friends with benefits - jenzie

meaningless flirting

"i do, augustus, i do."

this part of the fault in our stars always got to me. 

the depth of the two character's love was just so beautiful to me, so fragile. 

sure, the characters weren't real, and in books, love tends to be overdramatized and glorified, but there was something so raw and emotional about augustus and hazel. their relationship was as awkward as in real life. it wasn't perfect; in reality, nothing is. 

i was almost at the end of the book when my doorbell rang. 

johnny. 

who was late...three hours late to be exact. 

i ran downstairs to greet him. maliboo, my dog, started yipping excitedly and followed me. i pulled open the door; johnny stood there staring at his phone. 

"hey." he said, without looking up at me. 

"you're late, orlando." i rolled my eyes. 

"yeah, i'm sorry. i got a little caught up at football practice." he looked up at me as he followed me into the house.

we were supposed to meet at 4, it was now 7. "for three hours?"

"well, you see, these cute cheerleaders asked us to go for ice cream with them, and i still had to shower, so you see the dilemma."

"yeah, obviously. i can see how those girls would be so much more important than the project that'll make up a big part of both of our grades." i looked back at him.

"see, you get it. thanks for understanding, kenz." he smiled.

i shook my head. the dumbass.

we went into my room and i sat on my bed. 

"i like what you've done with your room. no more leonardo dicaprio everywhere?"

"he's right there." i pointed at my picture wall and smiled. 

"oh, right." he sat on my desk chair and put his feet on my bed.

we started on the project and got through a good amount of it. oddly enough, johnny was actually smart. 

"so, ziegs, you going to the party?" he smiled.

"yes, i am. are you?"

"of course. where else am i gonna find a bunch of girls drooling over me?" he smirked. 

i rolled my eyes. "not to boost your ego, but everywhere. you're white boy of the month at the school, although it's not just this month."

"what about you? are you one of those drooling girls?" he moved his face close to mine.

"definitely. you see, i'm so in love with you, and obviously all this hatred i show you is just to cover up my real attraction to you. you've found me out." i smiled.

"i knew it. guess i'm gonna have to save you a dance."

"no." i looked down at my computer and continued typing. 

"why, does little mackenzie have a boyfriend?"

"no, johnny i do not."

"you sure, joey birlem seems a little too attached to you."

joey? never. he's my best friend. johnny doesn't know what he's talking about.

"i think i would know if my bestfriend liked me."

he smirked. "we'll see i guess. i'm still saving you a dance."

i thought about it for a minute. i despised him; but he wasn't horrible and i know that my friends will all be dancing. i might as well try to have fun on friday. 

"i suppose it wouldn't be horrible."

he smiled. "i gotta go. see you tomorrow in class."

"bye." i smiled at him. 

the next day of school was uneventful up until english class. i walked in, preparing to ignore johnny because i'm awkward, when i caught his eye as i walked to my seat. for once, he was early to class. 

i sat and got my binder and book out. i heard the chair beside me move, expecting it to be joey, but it was johnny. 

"good afternoon, ziegs." he smiled.

"hello, john."

"oh, we're on a real name basis i see."

i smiled. "why are you here?" 

"what can a guy not talk to his acquaintance without being judged, mackenzie?"

"joey'll be here any minute and he's not gonna be happy that you're sitting here."

"and? have you seen me compared to him?" 

"don't be rude to my bestfriend, please." 

"okay, i'm sorry." he started to whisper. "i had an idea. so you know how you don't believe that joey likes you?"

i nodded. he doesn't like me. johnny was delirious. 

"what if we figured out if he liked you or not?"

"how?"

joey walked in at that moment, seeing johnny, his face instantly turning sour.

"like this." johnny saw him too. he raised his hand to a strand of hair that peeked out from my low bun. he put it behind my ear like how they do it in the movies. 

my heart started to speed up and blood rushed to my cheeks. johnny's face was inches from mine, his green eyes pulling me in. 

he dropped his hand and smirked. "are you blushing, ziegler?"

"what's this?" joey said, staring at me.

"nothing. johnny and i were just discussing our project."

he continued to smirk as he got up. "she's all yours, birlem. for now, atleast." he went to his seat. 

what just happened. i did not just blush because of johnny orlando. 

joey stared at me questioningly as i started down at my notes, letting that one piece of hair fall back down.