Something There

Chapter Three

Chapter Three:

I nearly forget to pry him for the answer to my question seeing as I'm ninety-nine percent sure that my breathing has halted.

Needless to say, I'm relieved when he gives me an easy answer without prying for the first time today.

"The secretary asked me if I knew anybody here, so I chose not to include all the people I fucking hated in junior high and just list you, Jasmine, and your brother. Since apparently all of you are in the same English class, she placed me in that one," he says with a large smile playing across his lips.

I choose to let the swear word that had slipped out slide for now, smiling back.

He has such a strong personality. He brings a light to every situation, cheer to a dull room. I truthfully do believe he's great for it.

I feel the sudden urge to drag the newly-found boy aside and just ask him what exactly was going through his mind that night he kissed me. I can't solve why that event refuses to leave my every train of thought, but I'm nearly seventeen now, four years later, and here we are.

"Our English classroom is right down here," I direct, not sure if Bryce will pick up on the information judging by his wandering stares around the cramped hallways all around us. It doesn't come as a shock to me when he doesn't yet respond, before perking up as I slow down before the doorway.

He raises an eyebrow at me, gazing towards the door. "This one?" he asks.

I smile at him as if to tell him he's correct, reaching to open the door to let us in. Judging by the plain view through the window, we were the first to make it all the way up here.

Bryce swiftly reaches past my arm to the door handle, yanking the door open before I even have a chance. As I typically do, I proceed to gawk at him while he has his typical mellow expression. He cocks his head in direction of the room, gesturing for me to enter, so grasping my stack of binders a little closer to my chest, I follow his direction.

Walking back to the group's regular table, I take my typical seat, and Bryce pulls out the empty chair right to my left as if it were second nature to him. He slouches down into the chair with an exasperated huff, dropping his bag on the floor beside his feet. Helplessly, I take note of the fact he's wearing a perfectly clean and bright pair of white Converse.

He quickly looks back up, and I know he caught me staring by the mischief in his eyes as they lock with mine. Despite how long it's been, this taunting and general interaction seems so familiar.

There's a distant sort of air to his aura as our attention shifts to the fact that our hands are practically touching as they lay next to each other against the battered tabletop. I suck in a harsh intake of breath, just as everything comes to life around the area, dragging us away from whatever moment we may have just experienced.

Convenient timing as always, considering it's just as Bryce pulls out a sleek laptop that Mateo shows up with Ryan pinned to his side. The two are chatting animatedly, until Ryan walks around the group to sit next to my brother and Mateo is left looking utterly unamused due to the boy beside me once more.

Even though I figure Mateo won't confess so in the blink of an eye, I sense that the pair have crossed paths a few times previous to today. Mateo just stares at Bryce with such plain disgust that there is absolutely no way it's result of a lousy first impression.

Sure, Bryce didn't have the most pleasant greeting towards him, Daniel, and Ryan, but can you really ask for anything else?

"Mind getting out of my seat?" he asks Bryce, who miraculously seems to be ignoring his heated gaze, so he merely shakes his head in response.