There was something about kissing and telling that didn't quite sit well with Kate– even if was a mistake kiss and the kiss-er was, not strangely, good at it.
Kate shook her head as she walked. Where were all those thoughts coming from?
So even now, about a week after the mistake kiss at the party and just two days after the almost-kiss at the library, Noelle still wanted to know every detail.
"You just have to tell me" Noelle pushed on. "Is he a really good kisser? Is he a tongue guy? Did he touch?" She scoffed as she looked at Kate. "Of course, he touched you, you're a gorgeous bitch"
Kate frowned and walked ahead towards the cafe. They were both done with their classes early and didn't have any other thing to do, so decided to help Miss Jen before their shift at the bar.
"Kat" Noelle whined and met up with her.
"You practically flared up when I told you about that stuff and now you want details?" She turned to her in disbelief.
"Of course, I'll flare up. I'm your bestest bitch, I'm meant to flare up"
She ignored her and walked into the cafe. If Noelle knew even the slightest bit why Damien wasn't at the Friday party, she wouldn't hear the end of it.
Kate paused once she got inside, making Noelle bump into her.
"Girl, what the..." She trailed off, following Kate's line of sight and...
Oh hell, no.
Sitting at a table and a very happy Miss Jen attending to them were Damien, Dylan, Trey, two girls Kate couldn't recognize, and... Brianna.
Brianna's eyes met hers and a smug look appeared on her face as she leaned on Damien.
She was doing that thing again. Kate could feel her blood boiling. Why exactly Brianna was looking at her that way? She didn't know but she didn't like it.
"I think she needs you to hit her again" Noelle called from beside her.
Kate decided to ignore them and headed to the counter. She was about to put on an apron when someone snatched it from her. She turned to be faced with Miss Jen's not-so-happy face.
"Hi"
"Noelle" Miss Jen called instead. "I thought I told you not to bring Kate here any time she was off work. This girl is a mad workaholic"
Kate gasped dramatically, "No, I'm not"
"She totally is" Noelle agreed. "But we didn't come here to work"
Miss Jen turned to Noelle questionably.
Kate turned to her with the same expression.
As if realizing, Miss Jen smiled. "Oh, I see. You came for your little boyfriend over there" she pointed at the table across.
"Yes"
"No"
Noelle and Kate said at once. Kate sent Noelle a glare.
"I knew you liked him. I just don't understand why you refused his kiss"
"Oh, Miss Jen, funny story, they actually -ouch"
Kate pinched Noelle before she could get another word out.
"You better go get him, Katie" Miss Jen said as she got more orders from the show glass. "That girl keeps trying to shove her balloons in his face"
"Tell me about it" Noelle scoffed, glaring at Brianna.
"We should leave, Elle," Kate said once Miss Jen was gone.
"What, no"
"We have to get ready for our shift anyway"
"Please, Kat" Noelle scoffed. "We have like an hour left"
Kate glanced at the table again. Damien hasn't spared her one glance. It was almost like he was ignoring her. It was one thing for him to magically appear at the cafe, grumpy and annoyed with Dylan. But to bring Brianna as well? Even after what happened between them at the party?—what happened between her and Brianna though, not Damien.
"I say we go to their table" Noelle called.
"And why would we do that?"
"Because Damien hasn't even looked at you after he practically shoved his tongue down your throat"
Kate couldn't help the heat that crept up her neck. Just what the hell?
Before Noelle could force her to go ahead, the little group already left their table and headed towards the counter.
Her eyes met Damien's for a second and he smiled at her just before Brianna said something to him that turned his attention to her.
"Hi Noelle, hey Kate" Dylan greeted with his usual smile.
"Hi Dylan" they greeted back.
"Hey, Kate," Brianna said with the brightest fake smile she could muster. "Did you take your medications today?"
"B" Damien warned.
"Yeah, shut up" Noelle shot at her.
"What? It's just harmless fun. You get that right, Kate?"
Kate ignored her. "I'm heading back, Elle"
Noelle looked like she wanted to stop hee but just nodded and let her walk away.
She had only just come out the door when she felt someone behind her. She ignored him and walked ahead.
"Katherine" he called after her and held her but she shoved him.
"Leave me alone"
"The fuck are you upset about now?"
Leaving him, she walked again.
"Katherine" he seethed this time, making her turn to him.
"Why are you even out here, Damien? Did you just leave your friends because you think I want you? Are you that delusional?"
"You're upset and you're not making any fucking sense"
Wow. She scoffed.
"I'm not making sense"
"Yes, you aren't. I thought we were past this. We mustn't always fight"
"Well you brought her here"
He paused, "Who?"
"Brianna, B," she mimicked him from earlier. "You brought her here."
"Uh," Damien looked confused. "She kinda just followed me but I don't see what's wrong with that"
"Really? After what happened at the party you still don't see anything wrong in her being here?"
He stared at her for what seemed like five seconds and then slowly, that annoying smile was back.
