Chapter 17

A month- that's how long I'm grounded for. If I was back at home and pulled a stunt like this, my mother and father would've grounded me for four months at least. But then again, if I was back at home, I wouldn't heed their grounding and I'd probably leave the house once they fell asleep. I respect my aunt too much to do that. I mean, it's not like I don't respect my parents; I just figured that I could get away with more things with them. Then again, look where I ended up with that mindset.

Because I bought my phone and pay my own bill, my aunt can't exactly take that away. However, she told me that I can no longer leave the house without reason. By the way, "hanging out with my friends" is not a reason. I feel guilty for lying to her when she asked why I was out at one in the morning. Although my story wasn't exactly a lie, I still felt guilty for the small parts of it that were, in fact, fibs.

"My friend Parker, who is of age, got drunk at a party and didn't have money for a taxi so he called me to come pick him up because I was the only one who answered my phone. I didn't want to wake Viv up, so I decided to borrow her car," I explained to my aunt; she sighed and shook her head when I said this. Either way, I won't be seeing the light of day for a while.

I don't know why I lied for Maddox. Maybe it's because I like him, or maybe it's because I consider him a close friend of mine and I know I wouldn't be allowed to hang out with him if my aunt found out. In fact, I probably wouldn't be able to hang out with any of my friends. I know that my aunt would tell me not to hang out with him anymore if I admitted that it was actually my 17 year old friend who got drunk at a party and called me to go get him.

I plead with her and practically beg her not to tell my parents. I'm doing so well here and I don't want them to be disappointed in me. She agrees that she won't say anything if I stay out of trouble for my month of punishment. I promise her that I will and that I wouldn't do anything remotely bad at school, work, or home.

On Monday, I have to ask my aunt for a ride to school because my cousin will no longer have me in her car. She complains that it still smells like vomit. I wonder why. My aunt doesn't have time to fight with her daughter and can't risk Vivica leaving me at home, so she drops me off at school twenty minutes earlier than I've ever arrived. I'm grateful, though, because the one consistent thing about her hours as an ER nurse is that she's typically out of the house by 5 in the morning, so the fact that she can even bring me means a lot. I should probably ask her to file the paperwork so that I can start getting on the school bus. I shamefully exit my aunt's car and agree to text her when I'm ready to be picked up. 

+ + +

Every class that I have with Maddox was tense and uncomfortable. I'd try my best not to look at him because I'd imagine kissing him. Whenever we make awkward eye contact, he immediately looks away. We haven't talked since he vomited on me, and even then, we weren't really talking. We were just...kissing. Abel texted me this morning that his brother was very embarrassed about how he puked on me and didn't leave his room for the rest of the weekend. I get a laugh out of it but other than that, I don't feel any better. And I definitely am not prepared for lunch at the same table as him.

As I exit 5th period, Winona and Cassidy pull me aside for a casual bathroom chat. At least I think it is. I assume they're going to fix their makeup and use the bathroom, but no. The moment I step in there, the girls corner me. "What's going on with you?" Winona inquires with a concerned gaze.

"Nothing," I dismiss. Not to be rude to them, but they're not exactly good with secrets.

"No, something's wrong. I know it. I can tell," Winona insists with narrowed eyes.

"I-I...never mind," I mutter with a quick shake of my head. Should I tell them? I mean, I don't know if they're capable of keeping secrets. I don't think anyone among our group of friends has ever been romantically involved. And if anyone has ever liked a fellow member of the group, they obviously haven't said anything. There aren't many secrets going around, at least not that I know of. What if I tell them and they tell Maddox?

"No, what is it?" Cassidy asks me and I eye her and Winona suspiciously. 

"Maddox and I kissed," I confess. Either way, it'll get out. If it's not from me telling one of them, Maddox will. Or Abel will, seeing as he walked in mid-kiss.

"Wait, what's your idea of a kiss? Because you think that a peck is a kiss and—," Cassidy starts and I quickly shake my head.

"It wasn't a peck," I admit as my face starts to heat up at the thought of it.

"What, like, you guys made out?" Cassidy wonders  with wide eyes.

"I wouldn't call it that! I mean, it didn't last that long! Only a minute or so but—," I elucidate, not knowing proper terminology.

