Quick recap.
MJ does not like Devonte. But typically, Devonte is liked by everyone else. It comes to Malorie's bad luck that they have to work together for a school task. They almost get along however a turn of events means MJ dislikes him even more. He does apologise but nothing is solved and they end up not speaking to each other at all.
And now to chapter 8
Enjoy.
***
It all started when I received a text message from an unknown number. I was at piano practice. My teacher, Jaquez, had set me some finger placement exercises to do, when I felt my phone vibrate in my back pocket. After looking to make sure my teacher was still distracted by some papers on the desk, I proceeding to open the text that had appeared.
"Can I see you?"
I stared at the screen blankly. I'd only had this phone for a week and the only person I knew had my number was Hazel. But I saved hers so the text definitely was not from her. I slowly put my phone onto the top of mum's varnished piano when I noticed Jaquez eyeing me.
"Back to work lil bitch." He muttered. Shocking I know, but Jaquez didn't really give two shits. He was a French instructor that mum was really close friends with. Not to mention he was extremely good looking. I just wish he'd stop calling me 'lil bitch', you know?
I playfully frowned and got back to Mozart.
By the time Jaquez had left, which was around 3, the Saturday had gotten warmer and mum had left from grocery shopping so consequently, I was home alone.
I had just finished washing my mane and I was leaving it to air-dry, when I heard the doorbell ring. My room was pretty high up in the house so the sound was only faint. I looked out the window to find the usual boys across my street on bikes. But the roofed porch attached to the front of my house meant I couldn't see who was at the door.
Then I remembered Nathan was meant to come over today to collect his portfolio anyway so I shoved my phone into the back pocket of my jean shorts and ran down the stairs.
I swung the doors open and walked back inside without even thinking.
"It's on the living room desk I think, well most of it any_"
"Why didn't you reply?"
I snapped my head up and almost lost my balance. He was dressed in a pair of jeans and a loose black and white Nike shirt. And the golden tone of his skin and curly hair that he had faded on top of his head made me certain that it was not in fact Nathan.
"Robbie?
He looked so good right now, and here I was, looking homeless. My hair was drenched and dripping on my bare shoulders, and my tank top was soaked so it was practically see-through. Perfect day for me to be wearing a bright pink bra too.
"I mean, I know you're pissed at me or whatever but you could've just said no?"
I wanted to speak to him and apologise for freaking out last week because he hadn't spoken to me or acknowledged me in school since then. And I'd been practicing what I was going to say to him when I got the chance but right now, my words wouldn't even form in my head.
He stood and stared at me through his squinted eyes and rubbed his hands over his face. I was standing in a pool of water now and I kept having to wipe the drips from my temples.
"Reply to what?" I finally said.
His eyes widened, almost as if he was surprised to hear my voice.
"My text, I felt like such a dickhead from last week honestly, and..."
He was mumbling and I could hardly make out his words. It was so weird seeing him like this as usually he's always shouting with his friends. I don't know what gave me the confidence to do so but I invited him inside. Some of his friends looked into my house from across the road as I slowly shut the door.
He looked around for a few seconds then leant on one of the walls with his eye fixated on my bare legs. I had thrown on Nathan's hoody what was hanging on the banister so I wasn't so distracting.
"I...I didn't know you had my number."
"I didn't know you didn't save mine." He let out an intentional cough.
I flushed. Vanessa had given me Robbie's number a couple of days ago. I didn't ask why, but now I think I should have.
"You wanted to see me."
He scratched the back of his head. Not that I'd been staring him out or anything but I'd realised him doing this in class a lot, especially when he's put on the spot or when the girls in my form class would shamelessly flirt with him.
"Yehh..." he looked away from my legs and at my face. "Yes, Yes I did."
I flushed even more at him saying this. I lowered my head and let my curls fall in my eyes.
"Why?"
"Because." He smirked.
I smirked back. "Because?"
He nodded. I laughed lightly.
"What the hell is that even supposed to mean?"
He put his hands inside his back pockets and shrugged. "I don't know..."
If he wasn't quirking the corners of his lips and fidgeting with the marbles on the coffee table, I would have thought this moment was awkward. And even though he was pretty far from me, I still liked the fact that he was here, at least, and the tension was slowly breaking.
"Well," I looked down at my ankle socks and tucked my hair away from my face. "If you don't know why you're here then..."
"NO." he put his arms out to me then dropped them again. "I mean, Like, I do know, but it's just.."
He laughed awkwardly.
"It's just what?!" I giggled, as if I knew what he was trying to say. Well I think I had an idea anyway.
"Fucking hell man." He cursed, seeming frustrated. "Why you making me act like such a pussy?"
I laughed. He looked at me sleazily through his dark lashes. I noticed him run his tongue across his bottom lip before smiling.
"I think you're really really hot too."
