"Don't start with me, Ivory." I snapped. "I'm tired of the same old thing. I haven't gotten any closer."

"Closer to what?" She asked, head whipping back and forth between our conversation and her friends. "How about you exercise some patience and wait?"

"Waiting is for cowards. Has a lion or wolf ever waited for food?" I argued, using one of my infamous analogies.

She reached over and slapped me. All I could do is gawk.

"Are you a wolf or lion? Some dog walking in the depths of Africa? You do have the smell for it but your no animal." She laughed at my expression.

Okay maybe I did have a patience problem and an analogy problem. Probably a spirit animal problem as well.

I looked at Ivory's arms, smooth and ebony. Her eyes brown like the golden sun. I once wanted her just because she's always been there for me. Whenever I did something stupid (and I rarely did) she would always be there to help me. To tell me she told me so but also to help me.

"Ivory, what would you do if I was talking about you? What if you are my prey?" I taunted, moving ever so closer.

She rolled her eyes. "Then you're gonna need a better move than that. Can't be pulling wattpad moves out here."

"Come on! That was a good move. Any normal girl would've crumbled." I argued as the bell rang. We quickly packed our things up, though we haven't used any of them, and moved to the next class.

"I'm touched. And what does a normal girl do? Swoon and grab your arm?" She then proceeded to grab my arm and lean on it. "Oh River, don't you just want to take me home, spread my legs-"

"-Okay, I get the message." I shrugged her off.

She laughed at my discomfort. "Who ever said there wasn't a wattpad boy? That move was cheesy."

"Your face is cheesy." I retorted, half-heartedly.

"Please stop describing your life."

[] [] [] [] [] []

One thing you must know about me is that I am not a patient person. Or you don't need to know because I guarantee you, you'll be seeing this a lot in this book.

Again, exactly at the same time and place just like every other day, I found myself on the field in the sun. Alexa and her group in the shades above the pavilion, Ivory and hers under the stairs in their own shade and mine under the glaring sun.

I don't know what it was, maybe it was the stupid ball that was constantly being thrown at my face or the look Ivory was giving me, but I found myself saying "I'll be back." and heading towards her. I told myself to not look at Alexa or Ivory but they probably weren't looking anyways.

It occurred to me that I gave myself way too much attention. This isn't (or wasn't) a romance novel or Before I Fall movie. There were no cliques or frenemies watching me. I wasn't a bad boy. I was just a small time player that dated smaller time girls. The only way people paid attention to me was one of two ways. Either I was answering a teachers question or I was going after their friends.

This wouldn't be like Lujuria, I promised myself.

I kept muttering the words and repeating them in my mind as I reached the crest of the hill.

Now I don't want to say I'm a pro at it but if you need advice about getting a girlfriend (or boyfriend for that matter) I could definitely help. For some reason words come easy to me. Okay sure, I don't always say the right words and, in my opinion, my voice is terrible but something made them stay.

...Well stay long enough to realize that I'm a massive dick.

I climbed the hill. Ahead of me she sat under a tree, so deep in thought she hadn't notice me approaching.

This is your last chance, I told myself. Turn around now and you can keep that cute girl of yours and still occasionally flirt with others.

Her head whipped up in my direction.

"River?!"

"Adeline?!"