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Allison rolled her window down. “Hey there, Brick. How you feeling?”
Clint paused. “Brick?”
She shrugged. “You’re practically a brick wall to have survived what you did.”
Michael chuckled. “She’s not wrong.”
Clint grinned. “Brick. I could get used to that.”
Michael smiled. “All right. Hop in. Time for us to get to school.”
I held out my hand. “Here, let me help.”
I eased him into the car, thankful that Michael and Allison were willing to give Clint the support he needed. And the fact that they had agreed to help me almost immediately warmed my heart. It seemed as if they had accepted him. Drawn him into our little fold. I couldn't have been happier about it, too. I wanted the rest of the school year to be this way. Us, walking together to school hand in hand, with my two best friends who had come to accept Clint for who he was, what he was, and who he’d become.
Things finally felt as if they were falling into place.
I saw Michael peeking through his rearview mirror at Clint. And while I wasn’t sure why, I had a feeling. I knew he was struggling to warm up to Clint. After all, Michael was the king of holding grudges. Still, I held Clint’s hand tightly as we all rode to school, with Allison chattering her head off at us.
Then Michael pulled us into the back parking lot as he spoke up.
“You guys want to be dropped off at the curb?”
I looked over at Clint. “What do you want?”
He sighed. “While I don’t like the idea of being catered to like that, it might help.”
Michael nodded. “Say no more.”
Allison turned around. “You need any help getting out?”
Clint shook his head. “You guys have done enough just picking me up. Thank you.”
Michael shrugged. “Not a problem. Everyone needs help sometimes, you know?”
Clint nodded. “More than ever before, I know.”
I leaned my cheek against his shoulder as Michael eased us up to the curb. I hopped out of the car, then wrapped around to Clint’s side as his door opened. He was slow to get out of the car with his injuries. The bruises on his face were still a bit evident. Faded, but there. The bruise on his jawline had dissipated. His ribs still hurt him. That much I knew. But he was steadier on his hip. And his arm was finally out of that sling.
Though he still couldn't lift his arm beyond parallel with the ground.
I took his hand. “Easy does it. Take your time. We’ve got plenty of it.”
Clint snickered. “I feel people staring.”
“Fuck them. They got an issue with it, they can take it up with me.”
“Oh, my hero.”
I giggled and shook my head as Clint finally got himself out of the car. I wrapped my arm around his waist, feeling him inch his arm around my neck. I liked having him there. Wrapped around me. Claiming me in front of the entire school. However, I also felt him leaning against me a bit too much.
Which meant he was already tired from the moving he had to do.
“Come on, Brick. Let’s get you to homeroom.”
He chuckled. “I don’t know if I’ll get used to that kind of a nickname.”
I shrugged. “Kinda suits you, though. With how big you are.”
