So High School (Chris Evans) 18+

18

"Sooooooo, Mom pulled these golden oldies outta the attic". Libby says as she shows me some photos. I take them and look through them. Pictures of me and Libby in her room when I'd stayed, a failed attempt at a selfie on what was probably a disposable camera. I know Libby had a lot of them as she'd have ended up losing a proper one.

They're all silly. One's of us making faces in the back yard, and then I find one of us sat in a circle on the grass, Chris and Scott are both with us. I think it was probably a one off barbeque. I vaguely remember. Either way it was probably just as we were starting to hang out together because I'm sat cross legged next to Chris grinning madly.

I do look like a lovesick puppy here...

"Geez, if only I could fit into those clothes now". I laugh. "Look at the fashion! And our hair!"

"Zig zag parting!" Libby grins as she sits next to me and goes through them. "I miss the cropped cardigans".

I nod in agreement. "Cody's hair was on point". He had curtains, and the girls at their school apparently used to just fawn over him because they thought that he looked like Nick from the Backstreet Boys. He didn't, but the style was the trend.

"Gotta enlarge that one onto a poster for his birthday". Libby laughs. "He'll hate me forever, any you wanna keep?"

I choose the one of us in her room and a couple of others as well as the one of all of us. "Might have to frame this one". I say about the group photo.

"How'd your day with Chris go anyway? I didn't get to ask you last night". She asks, sitting down next to me.

"It was nice. just hung out and mainly caught up with what one another has been doing since the Thanksgiving shit show". I leave out the part where we almost kissed, but at this point she's probably expecting us to have fucked out all the years we've been apart.

Of course I'm right. She's sceptical. "That all?"

"Yeah? Why?"

She shrugs. "I thought you guys would've had some mega make out session or something, I was even thinking that maybe you wouldn't have made it home..."

"You thought I was gonna sleep with him?" I roll my eyes. "No Libs".

At least not yet anyway...

"Whaaaaat? He looks at you in such a way that even I know he's wanting it".

"Yeah, but he also respects the fact that I'm not looking for anything serious so soon after Dickhead Dan".

She snorts on her drink and almost chokes. "Ah, I love British slang so much - but you do realise that you could also do things and not have it be serious?"

Oh for the love of god...

"Libs. We're not becoming fuck buddies".

"Why? You were that summer?"

"It was once! I went home the next day!"

"Still counts". She muses, "Anyway was Daniel even good in bed?"

I run my hands down my face. "I really don't wanna be talking about this".

"So no then, which I expected. Tam - you need to have some fun, let loose, you said you wanted your life back and blah, blah, blah - there's nothing wrong with recreating a few memories and not be serious about it".

"We're talking about Chris here. Chris. Your friend and neighbour? You grew up with him and now you're basically telling me to go fuck him with no strings attached".

"Oh come on! Like he'd say no?" The way she looks at me now tells me that she knows he would. He's like another annoying brother that she never wanted.

Thank fuck for Jake arriving home and cutting this conversation short, because I really wouldn't know what to say to that. With Libby distracted and the pair of them going out for their monthly 'date night' anyway, I escape to the sanctuary of my room.

Taking a picture of the group photo, I now send it to Chris.

Tam: Check this out, my Aunt found it

Chris: Geez! Look how chilled we all look, and the clothes, clearly we were all stylish kids

Tam: I know right?

Chris: I gotta send this to Scott 😂, and may I say you look very pretty?

Tam: In the pic or just general?

Chris: Would it be overstepping the mark if I say both?

Tam: You're allowed to this time.

Chris: Just this time? Damn, thought I'd have a free pass or something.

Tam: You'll get your free pass...

Chris: I look forward to it, btw Ma's asked me if you wanna come to dinner at hers next week. No pressure, she's been wanting to catch up with you but didn't wanna intrude on your vacation.

Tam: What day?

Chris: Wednesday

Tam: Seeing as I have a free diary aside from seeing you, I can make it.

Chris: And when can I see you again?

Tam: Wednesday 😏

Chris: You're really gonna make me wait that long? ☹

Tam: To be fair you've waited longer.

Chris: Touche. Do I get my free pass then?

I decide to leave him hanging, which only makes him more frustrated and soon he's calling. "Tamsin..." The way he says my name gives me shivers in the best of ways.

"Yes Christopher?" I reply innocently.

"You can't make me wait that long to see you again, and you never answered my question either".

"Yes I can, and I'm not planning on answering it, that's my answer". I say, secretly enjoying this."You'll just have to enjoy texting me for the next week, anyway I've gotta go..."

"Tam, don't you..."

I hang up and instantly receive a text.

Chris: As if you just hung up on me!

I've been hung up on him for the last sixteen years.

Tam: oopsie

Chris: Come on, at least come for a walk with me one day this week, otherwise I'm gonna turn up at Libby's every day and start singing at your window 😜

Tam: Oh no! Not the window! 😮😏

Is it weird that I really wanna see if he does this?

Chris: I'm serious Tamalam

Tam: You haven't called me that in ages!

Chris: And I'll keep on doing it. Please? Just a walk, nothing else. I will even bring coffee.

I pause, contemplating this and then send him my reply.

Tam: Ok, you win, but there better actually be coffee!

I don't think there will ever be a time when I can truly say no to this man, and that's just another thing that scares me, but excites me at the same time.