When it Happens

Chapter 14

March rolled through and the weather was finally starting to get warmer. The first Wednesday of March, that afternoon, just minutes before the final bell, I was at my locker, rummaging  around trying to find my make-up bag through all that junk.

Freshmen advice: Keep your lockers neat and clean. It was already too late for me.

While I was looking through the pile of junk, Nate comes from behind me and grabbed my shoulders with both of his hands, literally scaring me half to death. I jumped, and a little yelp popped out of my mouth, then calmed myself once I saw who it was.

"Jesus, Nate! You scared the shit out of me."

He grinned that shit-eating grin that makes me melt and laughed while shrugging. He leaned a shoulder against the locker next to mine as I continued scouring my locker for the make-up bag. "Hey, I got nothing to do and I reeeaaally don't wanna go home, so you wanna chill?"

Hang out alone? We haven't done that in forever. We were still trying to figure out where we were at with one another since we made up. One of the last times we really hung out alone was when we used to get together to work on our History project way back when. I hadn't had designated Nate time in a while, and I missed it more than ever. I felt like saying, "Hell yeah I do!", but then instantly remembered I had work.

Shit.

"Shoot, Nate, I want to. But I have work."

His shoulders fell and so did his smile until it reappeared seconds after. "Hey, why don't I come with you?"

"You wanna hang around a boutique for four hours?" I said, scrunching my eyebrows together. I couldn't imagine him wanting to voluntarily be in the same room as Trish for longer than a minute, let alone a few hours. But hey, if he wanted to... I wasn't going to turn down his company.

"Sure, why not. Then we could maybe go for a shake afterward. You in?"

"Yeah! As long as you avoid my boss as much as you can. Hearing her talk about you was literally the scariest day of my life."

He threw his head back in laughter, and I was proud of myself for making such a beautiful person like that laugh so hard. Even though it was Nate and I should be used to it by now, I still wasn't. Hell, even when he walked into the room I would be blown away. "I'll try my hardest. It's not my fault I'm..." he looked down a minute and flipped his hair back and smirks at me. "Irresistible."

"Pfffff," I started to laugh, rolling my eyes. "So cocky."

When the bell rang, we headed towards the front student parking lot. As we walked out the front doors, he did that thing where he lightly placed his hand on the small of my back to guide me through the mass of the students. I couldn't breathe the whole walk to the parking lot. When we got to my car, we decided it'd be best if we both drove to the boutique in my car and left his in the school parking lot. The whole ride was filled with fits of giggles and barking at random people on the sidewalk (his idea).

"Nate, you were a piece of work in the car. The look on the poor old man's face when you barked at him! He looked like he was going to have a heart attack!" I exclaimed as he held the doors of the boutique open for me, allowing me to walk in before him. I tied my work smock around my neck and waist as I made my way to behind the counter to swipe in.

He threw his hands up in surrender, following my direction. "It's not my fault! I didn't see the three dogs he was walking that went ballistic when I barked."

"Vivian, who's that with yo- Oh. Hey Nate!" Trish's six-inch pumps clicked on the wood floors as she peers out of her office. She walked closer to us and Nate slyly kicked me to get him out of this situation. Sorry, pal. You're the one that wanted to come to work with me today. Leaning on a clothes table exposing some of her cleavage, Trish smiled as he gave a quick nod hello. 

"Get to work, I'll keep this one busy," she gestured at me to move along so I walked to the cashier, but not before I shot Nate a good luck glance.

Throughout my work hours, I had gone through about twenty customers, forty cry baby sour mini drinks (Probably have about three cavities now), and three hours of watching Trish try to flirt with Nate. It's one of the funniest things I've ever seen in my life. She would try and stroke his arm, but he'd quickly flinch away.

Finally, I guess Trish gave up, and she told me that she'd be closing up shop early so we could leave. As soon as she said it, Nate's eyes widened and signaled me to hurry. I threw my smock in the back room and rushed towards him. Once we were safely in the comfort of my car, he let out a huge breath. 

"Worst. Idea. Ever. I am never going to work with you again. That woman would not stop touching me! I thought I'd be chillin' around, looking through ladies stuff-darn, but no. I had to keep a three-hour conversation going with her! I almost died when she wanted to go try on her new bikini for me."

I couldn't stop laughing. "What made her not do it?" 

His green eyes turn mischevious. He pressed his lips in a straight line to keep from laughing. "I told her I'm gay, then she gave up on me."

We went ballistic, laughing to tears. Nate? Gay? How could she actually believe that? Wait. It wasn't true, right? Finally, as we simmered down, I asked, "Wait, you really aren't, right?"

"Pfffff, come on, Viv. Look at me. I'm into girls."

He had a point. I was just thankful that there was a chance for him and me. I pulled up into our local fast-food's drive-thru and began to order two small milkshakes, but immediately cut off by Nate.

"Hold on, let me order." He spoke louder. "Can we have one large chocolate milkshake?"

"Nate!" I exclaim. "I want one too!"

"Shush, just trust me on this."

We drive up to get the milkshake and he orders me to park in their parking lot, so I do. He dug through my glove compartment and found an extra straw and stabs it in along with the existing straw.

"Bon appetite!" He said and I looked down to see what he considered a culinary masterpiece. One large milkshake carried comfortably in a large foam cup, but instead of one straw, there were two. He wanted to share a milkshake with me! How adorable!

"You wanna share a milkshake with me?" I asked, scrunching my eyebrows together, a small smile appearing on my face. I couldn't make it look like I was totally fawning over his romantic gesture, which, let's face it, I totally was.

"Yeah. I wanted to try it like all those movies do it. Now drink!"

That makes me chuckle, but we were both hesitant as to who would take the first sip. Finally, we both lean in together, and as we both near the straw, our foreheads bump together.

"Ow! Nate, you asshole. Haven't you ever learned that ladies take the first sip?"

"Oh yeah, I totally forgot," He said sarcastically and watches impatiently as I take the long first sip. As I finished, he takes the cup and shakes it.

"Jesus, Vivi, you drank half of it already!"

I shrugged. I totally did. But hey, I saw my opportunity and I took it. I loved chocolate milkshakes. No way was I going to let him drink the whole thing before I got the chance to. "Oops."

The constant joking bicker back and forth with us continued for mostly the rest of the night- especially when he wouldn't give the shake back to me and drank it all. Couldn't fight with him on that one. The most amazing part of the night though, was when I dropped Nate back to school to get his car. Before he got out, we had this moment. Like he wanted to say something more, but couldn't get the words out. He stared deep into my eyes, but when I looked down, so did he. 

"Well, thanks for bothering me all day. It was fun," I joked and he laughed, placing a hand on the door handle.

"Yeah, besides getting silently molested by your boss, I'd say it was a great day."

I shook my head in amusement, as I watched him get out of the car and stroll through the dark, slowly walking to his car. It's not until twenty minutes later when I finally left our school parking lot, and to this day, I don't even know why I stayed there that long. 

I guess it's just a memory that got away from me.

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