It was now 3pm, West was still downstairs. I seriously don't know why.
I mean it's not like I really care, since he hasn't bothered me much nor has he broken anything, yet.
It was raining outside like there was no tomorrow, I was upstairs in my room. I had come up here after a few minutes of being down there with West.
I knew I couldn't stay there, one of us was going to end up without an arm or leg. Plus he was being sort of annoying, he kept calling me names. His phone's volume was on a blast so when I asked him to turn it down since I was getting a headache, he just turned it up even more.
Asshole.
I had been in my room since then, I was re-watching Stranger Things for like the 100th time. I had gotten no calls or messages from Mum or Dad, Aiden texted me saying he would try to be back by night.
West was acting like an asshole like he usually does, though he looked tired. His eye's were almost bloodshot red, he looked distraught. Again, I don't really know why I observed everything about him. I seriously need to stop, but it's become a habit now, not just with him but almost anyone that's near me.
Our families were close, we talked to each other almost everyday, (by that I mean our parents, and siblings, we rarely ever did).
I haven't had any sort of contact from Linda since the dinner, neither had Aiden had any touch in's from Alex. It's strange really, something has to be going on, mum and dad are acting weird and so are the West's.
I really shouldn't be worrying about this though, it's not directly affecting or impacting me in any way. But I can't help it either. I'm always worrying about other people even when I don't need to. It's an awful thing to do when I have my own problems to worry about.
I do to much worrying.
I was starting to get hungry, I hadn't eaten anything since breakfast. I really didn't want to go downstairs because I would have to face West, but I also didn't want to starve up here. Maybe I should leave a note saying that if I die it's his fault, both ways, if I go downstairs or stay up here.
I decided I'll just hurry up and grab something to eat before I starve or get another headache. Which reminds me I still haven't found my medication.
I wrap my blanket around me, because walking downstairs while it's cold didn't sound like a good idea.
I slowly make my way down the stairs.
He was slouching on the couch, he had his Airpods in, and phone turned off. His eye's were closed as well.
And oh my, his shirt had rode up and I could see where his waist band was, and a slight hint of his abs. It took all my willpower to not look him up and down. Then I realised I was looking at the one and only West.
I scolded myself in my head for having these thoughts about him. But come on, he was good-looking, literally every straight girls dream. It was his personality what ruined it.
I stood there having one more glance at him, he furrowed his eyebrows, and shuffled slightly.
"What have I said about eye-fucking Mads?" West spoke, in a groggy morning voice, his eye's still closed.
I cleared my throat in panic, how the fuck does he know I was looking at him ?
"I was not." I say suspiciously quick in my defence , crossing my arms.
Lies.
"Really? If you weren't then why are you getting so defensive all of the sudden." He says back in a husky voice. I could hear the underlying vibration in his throat.
It was hot.
SHUT UP STUPID BRAIN.
I sigh loudly, he opens his eye's. We have another one of those staring contests while I walk into the kitchen.
His eye's were barely open, he was a mess, but still somehow managed to look good.
I decide on making a chicken wrap. I really didn't want to do all the work of making a full meal for lunch, but I also didn't want to just eat some snack.
There was chicken in the fridge that I just had to throw in the oven grill for 20 minutes, and the rest of the wrap would be simple.
I questioned myself if I should ask West if he want's to eat one, but again it wouldn't be worth my time, plus he has no right to eat my food. And I'm definitely not making him one by choice, that would be too nice.
We didn't stop looking at each other. He was slouching back, and for some reason had a ghostly smirk on his face.
I was minding my own business, but constantly looking up to see if he was staring at me, which he didn't stop doing at any point, if anything it just got more intense.
I was trying to put on some chilli sauce onto the wrap, but it just wouldn't come out. I tried a few more times until it splattered all over my clothes and white blanket.
I jumped back in surprise, I had a scowl on my face as I tried to wipe away the sauce on my clothes.
The asshole sitting in front of me burst into laughter.
