forum •Does it offend you, yeah?• [one/one]

Started March 15, 2020 by Deleted user

tune

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Kohen actually did have one in mind- it was a cartoon though, but he didn't want to admit that to Damien- especially not in front of his friends. The movie was called "How to Train Your Dragon". (imma just plug that in here-) He had seen a dragon on the cover and that was an immediate plus for him- Kohen had a sort of fascination with dragons and cartoons- He was very childish.
"It's okay, really, I don't mind what you guys watch-" Kohen protested. "But thanks for including me." He attempted an awkward half-smile.

Kohen blinked at what Amanda said. He slowly went to touch his mouth- the corner to be precise, and found the thing that was on his face. Oh god, how embarrassing- He thought, but was able to maintain his cool.
"Thanks.." He said, looking at the apple that he had taken a bite out of. Kohen turned back to Damien when he talked about Chinese food.
"Absolutely- I think Chinese, along with Vietnamese are my two favorite types of foods. I really love noodles- pasta to be exact" He corrected. Given that his parents were half Vietnamese, it was only natural that he had been introduced to their dishes at some point.

"Ah, sure thing, don't worry! We'll see what's rolling when we get there. We'll decide then." Damien gathered what was left of his lunch and put it back in his bag, waiting for Kohen. Seeing how he was getting less and less obnoxious, the boy felt inclined to give him more attention than usual, trying to satisfy whatever needs the other may have. Him and his friends did their own way every day after all, why not dedicate this day just to making Kohen happy?

"Sure, no problem" Amanda finished her juice after pointing out the crumbs on the other's face, leaving him to his own devices, concluding that much interaction was enough for today.

"Oooh, Vietnamese dishes!" Damien smiled. "i haven't had too many of those but those few that i've had were really good! I know a restaurant that serves many great dishes, wanna go there some time?"

Kohen finished his apple and stared at Damien as he spoke. "A restaurant? That sounds great dude, I haven't gone out often since I started working unless it's with my friends but I guess I could treat myself to some food now and then" he said, also cleaning up his mess and stuffing everything into the paper bag Damien had given him. He stored the jellybeans for later.
"…maybe we could even crash at my place afterwards? I'm not sure if you're into video games but I've got some pretty decent ones back at my place- I could use the company" He offered, figuring that he should contribute something of his own since the kid was going out of his way to include him.
"but um, i won't force you or anything like that, I just thought I'd put it out there" he finished, getting up to throw his trash away.

The bell was about to ring and Kohen was debating if he should go to class or just skip. It's not like he had good grades or anything and he had no business sitting in class doing nothing- it was quite boring for his ADHD of a mind.

Franco silently choked on his food on the other side of the table and Amanda stopped drinking her soda, when they both heard how the situation evolved. From simply sharing one's lunch with a bully, things ended up as a normal friend hang out invitation, Kohen actually calling the other "dude" - neither could believe their eyes and ears. Damn, perhaps Daniel's kindness really did hit its target.

Damien, on the other hand, had his eyes glimmering with excitement.

"Video games? Sure, i'd love to drop by!" he chirped, zipping up his bag. It wasn't yet clear if the invitation included only him or was available for his other two friends. If the latter, then they'd be a full 4 player team. "So, movies then video games? It's friday after all, we can go to the restaurant tomorrow if you'd like!"

Seeing the way he'd succeeded in making Kohen warm up more towards them, he was really glad to see his plan work, and so well. Of course he was into video games, he loved them a lot in fact - the very T shirt he had underneath the hoodie had a video game character printed on it (a cute version of Wu Chang from Identity V, holding his bell and umbrella).

They had two more classes ahead until they would be able to go home, therefore Damien and the others got ready to head to class. As luck would have it, the next class had a really chill teacher, who preferred talking to the students rather than making them copy entire texts of the blackboard. As long as you weren't making noise and paid at least half of attention to him, everything was fine.

Kohen nodded, liking the plan so far. These kids seemed like a chill group of people he could definitely fuck with- so far he was diggin' it.
"Yeah, that sounds good…um" Kohen seemed to pause as he quickly glanced over at the other two. "If your friends want to come too, they can- since you know, they're your friends and I'm sure you'd feel more at ease with them around" he spoke meekly.

