"Ghostbuster?"

I didn't know how to view this situation. My options were to beat the sh*t out of him or scare him until he pees himself and runs away but a little annoying voice in my mind nagged me to see how this all plays out.

This guy, whoever he was only stared at my face as if I was some type of imposter, it felt weird which would normally result in me handling this type of situation in anger.

Though there was something about him, I didn't know if it was his really goofy shy smile, the way his hair slightly curled as it fell over his forehead or his muscular body. One way or another, it made me feel composed and calm.

I hated it.

Yet, I still sat crisscrossed on my comfortable bed, my legs tangled in my sheets and blankets while a surprisingly blank look spread across my blotchy face.

Kelly began mumbling incoherent words as she tossed and turned on her side of the room, I hoped she would wake up soon. No matter the intense power of my short temper, I found myself not wanting to ruin his pretty face, and Kelly being a peacemaker, would make sure of it.

As silence added to the atmosphere in the room, my eyes focused on everything that made up the guy. With a keen sense of detail, I noticed that he held his hand behind his back slightly, the cherry red container slightly showing as he trembled. I wonder how long it takes for him to fess up?

I tried. I really tried not to say anything, to keep my mouth shut and continue the stare-off I had with him in quietude but time and time again, I always went against myself.

"Ghostbuster?" I stated and decided to gauge his reaction before I continued. He gulped and my eye's widened a bit by the sight of his defined adam's apple bobbing up and down.

Before the faltering of my strong composure became noticeable, I collected myself in a matter of seconds and instantly became irritated for my want to keep his face pretty.

"What the hell does that even mean?!" I questioned, the crossing of my arms soon followed as a result of glancing at the time. It was half past 12 and I had early morning classes that I had to wake up to in a few measly hours.

With his left arm, he scratched behind his neck while his blue eyes darted from my lamp post to the floor and landed on the pile of messy clothes already dumped on the side of my bed. He had to count himself lucky since he didn't seem to judge.

More and more seconds passed as only silence answered me in return. I gave him a pointed look and like a madwoman, I waved my hands in front of me, motioning for him to reply.

"U-uhm... I d-don't know."

I sighed as my jaw ticked in annoyance yet my mind and heart continued to battle, it didn't seem fair to do anything physical while he couldn't even form a proper sentence. Did I really portray such an image around here already? This is high school all over again. Nothing ever works out for me.

"If you don't tell me who you are, I wi-."

"R-red." He stuttered while a cherry shade slowly began to trail across his cheeks, highlighting his light freckles, and finally, the reddish darkening of his skin stopped by the corners of his ears.

My lips quivered a bit but I resisted the urge to smile. I had to remind myself that he is a creep. Who just walks into a random girl's dorm room and touches her cheek?

I tilted my head to the side, "I didn't ask for your favorite color."

A shocked expression covered his handsome face and I couldn't help but laugh as I took in his reaction. The guy took a cautionary step back and gulped awkwardly once more. "M-my n-name ... Uhm."

Automatically, my finger began tapping on my leg as my annoyance levels increased the more this guy made me feel like some type of ghost in a horror movie. For the first time, the knowledge of being feared irritated me.

Normally, I would smirk and laugh when someone tried to avoid my presence, this clearly proved to be different.

"Can you please for the love of your handsome face, form a proper sentence!" My voice raised with a slight tone of infuriation underlining my words.

He looked taken back and I sat with my back up straighter, awaiting his response. I confused myself because despite me wanting him to be able to explain, I still managed to intimidate him.

"My name is Red Austen." He answered, and for once not minding my composure, I allowed my eyes to widen at the change in his tone as the surprise smashed me in the face. He stood up straighter and held his head up high instead of nervously slouching and looking down every few seconds.

Damn... I wonder what passed through his mind to change like that.

"Well." I smirked, "Your name kinda sounds like a car, doesn't it?" My voice sounded teasing as it escaped my mouth and traveled past my ears. Since when do I tease?

Red's face morphed into a soft smile as he chuckled, and I had to mentally force myself not to stare at his face as he threw his head back, while a burst of deep yet smooth laughter advanced through the room.

He gazed down at me after he composed himself and once his eyes met mine, a splash of reddish color painted over his face. I never smiled yet this creepy stranger has the ability to create an arch on my tight lips.

"I suppose it does." He muttered under his breath as he grew nervous once more, "But I think it sounds better as a superhero's name." Before I could interrogate further, a long sigh escaped his mouth and he finally, revealed what he hid from behind his back.

Feeling an intense amount of anger boiling through my veins, I gradually got off my bed and plodded towards him. My heavy steps pushed onto the wooden floorboards and my anger could be heard through the loud creaks of the floor.

"You know, I don't know what's stopping me from spraying your hair red, Red."

Red's eye's widened instantly as he continued to stand dead still. With a poker face, I swiftly grabbed the spray paint from his hands. I could feel the tension in the air, as a result of the anger layering off me in waves.

Red was nervous, I could tell as he bit his lip while guilt swam through his stunning blue eyes. Damn him. I was supposed to feel angry, not like I stepped in a pile of goo.

"I can't believe it. You seemed different from all those other guys but apparently not. I guess all of this nervousness was a facade. Clever. Lemma tell you something, pranking girls while they sleep might get you some sort of status but it would only ever blacken your heart."

"You don't understand ... I- I thought the initiation would involve something else. Not this. Only something that would affect me." He mumbled and I rolled my eye's in response. I couldn't read him and that only angered me more.

