Runaway

Chapter 8

I stop at a mail box before heading home after school. I plant a small kiss my job application, for good luck, and shove it through the outgoing mail slot. With that, I pick up my phone to call Dave to pick me up. Before I get a chance, a text message pops up from Collins: Excited for tonight ;)

We're just doing work what's so exciting about that? I hear a car pull up behind me, and of course it's Shawn.

"Need a ride Fuller?" He asks me, pulling up to the curb and rolling down the window.

"You're lucky I do, otherwise I'd be mad you're still following me," I tell him jokingly. He slides across the seat and props open the door for me. His car is nice inside. The smooth leather seats and high tech speaker system scream bad boy. How typical. He smirks at me as I buckle in and starts driving.

"So are you excited for your little date tonight?" He asks me, watching for a reaction out of the corner of his eye.

"It's not a date," I tell him. "We're just doing the project. And not only do you follow me, but now you listen in on my conversations too?" I say, raising my eyebrow.

"I overheard," he replies. "I wasn't eavesdropping if that's what you're implying."

"If you insist," I laugh. "Are you excited to do yours with Kaitlynn?" I tease him.

"Super excited," he exclaims sarcastically. I can feel tension slowly building up as his hand wanders towards mine. I move my hand away and stare out the window for the rest of the car ride.

He drops me off and waits until I'm safe in the house before driving off. It's things like that, that makes it hard not to fall for him. I greet everyone when I come in and let them know Collins is coming over to work on a project. Aunt Joyce raises her eyebrows at the news, suspiciously, but everyone else doesn't mind.

I jolt when I hear the knock on the door. I collect myself and answer it, Collins standing in the doorway. I tell him to come in and offer him water. Before he can respond, Lily rushes into the room. "Mai is he your boyfriend?" She asks, curiously. I throw a towel at her.

"Lily, I already told you he was coming he's not my boyfriend stop it," I scold her, embarrassed.

"Come on, it's an easy mistake," Collins joins in, slyly. "You never know what could happen..."

"Oh yeah I forgot, Shawn's your boyfriend," Lily states, sticking out her tongue at Collins.

"Shawn?" He repeats after Lily, "That Gates kid is your boyfriend?" He asks, now turned to me.

"He's not," I tell him, giving Lily a death stare. "I don't have a boyfriend. And anyways we're here to do school so let's stop talking about my love life..." I take Collins hand and we go to my room to work.

"Ok," I start, "What reading from class did you wanna review?"

"Hmm straight to work now?" Collins replies, smirking.

"I want to get this done," I tell him sternly, hiding the smile on my face. We talk for a while about the paper, until Collins gets side tracked again...

"So you took me to your room on the first date then?" he asks coyly. I roll my eyes and draw my attention back to the paper. He snatches it out of my hands, dangling it like a carrot. "Come get it." He says, grinning. I reach for the paper and he lifts it higher.

"Why do people keep calling this a date," I say, giving up on getting my paper back.

"Who else called this a date?" Collins asks, suddenly curious.

"Shawn."

"Ahhh, Gates," he replies. I detect some irritation in his voice. "You know he just wants to get in your pants, right?" My heart stops at his words. A lump grows in my throat and I don't know how to respond.

"Shawn isn't like that," I tell him shakily. "We haven't even kissed. We're just friends."

"He's jealous," Collins continues. "Jealous that your spending time with another guy. Would your friend be jealous of that?" he starts leaning in closer.

I back away, "He's with Kaitlynn I know he's not jealous." I'm more trying to convince myself. "And there's nothing to be jealous of because we aren't doing anything together." I tell Collins as I reach to take my paper back. He flinches, surprised but still waves it up higher, where I can't reach.

"But we are doing something together," he says, leaning into me again. My stomach starts turning and my palms suddenly feel sweaty. He gets so close I can smell his cologne now. He lowers the paper to my level, but I couldn't care less about that now. The tip of his nose brushes against mine and I close my eyes.

Suddenly, my door bursts open. Lily sprints into the room calling my name. Collins and I both pull away quickly, praying Lily didn't see. But by the look of shock on her face, I know she did. "Why were you calling me?" I clear my throat and turn to look at her.

"You sure do look like her boyfriend if you guys are kissing," she says, as she crosses her arms on her chest. Her pink light up sneakers flash as she stomps her feet on the ground.

"Okay, let's go talk outside," I tell her, as I drag her out of the room and take her to the kitchen. "Lily you know you're supposed to knock before you come in!" I scold her.

"Oops! I forgot!" She replies, smirking an evil grin on her face.

"You did that on purpose!" My mouth drops before Lily runs off laughing. I go back to my room and see Collins waiting on the bed. "Okay, you need to leave. We can keep working in class." I pick up his things and start packing them up while he watches. "Um now!" He laughs and takes his bag.

I can't believe I almost kissed London Collins... I don't even like him. How are we going to do this assignment if the guy can't get through ten minutes without flirting! I sigh and sprawl across my bed. I am going to kill Lily...