Chapter 29

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"Tell me why do you still love me
Why do you love me?
You know you shouldn't love me
Yeah, you still love me."

- Why, Bazzi

-*-

NAOMI DID NOT EXPECT THIS AT ALL.

Not at all.

"Dustin?" She asked, confused. The said boy feigned a confused expression, looked around, and pointed at himself.

"Me?" He asked goofily, then scoffed obnoxiously.

"Yes, you." Naomi deadpanned.

"Based on your expression, you were shocked--"

"No shit."

"BY -- by my beautiful locks." He pointed a finger at Naomi when she cut him off.

"Dustin, what did you do?" She asked.

After school, she practiced a while before Samantha called it off and rushed them to go to their respective houses.

She expected her night to be relaxing. Soak in a hot tub with scented candles, do her thing and well-- sleep.

What she did not expect though was Dustin knocking on her door, flexing his... hair.

"I did not do a thing. Why is something different?" He smiled.

"You know what, I'm gonna head off to bed. I do not have any energy to have this conversation right now." Naomi started closing her door but was stopped by Dustin.

"Wait, okay. Naomi, do you like my hair?" He said.

"Dustin, it's late."

"I know, I know. But just --- I need honest opinion." Dustin said, practically begging.

Naomi's eyes softened at the boy.

"My honest opinion?" She started before watching the boy's hair.

"I think you have beautiful hair..." with that, Dustin smiled, "without any hairspray." Dustin smile faded.

"Dustin, your hair is perfect just the way it is." Naomi crouched to meet his eyes.

"You don't need any chemicals or anything. Why have you been so obsessed with your hair recently anyway?" She asked. Dustin visibly sighed, looking away, as if thinking of a way out.

"Don't even think of lying. I can read minds." She said.

He sighed before meeting her eyes.

"Let's get inside, yeah?" She said before guiding the boy to the living room.

After settling in, Dustin opened up to her.

How the boy wanted to fit in, not get bullied, and how no one wanted to dance with him at the winter ball except Nancy Wheeler, his friend's sister.

"Dustin..." she comforted, "you know, why don't you sleep here for tonight?"

"I can?" Naomi hated seeing the boy so down.

"Of course, you can." She got up to get some comforters, before stopping. She turned around, seeing Dustin's head low.

"You know..." she started, Dustin turned around.

"It was their loss. You were such a good dancer." She smiled.

Dustin's pearls shined at the comment .

-*-

"I don't really get it, like, why are you so flexible? What have you been doing?" Robin asked her the next day.

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