In Your Dreams

52 || Emmett Larkin

Alecks had been pestering me since we left class, relentlessly calling my name in various tones and nicknames. Nicknames he'd just came up today and had never called me in the past. The longer it goes, the more ridiculous he kept calling me.

“Dude? Emmett? Yo, Em? Emmy?” His voice grated on my nerves as he followed me down the hall. I ignored him completely, my thoughts still tangled up in what had just happened.

Despite the irritating bubbling inside of me, I need to give me some credit from controlling myself and still don't acknowledge his entre existence. I deserve a pat on the back for keeping myself cool. Calm and collected.

Finally, Alecks waved a hand in front of my face, forcing me to blink out of my daze. “Are you okay? You’ve been awfully quiet lately.” Oh, wow he can notice stuff. How very interesting of him.

I could hear the amusement in his tone, even though his expression feigned sympathy. His lips twitched at the corners, betraying the smirk he was trying to suppress. Too bad, even though he's doing his best to hide the grin, I can still see it twitching against the corner od his lips. This is Alecks we're talking about, the guy doesn't have a solid foundation on how to hide grins.

“Is this about what happened earlier?” he asked, the mock concern in his voice almost making me roll my eyes.

What happened earlier? Oh, just the small—tiniest—matter of Phoebe Summers kissing me. Directly on my lips. For quite a long time might I add. It took more then just a second. Her soft lips against mine, the faint taste of strawberry from her chapstick—it was all I could think about. Every time I smacked my lips, I could still taste it, like a phantom reminder.

I glanced over my shoulder, finding Phoebe and Hanz walking a few steps behind us. They were laughing, Phoebe’s smile brighter than ever. That smile. It hadn’t been there after the kiss. No, the smile she’d given me was small, almost reluctant. It hit me harder than I wanted to admit—this kiss had clearly shaken me more than it had her. Or maybe she was just better at hiding it.

There’s no way I was the only one who felt that spark between us. No way. Right? She has to feel it too. It just doesn't make any sense that she looks like it hadn't affect her.

“Fuck,” I cursed under my breath as Alecks deliberately stomped on my foot, jolting me out of my spiraling thoughts.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” I growled, glaring at him.

“What the fuck is wrong with you ignoring me and everything?” he shot back, equally annoyed, as he stepped off my foot. "Don't you hear me calling your name a bunch of times?" He mutters, annoyance clouding every inch of his features. Again this is Alecks, he has the audacity to be annoyed even after stomping on my fucking foot.

I glanced back at Phoebe and Hanz again, this time locking eyes with Phoebe for a fleeting moment. She gave me another small smile before turning her attention back to Hanz, laughing at something he said. I turned back to Alecks, my jaw tightening.

“I was just…thinking,” I muttered, picking up my pace to put some distance between us and the others.

Alecks raised an eyebrow, his curiosity clearly piqued. “Thinking about what? Wanna share with the class?” He walked backward in front of me, his expression lit up with mischief.

“No,” I said flatly, keeping my tone clipped.

“Oh, come on, Emmett. Since when do you keep secrets from me?” Alecks pouted dramatically.

Since I started dreaming about Phoebe Summers every night. Since I realized I couldn’t stop thinking about her. Since the moment she kissed me and completely scrambled my brain. But none of that was coming out. “Not everything is your business, Alecks,” I muttered.