"Look, I'm going to be straight up honest. I don't know if you lying or telling the truth so I'm in no position to make accusations. All I know is that you." I paused and pointed on his chest, ignoring how his toned body tensed under my touch and continued, "Came into my dorm room with red spray paint in your hand and pulled some Damon Salvatore sh*t by touching my cheek while I was asleep."

I crossed my arms tightly and dropped the can of spray paint on the floor. I cringed at the loud sound, totally forgetting that Kelly was still fast asleep. Looking up at Red's tall frame, my breath hitched and a small gasp escaped through my lips. His eyes were looking down on me with some sort of weird emotion while a slight grin possessed his pink lips. I looked away from him and took a step back.

Emotions were a no-no.

"You watched the vampire diaries?" He chuckled and tilted his head, amused. Rolling my eyes, I smugly grinned, "Yeah I did? Gotta problem with that Freckle boy?"

It was his turn for his breath to hitch and I had no idea why. Once again, an unknown strange emotion made shelter in his eyes. I wasn't okay with it. He better start talking and stop with the funny looks before I literally kick him out.

He blushed and shrugged with a small smile, "Of course I don't have a problem with it. You are free to watch whatever you want. In fact, I binged the series with my sisters. It was one of my favorites when vampires are concerned."

Cute.

"Speaking of that, why did you touch my face? Haven't you heard of invasion of privacy?" My hands automatically fell on my hips as I glared up at him. I wasn't going to forget about that so easily.

"I'm sorry." He whispered, "Your cheeks looked really soft to touch."

Glowering, I narrowed my eyes and assessed his lazy grin that brought out his deep dimples. "Don't think that talking all soft and passive would earn you the green light. I still don't trust you, Freckle boy." I snapped and shook my head, overlooking how pieces of my hair fell out of my nuzzled up bun.

I didn't want to look at his face anymore, so my eyes settled on the painting that suffered the aftermath of my pocket knife.

"Well, I don't expect you to trust me ... We-." He stopped himself and sighed deeply, "This is the first time we meeting anyway." He hesitated. My eyes automatically narrowed as my head instantly snapped at him once more. Something unfamiliar flashed across his hard features but before I could concoct anything, it disappeared.

"And besides, talking all low and soft fitted the words I said. I watch a lot of movies, I caught a few things." Red gushed while a foolish smile seized his lips. I gave him a quizzical expression, finding it extremely strange that he was able to change his emotions so quickly.

If you put it like that, it kinda sounded like me...

"You touched my cheeks," I stated absentmindedly. "Well, I really hope you memorialized the feeling because you touching me is never going to happen again. Got that, Freckle boy?"

Due to a habit, I began cracking my knuckles finding comfort in the small action. Red, however, looked extremely mortified but swallowed it down. I smirked.

"I vow to never touch you again Pier-. Pie. I meant Pie. A pastry dish that normally contains fruit, vegetables, or meat. Pie." Red rambled then looked at me bug-eyed while another shade of cherry painted over his cheeks. I shrugged and tilted my head to the side, understanding this guy was like understanding why I get so angered easily. I just don't get it.

"Pie?" I questioned.

Red nodded eagerly and repeated, "Pie."

"Pie," I stated with knotted eyebrows.

"What a random thing to say Red. Gonna explain what you hiding or are you going to make me torture you?" I inquired with my eyes trimming under my eyelids.

"If you think I'm joking. I can get you a list of contacts who would love to explain how I tortured them."

"Uhm well you see..."

"I do see." I approved and mockingly touched my eyes, "Wow, what speculation. I can hear and feel too." I smirked as I began to crack my knuckles once more. Red suddenly grabbed my hands in his much larger ones which caused me to stumble towards him.

We were closer now, about one foot away from each other and the stupid distance resulted in my stupid heart beating faster for some stupid absurd reason. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

"Please stop cracking your knuckles. I... I don't like it." Red's conflicted face greeted mine with anguish. I was uncomfortable, there was just too many emotions.

Roughly, I tugged my hands away from him and shoved his chest back in a fit of growing anger.

"I told you not to touch me again." I scowled and bit the inside of my cheek. He looked at me in confusion and once again, I could understand that. One moment I was fine, the next anger seeped through my blood. He didn't know that the main reason was that I couldn't handle emotions, it made me mad.

I walked towards my bed and turned towards Red with a grim face, "Goodbye Red."

Red cast his view on his shoes before looking up slowly, his expression filled with dismay, "Before I go, What is your intake of letters? Love-based ones in particular?"

I sighed and tugged the loose pieces of hair that fell upon my shoulders, "Come on Red, do I look like the person who would accept or write those cringe-worthy things? It disgusts me." I yawned as I snuggled back under my covers, watching the weird handsome guy as I dug my head on my pillow.

Red cast his view down, he was too far away so I couldn't see how he was feeling. It was better that way. "Uhm goodbye... Pie sounds a lot like bye, doesn't it?" He rubbed his chin, chuckling. Failing to restrain the smile that corrupted my resting b*tch face, I threw one of my pillows at him instead.

"My name is Pierson by the way!"

Once he left, I found myself staring into the darkness as two things played along through my mind. Firstly, was Kelly a robot or something? How did she sleep through all that? Secondly, I hoped that I wouldn't talk to Red Austen anytime soon.

.
.
.

Hey❤

It's finally out!!! They had their first real interaction. Kinda!!🥳 What do you guys think? It was actually a blast to write!!

Also that Damon GIF ... 😍😎😋

Please comment and vote!! The next chapter is actually almost done, I just have to finish it so it would be out in one or two days!!

Until then
Charnay Marie