Walk With Me

Hehe. I really like that cartoon. It feels really weird that I find both of them sexy.

Now I'm not lesbian or bi but sometimes I just find myself being gay asf so don't judge me. I like building up a woman's self-esteem.

**~**

God, I used to be so cringy. Don't judge me on my past! LMFAOOOOO

Definitely not straight though so there's that.

And sorry for any inconsistencies or errors. Enjoy! Or don't, that's okay too.

**~**

School ends at 3:15 because they had to extend the day. On a regular day, school dismisses at 2:30 and I'm looking forward to going back to that.

What's absolutely ridiculous is the seniors sprinting out the doors as if it's the last day of school and not the first. The desperate measures people go to for food, I think as I watch them all zoom past me like The Flash. Amelia, Sarah, and I walk out together because the others joined in the fun and are already outside.

Earlier today, someone tweeted about having a pizza party at the beach and that's how the buzz and excitement started. No one knows exactly who it is but it's been happening since mid-last year up to now and we all just go with it. It makes our lives more fun that way.

"Excuse me."

I stiffen as he slips between Amelia and me, brushing rather close to me, forcing me to step to my right and give him more space. Hands settle on my hips, cool fingers pressing into the space between the waist of my jeans and the bottom of my crop top. Just for a second as he passes, leaving the scent of old spice and cologne behind.

My eyes narrow on the back of Arthur's head as I hold back a smile. I poke my tongue against the inside of my cheek and shake my head at his bold move. It's always been obvious to anyone within ten yards of us that we don't hate each other. It was obvious something happened that drove us away from each other but there's no hate there.

"You just had to, didn't you?" I bite my tongue after that, cringing on the inside. I didn't plan on saying anything, but it happened and I can't take it back.

Arthur pauses, probably just as surprised as me, and turns on his heels, taking measured steps backward. His eyes are already on mine, the corners of his lips pulling into a hesitant smile. "What do you mean?"

I look away from him, subtly rolling my eyes but I'm sure he sees it. I don't answer his retort because if I do, I'll smile, or worse- grin, and I don't feel like giving him either. He does that to me. The worst part is, he seems to notice and turns his widening smile on my friends.

"Hello, ladies."

Sarah gives him a giggly hello that gets under my skin more than I'll let show, while Amelia shakes her head, no doubt smiling too. It's not like they can help it, the guy has a gorgeous smile. It's the kind that lights up his face and crinkles the corner of his eyes. He makes people comfortable when he wants to, it sucks really.

"Would you stop?" I scowl at him only for him to turn that smile on me.

His expression melts into something warm and his smile does the same. It puts a somberness on my hostility immediately and scrambles my defenses. Darn him.

"Are you going?" He asks, shoving his hands in his pockets and nodding over his shoulder. His short, dark hair shifts softly against his forehead.

I don't answer right away, clearing my throat low enough so no one else hears. "Are you?"

He shrugs, still giving me that look. "Sure." God, can he not?

"Then no." It's my turn to shrug.

Something in his expression shifts but I don't break this time. He stops walking but I don't. His eyes sweep over me just as they had this morning but somehow more intense.

I stop when I'm standing directly in front of him, toe to toe with our chests almost touching. "You're in my way," I whisper, finally holding his gaze.

That smile again, but it looks a lot more dangerous than before. Oh, sweet baby J-

"You wanna play, babe?" His voice is low and delicious. His head tilts infinitesimally, emphasizing his low eyes and proximity. His smell is intoxicating.

I tilt my chin up in defiance, but he doesn't know I'm sending a prayer to God hoping he can't feel my heart trying to reach out and grab him. "It's your game." At least that was steady, some would say seductive when I'm honestly out of breath.

Instead of replying like a normal person, he hums, then lifts a hand slowly. He gives me enough time to pull away but I don't. I let him run a finger along my jawline and brush his knuckles down the side of my neck. I focus on keeping my breathing even and not staring at his lips.

I see the moment he feels it. My brain had stopped working, but the second he brushes against my pulse, his eyes twinkle and he bites his bottom lip. I snap out of it and push his hand away. He latches on to it for less than a second, fingers tangling with mine before letting me go.

I step around him, face burning as I make my way toward two grinning idiots. I shake my head at them, ignoring their eyes. "Don't."

