Something About Him

-19-

Layla Wilkes

I watched as Chris opened the door and left out of the stairwell that Carter and I were going back and forth at.

I've been avoiding him all day and I guess he thought that talking to me at lunch was the only option. When he first came to the table, I didn't know what to do especially because I was under Chris' arm. It was like... I was his.

"I can't believe you bruh," Carter bellowed at me.

"Lower your voice!" I say back to him. "What'd I do now Carter? My gosh."

"Here I am literally pouring my heart out to you despite the fact that I'm nervous as shit and here he comes. The hell did he think I would do to you? I'm your best friend in case he hasn't noticed," he speaks with his frustration evident.

"I dunno Carter!" I respond back quickly. What did he want for me to say? I couldn't really say anything because if I said what came to mind I would have hurt his feelings.

"You like him back don't you?" He guesses looking down at me from his tall stature and I just stare back. I really do not want to make him feel some type of way.

"Tell me now, Layla," his voice becomes brittle.

"I-I can't," I stutter.

He sucks his teeth and looks away from me growing red in the face.

"Carter, I can't have this conversation with you right now, okay?"

"Then when?" He asks. "It took a lot for me to even admit what I have to you and you can't even be honest with me."

"It's caus-" I start off replying to him but then I can't even bring myself to so I just back away from him and towards the door. "I'll talk to you when I'm ready, alright? It's just really, really not a good time."

Once I say that, I walk down the hallway and towards the cafeteria. Lunch isn't over yet but I don't feel like being bothered right now so I'm gonna just get my bag and go somewhere where I can be alone.

~After School~

lemme take you somewhere, is the message I read on my phone as I sat in the driver's seat of my car, but I didn't turn the car on yet.

At first, I wanted to say no since I kind of just want to be alone still but another part of me is telling me that I should go out. It's Friday. Why not?

where to? I text Chris back.

He takes back quickly: idk somewhere simple. want pizza?

Who wouldn't want pizza? Hell yeah I want pizza.

ofc, I text back and instead of getting a text back, I get a knock on my window.

I look out of the window to see Chris looking down at me through the glass.

"Open the door," I hear him say even with the door shut and I unlock and open the driver's side door.

"Whatchu still sitting there for?" Chris laughs lightly. "Move over."

I sigh but still crawl over the center console thingy and when I plop down into the passenger seat, I look over towards Chris to see he was already staring at me.

"What's wrong?" He asks lowly.

I shake my head and tell him I'm fine but I don't think it was very convincing because Chris still stares at me for a second, I guess trying to read me, before taking my car key and putting it into the ignition.

He puts his seat belt on and tells me to put mine on before putting my car into drive and pulling off and we ride in a comfortable silence for a while before he speaks up again.