"do you know him?" niall asks tonight. his voice comes out soft and curious like the voice i fell in love with. i glance up from the pizza box. he doesn't look at me from across the table, he just. peels a pepperoni off of his slice and eats it.
"know who?" i ask even though i have a clear idea of who he's talking about.
he sighs like he's already tired of our conversation, "don't play dumb. do you know him?"
"no," i reply, taking a bite from my slice of pizza. he nods and in a minimum of seconds we're swallowed back into an uncomfortable silence. shouldn't i say something else? i bite down on my bottom lip, "why?"
"he slipped his number in your bag," he looks disgusted at the memory. wait, what? the boy slipped his number into my bag? but why? i don't even know who he is. i don't even know his number.
"what? i'm not sure about that. wouldn't i have noticed?" i stammer.
"are you calling me delusional?" niall snaps. my head quickly shakes no, "go see for yourself."
i nod and dismiss myself from the table, walking inside niall and i's bedroom. my bag lies on top of the sheets. i face it upside down and let all its contents fall out onto the sheets. pens, a pack of gum, makeup, and my cell phone falls out. a small piece of paper, barely noticeable, makes its way after. niall wasn't kidding.
i pick up the piece of paper and read out the stranger's handwriting.
my name is ashton. you should call me sometime. xx
