Chapter 10
"You have a lot of explaining to do."
It's Monday. Lunch time. My friends have just taken their regular seats, frowns set on their faces. It's a cringe worthy moment, knowing I'm going to be yelled at for not answering any texts Saturday or Sunday.
Saturday was the fun day spent with Luke and Kyle. Clearly I didn't have time to text that day. Sunday was the only day I had to spend quality time with Frankie, so of course I didn't have my phone with me. We played board games and watched movies the whole day, similar to how I spent my Saturday now that I'm realizing it.
"I don't see what I need to explain," I mumble and eat some of my turkey sandwich.
They look at each other, their jaws hanging open. Braden shuts his eyes as Emerson slams her head against the table - quite dramatic if you ask me.
"I'll start off by asking," Braden pauses dramatically, "where the hell did you go on Friday after the police showed up?"
I sip my water in order to give me some time to think of an answer. "Uh, I just ran off."
"You just ran off?" Emerson asks and I nod as an answer. "On your own?"
"Mhm," I respond. If I told them I went with Kyle, many questions would be asked afterwards. I kind of want this interrogation to be over with.
"Funny, someone said they saw you running off with Clark Jordan," she informs.
"Oh yeah," I say with a tight smile, scared of the reaction my friends will give.
Braden drops his pizza slice and stares at me with wide eyes. "Holy shit."
"It really didn't mean anything. We both had some drinks and we were talking when the police showed up, so he kind of told me to follow him," I say and hope they'll accept it and move on.
They don't.
"No wonder he was staring at you the entire chem class!" Braden nearly screams. "Legit, I've never seen a boy stare at a girl's hair that long."
I blush automatically, not having any self-control. He was staring at me. It gets heart beating faster and faster the more I imagine it.
Could this mean he likes me?
I mean, Luke did say that he doesn't even open up to him. He opened up to me Friday night. And he did tell me about his sister in the car on Saturday, which was at least something.
I don't know whether or not I like him, however. He was a big fat dick to me the first day I met him. Then the next day he wasn't exactly the most cheerful person I've ever met. But I do know that he's hiding behind that rude personality of his. I've seen what I presume to be the real Kyle Blackburn.
I see it every time he laughs or jokes around. I can tell that that's who Kyle Blackburn is. I see it when he tells me something about his past, the way he becomes serious and fragile.
Times like those make my heart clench in a way that a school girls does when her crush walks by.
So am I crushing on Kyle?
"Cass, he's literally looking at you right now," Emerson whispers as though saying a secret.
I turn look, but Braden frantically grabs both of my hands to stop me.
"Don't just look! He can't know we're talking about him. Now, tell us what you two talked about after you chased after him during six degrees of Kevin Bacon."
"Um," I hesitate and try to remember something to tell them, "my dream to reenact Mamma Mia."
"That's all?" Emerson asks, an unsatisfied look on her face.
"Oh! And what to call that swinging bench thing that was in the front of Aaron's house," I say with a smile at the memory.
Braden snorts, "how flirtatious."
I roll my eyes and eat more of my sandwich as my friends watch me. "Okay, what did you guys expect?"
"Sex!" Braden yells a little bit too loud, causing heads to snap in our direction. He mouths 'oopsie' and waves to a few onlookers.
When I look around, I notice Kyle staring at us along with half of the outside lunchroom population. He's sitting with Aaron and a few other of those cool kids but not engaged in their conversation. He winks when we finally meet in eye contact, a smirk plastered on his face.
"Earth to Cassie," Emerson says as she waves her hand in front of my face.
I look away from Kyle and back to my friends. "Sorry."
"So, did Mr. Jordan drive you home after the party?" Emerson asks with a suggestive eyebrow lift.
I nod. "And that's all that happened. Clark's just a friend, promise."
"Cass, you can't be just friends with someone as hot as him!" Emerson cries and Braden hums in agreement.
"Honestly. That boy is muy caliente," Braden muses and fans himself with his hand. "You should've tapped his ass."
"Tapped who's ass?"
Braden covers his mouth with his hand, his eyes widening in somewhat of horror. Emerson makes a squealing noise of uncomfortableness, which only makes Kyle laugh.
"Hey," I greet, focusing my eyes on my two friends. Their reactions are kind of great, even though I'm just as mortified.
"I've been thinking," Kyle muses as if my friends aren't right across from us- and boy are they looking like owls right now.