"Wait, where did this happen?" Winona cuts me off with a quick shake of her head.

"When did this happen?" Cassidy hisses.

"In his room at one in the morning on Sunday," I explain.

"You guys didn't have—?" Cassidy trails with slightly wide eyes.

"Of course they didn't!" Winona retorts before turning to me. "Right?"

"No!" I shook my head immediately. My eyes are the size of saucers as I look between them.

"Why were you in his room?" Cassidy inquires in a much calmer tone now.

I explain the story, from the date, and the weird feeling in the pit of my stomach at the cliff, to the realization I'd made the following day, to the phone call I received at midnight, to the kissing, and then the punishing. I know I said I wouldn't tell anyone, but it felt better to get it off of my chest. And even if they do tell Maddox, I can try and convince him that they just insinuated that I liked him, that I didn't exactly say the words.

"Whoa," Winona breathes once I finish.

"So you like him and not Abel?" Cassidy asks me and I nod with a red face.

"But it's awkward now because I don't think he wanted to kiss me. It was just the alcohol," I explain as I rubbed my hands together.

"Well, we'll find out soon, won't we?" Winona announces as she grabs her bag. My hand locks around her wrist in a vice grip as my head bounces back and forth between them.

"You guys can't tell him that I like him! That'll ruin the friendship, which I've worked so hard to build! In fact, it's still undergoing construction! You promise? You can't say a single word about my crush," I demand and they both nod.

"Oh, of course not," Cassidy responds. When she sees my doubtful look, she sighs. "I promised you already, Olivia. I won't tell Maddox about how you're in looove with him."

"I'm not in looove with him!" I frown before turning to the only other girl in the bathroom. "Your turn, Winona."

"I promise not to tell Maddox about your feelings, whatever they may be," Winona exhales. "Can we go now? I'm hungry."

After receiving our food, we approach the table. Maddox, Jackson, and Nicholas are talking among themselves. When we arrive, Nicholas looked at us with wondrous eyes. "Where were you guys?"

Deciding not to be a part of the conversation, I shove my straw in my mouth and start to drink my juice. I shoot glares at both of the girls and they roll their eyes in response. Cassidy, like me, begins stuffing her face with food. Winona, however, looks at the guys with narrowed eyes.

"Where was Maddox at one in the morning on Sunday?" Winona inquires. "Kissing Olivia, I presume?"

The two guys wear expressions of pure confusion as they look between me and their male friend. Maddox's eyes widen and he turns to me. "You told her?" he asks as if the answer isn't obvious and floating around the room.

"I-I-No! I didn't think she'd say anything!" I respond as I glare at Winona. I shouldn't be surprised but I am for some reason.

"We obviously need to clear the tension somehow," Winona shrugs as she turns to me. "And we might as well not beat around the bush."

"Why did you tell her?" Maddox asks me in an accusatory tone. I want to remind him that I wouldn't have anything to tell if he kept his lips to himself.

"Why did you kiss me?" I retort with an irritated shrug.

"You kissed me, too!" he defends himself.

"I-I didn't want to!" I lousily excuse. I'm sure everyone at the table can see through my lies.

"You definitely did! You were kissing me back and tugging at my hair, so don't say you didn't want to," he checks me, which gets a snort from Jackson.

"I-You-Y—," I fumble as my cheeks burn red and Maddox groans.

"Can you speak right?" he asks, which only makes me angrier.

"You initiated it! And don't even say you didn't because you know you did!" I bite back and Maddox scoffs.

"I was drunk!" he reiterates. "What's your excuse?"

It was as if my confession from the bathroom had somehow floated into the cafeteria and made its way to the table. The table goes silent and even Jackson manages to stop his laughter long enough to realize what was just said. "You're a jerk, Maddox," I snap when I can't muster up a glare. I shake my head in frustration and grab my bags.

"Why? For proposing a question you're too scared to answer?" he challenges me when he sees me stand up.

Instead of saying anything, I raised my middle finger to him and walked out. Once I exited, I raced down the hallway and up the stairs, in the direction of my next class, slapping my forehead and cringing repeatedly.

Well, at least I didn't admit that I liked him.

It would've been less obvious to put a sign with my confession on my forehead.

