Alice

9

"Hope you don't mind," Parker said, sliding into the seat across from me, a milkshake in her hand. "I gave Charlie your number."

"You what?"

"Well," she took a long sip, her cheeks hallowing as she sucked the straw, "he saw me, I guess,m. Recognized me. So he asked for your number."

"And you gave it to him?" I was wondering how he'd gotten it.

"Well not right away of course. First, I said you had a boyfriend." She waved her hand dismissively at the panicked look on my face. "But he didn't buy it. He said, 'I doubt that'. And I said, 'why's that?'"

"Get to the point."

"Shut up." She rolled her eyes. "So he said, 'I just do' and he was right. You don't have a boyfriend; you kind of suck right now. So I gave him your number. Did he call you?"

"He texted. I met him last night." My lips stretched into a grin as I recalled his words. I wanted to keep you to myself. What does that even mean?

"Did he kiss you? You're smiling like pedo in the playground."

"He said he didn't want me near his friends because he wanted to keep me to himself." I bite down on my lip to keep the gleeful laugh from erupting. I'm such a loser. "That means he likes me, right?"

Parker smiles.

"I just...Parker, I don't know how to explain it. He's so fucking complicated but so fucking great at the same time. And chivalrous! And sexy." I can't wait to see him in class today. "I think I really like him."

The last time I really liked a a guy, I was dating Colin Words in my senior year of high school. He was great, but we were going to different colleges and I'm not into long distance so we ended it.

"Tell him that."

"What? No, I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because!"

"Because he's coming over here." Parker raised an eyebrow, her eyes trained on something over my shoulder.

My chest tightens and I turn to see that Charlie was, indeed, making his way over here. My eyes frantically met Parker's but she looked like she was holding back a laugh.

"Don't leave me and for the love of God, don't let me say anything stupid," I hissed.

"Wouldn't dream of it." She saluted me.

Then, I felt heat. By my side. Warmth. I turned my head to see him sitting next to me.

"Hey, Parker." He nodded his head at her to which she raised a hand in return.

"Charlie." She took her straw and sucked slowly on it as he turned to look at me. Oh she was enjoying this.

His eyes met mine and regret flashed in them before it settled onto something else. "Hi, Alice."

"H-hey, Alice," I stammered. A hard kick to the leg brought me back to reality. I winced. "I mean, Charlie."

Parker smiled in triumph.

He cleared his throat. "Uh, about what I said yesterday—"

"You mean how you want to keep me to yourself?" I blurted. Warmth spread across my face. "I don't mind that. You can do that. I think I'd like that. Maybe I can—"