Tipping The Scale

Chapter 5

When I woke up it was dark outside. I was asleep for quite a while.

"Jeremy!" My father called in his thick French accent. He makes my name sound so...erotic. No, not in the perverted way, I mean like it's some sort of foreign name instead of just the plain old boring English version.

"Oui, Papa?!" I called back from my room. I'm too lazy to get up and actually go downstairs just to see what he wants but he is used to it.

"Venez ici, s'il vous plait!" he shouted

"Pourquoi?" I whined. I groaned standing up to go and see what he wants. You know one would assume that since the rise of technology parents would just text us to tell us what they want; but not parents, they need us to come all the way downstairs.

"Pourquoi? Etes-vous fou? Vous me demandez pourquoi je vous appelle? Les enfants de nos jours!" He reprimanded.

"Je suis vraiment désolé, papa, mais je suis un peu fatigué et j'ai un mal de tête donc je ne peux pas marcher autour d'un l--" I answered coming down the stairs but stopping mid-setence when i saw the one and only Matt Pavarotti standing right next to my father. My eyes widened at the pair.

"Pour quoi est-il ici?" i asked my father crossing my arms over my chest.

"Il est ton ami, non?" he asked confused. Matt just stood there looking confused and with a tight smile on his face. I take it he doesn't speak/understand French.

"Non" I stated simply. "What do you want, Pavarotti?" I growled at Matt

"Jeremy. Soyez politiques" my father reprimanded again.

"I just came to talk to you, Tubby" Matt answered in an innocent voice. Ugh please, first at school now in my own house. What is this guy a stalker? How the hell did he get my address?

"Ai, Por amor de dios!" I exasperated

"Jeremy!" My father yelled

"Sorry, papa" I apologized; he nodded and walked a way. "Outside" I said to Matt while walking towards the door. He followed me silently. As soon as the door closed I turned to him and eyed him suspiciously.

"You are either dumb or deaf, or maybe both. I thought you and your lap dog got the hint. I don't want to talk to you, Pavarotti" I said in a bored tone.

"I am neither of those and like I said I want to talk to you." He answered shrugging.

"What do you want?"

"Well..." he hesitated.

"Do you think I have all night? I have better things to do than stand here and listen to you, so start talking and you better make it fast because I have low tolerance levels for people like you." I snapped at him. He stared at me with widened eyes in disbelief. I don't think anyone has ever spoken to him like that before. Yeah, well he should get used to it. I'm rude, sarcastic and straight forward and I'm not his fan.

"I just want to be your friend, Tubby" he sighed.

I rolled my eyes. "Oh please, Pavarotti, like I'm going to believe that."

"It's true, Tubby."

"Look, I know that's not true, okay. You just want a free pass to the next invite-only college party so that you can increase your popularity and ego. But unfortunately for you, I'm not going to fall for your pathetic attempts. It's happened to many times before. Now, if you would excuse me I—"

"Why do you hate me so much?" he asked, interrupting me. He had his hands crossed over his chest, eyebrows creased and a frown set on his face.

"Hate, is a strong word. But I will admit; I really really really don't like you or any jocks for that matter. You are so pompous, conceited, vain, intolerable and quite frankly stupid. I'm sorry to tell you but, I don't and probably won't ever like you" I stated simply and shrugged my shoulders.

"All I want is to get to know you, Tubby, please just give me that chance." He pleaded. He looked like it really irked him that I don't like him. Why is it so important for me to like him? "Please, Tubby, just give me one chance" he pleaded

"Why? Why now? We have been in the same school and classes for years and you have never so much as looked my way. So, why now, Pavarotti?" I asked genuinely curious.

Silence. He just looked at his shoes and bit his lip. "Yeah, that's what I thought" I said dryly and turned to walk away but he grabbed my wrist. I felt slight electric currents running through my body.

"Tubby, wait....It's because...because I-...I like you" he stuttered looking down at his shoes.

I wrenched my wrist free of his and rubbed trying to get rid of the tingly feeling. "That's low...even for you, Pavarotti"

"Ahhh," he groaned in frustration "It's freaking true! Why do you have to be so difficult?!" he yelled

I scoffed. "Yeah sure whatever you say". I started to walk away but again he grabbed my wrist. What is with this guy and touching?!

"Jeremy" he said softly. I flinched slightly. He made my name sound so erotic, more erotic than my dad did. I liked the way he said it...like it belonged in his mouth. It rolled of his tongue so easily. That's hot. I shook my head and mentally slapped myself. NO, don't go thinking that. It's all a trap. "Please, Jeremy, give me a chance...if anything, to just be your friend. I only ask for one chance...please" he pleaded and his normal accent broke slightly to make way for an Italian one that made me tingle on the inside. Gosh, I need to get my head checked.

