The One That Didn't Get Away

Third

Liam

The rest of the day goes by pretty quickly. I still can't wait for the afternoon.

Sophie is waiting for me at the front of the school when I get out. She waves at me, and I run over to her.

"My young lady, would you mind accompanying me back to my desolute home?"

"Why of course," she answers, playing along. "I just have a question: what are we going to do?"

I smile and run to the bus stop. She follows and sits next to me when the bus finally arrives.

I look for a conversation starter, but look down at her phone. She's texting this Trey person. She types,

well i gtg im with liam and u know what that means ;)

What does that mean? I wonder to myself.

She shuts off her phone and her hazel eyes focus back to me. A golden lock of hair has escaped her ponytail, and I tuck it behind her ear.

She looks at me, shocked, and blushes. I grin and quickly whip out my phone. She looks at me curiously, until I take a picture of her.

I put away the phone before she can protest. "Wanna play truth or dare?" She asks.

"Sure."

"Truth or dare?"

I pause for a second. "Truth"

"Have you ever liked a girl for more than a week?"

I don't want to answer, but I automatically say yes. I think her eyes shine a little when I nod.

"Truth or dare?" I ask.

"Truth" we're both chickens. I don't think I could have thought of any dares, though. We are on a bus after all.

"Who's the guy you were talking to after English?"

She looks at me with wide eyes, and she bites her lip. My heart sinks. Is he her boyfriend?

"He's my..." she sighs "He's my cousin. I usually try to pretend we're just friends, but yeah."

Joy overtakes me. He's not competion. Maybe I can still win in this fight.

Is this even a fight?

Why am I taking this so seriously?

The bus rings and we stop in front of my neighborhood.

She looks at me as she's getting up and suddenly she screams "Race you!". Sophie then turns around and sprints out of the bus and down the street. Sometimes I forget how fast she is.

But there is no time for thinking as I race after her.