𝓣𝓻𝓾𝓮 𝓟𝓻𝓸𝓶𝓲𝓼𝓮𝓼 𝓞𝓯 𝓛𝓸𝓿𝓮 {Eddie Munson}

107) 𝓫𝓸𝓸𝓴 𝓼𝓽𝓾𝓭𝔂

-Eddie POV-
" Ariel, I- I don't want you to end up getting hurt or taken advantage of playing  stupid ass 'party games'. I mean, you get drunk, end up in a closet, and then something happens that you don't want to, and you throw your life away. I don't want that to happen to you."

" You know Eddie, the other day, your friends were telling me that you act different around me. And I've realized that you have been acting a little differently the past few weeks."

" One,what does that have to do with anything we're talking about right now? Two, what the hell did they tell you?" I joked, " I mean, they said you have a 'filter' around me. I guess it is kinda random, but I just now thought of it. You haven't been feeling like you can't be yourself have you?"

" No, I just don't want you to feel like you gotta talk to me, I want you to talk to me, because you want to. You have your own friends, who are entirely different than me." I told Ariel, I really don't want to talk about this, I'm trying to be there for her, as a friend, but I can't help but want to be more than that.

"Yeah, I do. But you're not like them, that's what's makes you so interesting to me. You're not a total asshole. Are they making you uncomfortable?" She asked, looking up at me from her hands, as she played with my ring that was on her finger.

" No, Ariel why are asking all these damn questions anyway? I mean with you playing 3 sports, you're always busy, I really don't need to be in your way. I was debating whether taking to you at all, I really don't want to distract you. I just know that you needed me. You were going through something. Weren't we just talking about that shitty party?" I asked, instantly regretting my words.

"Oh yeah, we should play beer pong together. I bet $10 that I'll win." She looked up at me again, smiling with a goofy look on her face.

" Bet that." I replied, "But you're still coming, if I play games or not, right~?" She smiled up at me, those eyes staring gently into mine.

"Yes, didn't I tell you that when you got the invite? Someone's gotta watch you." I teased, " Shut up! You've been drunk before! I know you have! I just haven't seen it yet." Ariel exclaimed. " You know there's a game that I want to play. Our game."  I flirted, " Ooh!"

" We should play it at the party," Ariel suggested, the flirtatious energy leaving the space around us.

"I would like that." I  told her as I  held the door open for her as we made our way out to my van.

" You know, you should come to the game on Friday." She changed the subject, " Yeah sure. Maybe I'll bring Mike or Jess with me." I tell her. Feeling the gap between us grow slowly.

"Eddie? Have I done something to upset you?" She asked abruptly.

" No, I- I'm sorry if  I've been acting weird lately. I've just been thinking a lot lately." I told her.

But now, I feel strange. " Feelings like what? About what?" She asked as I got into the van.
" Nothin'. Your parents home today?" I asked, shutting down all of her concerns and questions.

" They won't be back until 8 tonight." Ariel slid into the seat beside me, " Dad has a meeting tonight." She adds. "Maybe you can take notes when we read, Eddie." She teased me.

"Fuck that. I don't wanna read that boring ass book." I pout to her, "Ed, you have to if you wanna pass. I'm helping you anyway, so it'll be easy. And I'll show you my dress when I get there, I'll be responsible at this party, so you can have fun and not worry about me the whole time."

" I worry because I care. Even if you are being responsible, I'll still worry about you." I tell her, finding myself instinctively grabbing her hand, re-breaking the already broken, platonic boundary that we'd settled on for the past few days. I quickly brought my hand back, but she grabbed it back, lacing our fingers over each other's.

"Eddie, are you sure? You've barely even smiled at me today. You're just now starting to flirt with me. Talk to me, tell me what's on your mind." Ariel said to me, gently placing her other hand over mine and lightly rubbing the back if my hand.

" It's nothing, darling." I told her, it's not lying, it's just not the whole entire truth. " Promise?"

" I promise." I felt a smile creep onto my face as I felt myself going a familiar thing with her. " You're so pretty when you smile Eddie. Feels like I haven't seen it in forever. How about we head home now?" Ariel questions, " Sure, sweetheart." Her smile grew, she says I'm pretty, she can't even be into words. I couldn't stop the silly little smile that never left my face as I drove her to her house.

" Come on, Eddie." Ariel says, leading me into her bedroom. I sat down onto her bed. She sat beside me and pulled out the book from her backpack, and pulled out a pencil. Grabbing her notebook they we've been taking notes in.

" Okay, I finished my half, how far are you in yours?" She asked me, flipping to her page and then looking up at me. " I think I made it to about half of the 16th chapter, but I read the rest." I told her with a shrug.

" Eddie! The book has 21 chapters. You read 5?" She asked me, " It's boring. Why can't you read it me? I'll take notes." I smiled at her goofily, "It'll work perfectly." I tell her.

" Me reading it isn't going to make it anymore interesting," she says, " Yes it is, your voice isn't boring like the book, please? I've read to you before, please Ariel? I really need to pass!"I beg her, she looked at me with a smirk, staring straight at me. I knew it would work.

"You know I love it when you beg. Okay fine, but you better be taking notes or I'm not helping you anymore." She demanded, her seductive tone dropping as she mentioned the project.

She sat up and leaned against the headboard of the bed. I moved and sat beside her, grabbing her notebook, preparing to listen to her pretty voice. She picked up the book, and began to read from the chapter, I rested my head on her shoulder, slouching down comfortably, writing down important details of the story.

Before I knew it we were on the last chapter, she continued to read as I wrote, her voice was the most beautiful thing I've ever heard in her life. I could listen to her talk to me for the rest of my life. "Okay, so what did you get?"

My god, she sounds so beautiful, " Eddie, what notes did you get?" I realized she was actually asking something, "Oh, yeah sorry. Here." I handed her the notebook, she read over the notes, nodding her head as she read them.

" These are really good notes Eddie, you wanna get started on our essay and put them together?" She asked, moving away from me and lying on her stomach so that she can write while still lying down. I mimicked her pose and laid as close as I could to her. I gently moved her hair and kissed her neck softly.

" ' Ella, you're just so beautiful." I whispered to her, gently taking her chin so she would look at me. " Just look at you, prettiest little thing I've ever seen." I felt myself  falling again for a second time, because I've already fallen and hit the ground. I never stopped loving her, but every second I love her more.

"Oh, Eddie." She cooed, my other hand found the small of her back, lightly sliding it under her shirt. Her eyes looked into mine. " Eddie," she again whispered my name, before she gently touched our lips together, she melted into it.

I turned my slightly to place another, deeper kiss on her perfect lips. " Eddie, how about do this at school tomorrow?" she whispered sweetly. She turned her head temporarily back to her essay, causing her face to slip from my gentle grip as she began to write once again. "What do you mean?"

" I want to play games with you. But I don't think I can wait till that party. The way you've been treating me, like a friend, I want to play around, I want your attention." She said, looking back up at me with a dirty smirk on her face.

" You want my attention while at school?" I asked her, almost stuttering. As I started thinking about the idea, my face began to heat up, and my stomach started to twist.

" You'd like that, wouldn't you?"