I ordered myself a cappucino and Vic a bagel while he got us a table for two somewhere off in the corner. The girl behind the counter was friendly, a little too happy for my liking but I didn't let that bother me. I kept glancing behind me to the table Vic was day at with his back to me, still overwhelmed that he was really here, that he came for me.

"That's something I like to see!" The girl serving me chirped.

"Huh?" I replied turning back to face her, her smile was wide and mostly gums and in all honesty I was a little frightened that her face was going to split into two.

"You seem really happy, its nice to witness." She explained, her small brown eyes widening showing genuine honesty. I liked that she noticed how happy I was - how happy Vic made me. I giggled girlishly, an action that was so unlike me it actually ceased my ridiculous laughter immediately.

"Thank you." I said more formally with a small smile, she smiled back, handing me the bagel and my cappucino.

"No problem, hon!" - hon. I shivered, the word made me think of Lily and also made me dread going home. I faked a smile and headed to the table, my stomach slightly churning.

He seemed a little lost in the dull cafe lights, they didn't compliment him at all. He looked a little paler than usual too and as I took in all of his features I noticed a slight cut on his lip that I hadn't noticed before.

"Vic, have you been in a fight?" I questioned eyeing him suspiciously, his blank expression turned into a frown and he sighed like that was the last thing on his mind.

"Yes." He replied lowly and I raised my eyebrows at the fact he'd chosen to talk instead of just nodding like he usually does when he's uncomfortable with the situation.

"When? What happened?" I gasped.

"It's nothing really, just some guys." He shrugged but I had a feeling it ran way deeper than that. I narrowed my eyes at him and repeated my question.

"What happened?" He grumbled and took a bite of his bagel, avoiding all eye contact with me.

"It was just some guys, it was dark, I was alone, they wanted my watch, that's it." He mumbled, eyes still on the table, taking another bite out of the bagel he didn't seem to be enjoying in the slightest.

"So they attacked you?" I was probably talking too loud but I didn't care, nobody was around and I was really shocked.

"It was just one punch, I'm okay." He replied, his voice a hell of a lot quieter than mine.

"Vic..." I put my hand on the table on top of his and sighed. "What's wrong? Don't tell me nothing, something is clearly bothering you, what is it?" His eyes flicked up to mine and I swore they were watery, like he was on the verge of crying but he looked down again so rapidly I wasn't too sure.

"We should probably start heading back, your mom is really worried." He replied monotonous and my jaw fell open - was he really going to dismiss this? He stood up from the table, his head low and waited for me to join him. I wanted to yell, scream fuck my mom, fuck everything but instead I looked towards my cappucino my stomach kind of churning and me losing my craving for it, I discarded it to the middle of the table and stood up too. I went to reach for his hand but he walked away before I had chance to, I sighed heavily, wondering if it was something I'd done or if he was just grumpy.

"What time is it?" He asked more softly as we got outside. I pulled my phone out and checked the time.

"Almost three pm." I told him before putting my phone back in its place in my backpack. He nodded and looked left and then right.

"Should we rent a car or catch the bus?" He asked still not looking at me.

"Vic for god sake just tell me what I've done wrong, jeez." I waved my arms in exasperation, kicking the gravel with my shoe. He looked at me blankly, an expression I read as: what are you talking about?

"I've obviously pissed you off in some sort of way, so just quit this teenage boy drama routine and tell me what I did." I was more upset than angry but I seemed more angry than upset, I guess I'd never been good with emotions and portraying them correctly.

"You haven't done anything, Lee." He glanced back in my direction but didn't look at my face and then he headed off in the direction of a bus stop. I stomped my foot, trying not to get angry at him and the fact he was acting weird and then slowly followed him, my teeth tightly sunken into my tongue.

---

The bus journey was slow, as bus journeys always are. Vic glanced blankly out of the window the whole time, not turning to look at me once.

"It's about Taylor isn't it." I sighed taking a random guess, I didn't know if his bad mood was because of Taylor or not but there was no evidence pointing in any other direction. He turned his head towards me and blinked a couple of times, like he was coming out of a daze. He raised his shoulders for a few short seconds and then they sagged back down.

"Talk to me..." Luckily the bus was empty, with the exception of Vic, some old lady right at the front of the bus, and of course me. He turned his attention back to the window and bit on his lip, I watched his reflection in the window as he closed his eyes and then opened them again.

"I saw the way you looked at him, the way he looked at you..." He sighed as if he hated admitting that things bothered him. I smiled wide and he furrowed his eyebrows as he looked back to me.

"You're smiling..." He frowned and I put both of my hands over my mouth to hide the nuisance smile I couldn't get rid of.

"No, no, I'm sorry!" I exclaimed, "it's just you're jealous." He looked down at his knotted fingers and didn't say anything, as if it was a shameful crime to be jealous. "It's cute." I clarified and I saw the corners of his lips lift a little which made mine do the same. I put my arm around his shoulders and rested my head on his shoulder.

"I promise there's nothing going on with Taylor and me." He looked at me, studying my eyes, searching them for the truth. Maybe he was satisfied with what he saw, I wasn't sure. "I promise." I assured and he nodded, pecking my lips chastely.

----

We walked morbidly onto the second bus, the one that would eventually pull up at the end of my street - or as I like to call it. Hell. I turned to Vic, a lightbulb switching on in my brain.

"I have an idea, lets just get off at the next stop." He took in my words and then frowned.

"Why?" He asked.

"I don't want to go home. I just want it to be you and me, we can just get off at the next stop and wander around, find a motel and relax, just us two." I offered, dying to just spend some time with him before we went home, back to chaos and torture.

"I don't have any money..." He sighed like he wished we could just go and do it.

"I do." I beamed and then my face slowly fell as I realized that that was actually a lie. I'd traded my eleven hundred dollars for...a gun. "Oh, no, never mind." I shook my head. "Home it is then." I shrugged.

Seriously dreading it.

Notes

it's boring.
but drama soon.