Forward to after school and Kohen was leaning on a tree by the parking lot. He seemed very fidgety. He had never- and I mean NEVER in his life talked to others outside of his very brutal friend group.
Kohen was very obviously waiting for someone- Damien and his two friends, but as he was doing this, Rae casually walked over, wrapping her arm around his neck. "So, Kohen. Where were you at lunch?"
Kohen stayed quiet as he looked off into the distance. He was not about to start this petty fight.
Marcus, on the other hand, was not as gentle as Rae she shoved Kohen to the ground. "Well?. We asked you a goddamn question." His eyes glaring down at the boy.
Kohen simply got up and dusted off his clothes. "That's none of your business Mar-cy" He said, emphasizing the last syllable as if taunting. Marcy was what Jake called him and Marcus hated it whenever anyone else called him that.
That seemed to set him off. As if Kohen just threw gasoline on an already raring fire. "You better fucking watch-" Marcus said, walking menacingly towards Kohen, but Rae stopped him. "Chill out Marcus. I don't want you killing him."
Rae walked up to Kohen. "If you don't want to hang out with us anymore that's okay but at least hear what we have to say. Clubhouse tonight and then we'll stop harassing you." Rae said, asserting dominance, a superior air about her.
Kohen looked at all three of them. Marcus and the pissed off look on his face, Rae and the calm, smug look on hers- then Aaron's who looked tired as he waiting for the two to stop.
"Fine. But I never said I wanted to stop hanging out wit-" and then Marcus' fist connected with his nose. "STOP BEING A FUCKING HYPOCRITE WE SAW YOU WITH THOSE PATHETIC KIDS AT LUNCH, STOP LYING TO US YOU DIPSHIT."
Kohen was on the floor again as he placed a hand over his nose which was bleeding now. His eyes were narrowed into a glare at Marcus, but he didn't say anything.
Then the group left like nothing happened, Rae scolding Marcus and Marcus brushing it off.

Kohen just sat there mentally cussing himself out. "God fuck. What an ass." He said as he took his hand off his nose and saw the blood. He sighed deeply and shook his head. He was really stupid.
He was fucking with fire at this point. A gang member who could hunt him down and fuck his shit up, a chick who could have his ass beat- even killed and someone who was basically a powerful monopoly who could leave his whole family on the streets if he wanted.
Kohen felt his will waver. This really wasn't what he wanted. He wanted a peaceful life for fuck's sake. Kohen didn't even stand back up- he just laid back on the grass and stared dully at the sky.

(yeah, she was just that kind of person, but i mean, it's whatever lmao i'll be moving next year probably and hopefully, i wont have to deal with her ass anymore)

Luckily for Damien and the others, after the class with the chill teacher, they learned the next class was cancelled due to the teacher calling in sick. So here they were now, heading towards the exit.

Franco caught up with him, grabbing hold of his arm.

"Dude, are you sure you know what you're doing?" he asked, hesitantly. "I mean, sure, i do believe its possible to turn him around, but im telling you, it's not that easy."

"Ya man, he's right." Amanda agreed. "He may not be that big of a threat, but he's in some really dangerous circles. You need to watch out what you're doing."

The boy looked at them both with his soft teal eyes, weighing their words for a moment before nodding.

"I'll try my best to keep safe then" he smiled, exiting the building and arriving where they were supposed to meet up with Kohen. Upon seeing him seated in the grass, Damien rushed towards him, only noticing something was wrong when the other turned to face him.

"Hey, is everything alright?" he asked, getting down on one knee to check his face better. There were faint blood traces near his nose, so it made him a little concerned. "What happened?"

Kohen looked away bitterly. What was he even doing here with these kids anyway? What was this going to do? Nothing. That's what. He glared at Damien when he got close and asked if he was alright. "I'm fine." He said harshly getting up and brushing off the concerned look on Damien's face.
Kohen was torn between being friends with Damien and their group and just returning to his own circle of friends. His friends were way better- close too. They did everything together even if some of it was illegal. He really wanted this normal life but Kohen was anything but 'normal'.
His thoughts spun.
He could feel something wet slide down his nose again and he instinctively wiped it away. He was going to pay Marcus back for that one later.
"Don't worry about it. It's just my friends…we were messing around"
As time dragged on the look on Kohen face softened as well. He really didn't have the right to b mad Damien. This was his fault. He had no idea what had possessed him to go to lunch with him that day. This was getting troublesome.

