My Bubblegum King - Chapter 31: Chapter 31

I delayed talking to my mom for a week. I wanted to go home too, I missed everybody and it'll be my chance to see Sebastian again plus my baby nephew. But then I couldn't go back home looking the way I was, with bruises up and down. That'll just automatically make everyone worry and think that I get beaten up regularly here which is not true.
Apart from that one night, I've been having a pretty great time here in college but seeing me in my bruised state would tell them otherwise.
Anyway during my week avoiding my family, a lot happened. I finally got out of my room to engage in social association and discovered myself that everything Ryder said was true. Diego went through the panel of whoever it was incharge here in school. It was his truth against the frat boys' and there was no confusion about who attacked first. It was obviously Diego looking for trouble and nobody believed that he did not start the fire. His father even dropped by and I caught a glimpse of him once and it wasn't a happy look at all. Diego was practically avoiding me. Of course I'd see him and we'd nod and maybe even exchange a smile but then before I make two steps towards him he'd be gone.
"Is Diego in?" I asked, leaning over the counter at Ry's reception. I followed her here with the excuse of exercising and also to see Diego, I was so worried it wasn't funny.
"Nah, he barely drops by nowadays," Ry explained. "It's just me and," she moves closer to whisper. "Jordy."
I sighed, then rolled my eyes whispering right back. "How are things with her?"
"Just there. She's a complete pro at pretending I didn't confess my feelings to her and begged her to date me and so far so good I'm picking a few tips from her and doing good," she shrugged. "We talk."
I nodded, "is that healthy?"
"Who fucking cares Pax. It is what it is."
"Are you still seeing Fern?"
Ryder shrugged again, "well, I wouldn't really call it seeing but we've been texting. Like a lot, he's quite funny."
"Mmhm."
She rolled her eyes, "don't even start. Two people can have sex and still be friends. And I'm bisexual, who knows, maybe if we keep texting we might try the whole sex thing again and I might fall in love."
I narrow my eyes at her, "really? With Fern, you would try the- again?"
"Being lonely sucks and I don't mean physically lonely. And Fern is not bad at all."
"Okay."
She pouted. "You have something to tell me don't you?"
I pursed my lips and shook my head, lying. Of course I did and she knew me well to know. I could be telling her about her being 'lonely' isn't an excuse to jump into something that she would regret and how it doesn't have to be serious and how Fern being in love with somebody different is already a red flag but then I chose to be quiet. She probably knew all that already. "Nope, you do you."
She smiled, "aw such a supportive friend."
I rolled my eyes, "I'm leaving."
"Ha tell me you just came to see Diego without telling me you just came to see Diego." She scoffed, eying me.
I paused, "I'm worried about him, he's avoiding me and this who panel thing."
"Well, for worth is worth. He asked about you last I saw him."
I pecked up, "what did he say?"
"Asked how your body was, asked if you were getting enough sleep and asked if your bruises were healing up nicely. Things like that."
A small smile escaped my lips. "Why won't he come ask me in person?"
Ryder shrugged, "I don't know."
"Have you heard any news about his case?"
"Nothing much just that the big guys were finding it hard to believe the whole hazing ritual is true in their school and they require evidence that Diego doesn't have."
"Evidence? I can be evidence, right?"
Ryder looked up sharply, glaring at me. "Don't even dare Pax, I bet there's a reason why Diego didn't tell you about it."
"Mmhm."
"Pax? Paxton!"
"Bye Ry."
And that's how I find myself the next day in front of a panel of old men, frat house representative to the right and a glaring Diego to the left as I talk about the attack and show my bruises. I noticed Diego couldn't look at me as I narrated my experiences and he had his fist folded on the table when I raised my shirts to show my bruises.
It wasn't easy for me at all recounting all the bad memories again and exposing my unflattering body — more now— to complete strangers. But looking at Diego gave me strength to go through with it somehow. I couldn't let him get expelled and he's put so much into changing himself to be thrown back to all this shit again. I wanted to help him just as he had helped me and this was the only way I knew how.