West clutched onto his stomach because of how hard he was laughing. Throwing his head back, still wheezing. I gave him a death stare until he decide to stop. He finally looked up, he had sobered up, but still looked like he wanted to keep laughing.
This was giving me horrid flashbacks, this was how he laughed when he threw a basketball at my nose in 3rd grade because I missed one shot.
This was what he did when he put frogs in my barbie dreamhouse. He laughed for ages while the frogs jumped around, fucking up my perfect toy.
He was the bitch who threw worms at me on my 10th birthday, I still remember every horrible part of it. All of us kids had been playing in the backyard, just moments before we cut the cake, this asshole threw like 10 worms at my face.
He was laughing to the point where he couldn't breath. I was about to cry, as I yanked the worms away. It was a horrible birthday.
Every year, still to this day he threatens to throw worms at me again. Now I'm paranoid, every birthday I have.
It was awful, every time he did shit like this.
He was awful.
And now that we are older, it's a lot more then those harmless pranks.
I can't wait to leave next year, so I'll be away from him. Finally.
The bitch was still laughing, as I wiped away the sauce that was on my blanket with a wet tissue. Could this day get any worse?
I glared at him with one eyebrow raised.
"Okay, okay, I'll shut up" West said, before he started laughing again.
"Fuck you seriously" I curse bitterly.
He had seemed to stop laughing but still had a hint of a smile on his face.
I just continued making my wrap, ignoring him. That was until, his phone rang.
I looked up, to see him stare at his phone with a face full of disgust. He sighed before picking it up. He glanced at me, before getting up and walking out the front door to take the call.
I was very annoyed at this point, I wanted to sleep. That's all I wanted to do, but I couldn't because West was in my house and I don't trust him.
By that I mean, I don't want to wake up with worms on my face, or frogs on my bed. So I decided against sleeping.
I finished making the wrap when West walked back in.
I swear I thought I was tripping when I saw his face.
His fists were clutched, so hard they were pale white. His eyebrows were furrowed, not even flinching. He didn't blink at all. Just slowly walked in.
He looked mad, like very angry. I don't think I've ever seen him that angry before. It honestly looked like there was steam coming out of his ears. I was scared to even move. Thinking he would snap at me.
I just stood there awkwardly as he took a seat again, on the couch.
I wonder what was making him angry like this. He had been acting very weird the past few days.
At the dinner, at school. Yesterday he looked awful, when he walked in. Something is wrong, and I can't quite put my finger on it.
I don't want to ask him though, that would not be something I'd ever do. Not like he would tell me anyway.
He looked up at me, I avoided all eye contact with him. I seriously didn't want to get caught up in another one of his tantrums about bashing me.
I tried walking, I really tried.
I was holding the plate on my hand with the chicken wrap on it, I desperately wanted to go upstairs, and go back to binge watching Stranger Things. The white blanket was wrapped around me still, that one spot with the sauce stain on it.
I was looking down at my plate with a sort of frown on my face.
I didn't want to be downstairs anymore, I wanted to be away from West.
But I just couldn't bring myself to be away from him.
I don't know why, but I don't want to leave him alone down here, especially after seeing his face after whatever the hell that phone call was.
He was sitting on the couch again, I dared myself to look up, only to find him already staring at me.
His eye's were glistening, it felt like he was looking straight through me.
I swear I am so bad at being cautious of my surroundings, if I was the one looking at him like that, he would have noticed in under a second.
I started looking at random things around the room again, suddenly the sticker on the living room wall, that Aiden put there years ago looked very interesting to stare at.
Déjà vu to when I went to check up on him.
"I see the sticker is looking very interesting." West spoke out of no where, moving his gaze to where I was looking.
I didn't want to say anything so I murmured 'yea'.
He gave me a hint of a fake smile.
Is it weird to say, I've never seen his real smile? Like I've seen him smile but it's never a true smile.
Then something happened in my head, I started thinking about what would happen if gravity wasn't a thing.