I stopped mid laughter and almost died coughing. After my fit, my lips parted and I looked back at him with an awe stricken expression.
I must have heard him wrong, I must have.
But he looked to the side and not at me, so I couldn't read the seriousness of his face to tell whether or not he was joking.
"And I feel like an idiot for how I acted last Friday." He looked up and took a few swift steps towards me.
My hair was no longer dripping wet but I could still feel the light dampness of my top. I looked everywhere but at him. The feeling of having him this close to me was driving my senses insane.
"It's okay."
He took a sigh of relief and I smiled, as hard as it was to breathe consecutively, I succeed at not dying from a heart attack or something. If kisses and hugs had a smell, that's what Robbie smelled like. Honestly, my insides were melting.
"So, we can be friends, right?"
I nodded slowly, almost unsure of what he meant by 'friends'.
"Yeh, friends."
He grinned and I returned the smile. But what really surprised me was when he stepped much closer and wrapped his arms around my body. I was still at first, but after a few seconds of hyperventilating, I gained enough strength to put my hands around his neck and hug him back. Good thing I'd just washed my hair so it smelled nice at least.
"I'm really wet." I blurted.
It was only when he let out an awkward chuckle before I internally slapped myself.
Just then a hoard of laughter was heard at my front door.
"Rahh!"
Oh God. I practically pushed Robbie away from me. So apparently I didn't shut the front door properly and Robbie's friends were lingering far too close to my house.
"Neeky girl aint so neeky after all." They laughed.
"No! I meant like, my top, it's a bit hard to..."
I couldn't even bare to look at them as they watched from my front porch.
Robbie walked over and shut the door in his friends face, their laughter was much fainter but I could still here them mocking.
Even Robbie couldn't help himself. His shoulders bopped up and down as he chuckled. I stood in the middle of the doorway to our living room, awkwardly.
"Please tell your friends to stop putting their tongue on the windows." I tried to supress my embarrassment. "My mother wont be too pleased so see marks on them"
He stepped closer once more and pulled his middle finger at the boys who were still in my porch.
"Their just being stupid, don't worry."
His friends left my porch after a while. He slowly pulled me closer and I flushed at the feeling of my chest on his.
"I don't want you to feel nervous around me." He smiled, exposing his perfect set of dimples.
Was this boy a vampire or some supernatural type shit cos I swear he just read my mind?
"Okay." I mumbled into his neck. "I mean, I'll try."
"And promise me you'll save my number?"
I giggled. "Yeh, sure."
We pulled from away from the hug. Well I did anyway because I heard Nathan's car park outside and wasn't really ready to get questioned about why I was attached to a boy, dressed in his jacket and shorts.
He smirked at me and backed away towards the front door. I prayed that Nathan wouldn't get out of the car before he'd gotten out the front door. And thank God he didn't.
"See you, MJ."
I couldn't help but smile back at him. I waited for the door to close before immediately whipping out my phone and dialling Hazel's number.
It rang a few times before she picked up.
"Hey hot stuff."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
She laughed on the other end of the phone. "So I'm guessing he called you then?"
I shook my head as though she could see me. "No, even worse, he just turned up at my door with his whole flipping pose?"
"No way." She laughed again.
"Yeh, and I'm guessing you gave him my number?"
Just then Nathan come through the front door.
"MJ!" he called before lifting his head to realise I was right infront of him. He sent a forced smile and dropped his keys on the coffee table.
"Wait, who's that?"
"Don't worry about it hazel, it's just _"
"Ey Mally why the fuck did some light skinned yute just come out the house bare grinning teeth?"
Shit.
"I'll text you hazel, bye!" I cut the line and fiddled with the phone in my hand.
"What are you talking about?" I walked into the kitchen hoping he wouldn't follow, but he did.
"Don't try and play dumb with me, I've seen that batty boy around ends before with that head chick."
"Esme?" My face fell.
"The red head one."
I tried to hide my disappointment by stuffing an apple in my mouth but there was no escaping Nathans questions.
"Why was he here anyway?"
"He wanted to know if we had homework for Sociology."
He rolled his eyes at my terrible lie. "So he's gassed over homework?"
I shrugged, hopping he'd drop the topic. He started to round up the sheets on the desk that were meant to go in his portfolio.
"You know if you're doing a thing with him, all you have to do is_"
"No! No way, I swear." I tried to sound as convincing as possible.
He let out a sigh of relief. "Good, cos I don't wonna see you near no boy till you're 28 and out of Uni with a good man job.
I laughed.
"I liked the other yute better anyway."
"Other yute?"
"Yeh, the David or Damian kid, you know the one I met in front of your school that looked mad shook of me."
"Dev..."
"Devonte! Thats it! He seems nice." He nodded. My throat became sore and suddenly I felt uncomfortable speaking to Nathan.
"Yeh, seems nice."