â CHRISâ
It was Saturday, around three in the afternoon and I was at the mall. A bunch of us were sitting in Chick-Fil-A, getting some food.
It was three weeks into the school year and it felt like ten thousand years. I don't usually get to go out with my friends, so I took up the offer to come to the mall with them today since I work later on Saturdays and with school added to the mix, I definitely won't have much time to do anything anymore.
But the past three weeks have been easy, or as easy as it could get. And with this being my last year of high school, I was looking forward to it.
"Chris?"
I blinked, tuning back into the conversation, "Yeah, what?"
Carlos raised his eyebrows at me, "You going to homecoming?"
I shrugged, "I want to," I replied, reaching for my bottle of water and taking a drink.
"You should ask Ariana," Nate said with a teasing grin. He gets a kick out of teasing me about her for some reason and I don't get why, but I don't really care much.
I shook my head, "If there's one thing she hates, it's school dances," I told them.
Honestly, if I was going to ask someone to go with me, it would be her, simply because in the past couple of weeks we've gotten closer and I really like her. And not in an intimate way, just the fact that she's really fun to be around and she has a great personality. Whenever I'm with her, we're always having a good time. We've hung out a couple of times too but it's always a group thing because I know her mom's strict about her and the thought of her having a boyfriend or dating.
"I think you should still ask her." Julia said. Julia was a dirty blonde with light blue eyes and small features, she wasn't always with our group when we hang out but she's always welcomed.
"Yeah, you guys are cute together," Mariana said with a grin.
I shook my head, over telling them that nothing's going on with me and Ariana. They're so sure that I have feelings for her or something, when it's literally been three weeks since I've known her. Sure, I like her character and her personality and she's... not ugly-far from it actually-but I don't see her that way.
"Isn't she a Junior?" Amanda, brunette with thick curls falling down her shoulders heavily, said. She was looking at me matter-of-factly, "What is she? Like fifteen?" She retorts.
I stared at her for a moment. I did notice that whenever Ariana's name was mentioned, she'd get a bit defensive and say stuff like that and it was working on my nerves. I know she didn't like Ariana but she didn't have to voice her opinion of her. No one really cared what she thought.
"She's sixteen," I replied, keeping eye contact with her, "And it's a dance, it's not like we're getting married."
"And you don't have to be such a bitch to her either." Julia said, turning to Amanda and my lips twitched in a smile.
Amanda turns to her with her eyebrows raised, "What?"
"I said, you should stop being a bitch," She repeats unapologetically, "Because she's a really nice person. She's never done anything to you and you're such an asshole to her. It's irritating."
Amanda looked around the table in shock as if asking everyone if it's true.
"You have been really mean to her, Amanda," Mariana stated.
"And you're all just gonna take her side," Amanda said, looking around the table, "You all just met her and I've been your friends since like, sophomore year-"
"That's not the point," Jules cuts her off, "No one's picking sides. It's the fact that you're always being rude and disregarding her when she hasn't done anything to you. If you don't like her, I get that, but don't treat her like shit for no reason. I'm just being honest because I know that if I was in her shoes I wouldn't want anyone being a bitch to me when I haven't done anything to them," she explained, all the while, circling the straw in her drink.
Amanda sat with her mouth hanging open for a moment before she scoffed, got her purse and stood from the table, "Well obviously I'm not welcomed here anymore." She stepped around her chair and made her exit.
Julia rolled her eyes, "Can you believe her, she's such a bratty, attention seeking-"
"Jules, Jules, calm down," Carlos said, a slight teasing to his tone and Julia stopped, reaching up to run her fingers through her silky hair. Carlos then turns to me, "Just ask her. You don't even need a date anyway. We're still going as a group. Just like hanging out."
I took a drink from my bottle. I was thinking about asking her to be honest and I've come close to doing it on numerous occasions, but then I don't. I knew she was gonna say no and if she does I'm not gonna take it personally. But why ask her if I already know what the answer was gonna be?
"I mean, it's less than three weeks away, but it wouldn't hurt to ask now," Jess said, "And I've heard Shannon talking to her friends about asking you." She added and I turn to look at her.
She nodded slowly and I held back a grimace and a cringe. It's not that I don't like Shannon, it's just that she likes me a little too much than what makes me comfortable. She was a average height chick with ginger hair and freckles scattering across the bridge of her nose and on her cheeks. She was also part of the track team and she was cute. She just got a bit too close and handsy when she's talking to me sometimes.
"You think she really will?" I asked, trying not to let my desperation show, but I failed, seeing as some of them snickered lowly.