"No way," I mutter unenthusiastically.
"I don't need your sass, Cassidy," Kyle shoots back.
I smile a little and finally turn to face him. "Okay, sorry, it's Monday."
"Acceptable," he sighs. I notice how unaware of my friends he is, as if they aren't even here at all. "So, I was trying to decide what movie we should watch and there are just so many movies in this world to choose from and like how do you even decipher which genre?"
He's looking super adorable during this rant, waving his hands around as he speaks. His eyes never leave mine, a flattering thing I guess. Whether meaning to or not, Kyle has me gushing..or possibly crushing.
"And I need your help," he finished after his talk about genres. "Supernatural or Rom-Com?"
I pause to think about it before deciding, "supernatural."
A grin breaks out on Kyle's face as he claps his hands together. "First order of business: The Fantastic Four."
"Can't even wait," I say, smiling right along side of him.
He gets up from the table and nods at my friends. "Bye, Braden and..Emerson?" She nods to affirm his guess. "Bye, Braden and Emerson."
"Later, CJ," Braden sings as Emerson ogles at Kyle.
He starts to walk away from the table, turning around when I call after him.
"I don't get a goodbye?" I ask in a fake hurt voice, holding a hand to my heart.
"You don't get shit," Kyle jokes as he walks backwards. He mouths 'goodbye' with a little wave after almost reaching his table.
I spin back around to face my friends once again, a stupid smile on my face due to Kyle's cuteness. This is getting out of hand.
"So." Pause. "Freaking." Pause. "Cute!" Braden squeals and claps his hands together giddily.
"Damn, Cass, I'm jealous over here," Emerson laughs. "You sure you just talked about Mamma Mia and a swinging bench?"
"And we hung out on Saturday," I mumble quickly, taking a ginormous bite of my turkey sandwich and chewing nervously.
Braden throws his hands up in the air and brings them back down on the table with a loud thud. "Why didn't you tell us this? You hung out with the Clark Jordan, only the hottest new kid ever to step foot in this school! Ever!"
"I don't know, I think that the transfer team captain of the 1992 basketball team was pretty hot," I say with a mouthful of sandwich- attractive, I know.
"She has a point," Emerson agrees slowly, wary of Braden's explosive personality. Braden stares at her with his jaw hanging down until she goes, "what? He has nice legs."
"He's like forty now!" Braden cries.
"I know, but you said that Clark's the hottest new kid ever to-"
"Shut up, Em!" Braden huffs dramatically. "The point is that Cassie didn't feel like it was necessary to tell us about her relations with the guy every girl wants to ferociously make out with, including me."
"I'm sorry!" I exasperate and stand up with my lunch tray. "I've only known him for a few days, and he's just a friend. Maybe I like him, I don't know yet. I'm just confused."
And with that being said, I walk over to the trashcan and throw out the wrappers and such from my lunch. I return the tray and head out of the courtyard area and into the school.
"Why'd you leave lunch early?" Kyle asks, now walking next to me as we ascend the stairwell to our lockers.
"There's only like five minutes left," I point out.
"So why leave early?"
I sigh as we walk down the empty hallway, glancing at Kyle before walking over to my locker. "Why are you so interested?"
"I don't know," he says and leans against the lockers next to mine. "Just wanted to make sure you were okay."
Cue my heart leaping in my chest.
"That was sweet," I muse and look at him once my locker is open. "Do you actually care about me, Kyle?"
He shrugs with a straight face, sighing dramatically. "Can't a guy check up on a girl without her assuming he cares? I obviously just wanted to slam you against this locker and ferociously make out with you."
I open my mouth to speak, but he continues.
"You know, kind of like how every girl in the school feels with me, including Braden."
"You were listening to our conversation?" I gasp, feeling somewhat violated for some reason. I don't know though, maybe that's just the embarrassment.
"Technically no. Braden just talks really, really loud," he says and then laughs afterwards.
I nod my head in agreement. "He needs to learn how to whisper."
"Sex!" Kyle whisper-screams, mimicking Braden.
We both start laughing at this, blissfully smiling at one another. I don't know what it is about laughing with Kyle, but it always gets my heart beating faster. It makes me want to know every little detail about this kid, even though I know it'll be time consuming since he shares little by little. It'll be worth it.
