Chapter 9: ♤Chapter 4♤

Getting my mother to agree to me going out with Chris and his friends took some time. Two days to be exact. Even after letting her know that it's a daytime event and that I'd still be home even before she was, she was still skeptic.

I'd proceeded to remind her that it wasn't a date and that it was a group thing. She was so sure that I was lying. But then I laid it on thick by reminding her that I don't usually go anywhere and she's the one that's always saying I should go out and stop being “antisocial”. So after that, she softened up a little bit.

After giving me that look and telling me to be home before she was, she'd agreed. In all honesty, if it wasn't Chris, I wouldn't have fought to get her permission and I'd gladly go back to school and told him that she said no. But I actually wanted to go.

I thought it was a great victory.

Though on Friday morning when Chris came into class, early mind you, and sat down next to me with a box and a transparent cup with brown liquid in it and said, “We're not going.”

I found myself thinking:

Yes!

I turn to look at him, “Why?” I asked. I was genuinely curious.

I reached up to my phone resting on the desk and lowered the music in my earbuds and took the one in my right ear out so I could hear him better.

He took a sip from the straw of his drink and set it down on the table, then ran his tongue over his bottom lip—which I followed with my eyes—before saying, “I'm not feeling it. They're going ice skating and I'm not about to sit on the sidelines again and watch. Not in the mood.”

“You can't ice skate?” I asked, watching him flip the box open while shaking his head, “Me either,” I grinned.

His eyes flipped up to mine and he lets out a laugh. Then he pushes the box in my direction and nods at it. My gaze moves to the box holding six donuts looking incredibly edible with their different toppings.

I shook my head, “I'm good.”

He made a face, “Just take one.”

I made a face back at him, “Umm, okay,” I said with a small laugh but didn't move to take it.

“Seriously?” He said.

I laughed, “I'm not hungry!”

“I'm not about to sit here,” He starts, staring at me blankly, “And eat six donuts by myself.”

I stare back at him, shaking my head and reached for my water bottle that was sitting at the edge of my desk and took a drink from it.

After I finished, I leaned forward, eyeing the donuts and reached for the plain one. I liked those a lot more than the others.

“Did you ask your mom already?” He asked, taking the one that had a sort of brown icing on the top.

I nodding, reaching up to hold a hand over my mouth as I chewed, “Yeah,” I chewed out before swallowing and dropping my hand, “It wasn't easy either,” I told him, “She said yes though.”

He nodded, his jaw clenching repeatedly as he chewed and I found myself staring at the sight. It was incredibly satisfying.

“I did want to see this one movie that came out a couple days ago. I didn't know when I'd get to see it,” He said.

“What movie?” I asked, reaching for my water bottle again.

“Insidious,” He said.

I shook my head, “Oooohhhh nooooo,” I drawled and he laughed.

“Okay, okay,” He said with a chuckle, “Come with me after school and we'll figure it out.”

I hummed in thought as I ate the last of my donut. Eventually, I nodded, “Kay.”

He pushed the box toward me even more, “You got two more in there,” He said.

“This is not breakfast food,” I shook my head, “Diabetes,” I muttered as I stared and he laughed.

Just then the teacher was making her way to the back of the room, walking by us, “This is just wrong,” She said when she stopped next to us. We both snickered and she laughed as she walked out of the room.

She didn't have a problem since she allowed her first two classes to have breakfast in her class. She seemed to understand that kids don't usually get to eat breakfast at home and get their breakfast on the way to school since our school started earlier than most.

“But I should've asked,” Chris said after a while, “Do you want to go ice skating?”

I snickered, forcing the rest of the donut in my mouth. I caught the way his lips pulled up even more as I licked my fingers while shaking my head.

After I swallowed, I spoke, “If you're not going, I'm not going.”

He grinned, “Yeah, but do you wanna go?”

I shook my head, “I'm only going because you're going, dude,” I gave him a look. I guess it was the way that I said it is what made him laugh, but I found myself laughing along with him.

I looked around the room and everyone was almost here. We only had a couple more minutes until it was the official time for school to start and we weren't the only people eating breakfast either, which I expected.

I turn my attention back to Chris and he was finishing the last of his iced coffee.

“So we're going to the movies after school?” I asked, “Just to clarify.” He nodded, “That's gonna be so weird. I mostly go to the movies, like, on the weekends.”

“No one's probably not even gonna be there,” He said, “I've done it before. I go to see movies by myself sometimes,” He said.

I frowned, “That's sad,” I said and he busted out laughing.

