You & I

#13

Harry's POV

"Hey." With a nasty smirk, Brody lowers next to me on the gym floor. I stop mid- sit up, not liking that smirk at all.

"Hey?" It sounds too unsure to be a greeting. Lately, I feel like all I'm doing is questioning Brody. Questioning why we're friends at all... the lack of answers is very, very unsettling.

"Kayla Briggs just told me under the bleachers that Alex Vera has a thing for you." Brody wags his blonde brows at me.

"Why were you under the bleachers of the with Kayla Briggs?" I immediately question with Rory's smile in the back of my mind.

"She was showing me her new tattoo," Brody looks fondly off at the pretty sophomore on the other side of the gym. Then he catches my disapproving look, but doesn't look ashamed at all. "It was on her shoulders. She didn't want the creepy new gym teacher checking her out." Brody tries to save face, but fails.

"How does a high school sophomore get a tattoo? Did she get her parents' permissio-"

"But did you not hear me? One of the hottest girls in our grade has a thing for you. Are you gonna hit that?" Brody interrupts me, not giving a damn about how an underage girl got a tattoo.

"Hit that?" I pronounce it as if I'm saying a complicated swear in another language. "What kind of human garbage made domestic abuse into a slang for consensual sex?"

"Does it matter?!" Brody rolls his blue eyes. "Are you gonna hook up or not?"

"What's with you and sex?" I question, curiosity overwhelming me. "Why did you come over here, call her hot instead of literally anything else- like smart or funny or something- then go into sex?"

"What is your damn problem with sex?" Brody defensively hisses. Why does Brody look at every conversation and moment of life as a chance to bend a girl over? Why do so many of us guys do that? And why is it not only okay, but deemed not normal if you don't objectify? What if you're a straight male who just wants to make a girl laugh instead? Or take her out on ten dates before even trying to get pass second base? Or meet her parents?

"Nothing," I start. "I'm just asking, why do you always go straight to sex?"

"Stop trying to slut shame me. I'm not going to let you make me feel bad about my sexuality." Brody rounds on me. I choke down the biggest exasperated groan. Brody's sex life if the very last thing that needs defending.

"You... and Rory haven't done it yet, right?" I ask, my abs protesting as I force my way through more sit ups. I know they're not having sex, but that uncertain feeling in the pit of stomach reminds me how many boxes of condoms Brody goes through.

"No." Brody sighs through flared nostrils. "Lord knows I'm trying, but Rory is not budging on the topic." With my back on the floor, I feel the huge grin on my face pointed at the gym ceiling.

"To be honest, I kind of like that about her." Brody admits with a shrug. Caught off guard, I fall out of form while my sit ups come to a complete halt. There is no trace of a sly smirk on Brody's face or a smug tone in his voice. Just a blank expression that one might even be considered thoughtful if you looked long enough through squinted eyes.

"I like the chase." A nasty smirk suddenly forms across his face. There it is.

"It's your turn." I bitterly state, tempted to shove Brody down, but settle for gripping his ankles with a too tight grip.

"How many sit ups did you do, Harry? I'm gonna beat your record."

After School