Flirting 101

1-Pick-Up Lines Work

“I cannot believe they fired me!” I huffed into my pillow. “I mean really, I worked there for over a year! Where is the Loyalty?”

“Well,” A low voice boomed beside me, “You did set a corner on fire…”

“Ugh,” I quickly punched in his direction, grinning when I made contact with his stony abs. “You know that was an accident.”

“Ow.” the bed dipped as he adjusted himself, “Maybe they would have over looked it if it you didn’t accidentally shoplift, or if you didn’t spill your grape juice all over the white dress section.”

“Jace! Who’s side are you on?” I bolted up so I sat on my knees, my hands at my hips.

“Yours of course.” He rolled his green eyes, “Why don’t we celebrate your unemployment at The Shack?”

“Really?” My face lit up. “I thought you said you were done feeding my addiction?”

“I have a hard time saying no to you.” He shook his head and sat up. “So are you done with your nap? Schools going to start soon.”

“Can we stay home today? Watch a few movies?” I pouted.

“Nope” He grabbed my wrist and started dragging me out of the door.

“I thought you couldn’t say no to me.” I watched as he grabbed both of our back packs from the living room coffee table. A small smile lifted my lips when I looked at the little monster thing I bought him dangling from the bag.

“I said I had a hard time saying no, not that I couldn’t. Plus, I said ‘nope’ not ‘no’”

“You and your loop wholes.” I rolled my grey eyes, following him out of the house and to his beat up Ford Focus. “I don’t want to go to school today.”

“Stop acting like a toddler.” Jace flung the back seat open as he let go of my hand. While he threw in our bags and slammed it shut, I worked up my best puppy dog eyes. “I thought you liked school.”

“I love school, it’s more than like!” I laid a hand on my forehead and looked out dramatically. “Oh, a lovers passion is always greater than a strangers opinion! And thou dost forget of our recent quarrels? That brings our passion to utter ecstasy!”

“Ah, the try outs are today.” He opened up the front door and quickly shoved me in. “I’m sure you’ll do fine drama queen.”

“Thanks Jace.”

******

            Jace had been my best friend since he moved to Ridgewell. I remembered it was third grade recess and that there had been a rumor around that the sandbox was full of cat poop. The girls and boys snickered that any loser that played in the sandbox was actually playing with poop. Strange, but, again, it was third grade.

As a socially awkward child, I was best-friend-less and therefore had no one to whisper the memo in a giggling mess. When recess came around again and all of the third graders were let loose, I went straight to my favorite place-the sandbox. There was something utterly fascinating about building a castle out of sand and watching it crumble. Just something about a fall out that even a child understands is entertaining.

The top corner of the day’s project had slid off of the structure the second I lifted the pale. I sat, oblivious to the little girl in pig tails snickering up to me, undeniably entranced by this little white rock in partly covered by the castle. I was waiting for it to reveal itself and cast off the brown muck of sand, when my name was called.