Strange. I know it is.
"Mads, you can go upstairs." West said, he said in a way that made it seem like an order.
I mean he wasn't wrong, I could, I just didn't want to.
"I'm fine." I reply foolishly.
"You can go, I promise I won't break anything, plus your food is getting cold." He says, his face now more relaxed.
I breath a laugh at his comment, "It was already cold." I reply looking away.
"Still"
"No, I'm fine."
"God you are so fucking stubborn." He says it a harsher tone, which makes me flinch, just slightly.
He notices my flinch and tenses up.
Okay now I'm definitely not going upstairs.
I carry my stubborn ass to the living room, sitting across West.
Since he wasn't watching anything on the TV I grab the remote and start looking for something to watch. I scroll for at least 5 minutes. I don't care how cold my food gets. I'm not eating until I have something to watch while I eat.
I was still scrolling, as I moved my gaze over to West. To my surprise, he wasn't already staring at me.
He was rapidly texting away on his phone.
God, how much time does he spend on his phone. Him and his phone are a perfect couple honestly.
He probably spends more time on that thing, than with his girlfriend. Which he doesn't have one, in case you've forgotten that Kaleb West doesn't do relationships.
He stands up abruptly, and starts walking over to the stairs.
I follow his move carefully. For a split second I was worried I had triggered something in him, and now he was making his way across my house to break something.
But thankfully no, he started walking up the stairs. I was confused as fuck.
It's like he was sensing my gaze, when he swung his shoulders back. We kind of just stared at each other for 20 seconds before, of course he ended it with his signature smirk. But this time it was more of a smile.
Suddenly I felt sick, awful to my gut. Then I realised it was because I was starving and I hadn't eaten yet. All because of the great West distracting me.
Just great.
I took a small bite of out the chicken wrap, my mind was drifting somewhere else. Otherwise I would be attacking this food. But I just wasn't in the moment, there were a million other things racing through my head.
Mum and Dad
West, and his shenanigans
The group project
Our friends
And school, which was a headache by itself let alone the drama.
GOD I WAS SUCH AN OVERTHINKER.
I had taken one single bite of my food, I was just sitting there with a somewhat of a frown on my face.
West came jogging down from the stairs, he was on a call with someone, again.
He was holding a little bottle in his hand. God what was he up to now?
West walked back to the living room, and just blankly stared at me.
We have been doing this stare to each other a lot often then I would like. I hate to say it though, but it's not awkward, just staring at each other.
If I make eye contact out of a blank stare with a stranger or anyone else, I would burry my face in dirt.
Yet I could exchange a stare with West for hours and not be embarrassed or creeped out.
Not in a weird way.
"Mads"
"West"
He gave me a reassuring look before walking over to where I was sitting, he was hiding something behind his back.
I narrowed my eye's at him.
"What's wrong?" I ask, out of all honesty, I actually wanted to know for once.
"Put out your hand for me sweetheart." He replied back with a very sarcastic smile.
First I rolled my eye's at his new nickname for me, "Why?" I bite back harshly.
"Feisty I see?" He chuckles.
He gave me a boyish smile before grabbing the plate out of my hand and placing it down on the table. His hand brushed against mine.
I would be lying if I said I didn't freak the fuck out.
I froze on the spot, not even daring to move. I just watched him as he put the plate down and shuffled the things on the couch.
He then put out his hand in front of me, indicating to put my hand in his.
I hesitantly pulled my left hand out of under the blanket, slowly dragging it to where West's hand was.
"I don't bite sweetheart." He said with a blank face.
"Sure you don't" I murmured under my breath.
After some harsh look exchanges I finally put out my hand for West. He took my hand in his, for a spilt second I thought my stomach did a somersault.
His skin was soft. As he pulled my hand further, his fingers brushed up and down my skin, roughly.
He brought his other hand out from behind his back, I didn't look at what he was holding, though deep down I was terrified it would be another frog.
