Battle Scars|✔️

The Crush (Bonus Chapter)

"He likes you," Abbey whispered to me at the top of the slide. My cheeks burned with embarrassment when I saw Harry Martin staring at me from the other side of the playground. He'd been staring at me for a week now, and Abbey was insisting it was because he had a crush on me, but I didn't buy it. 

"Nu uh," I'm muttered in protest. She laughed and poked my arm. 

"Yes he does." 

"What're we talking about?" Collin appeared next to us, crouching beside Abbey on the ledge we were sitting on. 

"Thea has a boyfriend," Abbey singsonged. 

I groaned softly and shook my head. "I do not." 

"Harry Martin has been staring at her for a week, and she won't admit that he likes her." Abbey was explaining it to Collin as if I was being unreasonable, that I didn't want to say that a boy staring at me meant that he was in love with me or something. Maybe I had just grown a 2nd head or something, and I just didn't know it. 

"Do you like Harry Martin?" Collin asked curiously. I shook my head. 

"I don't like him at all." And even if I did, I wasn't allowed to. I had promised Hayden that I would wait until I was 30 before I had a crush on anyone, and I never break promises. And if I were to break a promise, it wouldn't be for the kid who picks his nose and eats it for snack. The thought sent shivers down my spine. I was still convinced the veggie langna-which Dad had tried to make me eat again-was just boogers between sheets of pasta, even though Alex promised it was just broccoli. I could taste the lies in all two bites I was forced to take, and I was not going to have a crush on a boy who eats stuff like that willingly. 

"Yes you do. He's cute," Abbey stared right back at the boy, whose eyes had yet to leave the three of us. 

"It's getting creepy." I complained. 

"I agree. What's his deal?" Collin asked, making a face at Harry. The blond on the other side of the playground looked away with a blush and wide eyes when he noticed he had gotten our attention. 

"I told you two already," Abbey said sassily, putting her hands on her hips. "He has a crush on Thea." 

Collin laughed and shook his head. "Abb, you don't know that, you're just assuming."

She huffed, and crossed her arms at him, but he just shrugged. "I do know that. Wanna know how I know that?" She smiled mischievously at the end of her sentence, and after sharing a look, me and Collin both nodded. "Well, Ellie told me that she heard from Jana, who's friends with Cole, Harry's best friend, that Harry liked Thea. So there, Collin. Facts." Collin just shook his head and laughed. 

"There's no way that's true, Abbey. Ellie probably made that up." Ellie Hale was known for making up stories within our fourth grade classrooms. I don't think she did it to be mean like Abbey said she did, but maybe she does it because she wants someone to talk to. I try to be that person for her, and I like to think I do a pretty good job. I pride myself on being quite a good listener, and Ellie prides herself on being quite a good talker, so truly, we should be able to get along like peas in a pod. 

"No she didn't." Abbey protested weakly. Collin just shrugged and pulled out something from his jacket pocket. 

"Fruit snacks anyone?" He offered us the two blue colored bags which we each took happily. The rest of recess was quick and thankfully boy free. Aside from Collin, of course. We were lining up to go back inside when it finally happened. Abbey whacked my arm repeatedly which made me frown, until I saw the look on her face as she stared at something behind me. I didn't even have to look to see that it was Henry behind me. 

"Turn around, turn around, turn around!" My best friend whispered yelled. 

I sighed but did as she said, facing the admittedly good looking boy that stood behind me with a goofy lopsided grin on his face. 

"Hi Henry." I said with a smile. 

He flushed red and smiled back. "Hi Thea," He shifted from one foot to the other nervously. And that's when I saw his gaze was locked on something behind me. Or better yet, someone. "Um, Abbey, I was wondering if you, uh, maybe, wanted, to walk inside with me?" He stammered. My eyes, and my grin widened ten fold. My friend just did the former. 

"Me?" She asked, sounding shocked. He nodded, fiddling with his hands nervously. 

"Oh," Abbey looked at me for a second. "Yeah. Yeah sure I'll walk in with you." 

Gently, Henry reached out his hand and my sweet friend put hers into it and together they walked inside like little love birds. 

"So I guess Henry Martin doesn't like you, huh?" Collin made a face at me but I just shrugged. 

"He likes Abbey. And I think Abbey likes him." 

"They grow up so fast." We both burst out laughing as Collin wiped an imaginary tear from under his eye. 

"Yeah. Yeah they do."

A/N-This is the first of two bonus chapters to thank you all for 990k!