+ + +

Nicholas, the gentleman that he is, offers to give me a ride home and I appreciatively accept. He saw me standing near the parking lot with my phone, contemplating whether or not it'd be worth bothering my aunt for a ride or if I should just walk. He asked if I was okay and if I wanted him to bring me home, so here I am crawling into the passenger's seat of his car. I thank him quietly as he drives off in the direction I give him.

Maddox didn't talk to me for the rest of the day and I was grateful for it. Though I want to blame him for the direction that conversation took, I know that it's really Winona's fault for putting my business out there. It's actually my fault for trusting her but she made it seem like she wouldn't say anything. I know better now. I just wish that Maddox handled the situation better than just pinning the other night on me. 

Halfway through the ride, Nicholas tells me that Maddox  was going to bring me home but didn't know if I was still angry at him. I simply look at Nick with a flat expression on my face and ask what he thinks. That provides Nicholas with an answer. I hope he relays that message to Maddox, not that he'd do anything about it. It's not like he's capable of apologizing.

Deciding that I need professional help, I call Abel when I arrive home. I need someone that I can trust and won't go off telling my business. After dialing his phone number, I wait for him to pick up. When he does, he sounds like he just woke up despite the fact that it's a little past three. "Hello?" he asks groggily.

"Abel! I need your help!" I announce into the phone.

"Are you dying?" he questions.

"No," I respond dryly.

"Are you in danger?" he further interrogates.

"Uh, no," I answer.

"Then I'm sure this conversation can wait," he attempts to hang up with a groan.

"It's about your brother," I rush before he can hang up. He's silent for a second before letting out a long. I hear shuffling and I can tell he's awake and interested in the conversation now.

"You never did explain what I walked in on the other day. You guys were kissing so hard that if I would have walked in five minutes later, I'm scared I would've seen some things—," Abel mentions casually and I let out a groan.

"Abel!" I shout as my face burns red. I pace around my room as I try to explain it. "He was drunk and I...uh...I-I."

"Hit it, Fergie," Abel mutters.

"I like Maddox," I say in a voice that's barely above a whisper. Nobody else is home but it feels weird to say that strand of words aloud.

"You what?" Abel gasps, sounding more awake than he did ten seconds ago when he was making fun of me for my stuttering.

"I like your brother," I repeat. "I don't know how it happened. I don't know why. I just...do. I wish I didn't. I really do, but I like him."

"And you kissed him because you liked him?" he asks.

"Keep your voice down!" I bite, not knowing if Maddox is home.

"He's not even home yet," he retorts. "Like I was saying..."

"No, I kissed him because he initiated it and...well, yeah; I did kiss him because I like him. But he doesn't know that! And he can't know that, Abel!" I snap threateningly.

"I know; I'm not going to tell him," Abel scoffs. "I'm not a snitch. I'm scared of getting stitches."

"I realized that I liked him on the night of the date," I confess as I stretch out in my bed.

"Where'd you guys go after dinner?" Abel wonders.

"To a cliff," I answer. I should've jumped off or, better yet, kicked him off.

"And what happened there?" he asks me. "Unless that's rated R, because if it is, I don't want to know."

"Abel!" I gasp. "I don't know what happened, though. I finally pinpointed the feeling in my stomach and I kind of wanted—," I start but Abel cuts me off.

"To kiss him?" he fills in.

"How'd you know?" I ask curiously.

"Maddox told me," he answers. "I didn't believe him, but I guess he was right."

"What?" I hiss as I run my hand down my face.

"Maddox said that he was with you and you looked like you wanted to eat his face," Abel explains normally, as if that's not a horrifying thing to hear.

"What?" I exclaim again as I stare at the ceiling with bug eyes.

"Well, not those exact words, but you get the point," he sighs.

I put my hands to my head and let out a small whimper. I decided to ignore the fact that he told his brother about that. I want to ask how they got onto that topic but chose not to. I'd probably just get my feelings hurt.

"We got into an argument today," I start before explaining what exactly happened in the angry exchange of words. "He probably hates me now."

"I doubt it," Abel states confidently.

"I don't even know why I like him!" I express as I clench my free hand into a fist. "I mean, he's cute, but he's a jerk!"

"Maybe it's because he plays hard to get?" Abel suggests and I bury my face in my pillow.

