Frenemies

14

"So that's it?", I say following after him.

"What's it?", he asks not bothering to look back at me. I do a awkward jog and reach him, my hand going to his arm. He glances down at it and starts pulling away and I ask,"Sorry, do you not want me to touch you?"

He closes his eye for a second before nodding. I let go of his arm and instead say,"Why are you avoiding me?"

"Who says I'm avoiding you?", he asks me heading into the cafeteria. I roll my eyes,"Grayson, can you be honest with me for one second please?"

"I am being honest with you", he says and I manage to not roll my eyes as I walk closer to him.

"You aren't. You defend me in front of Aidan. You look for me in the crowd when you know I'm bothered and yet you walk away from me when I'm trying to talk to you, what's the problem?"

"Nothings the problem. This is normal for us", he says and I sigh, a loud one as we both take a seat at our schools table.

"This is not normal. We argue, we laugh at each other, but we don't avoid each other. God, Grayson you used to shove through a crowd of people just to tell me something that will tick me off."

It true. Grayson would get a thought and then heave through a crowd full of hallway dwellers to share it with me. He knew it would make me annoyed so he would tell me for that purpose.

Grayson shakes his head softly,"I just have a lot going on at home, Julie."

"Tell me about it. Make me understand. I want to be there for you", I say to him.

"Why?", he asks his eyes slightly softening.

I stand up,"For some odd reason, I'm drawn to you. You hurt me and yet I want to chase after you."

I walk away as if I hadn't just poured my heart out to him.

••••

I find Grayson looking at the sunrise the next morning. I hadn't got that much sleep last night due to my oversharing with Grayson. When he finds me walking toward him, he scoots over at the bench he is sitting at. I take it as an invitation and take a seat beside him.

The sunrise is a soft purple clouds with pink. It is pretty, the weather is colder than normal though. Here in  Nevada, the weather doesn't get cold until after December, if we get lucky. In the morning, it is super cold though, so I am wearing an oversized sweatshirt. I pull my knees up to my chest and hugging myself, I turn to him.

Grayson turns to me his eyes finding mine. He gives me a tiny bit of a smile, just one corner of his lips tilting up so it's barely a smile. "I'm waiting for a call from Stacie."

I nod and he runs a hand through his hair, looking away from me. I watch his jaw clench and unclench a few times before he says,"You can't say things like that."

"Like what?", I know what he is talking about, I only want him to talk about it first.

"What you admitted yesterday. I don't want you to admit that", he says and moves away from me.

"Why not, Gray?"

He glances at me at the nickname,"Or call me that."

"Why?", I repeat and he sighs.

"Because I can't be that guy for you."

"I'm not asking you to be", I say and he shakes his head.

"You deserve that kind of guy. One who makes you feel like the most important girl in the world", he says soflty turning back to the sunrise. The sun is slowly starting to peak out creating a nice glow to the horizon.