Black

chapter seventeen.

Song for this chapter:

Let It Go by James Bay

Such a great voice.

It's been a week.

A week of ignoring the fact that I was rejected.

A week of working a summer job in the market.

A week of hot summer days and sweating nonstop.

Along with working at the market, a whole week of Peter shooting me smiles and flirting as if I don't know what flirting is.

I play it cool though, letting him down easy. Jackie says I should just go on a date with him and see how it goes but I'm not up for that.

I'm not over Harry.

I don't think I'll ever be.

He was different. He was the one who actually made me smile, like really smile. And I felt more alive than I've ever been just standing on the ledge of a roof with him.

But I want to be over him.

He doesn't want me.
So why am I torturing myself? I scoff at myself.
I'm daft for falling for someone who doesn't feel the same way I do.

"Raina."

I snap out of my thoughts and look up to Peter. His brow is raised and he's looking at the crate I've been stocking. I look down at it to see I've mixed all the fruits in the order they aren't supposed to be in.

"Are you alright?" He asks.

"Yeah. Sorry." I pick the fruits out one by one and start over again.

"You've been in another world lately." He says, a sense of humor in his voice.

"I'm sorry." I say.

"Don't apologize." He smiles a bright smile. "It's cute."

I roll my eyes at him and he chuckles.

"Let me take you to lunch." He says.

"Are you asking or telling?" I ask playfully. He breathes a laugh.

"Can I take you to lunch?" He asks respectively. "Not as a date. As a friend."

I look at him and narrow my eyes.

"A good friend." He adds and I breathe a laugh.

"Okay." I say.

"Really?" He says.

"Yeah. Why not?" I shrug. "We're friends."

"Yeah. Friends." He smiles.

"See. I'm not so bad, right?" Peter smiles at me as I calm my laughter from his lame joke about the buff guy sitting across the street from us.

"You're horrible." I laugh.

"Okay. Let's see what you've got. Give me your best joke." He leans forward, elbows on the table.

"Okay." I sit back and think about the lamest joke. "Oh I have one. What's brown and sticky?"

His brow raises as he laughs before he thinks.

"Brown and sticky." He repeats to himself. "Brown and sticky."

I bite my lip to keep myself from laughing.

"That's a trick question. It's poop." He says and I laugh again.

"A stick." I say and he laughs.

"That was actually a good one." He says.

"So you have the lamest jokes." I joke and he smiles at me.