His smile suddenly fades as he remembers something in his head. "I think that Willow is suspicious of me."
"What do you mean?" I ask, swapping a book from my backpack into my locker for a book from my locker into my backpack.
"She keeps staring at me and mentioning how much I look like Kyle Blackburn," he informs and scratches the back of his neck. "And then she gives me this look of knowing."
"Dammit," I mutter and close my locker shut. "You have to do some serious reconstruction."
"Please tell me you're not talking about my face," he pleads.
I smile, reassuringly putting a hand on his shoulder. "Your face is going to be just fine."
He let's out a sigh of relief, fixing his wig once again. "So, what do I have to do?"
"Well, I guess you could start wearing your glasses since that'll help just a little," I say, not mentioning the part where I think he looks sexy in them.
"That all?"
"Um," I pause, "you could also be less...uh...cool."
"Less cool?" he asks, raising an eyebrow.
I sigh, "you know what I mean! If you give off this celebrity attitude, then they'll think you're a celebrity. Be less of a badass. Be awkward. Dress dweeby."
"So can I borrow some styling tips from you then?" A smirk is present on his face, proving that he's just teasing me.
"Aha," I fake laugh, "shut up."
"Feisty little thing, you are," he teases.
I roll my eyes and lean against my locker. My eyes trail down Kyle's body quickly before meeting his eyes once again- sorry, couldn't control myself.
"Oh!" I speak once another idea comes to me. "You should like try to ask her on a date- remember to be awkward -and if she says yes then you go on this date and be the complete opposite of yourself..or what the magazines say."
"I don't know," he says warily. "I could easily mess up under the pressure." He pauses before adding, "and I don't appreciate the 'if she says yes' thing, Cassidy."
I laugh slightly, turning so my back is hitting the lockers not just the side. My head faces forward as I stare at the lockers set across from mine.
"Have the date at the diner," I suggest and crane my neck to see Kyle's reaction. "That way I'll be right there if you need help or something."
He seems to like this idea, judging by the smile plastered on his face. Without saying anything else, he walks across the hallway to his locker. I don't know whether he wanted me to follow him or not, but luckily he waves me over.
"C'mon, I need your help!" he whines like a little boy, though it's still very cute.
I oblige and walk over to his locker, stopping just a few inches away from him. It's almost too close, just because I'm scared he might hear the pounding of my heart.
"Still don't know how to open your locker?" I ask in laughter and start to twist the lock. It's weird that I was able to memorize his locker combination, but I don't think he even realizes that, which saves me from the embarrassment.
He shakes his head and starts swapping books out of his backpack. "I've been trying..it's just so confusing. Honestly don't understand why we have locks. Who would want to steal my books?"
"Some people put valuable things in their lockers," I inform with a shrug.
"What's valuable in your locker?" he asks out of curiousness.
"Just some photos of my family, which I guess are valuable. And of course I don't want anyone stealing my chemistry book," I joke, nudging him lightly.
He laughs, a beautiful sound emitting from his lips. His eyes scan over my face for a brief second before turning back to look at his own locker.
"I'm surprised you don't have a photo of Logan Lerman in your locker," he teases. "Oh so valuable."
"I'm surprised you don't have a girl in a itsy-bitsy-teenie-weenie-yellow-polka-dot bikini," I say.
He pouts like a little child, doing his best not to break into a smile. "What a sexist accusation to make, Cassidy Nelson."
I snort -once again- and Kyle just smiles at me, clearly wanting to tease me about it. He doesn't get to, however, because I say something as the bell rings.
"Just put a picture of me in your locker," I suggest as a joke.
More people start I flood the hallway, stopping at their lockers to get their own books. Kyle looks around and some of them before turning back to face me.
"But you're already on the outside," he reminds, shutting his locker and pointing to the drawing of the pig.
I scoff, shaking my head as he walks away. It's amazing how he manages to avoid bumping into anyone, yet he's walking backwards and waving to me. I wave back and start walking the other way with a stupid smile on my face.
Damn, I like this boy.
~~
AN:
SoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
let me explain.. Kyle's not bipolar. The reason he was so mean to Cassie in the beginning was because he was pissed at Luke for making him go back to high school. Just thought I'd clear that up.
Though he is very shy and sensitive... spoiler?¿ SHUSH
thank you to everyone still reading:)
rewatched Lol just for Douglas Booth...I mean...*fans myself*
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