(sorry for the short reply and the long wait- i finally got kicked out of my house and had to move my stuff 😂 i honestly didn't do too well there for a couple of days)

The boy didnt push the matter further, even though it was clear to him that something had happened between him and his 'friends'. Personally, he wouldnt exactly call them that - friends do not hurt each other, not like this, they should be people who share common interests and feel good together, that help each other when theres need for it.

"All right then…" he tried changing the subject. "Shall we, umm.. go to the theater then?"

Behind him Amanda and Franco were already sharing concerned expressions: who knew what had occured that would affect them in the future?

(ayy man, its fine, i hope ur ok.)

Kohen nodded and quickly walked off before they could interrogate him further. "So did you guys decided what we're gonna watch?" He called out behind him. Kohen was trying to make small talk, something he never did because what the point? But he really wanted to be part of this group for some reason.
Kohen just hoped that his friends didn't return to get him. Not while he was out with Damien and his friends. It would be a disaster. Little did Kohen know that, that was exactly what was about to happen.
He didn't know the real reason why his friends were so set on keeping him apart from others, but he would find that out soon enough.

(yeah im good now lmao, i've just been very lazy not gonna lie, i've ran out of inspiration)

Damien sprung off to catch up to Kohen, not wanting to let any distance between them.

"We haven't decided yet, we're still going with the 'we decide when we get there' plan", he explained once he got closer. Unlike the other, he was just slightly worried about Kohen's state at the moment. Thankfully, they reached the cinema with no further issues, entering the cool hall lit up by various posters with up-coming/current movies. Franco went on to check the list of available movies, leaving the other three in front of the entrance.

"Ok, so right now we have Mulan, Bad boys for life, some new horror movie i cant remember, that Dragon movie we saw trailers for and some Marvel stuff. Which one do u guys wanna pick?" he came back after a few minutes, counting the movies on his fingers.

Damien instantly looked at Kohen then back at Amanda, who was considering the options as well.

"Why dont we go with the dragon one? You liked the trailer, didn't you?" the boy said, gesturing towards Franco. "And i doubt you would last more than 5 minutes at a horror movie"

"Sounds about right honestly, i'm with Damien on this one" Amanda joined in.

"Well, in that case i'd say we have like, 10 more minutes before it starts so how about we grab some snacks before we go in?" Franco eventually gave up, lifting his hands in the air and gesturing towards the food shops around the cinema.

(its ok, its ok i feel u - also i was hoping they dont run into the other gang too soon? Like, maybe they get to see the movie and have time to chill?)

Kohen's expression softened when Damien came close and explained everything to him. "Ah, I see, i guess we'll see when we get there then.." He said softly.
As soon as they entered the cinema, Kohen's demeanor completely changed. The anger seemed to be replaced with amazement. He really hadn't ever been into the place and he was surprised as to how many colors there were. It was like a kid's dream come true, and that kid was Kohen.
As with anything that he found interesting, his eyes seemed to sparkle as his mouth curved into a smile. "wow" he breathed. Kohen almost couldn't contain his excitement when he saw the arcade in a different room, but he waited for the rest to decided on a movie. Kohen also had to contain himself for that. He had really wanted to see the dragon movie too and now he would be able to.
Kohen coughed a little to disguise his smile. "um, yeah, getting snacks sounds fun. We could get some popcorn and candy" he said, trying to keep a straight face, but Kohen was secretly eyeing the arcade.
He went over to the counter and looked at the different varieties they had. There was something that caught Kohen's eyes and that was none other than the sour jellybeans. He stared at them for a very long time as if trying to intimidate them. Then he decided he would buy all of the sour jellybean packs. I mean, he wasn't going to get another opportunity like this, better stack up now.
And so that's how Kohen ended up with a bagful of the jellybeans. People probably thought he was crazy, but he just really loved the jellybeans. As soon as he had done the deed he ran over to the arcade, like a little kid without parents. He gasped when he saw the claw machine with the stuffed animals inside. He knew he had to get one now, it was like the machine was challenging him.
It was on.