"I thought you were drunk"
"I was drunk" Kate rolled her eyes. "But that doesn't mean I don't remember the things that happened and how they made me feel"
"Made you feel?" He shot his brows up at her in amusement. "Two days ago you were saying how much of a mistake it was. A few seconds ago you said you don't want me. And now you're telling me that night made you feel things?" He took slow strides to her and Kate automatically backed away.
Wait, what was he saying? She wasn't sure they were speaking on the same topic at the moment.
"I..." A parked car stopped her movement.
"You're just going to get more weird, doll. Let's start over." He stretched his hand to her. "Hi, I'm Damien Carter. You can call me Blue or Shades or whatever you deem fit" he said with a cheeky smile.
Kate tilted at him to make sure she wasn't just imagining things. What was with this boy and changing topics like that? This was totally unrelated but she found herself taking his hand in a handshake.
"I'm Kate--"
"You have to use your full name, doll"
"I don't have to do shit" she shot him a glare. "I'm... Katherine Nervoh" she said with an eye roll. "And you should call me Kate"
"Nice to meet you, Katherine" he gave her that teasing smile.
Kate pulled her hand from his and looked away.
"So, Katherine Nervoh,"
Obviously, he was trying to annoy her.
"I'm currently in my third year, business admin and I'm kind of a basketball genius"
Cocky much? Why was he giving so much information?
And business admin? She was almost impressed at that. She gave him a full glance. He looked too buffed up and pretty for a business guy but remembering how long he had stayed at the library, she let the idea slide. He'll probably succeed in it, not like she cared anyway.
Damien nudged her, probably wanting her to share a thing or two about herself.
Big no, buddy.
"I've not tried basketball but I'll probably be good at it considering my height," she said and distanced herself from him.
Damien chuckled as they walked.
"People must have been telling you lies, doll. You're like, the tiniest creature I've ever seen"
Usually, people saying things about her looks and body size would have had Kate feeling dejected and mad but she could only swat her hand at him and let out a fake gasp, making him laugh.
***
Being kind of friends with the most popular guy had its advantages, but Kate hadn't witnessed any. The only thing she got were sneers and hateful glances whenever he was around her. And he was around a whole lot.
But now as they walked into the library, Kate couldn't help but notice that people were staring. And it wasn't the good kind Parker got when girls seemed to notice him for the first time or the kind Noelle got when she wore a dress. Their faces didn't give anything away so she couldn't say exactly if it was a bad stare. It was not a good one though.
She had to rub her eyes a couple of times to make sure it wasn't just her imagining things.
Could they not stare so much?
Then it dawned on her, they were at the library. And the last time she was at the library with Damien... Her eyes rounded in shock as she looked at him. What if these people knew? What if there was a secret camera hidden somewhere and all these people had watched her and Damien that night?
Kate looked around but Rye was nowhere in sight.
"Hey"
She looked up at Damien. He had a slightly confused look as he stared at her.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah," she cleared her throat. "Do you think people are staring at me weirdly?"
Damien took a look around. "At you?"
"At us. Oh God, what if they know?"
"Know what?"
She thought he was trying to tease her but he looked completely oblivious.
"Nothing" She waved him off and walked away.
They were here to pick up a few books so she would just focus on that and ignore the stares.
"Katherine--"
"Hey, Kate!" a familiar voice called out, interrupting Damien.
Kate turned around to meet Rye walking towards her with a stack of books.
"Rye, hi" she swallowed.
She tried not to glance at Damien. If Rye did know about what happened that night, then seeing them here together could be so much trouble.
"I need your help. I know you're not supposed to work today but I..."
She stopped and her eyes slowly drifted to the person behind her.
"Oh"
Kate chewed inside her cheek. It had to be Damien behind her but she hoped by some miracle that it was someone else.
"I didn't notice you brought your boyfriend along" Rye giggled and moved to the desk.
Kate sent Damien a glare before that smile could bloom on his face.
"No, he's- I can--"
"No wonder you took so long when I said you should check on him that night" she interrupted, looking back at Damien again and giving him a nod of greeting.
"You know, personally," Rye leaned in and whispered. "I don't like people defacing my shelves and walls but since he's hot and I didn't think you could do it, I'll let this slide"
Her mouth dropped open as Rye winked at her. Where was the holier-than-thou Rye she knew all these while?
"What was it you need help with?" Kate asked instead. The earlier she changed the topic, the less awkward it would be for them.
"Oh, I kind of have a date tonight and everyone else has an excuse on why they can't take the shift so, could you?"
"Uh, I--"
"I'll pay you extra and your boyfriend can stay too"
"Okay," she nodded.
Extra pay was a wonderful idea.
"Great, just don't leave your CDs behind if you guys use any."
If she thought her mouth dropped at Rye's last comment, then they were sweeping the floors now. She heard Damien snicker as the woman turned their back to them.
Oh, gosh. Oh, gosh. Oh, gosh.
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I'm ending this chapter with a wide smile because I'm completely speechless rn. It's Kate's freaking out for meeee!!
Again, Noelle's attitude>>>
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This is a long chapter so don't forget to tap that star at the bottom of your screen and comment!