Practice Perfect [bxb]

Chapter 2 - Play It Cool, Kitty Cat!

I wasn't one hundred percent sure how it happened, but Kensington Cole ended up coming home with us after school. I think we touched on the topic in the nurse's station, but he and Orla must have finalised plans after we parted ways. Either way, this worked out fine. I busted through the door and tossed my keys on the couch with Orla and Kensington trailing together behind me. Home at last, it was time to play matchmaker.

Orla came through the door behind me, tossing her bag onto the floor of the entrance that could have taken a single second simply to hang on the hook. Ordinarily, I'd respond with some passive aggressive argument that she would blatantly ignore, then shut down with a slam of her bedroom door. But that would not be the spirit of a wingman this time. Instead, I opted to move it aside, allowing Kensington entry without the obstacle of her bag as he carried in a box of groceries. He smiled his thanks and set the box down on the kitchen counter.

The hangers were a little high on the wall, so I had to tip-toe with her bag to hook it on one. Her bag weighed a ton, and that I had to hold it with the tips of my fingers just to allow for a little more reach didn't help. My shoulder straps were also sliding, so I was combatting every minor convenience in what should have otherwise been a very simple task.

"Need help?" Kensington asked from close behind me, startling me so that I jolted and almost dropped her bag. It'd serve her right, too.

Orla was a good few inches taller than me. Since I always nagged her to keep the house tidy by demanding she place hooks to compensate for all the picking up I had to do, she hung them high in retaliation. Too high. High enough, in fact, that I couldn't even comfortably use them. I kept my bag in my room instead.

"I'm fine," I answered, feigning cheeriness while I stretched well beyond my limits. I struggled to hold her bag above my head while ensuring that it set correctly against the hook. When I thought I had it, I let go.

"Ow!" The bag dropped onto my face. I stepped back until I felt myself press against Kensington, clutching my nose. It felt numb so that I couldn't tell if it was bleeding again or not. Kensington's hands were on the sides of my arms, coaxing me around to face him.

"You alright? How bad is it?" I moved my hands away, checking for more blood. "There's a little blood. Where's your bathroom? I'll help—"

"Don't worry about it," I said. I pulled free of his grasp and brushed his hands away as politely as I could. I waved him off. "This is nothing. I can deal with it myself. Go find Orla and have fun."

Kensington frowned. "Here, at least let me help until your parents get home—"

"Then you'd be helping me for the rest of my life," I tried to joke, but the frown on his face told me it fell flat. There was no saving it. "Go find my sister. Her room is down the hall, second door to the left."

"What'd you mean by that?" he asked. Why was he ignoring all those opportunities to spend time with his crush? His priorities were seriously in the weirdest order.

"Nothing!" I insisted. Since my hands were dirty, I pushed on his shoulders with my wrists, guiding him towards my sister's room. "Go find Orla. Go find Orla!"

I brushed past him and made for the bathroom. I soaked my face in water and scrubbed my hands clean, though they weren't as bloodied as earlier today. My nose still felt numb, but nothing crunched or looked broken, so I figured it'd come right in no time. If experience resulted in increasing rank, then I had already attained a godlike status of getting hit. This much was nothing.

When I left the bathroom and returned to the entrance for a second attempt, I found he had already hung the bag. While I had no preconceived ideas about his personality before meeting him, I didn't expect him to be so caring and kind. It was nice to think about Orla being with someone so genuine, even if they were total opposites. But maybe in some strange, twisted way, they complemented each other: a tall, intimidating, curly haired diva with a cool, composed, altruistic guy. Opposites attract, after all.