Chapter Twelve

I quickly say,

"No," A little too out of breath. Fun fact: thinking makes me lose breath. Interesting.

"Then.." He says wanting me to continue I assume. It sounded more of a question anyway.

"As in, you kinda cut the convo short and I'm just bored so yeah, but it's alright if you're busy I mean I can go back to binge watching shows and eating the bag full of snac-" I start rambling on, but he cuts me off.

"It's fine, I'm not busy." He says quickly, his voice lightening a bit, making me feel a little better. I was convinced I was terrible company.

"Well you sound kinda like it. What's with all the shuffling?" I ask, trying to listen to the background noise more clearly. There's been noise in the background since he first picked up.

"Just putting away all my brother's toys and stuff. He made a mess while he was here." He was here? What does that mean?

"What do you mean by he was here? Doesn't he live with you?" I ask quickly, not even considering the possible options. I seriously have no filter on my mouth.

Canadian Tire? Where you at?

"Uh....um yeah he does. I mean...he..uh trashed my room." He stutters a bit, before confirming what he said by repeating it.

"Oh," I say finally putting two and two together. Even then, something doesn't add up. I just refuse to believe what he just said. Even though it's literally the most normal thing ever.

He trashed his room, so he's cleaning up after him.

That's all right?

"So you're cleaning after your little brother?" I try to rephrase, making myself clear.

"Yeah, he's gone now so I kinda have too. As in, he's gone out with...our parents." He adds softly, and I nod to myself.

"Wow, such a good big brother you are." I tease him with a small chuckle.

"Shut up, I can do this much. I'm not bad, just a little cocky and super hot." And he goes back to being cocky. I won't lie, I may have liked the stuttering. He sounded so boyish.

"Haha, you're funny." I say sarcastically in the most bored tone I could muster.

"I know right." He seems a little at ease now and I decide to be the same way.

"I was joking." I try to clarify for him. Did he really think I agreed with him?

"Well I'm actually funny though." He argues.

"Then tell me a joke." I encourage him.

"How about one about construction?" What the heck? Okay....

"Why construction out of everything? Anyway sure."

"Give me a sec I'm still working on it." So I just wait until he's ready but he doesn't say anything. It's just continuous silence. For like thirty seconds.

"Um helloo! Are you still there?" I say into the microphone, loud and clear.

"Yeah," he breathes out.

"What happened to your construction joke?" I tease him with a giggle.

"That was it. Give me a sec I'm still working on it. Get it, like working as in working on construction. Come on, you don't understand that?" He asks surprised, as if it was the easiest thing to understand.

"I do, but that was just baddd! Like it wasn't even funny." Jokes are supposed to be funny.

"I'm sure your lips twitched into a smile at least. Don't even try to fucking lie to me." He tries to convince me but really, he's terrible.

"Who do you think you are, some guy who can see people from miles away? Cause clearly you thought wrong. I didn't even smile a bit." I say truthfully, I didn't even get it. Well, it was that bad.

"Well how about another one?" He says hopefully.

"No thanks, I don't really wanna hear another boring phrase you call a joke. You know I called you to entertain me and keep my company cause I was bored but you're making me even more bored." I admit, hoping he doesn't get offended. I wince as soon as a long silence hits.

Shoot, I messed up, didn't I?

"Well sorry, I'm a tough guy, not a little nerd who reads joke books to tell girls who randomly call them on a random Saturday afternoon, telling them they're bored." He says finally and I'm sure he could've heard me let out a huge breath. Yeah, maybe I'm just normal and not a slut.

"Well then, I guess I called the wrong guy, let me hang up." I say quickly, removing the phone from my ear playfully, hoping he can hear my voice becoming quieter as the distance from the speaker increases.

"Wait, wait I was joking! You don't need to! Here I know my brother had a joke book, just give me a sec." He rushes out quickly and I decide to give him a second chance. A few seconds later, I hear papers turning.

"Okay, I got it, how about this one....why is Peter Pan always flying?" He tries quickly, as if he doesn't want me to hang up. His voice is breathless and airy, but this time, he seems determined.

"I don't know, because he can and because I would if I ever could, cause I'd be able escape from school and all my problems. Wouldn't you?" I ask him.

"Sure, if I could, but it's because he neverlands." He says and my mouth instantly form an 'oh' shape.

"Ohhh! That's good." At least better than his construction joke.

"See, I'm not that bad." He argues, and I can picturing him smirking to himself.

"That was your brother's book. Thank him on behalf of me for keeping me entertained on a lonely Saturday afternoon."

"Ok I will. I told him about you. He instantly thought we were dating." I could barely imagine that. We just wouldn't work out. I am so naive and he is the exact opposite. I'm sure the opposites attracts doesn't work for this.

"Hello, Erin you there?" I guess I zoned out for a bit. A very long bit. Imagining the both of us as a couple that'd never exist.

"Yeah..right here." I breath out, barely.

"Did you imagine us dating?" He teases.

"Uh no, I didn't. I mean I couldn't imagine it, we're so different." I say to him and it's exactly what I was thinking. No lies right there.

