Living With Stranger Boy

Chapter Nineteen

With little stops on our way, we reached the dance at around 9:30 pm.

It was packed with students already, and the decorations were awesome. Styrofoam snowflakes were hanging down from the ceiling, and there was even this little fountain that shot fake snow out of it. Overall, the school hall looked good.

All You Had To Do Was Stay by Taylor Swift was blaring out of the speakers, while a lot of people danced on the dance floor, or some where was just sitting or chatting.

"You want some punch?" Ryan asked, who, by the way, was getting stares of lust from every girl present in the room. Even the girls who had dates were looking at him, for which I felt really bad for their dates.

"No, can I get some kicks?" I asked, in return.
He looked lost for a second, but after that he got my joke and started laughing. "That was a nice one," he said while laughing. I smiled proudly, he laughed at my joke. Haha.

"Yeah, I'll take some punch," I finally replied to his question. He nodded and after some time, came back with drinks in his hands.
"I don't think we should drink the punch. I think someone spiked it," he then pointed to some people who were struggling to stay up, and some where stumbling all across the dance floor. Typical high school dance, eh? "So," he continued, "I brought us canned coca cola."

I gladly took it. I had absolutely no plan to get drunk at a high school dance, specially with Ryan as my date.

I watched Seb and Chloe dancing to a slow song that was on, and Nate and Daniella, Holly and Mason, and Evan and Emily doing the same. Ryan took the can from my hand, which was now finished. "Dance with me?" I nodded with a smile.

He lead me to the dance floor, Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran was playing ever-so-gracefully. His voice is so gentle and calming and all good things, I tell you.

"I have no idea how to dance," I shyly admitted.
With a small smile, he gripped both my arms and placed them on his shoulders, as his hands rested on my waist. "Just move gently with the beat," he instructed, and I followed.

We danced, we talked. We danced more, and talked more.

By this time, we were showing off our very groovy moves to GDFR by Flo Rida. It wasn't just Ryan and I, all our friends and I formed a somewhat circle and danced like crazy as we laughed our heads off.

Whenever I danced with Ryan alone, I would get nasty glares from his 'fangirls', and Sierra's glares were deadly. I, however, managed to ignore them. This night was great, and I wouldn't let them or their occasional glares ruin it for me. I had Ryan, and my best friends by my side, what else would I need? Of course, Ryan is also considered one of my best friends, now. But, you know, just to be clear.

By 11:30 pm, every one of us were exhausted with all the dancing and sweating. Thank the lord I wasn't caked up with makeup, or my hair was nothing more than a ponytail, or my shoes were wedges, not heels.

Close to 12, Nate gathered everyone up, "Let's head out."
We all agreed and got in the two cars we brought with us. What? Did you really think ten people would fit in one car? Although, Mason stayed back. So, now, it's nine people.

We all went to the park that's near my house, to just talk and decide if we wanted to do something.

"To be honest, guys, I'm exhausted. I want to sleep right now. Nothing else," I said.
Chloe, Holly and Seb agreed, while Nate, Ryan and Evan disagreed. Daniella and Emily didn't say anything.

Nate, Ryan and Evan claimed we should do something, as its break, and simply because, and I quote, "we can".

At the end, I told the three of them to go do something if they wanted to so badly, while Chloe, Holly and Seb backed me up on that.

"Okay. Listen. I'm gonna say this, and I'm gonna say this only once," I broke up the argument, frustrated with exhaustion and need for sleep. "We all, that means you and you, too," I pointed at Daniella and Emily, as they weren't even being a part of our very heated conversation. "We all meet up at this park, right on this spot, tomorrow and we plan stuff to do over the break. Just tonight, we all need to sleep. That includes you, Ryan."

Finally, we all came in agreement and dispersed to get home. Nate and Evan said they'd drop Daniella and Emily home, Seb said he'd drop Chloe and Holly home, and well, Ryan and I live in the same house.

"Goodnight, guys. You all better be here," was the last thing I yelled to my friends before they went out earshot distance. Ryan and I decided to just walk home, as it is very close to the park.

"Today was fun," I said, breaking the silence.
"It really was. Honestly, I didn't think school dances would be fun at all," he replied.

"Are you sleepy?" he asked.
"More than you can imagine. I'm exhausted," I muttered back.
He nodded, "Yeah, it was sort of a crazy night," he smiled.
"Don't think I'm weirder than usual, but I'm going to take my shoes off. They're not killing me, but I'd rather walk on plain feet than stand taller at the end."
He raised his hands, "I don't think you can be weirder than you are, so this is nothing."
I rolled my eyes, but however, had a smile on my face.

"Aren't you sleepy?" I asked back.
"I am," he replied.
I raised my hand in exasperation, "Then why'd you say you wanted to do something when we were at the park?!"

He shrugged, "Guess I wasn't sleepy back there."
I shot him a small glare, as we continued walking down the empty street.

"Have you ever liked anyone?" he suddenly asked.
I looked at him for a second, "Small crushes, yeah. But nothing big," I replied honestly.

For a mere second, he almost looked relieved.

"How about you? You ever liked any girl?" I asked.
He looked at me, for more than a second than I had. I don't know what it was, but his eyes were full of emotions. I don't know what type, kind, species, whatever. I just know it was there.

Ryan's pov-

"Have you ever liked anyone?" I suddenly asked her. I don't know what made me ask her that, but I was curious.

She looked at me for a second, before replying, "Small crushes, yeah. But nothing big." I felt relieved. Relieved, knowing that she's not heartbroken over some guy, knowing that no guy has had the privilege to save a spot in her heart, relieved that no lips have ever kissed her lips, and relieved that no guy has ever had her full attention.

I quickly covered up my look of relief, and made my expression go back to neutral.

"How about you? Have you ever liked any girl?" she asked me.

I looked at her, and I knew more than a second had passed.

How do I answer that? I mean, I've never liked a girl before I met her. But now that I've met her, I really don't know how to answer this.

Do I tell her that I like her?
Woah, back up, Ryan. Do I even know that I like her? When did I ever admit that to myself?

Right now, doofus.
Please, mind. You can shut up for a minute.

Just tell her you like her already! my mind nagged.

But do I? Do I know for sure? What if I mess things up? What if I hurt her? Hurting her is the last thing I would want to do. She's so precious, unique and weird. I love that about her.

I love how she doesn't care what people think of her weirdness, but just goes along with it.
I love how she doesn't care if she's drinking loads of calories when she drinks hot chocolate almost everyday, but drinks it anyways because she loves it.
I love how she's so unique, she doesn't follow, she leads. Too bad she's the only one like herself. She doesn't really have anyone to lead, but she leads herself and her army of unicorns. She said that to me once.
I love how she will make up the silliest threats and thinks they're intimidating.
I love h-

See? You like her.
Thanks, mind. You pointed it out for me.

That's when I realized, that shit, I like her.