I'm Scott Malkinson

12- Is This Love?

Scott laid across Sophie's bed on his side, propping up his head with one hand. Sophie laid next to him in a similar position, a bowl of sugar free cookies sitting between them. Sophie's laptop was propped up in front of them playing Luca.

Wednesday nights were movie nights for the two of them, they happened pretty much exclusively at Sophie's house as Scott's dad got weirdly aggressive about streaming services. Scott had learned to never bring them up around him anymore.

"Wait? Are they seriously going to make a Vespa out of all of that garbage?" Scott asked skeptically.

"Maybe not a good one, but they're sure going to try," Sophie giggled.

Scott liked this. Hanging out with her was comfortable. He wasn't nervous and overthinking like he was around Clyde. Now this, this was the kind of person he should be thinking of late at night. Someone he could comfortably hang out with, and laugh with. Someone who had been nice to him for years, even if their first impression wasn't the best. When Scott had met Sophie he'd been so caught up in the fact that finally someone else he went to school with had diabetes as well, he forgot to see past that and look at all her wonderful characteristics. He'd put her in a box in the same way all his classmates had done to him for years. She'd been kind enough to give him a second chance.

The movie was now at the scene where Luca and Alberto rode their makeshift Vespa down the hill together. Scott's breath hitched as he watched Luca tighten his grip around Alberto's waist. He wondered how it'd feel for someone to hold onto him like that, as if their life depended on it. God, he was so touch starved it was sad.

"Dang Scott," Sophie started, breaking him from his thoughts. "Did you actually get any of those cookies in your mouth? I swear your face is just covered in crumbs and melted chocolate.

"I was just saving some for later," he joked, sticking his tongue out at her. Granted, it had already been sticking half out of his mouth before he even started speaking, so it likely didn't have the impact he was hoping for.

Sophie pulled her sweatshirt sleeve over her hand. "Here let me clean you up a bit," she said, reaching her hand up to the side of his face. Her sweatshirt was black, so she wasn't too concerned about getting chocolate stains on it. She wiped her sleeve around his mouth, getting the crumbs and chocolate off. Then, when she was finished she rested her hand on the side of his face, slightly stroking  his cheek with her thumb. "There, all handsome now."

"Are you saying I was ugly before," teased Scott.

"No," she replied, a small smile turning up at the corners of her mouth. "You've never been ugly."

Finally, after what felt like forever, she tore her gaze away from him and rolled over onto her stomach to continue watching the movie. Scott kept glancing over at her. Was that a romantic moment? Or was she just being nice? He legitimately couldn't tell. Did he want it to be romantic? It had felt nice, he'd enjoyed it but it hadn't been anything magical or groundbreaking. Maybe it wasn't meant to be. His parents certainly never seemed to feel that strongly for each other, but they were comfortable and happy.

Scott spent the rest of the movie pondering whether or not he had feelings for Sophie. When he got home he decided to look up online "signs you might be falling for someone."

When something happens, they're the first person you want to tell.

Sophie was usually the only person he wanted to tell. Who else would he even talk to? That was one point yes for Sophie.

You think about them all the time.

Scott didn't always actively think about her, but usually she was at least taking up space in the back of his mind. Maybe like a half point for that one.

They make you feel like a teenager again.

Scott skipped that one. Of course he felt like a teenager around Sophie, because he was one. That wasn't really relevant here.

They become a priority.

Scott would never dare miss a movie night or one of Sophie's soccer practices. Every Wednesday and Friday he was there. He scheduled things like doctors appointments around those days. That sounded like priority status to him. Another point for yes.

They make you feel better about yourself.

She always had. Scott remembered how happy he felt when she tracked him down on the playground after making a fool of himself in fourth grade. She told him she wanted to get to know him better, and at that moment he'd felt totally on top of the world.

You can't imagine life without them.

That one was a resounding yes. Life without Sophie would be pretty dull and lonely. Scott couldn't imagine growing up and not being able to talk to her about the things that happened in his life. He wanted to have movie nights every Wednesday for the rest of his life. Scott didn't like change. He didn't want to imagine a time in his life when he couldn't still have that.

Scott looked at his answers, and with them all laid out in front of him like that, it seemed obvious to him: he loved Sophie. Right?