Pause (Published)

Chapter 19: Slow on the Uptake

Chapter 19: Slow on the Uptake

"I cannot believe you're tying me up! You, of all people! Could I have not been taken down by a unicorn instead? That would be less embarrassing. But you!?" I shout as Max straps me down to the chair to make certain that I don't run again, given the opportunity.

Nobody puts Aqueela in a corner!

Max shrugs helplessly. "Bella is scary when she's mad or sad or whatever it is that she's feeling as of now in this time, present, past, future-"

I raise an eyebrow at him, cutting him off. "Huh? What are you speaking? Krang?"

Max throws his hands up to the ceiling and closes his eyes dramatically. "I don't know!" he shouts out in a high-pitched, warrior cry.

"Your infatuation with her is ridiculously stupid," I tell him, rolling my eyes at his simpleton antics, nevertheless, there is somewhat of a smile on my face - Max does that to a person, he's able to change someone's mood from grumpy to joyful in a split second. 

Max's eyes widen at being caught out. "I'm not infatuated with Bells," he states with a carefree grin, his cheeks flushing.

He can't even say her name without grinning like some creep.

I bite back a smile at his reaction to my accusation. "Sure you aren't," I tease, drawing out the evident sarcasm in my tone.

"Get off my case, Lawson. We've spoken about this before, let me feel my feelings! You like Jay. You're in the same scenario. I could mess with you too, you know," he threatens and I almost laugh at the emptiness in his words.

I grin carelessly, watching him finish the last knot around my hands. "Well done for the observation, genius. Everybody already knows. You're incredibly slow on the uptake."

"Yes, but does Jay know?" Max asks with a wiggle of his eyebrows, taunting me.

"Of course, he knows. Told him myself. So go ahead and tell him," I reply with a straight face. "In fact, I dare you. I still haven't got a response back from him anyway. You'd be doing me a favor."

Max pauses, his brown eyes brimming with confusion. "But I thought Jay's the one that arranged your date with what's-his-face."

"He did indeed," I clarify.

Max raises both eyebrows hesitantly before asking the inevitable. "But he knows you like him?" 

I nod, playing it cool. "He does indeed."

"I've hit a blank here. I'm so confused," he exclaims in total bewilderment, trying to wrap his mind around my lack of an explanation because of Jay's lack of an explanation.

"Get aboard the Aqueela train, me and you both, buddy," I snicker, finding his reactions to be amusing. 

"Why would he do that to you?" Max asks, wanting to get to the bottom of the mystery that is Jay Taylor.

"Beats me." I make an attempt in shrugging my shoulders. "Jay's mind is like an impenetrable fortress. I've decided that trying to concoct a reason for his strange behavior is like trying to find a needle in a haystack filled with poisonous spiders."

Max scrunches up his nose, in turn. "Not the best analogy, Aqueela." 

"The best way to study Jay is to dissect his brain," I add, a stray strand of hair bothering me.

Max scratches his forehead before sending me a look of pity. "And you're okay with all of this?"

"I'm not entirely sure," I admit, not wanting to push Jay to talk about it. If anything, he probably thought it was just the alcohol speaking.