-Clover-
No. The irony did not escape me. I'm still in shock when we arrive at the photography club. I look down at my phone screen. Fiat is texting me.
Fiat: I'm on my way.
Me: Why?
Fiat: Do I need a reason to come see you?
Me: Umm
Fiat: I have nothing to do. I'll be there in a minute.
I let my head fall back and I take a deep breath. "What is it?" Gear eyes me like he might be terrified.
I smile sweetly. "Fiat is on his way, he is very eager to support us."
Gears eyes dart "Dear God why- ...I mean that's...good."
If I didn't suspect that he knew what was going on, I'm certain now. Can't anyone in this friend's group keep a fucking secret? So fucking embarrassing!
Stalling for time might not be an option anymore.
-Art-
A/N:🌹🌹🌹
**{Waterfalls by: Memorecks & Jenna Pemkowski}
I'm actually pleasantly surprised when Clover and Gear walk through the door, but within seconds I can tell something is off, and right on cue Fiat walks in behind them. What the fuck is going on?
"Hey Art, it's been too long." Gear starts.
I nod slowly. "Hello...what's going on, did something happen?"
Clover shakes her head. "Of course not, I'm just with Gear. We were wondering if your club needs models?"
I look from Gear to Clover. "Yes, this club always needs models."
I clear my throat. "Why is he here?" I ask not looking at him.
"Why does everyone keep acting like I'm not supposed to be here, like Art and I aren't friends?" Fiat walks over and places his hand on my shoulder.
I don't look at him, instead reach up and brush his hand off my shoulder. I clear my throat and shove both my hands in my pocket, so I can ball them without anyone seeing.
"It feels like you're here to start trouble and overstep boundaries," I say flatly.
He puts up his hand as if making an oath. "I will be on my best behavior."
I don't look at him, I know Fiat if I give him an inch he will definitely take a mile.
I was avoiding looking at him when Clover caught my attention. Why does she look like she's about to cry?
"Clover? What is it?"
Fiat and Gear turn to look at her, she quickly wipes a tear that broke free of her eyelashes. She doesn't say anything, she reaches into her purse, retrieves a tissue, and wipes at her face and nose.
"So stupid." She mumbles
I look around appreciative that everyone else has already left. But I'm more concerned with trying to figure out what upset her so suddenly.
"I'm fucking pissed at you!" She says wiping her eyes angrily.
"I didn't know.... how pissed until literally right this moment. I must have been ignoring it. But all of a sudden I swear Art, I really hate you."
Gear comes over and wraps an arm around her. I look at Fiat, he doesn't move to comfort her but he seems to understand. Instead, he gently takes hold of Gear's elbow and pulls him away from her. Fiat takes another step back, and a confused Gear follows.
"Why?" I stammer.
"Why?" She scoffs
She looks up at me her eyes are red and so is her complexion. " Let me ask you something Art, Whose my best friend?"
My mind still doesn't connect any dots. "I don't know."
"You don't?... Forget for a second who your best friend is and who Fiats best friend is, Who is my best friend!?"
She glares at my confused expression. " You really are a fucking moron." She turns and storms out. I look at Fiat at a loss of what to do.
He rolls his eyes, " Why are you looking at me? Go after her you fucking Moron."
I stand there for a moment; I look at Gear. He doesn't meet my gaze. I run out of the room. Clovers isn't that far ahead of me but she's walking really fast for someone with such short legs. I quicken my pace to catch up with her. When I do I take hold of her elbow, and she turns to face me.
"What!?" She snaps.
"Clover talk to me, I'm sorry I don't understand. Please explain it to me."
" What's the point in talking to you if you can't answer a simple fucking question? Who the hell is my best friend Art?!?"
I quickly search my mind. She is glaring so hard at me, it makes me realize she's never looked at me that way before. " Me?" I say Finally.
She takes a step back, and her elbow falls from my hand.
"Art, who is the first person I call when I'm mad at Fiat? Who do I call when my parents are being mean to me? Who do I call when I fail an assignment or exam? Who do I call when I want to go shopping? It sure as hell isn't Fiat."
"Me."
"Yes, you. I don't have any siblings and you're the closest thing I have to a girlfriend. How do you think it makes me feel that you don't think of me at all? You have been M.I.A for months... Do you know who I talk to cause I have literally no one else?!? Steel. Just take that in for a moment. I confide in Steel?!? Because my best friend, who doesn't even know he's my best friend apparently, is been ghosting me for months."
