Gaijin No More

Aiden's POV

Stupid, motherfucking teacher. Of course she had to hold me back today when all I wanted was to get out of this shit hole they call school. And what for? Just because she was worried about my Biology grade. Honestly, who gives a shit?

Anyway, she had given me a ten minute-lecture about maintaining my good grades. I had tuned her out after the first minute was up.

I walked quickly down the empty hallways, not wanting to spend another moment in he building. I wanted to get home, call Dan and go get hammered.

It was all I ever did nowadays, it seemed. Ever since Cody broke up with me and hooked up with Kirk, I've been drinking more and more. Oh hell no, I'm not an alcoholic. I just like to drink, that's all.

Actually, now that I think about it, my alcohol consumption increased before Cody broke up with me. That made me feel a little bad as I remembered how many times I chose to go out to drink with my friends instead of spending time with Cody.

I quickly stopped that train of thought. It didn't matter now. We were over, it was time to move on.

And go get drunk with Dan.

I was about to round a corner when I heard arguing. I stopped in my tracks and listened. Who would be arguing in a school hallway? Especially when the school was already over? I doubted it was two teachers.

The voices... They sounded familiar. I carefully peeked around the corner, my eyes widening when I saw the arguing couple. At first anger flared up within me when I saw Cody and Kirk together, but then their words reached my ears.

”-- I'm not going to pretend to be your boyfriend anymore and that's final,” I heard Cody say. What did that mean 'pretend to be your boyfriend'? What was going on?

Puzzled I continued eavesdropping them.

I saw Kirk push Cody against the lockers when he tried to leave. “It's not up to you to decide when this is over and when it's not.”

Kirk said something else, but I couldn't hear it since he spoke so quietly. Whatever it was, it seemed to anger Cody since he shoved Kirk harshly.

What Cody said next made my heart jump.

“I told you already I'm not doing this anymore! I love Aiden too much to keep hurting him like this." Apparently he said something else too, but I didn't hear it. I was too caught up trying to comprehend what he had just said.

Cody... loved me? How was this possible? If he really loved me, why did he leave me to be with Kirk?

I was starting to feel there was more than met the eye in this whole mess. Some things just didn't feel right and I was determined to find out the truth. All of it.

“We can't stop dating before all that Miller feels for you is indifference. Once all his feelings for you have disappeared, it will be safe to assume he won't try to get back together with you.” What Kirk said completely caught me off guard. Why wouldn't Kirk want me get back together with Cody?

Seriously, what the hell was the deal here?

A few more heated arguments were exchanged and they all just confirmed my suspicion that something was off.

“No. You and Aiden's friends can go fuck yourselves. I should've never agreed to this shit.” I was taken aback by the harsh words Cody directed to my friends. What did they have to do with this? And just what Cody shouldn't have agreed to?

I watched intently as Cody once again tried to leave but Kirk caught him before he got too far. Then a few more words were said and Cody kicked Kirk right on his shin. I mentally cheered.

My emotions had been thrown into a haywire during the eavesdropping, but soon fury took a hold of me when Kirk punched Cody right on the face and he fell to the ground with a dull thud, hitting his head in the process.

I moved before I had time to think what I was doing. All I could think was to get to them before Kirk did something else to hurt Cody.

“Touch him like that again and I'll fucking kill you,” I growled in fury, swinging my fist back and knocking Kirk down. I went to hit him again just for good measure, put he was able to dodge it.

“Stay the fuck out of this Miller, this is none of your business!” Kirk barked and got up swiftly, facing me. Blood was trickling down from his split lip and the side of his face was starting to swell.

My eyes narrowed. “I don't know exactly what has been going on, but since it has something to do with Cody breaking up with me, it makes it my business.”

Kirk gritted his teeth. “You and Cody have been over for ages now. So be kind and stay the fuck away from my and my boyfriend's lives.” He smirked triumphantly when I flinched as he called Cody his boyfriend.

Cody, who had been silent for the most part, was yanked up from the floor by Kirk. “Come on Cody, we'll finish this somewhere else.”

Oh hell no, I wasn't going to let this go that easily. I still had questions that needed to be answered and I fully intended to get the answers from Cody.

“Cody is going nowhere with you,” I growled menacingly, “but you need to fuck off right now before I get really mad.”

Kirk seemed to realize I wasn't kidding. Grudgingly he let go of Cody and with one last glare at me he left.

I watched his back until he disappeared behind the corner. I wanted to make sure he was gone before I turned my attention to Cody.

Cody kept his eyes on the floor, nervously shifting his weight from foot to foot. He looked like a child who was about to be spanked.

A myriad of emotions swirled within me as I stood there watching him. A huge part of me longed to take him into my arms and cradle him there, protected from the world. But then the more rational part told me I shouldn't do that, we weren't together and there was still some things that needed to be solved.

“You love me,” I finally said. It wasn't a question, it was more like a statement.

Cody's head snapped up, his eyes wide and a blush coloring his cheeks. I frowned when I noticed the bruising on his face, a trace of blood dried on his lower lip.

“Yeah. I do,” he said softly. Then he turned around and started to walk away.

Before he got too far, I placed my hand on his shoulder, stopping him.

“I think we need to have a serious talk,” I told him quietly.

I felt how Cody tensed under my hand before slumping his shoulders.

“Okay,” he said meekly, as if afraid of my reaction.

“Come, let's go somewhere else,” I suggested and led him out of the building, to my car.