JUST PRESS SEND (On Hold)

TWO

CHAPTER TWO
SOMEDAY IN JANUARY

BRANDON HYNES

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"I bet you 100 dollars that he's into you, bro and yesterday just confirmed it!"

I looked up from my notes and at Tobias Wach, who sat in the spot he had always sat at in the library. He was sitting at his table reading a book.

I smiled.

Whenever I looked at him, I smiled. He was so adorable, and I wanted to just hold him in my arms and squeeze him forever. He looked very squeezable.

It could've been because he was so little compared to me. Or maybe it was that adorable baby face he possessed with the little freckles on his nose. Or maybe it was just both. It was definitely both.

"I don't think he's into me." I went back to taking my notes.

Zachary, my knucklehead, best friend, slapped me upside the head. "Listen to me. I'm fucking correct!"

"Ow and I told you to stop smacking me!" I tried to slap him back, but he immediately got up from his seat and dodged my attack.

"Bro, calm down!"

Everyone was looking at us. I didn't mind it though. I liked being the center of attention because quite frankly, I didn't care about what people had to say about me but I did care about what Tobias might've thought about me.

"Could you two please keep it down?" A girl asked.

"Sorry," Zach and I apologized.

I went back to writing stuff down in my notebook to avoid the urge of seeing if Tobias had noticed and to also make Zach feel comfortable enough to sit back next to me.

"You're not slick. I know you're waiting for me to sit down, so you can hit me."

"I promise you; I won't hit you."

He squinted his eyes at me. "Mhm." I watched as he sat down from the corner of my eye. Once he sat down, I turned to him and he flinched.

I couldn't help but laugh. "I told you I wasn't gonna hit you!"

He laughed. "You said that last time and molly whopped me in the head."

"I promise you there will be no molly whopping."

"Okay."

I continued rewriting my notes.

Protozoa: one-celled organisms that are more complex than bacteria. Often found in decayed materials and contaminated water.

Then I looked up at Tobias who was on his phone. I wondered what he was typing or who he was texting. What if he had a boyfriend?

He started smiling at his phone. He had a cute smile. I wanted to be the one to make him smile, though. I wondered if he thought I was cute or if he was fastidious like most gay guys. Was I too dark for him? Was I not built enough for him? If any of those things mattered to him, I didn't want him.

But god, he was so cute.

I dropped my pencil. "Are you sure he's into me?" I was staring at Zach who was typing away on the computer.

He sighed. "Yes."

"But how do you know?"

"How do I know what?" He was still looking at his computer screen.