Just a Newsboy

Chapter 17

At that, he lost all control of his suppressed amusement, doubling over and letting his laughter ring throughout the room.

"It's not funny!" I spat, kicking his foot. "I've been feeling sick for an entire week because of you!"

His giggling immediately ceased, and he stood up straight, gazing at me with concern. "You've been feeling sick?"

I nodded. "I haven't been going to bed before three in the morning either."

"Alex!" His dark eyes grew wide with shock. "I thought we talked about that!"

"We did, we did!" I squeezed my eyes shut. "But then I pushed you away."

I felt his hand on my shoulder. "I'm right here, Alex."

"Aiden said something to me today." I continued, looking up at him. "She said that 'everyone needs someone'."

He nodded. "I think I've heard her say that once or twice."

"Yeah, except I don't like needing anyone. I like being by myself. But clearly, I don't do very well by myself."

"Well, you'd make it by yourself, just like anyone else, but—"

"But I'm better off when I'm not, right?" I gazed at him pointedly. "I'm better when I have someone reminding me to eat and sleep and...and..."

He quirked a smile. "And to celebrate your birthday?"

I nodded. "And that, yeah."

"So," he shrugged, "what does that mean for you and me? Will we just go back to the way we were?"

"I don't know." I admitted, shaking my head. "I don't know what to do."

Josh snapped his fingers. "Why don't you make a pros and cons list?"

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, that always helps me."

I raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think it'll help me? We're complete opposites."

He shrugged. "It doesn't hurt to try."

"Alright, fine." I relented. "Knock yourself out."

His eyes skimmed the room until they found a pad of sticky-notes and a pen.

He peeled off two squares of the yellow paper and stuck them to the wall, writing 'Pros' on one and 'Cons' on the other.

"Okie dokie," he held the pen at the ready. "Pro."

"Pro: I'd remember to perform basic human acts of survival."

He laughed and wrote it down. "Con."

"Con," I thought for a moment, "I wouldn't be allowed to be as selfish and conceited as I usually am."

"Fair. Another pro?"

I tapped my foot against the floor a few times. "Pro: I'd get to keep my best friend."

He nodded. "That's a good one. Con?"

"My sister would never let me live it down."

"True. Pro."

"Pro," I shrugged, "I'd get to kiss you more often."

His cheeks colored deeply, and he cleared his throat. "I, um, yes. Con?"

The thoughts were coming more freely. "I'd have to deal with your ridiculously optimistic nature."

"Yes, you would." He stated proudly. "Pro."

"Pro: your ridiculously optimistic nature doesn't bother me as much as it used to."

"Con?"

"Con: you'd be stuck with me."

"I'd be..." he stopped and gave me a puzzled look. "Alex, that's not—"

"We both know I'm a piece of work." I said, shifting my weight from one foot to the other. "I—I think I know what I want. But I want to make sure that you do too."

He tilted his head. "Have I given any indication that I wouldn't want to be stuck with you?"

"No, but that might only be because you're a nice person. I, on the other hand, am not. And I'm not very good at loving people either." I gave an honest shrug. "I don't really think you should be stuck with someone like me."

Josh took a deep breath and rubbed his arm, looking down at me. "Honestly, Cricket, I can't think of anything I want more than that."

"You don't have to say that."

"Well, I'm not gonna lie to you."

I gave him a look. "Are you sure?"

He nodded rapidly. "Absolutely."

"Okay." I exhaled slowly, crossing my arms again and glancing up at the two sticky notes. "Oh, wait."

He followed my gaze. "What?"

I pointed at the list. "There's the same number of pros and cons."

"Oh, I can fix that." He put the pen to the yellow paper, adding one last item to the 'Pros'.

Countering the last item on the 'Cons' list, which read, 'Josh would be stuck with Alex', he'd written, 'Josh likes Alex just the way she is'.

"How's that?" He asked.

I rolled my eyes in amusement. "Problem solved."

"Good." He bit his lip, staring down at me and rocking back and forth on his heels.

Raising an eyebrow at him, I asked, "What's wrong with you?"

"Huh?"

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

He shrugged innocently. "Just something I thought of."

I took a step closer to him, recognizing his words. "What is it?"

"Something that I want to do, but I don't know if you'll like it or not."

"Knowing you, waterboy," a smile tugged at the corners of my mouth, "how bad could it really be?"

He grinned, hooking his arm around my waist and pulling me even closer. "Are you sure?"

My smile deepened, and I lifted my hands to his face, letting my fingertips slip through his hair. "Positive."

Without further hesitation, he leaned in and closed the remaining distance between my mouth and his.