TBBM XXVI. Red's Past

I felt safe near him.

As I reflected more and more, the space near Red had been a safe place for me for a while now. I failed to recognise when that started. Did it start when he defended me from Angie? When he took me home in the midst of a storm? When he made me feel like taking the quiz even when I wasn't? When he helped me with my homework? When he embraced me and said that I should trust him?

Dub dub. Dub dub.

We headed to the parking soon as he was out of the boutique, carrying two bags. Over-all, we somehow managed not to fight again. It was nice but then---

"Red!?" a male voice hollered.

"Guys, here goes the Red one," the guy wore the famous Atenean blue jacket. They looked rich. "What's up, Dude?"

He was followed by two other guys and three more girls. They sprinted our way, smiling.

"Seb! Mate!" Red looked so at home with them. They did the bro hug. "I'm great. I'm great, mate."

"I must say, it's a tad different without you," the Seb guy said.

He looked at me, perhaps, trying to analyse what I was doing next to Red. I stepped back a little, hiding myself on his back.

"She---" his eyes followed me. "Preppy's replacement?"

"Ahhh," Red grabbed me by the wrist. "My parents didn't hire her. But she's... uh..."

I looked down. I wondered if it was right for me to be there. I felt a little out of place. The other five joined them.

"She's Hick- I mean, Jopet," Red winked at me. I was scared he'd bully me in front of his friends. "She's uh... my school girl."

"School girl," Seb was still looking at me, not so convinced. "Oh! she must be the one you told us about!"

"Yah!" Red returned quickly, awkward.

School girl? What was that? What did he mean? I, myself was confused.

"Hi, Jopet. I'm Seb, we do race," he reached out for a handshake. Up close, he looked tall and American. He was nice, too. Despite his mohawk.

"Did race," one of the girls walked my way. She had good genes, too. "I'm Nina. Nice to meet you."

"Thanks," I bowed.

"She's my girl," Seb pointed out. "The guy with the cap's Keith, our producer-friend. The girl with pink hair's Enon, she paints. Then this guy, this is Mark, he sings..."

"Incessantly," Nina whispered.

"And that's Welsh over there. She's our resident party-animal."

At that point, I wondered how somebody like me would introduce myself to them. What achievements have I made lately? Fight off bullies? Face my transition? Nothing really at par with them.

"You seem close," Nina inspected. "Doesn't he make your life difficult?"

"Life? Uh," I glanced at Red. "I actually feel near-dying whenever he's around."

They laughed.

"Yeah, that sounds like him," Nina guffawed.

Red was doing nothing about it. He was actually just watching me, fighting off a smile.

"Here's my card," Seb offered. "Call me if he does you wrong."

"Wrong?" Red pushed Seb's hand away. "Totally unnecessary, mate."

"Thanks," I snagged it from his hand, anyway.

"Great choice," Seb nodded at me then he turned to Red. "Remember, I offered the same to Stephie. But you talked her out of it. See what happened? Now, let's do this a bit differently.

"Bugger off."

"I'm still in love with you---" the Mark guy suddenly sang.

"Oh, Red!" the girl named Welsh interrupted. "She's here. She's headed to the parking, too."

"Who? Stephie?" Keith looked around.

"If this is a prank, I'm bloody telling you," Red froze. His face sank.

"Red," Enon the painter explained. "We didn't know she stayed back."

"You should seriously not see her, Bro," Keith tried to drag Red to the back of his car. Seb aided him.

The group tried to block Red as another pretty face walked out of the exit to the open parking. It was strange that I somewhat didn't like her. She had long, beach-waved locks crowning her innocent-looking face. At an easy glance, you'd know he was somebody Red's level. I felt my chest tightened.

I saw the guys grapple with Red as he tried to break free. The girls walked forward, trying to painstakingly distract her so she wouldn't notice Red out back.

Red's eyes were fixed on her, about teary. His car key rolled my way amid the commotion. He struggled to break free from them at the expense of cluttering the parking with the things we bought inside.

"Seb, Mate," Red looked like he was losing his mind. "Take Hicks home, please?"

"H-hicks?"

"No. I'll go with you," the words slipped my mouth. Somehow, I wanted to be here for him. Did wishing to remain by his side while he cried for another girl really suck so bad?

I couldn't read Red's face. But I was certain he did change again.

Just then, Stephie noticed Red in the background. The human canopy failed. The guys went helpless.

Red walked his way to her while she made sure to avoid him.

"Stephie, wait!" Red begged her. "Don't run. I just want to talk."

I never heard Red beg like that. It was a welcome change but at this point, I didn't think seeing him beg was satisfactory.

A part of me ached to see him fall into desperation like that. But at the same time, a part of me also ached, because he sent me away... just like that.

Nina was left to keep me company. I started picking up our things. She joined me.

"Tough guy, huh?" she kid me.

"Thank you, Nina."

"Don't mention it," her smile never changed. "I hope you try to understand him, though. We all do. He'll move on one day."

"She's lucky. He must really love her," I spoke lowly.

"Jopet, right?" she paused. "How about we load all these to Red's car and we drive you home in my car?"

"I-uhm," I trailed off. "I actually want to wait for him. He might need me."

"That's sweet," she said. "Stephie was the face of her college in the inter-college league. Red saw her and made acquaintance. We didn't know he liked her until they were dating. Red courted her for about two years. But he somewhat really sabotaged their dates most of the times. He always seemed to do something wrong. We knew he was trying but... Stephie didn't see that. She saw his arrogant and uncompromising side more. She denied him in the end."

I couldn't find a word to carry on with the conversation. I felt sorry for him. All the while, I thought he was nothing but cool. All the while, I thought he got things his way always.

"I trust, you are aware of his quirks, aren't you?"

I nodded. We got everything loaded in the car. We were left to take the backseat and wait.

"At around the same time, his caretaker left. He's been really disoriented ever since. He got into fights allot. Preppy was family to him. And he left without a word. It's odd to see someone that manly be raised by a gay man but he raised Red like he were his own."

"Yeah. His parents told me."

"You met his parents?" her eyes rounded.

"Long story," I shook my head. "But, yeah. I did."

"That's new," she turned to face me, smiling wildly. "That guy's secretive. He didn't usually invite anyone in. In fact, for the longest that I've known him, I only got to see his place twice. What's the deal between the two of you?"

"D-deal?" my heart pounded again at her interrogation. "There's no deal between us. At all."

"But you like him?" she was almost squealing. "I seriously think he likes you. That guy takes so long to warm up. He's been to your school for only a few months now and already---"

"It's not like that," I cut her. "He said I'm his slave for the sem."

"Slave!?" she cried in disbelief. She was a chatterbox. "That nasty boy."

Nina was a good company but I couldn't fully take my mind away from Red. Where was he? Was he okay?

Dear Saint,

Please keep him safe. Heal his heart, too.