They both teasingly start singing Don't by Bryson Tiller and twirling their way around me as we head to the exit. Then they proceed to 'spill the tea' to our friends while I hide behind Richard because he's the only person here tall enough for me to do that with.

I knock my forehead against Richard's back once, still reliving the terrible moment from inside. My face is still hot and I'm not ready to face anything that isn't a solid surface and hides me from the world.

But I end up glancing away and spotting the person I don't want to see, getting into a sleek black car. His friend dips into the passenger side after saying something over the top of the car. Just as Arthur's about to get in, he looks over at me as if he already knew where I was. He pauses, smiles, and winks.

I whine, "Go away," and turn my face into Richard's T-shirt again. I don't know if he knows what I said but I swear I hear him laugh from across the lot.

**~**

When we get to the beach, we're a few hours late but no one cares because they're having a good time. We immediately know where the party is because 1. there's a cluster of high schoolers blasting music in the spot we usually go to, and 2. it's the biggest group there. It would only make sense for there not to be a bunch of kids at the beach after the first day of school, but here we are.

A few people are already in swim clothes and having a great time. The rest of us who don't feel like changing plan on sitting on the sidelines and stuffing our faces.

My friends and I are in the group that decides not to take part in any of the water activities and set up a few feet away, in the back. We're lounging around on a huge series of blankets and doing our own thing. I'm laying on my stomach with a book. Kim and AJ are cuddling, talking lowly to each other. John, Richard, and Amelia seem to be doing homework from one class they have together, and Sarah's laid back with headphones on, staring up at the sky and mouthing the words to whatever she's listening to.

"Get your feet off me," I say to John without looking up from the page. He thought it would be funny to put his planks on my back.

"But my feet have to be elevated at all times. Doctor's orders," he says smugly.

I give him a deadpan look. "You have a girlfriend."

He pretends to think about it, then nods. "I agree." He readjusts himself to do just that.

Shortly after, I hear said girlfriend warns, "Don't you dare."

A few of us snicker at that before it goes silent. Well, among us anyway; the party's still raging and we can hear the squeals, screams, and splashes from the beach shore. It's not overwhelming though. It's kind of peaceful. We have moments like these when we just enjoy each other's company and embrace silence, or as close to silence as we can get.

Just as I turn the page of my book, I feel him before I hear him.

"Hey, you."

I close my eyes and drop my forehead onto the book. Arthur plops himself down next to me. This is why I didn't want him to even get the idea that I still feel anything for him. I had a feeling this would happen.

After a minute of trying to collect my breathing, I lift my head off my book and go back to reading. He's lying next to me. Not touching, but we might as well be. He's staring right into my face and I feel the heat sneaking up my body from my feet.

I struggle to read the next few paragraphs until I give up and look at him. "What do you want?"

He rolls onto his side, props his head up on his palm, and gives me an innocent look. "I'm enjoying the party." His jean-clad legs press against the side of mine. His breath smells like mint and beer, that's how close he is. He doesn't seem drunk, just... Arthur.

"Good for you, but that doesn't answer my question."

He's looking down at the barely-there space between us, sticks a finger in the belt loop at the base of my spine, and lightly tugs at it. Before I can say anything about that, he's already asking, "You comfortable?"

Why does he care? I stare at the side of his face, my mind running through lots of things all at once. The prominent one is the fact that I don't know what he's doing. Is he trying to see down the back of my pants or something? I know he's not because he didn't pull it away, but what does he want?

He meets my eyes and we stare at each other for a while. All I can hear is the sound of the waves and see the stars in his eyes.

My heart is heavy when I ask again, "What do you want, Arthur?" It's not only about this moment, but all the moments before this- today, and even before today. Every time he stared at me longer than necessary or tried to communicate in some way. What's he trying to do with all these stunts?

He must see it, hear it in my voice that this isn't a game to me anymore. It never has been.

His voice is low, hopeful when he says, "Walk with me?"

I give him a look. One that says I'm not up for foolishness. He discerns it and nods.

Turning back to my book, I chew on my bottom lip as I glance over the page. I stare at it until one word glares back at me--'go'. I breathe deeply. "Okay," I mutter, bookmarking my page.

He's already up, hands outstretched by the time I'm upright and fixing my top over my roles. I glance at him, at his hands, then let him help me up.

Arthur's still holding my hands and walking backward when I say over my shoulder, "I'll be back."

I get some 'okay's and suggestive smiles in return that make me scrunch my nose at them.