"True, like we got absolutely no similarities. Except for taste in food." He says with a little chuckle.

"But I mean, why would he say that? Like your brother?"

"Maybe because I don't really have any friends who are girls or he hasn't really seen me with one. I mean it's been a few years." He says and it takes me a few seconds to register what he just said.

"Wow you have zero girlfriends! I cannot believe that!" I practically explode, curling myself up into a ball on the couch, as I practically roll around and laugh my guts out.

"I can't have tons anyway. That would just be rude to all of those girls. Besides I don't have zero, I have one friend who's a girl and you know who that is." He can be a gentleman at times...I try to convince myself.

"Yeah, me." I say, proud and confident.

"Yup. I could consider your friends my friends, but we've never really talked. But, that girl that was with you at the fair was on some whole other level. Corey kinda had a crush on her for the first couple days until he saw her super drunk and weird at the Halloween party. His feelings turned into disgust cause the first thing he saw was her puke." I can imagine the picture. It probably happened when Logan was flirting with me. Freaking Logan.

"Ugh gross. But yeah Avery's really outgoing though. But, she kinda likes someone else so I guess it was good it was just plain lust." I tell him the truth.

"And your other friend Reagan. She seems nice and very mom-like. She was practically babysitting Avery." He recalls the memory of the party. He's never seen her before other than that time.

"You noticed a lot." I point out.

"I mean, yeah I guess." He says, quietly. He's very good with his eyes.

"Okay back to the topic: girls." I say loudly, getting into a comfortable position to get ready for him to spill all the hot tea.This is getting interesting.

"What about them? There isn't much to say." He mutters simply. Oh sure...

"Have you ever had a girlfriend?" I shoot my first proper question.

"Have you ever had a boyfriend?" He shoots back.

Pang to my already broken heart.

"Answer my question first." I argue.

"No, I don't wanna talk about it, but yeah I have." He answers, thankfully.

"Ok, I haven't. And you've never talked to girls after whatever happened between you and your girlfriend?" I question again, confidently, risking the whole conversation.

The one time we actually can converse without him annoying me to death, I ask him the riskiest question-

"Yeah, other than you, which is why Jay thinks we are dating. Don't worry, I made it clear we are no more than friends." Phew.

"Yeah, okay good." And I pause not knowing what to say next.

"I didn't know we were friends." I say quietly, hoping he heard and didn't at the same time.

"Why not? I've known you for like three months now and we call and text. Why, what are your conditions for being a friend....babygirl?" He asks and I can picture him smirking on the other side of the phone. Again. It's like a permanent feature of his.

"I don't have conditions and I'm definitely not your babygirl. Please don't call me that in front of your little brother, he's gonna really think we're dating after that, not that you can call me that now anyway." I make sure to make myself clear.

"Well, that's what I named you. Even though your name is a beautiful name as well." He adds and my heart almost flutters, whatever that feels like.

"Then why don't you call me by my name?"

"I do, but sometimes I like calling you by the name I gave you. Just to annoy you for fun, don't take it too seriously. I've lost a lot of friends like that." He adds the last part, from what I assume, sadly.

"Awh the cocky badboy is sad. Poor baby." I say in a babyish voice.

"Shut up, I'm being serious. I don't wanna lose another friend for making a stupid joke again." And for once this whole conversation, I think he's being serious. Other than the very beginning when I apologized for doing nothing at all.

"Don't worry, I'm not leaving anytime soon." I say trying to sound comforting in a friendly way, and lets just hope he takes it the way I want him too.

"Oh, I wish you would. Just kidding, you're great company. By the way, I'm going out. Wanna join?" He asks, rushed.

"Uh...um, I don't know. Maybe.." I trail off. Do I want to hang out with him? Is it worth giving up Netflix and almost finished food?

"It's just a friendly outing. I need to buy some stuff from the mall. I'll buy you some food. How about now?" I remember what Avery said about not bringing him home. Going out somewhere wouldn't mean the same thing right?

"Um sure. I'll come." I agree finally, packing up the snacks and shoving them back into the bag.

"You did say you were bored." He further convinces after I agree.

"Yeah, I'll just get ready then. Which mall? I've got a a car so I can meet you there." I don't need another ride from him. No freaking way.

"Don't worry about that. I'll pick you up. Be ready in twenty." He assures me and I decide not to argue. We argue enough as it is.

"Okay then, see ya. Bye." I say awkwardly.

"Wow, Erin you couldn't get more awkward could ya?" He laughs a genuine laugh. I don't laugh along with him. I'm not mad, just confused how we went from strangers to friends so quickly.

"Anyway, I'll see ya in a bit." He says, filling up the silence that I should've said something in. And with that, the line goes dead.

That was a long call.

I run around my room, picking up as many decent clothes as possible, but nothing seems good enough.

It's just the mall Erin, nothing fancy.

My phone beeps with a message.

don't stress over an outfit

dress casual

Well that totally makes me feel better. What's casual? A hoodie, or a sweater or a basic graphic tee? And I can't call Avery or Reagan for advice, that would just make things worse. And my great advice giver isn't even an option. Great, just great.