TBBM LX. Hotter Than Your Crush

Slowly, I opened my eyes---only to see Red infront of me, without his shirt on. He was half-embracing me as he tied his shirt around my waist, covering the tear behind me.

"Don't readily accept defeat," he whispered to my face.

Dub dub. Dub dub.

I thought I was either just running out of air or I could also had just forgotten how to breathe altogether. I thought I was going to faint. Red's face shone brightly amongst the disaster that surrounded me. He gleamed confidently as I grabbed his arm for support. His chest was close enough to my face for me to hear that his was heart racing, too. But none of it showed on his face. He still looked so cool and collected.

"I felt hot a little," he grimaced.

Dub dub. Dub dub.

Long, long time ago, in a barn far... far away, there sat a hen brooding over her eggs, awaiting patiently until they hatched alive into this world. She sat there day and night, tirelessly guarding her eggs until that magical day when her chicks were about to come out to life.

Of all the many eggs in her den, one stood out the most---it was rather big compared to the rest. One by one, the eggs hatched. One by one, the hen rubbed her head against their little heads, greeting them warmly to the outside world. Finally, all the other eggs hatched, it was time for the biggest one to crack open. The hen drew three deep breaths anticipating the shell to break. She was neither sure how she felt, nor had she any idea what could come out of the biggest egg. In no time, the hatchling came to sight, disappointed as she was rather big and white while her siblings were small and bright yellow.

The last hatchling drew three deep breaths before she locked eyes with their mother and every single eyes surrounding their nest. If there was one thing the new hatchling had wished for the most, it would be for at least one single soul in the barn to not notice how different she was; or, if that proved to be too much, she wished that at least one of them would turn a blind eye on it, for she had only wanted to be just like everyone---to blend in, not to stand out... to be normal.

The silence around us was deafening. All I could hear were muffled cries. Until now, I was too afraid to be exposed like that. And, just like The Ugly Duckling, despite everyone knowing how different I was, I had wished for at least someone, someone who would turn a blind eye on it---and say that it was okay.

"You're okay now," Red whispered, as he steadied my head gently onto his chest. "From now on, nobody is allowed to bully Jopet. Only me."

My heart picked up pace but I felt relieved. Finally. Finally, someone turned a blind eye on me.

Dub dub. Dub dub.

+++

The class was bizarrely quiet as we embarked on our journey to the last stop. James didn't look quite pleased with Red embracing me naked like that so he had no choice but to throw him his varsity jacket despite how much he disliked him. Red was neither thrilled of the idea of him borrowing James' jacket but he couldn't be walking around topless like that, so he obliged.

Me, I had no choice either but to stick next to Red as I very consciously maneuvered myself away from everyone's interrogation. I could see the burning desire from Mar and Cliffy's eyes. I could hear it every time Betty, Hugo and Noriella opened their mouths. I could read it drawn all over the PAC girls' faces. I couldn't take it.

"Uhm..." I spoke lowly to break the silence. "I wasn't really all giddy earlier... I, uh... I was just nervous and grate---"

"Don't imagine anything," Red's face was unreadable. He was acting nonchalant. "I only did that to make the basketball player jealous. As we planned."

"Oh," I gasped for air. "That-that's all?"

"Did you want it to mean anything else?" he neared his face to mine. "What? You like me now?"

My heart felt like breaking out of my chest whenever he was too close like that. I couldn't contain it. I felt like his gaze was burning me alive. Was it hot flashes? Were my hormones imbalanced?

"N-nevermind," I dismissed and rested my head on his shoulders, pretending to be asleep.

We arrived in Fantasy Kingdom long before I could actually fall asleep in his shoulders. I wanted to rest but my heart beat roared loud enough to prevent me from ever getting settled in peace.

From now on, nobody is allowed to bully Jopet. Only me.

Why did hearing him say that feel so good? I must have gotten insane.

I ended up tagging along wherever Red went to avoid answering to questions. Roma decided to come with us but I still wasn't really ready to face her and James. Soon enough, Lorraine's group joined us and we ended up riding the water rapids and the log jam. It was all fun until each time I accidentally locked paths of sight with James. I knew that I was still heartbroken, but I couldn't feel anything related to pain as my heart was still in shock following Red's gestures earlier.

At one point, James stopped in front of me and covered one wound on my arm with a plaster strip. It was awkward as he didn't really speak to me. I felt really uneasy ignoring him.

James turned around with an empty expression on his face. I knew that face. He wore that every time we fought---though those seldom happened. I wanted to go and run after him. But how could I mend my broken heart if I continued chasing him? I clinched my fists behind me as I struggled to control myself.

"Is that you caving?" Red suddenly appeared beside me. "You didn't last for even a day."

"He," I bit my lip. "He looked really sullen."

"So what if he looked sullen?" Red blocked my view of James, hands across his chest. "He couldn't even do anything to protect you earlier. He just stood there and did nothing---"

"He always stood there by my side," I sighed. "I first saw him riding with his dad when they almost ran me over when we I was eleven. He was really shocked. I watched him worry for me as I lied on the street bleeding. 'You'll be okay. You'll be okay,' he kept assuring me. I woke up on a hospital bed and he was there. He looked after me. He stayed by my side. He didn't flinch at the sight of me. He carried no judgment. He accepted and cared for me, the ugly duckling. He was such an emotionally-stable thirteen year-old boy. And he grew up to be such a perfectly calm guy---"

"Enough. Enough," Red covered his ears. "You kept rambling on about him when he couldn't even tell you that he likes someone else---"

"Hey, I told you not to badmouth him!" my voice raised.

"I'm not badmouthing him," Red fumed. "What about me then? When will you worry about me? Do you have any idea how much I'm bloody cold now?"

"Cold?"

"Cold!" he repeated confidently.

"But you're wearing a James' jacket?"

"Uh," Red's brows gathered. "I mean, I'm hot. This jacket feels so hot!"

"Would you want me to give you back your shirt?" I offered. "I could use his jacket, instead."

"No... I'm okay," he dismissed my offer, as he started smiling. "But admit it, Hicks. I'm so much hotter than your crush."

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