Finding Claire

Chapter 8

With a Grande white chocolate mocha in hands and a moaning Nathan besides me, I laughed and blew on my drink, trying to cool it down a bit. If you're wondering why Nathan is moaning, the answer would be because of my brownies. Back at the drive-thru, after answering his question with a "Tall white chocolate mocha," he also asked if I wanted a bite to eat. I shook my head, and then remembered the brownies in my bag. He raised his eyebrows in confusion and I smiled, only saying, "I'll share. Don't worry." When it was his turn to order, he ended up telling the man for my order a Grande instead of Tall. I squealed in complain, but Nathan just shushed me and drove off. At a light not far from school, I pulled the container out and handed him one. That is where we were at now.

"Ohhhh..... my..... dang!" He managed to moan. "Claire marry me. I need these babies in my life."

I laughed and shook my head. "No. I'm too young to get married. Besides we are barely on the friend stage and nowhere near the girlfriend/boyfriend phase. Chill."

He parked the car with a jolt and quickly looked over at me. I looked at him in confusion and he cracked a small smile. "We are friends?"

"Well.... I mean yeah?...... We have almost all the same classes.... You bring me candy.... You're the only one who talks to me...... We have heard each other play and sing," I laughed right here and he smiled wider. "And like you pointed out the first time we met, we have touched each other -not in a weird way of course- so why not be friends? I mean of course if you want to....." I finally realized that I was actually friends with him when I agreed  to go on this trip with him. I had been avoiding this the entire time but I knew it was pointless to avoid it. It would happen anyways so might as well get on with it....

He surprised me by quickly wrapping his hands around waist and pulled me to him for a hug. I hissed as the seatbelt snapped me back as far as it could, causing the hot liquid to splash all over my hand. "Oh shit! Sorry!"

"It's alright," I sighed and handed him the cup. I dabbed my hand with some napkins and hissed as the pink skin throbbed with my pulse. "You just surprised me."

"Dang! I feel bad now! Let's go to the nurse and see if she has ointment for burns."

I nodded and slowly got out while grabbing my bag with my un-injured hand. I closed the door with my hip and shuddered as the cold wind lapped at my uncovered skin. As quickly as I could, I managed to snuggle back into my sweater and then draped my bag over my shoulder before walking to a frowning Nathan.

"What?"

"Nothing," he sighed as we walked back into the building. I silently suggested I could hold my own drink, but he just shook his head and continued to hold them both in one hand. With the other one, he opened the door and I rolled my eyes but cracked a smile when he wasn't looking.

Not even five minutes later, the nurse finished wrapping my hand with some gauze and nodded when I told her my father could look at it later on. Nathan had a small frown on his face the entire time and I just sighed for the millionth time and told him I was fine. He just pouted and began to walk away as I nodded at the nurse while she said, "Have a good day!"

"Nathan I said I'm fine!" I cried and he sighed for the millionth time as well.

"I just feel bad. It was my fault."

"Will a brownie make you feel better?" I smirked at him and I saw his eyes light up. He quickly looked away and I could tell he was fighting with himself. Without speaking, I took out the container and looked at the last lonely brownie sitting at the bottom. I slowly inched it towards his face and fanned it under his nose. "You know you want iiittttt." He groaned and turned around like a little kid. I smiled and grabbed it with two fingers. "Fine then. I guess I'll just eat the last one."

"Noooo!" I heard him shriek and the next second, my hand was empty. I looked up at him and actually laughed at his face- his cheeks were puffed up like a chipmunk and he was trying so hard to chew.

"Well thanks," I winked at him as I grabbed my drink and took a small sip. It was still hot, but not as hot as before. It was manageable.

"No. Thank you," he finally managed to say and I nodded. We sat in silence on one of the many benches around the main courtyard that was smack in the middle of the school and sipped our cooling drinks as the time rolled by.

"So you never did answer my question," I finally murmured as I pulled up my hood. My glasses moved a bit at my movement and I fixed them as he answered.

"What question?"

I felt my cheeks flush and I was a little glad my hood was up so he wouldn't be able to see my reddened cheeks. "You going to the Bash."

He was silent besides me as the bell rang for third and I slowly inched away from him as the halls began to fill with students. Why was I moving from him? I guess I wasn't used to people seeing me with someone else. I heard him sigh and I took that as my cue to stand up and walk away. I heard him sigh again and then his footsteps following me a couple feet away.

Why did I even ask? Now there was a big elephant in the room and it was so awkward. Me and my big mouth....

I took the last sip of my drink and threw the cup away as I walked in the room. I went straight to my table and sat on my seat after removing my hood and looked away. Again, I heard the chair next to me move and then he finally talked.

"No. I'm not going. Why do you ask?"

I didn't answer him for some seconds but then I shrugged and started to play with my pen. "You asked me first. I told you no so I was curious why you had asked me and if you were going."

"Oh well yeah... That's doesn't matter anymore. Let's just forget about it." I nodded in agreement and faced the front. I wasn't one hundred percent sure, but I had a feeling he had planned on asking me to go with him if I had said that I was attending....