Stubborn and the Mutt

twenty three | little red riding hood

"Then I should come to yours—"

"Are you actually insane? What do you think my father would think, bringing a boy over? He'll think you're going to ask for my hand in marriage. He's old school and cultural like that. You're not coming to my house."

Micah sighs, running his unoccupied fingers through his hair that exposes his forehead for as good as a moment. "Well, I am deprived of physical contact. Holding hands doesn't cut it for me. Can we go somewhere more private?"

"Like where?"

"The bathroom, or an empty lecture room. The back of the library. The hill. We have options, mate."

"What do I have to do to get you to stop calling me that?"

"What, 'mate'?" He chuckles. "Well, nothing. I think it suits you. It's like a pet name but better, because I'm not calling you baby, or babe... or something like that."

"Yeah, but mate is weird as well."

"You'd rather me call you by your name?"

I tilt my head at the boy. "I mean, it's why I have a name."

"I don't care, I like 'mate' too much to let it go. It has so much meaning so I thought maybe you'd want me to call you it still."

"Still? I've never asked you to call me that."

"In your past life, you did." He grins as he teases, and the gets to his feet and pulls me up despite me being reluctant. "Let's go somewhere private—"

"Micah..." I roll my eyes at him with a soft sigh. "Look, I'm an appropriate person. I'm not one of those babes where you can pull me somewhere secretly and have your way. You know?"

"I know, and I'm not asking for you to do inappropriately appropriate things with me. I just really want to hold you the way I want to hold you, and I don't want you to feel uncomfortable in a public place like this." He wiggles his fingers around as emphasis, and I look around us.

True; we are in a public hall with people chattering and doing all the sorts. Micah needs to recharge his physical contact battery and I can presume the way he wants to do it isn't exactly... the greatest public display of affection.

Besides, we aren't even dating so it would draw unnecessary attention. I've got to speak to him about that as well.

I remove my hand from him and then gather my things. I pick up the empty plastic box and then look at him with a small pout. "If I do this, considering I agreed, then you have to do stuff for me."

"I'll do anything for you."

"Not everything, I can bet. But I have a few questions and I want answers. I do this for you, and you do that for me. Yes?"

He nods without hesitation. I then hum and then nudge my head so he follows me. As soon as we walk past the dustbin out the hall, I dump the empty container in before rubbing my fingers against the material of my dress.

He then leads us to where he deems is more quiet and private. At first I squint my eyes, thinking maybe he's taking us to the restroom, but then after we turn different corners, I realise he's taking me to the back of the school.

"This is how a person is murdered." I mutter under my breath, adjusting the strap of my bag as I follow him towards a bunch of trees stretching out away from the campus building.

Micah turns to glance at me over his shoulder. "I could never murder you."

"I'm just thinking out loud, firstly, and second, how is it that you can hear me? I didn't even hear myself speak."