For a minute, everything around just stopped. I narrowed my eye's slightly. His blue, icy ones cut through my green eye's.
I didn't realise that our hands were still holding onto each other. I tried wriggling mine out when he held my hand back down harshly. I stopped moving my wrist and his arm immediately relaxed.
He finally let out a slight groan, before slowly letting go of my hand, but then grabbed onto my wrist.
I snapped out of my thoughts when I saw what he had placed on my hand. He let go of my wrist, and I felt a little something when I lost his touch.
I looked down at my hand, then back up at West who was smiling at me like an idiot. I kept looking back and fourth before abruptly standing up.
"West what the fuck?"
****************
I made a scowl at him.
"What the actual fuck?" I said, before pushing him back. He barely moved, stupid gym. I was so pissed at him right now.
West being the idiot he was, started smiling at my anger.
"I thought you would be looking for this, time I gave it back to you Mads" He said with a soft smile.
I looked down at my hand again, he put down the bottle of medicine I had been looking for all morning.
I was pissed at him, I needed these meds for my headaches, because they got so bad at some points. He was the one that hid them away.
Why?
I knew he didn't like me, but that didn't give him a reason to put away my medication. And it was the fact that the medicine wasn't specially prescribed for me or anything either, it was just a normal medication. It wasn't that strong, and it gave him no reasons to hide it away from me.
I had a horrible headache this morning, and I couldn't find this anywhere because West was hiding it. That also explains what Jake meant when he said that he saw West walk out of my room holding a bottle.
This pissed me off, but if messing up my room was another way to mess with me I actually wanted to punch the fuck out of him.
"What is wrong with you? I needed these this morning." I speak a little louder.
"Mads, please be quiet." He said back lowly.
"Be quiet? How do expect me to calm down when you literally hid away my medication."
"First of all I didn't hide it, I just put it to the side. Please stop yelling, you are proving my point when I named you 'Mads'."
"WEST"
"I HAD MY REASONS." He yelled back.
"WHAT REASON COULD YOU HAVE, YOU HAD TO HID AWAY MY FUCKING MEDICINE."
"I-I... nothing." He says quietly. I looked at him with my head tilted, it's like he wanted to say something else, but decided against it.
"Why?" I say calmed down a little. I looked up at him, he had seemed to relax a little after hearing my calmed voice. "Also why did you mess up my room? Tell me now." I say a little harshly.
He tensed up again, his face rested at a boring expression. It was quiet now, he didn't want to say anything and neither did I.
"Your headaches" he finally spoke, looking down. "You get them often."
I nodded harshly, but a part of me was surprised he even knew this. I never really told anyone about my headaches, because most people assumed it was just a normal headache that goes away after some time. And I really didn't need anyone else's opinion in what should help or not, when I know what actually does help.
"I noticed you were going to get a headache when you came up to the balcony last night. You were tired and worn out because of something you didn't want to talk about, I could see it even though you were trying to get me to ignore it."
My mind immediately flashed back to last night, when he asked me what happened in a not so obvious way.
"What are you doing here?" he questioned. "With your very medusa looking hair..." I rolled my eyes, "And, your eyes... they are... red." He said quietly.
"Umm, I'm tired that's why." I said mumbling .
He gave me a very not convinced look, and eyed me suspiciously . Then just nodded and decided not to press the topic any further. Which I appreciated because I seriously didn't want to explain why I was crying.
"That still doesn't explain this, if you are going to tell me, tell me directly without stating scenarios." I say suspiciously.
"It's why I messed up your room sweetheart." He says with a boyish smile.
"HUH" I say confused as fuck.
"Mads your very dumb for being a smart person." He says rolling his eye's.
"Get to the point." I snap.
"I've noticed this if you haven't already, there is other ways you can get rid of a headache without taking your medication." He says.
"What other way?" I roll my eye's.
"This morning." He winks.
The calming me down, handing me a glass of water. It did really help me, in fact the talk we had in the morning also helped me take my mind off other things that caused stress. Even if West was a stress in himself.
