view all the way laughing my ass out. "Mention Percy anything again and I'd kill you!"
I raised my hand up in surrender.
"That's your brother, how isn't this inappropriate for you to say?" She looked at me with total disgust, probably still hearing what I said.
"It's inappropriate but anything for that look on your face, you came at me and my family," I tell her, trying so hard to keep the laugh.
"I guess but I still don't deserve that, too harsh, Percy is a brother to me."
"Whatever and I am not so bad either," I started saying, though in hindsight, that was where I should have also stopped talking. "Yes, I'm a bit scrawny and pale but I have good hair, smart hot brains and a very cute ass, I'm hot cake."
"Preach," Jodi said, pushing past Diego that was already there and going out to dispose of the trash bag in her hands.
My eyes met with the amused once of Diego and I entered the ground with my imaginary earth bending powers. Unfortunately, it was only imaginary.
Ryder, the evil Western or is it Eastern witch had the audacity to almost laugh. "I can't help but agree with that."
"Me too." Jodi said, grinning as she walked back in.
"Me three?" Diego said, raising a hand up and looking like he was fighting a big smile from coming on.
"No no," I pouted, covering my face. "Nobody should agree on my cute butt."
Then they burst out laughing and I face palmed a thousand times.
"But you were the one—" Ry started saying before I cut her off with a glare.
"I will hurt you," I mouthed to her and she sealed her evil lips.
"Come on Ryder," Jodi beckoned her over. "Let's go over the medication, cost and time of release for whatever is his name we just finished working on."
Ryder nodded, leaving her reception post. "I'll be right back," she said to me, then mouthed. "Don't die before then."
I subtly gave her the middle finger before she disappeared behind the door with Jodi and leaving me with Diego. Diego silently walked around, dusting himself out before sitting on the visitor sofa. "I should be going," I blunted out, not wanting to hear him make fun of me. "Ryder has work now anyway."
"Aw, you came to see just Ryder?"
I nodded.
"You hurt me Paxty."
I held in the reflex groan that always seemed to come out at the mention of that awful nickname. "What," I turned to him. "Like you were counting on seeing me?"
"I was."
"Bullshit."
He relaxed his elbow on his thighs, leaning forward and fixing me with his green eyes. "I was, even though not here."
"Yeah, we'd just see in class." I forgot to mention that throughout the weeks were I was super busy and cut out from my friends and family, Diego was there. Diego was the second constant, first was Seb emojis. I saw him in class, at the EatOut, during our lap session and twice I think we've gone out for coffee to refuel before our next class. We weren't even doing the same course, yet I saw him everyday.
He tapped the space next to him, "come sit, I won't bite."
"No, all you would do is make fun of me and my cute... ass."
"If I promise I won't, would you stay longer?"
"Um, I promise I will think about it," I said, giving him a cheeky smile.
Diego shook his head and nodded, "I promise not to mention or talk about your cute... What you said."
I blushed so hard. "Hm, are you being decent right now?"
He shrugged, "is it making you stay?"
I roll my eyes but go to sit on the other end of the sofa, just facing him and crossing one leg under me. "Why do you even want my company, someone might actually think we're close and that would be your nightmare coming through."
"Hm," Diego relaxed his back on the arm of the chair from the other end so we're facing each other. "Explain please."
"Well, you've been in this school two year and you don't have a single close friend. Yeah, I've seen you nod at some of the frat guys and exchanged handshakes but other than that you're this aloof guy who doesn't seem to care about relationships with people," I raised both my palms up, surrender fashion. "No offense, I just find it weird. You have no friends and it's not because you're being isolated or hated, I've seen people legit try to talk to you in class and you just brush them off. It's just... weird. So I've kinda taken it up myself to label you a self proclaimed loner."
"Oh yeah?" Diego laughed.
"Yep, very serious." I jokingly nodded. "Although have about five signatures of people agreeing to it. Would soon bring out the flyers and shit."
Diego laughed about it and I did too because his laugh was contagious as hell but I was serious about the friend thing. I've only seen him with me, me and Jodi but there were fighting or working.
"Okay but, I do have friends."
"Let me guess, Barney?"
He nodded like he was surprised I got that. "Wow, nice guess and so true, we're like this," he locks his two index fingers together for emphasis, "close."
I fix him the traditional 'are you kidding me look', "Barney's a dog you middle aged grandma weirdo."
Diego paused like he was swallowing in what I just said, trying to understand what even I myself did not understand. "That's like two contradicting... Okay." He thankfully gave up. "Okay so you're right, I don't really have close friends but that's just because I've tasted friendship here in college and I didn't like the end result."
"What does that mean even?"
He looked away from my face and to my shoes, "it's complicated but let's just say, in the past I didn't really make good friends and now I just wanna chill and find my um... people I resonate with, my kind of people. And I guess I haven't people like that yet."
"Except me?" I chipped in, aiming at being goofy because I felt like the vibe had changed from making fun to serious that he wasn't all that comfortable with.
"Except you," he agreed, back to looking at my face. Guess I don't mind his eyes that much anymore. "I don't know but you're just—"
"Special, extraordinary, perfect, a ray of sunshine, vibe mate." I supplied, then giggled at the way he was looking at me.
Diego shook his head, "and I'm supposed to be the narcissistic one?"
"Yup, you're the narcissistic one. I might not completely believe everything I say about me but I say it anyway," I nodded like I was making sense. "It's all part of the therapy."
"Therapy?" Diego asked, narrowing his eyes seriously at me, or concerned. Maybe both.
"Oh no no," I chuckled, "not that kind of serious therapy stuff, no, I'm fine. It's like a self prescribed therapy, influenced by my brother and boyfriend."
"How so?" He looked genuinely curious and concerned that I actually felt the warmth coming from his eyes and touching places in me that felt kinda... lonely. I guess knowing someone cared and seeing that someone cared could be two different things.
It took me a moment to take in the look, and before I know it my mouth was opening and spilling things I never knew I would be saying to anyone, talk more of Diego in the next year. I talked about my insecurities in highschool, the fear of not being enough totally fueled by my first should-never-have-happened relationship with an older guy, the way it affected me, making me all needy and crying and shit like that. I talked about how Percy helped me through it, being there and telling me I was good enough. I talked about how even Spencer, my not so much of an ex also tried to tell me not to ever settle for less and finally how Sebastian helped, always being there even when I didn't deserve him, looking out for me and telling me things that had me never doubting myself ever again. Sebastian made me see all the good things I had, even making what I thought were bad things look great.
"Percy even researched on it and made me compliment myself every day while looking at the mirror," I shrugged, looking down at my fingers. "I guess the habit stuck and I just remind myself everyday now, directly or not that I am enough." I shrugged again, feeling really vulnerable.
"Well," his voice sounded way closer and when I looked up, I realized he was actually closer to me. Really close. His nose stud glint catching my eye. "You undeniably have a really really really cute ass."
"Diego!" I smacked him, breaking into a laugh. "You freaking promised!"
"I- I tried, like all that minutes, give me my credit. You knew there was no way I would let you live without pointing out that which you gracefully pointed out," he said trying to chuckle under his breathe. "I tried."
Somehow I just knew he was trying to do what I tried to do— break out of an uncomfortable vibe with a joke— and I can't say with words just how much I appreciated it. So I let him be, laughing at my expense.
"Looks good in all pants, I tell you."
"Haven't really been checking but never too late to start."
"No, no! I'd kill you!"