Chase

18

THURSDAY

7:43 AM

I made my way down the stairs, skipping down with my backpack slung on my shoulders. For the oddest reason I was happy despite having worked till closing yesterday on a school night. And for the first time in three years, I allowed myself to leave the house with my hair curly instead of straight.

Let's be honest, I was too lazy to straighten my hair in the morning and when I got home last night I immediately knocked out but a can of mousse later and my hair never looked better curlier anyway.

When I entered the kitchen and saw someone that definitely wasn't a resident of this household talking to my dad, I was confused.

I haven't spoken to Kevin in a couple of days. I had taken Hayden's advice and decided to leave him alone now that I knew the reason behind his irritation on Monday. But seeing him here, this early, in the place I live, was a first.

He turned his head to look at me, a small smile on his face as he tugged on the sleeve of his purple sweater. "Hey."

I sat down next to him. "Hey, what are you doing here?"

"Kevin said he wanted to talk to you before school started." My dad answered, handing the both of us plates of food.

We both said thanks and the second my dad was gone, Kevin turned towards me, his hands reaching for mine. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

"No, I shouldn't have spoken to you like that."

"It's fine," I assured him, taking a sip of juice.
"I understand. Are you okay now?"

"Yeah, it just took a while get back to schedule I promise I won't be like that."

"Kevin, don't make promises you won't be able to keep."

He sighed. "Um, then-"

"Then if it happens again just tell me you'll need space and I'll give it to you. I get it. I really do."

"How did I get so lucky?"

This idiot made it seem like we were already dating. "We're friends." I clarified.

He narrowed his eyes at me. "After last Friday we're still friends?"

I stared at him. "What are you talking about?"

"You think I don't remember?" Kevin glanced at me, eating the pancake on his plate without syrup. Weird. "It's been the main thing on my mind for days."

"Oh," I grabbed the syrup bottle. "You mean when we spoke."

"Spoke?" Kevin shook his head at me, clearly getting that I was playing a game with him. "That's not what I'm talking about."

"Oh," I slapped my knee like I had a huge realization. "Then the hug."

"The hug was nice but that's not what I'm talking about either."

"Oh, you mean when you almost kissed me."

Kevin chuckled. "You mean when you were about to tell me that you wanted me to kiss you."

"What-"

"Don't deny it," Kevin linked one of our hands together and I could feel my heart beating in my ears. "If Hayden didn't come in and pull me away we'd be together right now. We would've kissed right now and me being here at your house, I would've kissed you again."

"Again?" I asked.

"If we had done so the first time."

There was silence. I looked down at our hands then back at him. "So you wouldn't kiss me right now?"