Love Just Is

Chapter EIGHT ☮

                "Whatever you want," is all I say. 

                He pouts, leaning forward. I move my head back as he is too close to my face. "I don't have anything in mind." 

                "Then let's not do anything. I'll just finish my book." 

                "No!" he exclaims. He moves back, tapping a finger on his chin. I hope he won't be able to think of anything to do. “Well.” He doesn’t look like he thought of something to do. I think he’s just trying his best to make me do something with him.

                “You know, we don’t need to do anything. Let’s just—”

                “Go to the beach,” he cuts in, grinning. He continues, “I’ll call your friends—I mean, our friends—and tell them to meet us there.”

                “But…” I want to protest, tell him that I’m not in the mood for the beach but he is long gone already. I just run a hand to my face.

When we got to the beach, my friends are already there. They are laughing. They see us walking towards them so they wave at us. I smile and wave back.

                "It's really nice seeing you smile like that," Theo says. I purse my lips and remove the stupid smile I have. 

                "You know, Theodore is a good name." He looks at me blankly. "What?" 

                "Don't call me that again. It's for old people that's why I don't like it." 

                "It's not. What about that cute little one in Alvin and the Chipmunks? He's name is Theodore, so it's not for old people only," I explain. 

                "Wait... you think I'm cute?" 

                "No, I said, that little one on Alvin and the Chipmunks. Not you. You're so full of yourself." I shake my head, rolling my eyes. 

                "I like this," he gestures around us, "I'm glad you're being nice to me now." 

                "I am not being nice to you. This is part of the deal. And I have to remind you that you only have twenty-two days left to make me believe in love. And so far—" 

                He groans. "Don't tell me you're still not believing in it?" I shake my head. "Come on!" 

                "What do you expect? I'll believe after eight days? I told you before, Theodore, I'm not and I won't. It's stupid and you know it." I walk on the other side, going to where Kate and Izzie.

                "Hey," Kate greets, smirking at me. She looks over my shoulder. I turn a little to look who she is looking at. I raise an eyebrow. "What? You're falling for him," she says, sounding so sure about her statement. 

                "I am not," I say quickly. "That's ridiculous and you know it. Come on, let's take a swim." We put down our things, remove our shirts and shorts and run over to the water. 

                We splash water at each other. This summer is getting better and better. Not the deal part, though. That is something I’m not going to be happy about. I haven’t told my about that one because I don’t want her to think of the impossible. I know, right away, that she will be so ecstatic about what Theo and I agreed on. I don’t want her to get her hopes up and then let it crumbles down. I’m not a bad daughter to do that to my own mother.