Challenge | Adam Banks

NINETEEN

"But like, I don't know. Do you think I only like him because he's cute?" Mabel asked, her countenance suddenly crestfallen.

Connie snorted, "No, Mabes, I think you like him because he plays baseball." Luis and Kenny both laughed at that, causing Mabel to redden even further. Delanie just shook her head and gave an exaggerated sigh.

The rest of lunch was spent teasing Mabel and getting to know Luis and Kenny better. Delanie dared occasional glances at the pair of upperclassmen next to her, their obvious budding romance warming her heart. Two weeks ago, she would've thrown a fit to hear about Jett trying to get with one of her friends. But after everything they had gone through, she knew that Rosa and her big brother made a great pair.

She just wasn't sure who she'd be more angry at if they ever broke up.

--

Delanie almost dropped her books when she spotted Adam waiting for her after her last period. After her initial start, she furrowed her brows. "What's up?" she asked hesitantly, suddenly very nervous and very concerned.

Adam matched her gaze with his own equal confusion. After a moment, he shook his head, seemingly trying to clear his thoughts. "Why do you always react like that? Can't I just want to see you?" he asked, a sweet smile falling onto his lips.

Delanie's cheeks reddened as she tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, suddenly very bashful. His comment gave her butterflies. "I mean, I guess," she eventually forced herself to mutter, her insides turning to mush when she heard him chuckle. She sighed to herself as they began walking through the halls together. "I'm sorry," she apologized after a few moments, "it's been a weird day."

"How so?" he asked, clearly intrigued. As they walked, he made very meticulous and deliberate movements that caused his arm and fingertips to brush against hers. He would've died before he'd actually admit it, but it was the little, special things about her that got him the most excited. The stolen contact, the shy smiles, the witty comments. That's what he liked so much. That's what he was falling for.

Delanie let out a pained sigh as she launched into the details of her day. She began with her uncomfortable first period experience, as she had spent the entire class dodging anything and everything Chris tried to send her way. Then there was lunch, which was just strange for all sorts of reasons, the main one being Rosa and Jett. And to top it all off, she was lonesome in chemistry, considering her favorite curly-haired brunette had decided to apparently drop out of school.

Adam just listened to her talk for the entire duration of their walk. There were several occasions where she caught herself, asking him if he was tired of listening to her or if she was being inconsiderate. He always insisted that she wasn't, and urged her to go on. He could tell that there was a lot going on in that pretty head of hers, and he was under the impression that she didn't get things off of her chest very often. He was more than happy to lend an ear.

Before either of them knew it, they were standing in front of Delanie's dorm. The last little bit of their stroll happened to be accompanied by a comfortable silence that neither of them minded. It seemed to be enough that they had each other's company. After such a long weekend, it was calming to just breathe.

When Adam really took note of where they were, he scratched the back of his neck. He thought of the last time he was standing there, his mind troubled. He was anxiously trying to decipher where he went wrong, what he had done to make her skittish. But then she wrapped her arms around him, and every single thought he had was gone. And now here he was once more, nerves building in his stomach. He let out a breath, "Well, I guess this is your stop, huh?"

A sudden panic filled Delanie's mind as she remembered her conversation with Julie. Though she knew that it wasn't really a "now or never" situation, she still planned on using her roommate's threat as a kick in the rear. She let him walk away once without quite expressing how she felt, she wasn't ready to do it again. She scrambled for an excuse to make him stay, "Wait a second. I did so much talking, you didn't get a chance to tell me about your day."