I groaned and slapped myself harder mentally. I have a feeling I'm going to regret this. "Fine" I said wearily and running my hand through my hair. "One chance...and just friends... got it?"

"Go it... Thank you so much!" he said cheerily with a huge smile that seemed genuine enough. He clapped his hands and embraced me in a tight hug. I was shocked and taken aback. I really didn't know what do so I just wrapped my arms around him loosely and hugged him back awkwardly while patting his back. It felt nice hugging him but also really awkward so I pulled out of the hug.

"Okay, well I have to go so can I have your number?" he asked holding out his phone.

"Uh...sure." I said somewhat hesitantly. I took his phone and put my number in and saved it as Tubbz.

"Thanks... for giving me a chance." He said with a smile and walked away.

I stood outside for a while to process what had just happened. I just agreed to be friends with that guy. I don't even like him. What the hell is going on with me? I sighed and run my hand through my hair and went back inside. This is going to be an interesting friendship.

*

"No" Candy gasped, holding her hand over her mouth in disbelief as I relayed last nights scene to her.

"Oh yeah. I don't know why I agreed but his whining was making me sick" I told her honestly. I just left out how nice my name sounded when he said it... she doesn't need to know everything.

"Well, he did make an effort to come there just to ask you that... I think it's sweet" she gushed.

I raised an eyebrow at her "Sweet? It's suspicious if anything. How in the world did he get my address anyway? I should really stop giving it out to people if this is going to become a habit for jocks. I still don't like them...or him as a matter of fact."

"Aww, come on Tubz, he can't be that bad if he went so far just to ask you to be his friend. Lighten up a little." She said thoughtfully. I scoffed but nodded none-the-less, I just wanted to end the conversation

Yeah right, as if I will lighten up when it comes to jocks. Especially Matt and his lap dog, uh...Adam. I will not fall for a stupid trap. Never ever ever again. We were sitting at our usual lunch table joking about and just generally having fun. We may be non-existent to the rest of the school but in our close nit group everyone is equal and we are all about the fun and games. Candy was licking Jonathan's face and he was cringing in disgust but not moving because he made a bet with the twins Allen and Alana.Roywas talking to Cody, his boyfriend, and wiggling his eyebrow which means I probably don't want to hear their conversation and I was currently just talking to Beau about Twilight. Why? I have no idea.

"No, Team Edward! Jacob is a sore loser... I like the Cullens, they are sooooo cool." Beau said

"Eh, I'm all team Jacob man, werewolves are so cool. I like dogs...what can I say? Besides werewolves trump vampires any day" I disagreed.

"Edward is hot and mysterious and all around sexy."

"Dude, you can't use that as an argument. It's not fair. You are gay and I'm not..." I argued.

"You're bi-curious which pretty much makes you bi which pretty much makes you gay. Therefore I submit that not only is it fair, but I win. Game. Set. Match." He replied in his debater voice. I shook my head at him.

"That's not true, I like girls; t**s and pussy.. you know, the things that make you gag? I said I'm not above trying out a guy. I didn't say I would."

"Yeah, that's how we all start" he snickered.

"Dick." I muttered under my breath. My phone started vibrating on the table. I picked it up and saw a text from an unregistered number.

'Hey. =D Matt' the text read.

"Oooh, Matt as in Matthew Pavarotti, as in the hottest gay guy in this entire school...well after me of course... but him?" Beau asked in pure shock.

"Yup, the very one." I said in bored tone and shrugged my shoulders. I put the phone back on the table and looked over to his table. He was staring at me and smiling. Hmph. Weirdo.

"Aren't you going to reply?" Beau asked

"Nope" I stated simply. Then he started hitting me like the insane person he is. "Ow! Ow! Ow! Can you please just stop!" I shouted

"No" he carried on smacking me the crazy nub. I grabbed hold of his and brought his body close to mine and leaned down till my lips were right by his ear. He tensed visibly.

"I said stop, Beau." I said in a low seductive voice. He just nodded and relaxed in my grip. I gave him an award winning smile that showed off my awesome dimples. "Good. Now, I will not reply right now...okay?" I whispered.

"Whatever, baby. Maybe we should take sometime off in the bathroom. Rawr" he responded giggling. We normally just play around like this because we are that bored with life. "You know I have talent"

"Oh baby I know...you showed me last night" I smiled. We both burst out laughing at the same time. I put my arm over his shoulders and leaned back in my chair. Yeah, life is good when one of your best friends is single and gay. Beau is good looking, in fact he is very hot. But we have that kind of relationship where it's almost impossible to fall for each other. We are like brothers. We carried on joking about until we had to go back to class.

