Something Unexpected

THIRTY-FOUR: I Want You to Want Me

When Grant picks me up the next morning, everything is business as usual. My classes for the first part of the day pass quickly, and I'm thankful that even Alex the Stoner is tolerable today.

Grant isn't outside my class when linch rolls around.  I wait for a bit, ans I'm just about to leave when I see him round the corner with some guy.

I can't help but smile at him as he laughed at something the guy next to him said. And as they approach, I silently admire his friend, taking note of how he was almost the exact opposite of Grant. He is taller than Grant, which is insane because Grant is like a skyscraper. But his friend is more like a mountain of muscles covered with smooth dark brown skin.

When Grant sees me looking his way his smile fades a bit. Is he not happy to see me? Did he change his mind about wanting me to have lunch with him and his friends?

I smooth down the skirt of my dress, before meeting them both halfway down the hall. "Hey Alana. I want you to meet Adam, Adam this is Alana."

Adam holds out his hand and I wish he didn't becauss my hands are embarrassingly clammy. But I shake his hands anyway, and he didn't seem to mind, or at least he didn't show it.

"Nice to finally meet you Alana. Grant's told me a lot about you."

"All good I hope." I shoot a quick glance at Grant whose cheeks are a little pink.

"Of course."

"Can we walk and talk at the same time? I'd love to make it in line before they run out of tacos." Grant says.

I turn and the boys fall in step on both sides of me.

"Oh Grant, how did the math test go?" I ask, hoping to fill the uncomfortable silence.

"I'd say pretty well. I still have a full head of hair, and my brain doesn't feel like slush."

"Well that's always a good sign." He looks down at me and nods.

"That's exactly what I thought. Thanks for all the help by the way. I'd probably be bald right now if it weren't for those little formula memorization tricks."

"Glad I could be of assistance." I turned and looked at Adam, who was grinning at me and Grant.

The conversation starts to die, and because I hate silence, I wrack my brain trying to figure out how to revive it. Fortunately for me, Adam did is already a step ahead of me.

"So, Alana. Grant and I were actually going to hang out at Lenny's tonight. Wanna come?"

"Oh, I actually have plans, but thanks for the invite. Maybe another time?"

"Of course. You can always come tomorrow or the day after, or the day after that. Grant and I practically live there."

I look towards Grant who nods in agreement. We reach the line to the salad bar and he hands me an empty tray before grabbing one for himself.

"What do you guys do there anyway? Play video games or something?" I ask.

"Yeah, Lenny has tons of them. He even has his own little GeekTube Channel where he likes to do livestreams of him playing in tournaments with other geeks." Adam says. He picks up a plastic plate and starts piling carrots and celery sticks onto it. "And sometimes I go over just to watch Grant and Lenny dress up as elves and dance around the couch in a circle."

I laugh, thinking of how Grant would look with big elf ears and a green outfit with tights. It just seems too ridiculous.

"He's lying, the only one who likes to dress up as an elf is Lenny." Grant says quickly. He narrows his eyes at Adam, but he doesn't look angry, more amused than anything.