Eight Boy (Jeremy Shada)

fourteen

Jeremy reached his hand behind his head and scrunched his face before apologising for Maddison's behaviour yesterday afternoon and for the tenth time I told him it was okay. Sitting on his bed this early on a Saturday morning was beginning to be routine and I was going to miss it because today was the last of the assignment data collection.

"Are you handing in your draft on Monday?" He asked as he put the beetles back into the jar.

"Yeah of course, you?" I answered drawing pictures with my finger on his sheets.

"Yeah. Can you please make sure that's secure." He handed me the jar with the cotton lid on firmly.

"Yeah it's on." I placed the jar into the tub where the other jars of beetles are kept.

"Hey... Um," Jeremy started. He stared at the floor searching for words to say, "would you like to-"

Suddenly his door burst open and someone who looked to be his father appeared in the door way rambling about his up coming business trip. "Oh sorry I didn't know a girl was over," he said smugly.

"Dad? What happened to your meeting this morning?"

"It finished earlier than expected. So who are you?" Jeremy's dad inquired with a smile on his face.

"I'm Paisley, I'm in Jeremy's biology class. It's a pleasure to meet you," I introduced myself, mirroring his smile. I placed my hand out to shake his.

"Nice to meet you too, Paisley. I'm Mark." He took my hand and shook it. He made his way over to Jeremy's side, "she's a lot nicer than Maddison."

"Dad," Jeremy groaned.

"And a lot prettier." My cheeks automatically flushed at his compliment.

"Who's a lot prettier than Maddison?" A woman's voice asked coming through Jeremy's bedroom door. "Oh hello," she half gasped.

"Hi, I'm Paisley," I smiled, intertwining my fingers together.

"Gosh you are a lot prettier than Maddison."

"Okay, okay can you both get out? Stop complimenting her it's weird," Jeremy demanded more than asked. He stood up and shooed them closer to the door way.

"Would you like to come out to lunch with us all, Paisley?" His mom asked with a smile on her face.

I shrugged and looked at Jeremy, he shrugged in response. "Sure, if that's okay."

"Of course it is! We'll go somewhere nice."

"Okay mom, she said yes, we're busy at the moment doing our assignment," he clarified shooing her further out the door.

"Okay honey, see you soon," she called as the door shut.

Jeremy made his way over to the bed and sat down right next to me, "I'm so sorry, I had no idea."

"It's okay, it was bound to happen, I'm here quite a lot," I reminded him. He nodded in response and went back to his desk. "They seem really funny."

"Trust me, they're not," he murmured.

"You really don't have to come to lunch, I don't even know where they're taking us."

"It's fine really, unless you don't want me to come." I locked my eyes on him waiting to see his reaction.

He thought before replying, "it'd be better if you came."

It'd be even better if you came, I thought to myself. I gently shook my head at the inappropriate thought.