I didn't know I wasn't breathing fine until I was out of the office and back outside to space and less eyes on me. I felt drained and completely exhausted, I don't know how people do this. Taking a turn to go back inside, a hand clamped over mine and pulled me to corner making me gasp out loud and almost hit my head on the muscled body.
"Are you fucking kidding me Paxton? What the fuck are you doing here?" A furious Diego asked and when my eyes met his, his green eyes looked like a forest ablaze.
I pulled my hand away from him. "I should be asking you that. You needed evidence and you couldn't tell me. I think I have a say in this issue seeing as I was the one directly affected!"
"Seriously? I wanted to keep you away from this. Being the one affected or not, if they can't believe the truth from my mouth what makes you think they'd believe you?"
I flattered a bit because catching myself back. "Well at least I tried. I did something."
"I was going to do everything. I didn't need you."
I glared, "too bad. Maybe if you've bothered to inform me ahead of time or not avoided me, this wouldn't have happened."
"I— I—"
"Have you finally decided to not be friends?" I asked, words feeling like sand on my tongue.
"Of course not. I just couldn't see you like that, it was killing me."
"Like what?"
"Injured!" We paused, none of us saying anything. Diego groaned and ran his hand through his hair. "I couldn't see you like that. It made me angry and made me want to kill the people responsible."
My heart skipped, "Diego—"
"See? I shouldn't have told you that," he pulled at his hair, looking up at the sky. "You really shouldn't have come." Then he made to leave.
I forced myself to speak, "well, I'm going away."
He stopped immediately. "Away."
I exhaled. "I'm going home for the break before exams."
"Oh."
"I'd be out your hair for a while," he didn't say anything so I continued. "Promise not to kill anybody."
He scoffed, not looking at me. "Safe journey."
"Diego..." But he was walking away already. I sighed. I'd really need this break, much more than I thought.
***
You know that feeling when you haven't eaten something for a while and then by chance you come across it and you have the pleasure of eating it again. That feeling where you missed it more than you thought you did? That feeling that almost overwhelms you and you're wondering how did I survive so long without it?
That's the feeling my little town brings to me but it's more so rotted to the 6 foot 2 inches guy standing meters away from me in black pants and a black hoodie that says "Paxton" in front of it with big bold white letters. 'PAX' above and 'TON' below. I couldn't see it of course but behind, on the top back of the hoodie 'MINE' was written behind it. I didn't know when I was smiling and when my pace increased, dragging my poor suitcase along mercilessly.
I had a similar hoodie same black color but with "Sebastian" written in front of it. Divided into three very bold font. And the word "HIS" behind it. I remember when we got it. It was after highschool and I was going away but I wanted up to have personalized hoodies. The person in charge of personalizing it got it all wrong and wrote Paxton on the bigger hoodie and Sebastian on the smaller one instead of vice versa.
Sebastian almost lashed her head out but I found it beautiful and loved it at first sight. I advised us each to add something behind and although Sebastian complained murmuring that it was childish and tacky, I was surprised to see he wrote 'mine' on his. We only wore them once together and now here he was with it again. Seb hadn't seen me yet not until I almost tripped along with my suitcase, when I looked back up he had his blue gray eyes on me. I turned really red, freezing in the spot under his gaze. Sebastian smirked and made an attempt to cross over the line where he and other people where but the airport security stopped him. Now I smiled.
My walk over to him was kinda painful, if I could fly I would've. How did he even know I was coming back? I wanted to surprise him.
I threw myself at him the moment I could, wrapping my hand around his warm hard body and feeling him do the same. Burying my face in his chest, my throat clogged up and my eyes stung. It was as if everything was finally clashing together, overwhelming me at the same time. This was my home, this person. This six foot two inches man that I could still always detect the smell of bubblegum on despite all other scents on him. I forced myself to speak and could only bring out a scratchy, "hey."