"Maybe," I mutter in a slightly muffled. I heard the sound of a door opening on the other side of the phone and I perk up.

"Hey, I'm home," Maddox's voice sounds through the phone. "Who are you talking to?"

"Olivia," Abel responds after a moment. My eyes widen and I immediately it up.

"Don't say anything!" I hiss in the quietest voice I can manage.

"Talking about?" Maddox further inquires.

"You," Abel answers casually.

"Abel!" I  bark as I grip my phone tightly.

"About?" Maddox continues in a curious tone.

"How you're such an inconsiderate jerk who is so arrogant and only cares about himself," Abel mocks in a tone that I'm guessing is supposed to be similar to mine. He returns back to normal after clearing his throat. "She thinks you hate her."

"Hate her?" Maddox asks and I physically feel myself slowly dying of embarrassment.

"Yes, you guys got into an argument today, right?" Abel prompts his brother for his side of the story.

"Does she mean lunch?" Maddox asks.

"Do you?" Abel questions me.

"Obviously, you idiot, you know that," I bite back.

"She said yes," Abel relays to his brother.

"What? It's not her fault that she likes me," Maddox rebuts in a joking voice.

"I don't like him!" I snap and I pray Abel doesn't make a slick comment about me lying.

"She said—," Abel starts but his brother cuts him off with something of a chuckle.

"I heard her," he informs him, or us.

"So do you?" Abel reverts back to our previous topic.

"What?" Maddox replies.

"Hate her?" Abel repeats and I hear Maddox scoff.

"No," Maddox answers as if Abel is stupid for asking a question like that. "She'd know if I hated her."

"He said he loves you," Abel whispers into the phone.

"I'm about 90% sure she heard what I just said," Maddox comments in a relaxed tone.

"He's in love with you, Olivia," Abel whispers again.

"Can you ask her something for me, now?" Maddox requests.

"What?" Abel interrogates suspiciously.

"Well, I can't help but notice that she's ignoring my text messages, but she's on the phone with you..." Maddox trails....

"That's not a question but more of a problem...and a personal one at that," Abel remarks, which gets a small chuckle from me.

"Let me talk to her," Maddox insists.

"Abel, tell him to go away. I need your advice," I say into the phone.

"No," Abel relays the message. I hear a scuffling as Abel tells Maddox to leave. A loud thump and a few more scuffles sound through the speaker before Maddox's voice enters the phone.

"You blew me off today," Maddox announces, sounding breathless. I hear Abel whimpering in the background.

"Well, you got me grounded, so if there's anyone to blame, it's you," I retort bitterly.

"Ouch, I take it you're still mad," Maddox responds.

"You always embarrass me in front of everyone," I snap at him, feeling the frustration grow.

"You should've known better than to tell Winona anything. I could've told you that," he remarks. "Plus, you flipped me off and the entire cafeteria saw, so I think we're equal."

"I'm starting to think you just like to argue with me because you do it so often," I comment as I run my hand down my face.

"I do," he confesses with a hushed laugh. "It's fun to get you angry."

"You're so obnoxious," I groan. "Put your brother back on the phone."

"So you can talk about me some more? I don't think so. Besides, he's lying on the floor with my foot on his back," Maddox informs me. I hear a faint and weak 'help' in the background.

"Put him back on the phone," I insist.

"Do you like him?" he teases me. "Does he know about how you kissed me? Twice?"

"You kissed me!" I clarify loud enough in hopes that Abel will hear.

"Did not," he reiterates like a child.

"Yeah you did," I retort. "You were basically hugging me to you as you bit my mouth."

"I did not bite your mouth," he responds, sounding bewildered at such a suggestion.

"Yeah, you did. You're a terrible kisser," I accuse with little remorse.

"You've only had two kisses in your entire life. What do you know?" he asks.

"I know that you're not supposed to chew someones mouth when you kiss them," I sing in a knowing tone.

"I was not!" he defends himself. "I was drunk! I just wanted to kiss someone."

I frowned slightly. I was that someone who happened to be standing around. "Then you're a terrible drunken kisser," I concur without skipping a beat.

"Too bad that's the only state I'll kiss you in," he teases. "Are you trying to convince me that I'm a bad kisser so I can prove otherwise?"

