LXI | Parrot

❦

'And you just let her be?'
I ask.

Aspen picks up
his phone

from the ground.

He clicks the torchlight on,
shines it at me.

In what world
would Aspen allow

Rowan and I

to be together till 1 am
in the night?

'Of course
'I don't like it,' he retorts,
'but she's Rowan...'

A pause.

I watch his face
as he realises how

stupid

he is.

'You're so sheltered,'
I laugh.

'Both you and Rowan.'

I don't see the punch.

I only taste
blood

from where his fist cut my lip.

Aspen is weak.

A nerd
with no strength.

But I touch my jaw
tentative.

It hurts.

'What did you do to her?'

I stop his fist
before it hits me a second time.

'Both of you are #*%&ing idiots,'
I spit.

And I punch him back.

His phone
clatters to the ground
again.

'You think you're strong,
'you're always right
'—everything you say and do—
'well, you're wrong!'

It's not my fault
that his knees lose strength

and he falls
onto his butt.

Stunned.

But he's lost interest
in me.

His eyes
are fixed
on the rowan tree
behind me.

'It's about time you realise
'Rowan is a bigger liar than me,'
I hiss.

Retract my fist.

'Don't blame me for everything.'

[Read the full story at novelconbini.com!]