Little Hearts

8 | Little Mandarin Kisses

A/N: Fun Fact; I was gonna name this chapter Gender Fluid Otter, but I felt like I needed to keep up with the cute chapter titles, lol.

Anyways, enjoy♥

Chapter Eight

"Merry Christmas."

Kelly stared at me wide-eyed as I held his wrapped gift in my hands. My cheeks felt warm, but I didn't want to look away. I've been working on making eye-contact with people when I talk to them. Kelly was probably the best test subject since I talk to him the most of out everyone. Eventually, he took the rectangular-shaped, penguin-covered object into his hands.

"Thank you, Dane. I—I don't even have your present with me."

"I don't need a present," I objected.

"True, but you do deserve one." He frowned as the bell rang.

"Well, it's time for your math exam. I'll see you later."

I began to turn, but before I could take a single step, Kelly's fingers wrapped them around my wrist. His fingers could wrap around my entire wrist; I had never noticed before.

"Wait, I wanted to ask you something."

He looked around nervously while biting his lower lip. I tilted my head in confusion at his anxious behavior. Usually, I was the one to be acting so restless. He was shifting his weight from foot to foot and looking away, seeming...scared?

"Yeah?" I urged.

"If I pass this exam, can I take you out on a date?"

I felt my jaw go slack and my heart rate picked up tenfold. My stupid heart was probably trying to break my sternum from how strongly it was beating. I fought a smile and bit my lip shyly before replying.

"You don't need to pass an exam to ask me out."

His hand dropped from mine, and I left the building as quickly as my reply had left my lips. I suddenly started thinking to myself: God, he must think I'm an absolute loser. Who even says things like that? Who was I to say such cheesy things—some swooning girl in a romance novel?

I groaned and let my head fall on to my desk when I entered my final exam class. I had always hated chemistry, so I had no idea was I signed up for AP chemistry. I suppose I was good at it, so it wasn't so bad.

I should be happy, I thought in the midst of my exam. He practically asked me out, and I practically said yes. Practically wasn't actuality though. Still though, he wanted to ask me out. I smiled slightly at the thought and sped through the rest of my exam.

I was still smiling when I walked home from school. It might have been small, but it was still a smile. My heart had never felt lighter than it had as I unlocked the door to my house. I set my bag down and wandered into the kitchen. Just as I opened the fridge, my phone buzzed from my back pocket.

Kelly Sanders now

are you home?

I replied back with a simple yes and picked an apple out of the fridge to snack on. I quickly rinsed it off before going to the living room and curled up in the corner of the couch. Less than five minutes later, there was a knock on the door, and I had a feeling I already knew who it was.

I tucked my phone into my pocket and opened the door, apple still in hand.

He was smiling, but it looked kind of nervous. He was holding a glacial blue bag with a glittery snowflake pasted to it. White tissue paper was spilling over the sides of the bag, making me smile slightly.