Lily didn’t know what to expect -- for him to deny it, or at least show some remorse, but James did neither. “You punched him that hard?” she sighed, trying to keep the note of anger out of her voice. “Why?
“Clearly,” James muttered, his eyes rolling, his blood starting to boil, all over again, as the encounter replayed back over in his mind, Lucas backing into his bike, the.. back and forth between the two, all of it. “Why’s it matter?”
“He’s my friend, James,” she frowned, unable now to hide her irritation. “Why’d you hit him? Just for fun?”
Upon sight of her frown, James tore his eyes from her face, focusing his gaze, now, on something just, random, as he spoke next. It was a weakness of his, unfortunately, one of few. “Right, right. Your friend,” he spat, just spitefully, “Nah, not exactly.”
Normally, Lily would’ve noticed him shutting down; noticed that he didn’t want to talk about what had happened. This time, though, she was distracted, missing all the little things that she should've been picking up on. “Then? What happened?” she pressed on, trying to make any kind of eye contact with him.
Raising a hand, James scratched softly at the hair that grew along the back of his neck, looking around anywhere, and everywhere, really, but to her, at this point, even at the ground. ”He just, he was askin’ for it, alright?” he told her, harshly, finally, in reply. Afterwards, sighing, he realized how he'd just raised his voice with her, the people around them, noticing, too; having not even meant to, regardless, not apologizing.
Lily didn’t even notice her voice increasing in volume right along with his, as she snapped back, “How? By existing?” she shook her head, “You should apologize to him.”
“Apologize?” James scoffed, that being the one word that caught his attention, stopping him from tuning her out, even more so. Laughing lightly, he figured she’d had to have been kidding, she had to be; that is, until he saw the look she was giving him, one that was as serious as ever. “That’s gotta be a fuckin’ joke.”
James laughing, acting as if he didn’t take her seriously at all, only pissed her off even more. Though, she wasn’t aware at the time of her facial expression, it was definitely something that resembled a glare. “Do I sound or look like I’m joking? You hit him really hard, and you’re making it sound like it was for no reason!”
Swallowing hard, James paced back and forth, within a few feet, before her, fighting just, yelling right back at her, as much as he possibly could’ve, honestly. It didn’t work. “It wasn’t for no fucking reason, Lily, I fuckin’ told you that, already,” he started, unable to stop, now, it seemed, that he had, “That fuckin’ asshole, he.. backed into my bike, he,” James paused, starting to go on, and tell her what had really caused him to crack, Lucas mouthing off with some dumb, smartass shit about his Dad. Somewhat.. embarrassed by it, though, and the effect it’d had on him, he’d decided against it. “I wasn’t gonna just fuckin’ stand there!”
“He didn’t do it on purpose, James, it was a fucking accident. Unlike you hitting him.” Lily rolled her eyes, ignoring the passing looks they were getting by eavesdroppers. “But, yeah, you’re right, I can see how a motorcycle would be more important than a person.”
“Like you would fuckin’ know!” he snapped, “He, he basically fuckin’ said he did.” Near to infuriated, and growing even more hurt, just in general, James didn’t do as Lily had, merely just ignoring those who passed, judging, with their matching disapproving looks, he spoke on it. “Mind your own fuckin’ business! Damn,” he spat, loudly, to no one in particular, though, causing near to everyone to turn right the other way, as they continued to walk on by. James may not have explained himself.. entirely, but still, to him, it seemed a lot like she was just, taking sides; and not his. “Don’t worry, babe. I can see what’s more important to you, too.”
Feeling like it was pointless to continue on fighting with him, Lily only turned on her heel as she uttered that last sentence, ignoring purposely his underlying meaning. It was pathetic for him to act this way, at least, in her mind, -- since of course, she also thought that her emotions were completely rationalized. “Have fun with your fun house,” she called out as she left, not even bothering to look back.
Earlier, before, watching as Lily weaved her way through the crowds, making her way over to him, James naturally just, felt himself light up, a small smile working it’s way up, and onto his face, almost instinctively. As she did the opposite, though, now, storming away from him, James couldn't help but feel.. glad, glad that that was over, and, glad that she was gone. “Well, fuck you, too, then,” he cursed, under his breath, kicking hard at an empty coke can that’d been left at his feet, taking out how he felt on the first thing he’d come across, and sending it flying.
