My Support.

Sunday came and left, then Monday descended.

My first class of the day, I have with Matt Harper. So I wasted no time when the bell rang and I walked to where he was seated.

He was by his chair as usual with his head on his table, so I took the sit beside his and sat down with a huff.

He didn't look up, neither did he acknowledge my presence. I didn't say anything either. Just sat beside him.

Some of my classmates gave me shocked looks. Some confused ones but I didn't give a damn.

When Mia walked in, she also looked at me with shock before she shook her head slowly with disapproval but I responded with a smile.

Yes I'm crazy. I know.

The teacher entered, class went by normally and when it ended, Matt stood up like me sitting beside him was nothing and walked by. Without sparing me a glance.

I stood up and was about to follow him like a puppy but I was held back as soon as I got to the door.

"Are you crazy?!!"

I sighed and turned to her. "Are you just finally figuring me out?"

"Alex I love you, but what are you doing?" She asks.

"Making a friend." I shrug like it's nothing.

She lets go of my hand and sighs.

She puts her hand around my shoulder and starts to walks us out of the class.

"Sweetie, there are some people who truly like to be alone. They hate being disturbed, they hate being talked to, and they hate being with anyone. They love their alone time more than anything, and Matt Harper is one of them."

"So?" I ask her, my tone sounding like none of what she was saying interested me.

"So it means you should just leave him be. Don't stress him if you don't want to be stressed."

We stop in front of my next class.

"I'm just trying to make a friend."

"Some hotties are better left alone you know." Mia takes her hand off me. "It's better that way. For both parties. It's better to stay away before you're in fully. Because you end up regretting it." She finishes and sighs. "I'll see you after class." She says and winks before turning to walk away.

"But I'm already in too deep." I mutter to myself before entering the class.

.......

I had already gotten my food and drink and was about to walk towards Mia who was waving frantically at me from our table, when I caught sight of Matt alone by his bench going through his phone.

I slowed my steps.

I glanced at Mia as I remembered her words.

"It's better to stay away before you're in fully. Because you end up regretting it."

"I'm sorry Mia."

I sighed and changed my direction towards Matt.

"But I've always been one to never listen."

I didn't fail to see the puzzled look on Mia's face when I changed course, neither did I fail to hear the small gasps coming from a group of girls when I sat beside Matt.

Beside, not in front.

Makes it seem more personal like that.

Matt looks up from his phone when I sit and gives me a blank look.

"You know, people have been giving me confused looks lately." I look around before I pick up my spoon to eat. "Makes me wonder why."

"What are you doing?" Matt finally asks.

"Eating." I respond as I eat.

"Aren't there are other places where you can do that?"

"There are." I respond without looking at him.

He doesn't say anything else after that. I could feel his stare burning through me but I was unfazed.

Or at least I pretended to be.

Deep down I was shaking. I don't know why, but I was.

"Aren't you going to leave?" He asks after a moment.

"Why would I?" I ask without looking up.

"You're in my space."

"I'm eating at an empty seat, in the cafeteria, with my friend-" He scoffs. "I don't think there's much of a space that's been invaded here." I open my juice box, take a sip, and finally look at him.

He looks around. "Friend." He mutters and turns to me. "Enjoy your lunch." He says before he stands up and walks away.

Without looking back.

"Well that was a burst." I mutter as I watched him walk away.

I turn to Mia to see her watching me with a bland look. She didn't say anything, she didn't gesture or anything. Just stared at me until she turned away.

******

"Let's stop by the mall for a moment. I want to get new sneakers for school." Mia says as we walk out of the school building.

She was scrolling through her phone.

"But you have new sneakers for school."

She looks at me with an unfazed look. "Yeah, not enough."

I chuckle. "If you say so. But I'm afraid I can't come with." I say.

"Why?" She looks up from her phone.

"I want to stop by my house. Get some clothes." I explain.

