The Bad Girl Goes To College

10: "set fire to my treehouse"

"Haven't seen you in a while." I comment to Brian.
"Since you rejected me in the hall? Yeah, it's called avoidance." Brian replies just a hint of frustration in his voice. I laugh a light one well aware he was avoiding me.
"Well um, I'm single now." Is all I say and the professor cuts him off when he goes to reply. I make it my mission to keep my eyes either up front or on my notebook but not once on Brian. Although through class he stares holes into my cheek.

"What happened to Zane?" Brian ask as I'm walking out of class. I smirk and wink at him. Wouldn't he like to know.
"What about that tour now? I've been here damn near three months and I still haven't walked downtown."
"Well let's go." Just like that the subject of my ex boyfriend is dropped.

*
*
"You hungry?" Brian asks. We've walked most of downtown mostly just seeing. There was a club that I'd have to take Andy too. A lot of food places, a couple bars, places to shop. Brian kept me laughing with his constant joking.
"Starving. What's for eats?" His eyes trail over my skin and I feel my body heat up.
"I got something in mind." His voice is lower, husky. That voice makes my heart pound. With a cute wink he grabs my hand walking me to a tall building. "My apartment is upstairs. Ima grab my car keys, wanna come up." I nod my head and follow him up the stairs. The building smells like a variety of different perfumes and cologne which makes my nose itch. "Excuse the mess."
The inside of his apartment is indeed messy. Clothes and blankets scattered everywhere. From the front door you can see the kitchen which has boxes of microwave dinners on the counters and dirty dishes.
"Sheesh, you need a maid." I chuckle as he throw things about looking for his car keys.
"Mmm, you gotta sexy little maid outfit you wanna try out?" His suggestive tone makes me roll my eyes.
"Perv. Are those it right there?" I point to a set of keys on sitting in a plate of what I think is ice cream.
"Nope. Those are for my moms house."
"Why don't you put all of your keys on one ring?"
"People do that?" I laugh at the genuine confusion written on his face.
"Yes people do that."
"Found them!" He announces like a child earning another roll of the eyes from me.
*
*
"So you mean to tell me you actually waxed a chicken?" Brian asks between laughs. I've come to the conclusion that I may just genuinely like Brian. The way he smiles and gets really excited over simple things like finding a quarter on the ground. I like how when I ramble on about pointless things his hazel eyes sparkle in awe like im the most interesting being. He always gives me his undivided attention and he alway ask my opinion on things.
"Yurp, Andy tattooed one so who's really the worst?" He shakes his head, grabbing my milkshake and taking a sip. I watch his lips on my straw and draw a sharp breath. "What about you? Any crazy high school stories?" I see a gleam of excitement pass through then his lips curl into a half smile. My stomach does a somersault as he starts to reminisce on his high school days. He speaks like it was a lifetime ago not two years.
He dives into a story about his ex girlfriend, a blow torch and a tree house. I'm only half way here as I think about Zane. I'm here with a cute boy, a boy who's totally interested in me and all I can think about is my ex boyfriend.
"Screaming I love you as she set fire to my treehouse." We both laugh at that before something dawns on me.
"You were 17 with a tree house?" I let out a loud laugh when he ducks his head not answering my question. I try to get out words but laughter keeps spilling out.
"I love your laugh." Brian cuts through my laughter. Noticing how close he's gotten the laughter stops in my throat. His hand comes up to touch my cheek and....nothing. Just a flutter of butterflies but no spark. Nothing drawing me to him as anything more than a friend, more than a boy who's good company.

Feel that? That electric feeling, it never goes away Nadia and you'll only feel it when you're with me...
God, how long ago did Zane say those words to me? And the feeling is still the same. The words are still true. That electric feeling I only get when I'm with him. Pathetic.
I'm not supposed to feel for Zane. He broke up with me because I cheated.
Cheated.
Cheated.
I continued the cycle. The way we go back and forth hurting each other. Destroying each other. It's a game. A sadistic game on who can break who first.
"You okay?" Brian breaks me out of my suffocating thoughts. I notice his hand isn't on my face but gently on top of mine. Concerned detailed his face but I couldn't find myself to care that he was concerned. My heart still was beating to the sound of Zane's name.
"Fine." I force a smile and send him a wink. "You took ne by surprise." Lies.
The sound of Love Is A Losing Game blared through my phone forced me to tear my eyes away from him. I had changed Zane's ringtone a few days ago and the fact that he's calling me while my heart's still screaming Zane is a horrible coincidence.

***
Umm . The last update got switched up sooo any confusion I amm sorry for .  Sooo there's a chapter before this one