(no, yeah, that's totally cool! I was thinking the same !)

While waiting for the movie to come up, Amanda and Franco agreed to go grab something to munch on during the movie, leaving Damien to go after Kohen; on one side they wanted to leave Kohen to do whatever he wanted in peace, but on the other, Damien wanted to keep an eye on him, just in case. Seeing the smile on his face and the glee in his eyes made the boy understand how happy the other was.

He marched into the arcade, following Kohen to the claw machine after he saw him basically swipe the jelly beans into his back pack like a kid making supplies. Silently, he trotted over and watched the other try pick up a plushie from the pile with the notoriously slippery claw.

"How's it going so far?" he probed, leaning in forward a few inches

Kohen didn't look at Damien as he tried to scoop up the fluffy stuffed animal, he was in total concentration mode. "Horrible- but this time- this time imma get the little fucker. He's mine." He said as he saw the animal fall. He let out a string of curses as he accidentally kicked the machine.
Then, he dug into his pocket and scooped out a few more quarters. No one really knew this but Kohen had a passion with playing crane games. Every time he saw one he wouldn't hesitate to play it. Sometimes he'd be at it for hours on ends- hence why he always carried loose change everywhere he went.
There was a slight blush on Kohen's face now that Damien was watching- it made him nervous, he never really had anyone watch him before. It made his ears turn slightly pink.
He started up another game and moved the crane forward, then when he knew he had the plushy he pressed the button. The crane successfully picked it up, but started slipping as the arm retreated.
And then right at the end, so close to the hole, it dropped.
Kohen's jaw dropped open. This was absolute horse shit!
Kohen looked around quickly before shaking the machine. He was sure the alarm was gonna go off, but the toy fell and he stopped. A small mischievous grin spread across on his face as he crouched down to get the small stuffed alpaca. When he got back up he faced Damien and held up a finger to his mouth. "shhh" as if telling him not to tell anyone.

The boy respected Kohen's need of silence as he concentrated, just watching the other maneuver the crane as best he could. His gaze flickered in multiple other directions as the string of curses reached his ears - personally, he never swore as he rarely got that angry, and even if he did manage to become pissed off, he'd usually mutter something between his teeth, most of the time a phrase his family used when they tried to abstain from cursing - but hearing blatant english swears tossed in one after another made him cringe a bit.

He continued his silent game of watching as Kohen tried again, this time nearly getting what he wanted. When the toy dropped, he was about to intervene in an attempt to try and help, but his words remained stuck in his throat as the other boy shook the machine and made the stuffed animal finally drop down the hole.

"You got it!" he cheered once Kohen turned towards him, showcasing his prize. "That was really close." he nodded at the other's gesture, promising to keep his silence.

Looking at his wrist watch, he pulled Kohen's sleeve, signaling him they should probably return to the theater to meet up with the others.

Kohen blinked when Damien tugged on his sleeve, it was a gesture he wasn't familiar with. But nonetheless he understood what the other was getting at. "Yeah, we should get back" He said, subtly pushing the stuffed animal onto Damien as he walked off. It was Kohen's way of saying thank you for letting him tag along, besides, the kid was starting to grow on him.
Kohen wouldn't admit it, but he only gave the stuff he won in claw machines to people he really really liked. That or he would add it to his collection back home.
His father always got pissy about him having stuffed animals because it was "childish" and "girly", but Kohen really loved the soft texture. It was nice and warm when he cuddled up to them and that's all he had been looking for his whole life.

Kohen walked back into the main room of the theater and looked around for the others. He held on tightly to his sour jellybeans as if someone was going to steal them.

Damien had maintained his subtle soft smile as Kohen began walking back towards the cinema hall, though he had not expected to have the stuffed toy pressed onto him as the other walked by him. His hands rose up to instinctually grab the thing before it fell; seeing the stuffed alpaca in his arms he was momentarily stunned, looking back at Kohen with a surprised expression on his face.

"But Kohen, you won this…" he tried arguing back, even though the other had already left the arcade room. Holding the stuffed toy tightly, the boy quickly followed the other, looking after his friends once he caught up to Kohen. Once he noticed them, he waved them over and approached them.