Jess nodded, "If there's one thing everyone knows about Shannon, it's that when she wants something, she goes for it. She's definitely gonna ask you."
I let out a breath, sliding down in my seat. The action caused my leg to bump Mariana's and my feet to nudge Julia's, across from me.
"You're stepping on my shoes." She said, pulling her foot away.
I smirk, tilted my head slightly to see under the table and purposely put my shoes on top of her suede boots.
"Seriously, chill-" she moved her boot from beneath mine and took a fry from her tray and chucked it at me.
It fell on my chest and I looked down with a chuckle, taking it up and popping it into my mouth teasingly. She shook her head at me.
"Dude," Nate said and I turn my attention to him. He pushed his glasses up on his nose, squinting at something across the mall and I followed his gaze as did everyone else, "Isn't that your girl?"
Of course, she happens to be at the mall, I thought to myself.
I tilted my head back a little, trying to peer around the people blocking my view of the girl in sweatpants and a long sleeve, making her way into the Barnes&Noble across from us.
When she was out of site, I turned back to Nate, "For the last time, she's not my girl," I told him.
"See, it's meant to be," Mariana said, "Go ask her now." she said eagerly.
I made a face, "No, she's probably here with her mom," I told them. I was more than sure that she was, "And she's not gonna want to go either, so why bother?"
"But what if she does?"
I shrugged because I knew she didn't. I know I only knew her for less than a month but I was definitely sure of myself.
I reached for my phone and unlocked it before going on Snap. I took a random picture which ended up with Julia being in it since she was across from me. And captioned:
'Wya?'
Of course I knew where she was, I just wanted to see if she was gonna tell me.
Setting my phone down on my lap, I crossed my arms and tuned back into the conversation that has now turned to sports.
"Really?" Thion said.
We had two Nates in our group. Nate with the glasses and Nate with the man bun. The one with the man bun's full name was Nathion and that's how we distinguish the two.
Right now, Thion was asking Jules why she'd quit track and I knew I was gonna be next. I've been on the track team along with Jules and Thion since freshman year, but this year Julia and I decided to drop out. I knew I wasn't gonna have much time this year for it, so I called it quits and Julia did the same thing.
"I'm busy!" She exclaimed, "I have college applications, SATs, School, Homework, and don't even mention Community Service-which I have not started by the way-and work," she counted off on her fingers, "I don't have the time."
My phone vibrated on my thigh and I took it up.
â¡Ariaaaaaâ¡
I clicked on her message thread and a photo came up with her holding a book in front of a bookcase.
'Out â¤'
I took a blurry photo of my bottom half under the table.
'Being a nerd again?'
I sent it and not even a minute later I got a reply. She was smiling widely, her eyes closed and her head tilted upward.
'As usual'
"What's he smiling at over there?"
That caught my attention and I looked away from my phone, seeing them staring at me.
I shook my head, "Nothing."
There was a dramatic gasp then, "Awww, it's Ariana."
I turned my attention to Mariana and she was staring at my phone. I pressed the home button.
"Shut up," I said, pushing my chair back and getting up.
"Where you goin'?" Nate grinned as I adjusted my clothes.
I shook my head, "I hate you people," I voiced and they started laughing.
I turned away toward the exit.
"Tell Ariana I said hi!" Jess said after me but I ignored her.
I walked out of Chick-Fil-A and made my way across the mall to the open Barnes&Noble that she went into.
In all honesty I didn't plan to get up, but I kinda just did. I didn't even know what I was going to say to her.
I walked into the bookstore and stopped in the entrance for a second, my eyes roaming, looking for her. I didn't see her though, so I went in.
I leaned forward a little peering into the aisles of bookcases as I walked by them.
I went by three aisles with no luck before I felt someone bumping into me. Stopping abruptly, I reached out out of reflex and clutched the person, steadying myself as I did.
I looked down to see a dark haired girl with hazel eyes staring up at me. Her eyes were wide and she was holding her phone limply in her hands.
"Excuse me," I said, smiling a little, "Sorry." I drop my hands from her arms and step around her.
I walked by a couple more aisles and I eventually got used to it and had to backtrack when I spotted her a second too late.
I stopped and watched her for a small moment. I analyzed the way she chew on the inside of her cheek as she read the back of a book. Her profile was clear to me from here since she'd flipped her lengthy braids over her other shoulder and the way she tilted her head slightly to the ceiling caused the light cast a glow on the side of her face. It was pleasant sight in the least.
