The Day After

                                    

                                          
Clarisse saw that Joseph wasn't talking to anyone at lunch the next day at school. He was just pushing his food around and looking down. She got up from her seat, tapping him on the shoulder. Joseph abruptly spun around, only to be met with her grim expression. His features paled instantly, and he cleared his throat loudly.
"Hello, baby. What are you up to today?"
Clarisse put her hands on her hips and glared down at him. The tall boy gulped in fear and looked around the table uneasily. He knew their friends weren't going to help him. They were too busy staring at her, dumbfounded. 
Clarisse didn't notice their reactions since she only had eyes for Joseph. He stared at her warily. 
I don't know whether I should run or try to calm her down. He thought before she snapped her fingers in his face.
He snapped out of it only to hear her in the middle of scolding him.
"Joseph Lee, I'm mad at you. Do not call me baby!" she growled, her voice low before straightening to her full height. "Now, come outside with me. We're long overdue for a talk."
Joseph was about to say something else, but Clarisse didn't give him a chance to respond before she grabbed him by the ear to drag him out. Their friends stared after them before returning to their lunches. 
Once the couple got to one of the outside tables, Joseph turned to her, his arms crossed and looking very confused. He cocked his head to the side.
"Okay, you didn't have to grab my ear to drag me out here. What's this about-?" he began to ask but was interrupted by Clarisse putting her finger to his lips. He shut his mouth, making Clarisse smile grimly.
"Just say nothing until I finish," she told him, pointing to one of the benches. 
Joseph put his hands in the air in surrender and sat on the bench wordlessly. Clarisse took a seat on the opposite side, glaring over at him. Seeing her stone-cold stare, he gestured to her to get on with her point.
Clarisse cleared her throat before speaking.
"Babe, I understand that you've probably been having issues after the incident with Harold, but please don't avoid me without telling me you need space. You could've told me." Her dark eyes were narrowed in anger.
Joseph swallowed the lump stuck in his throat and clasped his hands together on the table.
"I should've told you. Poor communication does not make a relationship work. But it works both ways. If you're having issues, you tell me," Joseph pressed, looking at her sternly. "I don't want us to break up, and if you thought I was cheating on you during the time we weren't seeing each other, please get that idea out of your head. I'd never do that shite to you."
Clarisse rolled her eyes, unimpressed with him telling her something she already knew.
"Joseph, the thought of you cheating on me is laughable," she said, a slightly amused smile on her face. "We kiss all the time like we want to shag the hell out of each other-- then we do it. You're so in tune with me. You know when my time of the month starts before I do. You always get me chocolate, massages, and take nice, long hot baths with me."
He gave her another nervous look before sighing and getting into a more comfortable position.
"Okay then, I don't know why I thought I had to tell you that, but the thing is...." he whispered before clearing his throat, "I've been so busy with school, the SATs, linguistics club, doing stuff with my family, and going to therapy weekly for the Harold situation I haven't had time for myself or you."