"Don't do anything weird, my guy," AJ calls after us.

Richard adds, "We'll fuck you up, bro."

I press my lips together to stop from laughing with everyone else and close my eyes, but not before seeing Arthur drop one of my hands to give them a salute.

He's smiling widely when I open my eyes again. "Great friends," he says, and not in a sarcastic way.

I finally smile back at him, genuinely. "I know." I drop his other hand and he falls into step next to me.

We walk in silence for a while, waiting for the music to subside and the waves to swallow every other sound. Neither of us says anything in the twilight and the atmosphere thickens with something heavy and tense. I don't know what it is but maybe he does. Then again, he did say walk, not walk and talk. I do expect him to say something soon.

"So..." he tries.

I hum in response, my eyes following my bare feet across the sand.

He stops suddenly and I turn back to see that he's staring at me with a hard look.

I eye him up and down. "What?"

"Stop making this awkward, Grace." He scowls. I take a step back, eyeing him again.

"I'm making this awkward?" I retort. "You're the one who asked me to walk."

He slaps his hands on his face, covering his eyes with a groan. "I know, I know. I just don't know how to-" he stops, dropping his hands.

I take a hesitant step toward him again. "To what?" He's staring up at the sky.

He breathes heavily, looks over at the beach, then at me lazily. "Let's go for a swim."

Is he crazy? I shake my head. "No."

He actually has the audacity to look offended. "I want to go for a swim."

I fling my arm toward the beach. "Then go."

A smile breaks across his face that makes the hairs on my body stand. "Grace." His voice is silky smooth. He starts slowly toward me.

My breath catches and I hold my hands up, backtracking. "Arthur I swear I'll-"

"What?" He's smirking now. All of a sudden looking like one of those sexy demons I always read about. It's terrifyingly exciting.

Then I'm running, screaming, "No!"

In less than five steps, he's already gathering me up against him and heading for the shore. My back is pressed firmly against his front, my legs barely touching the sand. He has no reason being able to lift me up.

I'm panting in dread, gripping his arms and subtly letting my hands run along the curves of his veins and tats. He's really been working out. I curse him internally while his body shakes with laughter.

"Arthur," I stutter.

"Grace." His humor is stifling.

Honestly, if it didn't feel so good to have him hold me, I would've already handled the situation.

"Baby, let's talk about this," I bargain.

"Oh," he says in surprise, setting my feet on the ground, "I'm baby now?"

My eyebrows crinkle and I make a face. "Did I say that?"

He's still forcing us toward the shore and I'm hardly resisting now. If he actually tries to throw me in the water we're fighting, and I'm not a violent person.

"You did," he says lowly, his lips at my ear, squeezing something tightly in my stomach.

We stop at the edge of the shore, just enough for the water to rush up to our ankles. His arms loosen around my torso but he doesn't let me go. I get a strange sense of deja vu. We stand there for a while, watching the sky go from dark violet to a darker navy. He eventually breaks the moment.

"I'm gonna say something," he starts, his lips moving against my temple. I close my eyes without meaning to. "You don't have to say anything back, okay?"

A heated anxiety bubbles under my skin. "Okay," I whisper back, not knowing or caring if he hears or not.

"I thought a lot this summer about," he pauses, I can feel his heart hammering against my back and try not to smile, "things I care about and what I want before I leave high school."

I don't say anything as much as I want to sarcastically add that it might be a bit too soon to be thinking about after high school. I don't believe that, but it's what my mind comes up with and I bite my tongue because he's being serious. No games.

"And you asked me what I wanted before," it's time for my heart to start hammering, "I think you know what I want. Or I wouldn't be doing this-" He tightens his arms around me for a second. "I won't rush you, because there's still stuff we haven't talked about. So whenever you're ready, I'm ready."

I open my eyes and stare at the line on the horizon where the sea meets the sky and let myself live in this moment a bit longer. I tilt my head back to look at the side of his face but mostly his jawline.

"What have you done with Arthur?"

He chuckles but it was only partially a joke. He seems so different from who I remember him being.

"Don't worry, he's still here if you miss him that much. I just like you, everyone else gets regular old Arthur."

"No one said anything about missing anybody," I sass, but an annoying little human inside me is breakdancing because he said he liked me!

He looks down at me with a grin. Then leans forward to kiss my forehead. "I missed you," he mutters when he pulls back.