"Sorry to interrupt this awkward conversation about your kissing skills, or lack thereof," Abel mumbles in the background. "But can I have my phone back? And can you please get off of me?"

"Once Olivia agrees to help me with my Algebra 2 tomorrow," Maddox answers his brother.

"I'm grounded, you imbecile," I remind him.

"Just ask your aunt," he pleads. "My test is on Wednesday, and I need to pass."

"Out of pure curiosity, do you understand the American Lit study guide?" I question in an attempt to seem nonchalant.

"Yes, it's easy," he confirms and I frown.

"Totally," I agree. False, not totally. It's totally difficult.

"I can help you, you know?" he convinces me, "if you help me with Algebra 2."

"As long as you don't try anything," I mutter under my breath. "Like biting my face off."

"I should be telling you that. You're the one that looked like you wanted to maul me on our date," he spoke.

"I thought you didn't want to call it that," Abel pipes from, what I'm guessing to be, the floor.

"Call it what?" Maddox asks him. I know he's probably glaring at his brother.

"A date," Abel repeats before I hear a thump. "You just called it a date," Abel reiterates, sounding a bit pained.

"Did I? I don't recall," Maddox comments.

"You did," Abel convinces him and I hear yet another thump. Abel is silent after that.

"Anyway, about tomorrow, I'll bring you to my house after school," he insists.

"If my aunt says yes," I remind him.

"Well ask your aunt," he encourages me.

"Can you put your brother back on the phone now?" I ask Maddox with a sigh.

"Nope, I'm not going to support your gossip circle. Bye, Olive!" Maddox announces before hanging up the phone. I stare at it and sigh. I didn't even get any advice from Abel the Wise. Now it's not a safe environment to talk in because Maddox's home and will undoubtedly eavesdrop.

+ + +

Later that evening, when my aunt comes home from work, I corner her in the kitchen. Enraptured by the smell of the homemade potpies I'd made, she stands in front of the stove with an encapsulated look on her face. I come up beside her and admire my handiwork. "You made this?" she asks as she points to the food in the oven.

"Yes, and it's done," I acknowledge as I grab the oven mitts from the counter. 

"I didn't know you could cook," my aunt mutters as she watches me take the meal from the oven.

"I have a few select meals I make pretty well," I explain as I place the food on a cooling rack. "I'd always cook for their anniversary, seeing as they'd never leave us alone in the house."

"So what is it that you want?" my aunt prompts me as she motions to the recently scrubbed kitchen. I remove the mitts from my hand and return them to their rightful drawer.

"I know I haven't been on my best behavior lately, and I know that you're disappointed in me. And I'm sorry," I start to apologize.

"You're good at this," my aunt smirks at me as she eyes my potpie hungrily.

"Can I go over Maddox's house to study?" I plead with my aunt. I considered asking if he'd come here but there would be no adult supervision and knowing my aunt, she'd assign Vivica to chaperone. Plus, if I go over there then I can see Abel, too.

She looks at me with a stern look on her face. "What did I say? No leaving the house to hang out with your friends," she reiterates her previous point.

"Pretty please, Aunty Genevieve," I beg with my fingers entwined. "I really need help with my English and Maddox needs help with his Algebra 2." My aunt looks at me and I sees that she's mentally debating whether or not she should let me. I've been cleaning every day since the day I was yelled at, which wasn't too long ago, but I've done a lot of cleaning. This house is spotless. You can eat off of the floors. Who needs plates anymore? Let's pop this potpie on the tile and go to town.

"Hmm...I don't know," my aunt purses her lips.

"I will make dinner for the rest of the week! Except for tomorrow," I attempt as I point to the dinner that's slowly cooling on the counter. "Please! It'll just be me and Maddox."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" she asks with two raised brows.

"His parents will be there, too, I think! We're only going to be studying," I attempt to convince her. "Please, if I don't get help with my English, I'm going to fail."

And those words are the ones that convince my aunt to let me go. I grin at her as she slowly nods. "But if you come home a minute later than eight o'clock, you're never going to leave this house again," she threatens me. "A minute, Olivia, I mean it."

"Okay! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I cheer as I run upstairs.

I can't stay angry at Maddox for too long and that makes me angry. But right now, I need his help or else I'll have to retake this English and I really can't afford to do that. So I'll have to buckle down and study tomorrow if it's the last thing I do.

