The Want of the Heart - R. G. (#Wattys2017)

9: The Boy That Had A Rumor About Him

I pull into the school parking lot the next morning and see Roman smoking a cigarette right beside his car. I get out of my car and start walking towards him.

"You know you could get cancer, right?" I call out to him. "Smoking might look good, but it never actually is." I grab the cigarette from between his fingers and throw it on the ground, stomping on it with my foot.

He glares at me. "You owe me a cigarette," he snaps at me.

"Consider that me saving your life," I reply as I turn and walk away.

I hear him sigh and the sound of footsteps getting closer. "Ah," I sigh, "It's good to know some things never change." I look at him from over my shoulder.

He smiles at me as he rolls his eyes and takes my hand.

"You actually want to hold my hand while we're at school?" I gasp excitedly. "He really does like me!" I exclaim. Then I laugh and I nudge him in the side, getting him to smile at me.

"Yeah, but the real question is does she like me?"

I laugh. "She's still deciding," I reply with a smirk. "Hey, what did Shelley say about you taking me out on a date last night?"

"Didn't tell her."

"What?"

"Figured she didn't need to know. I don't usually tell her stuff like that." I don't say anything; so, he looks down at me. "What? Was I supposed to say something to her?"

I shake my head. "No, I've just been thinking about how she would react to all of this. Do you think she would be upset?"

Roman flashes me a look. "She's not going to get upset over a date."

"But you're her brother, and I'm supposed to be her friend. It would be weird."

"I think she would be happy for you."

I groan and headbutt his bicep, leaving my face buried in his shirt. "This is frustrating," I mutter.

He laughs and presses his lips to the top of my head. "You're cute when you're frustrated," he replies.

I look up and as we're heading for the entrance, people stare at us. I start to slip my hand out of his, but he clutches me tighter. I look up at him.

"What's the matter, pretty girl?" he asks.

"Nothing. I just need to get to my locker," I lie.

"Then let me walk you," he insists.

"That's okay. You probably want to go talk to Peter or something," I shoot back. I manage to slip out of his grip, but he's quick to grab my arm.

He stops me in the middle of the courtyard. "Hey, seriously, what's wrong?" he asks softly.

I look around and turn back to Roman, who has a concerned look in his eye. "They're staring," I whisper.

He smiles at cups her cheek. "I thought you didn't care what these people thought," he whispers back.

I push his hand away. "I don't."

"It sure seems like you do," he replies as he brushes a piece out of my face, his touch lingering. "The staring didn't bother you before, pretty girl."

"Well, it bothers me now," I reply hesitantly, letting out a sigh. "It's just...things...are different now."

He smiles. "How?"

"You're holding my hand for starters, and...people -- no matter what you do -- always seem to look your way. Everyone looks at you. Everyone waits for you to make your next move. I'm there in the shadows, doing what I do. I don't want everyone to see me. That's why I don't care. They don't know me; they don't see me. There's nothing to judge if no one knows anything."