With The Lunatics - Chapter 3

“Mark this is Clay, Clay this is Mark” said Jean. There’s a sudden awkwardness in the company. “So, new company huh? quite a pleasant surprise” said Mark. “Yeah, he insisted on coming with me so he’s a company of mine now” she said while Clay was there sitting awkwardly about the new stranger. Clay is not an anti-social person but he has a hard time talking to new people in special circumstances.

After awhile Clay started to gather himself and started to talk. “It wouldn’t hurt me to find friends right?” He thought to himself. “So what do you guys do here?” Clay asked. “We mostly talk about how much of a trash high school is” Mark says with a smirk in his face. “Yeah i thought about it myself, it’s just that i haven’t had company since we moved here” said Clay. “Well if you can quit being an asshole to me at school, i guess you have one” said Jean. “Two” added Mark, And Clay smiled. “Quite notable how we’ve become haters to acquaintance in span of hours huh?” I said half jokingly. Jean laughed “Yeah, I actually don’t like most of the things you do but i’m cool with it” she said. “Like what?” Clay inquired. “Like how you wouldn’t give up without a fight in everything you do, you always want to justify yourself you know” she said truthfully. “Someone’s a self-righteous here huh?” Mark teased slightly punching Clay shoulders. Clay simply smile.

“He was the one i said to you yesterday, the one with those third years” Jean said to Mark. “Hey! I told you already i wasn’t with them, i was just passing by when i saw them sneaking to the girl’s lavatory and followed them to try to stop them and-” Clay defended but Jean quickly said “See, that’s what irritates me, you always explain things as if you’re the only human being that can use their brain” Jean said with a teasing tone. “So… it means?” Clay asked. “It means that you should stop talking much and live your life! Man up!” Said Mark. “In fact don’t get too devious about detentions, we get it for like eight times a week, it’s not kind of a big deal” jean added.

“You wouldn’t understand how hard it is for me you know, i’m new here and i don’t want the teachers to think that i’m a bad student” Clay said truthfully. “Why do I feel comfortable talking about this suddenly?” Clay thought “Debatable but whatever, you should not always think of yourself as a new student anymore, you’re two weeks in here already” Jean laughed in her own joke. “That doesn’t make any sense” clay said with innocence marked in his face. “Yeah, you’ll get used to it soon, her mouth doesn’t spring out to something that makes sense” Mark said and all of the three of them laughed. “So you guys are cool with keeping me as a company here huh?” Clay asked. “Totally, you know we always wanted new blood, we’ve been searching for ‘acceptable’ friends to accept you know and since Jean is the one that found you I think we’ll get along easily” Mark discussed. “What are you some kind of recruitment agency?” Clay joked then Jean replied smiling “You see, my mouth may say useless things but my eyes and ears are quite exceptionally observant, and to what you said to me earlier, you seem so transparent to people once you get close to them”. She was right. Clay may have a hard time gaining new friends but he can be easily attach to them by short time. Clay smiled “I think i found them” he thought

“We have all afternoon here, so what should we do to him first?” Jean said. “What do you mean do first” Clay asked. Jean laughed “Relax there you whiney man! We won’t do anything that includes blood” she said darkly. Clay gulped, “Stop it! You’ll make him think we’re some lunatic who beats people and dig their grave in the middle of the forest” Mark said smirking. And they both laughed darkly, Clay sat there in shock of what he heard. “I think i gotta-” clay said but Mark instantly added “Wait! We’re just messing with you! HAHA” mark said while still laughing at Clay. Clay let out a breath of relief and smiled a bit.

“So tell us about yourself” Mark said. “He told me already, you better get to know each other while i go fetch us some snacks to eat” Jean said. “I’m lactose-intalented remember that!” Mark shouted as jean climb down the tree. And there sat the two boys inside the tree house. Mark taps Clay’s shoulder “You seem so tense! Calm your ass down, i don’t bite…deeply” He said smiling. “So you’re quite a wild person huh?” Clay said. “Not really, and between you and me that’s saying something” Mark winked at him and started digging in a small chest at the back of him.