+ + +

Lunch on Tuesday is tense. Everyone but Maddox seems to be aware of my feelings, or so it seems. I don't really want to round them all up and ask, but whenever I so much as glance towards the green eyed boy, everyone at the table snickers and giggles. No matter how much I glare and glower, they still laugh. Maddox, who grows frustrated of the laughter, leaves early. I expect them all to ask me about whatever it is that's on their minds but they remain silent. For a second, I consider that maybe the laughter was directed at Maddox and that's why he left but I quickly redirect my thoughts to my English midterm.

When last period comes around, Maddox waits for me to gather my stuff before we make our way to his car. We pass Winona on the way and she winks before loudly saying: "Don't make out again or else he'll vomit on you."

"Ha, ha, ha, you're funny, Winona. I literally hate you," Maddox bites with a glare. I remain silent as I crawl into the passenger's seat of the car.

"How'd your tests go today?" he asks me curiously when the silence settles in. I shrug, figuring that light conversation won't hurt.

"They were easy," I sum up. "What about you?"

"Fine," he shrugs.

"That's good," I nod, happy that he doesn't try to revive the dead conversation.

When we arrive at his house, I can't help but notice the lack of cars in the driveway. We're the only ones here. "Where's Abel?" I ask him in a state of slight disappointment. I was hoping Abel could hang out in the living room with us to ease the tension. Plus, I just want to hang out with him.

"I don't know- work, school, Caroline. Who knows? Who cares?" he shrugs as he unlocks the door. Like the gentleman he is, he walks in ahead of me and stands in the doorway, removing his shoes. I wait outside on the snow covered porch. When he finally lets me into the house, I remove my boots and he takes one look at my socks before sighing.

"I'm hungry," he mutters as he entered the kitchen. I put my stuff on the couch and take out my American Literature and old Algebra 2 stuff. "Are you coming?"

I slowly make my way towards him. "Where are your parents?" I question as I come to a stop at when I reach the counter beside him.

"My mother's at work. My father's still with his sick mother," he responds. "Do you want to know where my aunt and uncle are, too? My grandfather? Distant cousins?" I rolled my eyes at him. "Why are you so curious about where my family members are? Do you want to make sure we're alone?"

"I hate you," I mutter as he rummages through the shelves.

He reached up to the highest cabinet and his shirt lifts slightly, revealing his muscular back. I look down at the table, knowing that if he catches me staring, he won't let me live it down. "You and I both know... that's not true," he says, straining slightly as he grabs whatever he's reaching for from the highest shelf.

My face is red when he turns to look at me. I noticed that he has a box of chips. It's a variety pack and he plops it on the table before taking a seat across from me. He takes a bag and opens it. He motions towards the box. "Take some. Eat."

"Oh, yeah," I mutter quietly as I grab a bag of potato chips.

"You're so plain," he murmurs as he stares at the bag I chose.

"I'm offended," I respond dully.

"You like plain potato chips," he clarifies.

"You wear matching socks," I retort.

"Because that's normal," he rebuts.

"How am I weird but plain?" I wonder.

"I didn't call you weird," he attempts to deny but I only laugh.

"Yes you did, at the cliff. You said you didn't know if I was a good weird or a bad weird," I remind him.

"Oh, that," he nods as a small smirk plays at his lips. "How many nights did you spend thinking about that?"

Countless. "You're so arrogant," I scoff with a shake of my head.

"'An arrogant, inconsiderate jerk who cares only about himself,'"he nods. "That's pretty accurate."

"How many nights did you spend thinking about that?" I retort with a quiet scoff.

"Well, seeing as you only said that yesterday, and I wasn't thinking about you last night- none," he counters in the same amused tone.

"For your information, I don't think about what you say either," I defend.

"I think about what you say sometimes," he nods as he eats a piece of popcorn from his bag.

"Really?" I ask dubiously with furrowed eyebrows.

"Yeah," he nods. "Like when you say something extremely stupid."

"I hate you," I repeat once again.

He takes a piece of popcorn from his bag and throws it at me. "Like that." 

I try to catch the piece in my mouth but fail. "Everything you say is stupid," I note as he prepares to throw another piece of popcorn at me. I catch this one and he seems entertained. He waits for me to chew it before poising another piece.