Mia's parents had gone out of town and weren't going to be back for the next week. I wanted to quickly go home and gets some clothes since I'll be staying at her side.

She nods. "Want me to drop you off?" She asks as we reach her car.

"It's fine. I can call a cab."

"No lemme drop you. I can go to the mall tomorrow and-"

"Mia, it's fine." I tell her.

"You sure?" She asks and I nod. "Okay then. I'll get you some sneakers then." She opens her car door.

"It's fine." I scratch my hair. "Um Mia?"

"Hmm?"

"Why aren't you saying anything?" I ask her.

I had expected her to have my head after what I did.

But she didn't say anything. She didn't tell me about her disappointment, she didn't nag at me or anything. She stayed silent.

And that made me anxious.

She looks at me confused. "About what?"

"I sat with Matt during lunch." I remind her and realization dawns on her.

She rests on her car and sighs.

"Do you want me to say something?"

"Well, you ranting is better than your silence."

"Ranting?" She asks and scoffs. "You know, I've come to realize that my words are useless."

What?

"What?"

"I've come to know no matter what I say, I won't be taken seriously because they mean nothing."

I take a step forward. "Mia-"

"I'm not mad though." She interrupts me. "It's typical of you."

Typical of me?

"That's-"

"I've realized, no matter what I say, you're still going to do what your heart desires. You're still going to follow your mind."

"I never-"

"So you just lemme go on and on and on and on, and when I'm done, you go with your original plan."

Is this how I've made her feel?

"Mia look-"

"And I've come to deal with it. I'm used to it. It's your life. You have the choice to do what you think it's right for you. And as your best friend, it's my right to tell what I think is right for you."

"C'mon. You know-"

"But don't worry, I'll be cheering you on from the sidelines from now on. It's the least I can do. If I can't offer my oral advice, at least I can offer my support from the bench right?"

"Mia." I call her name gently.

"I figured it's better to let you get run over so you can experience how dangerous this is. But don't worry, you'll still have my undying support." She gives me a tight lipped smile.

"Please let me-"

"I'll see you at home." She says and enters her car.

"Mia!" I bend over and she starts her engine.

She horns twice and waves at me before driving off.

"Well that was very nice." I huff.

I catch a glimpse of Matt walking out of the school gate and run to catch up with him.

I jump beside him as I fall in step. "Hey Harper." I say as I walk with him.

He ignores me and keeps walking.

"Such a great weather isn't it?" I say and look at the clouds. "My friend just ditched me and I have no ride. What about you?" I ask him but again, he ignores me.

"You know you have this habit of ignoring people when they're around you. Especially when they're talking to you. Didn't your mom teach you well?" At this, he stops.

He turns to me. "What exactly do you want?"

"I want to walk with you."

"No."

"Why?" I ask him.

"Go ride with your friend."

"She ditched me." I repeat and he continues walking. "C'mon! I just want to walk with a friend!"

He stops abruptly and that startles me.

"Will you stop calling me that?!" He says, his voice raised over a little.

"I thought we were friends."

"And where did you get that from?"

"We had a moment on Saturday."

"Just because I talked to you, or just because I recognized you were in pain or because I talked to you because you looked pitiful doesn't mean we are friends Dalton." He says coldly.

The small smile that was on my face slipped away.

"What?"

"You reminded me of the past at that moment. That's it. You were comforted because you reminded me of the past. Not because I wanted to talk to you, not because I want to be friends with you, not because I wanted to share a moment with you, but because you reminded me of someone that I wanted to badly forget."

"What are you saying?"

"Just leave me the hell alone." He says and starts to walk away.

"I'm sorry but I can't do that." I say and he stops.

It takes me a second before I continue.

"You may try to push me away all you want Harper, but I'm not going anywhere. I'm on the verge of losing my friendship because of this, so I'm going to make this all worth it."

He finally turns. "What?"

"So brace yourself. Brace yourself, because you just got yourself a new friend." I add and walk past him. Walked past him like it was nothing.

Without looking back.