Puppy Dog Eyes

Chapter 11.

We finally almost finished the auditorium, with 15 minutes left in class. I was almost finished with the floor, and Adam was currently finishing up the stage and opening the curtains.

I felt someone's eyes on me, but I saw the broom moving out of the corner of my eye, so I brushed it off.

Five minutes later, I still couldn't shake that feeling at the pit of my stomach. Finally, I turned around to face Adam, who was looking at me, his hand sweeping the broom back and forth.

"What?"

His eyes widened and he dropped his gaze to the floor of the stage.

"Adam?" I called and his head shot up.

"What?" He shrugged his shoulders, a smirk present.

"What do you mean what?"

"What do you mean what do I mean what?" He raised his eyebrows, a defensive spark in his puppy dog eyes.

"Ok, I'm not about to do this." I sighed, running a hand through my hair.

"Then don't." He said, with a shrug, walking over to the ropes.

"Ok, what the hell is up with you today?" I asked, tying up the trash bag, because at this point I was done .

"I don't know what you're talking about." He argued.

"Really? Cause we haven't a conversation in like 5 years and that only happened because you choked on a peppermint in 7th grade. And by the way the universal sign for choking is this." I fumed, crossing my arms over my chest and reaching my hands towards my throat, only half-joking.

"Well I'm sorry that I was 12 and didn't know the fucking universal sign for choking." He yelled, leaning the broom against the side of the entrance to backstage.

"Well!"I sighed exasperatedly, tying up the last trash bag.

"Are you done now?"He raised his eyebrows, as his eyes gleamed with annoyance, and something else I couldn't quite pick up on.

I couldn't help but scoff, lugging the trash bag up the stairs to the stage, where I threw it down dramatically. Because hey, why not?

"Yeah..." I nodded my head, as I set my lips in a straight line, defiantly. "Yeah, Adam, I'm done."

He sighed, frustratedly, sitting down on the edge of the stage, if feet dangling over the side, his hand over his eyes.

"That's not what I meant. You know that's not what I meant, right?"

I let his words sink in, sitting down beside him on the edge of the stage, my feet knocking into his occasionally.

"That's what you don't get, Adam. I don't know. In fact, I've known you for 10 years, and... I don't really know anything about you."

"Maybe it's time we change that." He flashed his award-winning smile at me, and I couldn't help but smile back. But then, I caught myself smiling a little too much, and I blushed, looking down at my feet.

You look towards me, nudging my side with his elbow.

"Do you want that?"

"Like... friends?" I asked, looking back at him.

"Yeah." He smiled again, nodding his head. "Friends. I like the sound of that."

"Yeah. I'd like that, too."

"So... As your friend, I'm sorry saying what I said earlier. You don't suck. You're actually very talented."

"Well, thank you. You are,too. But everyone knows that. You're Adam Raegan."

"Thank you?" He chuckled, and his laugh being asked contagious as it is, I couldn't help but join in.

"Can I ask kind of a personal question?"

"Um, depends what it is."

"I just... I noticed you look a little... Different. I guess I just want to know why? Like, obviously you don't need a reason. But I was just wondering if there's like a reason behind it."

"Well, if you really want to know, you know part of the reason. You've known me for 10 years. I always got judged, and picked on for the way I looked. And I was tired of it. And I'm not saying I was giving into the bullies, because that's not good either. But if I'm being honest, I never really liked the way I looked, either. So, I did something about it."

"Please tell me I'm not one of the reasons."

"Oh, so you think the world revolves around you?" I joked, smirking at him.

"No." He smiled. "It's just no one should feel bad for the way they look. And I really don't want to be one of the reasons anyone feels like that."

"Oh. Well, that's really sweet. I'm glad you think like that. Not many people in this school do. And, I can't believe I'm about to say this, but a part of me always wanted to look like one of the girls you might like. And I know it's stupid, and now I fully embarrass myself, so-"

"No, you haven't. And I... I think it's kind of... Cute."

"Y-You do?" My eyes nearly bulged out of my head, as I saw him smile.

"Yeah." His smile grew, as he bit his lower lip, and I ducked my head down."Yeah, I do."

I refused to look at him, my face still a burning red. All that could be heard was his steady breathing, and my erratic breathing rumbling around in my chest, until all I could see, hear, feel was his lips against mine.