TEETH [chris sturniolo]

19.

Chris sighed "I need to tell you guys something."

Nate, Matt and Nick looked up at him from where they were sitting on the bench. Matt's chest rose up and down.

"What's up?" Nate drank from one of their water bottles.

"I need mom to take Piper in."

Need. Not want. Big difference.

Chris didn't think he could live with himself if the blonde had to go back to her mom's place.

"Your mom will never let you two stay in the same house. Not when you can't fucking keep your hands to yourself" Nate said with a teasing smile.

"Ugh, Nate, it's so disgusting. Piper will just be there hanging out in the living room and Chris will find the dumbest excuse to touch her" Nick scrunched nose.

Chris didn't say anything. His eyes found Matt's, who was already watching him with a blank expression.

"We're not... really dating."

Nick laughed "What do you mean?"

"It's fake. We're not actually together. She's not... " mine. "We wanted to get the Principal off our backs."

"What?!" Nick yelled.

"She wanted to keep the lacrosse team away and I wanted the fucking teachers to quit bitchin' about us not behaving— what?"

"What?" Nick echoed. "Is this a fucking joke? What-what were you thinking?" His brother stood up

"I wasn't" he admitted through gritted teeth. He met Matt's eyes once again. "It was that day at the fair" he started. "I followed her to the parking lot, I don't even know why, and she looked so sad about the bet, I... Look, I know it was stupid, okay? I wasn't counting on..."

"On what?" Matt finally spoke.

"On actually liking her" he said with a low voice.

"But you just don't like her now, do you?" Nate asked softly

"No" he shook his head. "I don't just like her and that's fucking why I can't let her go back to her house."

"Are you saying you-"

"Do you love her?" Matt interrupted Nick.

Chris hesitated. He'd never said it to anyone other than his family and his best friend. And even then, it was something he didn't tell them often.

"That's not important" he finally said. "What matters right now is keeping her safe."

"That's not your responsibility" Matt said sighing. "She's not your responsibility."

"She is. In the same way mom is dad's."

Matt opened his mouth to say something but his gaze flickered back to something behind Chris.