A Girl I'd Kinda Be Into

Chapter Eight

Christine's POV

I left that day with no hoodie, a copy of the sheet music to The Prom, and an emptiness in my chest. Was it strange that minutes after seeing her, all I wanted was to be with her again because I missed her?

This was what I pondered in the car, almost causing me to hit a duck that was sitting on the road.

Why was a duck sitting in the middle of the road?! I got out and looked at it.

It looked content, happy even. I decided to nudge it in the direction of the sidewalk. It didn't bother to budge. People were honking and lining up behind my car now. I decide that this was the hill I was willing to die on and pulled out my phone and put it in selfie mode. I wanted a picture of what I was about to do. People looked entertained, anyway.

I picked up the duck, and it laid contentedly in my arms like a calm little cat. I snapped a couple pictures with it, grinning and making stupid faces, before gently plopping it down on the pavement and climbing back in my car to drive away.

I set my phone on my lap and drove, luckily not hitting too many red lights on my way home. I climbed out of my car, making sure to grab my phone, excited to post my duck adventure on my SnapChat story and text it to (y/n).

Maybe she'd think I was super cool because of it! I mean, I held a duck. And it seemed to like me. Or it was at least indifferent, but that's still a win in my book. At least it didn't hate me with a burning passion!

I sent the photo, entering the text "saw a duck on the road a couple minutes ago. i already miss it" and sent it out to the world of SnapChat. Now to text (y/n) about it.

"so... i met a duck on the way home from your place" I typed, attaching the image of me smiling with the bird loosely wrapped in my arms, like how you'd hold a cat or small dog.

"you'd better not be joking young lady" she sent back immediately. I smiled a bit, my chest tingling with a slight pressure.

"i'm not! he was sitting in the road so i had to move him out of the way. figured i could take a pic while i was carrying him to safety" I replied.

"how do you know it's a him??"

"a mother's intuition, (y/n). jeez" I laughed as I typed that out. She was the only person that I could easily joke with in that manner, all sarcastic and stupid. She gave me a sense of freedom just talking to her.

I guess that was why I liked her so much. It was never about her talent or good looks, but her easygoing charm that was easy to get along with and her likability in general. She had a certain charisma about her, and it made her amazingly magnetic. You either wanted to kiss her, befriend her, or be her. Maybe all three.

"i call bull and also the ducks so cute i love it with all seven of my hearts" I grinned at her ridiculous response.

"love is stored in the duck" I sent after coming up with that comment to add to the conversation, which was no easy task mind you.

It was lame and far too easy, and was never going to seduce her into cuddling the life out of me on lazy Sunday mornings, but it was all I could come up with. Cut me some slack, when I was around her my brain would just short circuit a little bit. She made my head spin in the best possible way.

Was I the poor guy? Because as I stated before, my head was spinning.

Ben Fankhauser would be proud.

"love is, indeed, stored in the duck. love is also stored in the Barry Glickman" she responded, making me giggle at my phone.

Like a maniac.

Who laughs anymore, instead of just exhaling loudly through their nose when they find things funny?

Nobody, that's who.

"dear golly gosh i love him. barry is going to prom is the most iconic song on the soundtrack, nobody can ever change my mind" I sent back, sighing like the lovesick schoolgirl I was. Not for Barry Glickman, though I did want to give him a hug, but very obviously for the girl who I was texting.

"i wasn't planning on it because you are SO right girl" (y/n) seemed to be very fond of texting back immediately, which was a good trait. How does one carry on a true conversation if neither of you are particularly paying attention to it?

I don't know why I kept getting side-tracked when I really should have been giving (y/n) my full attention. I wanted to give her my full attention.

Stupid brain.

I shook my head and typed in a little ":)" before sending it and closing the texting app. I really just wanted to take a nap, or listen to the birds singing outside my window. Or maybe blast my brains out listening to showtunes as loud as I wanted.

Yeah, the last one sounded like the best option, so I pulled up Waitress to listen to.

As I heard What's Inside come on, I started to drift away into my own fantasies.

(925 words)