My lips tugged up at the sides and I turned down the aisle. She was so engrossed in what she was reading that she didn't even lookup as I approached her.
So instead of interrupting her directly, I stopped next to her and reached over her to get a random book from the shelf, "Excuse me."
She immediately took a step back but she didn't even look up. I held back a grin, amused and leaned against the shelves and just stood there. A couple second later she turned the book back over in her hands and read the cover again before opening it and flipping through the pages quickly.
When she did look up, her eyes flipped to me first but it was only for a fraction of a second, then she looked at the shelf, then she blinked rapidly and averted her eyes back to me. A slow smile spread across her face and my grin widened.
"Hi," I greeted.
She grinned back at me, "You're an idiot," is her greeting.
I laughed, setting the book back in its place.
"Are you stalking me?" She teased, taking a couple steps and stopped in front of the bookcase, next to me, "Cause it's not cute." She places the book back in its spot.
I placed my hands into the front pockets of my jeans and tilted my head a little, "It's not?" I played along.
Her lips twitched in an effort not to laugh, "It really isn't," she said, her head shaking and her hand reaching up to get another book. Just as she pulled it off of the shelf she spun to me quickly.
The movement was sudden and clearly it wasn't planned either because she ended up stepping on my shoe accidentally as she did. That caused her to lose her balance. My reflex kicked in and my hands shot to her hips and pulled her back forward the same time her free hand clutched my bicep to steady herself.
"You're so clumsy," I voiced in amusement as she lets out a breathless laugh.
Her grip eased on my arm but she didn't let go, "Shut up, am not. You were standing too close," was her very lame excuse.
Since I've known her, she's tripped a number of times and most of the time I had been the one to stop her from actually meeting the floor. I don't even want to know what happens when she goes out by herself.
She takes a deep breath, looking down and I tilted my head, wanting to see her face before my attention went down also to the space between us that was barely there.
Then that popped up in my head.
Ask her.
I really didn't want to but it couldn't hurt to know that I asked at least once would it?
I took in a breath, "So," I breathed out and she looked up at me, waiting, but the words got caught in my throat when her eyes met mine, "Um..."
She smiled, her hand sliding down my arm, "What?"
That didn't help. That did not help.
I closed my mouth that I didn't know was open and swallowed. C'mon man, just ask her. It's not that hard.
I looked away, breathed, then looked back at her, "I was wondering-"
"Excuse me," came from behind me and I tensed my hand squeezing around Ariana's hips before I quickly let her go and she stepped back.
I turned slightly and when I saw that it was just a random girl, I let out a breath. But my relief was quickly overridden by irritation.
When it was obvious she was talking to me directly, I gave her my attention, "Yeah?" She was my height with golden hair that fell around her shoulders in waves. Her green eyes were bright and her cheeks had a pink hue that complimented her lips, "Did you need something off the shelf?" I hooked my thumb over my shoulder, taking a step away.
She shook her head, her hair following the movement, "No, no, I came here for you actually."
My eyebrows raised, and I turned to look at Ariana. She had a lollipop in her mouth now, but I didn't question it. She also wasn't hiding the fact that she was finding this entertaining. When she saw me looking at her she shrugged. I turned back to the girl.
"Me? Have we met?"
"No-but my friend," She points over her shoulder and I looked up, over her shoulder, just in time to see a blur of dark hair then nothing, "You guys bumped into each other a minute ago. She was wondering if she could get your number."
My eyebrows furrowed as I remembered the girl that I bumped into not long ago.
I shook my head, "Sorry, but I can't do that."
Her face fell a little, "Oh. You have a girlfriend?" She asked and her eyes moved past me.
I followed her gaze to Ariana who was busy reading the back of another book. I smiled in amusement before turning back to the girl.
"Yes," I lied.
Behind me I heard Ariana go, "Huh?"
The girl's eyelashes fluttered and her cheeks reddened a bit, "Oh, I'm sorry. I mean, I should've known, since I saw," She gestured to us as she ranted, getting flustered.
"It's fine," I told her, hoping she'd leave.
She took a step back, "O-Oh yeah, sorry," then she turned around and hurried away.
There was humming behind me and I turned my attention back to Ariana. She was staring after the girl, twirling the lollipop in her mouth by the stick, before taking it out and licking her red-stained lips. And I found myself staring at the sight for only a second before forcing my eyes back up.
She turned her gaze to me and shook her head, "Still running into people Chris?" She teased, "When's it gonna end."
I smirked, "When you stopped tripping over your own feet," I responded and she narrowed her eyes at me, her lips twitching.