Blame Gravity

Chapter 12

It's been a few days since the thing that happened in the library. The results for the coding competition come in today, and it's all I can think about all day. 

Between French and English, I'm talking to Layla when Mike comes up to me and kisses me on the cheek. 

"Oh, hey," I say, and I feel my cheeks heat.

"Hey, beautiful," I sense that Layla is trying not to laugh, and that makes me want to laugh as well. Fuck. "We still up for today?"

"Hell yes," I say, and I smile at him. He smiles back and walks away.

When he's gone, Layla and I burst out laughing.

"What the fuck was that?" Layla asks.

"I don't know, he always does this," I chortle. "I think he's trying to show everyone I'm his."

"Well, maybe," Layla says. "Kinda romantic, though."

"I know," I sigh.

We leave it at that.

After the last lesson, we run to the lunchroom, where all the people that took part in the competition arranged to meet. 

We're supposed to get the results e-mailed at 15:15, and everyone is anxiously waiting. I see James, too, so full of himself, laughing with his friends about what he's gonna do when he wins the trip to London. Asshole.

It's 15:15 and we finally get the results. I open the e-mail and...

FIRST PLACE!

I can't believe it.

I start reading the rest of the e-mail. 

And that's when I see it. It's a shared placement.

With James.

Which means we're going to London. Together.

I look at James, and I see he's examining me too. His friends are cheering next to him, but he seems terrified. His phone is still in his hand, and he's staring at me,  looking absolutely frightened.

I can only imagine what I look like. 

I run out of the lunchroom, down the stairs, out of the school. I have to leave. I need to get as far away from here as I can.

I only notice I'm crying when I'm already on the tram. God, why do things like this always happen to me? I've done everything right, I've never hurt anyone, and this is what I get in return?

We leave on Saturday. My parents bring me to the airport and I kiss Maya on the head one more time before I walk over to James.

I've decided I'll just stay away from him. Nothing will happen. 

When he sees me, he blushes and looks away.

"What's wrong, Miller?" I ask.

"Nothing. It's just that..." He looks at me. "That dress looks awesome on you."

I freeze for a moment. What the fuck? Did he just give me a genuine compliment? I stare at him in shock, and he looks away, unable to keep eye contact.

Finally, I clear my throat. "Thanks," I whisper. "You don't look as terrible as usual, either."

He gives me a huffish smile and turns back to the landing area. 

"We leave in a few minutes!" I hear Mr. Simmons' voice. Right, he'll be there too. 

The plane ride itself is uninteresting. James and I shoot curious glances at each other and look away when the other notices, I chat with Layla on Whatsapp, and I check my social media.

That's literally it.

It's late when we arrive, and we're in front of a small motel. We walk inside, and the receptionist looks incredibly kind. An employee leads us to our rooms. James and I get one room, which already isn't very nice, but alright (at least we have separate beds, according to what the employee said) and Mr. Simmons gets another. 

James is handed the key, and we walk inside. 

And that's when we see it.

There's. Only. One. Bed.

We run back outside and ask the employee why that is, and he says there must have been a mistake, but the hotel is full, and so they can't give us a new room.

James and  I just kinda stay there, silent, unable to even look at each other.

"I'm not sleeping on the floor," James finally whispers.

"Neither am I."

We stay silent for a moment and walk back to the room quietly. 

"Let's think about this later, alright?" James says. "We'll get ready for bed, and then we decide what happens."

I nod and walk to the bathroom. It's perfectly clean, and I take a long bath. 

"Canmore! You done yet?" I hear every two minutes.

"No," I scream back.

After the 30th time he asks me if I'm done, he says "If you don't come out in two minutes I'm coming in! I don't care if you're naked!"

"We'll see about that!"

"Fine!"

He keeps his word. In two minutes, he storms inside. He just looks at me awkwardly for a moment, and then he seems glad that my body isn't visible because of the soap bubbles.

"Hurry up, Canmore," he finally says, and I notice his cheeks have turned bright pink.

"Keep it in your pants, Miller!" I yell back, and I disappear under the water. 

I finally come out of the bathroom, and he rushes in. He finishes showering in under one minute, which would make you think he didn't actually do it, but nope. He smells like body wash, and the water is dripping from his perfect body, a towel covering his lower part.

He comes out, still drying himself off with another towel. Fuck, he's hot.

"See, Canmore?" he says. "It can be done quickly."

"Shut up," I whisper, and when I notice my voice is hoarse, I clear my throat. 

He looks at me and smiles. "Nice pajamas, Canmore."

"Fuck off." I sit down on the bed. I start frolicking my pajamas with little hearts and flowers on them. I should have brought another one. Then again, I didn't know I'd be sleeping in the same room as this fucking Greek god, or whatever. 

He puts on a shirt and some pants while I  look away and he sits down next to me. 

"So, what's the plan?" he finally asks.

"I... I don't know."

"We could, uh, sleep on separate sides, you know. I don't want it either, but if you really insist on sleeping on the bed, then I guess so."

I nod. "Yeah. But absolutely no funny business! And there must be at least 2 feet between us at all times. Deal?"

He nods. "Deal."