Paper Hearts Syndrome

Chapter 3

It was a Wednesday.

Tennis Ball had been avoiding Golf Ball basically like the plague, terrified of her seeing the hearts he produced like nothing.

He sat at his desk, trying to ignore that fact with music that was so loud he was practically deafening himself.

Seeing as how there was a test in two days, he was stuck. He usually ALWAYS studied with GB. Was it too late? 

Right as he made up his mind to just study by himself, his phone vibrates in his lap.

gigabyte

gigabyte: open your door right fucking now

terabyte: what

gigabyte: i'm in front of your house right now

gigabyte: i knocked, but you're literally deaf

gigabyte: when are you getting the damn doorbell fixed

gigabyte: hurry up

He puts down his phone and takes off his headphones, practically flying down the stairs, stopping at the front door. He peers out the peephole and sure enough, there she was.

His best friend that he'd been ignoring for so long.

"Hi Golf Ball," he greets her, opening the door.

'DON'T THINK DON'T THINK DON'T THINK DON-'

"Let's go to your room," was her simple response as she climbed up the stairs almost as if it was her own home.

'She's pissed,' TB grimaces, being able to read her like an open book.

He enters his room, closing the door behind him, to find GB already sitting in his chair, already reading the book she had been carrying around lately.

He makes his way to his bed and sits down, trying his hardest not to look at her.

There's a long silence that passes between them and the silence was unbearably uncomfortable, something very rare for the friendship they had.

"Where's Red?" she asks him, looking over at his brother's empty bed.

"He said he was doing some science fair project with a friend. My mom let him sleep over at his place," he responds, almost like it was a test.

She's silent again. He could tell something was on her mind.

'Of course there's something on her mind, you've been ignoring her for days-'

"TB."

He snaps back to reality.

"Do you... have a crush on me?"

He simultaneously reddens and pales. The question, paired with the fact that she faltered, something that confident leader Golf Ball literally never does, catches him off guard as he gapes, searching desperately for words. 

"N- no? No. D- did somebody t- t- tell you something?" he stutters, denying her question, scared. His breathing picks up slightly.

She turns to look at him. His breathing slows down almost as quickly as it sped up.

It's impossible to tell what she might be thinking in this moment.

"TB, can I try something? Just a little experiment."

"S- sure."

"First, close your eyes, okay?"

He cooperates, closing his eyes.