I Hope It Rains Marshmallows ❤

Chapter Five - The Latest Messaging Gizmo

~Alyssa~

We walked home in silence. By We, I meant Cole and I. And by Silence, I meant me in silence, Cole jabbering away. I plugged in my earphones so that I could just block out Cole’s voice. So, practically, the walk home was kind of relaxing and enjoyable—since I could only hear muffled sounds around me, and the fact that there was a companion by my side. Walking alone groping in the dark was sometimes scary.

“Earth to Alyssa! Were you even listening to me?” Cole pulled out an earphone from my ear and screamed into it, waving his hands at my face.

“Ouch! You don’t have to be so loud!” I rubbed my ear frantically, blushing at the thought that I had zoned out.

“Loud’s my middle name.” Cole exclaimed smugly.

I scoffed. “I thought Gorgeous was your middle name. And Attractive.” What? I was just merely listing out the middle names Cole claimed was his.

Cole smirked down at me. “If you say so!” He teased in a sing-songing manner.

I rolled my eyes skyward and when he wasn’t listening, I quickly muttered out a. “Don’t forget egoistic.”

I had expected Cole to counter back with some nasty remark about my face being an epic fail or something, but when Cole kept quiet, I felt something was horribly wrong.  After a few painful awkward moments of silence, he looked up.

“Alyssa,” Cole crossed his arms. “Why do you hate me so much? You’re always pushing me away, never intending to converse with me, and avoiding me. Why?”

Gloom was written all over his face. His eyes bored into mine.

I avoided his steady gaze and swallowed hard as his question circled in my mind.

I honestly hadn’t realized that. I had been so focused on revenge and payback and thinking up of better comebacks that I hadn’t realized I probably sounded like a bi-bi-witch. I can’t bring myself to call myself that.

So I had given Cole the picture that I hated him? Seriously though, why was I always avoiding Cole even when he was the one to come up to me? Shouldn’t I feel flattered? Why did I hate him so much? Wait, scratch that. Did I even hate him?

Sure, he’s always been messing around with me, but he had made me laugh.

Sure, he was always yapping away, but at least he took the initiative to talk to a loner like me.

Sure, he’s been the center of my parent’s attention nowadays, but at least my family is more bonded now, and my parents never leave me alone anymore.

So, did I hate him?

My lips parted but no words came out. I tugged at the hem of my blouse.

“Weeeeeeeeeeell,” I drawled, unsure of what to say. Lowering my voice till it was nothing but a whisper, I muttered reluctantly, mentally admitting that a crack on the floor could be so interesting suddenly. “I-I don’t hate you.”

Blinking continuously, my cheeks flaming red now, I decided that since I had come clean about it, might as well speak my mind. “ Sure you can be annoying, loud, obnoxious, irritating, egoistic, crazy, naughty, stupid, idiotic, an asshole, a jerk, and a dumbass…” I bit my lip, forcing the lump that formed on my throat down.

Cole grimaced, though the look in his eyes was vacant, revealing no emotion. To tell the truth, that freaked me out a little. “Gee, thanks. That was so comforting to know.”

I smiled wryly, continuing where I had stopped midsentence. “But…I know you are a really good guy somewhere down there. I…actually like you.”