tongue tied - jake kiszka

17.

   Once the washing machine was done and we moved my stuff over to the dryer, I gave Jake the okay to go ahead and go. "You don't have to stay down here with me." I said, "The dryer won't take too much longer."

   He shook his head and I nearly sighed right out loud. "Jake," I began, "Dawn is probably waiting for you upstairs." He gave me a funny look, which I chose to ignore.

   I appreciated his help, but I was a grown woman and I could wait on the dryer by myself. "I don't mind staying here with you." He responded as he ran his fingers through his hair, pushing it away from his face.

   "I know you don't mind, but Dawn would mind." I motioned with my hand for him to go. Jake gave me one last look before putting his hands up in surrender. "Fine," He said slowly, "If you really want me to go, then I'll go."

   I nodded, my lips pressed tightly together. "Unless you plan on getting upset like last night." He taunted, his eyebrows raised. I stifled a groan, recalling my behavior from the night before.

   "I was about to start my period. It throws me all out of whack. It had nothing to do with you."

   He seemed to consider this. "Makes sense." He agreed, "Ronnie used to be crazy, crying and being mean and then the next day say everything's okay, she started her period."

   I smiled to myself, picturing Jake with his little sister, confused about her actions and what was going on only to be told the following day that it was her time of the month.

   "And here I was thinking that you were just jealous." He said, grinning over at me.

   "I was not jealous." I replied confidently, refusing to let him get a reaction out of me. I wasn't jealous. Why would I be? He was my friend and Dawn's newest interest. "You're not even my type anyways."

   "And what is your type?" Jake asked curiously, moving closer to me by the dryers. "Is your new friend Lee your type?" He wanted to know. He was desperate to know. His eyes were looking into mine- wide, waiting for an answer.

   "Possibly." I answered back, although I knew he wasn't. Lee was funny and cute, but I didn't do boyfriends. I didn't bother with it. I wasn't even sure I had a type anyways, I just felt the need to tell him that to further get under his skin.

   "Has he texted you yet?"

"Why do you wanna know?"

Jake sighed, running his fingers through his hair again. His hair was longer than mine and my mind immediately thought of the hair tie around my wrist, which I never needed to use. "Take this." I ordered, pulling it off my wrist and handing it to him.

He looked at me quizzically and I pointed towards his hair. "If your hair is bothering you then put it up." I explained, still holding out the hair tie. "Don't you need it?" He asked, tentatively reaching for it.

I shook my head, motioning up towards my hair. "Only if I want the smallest ponytail ever." He grinned as I said this, his eyes raking over my hair. "I like the length of your hair."

"I look like a little boy, shut up."

"You definitely don't." He murmured, extending his hand towards me slowly. I stood still as he pushed one of the shorter pieces of hair out of my face. He tucked it behind my ear, where it popped back out almost immediately.

I hadn't brushed it this morning and it was sticking up in nearly every direction. I suddenly felt self conscious about it as I tried to flatten it down with my hands.

Jake chuckled lightly, still holding the hair tie in his other hand. "Thank you for this." He smiled as he scooped his hair up, tying it back in a bun. "It's kind of tight."

Before I could think, I reached out and slid both hands under his hair by his ears and wiggled my fingers around a little in an attempt to loosen the bun for him.

Suddenly, I felt his fingertips brushing along the inside of my arm. His touch was soft but hesitant and I froze, my hands still in his hair. He looked at me, his brown eyes wide as though he was surprised by his own actions.

I pulled my arms down quickly and looked anywhere but him. "Well there you go." I said, somehow struggling to get my words out. "You can keep the hair tie."

Jake cleared his throat and give me a curt nod. "I'm gonna go upstairs and check on Dawn." He paused for a moment, waiting for me to say something, but I just nodded.

And just like that he slipped through the laundry room door and out of my sight.