Too Close [Wattys2015]

Chapter 19: Cooties

The whole week passes by very quickly and on Friday butt hurt jerk and I decide to hang out again.

It doesn't seem awkward between us, but we don't mention anything about what happened in the library. I am kind of confused about it.

He never really told me what he meant when he said it, and I don't want to push it with him.

"I'm hungry," he announces as we pass fast food restaurants.

"Let's go eat then." I tell him. "I brought money."

"Where are we going to eat?" He asks.

I smile. "McDonald's!!"

"Again?" He asks.

"Yes."

He laughs. "You barely ate anything last time,"

"Well I will this time." I look out the window.

"You just want to see that see that kid, don't you?" He looks at me.

"His name is Branson," I remark. "And actually I want to play there again."

He laughs. "Just because we didn't get caught last time doesn't mean we keep doing it."

I lightly punch his arm. "So? Let us get in trouble."

He pulls into McDonald's. "You want to get in trouble?"

"No, but I want to do what I want, which is play McDonald's. And if I get in trouble, it'll be stupid anyway because what's done is done."

"They could make us never come here again." He informs me, we get out of the car.

"Well there's other McDonald's."

He laughs as we enter McDonald's. "What do you want?"

I shrug. "Doesn't matter." I hand him my money. "Go buy you something good, jerk."

He grins. "Will do.",

I go where the play place is and sit down, not many kids are here. You'd think on a Friday night all kinds of  kids would be in here, but they weren't.

Only two kids one was yelling like no tomorrow as the kid went down the slide.

Butt hurt jerk enters the room with a tray of food in his hands with two drinks.

"How can you stand all that yelling?" He asks me, eating his fries.

"They remind me of your squeaky voice," I say.

"Ha-ha." He laughs sarcastically.

Another kid enters the room with an older lady trailing behind him.

The kid sees me, his face brightening. "Ivory!" He yells, his short legs running towards me.

He tackles me into a hug. "Hey Branson!" I laugh, him pulling away to give butt hurt jerk a hug.

"Hey buddy." Jerk says, ruffling his hair.

"Do you guys wanna play when I'm done eating?" Branson sweetly asks, his blonde hair sticking up from jerk.

I fix his hair, patting it down. "Sure."

"Well," jerk says. "I didn't think he'd be here."

"I'm glad he is," I reply. "he's good at hide and seek. Plus he's adorable!"

***

The other two kids had left and it was just us three again. Branson is done eating while his grandma is snoring at the table.

"I'll count first." Branson sweetly says.

"Okay," I smile.

Branson starts counting and I run to hide.

I look at butt hurt jerk who is hiding behind the trash can. I hide behind a chair quickly when Branson yells, "Ready or not, here I come!"

Branson finds me easily. I sigh in defeat, then laugh.

I close my eyes and count while they hide. Finally I yell, "Ready or not, here I come!!"

I look behind the trash can, looking for butt hurt jerk.

He isn't there, but I hear a sound not far away. I whip around to see butt hurt jerk running towards base.

I run after him. "I'm gonna get you!" I yell like a little kid.

His hand slap against the base, turning to look at me and he sings in a sing song voice. "Miss me, miss me now you gotta kiss me!"

For an odd reason, my face turns red. "No way. I have to go find Branson!"

Instead of finding him, he runs into me to give me a hug again. "I missed you." He said.

"Me too, buddy." I whisper. "But now you're it."

"And you have cooties!" Yells butt hurt jerk.

Branson yells back, "I told you I like her cooties! And so do you!"

"What?" I ask.

We walk towards base. Branson looks over at me. "Do you not know? Last time when I said I like your cooties, Collins whispered he liked your cooties too!"

I look over at a red faced jerk face. "That true?" I hold back laughter.

"I'm not lying." Branson looks up at me.

"I don't think you did." I tell Branson who smiles at me. "So you like my cooties, huh?" I ask jerk face.

He rolls his eyes but he smiles. "I did say that."

"Wow, I figured you'd at least deny it at first." I say.

He grins. "What do I have to lose?"

We both look at each other and my lips turn into a smile. I get the sudden urge to go to him and hug jerk face.

"Are you guys going to keep looking at each other like that or are we going to play hide and seek again?" Branson interrupts our little stare.

Uh..Sure let's go." I turn to jerk face. "It's you turn anyway."