Seducing the shy guy

Chapter Four

            God, Hazel was even prettier up close and even when she was royally pissed off. Roman must have been right about Hazel liking me, which made me want to puke. I doubted I could ever talk to a girl like Hazel, or well, anyone. I watched as Roman followed Hazel out of the room, with a little amusement. Roman was going to get his ass kicked, serves him right for trying to interfere with my life every chance he got. Roman and I were like brothers but sometimes he stuck his nose in a little too far. I wondered what they were saying. I was itching to be a fly on the wall for that conversation. I know I could never be a boyfriend to Hazel, at least in the way she was used to. I could never bring her to raging parties or group dates with her friends. Even being in the crowded halls makes me edgy. It wouldn’t be fair to Hazel, who was such an outgoing, fun-loving girl. I have observed her over the past 3 ½ years of high school, she always had a smile on her face and was always surrounded by tons of friends.

            “Hey there, stud…” I heard someone say. I looked up to find Zoe, one of Hazel’s best friends, standing in front of my desk, a little too close. I nodded my acknowledgment of her and looked away from her quickly. She had her chest pushed up into my face and a smile on her lips that made me a little more than uncomfortable. I scooted back as far as I could in my desk, trying to put as much distance between me and her. My palms began to sweat.  

            “You know, Hazel is great and all but really, if you want to finally open yourself up to someone, you really should pick me. I could rock your world in ways Hazel never could…” I stared at Zoe to see if she joking. She had to be! Zoe was Hazel’s best friend, right?

            “No thank you…” I mumbled. My heart was starting to pound in my chest.

            “Come on, Kayden, what does Hazel have that I don’t?” Zoe said as she scooted on to my desk. I could feel my breathing becoming more and more ragged as my nerves jumped into over drive. What would Hazel think when she and Roman walked back into the class room to find Zoe trying to flirt with me? Or at least I think it was more like trying to get in my pants.

            “Hazel is sweet. You are not.” I said as I looked Zoe dead in her brown eyes. Zoe’s face showed the shock at my words but she quickly recovered and gave me a sultry smile.

            “Hazel is probably beating the shit out of Roman as we speak, that doesn’t sound sweet to me.” Zoe said in a fake breathless voice. I scoffed.

            “And sleeping with guys in the broom closet does?” I asked. I was almost as shocked by what had just come out of my as Zoe. I have never been that bold but I didn’t like the way Zoe was talking about Hazel. It was beginning to make my heart beat faster but not from nerves but from anger. Before Zoe could respond to my insult Roman’s voice broke us out of our conversation.

            “Zoe, why don’t you back off a little, you might choke him with that horrid perfume you are wearing.” Roman growled. Zoe’s head whipped around, I was pretty sure I saw her stiffen a little at the sight of Hazel and Roman.

            “Relax Cujo, Kayden and I were just talking.” Zoe said in a bright voice. “I see Hazel didn’t kill you, you must be great with words.”

            “Naw, she would never kill Kayden’s best friend. But I wouldn’t be worried about my wellbeing right now.” Roman said looking back at Hazel. As he turned I got a glimpse of Hazel for the first time since she came back into the classroom. Her face held a mixture of emotions: anger, shock, worry, and sadness. Those were just the most visible.

            “What are you talking about?” Zoe asked in a fake dumb voice. “I was just putting in a good word for Hazel. Kayden seems to really have a thing for you, Haze.”  

            I grunted at that, which made Roman raise his eye brow. Obviously he wasn’t buying Zoe’s story and from the look on Hazel’s face, she wasn’t either. Roman really must not have been kidding. Hazel looked ready to scream at Zoe for the way she had been just sitting by me. She hadn’t even heard what she had said.

            I watched Hazel take a deep breath and lock eyes on me. My heart instantly started into over drive. Oh god, I really wished I knew what Roman and she had talked about.  Hazel strolled past Zoe, not even sparing her a glance. Hazel looked nervous, really nervous. But the average person would not have been able to tell, she hid it well. I have spent my entire life watching people live their lives, I got really good at reading people. Her confidence amazed me and I just sat there trapped in her gaze.

            Hazel walked up to my desk and looked down at me. Her eyes were a bright violet color, a color I had never seen before. She gave me a smile that anyone would have thought held complete confidence. “You and I are going out tonight, on a date. Roman and Lucy are going with us. Ok?” My eyes had to be as wide as C.D.’s and my jaw hung there slacked. I was in complete shock. I glanced over at Roman to see him lookeing at Hazel with a look of surprise that probably mirrored my own. I looked back at Hazel to see a look of determination on her face.

            I just nodded my answer. Hazel gave me a weak smile. “Good, see you tonight.” Hazel turned and purposely hit her shoulder into Zoe’s, she grabbed her stuff and walked out of class.

            “Wow, that girl has more balls than I do…” Roman said as he rubbed the back of his neck. “Oh, and Zoe, fuck off, leave Kayden alone.” Roman gave her a fake smile and pushed past her.

            “Oh, don’t worry, Roman, Kayden will realize what he is missing once he gets over his little obsession with Hazel.” Zoe walked back to her desk and took out her phone. I sighed my relief.

            “Dude, that was awesome! You got a date!” I rolled my eyes at Roman.

            “You told her to ask me out.” I was a little disappointed that Roman had to convince Hazel to ask me out. Of course he knew I would never ask her out, which made me a little disappointed in myself.

            “Yes, I did. But Hazel didn’t ask you out. She told you to go out with her. That’s different. She is a pretty fiery girl. I think my head is going to hurt for a week…” Roman rubbed a spot on the back of his head, wincing a little as he did.

            “She hit you?” I asked a little surprised.

            “Oh, no, she pushed me into some lockers… kind of took me by surprise.”

            I smiled at that.