Pencils and Pool Water (Complete)

Chapter Eight

When I woke up, Calvin was gone.

I felt the absence before I knew he wan't there. All night, I would wake up, and see him sleeping. He slept with his pink lips slightly parted, which was... Distracting.

I stretched out, and awful taste in my mouth. Our conversation last night was fresh in my mind; I still couldn't believe it had happened. 

I wiggled into the skinny jeans and put on the white t-shirt, the sweater and scarf in my arms. I trudged out, and went downstairs. 

"Simon!" Calvin greeted me, his friends at the table eating breakfast. I froze, my heart squeezing. "Come eat with us." 

Paityn looked at him like he was crazy. "Dude," he said, giving him the dude-you're-crazy look. 

Calvin ignored him, gesturing towards the empty chair. Wiping the sleep out of my eyes, desperately trying to come off as casual, I slumped into the chair. Elliot's become really interested in the syrup bottle. 

Calvin looks completely relaxed, just eating. 

That was awkward. But luckily, Molly saved me. 

"Calvin, if you don't mind, can I steal your new best friend because he's actually my best friend?" 

Calvin rolled his eyes, and I shot up and left so quickly, I nearly tripped and fell over. 

"What happened last night?" Molly whispered after she shut the door to her room. 

"Calvin and I-" 

"Kissed?" Gwen asked, sounding hopeful, zipping up her hoodie. She must have just gotten out of the shower because her hair looked damp. 

I blushed. "No!" I shoved her playfully. "We talked. About what happened on his birthday." 

I shut my eyes, shivering, remembering the white-hot drag of Calvin's finger on my leg. What the heck is wrong with me? 

"And...?" My eyes flashed open and I realized that Gwen and her were waiting for more. 

"We agreed to be friends," my voice broke on the last word, trying it out on my tongue. Molly tugged me in for a hug. 

"Oh, honey," she sighed and I kept in tears. "At least you can be done with this weird not-talking-staring-thing and start again."

I wasn't going to start this- whatever it was- again. I was going to try to start over. 

"I'm fine- let's just go downstairs. Be normal, okay?" I sighed as Molly nodded. 

"Normal? Us?" Gwen piped up, making me laugh. 

"But we are going to talk about this," Molly warned breezily as we went downstairs. I felt relieved. In all of my drama and between time with Colin and schoolwork, I felt like we hadn't really all hung out together like we used to. 

Molly convinced me to let her stay the night at my house, because Molly didn't want me moping about Colin or Calvin by myself. 

"My mom will be home!" I protested as Molly got out her bike. 

She rolled her blue eyes. "Oh, please. Like you're going to talk to your mom about this."

She was right, of course. I talk to my mom about plenty of things, but since her attempt at The Sex Talk when I was around 10, I didn't really got to her with most of my problems. 

Molly's sharp tone brought me back to reality. "Are you going to ride on the handlebars?"

Gwen groaned. "I hate that!"