Maybe I will reply the message later.. if he is lucky. I'm not making any promises. Right now it's time for class.

*

Matt's P.O.V

I came to school feeling good. I had completed the first phase of my plan. You know my performance yesterday was just impeccable. I am just all round talented. It really irritated me that he couldn't just like me already. It was so much easier with all the other targets. All I had to do was smile and wave. But, Tubby was just something else. He was so headstrong and self-assured and brutally blunt. He didn't think twice about telling me what he thought of me. His opinion of me is so low and that irks me. Who the hell is he to have such an opinion of me? He doesn't even know me!

Either way, I still felt good. Things were looking up and he hasn't insulted me today. I tell you I am going to have that kid eating out of the palm of my hand. No doubt. I'm so hot, no one can resist. I didn't know that he is French. That's so hot. Well not that I find him hot just French people in general. French is such a sexy language and he did sound mega sexy speaking it to his dad yesterday but that doesn't mean my opinion of him has changed at all. His accent is hot...that's all.

I went for lunch and sat down just next to Adam and facing Tubby's table. I told Adam about yesterday and he grinned widely. "So, the plan is a-go?" he asked and I nodded. "Great. He will pay for ever talking to me like that" he smirked.

I think he needs to calm his ass down; he is way to full of himself. So the guy doesn't know him, so what? It's me he's supposed to know. He has to fall for me; not us.

I took out my phone and decided to text Tubby. Now that we are 'friends' I have to make him think I really want him. 'Hey. =D Matt' I sent it and waited the reply.

I looked at his table where he was deep in conversation with some guy who is very very hot. His curly brown hair fit his pale blue eyes perfectly and his tanned skin complimented his pink lips. Note to self: Get to know Tubby's hot friend after all this is over. When he received the text he picked up his phone and read it. He looked at me and then put the phone down. You have got to be kidding me!! What the hell! Didn't we go through this yesterday?! This guy is really aggravating.

His hot friend read the text as well and then asked him something. Tubby shrugged and looked bored. Suddenly his friend just starts hitting him. Tubby cowered away but his friend kept hitting him despite the fact Tubby was pleading with him to stop. Out of nowhere Tubby just grabs the guy's hands and jerks his body towards him. He leans down until is lips were sitting next to the guys ears. He said or did something because the guy started smiling and run his hand down Tubby's torso. Tubby chuckled and said something. Then they both burst out laughing and Tubby threw his arm over the guy's shoulders.

What. The. Hell? He is gay? So he has a boyfriend and he didn't see the need to tell me this yesterday when I was proclaiming my like for him. Huh! The nerve. He didn't even bother replying my text. Hmph! Too busy with his ugly boyfriend. That guy doesn't have anything on me. I'm so much better than he is. I'm the hottest guy in this school period. What does he see in that ugly guy that he doesn't see in me? That stupid i***t!

Not that I care anyway. I mean he can do whatever he wants. This is all just a game to me. I don't care if he has a boyfriend. He can go and f**k his stupid ugly boyfriends brains dead for all I care. They could have s*x on the lunch table and I wouldn't care. I'm not jealous. He is stupid and ugly! I don't care! Stop thinking I care! I can see you do! I don't so stop shaking your head!! I said I don't care! And I'm not jealous!!!

I crossed my hands over my chest and sulked. Just to let you know I'm not sulking because of him. I'm sulking because I don't like being ignored so there!

"What's up with you?"Adamsirritating voice asked me

"Nothing" I snapped pursing my lips

"Does it have something to do with Chubby over there?" he asked jerking his head in the direction of Tubby's table.

"No. I don't care about that i***t!" I sneered.

"Ooookay then.." he answered slowly then turned back to Jason to carry on his conversation.

Stupid Tubby and his ugly boyfriend!

*****************************************

TRANSLATIONS

__________________

"Oui, Papa?!" = "Yes, Papa?!"

. "Venez ici, s'il vous plait!" ="Come here, please!"

"Pourquoi?" ="Why?

"Pourquoi? Etes-vous fou? Vous me demandez pourquoi je vous appelle? Les enfants de nos jours.!" ="Why? Are you crazy? You are asking me why I'm calling you? Children these days !"

"Je suis vraiment désolé, papa, mais je suis un peu fatigué et j'ai un mal de tête donc je ne peux pas marcher autour d'un l--" ="I'm really sorry, papa. But I'm really tired and I have a head ache and I can't walk around al-- "

"Pour quoi est-il ici?" ="Why is he here?"

"Il est ton ami, non?" ="He is your friend, no?"

"Non" ="No"

"Jeremy. Soyez politiques" ="Jeremy. Be polite".

"Ai, Por amor de dios!" ="Ai, For the love of god!" I exasperated