I grinned, trying not to meet the gazes of the kids around the class that turned to look in our direction.

“Whatever,” He said with a chuckle.

“I'm kidding,” I grinned.

He just shook his head in response to that.

♤♠♤

The day went slowly. And when I say slow, I mean, painfully slow. Like, ‘waiting for the five second vid on Youtube to end’, slow. I felt like someone was dragging my limbs and everyone else's in slow motion.

It was most likely the fact that I was looking forward to seeing Chris at the end of the day. Sometimes we'll see each other in the hall or between classes, but I didn't always get to see him after our first class. He did ask me if I wanted to sit with him at lunch and that's when I let him know that I spend my lunches in the library, reading. It bothered him even more when he found out that I didn't eat lunch. He almost sounded a little pissed, but y’know…

So when it was the last couple of seconds to dismissal and everyone in my last class was crowded at the door, that's when it hit me that I didn't ask him where I should meet him.

Sure I stalk him by staring at him all the time but that doesn't mean I know what car he drives and that would be just weird if he found out that I did.

Mentally facepalming myself, I walked out of the classroom behind the crowd of kids after the bell rang. I couldn't help myself as I craned my neck a little to see over the crowd of heads, hoping I'd spot his somewhere. I knew I wasn't going to, but it was wishful thinking.

I held the door for the person behind me as I pushed through the heavy exit doors on the side of the building. It was hot out and while I didn't regret my choice of attire, I could still feel myself getting clammy.

I squinted, the brightness of the sun causing me to keep my eyes low. I groaned, reaching up to unzip my thin hoodie. I had to have it, because for some reason it's freezing in that school as if they can't pay for heat.

I stopped briefly, stepping onto the grass and out of the way of the kids walking behind me and took my bag off. I set it down next to me to shrug my hood off. If my mom could see me now she'd knock me upside my head with a brick.

Because I didn't think I'd need to take my hood off, I only had a on black tank top underneath that was tucked into my pants. And as much as I felt incredibly naked at the moment, it was too hot for me to care.

I jerked violently as I felt two hands grab my hips and squeezed with a, “Boo!”

I spun around, making the hands fall away as he started laughing. I laughed, forcing my rapid heart to slow. I smacked at his arm, “That's not funny! Don't do that!” I exclaimed, catching some of the kids attention as they walked by.

Chris grinned, shoving his hands in his front pockets. His eyes traveled down my body for a brief moment and that had my heart pounding again.

“Your pants are dope,” He said.

I grinned, striking a pose and making a face, “Weeellll, thanks,” I smiled widely, closing my eyes and heard him chuckle at my reaction.

I was wearing camo pants. They were the cargo ones and were black, gray and white. Saw them at the store when I was doing my ‘back to school’ shopping and I fell in love. I knew that everyone would have them, but they were too beautiful.

I reached down to take my book bag up and put it back on. All the while I did this, I noticed the guy standing next to Chris. Nate.

I smiled and waved briefly, “Hey.”

“Sup.” He replied, smiling back at me.

We had a moment.

“Oh, yeah,” Chris said, pointing between the two of us, “Ari this is Nate. Nate, Ariana,” he introduces and we nodded at each other.

On cue, we all started walking. I hugged my sweater to my chest.

“So you're the one he's going to see a movie with?”

I turn my head to see Nate peaking at me around Chris. I smiled and nodded.

“Yeah, why?”

He shook his head, “Just asking,” he said and I eyed his brown hair that was sprawled across his forehead, “Is it a date?”

I shook my head the same time Chris turned his head to look at his friend with a blank, “Really?”

“I had to ask!” Nate said.

I tilted my head to look at Chris as he shook his head. He caught my eye and smiled and I looked away, trying not to smile too wide.

“I told you it wasn't,” Chris said.

“I didn't believe you,” Nate responded with an unapologetic shrug.

I snickered, but it was short lived as I felt Chris nudge me. I laughed, stumbling onto the grass and I grabbed his arm to steady myself, purposely gripping his bicep tighter than I needed to and loving the feeling of it flexing as he pulled me back onto the concrete path.

“What? You guys are funny,” I said, grinning and unwrapped my fingers from around his bicep.

“Yeah, but you find everything funny,” Chris responds.

I had to force myself not to laugh, “Do not.”

“Yes you do!” he laughs, “You're trying not to laugh right now,” he pointed at my face.

I smacked his hand away, “You don't know me,” I narrowed my eyes at him.

He stares at me for a moment and then he said, “Kittens.”

