Chapter Twenty - Tom the Ki....
    “Tom,” I murmured, feeling hundreds of eyes dart at our direction as if we’re an attraction. “—can we leave? I feel like I’m going to have a panic attack with their staring.”
    He slowly peers his head open, then buried in back on my shoulders, his lips tickling my skin.
“You’re right. They’re probably thinking about two weirdos hugging one another with a battered guy on the floor.”
   I stifle a chuckle, wanting to at least smack him but I couldn’t. “This is not the time to make jokes—and I’m not a weirdo, just...unique.”
   I nudge him with my shoulder, making his head bob upwards.
I hiss. “Get your ass up. I’m really serious.”
     “Do I have to?” he whined like a child.
     “Yeah.”
     “Fine,” he grumbled and muttered swear words that passed through my ears. When I finally got a hold of his visage, he grabs my hand and immediately dashed away from the commotion.
    I looked back and was not surprised to see people crowding the other entrance of our classroom, feeding off the drama.
I swear, can’t people just live a normal life and stop barging in other’s business?
    It’s kind of pitiful, you know?
Trying to get entertainment out of other people’s issues.
   My eyes scanned around the door in front of us. Clinic. It was a small room, but it had enough beds for sickly and dramatic people who wanted to skip class.
   This was exactly the hide-out for people who just wanted to fool around. I mean the nurse doesn’t appear as often and you’ll be most likely left to tend to your injuries.
He closes the door behind us and I’m surprised to see it empty. I hoped to see at least two hormonal teenagers making out on one of the beds—but everyone is probably crowding the classroom with the jerk out cold.
I make my way to one of the beds, making the mattress sink a bit with my weight and Tom followed pursuit, sitting a couple of meters far from me.
It was awkward. I didn’t know what to say to him. I mean, I haven’t had a friend for the longest time, so comforting them and counselling was not my expertise.
I could ask Emily, but that would be different.
“I’d understand if you didn’t want to be my friend anymore.”
I stole a glance at his direction, and he was glancing at his lap with his knuckles swollen.
He must’ve really packed a punch on that poor guy. No wonder the guy went out cold the moment his fists interconnect to the guy’s cheeks.
  “What exactly do you mean?” I look away and glanced at the small windows with people currently in their gym classes.
   “I’m a fraud, Avery,” he says, troubled and I feel frustration grew deep within his tone. “—I’m not perfect. I tried to act like one and I was deceiving you.”
I blew a breath, roaming my eyes to the ceilings of the clinic which were starting to get cobwebs and a slight dirt. “I was actually relieved to see you act that way.”
  I feel his eyes dart on me. “I mean I’ve always wondered why you were always smiling and laughing when any person would be frustrated, angry and sad.”
   I glanced at him, seeing his entrancing olive eyes stare back against my own. “I kinda disliked you for it. How could someone as you be so happy when life wasn’t fair? When it wasn’t all rainbow and sunshine?”
   He peered a smile, but it wasn’t reaching his eyes and his eyes were rather sad. “People wanted me to be this kind, perfect and gentle guy, you know?”
   “That I’d always smile even when it was painstakingly painful or that I was kind even when they didn’t deserve it.”
  “Somehow, I just started playing along that act,” he trails off, staring onto the ceilings like he was reminiscing every memory. “—because that’s what people expected of me.”
   “I didn’t want to disappoint them when they realized I wasn’t as perfect as they thought I was,” he blew a breath, making the strands of his hair stood up. “—and so I hid all those pent up frustrations and emotions and that’s when I had anger issues.”
   “That must be scary for you, Avery,” he ran a hand through his hair. “—seeing as I wasn’t the person you thought I was. You must be disappointed.”
  I nudge him lightly. Tom looks at me confused and that I was crazy but I couldn’t help myself.
Maybe it was because I didn’t want him to beat himself too much or that I wasn’t at all affected.
  “I’m far from being disappointed,” I gave him a shrug, a faint smile tugging my lips. “—that was awesome. No one has ever stood up for me that way. Kinda bad-ass, nice kid.”
   “I was kind of afraid for a split second,” I trail off. “—because the guy might end up paralyzed for life. But who cares? He had it coming.”
He finally smiles, and the warmth on his eyes were finally coming back. He doesn’t say anything, but I knew he wanted me to continue.
I roll my eyes. “You’re still you, Tom.”
    “You were patient to someone as gruff as me and I see that little gestures you do,” I look away. “—it doesn’t make you any less of a person. It’s alright to have flaws; it’s what makes us human.”
  I involuntarily grabbed his swollen knuckles and slowly rubbed it with my thumb. I could feel my heart raise and my body send up tingles, but I continued, nevertheless.
“Don’t beat yourself too much. In the end, we’re just humans with flaws.”
  “And I’m fine with whoever you are---just not a psychopath.”
  “You mean you accept who I truly am?” he whispers in low tone. “—even at my worst times?”
   I cheekily grinned, feeling embarrassed that I rambled so many things, but I knew that he needed to hear it. “Who am I to judge? All you’ve seen of me was my worst, so it’s only fair if you show me your worst and in between.”
   “I told you that I accepted you for who you are. It doesn’t matter who you are, just don’t pretend to be someone else for others,” my body tensed up when I feel his fingers grazed my own and caressed it gently.
  “Then you’ll accept me, even if I do this?” he murmurs in a raspy tone.
My ears tingled and I was now fully aware we were so close to each other again.
    I opened my mouth to say something, but I feel a face hover over mine and captured my lips before I could say anything.