The Theater Girl and the Player

Forever & Always - Part 5

Uhhhhhh-

I'm blushing so much that astronauts that are in space can probably see me right now. Ugh, why am I blushing so much? He doesn't deserve to be romanticized by me! He's a player! Why can't I get that in my head?

   "... So, can we talk?"

Thrown off, my cheeks burning, I whisper a "fine, but not for long" and he literally drags me to the side, next to a giant cork board that's fixed on the wall of the mall.

On the board, there's a missing poster about some dog that presumably responds to the name of "Dracula". I make a guess that it's called like that in sight of its white fur and sharp teeth. 

I'll have to keep an eye out for it, poor thing. I can't imagine how Jane would feel if she lost Bug. As for me, I don't have pets, my parents don't want them in our house. At this point, I'm sure they would almost prefer having a fourth kid. Well, not my mom, she did tell me that when she was carrying Lucas, her back almost gave out, which is a terrifying thought that doesn't make me want to have kids, ever. I'm not sporty, but I can't picture myself, especially with the career I want to pursue, living with back problems!

... Which could have happened if he wouldn't have caught me when I slammed into him just a second ago. And... In the moment, maybe I'm delusional, but Stephen's arms felt like they were framing me protectively, like he was actually scared for my safety. That makes me wonder, would he have reacted the same with someone else?

Or... Am I special to him..?

Woah, what am I on about? He's the one that made me fall in the first place!

And not fall for him, no, no way.

Staring at the printed picture of Dracula, that's mocking me for being so desperate, I decide to pull myself together and tune back into our conversation, which is non existent, because he's on his cellphone. 

Is he being real right now? He said he wanted to speak to me!

   "So? Do you have something to tell me? Or would you rather keep texting your new target in front of me?", I snap, referring to the teenage girl he was with less than a few minutes ago.

Stephen puts his cell phone away, raises his crystalline blue eyes at me, a tiny smirk plastered on his tanned face and absently bites his lip, sadly getting rid of his cute smirk that I was fawning over, as it was so obviously directed at me. I then notice how he is wearing the same cream colored puff vest as yesterday, which means we're matching. Like we're dating. I wonder if people that pass by think we are a couple. 

The player must feel me scrutinizing him, like I'm drawing a mind map of him in my head, which I'm totally not doing, because he finally speaks, and with such confidence I must admit:

  "Why, are you feeling left out? Don't worry, you're still my number one target."

... Dear gawd. I'm falling for this boy whether I'm planning to or not, aren't I?

Nevertheless, on the outside, I ignore his attempt at charming me. I try to remind myself that he's a player, that he flirts with any girl he can. He would have saved anyone, he was never going to be my personal hero. He's a villain. 

   "Where is your date?", I ask.

   "I told her to take the bus home. I would've driven her myself, but I'm not not drunk, y' know, and I didn't feel like hurting anybody."

I slightly frown. Okay, who am I kidding, a 15 year old boy cannot be a villain. Maybe an antihero, then? I settle on Stephen being an antihero and reply with what was meant to be an unbothered "Hm", but it comes out as a high pitched grunt. Wow.