"Question," he starts as he watches me bob and weave for the popcorn. "But don't hold it against me at a later date."

I quirk a brow as I catch another piece in my mouth. "What?" I ask him.

"Do you really dislike me?" he asks.

"You're really mean," I tell him. "A lot of the time, for no reason. I don't like that about you."

"I only joke," he says as he tosses a piece of popcorn at me. I miss it and watch it bounce on the table. "I just have dry humor and an emotionless face so it's hard to tell when I'm joking. I'm also blunt."

"You can be nice every once in a while," I retort before catching another piece of popcorn.

"Am I not being nice now?" he asks. "Or when I gave you my sweater? Or when I feed you? Or when I give you rides to school? I try to maintain a balance so you don't get too sick of me."

"How about just not being a jerk in conversation?" I question and he laughs. "You know the whole 'boys are mean to girls they like' stigma?"

His eyes flit between both of mine and he gives a slow nod. "I'm aware of it," he concurs. 

"It's played out," I retort as I pick up the abandoned piece of popcorn and throw it at him. It hits him square in his face and he gapes at me. "Now come on. I didn't come over here to flirt with you. I came here to study. I'm on a time crunch and I need to pass my English exam."

+ + +

We're in the living room, sitting on the couch with our books out. He's helping me with my English notes when I look up at him to ask a question about the passage we're rereading. Once we make eye contact, I notice a weird look on his face and he moves closer to me. His thigh presses against mine and I feel my face burn when I stare back at him with wide eyes. He blinks at me a few times before returning to the passage at hand.

A few moments later, he moves closer again and this time, I decide to speak up. "What are you doing?" I demand to know.

"Just making sure," he says casually, as if nearly crushing people against the arms of couches is normal.

"Of what?" I ask with a slightly annoyed look on my face. If he does that stupid move again, I'm going to be sitting on the arm of the couch.

He grins widely as he looks down at me and for some reason, I feel as if he's mocking me. "That you don't want to kiss me right now," he elaborates, which gets a scowl from me.

I scowl at him and grow red in the face. "Don't be an idiot," I request.

"It's fun to see you move away. Soon, you're going to be sitting on the floor," he teases with a goofy chuckle.

I shake my head before pointing back to the notes. He tunes back in and I find myself losing focus now. What was that about? He was trying to check to make sure I didn't want to kiss him? What would he have done if I remained in my spot? I internally scoff. Knowing him, he'd write a detailed blog post about our interaction and share it with everyone at school. I wonder what he'd do if I tried it on him.

Twenty minutes pass and I decide to try his tactic on him just to see what he'll do. Hopefully he moves over so I can get some more room. I'm a little cramped in the corner of this couch. I follow his guideline and wait to make eye contact with him before moving closer. Of course I don't slide all the way over like he does but I move an inch or two. He watches me at me with a small smile look on his face and I casually look down and ask a question about the notes. As he's answering, I look back up at him and peer into his large green eyes. He trails off his answer as he stares back at me, unwavering. Isn't he supposed to slide over like I did?

I read the challenge in his eyes and feel confusion in my stomach. His eyes flit between both of mine as if waiting...expecting...anticipating. I suddenly become aware that he's now moving closer to me. His brow jumps a little as if he's waiting for me to make the next move. It suddenly occurs to me that he's not going to move away anytime soon and that he may or may not want me to initiate something more. I'm not going to risk it and go in for the kiss just to be rejected or worse, actually kiss him and have to deal with the consequences. I let out a quiet sigh as I pointedly move half a foot away from him. 

"Well, that was awkward," I mutter under my breath as the butterflies in my stomach all but beg for a release.

"How so?" he asks with a quiet chuckle. I glance at him out of the corner of my eye and note that his cheeks are pink.

"Well, you didn't move away," I answer as I keep my eyes locked on my textbook.

"I didn't," he concurs in an oddly confident voice. My eyes widen a little as I try to interpret his words. Does that mean he wanted to kiss me? Psh, no. If I would've made a move to kiss him, he probably would've keeled over in laughter. Deciding not to think too long about the subject, I grab his Algebra 2 textbook and lift it onto my lap. 

"Let's get to studying."