Strings Attached

Chapter Twelve

"Really?" asked Theodore. "He just left?"

I shrugged. "I acted pretty annoying, if you ask me. I would have dumped myself, too, if I were Travis."

Theodore chuckled. "I guess we're even, then."

I frowned. "Even? Not true! You broke my statue! You started this!"

Theodore sighed. "It was an accident!"

I shrugged. "Theo, dear, our lives themselves are accidents. If we were to blame accidents for everything that happens in our lives, manslaughter would not be punishable by jail. If we were to blame accidents, where would we be?" I sighed. "Gosh, I'm starting to sound like you."

Theodore winked. "You're becoming cooler, then."

I rolled my eyes. "Nope. I'm becoming weird. Thank you for that."

"Weird means cool," he said, smiling. "Who likes normal anymore?"

"Everyone," I said. "Everybody hates what's different, and being weird means being different."

"Well, I love different," Theodore said, grinning.

I shrugged. "You're weird, that's why."

He smiled. "I'd bet you like what's different, too."

"Not really."

"But you're different," he said. "Does that mean you don't like yourself?"

"I'm not different," I said.

"You are." Theodore's eyes stared firmly at mine, which—for who-knows-what reasons--made my heart skip a beat.

"I'm not..."

"Chris?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't say that," he whispered gently. "You are different from every girl I've met. You aren't selfish or materialistic. You are smart. You care for what's important. You don't waste your time gossiping or trying to look pretty. You're so focused on being yourself that you forget that you forget to be like everyone else, and that makes you different."

I lowered my face. "I'm not different. I know that I'm not. I'm average. I'm normal."

Theodore shook his head. "You're not." He took my hand and kissed it softly. "You deserve to know that."

I closed my eyes. My heart was beating so fast that I felt as though I was losing control of my own body.

"Theo..." I could not finish the sentence because no words would come out of my mouth.

Theodore simply touched my forehead with his, our lips only inches apart, and sighed. Then, he pulled away, disappointing me. Why would I be disappointed? I had no idea. I just knew that part of me did want to kiss him, but I knew it would have not been right.

"Don't say anything. You tend to ruin these moments," he joked.

I frowned. "I don't!"

Theodore chuckled. "You wouldn't get so defensive if it weren't true," he simply said.

I crossed my arms over my chest. "But it still isn't true."

"Well, you just ruined it," he said, rolling his eyes.

I frowned. "I didn't ruin the moment." I smiled. "There was no moment to ruin in the first place."

"Ouch, Chris. I thought we had just shared something special," he said, pretending to be hurt.

I rolled my eyes. "Come on, fellow. We have homework to do."

"But it's a Friday night!" he exclaimed.