Page 38 of Xavier

"I came to see you, you boob!" I snap, the dull pain in my head only starting to recede from our impromptu headbutt.

"Why?" he snaps, sitting up and staring at me.

"'Why? Because I haven't seen you in over a week, you double boob!"

"So?" The scowl is deeply embedded on his reddening forehead. I have zero sympathy for him.

"Really? We're back to monosyllabic Xavier? I thought we were over that." I get up on my knees and move to crawl out of the tent.

"Where...?" he stops short.

I look at him over my shoulder. "What?" I snap back, his tone making mine defensive in response.

"Are you leaving?"

I rock back on my heels, staring at him. "Do you want me to?"

There’s a tensing of his jaw, then his shoulders fall and he sighs. "No."

"Good, because I'm not. I was just grabbing my backpack." I poke a tongue out at him and he squirms.

I come back into the tent and sit in the spot he’s cleared for me. "I came to see you because I haven't seen you for a week, and I decided it's time you stopped sulking."

"I wasn't,” he sulks.

I bite back and laugh. "Yes, you were. And I get it, you were embarrassed because of what that twatwaffle said, even though you have no reason to be. So, get over it." I lock eyes with him, not giving him a chance to look away, so he can see how serious I am.

He stares back this time and I see something, something defiant in his eyes, that he lets flash and then simmer and fade away. It’s a concession I feel like he’s making just for me. And no one else in the world. I take advantage of it.

"Hey, grab that blanket and lay it out," I say, while he's distracted by his own thoughts. He does as I say and I unpack the containers from my backpack. Some bread and cold cuts. A fruit salad. Some bags of chips. A container of my special mac and cheese.

"What's this?" he asks when I’m done sorting out the spread.

"It's a picnic. You eat it," I say and grab a piece of bread and make myself a sandwich as he watches. I take a giant bite and chew it, then open my mouth, teasing him with my masticated food.

He shakes his head and then laughs. "So much for the elegant dancer."

"This elegant dancer is taking a one meal break from her diet. So, watch out. Now shush and try my mac and cheese, I put a special ingredient in it."

He follows suit and we eat in silence for a moment before he finally breaks it.

"How did you know I was going to be here?"

"Well, you weren't at the basketball court, and you don't work at the Dairy Joy any more. I don't know where you live. So I took a chance."

He just nods and crunches on a piece of watermelon.

"I'm sorry... about what happened at the ice cream place. I didn't want you to see that."

"Which part? The guys being a jerk to you or you taking their bait and fighting with them."

"All of it, I guess."

"Don't worry about it. I'm just sorry Mikey didn't get to take his sundae home."

"We, er, it's tight for us. At home, money wise. It's just my mom. She works a lot."

I nod, understanding how hard it is for him to be sharing this with me right now. So, I won't interrupt, not until he's said everything he wants to.