Treat Me Gently

Chapter Eight

"Hey." I lifted my head up from my hand and looked up to see the source of the voice that has become all too familiar now. 

"Hey," I answered tiredly, looking back down at the the random scribbles I was making in my journal as I waited for class to start. It's just something I tend to do when my thoughts become too overwhelming for me to understand.

Adam set his backpack down on the floor and sat in the chair next to mine. This was our routine for the past week, researching books and online articles, not really making interesting conversation as we did. Not that we were allowed to talk anyway.

"You okay?" He asked. The way he was staring at me so intently, caused me to feel a small flutter in the pit of my stomach, so small I almost didn't notice it was there. I don't think it was butterflies, but it was definitely something.

"Yeah, why?" I tried not to look at him and kept my eyes glued to the pencil in my hand.

"You seem tired today," he stated, a hint of concern in his voice, the same concern he always seemed to have when he talked to me.

"I'm always tired," I answered in a low voice.

Before he could say anything else, the bell rang and Mrs. Quinn was already telling everyone to quiet down. "I hope you guys got plenty of research in last week and these past few days on your own, because today I want you and your partners to share and combine your work. Remember, you will be writing a story and it will need to be done by both of you. Any questions?" The class answered her in mixed murmurs.

After she went to sit back down at her own desk, everyone in class immediately started having conversations with each other.

"Here," I handed Adam my journal. He looked down and studied my random scribbles and drawings of little clouds and stars. I quickly turned the page before he could keep looking at them. "It's all the research I've done," I told him, laying my head on my arm that was resting on top of my desk, and keeping my gaze on his face.

I watched him as he read through the pages, his eyes changing  slowly, as if he was reading something that was actually interesting. 

"All of these places sound really cool, especially the light cave" He said, as he leaned slightly closer to me. "I would like to see it, one of these days." 

"Really?"

"Really," he answered seriously as his eyes stayed focused on mine.

"Yeah," I choked out nervously, looking down again at my hand that was still fidgeting with my pencil "It's amazing, I haven't been there in years, but I remember feeling like I was in another world when I was inside, all of the colorful lights and glittery crystals. It was always my favorite place to visit."

"I would love to go with you next time, especially if it means I get to see you smile like that when we do," he said as my eyes stayed focused at my hand. I looked up at him in slight surprise, he was already looking back down at my journal again, reading through the rest of the pages. I felt a blush rush to my cheeks, not bothering to answer him.

And if there was any doubt of the feeling in the pit of my stomach before, there wasn't now. This was definitely butterflies.

We spent the remaining time in class talking about the rest of the cool places that I'd been to, Adam just responding with the same "I would like to go there too," which I didn't mind since he actually did seem to be interested in everything I was saying. 

"We should go this Saturday," I heard him say from behind me as I walked out of the classroom and towards my locker, I hadn't realized that he was following me.

"What?" I asked confusedly. 

"To one of the places you talked about, how about the museum?" He suggested, leaning sideways on the locker next to mine with his hands in the pocket of his hoodie, the same black one that he had let me borrow in his car. "For research purposes."

"Are you trying to ask me out, or are you always so flirty?" I responded, pulling out a math textbook from the top shelf of my locker.

"I'm not flirty." He furrowed his eyebrows. "Don't friends go out sometimes?"

"I guess so." I closed my locker shut and looked up at him.

"I can invite my other friends too. Aaron, his girlfriend Maya, and her best friend."

"Oh yeah, I know them." I answered softly. "Aaron's a childhood friend."

"So, yes?"

I looked down at the ground between us as I considered my answer. It's been months now since I've gone out with any friends, and because of the distance I've put in between me and everyone else, I've lost a lot of them. I then thought about how my parents have been pushing me to go out with friends, I never have the heart to tell them that I was never as popular as Isabella was.

Adam continued to stare down at me with a seemingly worried expression, like he was expecting me to say no. I almost did, but the way he was staring at me so hard, the same way he was in the classroom, the same way he was after saving me from drowning at the pier, it made me feel like opening up again, like maybe he truly did care.

"Sure," I finally answered.

"Yeah?" He smiled at me, moving  himself away from the lockers so he was standing closer to me.

"Yeah, maybe I could use a day out." I answered.

"Okay, I'll let you know what the plans are, it depends on what everyone else says."

"Okay," I answered softly, making no move to take my eyes off of his.

I'm not sure how long we were standing in this hallway, neither of us attempting to leave or take our eyes off of each others, but something about seeing his lips twitch upwards into a smile caused butterflies to erupt in my stomach once again.

I awkwardly returned a smile of my own.