"Don't even deny it. The water helped you, didn't it?" He smirks.
"I- no-... well... it did." I say giving up on excuses.
"See, maybe you should start drinking water more often. Even the doctor said it would help, but your stubborn ass doesn't want to listen." He said dryly.
"How? Why-"
"You forgot didn't you?" He says shaking his head unimpressed.
The doctor had told me to drink a lot of water, which meant I wouldn't have to take my medicine that often. But referring to West's words, my stubborn ass just decided not to. But what confused me was how did West know the doctor told me that?
"Mads you have the memory of a goldfish." He rolled his eye's
"So let me take it back 4 or 5 years." He starts off sitting me down.
"I was staying over at your house for the day and you came back from the doctor with your mum. And I overheard the part where your mum told your dad that you should be drinking more water." He shrugged.
I gaped, I didn't even remember that. And yet West did.
"That was like 5 years ago." I say in my defence.
"I still remember it." He says smoothly with a straight face.
I was shocked, I didn't say anything, which was a surprise because usually I would have a counter-argument ready to argue with.
"I hid them so you wouldn't have to get them often. I sat you down and gave you water because I thought you hadn't had any since morning. I messed up your room looking for them, pretending to search for clothes until I realized they weren't there. I remembered where Tiffany said they were. So, I got them from there to save you the trouble. Making a mess in your room again was to distract you from the headache and get you downstairs to me for answers, where I gave you water." He explained.
I leaned back on the couch.
Woah.
That was the most I've ever heard West talk.
I was shocked, not only at the fact that he had remembered what the doctor said to me like 5 years ago. But also that he set up that whole situation just to distract me.
"I-I well...umm..." I was at loss for words.
West just gave me the most sarcastic smile ever. The corners of his mouth reaching up high. He flashed me his pearl white teeth, narrowing his eye's slightly.
"Thankyouforthat" I say in hurry, looking down, then moving my head up to get a glance at him.
"Huh? What was that I didn't quite hear it." He said back holding his hand to his ear.
"Thank you for that." I say again quietly, I didn't dare to look up and see his face again.
"No worries sweetheart." He winked.
"Don't ever call me that again." I say blushing, I moved my hands up to my face to cover it. But failed miserably.
"Okay Alice."
I scrunched my face and narrowed my eye's. "I'll rather be called anything else by you, but that."
"Whatever, I think I'll stick to Mads." He says shrugging.
"Yea that, thank you Wessie." I say with a small smirk.
He smiled. Like really smiled this time.
And I hate to say it, but it was as beautiful as I imagined it to be.
The captivating smile stretched from ear to ear. His eye's narrowed slightly, he tilted his head just a bit. His smile was truly contagious, because I could feel a warm smile creeping on my face. If I thought he couldn't look more handsome, I was lying to myself. Because with his smile on display he looks like a Greek god. If I was some random girl that saw him on the street, I'm sure I would have jumped on him or something.
But I knew him, and he might be good looking but his personality was awful. He was a arrogant rude ass, only nice to his family and close friends. I didn't fall under any of those category's, but I still got some special treatment, probably because I was a mutual. But I still only got his rude side.
My dumb brain thought this would be a good time to move my eye's over him.
His brown curly hair, looked more wavy. It was sitting perfectly on the top of his head. I slowly moved my eye's down to his upper body. My breath caught itself in my throat, his muscles were on full display, the white shirt he was wearing didn't do much covering.
I could see the waistband of his Calvin Klein boxers. The grey sweatpants he was wearing were slightly dropping. And to make things more worse (maybe better) he was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.
At this point you can't even blame me. Guys in grey sweatpants, a white shirt and leaning against something was every girls weakness.
"Can I press charges against you?" He says in a deep husky voice.
"Huh? What?" I say caught off guard.
"For eye-fucking me." He said in a boring tone, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
I rolled my eye's, I was eye fucking him but I wasn't going to admit to that.