"It's not that."
"Isn't it? How could you not know that you're my best friend? It wasn't Fiat alone who always looked for you when you would run away. I looked for you, I missed you too. And never once did you think to check on me . Let's put aside for a second that you haven't been eating lunch with us, and that you're ghost in the group chat, but not only are you avoiding us, you ignore me!"
"I don't ."
" Oh really?" She reaches into her bag and pulls out her phone, she quickly searches for something and pushes the phone into my hand. It's our private text thread.
Clover: Hey
Clover: Art.
Clover: Yo Artist!
Artbug: Hey, what's up?
Clover: Eat lunch with us!
Clover: Art it's lunch now are you on your way?
Artbug: I can't today, I'll come tomorrow.
Clover: Boo!
-The next day-
Clover: Art..
Clover: You looked really handsome today
Artbug: Thank you, that means a lot.
Clover: I'm a little bummed though, every time I tried to dress you up and give you a makeover, you never let me.
Artbug: I think I wasn't ready before.
Clover: I get that, I just wish I could of helped.
-The next day-
Clover: My math professor is mean..
-The next day-
Clover: I watched Mean girls today, I missed you.
Artbug: We'll watch it next time.
Next message
Clover: Art this group is kinda boring without you.
Reading the messages in order that way makes me feel really guilty. She snatches her phone away.
"Well you don't have to worry about not replying to my messages anymore, for the foreseeable future I will be ignoring you in real life."
She turns on her heels and storms off. I feel like a piece of shit. I slowly walk back to the club room Gear and Fiat are still waiting.
" Art, I have to leave now but I'll come back at a better time."
Gear says, as heads for the door. I don't see him off. It's just Fiat and me now. I take a seat at the first chair in front of me and Fiat takes a seat beside me.
"By your expression, I assume you didn't fix it."
"She said she hated me."
"You care?"
"Of course, I care,"
"Your actions don't show that, your actions show you got a makeover and stopped caring about your friends."
"I didn't."
"Sure feels that way, guess I'm not the only one."
I glare at him. "Is that your excuse for why you've been acting like a fucking loon?"
"I'm not excusing anything. It's cause and effect. You always act like you don't matter to us. You come when you want and leave when you want. You never stop and think how it makes us feel to constantly come looking for you. We all always look for you, Jay and Steel would never call you on it, but it's obvious you don't care about how any of us feel."
He stands up and I look up at him. "For right now don't worry about the rest of us, fix it with Clover first."
" How? She doesn't want to see me."
" You never want to see me, but I still show up for you anyway."
He turns and walks away leaving me feeling like a bigger piece of shit.
I head to Clover's dorm, I knock for 30 minutes straight and text her but she doesn't answer. I have no idea if she is inside ignoring me or not at home. I wait another thirty minutes then go back to my dorm.
I take a shower, more accurately I kept the shower company. I was in a daze and forgot to wash my body and didn't realize it until after I was already drying off. I try to eat but it feels like lead inside me and give up. I look at my phone, to no new messages when I hear a knock at my door.
I'm so relieved to find Clover pouting in my doorway. She glares at me.
"You're here? I was looking for you at your dorm."
"I'm still not talking to you, but I'm locked out. I lost my key. I need the spare."
I had forgotten how adorable she is when she pouts.
I pull her by both her arms and hug her. She doesn't hug me back, but she doesn't push me away.
"I need my key, then I won't ever talk to you again."
"Then I'll never give you your key. I am a moron, but please forgive me anyway."
She shrugs in my embrace.
"I love you, please don't hate me."
"You care now?" She places her head on my shoulder.
"I always care. I was preoccupied, and stupid. But I do care, and I really didn't mean to ignore you. I swear. I would never do that."
"What are you talking about? You ignore us all the time. When you run away and we call and text you."
"That's different."
"How?"
"Fine, I promise to never ignore you again. I will always ignore those other morons but never you. I swear, please forgive me."
I pull away to look at her face. I offer her my pinky. She blinks at my hand, then sucks her teeth and locks it with her own.
I stare down at her until her pout slowly starts to turn into a smile. It makes me smile too.
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