Don't be Shy ✓

2. You're cute (edited)

Seb woke up with a start. He was buzzing from what had happened in the dream. He'd met Kaiden, and Kaiden had kissed him. He felt with his fingers over his lips. It had felt so real. He squeezed his eyes together again, hoping to pick up where he left, but it was no use. He was too riled up for sleep to grab him again.

He snatched his phone from the night stand. The numbers 06:03 glared at him, but that wasn't all. In the upper left corner a little message sign demanded his full attention.

Can't sleep...

Seb looked at the time and felt a little bad. Kaiden sent the message at 2 am. He wished that he'd been awake to see it. He bit into the cuticle on his thumb, a habit he couldn't get rid of. It surfaced whenever he was extremely nervous, like now, when he didn't know if he should respond. What if he awoke Kaiden with a message? He didn't want to disturb the guy's sleep if he hadn't slept well.

He put his phone to the side and tried to forget about the message for a while. Not that it worked. His thoughts were swirling around, and he felt at his lips again. He had never kissed anyone and it felt a bit like cheating to do it in a dream. Of course, it would be nothing like the real thing...if that ever happened.

His phone started singing to him half an hour later when it was time to get ready for school. He rushed out of bed, happy to have something to do besides thinking about that message and whether to answer it or not. He told himself he would answer it a little later.

He still hadn't answered it when he left for school. He kept saying that he would do it later, but later came and went. He wondered if Kaiden attended their school. It was a big one, so it was possible that he hadn't seen him before. The thought made him fidget. What if he met Kaiden, and what if he hadn't answered the message?

He opened the message again--for the umpteenth time that morning--and started to type in a reply.

I was asleep. Did you get some sleep after you sent it?

He sent it and immediately wished he hadn't. It was such a bad reply. He let out an exasperated huff and slumped down in the bus seat. He glanced around at the teenagers around him. Hopefully they hadn't noticed him. No one was watching, so that was a good sign at least.

The suburb rushed past outside the window. He knew all the houses by heart from the many times he'd passed on his way to school. They were half-way, and he wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. At least in school he could talk to Tyra and Dylan and perhaps forget about everything for a short while. On the other hand, Kaiden might be there, and that...well, he didn't know how to feel about that. He was sort of giddy about the thought, but also terrified.

He jolted in his seat when he felt his phone vibrate against his pocket.

Yeah, slept like a baby after that. So, what's up?

Seb let out a relieved breath. He hadn't blown his chances with that awkward message. He knew he was stupid to even think that thought, but what did he know? No one had ever flirted with him before, and he had certainly not flirted with anyone either. He had always been "that shy guy" that no one really talked to. Not until Dylan came around with his always-at-ease personality. Well, until he was in close proximity to Zach. When Dylan was near the other guy, he seemed to turn into someone else entirely. It was kind of funny to watch, but weird at the same time. 

He read the message again. He wondered if it would be too obvious if he messaged back right away, but at the same time it would be silly not to.

On my way to school. You?

The reply came right away, almost scary fast.

Me too... see you there!

Seb started to sizzle with anxiety when he read the words, but he couldn't help but grin wide. He couldn't believe it was true that they went to the same school, or that Kaiden obviously knew it already. He started to fidget in his seat, unable to sit still. 

Ten minutes later he hopped off the bus and headed towards the red brick building. He took each step with a mix of hesitation and anticipation. Somehow he made it to his locker and breathed out in relief that nothing had happened. He wasn't ready to see Kaiden just yet. He knew he should to get used to the idea, but right now he had to get his ass to first class.

He pulled out his books from the locker and rushed away to class, fairly certain that he wouldn't have it with Kaiden. He would have known if he had classes with the guy; he would have noticed him. Thinking about Kaiden, he had to shake his head to get the picture of them kissing out of his head. 

He knew he was blushing, so he did his best to hide under his bangs. He didn't want to meet anyone's eyes right now, especially not Kaiden's.

His phone buzzed again but this time he decided to ignore it until he was in class. He was late as it was, and he didn't really want to become more flustered. Biting into his cuticle again, he wondered if this was what everyone felt when they received messages from someone they might like a little bit.

He dropped down in his seat just as the teacher rose to start the lecture. Sitting in his usual spot, behind the crowd and away from sight, he opened his textbook and started to doodle. The teacher's droning voice went right over his head, and he found himself thinking while drawing small manga figures. He couldn't really like Kaiden, not yet, right? He didn't even know the guy. He just found him cute. So, he had nothing to be so nervous or anxious about. In fact, he was behaving irrationally. He should just relax and be cool about it. The problem was that nothing felt cool, not at all. It felt good. Awesome.

His phone started to burn in his pocket. He hadn't read the message yet, and suddenly he wanted nothing more than to read it. He glanced at the teacher and pulled the phone out.

You're cute when you're all flustered and blushing... see ya later!

Seb forgot to breathe. Kaiden must have seen him as he rushed through the halls. Oh my...