I was strolling through the markets of Seattle with Mel. She already had three bags of clothes from different stores while I had only bought one jacket to keep me warm. Fashion was never about the latest trends for me. I always considered comfort. I didn't wear scarfs and stoles because they were 'in', I wore them because they kept me cozy and protected my neck area from too much of sunlight when I stepped out.
"So he keeps looking at you, he stood up for you and you guys even went for coffee once?" Melissa says, contemplating over all that I told her about Alastair like a complex maths sum.
"Well yes." I mutter unsurely. She is so unpredictable, I try to gauge her reaction. She suddenly turns to face me.
"Oh my god Gracie! You like him!" She shrieks and some of the people on the street turn to look at us.
"No." I defy like a child.
"You're blushing! Shit, my best friend finally likes someone!" She says in an even louder pitch and I roll my eyes as I pull her inside the nearest milkshake stop. She was blocking someone's way on the road and I had enough of the dirty glares already.
"Can we please sit and talk about this?" I say and she grins whilst sitting down on a two seater table. We give our orders to the waiter, with Melissa staring at me the whole time.
"Can you please stop looking at me like that?" I sigh as the waiter walks away.
"You should have told me about this earlier. I would have never suspected that you'd like the school's jock." She says and I furrow my eyebrows.
"Alastair isn't like that. He isn't the bad boy everyone makes him out to be." I say and Melissa claps her hands in glee.
"See, you're already so defensive of him. You so like him!" She says and I thank the waiter when he places our drinks in front of us.
"I don't like him Mel." I glare at her. "It may seem like that to you because I hardly give any attention to guys and I don't recieve any from them. He's one of the first boys I'm kind of close to and that's why you're jumping to conclusions."
"Okay, chuck what I said. Does he make you smile?"
I remember how he copies my expressions and how he cracked silly jokes that day to make me laugh.
"Yes."
"Do you blush around him?"
I do that all the time. There's no even denying it. Alastair is just so charming.
"Yes."
"Being around him makes you happy?"
Conversation with him just flows and I don't have to feel concious about myself. Also, he is great company.
"Yes."
"There it is! You like him!" Melissa says, removing the straw from her mouth like she just found the answer to the most complicated equation ever. She continues, "Now I know you'll go home, lie on your bed and try to 'unlike' him if possible but baby this isn't a Facebook status! It's your very first crush. It'll stay with you." She says and I groan, feeling miserable.
"Okay maybe I do. But I don't want to Mel." I say in a distressed manner. Mel looks concerned and pushes her chair closer to me. The waiter watches us. I don't think moving the seats around is allowed here.
"Why?" She asks, rubbing my back.
"I don't want to be distracted. Also, I'm afraid of rejection. I've never liked a boy like this before and I'm really confused of my feelings. I don't want it to escalate to anything else. Also, Alastair isn't my type. Seeing him with any other girl will hurt, and that's inevitable, because he changes girls every two weeks." I say all that is on my mind and Melissa licks her lips before starting.
"You don't need to worry about that. Because your feelings are definitely not one sided." She says and I choke on my chocolate milkshake.
"Come on Gracie, stop acting like those girls on that teen show." Mel rolls her eyes and I glare at her.
"Me? You're the one who's over reacting. Jumping on the roads and now passing these ridiculous comments!" I say and she ignores my statement.
"I've seen the way he looks at you. Heck, he even tried to protect you and you went on a date as well." She says and I blankly put in,"Our coffee rendezvous wasn't a date, it was a friendly outing."
She rolls her eyes again. "Keep denying it all you want. Date, outing, it's all the same. A girl and boy alone, out to get coffee, it's a date. Jeez Grace, what all hints should the poor boy drop?"
"They aren't alone if they're with each other." I deadpan.
"Should I laugh?" Melissa says with a blank face but when I sigh, Melissa places her hand on the top of mine and pulls my cheek.
"Look Gracie. It's just liking. A little crush. It happens to people all the time. No big deal. What I'm saying is, you don't love him! And trust me you won't. I'm not going back on what I said. That guy does have feelings for you. Atleast teeny-weeny ones. I've seen how he looks at you. Even I'm jealous! Just go with the flow. Enjoy it while it lasts. You don't have to get into a relationship with him. It's our senior year anyways, you guys aren't even in the same class. Maybe these feelings will fade away? Even if they don't, it's okay. Nothing will happen. Once high school is over, you'll forget all about him. But still, be careful. That guy is notorious for stealing hearts, and breaking them." She tries to make me understand and I nod. She was making sense.
"So now instead of sulking over Gracie's first crush, we'll celebrate it!" She says and I smile.
"I love you Mel." I hug her.
"Aww Grace, I love you too." She hugs me tightly and I grin.
Only a little crush, that's it. What could possibly go wrong?
•••
Dedicated to Mishika for all the wonderful reviews about this book.
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Steal my Heart.
Teen Fiction[Previously known as Always.] Gracie Hyde is eighteen and hasn't been in a single relationship. She wants a taste of the drug called love and wants to belong to someone without losing herself. Alastair Kerr is tired of being with new girls every ot...
