Bates & Landon [Wattys2015]

LANDON

"And?"

"He kinda sorta held my hand," she said, her neck and cheeks starting to get a slight shade of pink.

"Ahhh!" I beamed, "That's so freaking cute! Okay, okay. I need to calm down -- I'm gonna pass out from all that cuteness."

Alice smirked, "Or you are about to blush crazily when I tell you this,"

"Tell me what?"

"That Bates is totally staring you down," I whipped my head towards the direction of their table. Jessie and Jonas were eating away while Bates was grinning, looking at me.

I blinked.

Then I waved at him stupidly while my cheeks heated up from embarrassment. A wave? Seriously!? I was mentally smacking myself while I looked down at my tray. "Is he still looking?" I hissed.

"No, that wave was very amusing," she said before taking a sip from her water. I moved my tray towards her, letting her have my pizza.

"Here," I said, ignoring her comment, "I'm not hungry."

She looked down at the pizza. "Neither am I."

I rolled my eyes. "Uh-huh. Sure, Alice, you haven't even touched your salad and if I was hungry I'd eat both. Unfortunately, I'm not. So you go ahead."

"I had a big breakfast," she excused, pushing it away, "You know when Dad makes those pancakes? I ate, like, four then I had some eggs with..orange juice."

"But you don't like orange juice,"

"Sorry, I meant apple juice. You know how I love apple juice!" Alice said, seeming nervous.

Before I could question her any further, she began eating the pizza. Then the salad. Then mine and hers fruit cup. "Gosh, you were hungry,"

She slowly chewed on her last bite of fruit, "Huh. Guess I was.." She looks at her empty water bottle, frowning. "Now I need to use the bathroom from all that water. See you in art class?"

•••

"Hey Lan," Bates said, sitting beside me in art class, "Mind if I sit here?" He was sitting in the same seat he sat when we had free time and his painting was so.. beautiful.

I was struggling to breathe and didn't trust my voice, so I just nodded. Alice still wasn't in art class. I didn't know what was taking her so long unless they had a long line in the bathroom.

"How are you?" He asked me. I turned to look at him, looking at his brown eyes -- the kind you get lost in, and I always did.

"Good." I managed to say, my voice soft.

His tongue darted out to wet his lower lip, making my gaze fall onto his lips. He was looking at my face, so he knew I was staring unquestionably at his lips. His lips turned up into a small smile, making me look back up at him to see him watching me.

Busted.

"So," he said, his index finger running lightly over my arm which raised goosebumps on my skin, "Wanna hang out after school?"

I thought for a moment, Mandy nor my dad would like the idea of me hanging out after school -- with a boy -- and only us two. I'd have to tell them. "Uhm, maybe. I'll need to ask Mandy."

"Okay," he had already removed his fingers from my arm. And I wished he hadn't, but I stayed put and didn't say anything about it. Bates turned his attention to Mrs. Ellie who was shuffling papers and putting them in a pile at the edge of her desk before heaving a tired sigh. Alice still hadn't come to class. Was she skipping? Did she leave? Did she get picked up early?