The Red

Chapter 32

"So," Caylen says as we walk to school on Monday, "are you still hanging out with Kian Aethelmaer?"

"Yes," I answer.

"He's okay?"

"Yeah. He's not rude or anything, Caylen."

"Oh."

All weekend, I've been more intrigued by Kian than ever. But I'm very confused. I don't know if I can call us friends anymore.

We arrive at the school, and Caylen heads off. I see Kian at his picnic table, just like always. I walk up to him nervously. I decide on just acting like I always do, and let him steer the relationship.

"Are you going to reach your goal today?" I ask as I sit down.

"Probably not," he says.

"You've got to sometime."

"You don't understand, Natalie. I'm a little conflicted inside of my mind."

"I say just do it."

"Later." He smiles nervously.

Dang it, Kian! Why'd you have to go make everything awkward?

"How are you doing today, Natalie?" he asks.

"Pretty good. A little confused."

"Why?"

"Um.... You called me beautiful."

"So? Hayden did too."

"Hayden's...different."

"How?"

"Never mind."

"No. Answer me."

"I don't know...." My face flushes as I speak. I can't believe I'm saying this. "Somehow it meant more coming from you. You know, he was just teasing me. You actually sounded like you meant it."

"I'm sure he's been looking for an excuse to call you beautiful since your first day."

"Does it make you mad?"

"Not much."

"A little bit?"

"Kind of, to be honest."

"Why?" I ask with a playful grin.

"Because he beat me to it, of course."

I let my grin disappear and say, "What are we, Kian?"

"What kind of question is that?"

"I'm being serious."

"Well, we'll be what you want us to be."

And with that, the stupid bell rang with its bad timing. Maybe we'd have to discuss this later.

All throughout the day, I can't concentrate. I'm just so confused, but I don't want to be. I just wait for lunch to come around so we can talk again.

Jessica rambles to me about her dress for the dance and lots of other stuff I don't care about. Throughout all my classes, that's what everyone talks about. What they're wearing. Who they're going with. No one asks me, though. And honestly, I'm a little afraid of what they'd think.

On my way to the cafeteria, Kian comes up to me in the hallway.

"Natalie," he says. "I have to go to lunch detention. Mr. London's making the whole class go."

"Seriously?"

"Yes. Sit with someone else today."

I nod, but I'm not going to sit with anyone else. No way.

So I eat lunch alone. While I eat, I remember that it's May 1st. Mrs. Blaise's class will be held in room F2 17. What does that mean, anyway? I have a class in room 17 already, but what does F2 mean? It can't be the same room.

Guess I'll have to figure it out when the time comes.

I sit alone under the tree Kian and I always sit at, picking at grass. I can see several students staring at me, but I just glare at them until they look away, one at a time.

Finally the bell rings, but I don't know where to go. So I wander through the halls, and as students get to their classes, the hallway becomes more and more empty.

"Shoot," I mutter under my breath. I should ask somebody, but I don't know them, and they probably don't like me anyways.

Soon the hallway is empty, except for me. The bell rings and I am officially late.

I sigh.

"Natalie!" I turn around to see Kian walking toward me. "What are you doing?"

"I'm an idiot because I don't know what F2 means."

"Floor two."

"What?"

"It means the class is on the second floor, smart one."

I grin. "Why are you late?"

"Stupid Mr. London kept us in until the bell rang."

"Where is everyone else?"

"They're not headed to the stairs."

"Where are the stairs?"

"Behind you."

I turn and see the stairs. "Oh!"

Kian chuckles. I hear footsteps, and Kian looks at me in alarm.

"We don't have hall passes!" he whispers. "We'll get in trouble!"

He takes my arm and pulls me up the stairs. The stairs turn one hundred and eighty degrees halfway up, so he pulls me down to sit by the wall where it turns.

"Hopefully they don't look here," he says, "Or they'll think we're ditching."

My heart beats a little fast. Getting in trouble isn't my thing.

"Are you nervous?" Kian asks.

"A little, but it's crazy. I feel kind of rebellious."

He smiles. "Sometimes it's good to be rebellious. Not bad rebellious, but good rebellious. Like sneaking away to the park next door at night."

I'm grinning from ear to ear. Kian's in a rather good mood today.

"So you're saying we should be rebellious?" I say.

"Maybe."

"Challenge accepted."

"Lean over and see if the coast is clear," Kian tells me.

As I turn and look into the hallway, I wonder why we didn't just continue up the stairs. But when I turn around I find out why.

"Everything looks good," I say.

Kian suddenly leans over and...kisses me. It was really quick, and I just sit there, stunned.

But Kian.... He's smiling. Actually smiling. And it's beautiful.

But he doesn't dwell in the moment. He grabs my hand and says, "Come on. Let's go."

As we head up the stairs, and as Kian tells Mrs. Blaise we were in detention (even though I wasn't), and as I sit in my seat, I'm floating. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

__________________________

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