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PROBLEM XXXV | Unpredictable Green Eyed Boy
After absent mindedly confessing the truth, I felt my cheeks burn. They were sure tainted before, but now they were burning. I had never cursed my subconscious so much before, that too, without the alternative words.
We sat in silence for a while on the edge of the cliff. We could hear the gush of water beneath us and it was calming. Houston had closed his eyes, taking in the peace, while I sat there gazing at him. My stalker tendencies were increasing awfully fast. It felt awkward when Houston suddenly opened his eyes and caught me staring at him. He cleared his throat and I snapped my head elsewhere. It was a day of embarrassment for me.
“Are you going to tell me what’s bothering you?”
“Are you going to tell me why you jumped from here back then?” He retorted, quirking an eyebrow. He knew I didn’t want to answer that particular question.
“I didn’t jump! I slipped!”
“Doesn’t explain what you were doing here.”
“What were you doing here?” I asked back. He grumbled under his breath, a few profanities, I presume. “I come here quite often. It’s my peace place.”
My eyes widened and I smacked him on his upper arm, “Thief!” I gasped. He gave me a confused look, “What?”
“This is my peace place! Well, I call it my safe haven but...Don’t you steal it!”
Houston suddenly laughed, “My my,” He shook his head. “Do I even want to know the other things that we accidently have in common? I think we awfully match with each other. Be my girlfriend?”
I laughed too, until the last part of his sentence sunk in. I ceased down my laugh as he looked at me. It was a joke. I laughed, this time it wasn’t a full fledged laugh but a false one. “Be your girlfriend? Right.”
What he said next, took my breath away. “Why not?”
I stared at him, my eyes wide open. Did I hear him correct? “You don’t mean that...”
“I would like to say that I do.”
“Houston, do you even like me? I’m not going to put out. I’m not going to be a cheerleader at our school. I’m average. I even fail some tests. I’m not academically strong nor am I athletic. I’m not your type.”
“And you know my type?” He retorted.
“I...” Did I?
“You won’t put out? Okay. We have our whole lives for that. You won’t be a cheerleader? Alright. Cheerleaders are mainstream anyway. You’re average? Cool. You fail some tests? I do to. I often burn them,” He smirked. “You’re not academically strong? I don’t mind. But if it matters to you, I will help. You’re not athletic? Cool, I think one athlete will work in our relationship. Anymore queries?”
I was...stunned. My mouth opened and closed like a fish. I couldn’t speak, so I just shook my head. He spoke again after that.
“I’ll let you in on a secret,” He said, taking a hold of my hands. Warmth immediately wrapped itself around my hand, giving it comfort. It felt good. I looked at him curiously, meeting his eyes. He casted his eyes down, and I could faintly see red tainting his cheeks. “I’ve never been in a relationship before.”
“No way. Lie!” I exclaimed. “You were in a relationship with Reyana!”
He gave me a crooked smile, “So she thought. I wasn’t. She assumed that we were.” He rolled his eyes. “I cleared it out with her.”
I closed my eyes, taking it all in. The top notch Jock of LakeVille High never had a girlfriend before? I did not see this coming. I expected a number of girlfriends or flings. I erected my back, staring at him, “Let me get this straight. You never had a girlfriend. Like ever. Not even a fling?”
He shook his head, and I could see a blush rise on his cheeks. “I don’t do flings. They are pretty worthless, aren’t they?”
He continued, “The most you will get out of it, is a heartbreak or some temporary bliss.”
“Atleast you get some bliss.” I pointed out. “Temporary bliss is good.”
He quirked his lips, “Not as good as permanent.”
Silence lapsed. I didn’t know what to say to him. He had just out of the blue asked me to be his girlfriend. I wasn’t expecting that. I wasn’t expecting a lot of things. Like Justin getting drunk again. Like Houston being upset about something bothering him. Like Houston keeping secrets from me. This was one of the unexpected things that were good. Frankly, I didn’t want to say no to that.
“So, you actually like me? The awkward, nerdy Clover Lian?”
His lips curved, “What’s so wrong with liking the awkward, nerdy Clove Lian?”
I rolled my eyes, “Your reputation at LakeVille High is going to plummet down.”
“Eh,” He waved his hand, dismissing the issue. It oddly made me smile. “I think it’s time for you to get a self esteem.”
I sighed, knowing what he meant. “I’m not even going to ask what you meant because I know. But yes.”
“But yes?” He questioned. “I’m hoping this yes is the yes I wanted.”
I grinned at him, showing my pearly whites, “It is.” It didn’t take him more than a second to engulf me in a bear hug. His arms wrapped around me, as he picked me up. I yelped, feeling my feet lift off the ground. I looked down at Houston and he was grinning at me. His green orbs held happiness. And it made me happy that I was the reason.
It happened without a thought. He crashed his lips over mine. They molded together, like broken pieces. The feels were intoxicating. The warmth travelled among us, the flesh carried tingles of pleasure. It felt overwhelming. Breath had escape long back, and I was starting to sense the loss of it. I pulled away, breathing heavily, my hands on his shoulder blades, supporting myself.
“Finally,” He breathed, making me smile. “I wanted to do that ever since I tasted ButterScotch.”