"Right on time," Franco sighed, waving the tickets. "I was about to go look for you guys. Did u actually manage to get something out of the claw machines?" he exclaimed upon seeing the stuffed alpaca in Damien's arms.

"Actually, Kohen managed to get it, i just stood by" the boy replied, giving a small guilty smile

Kohen smiled at that. "I know a thing or two about claw machines. I usually go to the arcade a few blocks down the street with the-" He hesitated. "With the others. It's a lot of fun and we usually place bets on who will be able to get the most- or if any at all" He said, laughing. It was a fond memory of Kohen's.
"I have a lot of stuffed animals at home-" He stopped and a small rosy tint rose up to his cheeks. He couldn't believe he just admitted to having stuffed animals at home. In his room. He forgot for a second who he was talking to, Kohen almost even seemed to be comfortable around this new group of friends. He probably sounded like a dork now.
"So- uhm, I-" Kohen seemed to be stuttering on his words now, which only made his face turn a darker shade of red, he seemed embarrassed. He instinctively held up his backpack closer to his face in hopes to hide it a little.
"I let Damien have it…" He said at last. "Any- anyways ! Let's just go watch the movie!" He said, flustered.

While Kohen started stuttering after mentioning the stuffed toys at home, Damien found himself smiling simpathetically to himself. Personally, he found Kohen to be pretty sweet underneath the bully layer, a nice kid who just hung out with the wrong crowd. If they indeed managed to bring him into their friend group perhaps times like this would become more frequent. The fact that Kohen chose to give him the toy, of all people made his heart tingle, lighting up with the hope of helping Kohen be happy as much as possible.

Franco and Amanda nodded once the other boy suggested they go, not making any comments - they found it to be a soft detail to a dangerous kid, but it was nice to know that said detail was there. He wasnt a monster after all, was he?

The small group made their way to the red carpeted hallway, Fraco offering the four tickets to the woman standing at the entrance who gave them a positive nod before letting them in. The first two went ahead to find their seats, scanning the row letters then moving to the left in search of their seat numbers. The seats were pretty much in the middle of the room - the best spot according to Amanda. Damien once again found himself sitting between Kohen and the other two, like some sort of barrier between them - his friends were still weary of the other, unlike him. Once the lights went out and the movie started, Damien took off his shoes and curled up in his seat, as he usually did, hugging the plushie.

Kohen sat as well- though almost falling since he didn't quite know how movie theater seats worked. He stole a quick glance from Damien before focusing his attention back on the screen.
As soon as the movie started, Kohen's mind wandered. He pondered on everything he had done and the things that had been done to him. The fact that he never cried when he was hurt, but did cry at the smallest of the things, filled Kohen with bitterness. The boy had a lot of bottled up anger and sadness, but he didn't know how to get it out without exploding.
Before Kohen knew it, the movie was coming to the end- the climax playing out on screen. He then remembered his jellybeans and opened a bag, popping a few in his mouth. He made a face, the sourness spreading on his taste buds, yet he kept eating.
I'm probably gonna get fat if I keep eating these. He thought to himself, but since they were his favorite, he couldn't really stop himself from burning through three bags in one go.

Meanwhile, Damien had no idea of the thoughts going on inside Kohen's head - there was no way for him to know them after all. Instead, his own mind was a whole different situation. It was usually quiet, with calm thoughts laid out neatly, allowing him to focus on what he wanted, but recently some random feelings kept poking at him from various corners, fading in and out of existence, appearing when things were quiet and then vanishing again like a hit and run incident, leaving Damien ponder over them. In a way he wanted to make Kohen his friend, to give him more reasons to smile and live better - he knew the other boy's record both in school and outside, so he had figured that what he was going through must be affecting him deep, probably within his personal life.

But on the other hand, sometimes the feeling of wanting to help Kohen pushed a bit deeper than expected, to the point where he'd want to sometimes give the other a hug as consolation or do things for him that he knew would make him happy. It was a very weird feeling he could not explain, that's why he was so puzzled whenever it he felt it - and that plushie seemed to reinforce it.

His head has slightly slid to the side in Kohen's direction during the movie, not enough to touch him but enough that it was noticeable for anyone looking in their direction.