REALLY ✓

9: The Play Pretend

*

      TAYA's POV:

Until the day I die, I would never forget this madness unraveling in front of me.

"Please tell me that's not what I think it is..." I said cautiously, slowly moving towards him.

"Don't come near me!" he hissed.

"Judah..."

"Uh, think baseball... breakfast burritos... this morning's Vine videos..." he muttered to himself under his breath.

I stifled a laugh, and seconds later, I broke out into full-blown laughter. It was probably a mean thing to do, but the situation was just out of control. Literally.

"I just need a smoke," he said in annoyance, disregarding my maniacal laugh.

He got up slowly and walked to the door, carefully and skillfully not showing his front side to me. This had to be one of the funniest sights I had ever seen.

I had to put a throw pillow over my face because I couldn't contain it anymore. I was reduced to a snorting and giggling mess as I watched him walked out the door.

*

A few moments later, I heard the front door clicked open. Judah strutted back in with a shameless grin on his face.

"What the hell happened to you?" I greeted him.

"It happens," he said coolly, taking the seat next to mine. "But don't worry, it's all taken care of. Let's go back to practicing,"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," I pushed him away quickly. He also smelled like he just took a bath in tobacco.

"What do you mean it happens?" I scooted back to make sure there was enough distance between us.

"Well you know, a small accident happened. But it's fine, no big deal,"

"No big deal?"

"Stop freaking out. It's just a natural reaction,"

A natural reaction—how could he be so unfazed by that?

"I didn't know what to expect and I just got a little carried away for a second. It's nothing, really," he said again.

"You never take anything seriously, do you?" I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Dude, what happened back there was normal, alright? I'm a guy. These things happen. But I got my shit together now. I know what to expect. So don't sweat it,"

"Still, how could you be so... calm about this? Aren't you like, embarrassed, at all?"

"Aren't you embarrassed that the first time we met, you kissed me and then you puked your guts out all over the grass?"

"No, no, that was different, I was sick, I got alcohol poisoning. But this—"

"—Is pretty much the same thing," he cut me off. "The only difference is: your reaction to kissing me was puking, and my reaction to kissing you was... well, I got hard," he just shrugged. Shamelessly too. Absolutely unconcerned and undisturbed.

"What... are... you?" my jaw had fallen to the floor.

Clearly I had never met a character like him before in my life.

"Come on, let's get back to rehearsing. I gotta go soon, got places to be. Chop, chop,"

"Are you sure we should be doing this?" I eyed him suspiciously but he just flashed me a full smile with them dimples coming out.