Clay’s POV

“You play board games?” Mark inquired. “Chess and word games is my preference” I said. “Well, you’re lucky because you just stumbled in front of a chess master here” mark said to me with a playful stare. “What’s with these boy?” I thought to myself. We played chess while waiting for Jean to comeback. “So, why did you move here?” Mark asked. “Well for starters, my family is the inspiration of it. We’ve had some huge family matter to assess with” i replied. “Elaborating that will not hurt you, you know” he said. “My parent’s have been divorced recently” i said, instantly regretting that i told it to a boy i barely knew. “Oh, i’m sorry to hear it” mark said sadly. “It’s okay” i replied”. Before i knew it my King is on a checkmate. “Gosh this is embarrassing” i thought. The mark smiled at me “Told you i’m a chess master”

After a while he said to me “You’re not alone here, you know how I became friends with Jean?” Mark said. “How?” I asked

Mark’s POV

“We were neighbors so yeah that’s it” I said to him. “Wow, well that’s significant” Clay said sarcastically. “We’re really close you know, and as we grow up we both witness our family falling apart, both our parents don’t give much attention to us, so we promised to ourselves that we’ll be there for each other” I said “So i guess we all have family issues here huh?” Clay said I simply smiled at him.

“You know Jean’s quite a girl, do you…you know have a thing for her?” Clay asked me shyly? I laughed at him, “That’s hilarious, we’ve been friends since we started to know how to talk, we basically grew up together, i feel more like a brother to her and I see her as my Younger sister” I replied. “So you mean you don’t like her intimately because you basically grow up knowing each other? That doesn’t make sense” Clay said. “If it was you i grew up with maybe i would” i said to him. “Yeah as if that would make much more sense wouldn’t it?” Clay said smiling. “Take a hint” I simply replied. He became quiet for a moment then he said “So…You’re saying? That…You’re…gay?” I smiled and said “took you an hour to realize huh?”. “Well this is a new record for me” Clay said. “Why?” I inquired. “You know i’ve never talked to a gay person before, it’s more awkward actually” he said. “Well i’m more of a bi person, if that make sense to you” I said. “So you like girls and boys? Right?” Clay said. “Yeah sure” I said.

“Then why are you still single?” Clay asked. I was surprised by his question “Why? Do you think because i have twice the choice as you normally have means that i should get a partner? Or do you think that i couldn’t get one?” I asked. “Not really, i just you know… you’re quite an aggressive one, so wouldn’t it be easy for you to get one?” Clay asked. “What do you mean i’m aggressive?” I asked. “You know… now that i know your sexuality it makes me think that you’re hitting with me since you got here” Clays said and i smiled yet again. “Well will you look at that, your brain finally catching up a bit huh?” I said mockingly “I don’t usually do it you know, only on special circumstances” i smirked at him and he tuned his gaze at the window. “Well this is really awkward you know” Clay said while he begun appreciating the designs of the tree house.

“It is, isn’t it? It doesn’t have to be you know” i said to him assuringly. He stared at me with confusion, “I don’t ‘love’ you, you know, more of attracted to you, just picture it this way, you’re a hot and famous student and you just have a friend that finds you interesting, it’s nothing serious you know” i said and he blushed a little. “Yeah sure” he said to me while looking at the floor. “You’re not telling me that…you’re attracted to me too? Right?” I inquired. “No, not like that, more like i feel guilty” he said shyly. “Guilty about what?” I asked

“You know you find me interesting and i don’t find you same way as you find me” he said apologetically. “Ouch!” I said jokingly, “Is that what you want to hear? HAHA, you’re such a baby, you know you don’t have to force yourself to feel the same way other people feel about you, you’ll explode” i said to him reassuringly.

“We got some very very deep talks here huh?” Jean said and we’re both caught by surprise by her sudden appearance and we all laugh