I choked on a laugh. Reaching up to slap a hand over my mouth, but I couldn't hold it back, “That doesn't mean anything!” I exclaimed through my laugh.

He continued to stare at me like he won so I waved him off and leaned forward to look at Nate, “So were you going to that skating place too?” I questioned.

He turned his head to look at me, “Yeah, we're still going. We're carpooling. Chris here,” He reaches up to slap a hand on Chris’s shoulder teasingly, “Never tried once to learn how to ice skate from all the times we've went, because he's scared.”

I pouted up at Chris mockingly, “Awww.”

“Shut up, you can't skate either,” he looks down at me.

I made a face, blinking, “Okay, but why you tellin’ everybody.”

His lips pulled up at one side smugly and Nate laughed loudly as we maneuvered our way around the cars in the school's parking lot.

As we walked I noticed a couple of people crowding around a black minivan. Some of them were leaning against it and they were laughing about something.

A girl with brown hair looked up and spotted us and her smile widened, “Well would you lookie here,” She said.

Chris lets out a breath, “These people won't leave me alone,” He muttered and I held back a snicker.

“Chris you sure you don't wanna come?” A guy said. He was light skinned and his hair was up in a bun on top of his head, the sides of his hair were cut low, “Jess can teach you,” He finished with a teasing grin.

Another girl with dark skin and straight hair stopping just above her shoulders reached up to wiggle her fingers with a grin. This caused the rest of them to start laughing.

Chris flipped them off which made them laugh even louder and I pressed my lips together. I watched him reach into his pocket and took out a keyring, fumbling with it for a bit before he got his car keys and pressed the unlock button.

The car next to us beeped and I eyed it for a second before my attention was dragged back to the group of people.

“Seriously though dude, it's really fun,” a guy with dark curly hair said, his arm was draped across another a blonde guy's shoulder. They were both leaning against the front of the van.

“I'll pass,” Chris said and I turn to look over my shoulder as I heard the car door slam and saw that he put his bag in the backseat, “Already made plans,” he walked up next to me and I felt his hand brushing against the small of my back briefly before he pulled it away.

Oh mah gaaaawwwwdddd!!!

Calm down. We're cool. Cool as a cucumber.

My eyes caught the movement of him putting his hands into his pockets again as he stood next to me.

There were low whistles and a number of weird sounds that made my face warm, but I played it off by laughing.

“And who is this?” The one with the man bun said and I kinda fidgeted at the way they were all staring at me.

“This,” I felt him place his hand on my back again. It was barely there but it made me relax a little, “Is Ariana,” He finished, pressing his hand more firmly against my back, probably sensing that it made me feel better. He knows about my slight anxiety.

He was so close it was affecting my respiratory. My breathing was becoming shallow at his touch and the smell of his cologne, but I smiled and waved at them shyly as they all said a chorus of hellos.

“Okay, so that,” He leans down and began pointing them out while naming them, “Is Marinara-”

“My name is Mariana,” The girl with brown hair cuts him off and smiled at me, “Hey.”

“That's what I said,” Chris muttered. He lets out a breath before continuing, “Jess,” He points at the dark skinned girl who waves, “Sean, Carlos,” He points at the dark curly haired guy then the pale blonde guy next to him and they both nod at me,“And another Nate,” He points at the one with the man bun.

“I'm the better Nate,” The brown haired one said, grinning widely.

“Okay, let's not play ourselves,” Mr. Man Bun chipped in and I stared at them in amusement.

“There are more of us, but they left already,” Mariana said, “We were just waiting for this one,” She points at Nate, “To get out.”

“Okay, okay, I'm ready,” Nate said, walking over to the car.

Then they started pooling into the vehicle.

“Well, you two have fun on your date,” Mariana said with a grin.

“It's not…” I started lowly, but trailed off when she dropped into the passenger seat and pulled the door shut after her, “...but, y’know, whatever.”

For the next couple of seconds, we just stood there, watching them pull out of the parking space and join the line of traffic leaving the parking lot.

My attention drew to the warmth of a palm running gently along my back. I stopped breathing momentarily.

“How's it going?” He asked.

I let out a breath, “What?” I tilt my head back to meet his gaze.

“You were shaking,” He said, a small smile on his lips and I had to drag my eyes away from his face.

I looked down and saw that my hands were still, indeed shaking. I shook them and gripped my sweater tighter in my hands, hugging it to my chest.

“I'm fine,” I turned to him the movement caused his hand to move lower and he moved it away, “Can we go?”

“Yeah,” He said, not meeting my eyes as he turned to the car.