His Number One : The Sequel to Chemistry

Chapter 22

It was the first week of December. Weeks had gone by, and everyday since that night at Jordan's house, Kaylin had been wondering where Tyler's heart truly was. It was like every time she's had an opportunity to scoop him up and make her his own, some other girl was always there to act as an obstacle. That obstacle at this time was Mariah Hales. Kaylin rolled her eyes at the thought of the name as she pulled the front doors of the school open.

"Kaylin," a voice from close behind called.

She stopped walking and turned her attention to the caller of her voice. She smiled as Nathan took the empty space beside her. "Hey."

"Hey," he greeted back. "Are you busy this Friday?"

Inwardly, she feared that he'd try to ask her on another date. So she had convinced herself to lie and say that she was busy, but she was kind of curious to see what he actually had planned, so she truthfully said, "No. They pushed Friday's game back until Monday. Some district officials are supposed to be coming to check the scoreboards that day or something like that."

"Do they always do that?"

"No. Last week Lakeside lost their first game. They blamed it on the away team's scoreboard. They claim it was 'sabotaged'," she rolled her eyes with this statement. "I personally just think they're sore losers. Anyway, the Superintendent ordered for every high school in the county to have their score boards thoroughly tested before they could host another game."

"Ah," Nathan replied.

"So what's happening Friday?" Kaylin asked as she stopped in front of her locker. Nathan did the same.

"I just wanted to know if you'd want to go the movies with me."

Kaylin held her books down in front of her and her mouth remained slightly ajar as she tried to think of a legitimate excuse.

"I mean," Nathan quickly interrupted, "as friends."

Her opened mouth quickly formed into a smile. That worked for her. After all, who said friends couldn't hang out? An enthusiastic, "Okay," was her final answer.

"Cool. I gotta run to Mrs. Ordeniro to turn in some make up work. See you in third?" he said as Kaylin turned to unlock her locker.

"I'll be there," she replied before he turned and walked down the hall.

For a minute, she had forgotten about Tyler and Mariah. But as soon as Nathan left, the situation was pushed back to the fore front of her mind, and she sighed and slammed her locker shut because of it. She tried to look on the bright side: Maybe nothing happened after that night at Jordan's house. Maybe Tyler just thinks she's pretty and doesn't even like her like that. Maybe I'm just worrying too much.

But every pre meditated result that made the "bright side" list was quickly rebutted as she sat in front of Tyler and Jacob later that morning in Mrs. Barkley's classroom. Jacob had brought up Mariah out of nowhere and Tyler had gotten so excited at the mentioning of her name, that every single thing that involved the upcoming romance between he and her came out, whether he intended it to or not. What Kaylin collected from his outburst was that he and her text almost everyday, she's not as innocent as she thought, and that Tyler thinks she's "hot as h*ll".

"How did you even get her number?" Kaylin abruptly broke in as Tyler was going on about a conversation he and Mariah had.

Both him and Jacob looked over at her. "You gave it to me," he answered blandly.

"I did?"

"Yeah," he replied. "The day after Jay got jumped. It was on that pink sticky note."

Kaylin exhaled heavily, rolled her eyes, and ran her fingers through her hair, all in an exasperated manner as she turned towards the front.