The Teenage Guide To Popularity [COMPLETE]

Chapter 4: High School Never Ends.

One would think that hanging out with your crush over and over again would cause you to grow immune to his alluring powers. In the case of Leigh, you'd be wrong. There was a constant wave of excitement that would overpower her whenever Kiran was near, and that wave was threatening to drown her when she stepped inside Carter's house and spotted him. 

There he was, seated on the couch in the living room, wearing a silly hipster hat, reading a textbook and looking horribly cute in the process. When Carter announced Leigh, Kiran looked up and smiled at her. The wave Leigh had been dreading hit her so hard that she had to hold onto Carter to keep herself from falling over.

"Go sit down. I'll make us something to eat," Carter said, giving Leigh a very slight wink in the process before heading for the kitchen.

Kiran patted the spot next to him. "Finally you're here. Now we can get down to some serious studying."

Leigh walked over, praying to God that the night would go smoothly, and took a seat next to the boy she was in love with. Their arms grazed against each other and she could have sworn that her heart had skipped a beat. 

"So, do you have any idea what this is saying?" Kiran asked, showing her a page out of his Physics textbook. 

Physics was a subject completely foreign to Leigh. The only subjects she excelled at in school were English, Creative Writing, and Art - a trifecta of imaginative outlets. The maths and sciences were unknown territories, but she had thankfully managed to maintain an average just an inch off the failing point. When she faced Kiran again, the tiny bit of Physics knowledge she had disappeared, along with her composure.

"Yeah, it's like another language. Let's take a break," said Kiran, taking her silence to mean she didn't know. He closed the book, placed it on the table and leaned back. "Tell me Leigh, were you always this quiet? You haven't said three words to me in the past five months. Do you hate me? Be honest now."

Leight wasn't sure if Kiran was being serious, or if this was him teasing her. "I don't hate you."

"So then what's the deal?"

"I'm just..." desperately in love with you, "going through some stuff," Leigh lied, hoping he would buy it.

Kiran sat up and put an arm around Leigh's shoulder, and she knew he could probably feel her tremble slightly with his touch.  "Don't worry, I'm here for you."

Why did he have to be so overly affectionate? He was making it very difficult for Leigh to concentrate. Concentrate on why she was there. Concentrate on the fact that Carter was in the other room. Concentrate on his shirt, his arm around her, his smell, his eyes... What would happen if she leaned in and kissed him? Would he kiss her back, or would he jump back and slap her across the face, tell her to snap out of it like they did in that one movie? 

"What's taking Carter so long? Is she making us a four-course meal?" Kiran asked, scrunching his eyebrows.

Leigh giggled. She had turned into a 12-year-old again, giggling at boys and not knowing anything about the real world. She made a mental note to never giggle again.

"I should go check on her," Kiran said, taking his arm off of her shoulder, taking away that wave of excitement and the thrill of being so close to him. He stood up, gave Leigh a reassuring smile, and headed out of the living room. 

~

It was important for Carter to give Kiran and Leigh alone time, so whenever a moment would present itself, she would seize it. Leigh deserved a good, honest guy, and Kiran was more than right for her. When Carter thought about it, she couldn't imagine two people who were more perfect for one another. Unfortunately, Kiran hadn't realized this yet.