i like (the idea of) you • grayson dolan

fourteen

"Yeah. Whatever. Sorry."

Celia rolls her eyes as he turns back around and takes out her phone to text me about him. I stifle a laugh at her annoyed messages as the teacher starts class.

The day goes by at a decent pace, and before I know it I'm meeting Celia and Julie for lunch. Even though it's cold, they wanted to eat in the courtyard, so I pull my hood up and head out to meet them.

I don't know Julie too well, so I'm a bit nervous as I approach. Celia is leaning her head on her shoulder, smiling at me.

"Gimme your pizza crust," she says immediately. I laugh, tearing it off to hand to her. I didn't dislike the crust, but it was Celia's favorite, so I always gave it to her. I catch Julie doing the same. "Julie was just telling me about her run-in with Grayson last period."

I raise an eyebrow, the girl clearing her throat. "Yeah he... was in a bad mood or something. I accidentally knocked his folder off his desk and he lost it, walked out of class," she shrugs. It's comforting that she's as nervous as I am. "Celia said you like him. No offense, but how?"

"I think it's the biceps," Celia grins, earning a laugh from her girlfriend and a groan from me. "Plus, he does have a nice smile. Opal is a sucker for smiles."

"Lia, shut up," I huff, nudging her with my arm. "I don't know, I don't think I really like him. He can just be nice sometimes. I guess I got caught up in it."

Grayson wasn't someone I wanted to get attached to, but over the weeks we just started getting closer. I did kind of miss him annoying me, just a little bit. I'd get over that—I was better off staying away from him.

Someone from the outside questioning it was definitely a wake up call. If Grayson couldn't care about my feelings when around his friends, he didn't really care at all.

Lunch, getting to know Julie—it's really nice. They're cute together, and she's funny. When she opens up, she's just as loud as Celia is.

The rest of the day is a little slow, and Celia gives me a ride home from school, but doesn't stay long. The first thing I do is change into shorts and a tank top and then make myself a snack. My dad won't be home for a few hours and I want nothing more than to spend the entire time relaxing in bed.

After pressing play on Parks and Rec, I wrap myself up in blankets and forget about the world.

Of course, I make the mistake of glancing out my window. With the fence gone, I could see right into Grayson's room. Previously, it was too close to my window that I couldn't even see much out of it. I might prefer that now.

He's in there, kissing down a random girls neck, both of them shirtless.

I gag at the sight, but can't tear my eyes away. It did hurt, just a little bit, but mostly it was gross.

As if he could feel my eyes on them, he glances out the window and sees me. I look away immediately, moving out of his line of sight, but that one moment of eye contact felt like it lasted a year.

We hadn't really spoken since last week at school, when everything happened. Other than this morning, at least. Not that he hadn't tried a few times, but he gave up after a couple of days.

I wasn't expecting to see him about to hookup with a girl though.

It made me even more mad at him, though it shouldn't. He could do whatever or whoever he wanted. Though after our argument in english earlier, it does seem out of place.

Twenty minutes later, there's a knock at my door. I've got a feeling it's Grayson.

I know he's stubborn, and he's not going to leave. Especially because he's standing there, knocking nonstop, being annoying.

"Shut up! I'm coming!" I groan, stomping over to the door. As soon as I open it, he shoves his way into my house without saying anything. "Don't you have a girl to be with?"

"Why were you watching me?" He snorts, sitting down.

My eyes are narrowed as I look at him, the indifferent gaze he sends only upsetting me more. He knows that seeing him with another girl stung without me having to say it. But we were never anything, it was stupid.

Again, I was reminded that I could never truly like Grayson Dolan. He could be cute, and fun—but mostly he was an asshole. He lashed out and didn't care about how other people felt if he could get a laugh from whatever he did. Getting tangled in his web was a mistake from the beginning.

"I looked out my window and happened to see you. I wasn't just staring into your room," I scoff. My blood is boiling. "What do you want anyway? Why are you here, talking to me of all people?"

Grayson sighs, running a hand through his hair. His indifference fades into a small look of regret. "Opal, you know I didn't mean that."

"Really, Grayson? Then what did you mean?"

"I was just fucking mad, okay? I didn't mean it, I just didn't know what to do, or what to say—I was stressed. I know I keep fucking up and making you hate me all over again, and for a split second I thought maybe that was easier. And... you know, you did bruise my ego a little bit," he chuckles. "I didn't sleep with that girl. I saw you and I just kicked her out."

That made me feel a little better, even though I wouldn't admit it. "Am I supposed to thank you?"

"Fucking dammit, Opal, stop being so stubborn for one second!" Grayson snaps, mumbling an apology as I jump. "Sorry. I know you don't like being yelled at."

I made an offhand comment about it when I was crying, I barely remembered saying it. But he remembered, and it was almost sweet.

This was all so ridiculous. Here he was, trying to be nice again while we were alone.

"I'm sorry, okay?" He sighs. "The cherry-picking thing really was just a bad joke, I promise. Some of the guys brought it up and I laughed along with them, and I shouldn't have—I wasn't hanging out with you to take your virginity. I shouldn't have said anything about those pictures either, I knew you were embarrassed, it just slipped out when we were talking about girls."

It was nice to hear him say that, but it wasn't the first time this had happened. Grayson was trouble for me.

"Thanks, but... you should go," I tell him quietly. His face falls, for only a brief second, before he nods and gets to his feet. His eyes turn dark instead of gentle when he looks at me.

"Whatever, Opal."

A/N

they both stupid!!!! big dummies!!!!!!

i should probably update less frequently but again: I'm impatient

vote n comment if ya feel