Seb pulled me away from him, hands on my shoulder as he let his eyes roam all over my face. I blinked, how is it possible for someone to grow more handsome everyday? It's not fair to the rest of us. I thought he was going to say something but then he just cupped my face and lean down, capturing my lips with his. I startled but that didn't stop the automatic response to the kiss, my eyes closing shut as I kissed him back. It when his tongue grazed over mine and I felt the unmistakable rumble of a moan in my throat that I pulled away, blushing pink with a shy smile. "Sebastian," I cautioned, trying and failing to hide my smile.
"What?" He asked, deep voice messing with what's left of my sanity.
"We're in public," I gently smacked his shoulder.
Seb smiled, "well what did you want me to do when you were looking at me like that?"
"Hug me back and tell me welcome?"
He picked up my suitcase that I didn't even know had fallen and stretched his hand out to me. I linked our fingers together perfectly. "That's exactly what I was doing."
"Mmhm."
"You look," the side of his jaw moved like he was biting down on his teeth. "Tired. Are you okay?"
I nodded.
"Tch, liar." We started walking away. "Did you miss me that much?"
"Yep. I couldn't breathe because of how I missed you."
He laughed, "did you get better at lying or exaggerating?"
"Both. We take a course on it in school."
"Really?"
"Yup."
He hit his tongue against the roof of his mouth, eying me. "I should smack your ass."
My mouth opened and closed like I fish and I didn't have any comeback for that. When Sebastian saw me, he smirked triumphantly.
"How did you even know I was coming back?" I asked when I had recovered. Then I pouted. "I wanted to surprise you."
"I am surprised trust me. Your lookalike called this morning, said he was supposed to pick you up and asked if I was interested in doing so instead, so," he gestured around with his free hand. "Here I am."
"Percy, that little shit."
We walked out the airport and I was expecting us to walk towards a taxi but then Seb walked to a majestically looking black Porsche, pressing a key that made it beep and cause the door to open. My jaw dropped. He laughed at me, putting my suitcase in. "Surprise."
"W-wha—"
He just laughed some more at my perplexed face. Looking so boyish and innocent.
"Sebastian!"
"Calm down," he gestured to the car. "My mom dropped it off. Well, she apparently came to see me with the quad then left it behind and took the plane back."
"Your mom? Your Hollywood actress mom that you don't talk to?"
"Yep, that one." He sighed. "I missed the girls so I told her where I stayed so I could see them. She came over and I guess she felt she needed to give out some motherly affection before leaving. I tried to return it though but it was of no use. I kept it, I could do with some motherly affection."
"Duh, this is some motherly affection," I touched the sleek car. "Do you think my mom could ever love me this way."
"The way your mom loves you can't even be compared, Flynn."
I shook my head, still in awe of the car. "Well, how was the visit?"
"Just there."
"Just there?" He nodded. "Okay."
Seb came and hugged me from behind. "Another reason I kept the car was because I imagined us driving up the hill with it, sipping cola with my hands in your pants."
I hiccupped. And he chuckled, pressing a kiss to my cheek and walking away. I watched him open the passenger door for me and wink, "come on babe, your parents await."
"Do you want to give me a heartattack?" I asked, getting into the seat.
"Eh," he got into the driver seat. "Not particularly." We drove off and I thought Sebastian couldn't look anymore hot while driving his motorcycle but I was so wrong.
"I love this car."
"I love you."
I blinked, "Sebastian." Then I broke off giggling. That came out of nowhere.
"How's your girlfriend?"
"Fine. She wanted to come with me but she has stuff to do back on campus. Damn she's going to love you more when I tell her you have a car now. Remind me to take pictures of you with the car."
"Was she the one who punched you?"
"Uh— I-" I stuttered completely taken off guard. How did he—
Seb glanced at me and back at the road. "I've memorized your face enough to know when there's a scar Flynn."
I sighed. So much for one week.
"Don't want to talk about it?" He glanced at me again. "Okay."
I smiled, "it's been taken care of and I'm fine."
"Mm."
"Wasn't Ryder though."
"I know."
We stayed quiet and then he reached for my hand linking our fingers together. "I'm going to drop you off. You spend some time with your mom and dad and then you'd come home later. Good?"
"Good." I kissed the back of his hand and he smiled. "Seb?"
"Mm?"
"I love you too."
He smirked, "I know."