"Just because someone is looking at you doesn't mean it's eye-fucking."
"Sure sweetheart, just stop before I start doing the same to you." He says.
I drop my smile immediately so does he. That led me to roll my eyes at him. He walked around the couch, and sat across from me again.
Once again, the conversation was good while it lasted, our smiles were good while they lasted. Well more so of his smile. We fell into a comfortable silence again. I took some glances at West, he was staring at the TV, watching whatever I had decided to put on.
I didn't feel like doing anything now. The TV sounded boring, especially if I was going to share it with West. I didn't want to eat right now, neither did I want to sleep. I just cuddled myself in the blanket.
Suddenly, West's phone started blowing up with non stop messages. I glanced over to him curiously. He looked very concerned before picking it up and started answering whoever it was.
He texted for a good 10 minutes before putting it back down. He leaned back and relaxed his muscles that were tense.
We both just sat there, it wasn't awkward, but it wasn't the best situation to be in either.
"You know, your not that bad when you aren't being so annoying." West spoke, breaking the silence.
"And you aren't that bad when your not being such a big dick." I snap back.
West gapes trying to act shocked at what I said, "I have a big dick? Well how did you know sweetheart?" He say's trying to play out like he didn't hear what I said.
"Shut up you perv." I say trying to smile.
"Make me."
"STOP, if you are going to do that get out of my house." I yell.
"Well in that case, your lucky because I was just about to leave." He says getting up.
"Oh-well...I- okay." I say trying to come up with a sentence.
"Don't worry, I'll be back pretty soon for the project if not before that." He comments.
I roll my eyes, "Well it was nice having you." I say, note the sarcasm.
Part of me wanted to ask him that he could stay longer if he wanted, but that would be too nice. I also kind of wanted to thank him again, but considering it was West I decided against it.
He walked over to where I was sitting, and leaned over. His hand was going towards the table, but not for one second did he break the eye contact. I then realised he grabbed my chicken wrap.
The chicken wrap I took one bite out of.
He started eating it, then raised it up as he said "Thank you for the food Mads." Before moving towards front door.
He just took my food, that I made. I was hungry, and I wanted that. Now I'll have to make a new one.
I remembered that his old clothes where still upstairs.
"Wessie, your clothes, they are upstairs."
He turned back and gave me a 'are you serious look'.
"Just wash them and put them away in my part of your closet. I might want them when I come back for a sleepover. Or if you really wanted you could wear my hoodie to sleep, I might add, it also smells like me." He smirks.
"Piss off." I say rolling my eye's, then burying my face in the blanket.
"Gladly." He says smirking.
"Also, can you believe we went that long without arguing." He said looking shocked.
I smiled slightly at what he said. It was true, this was almost like an accomplishment for us.
"Okay now get out of my house before you jinx it because you are really pissing me off right now." I say.
"Okay sweetheart, don't miss me too much." He smirks as he opens the door.
"You are still an asshole." I say a little louder.
"You are still a bitch." He say back with a boring expression.
I roll my eye's but then soften my expression with a hint of a smile.
He looks back once more before walking out the front door, smirking as he does.
How much does he smirk? Do his cheeks not get tired?
I got up and started making myself another chicken wrap because West decided to take my other one.
It was very quiet now, I hate to say it but I was kind of enjoying West's company while it lasted. And what he did today was actually nice of him.
But I understood that if we did talk for any longer we were going to snap at each other. So it was better if we just stopped.
It was some sort of progress.
He really was something.
********************************************
Finally got this chapter written!
How are we liking the chemistry between West and Mads? (Yes I call them their nicknames for each other when I refer to them, don't think Mads will be too happy about that lol).
Also, I need a ship name for the couples in the story, especially one for Mads and West.
Last chapter I said I would switch POV's. Unfortunately not this chapter, I thought the new POV would be more effective if it started off on a new chapter.
Who do you think the new POV is?
Hopefully next chapter will be up soon.
Until then, happy reading.
-J 🫶