Playing At His Level

{chapter twelve} the telephone box.

The worst thing about laying in bed at night, was the constant reminder of something. Regardless of the fact that it's two in the morning and you have to get up at six, you're laying in bed, rerunning everything that could pop in your head. That night, my brain was thinking way too much about Jace.

*  *  *

Entering Aeryn's house as if it were my own, I encountered her giddy and almost overwhelming grin, welcoming me on the opposite side of the door. Not only was I still entranced by me and Jace's 'almost kiss' but I was also utterly struck by how many butterflies had plied apart my ribcage to flutter around my stomach and make me anxious and antsy. 

Aeryn clasped her hands together, her excitement taking over physically. "You're blushing something happened!" 

But it wasn't just something. I had realized something I hadn't wanted to accept quite yet. I shrugged with a casual laugh. "Just the cold. Oh and my swan dive to the pavement." I waved nonchalantly, and began up the stairs heading toward her bedroom, trying and failing to avoid the unavoidable flood of Aeryn's inquiry. 

She pounded up the stairs following close behind me. "Excuse me, I don't think you've finished," she stopped me by sliding past my figure and blocking the rest of the staircase. I rolled my eyes and sighed. 

"It's nothing, definitely nothing worth sharing." 

"Oh come on." I slid under her arm, and escaped her never-ending questions for the time being. I sped up my pace and entered her room, the blue crepe paper hanging around her door frame indicated it was hers. I fell absentmindedly into her spinning desk chair and examined her wall of fame. 

Pictures filled the wall, floor to ceiling. I had only spotted myself in a few. Most including her other friends that she had been closer to before I moved here. I found one with the two of us, pulling our ears and blowing up our cheeks. It was one of the first times we had hung out with each other without trying to pull each others hair out. 

Believe it or not, Aeryn and I had a bit of a sketchy beginning to our relationship. We met through her friend Bailey, the girl with dark eyebrows and maroon hair. She happened to be in all of my core classes, and she was kind enough to say hello after Mr. Grangers' loud announcement that I was new to the school. 

Aeryn walked in after me and said, "Fine, don't tell me, I'm doing homework." She threw the contents of her bag onto her bed and lied on top of them. I found her acoustic guitar leaning against her bedframe and lifted it onto my lap as I sat down next to her.

I gave her the details.

"So he didn't kiss you?" Aeryn sounded astounded, shocked even, that he hadn't once I told her a brief overview of the night.

"Not even a little," I replied, plucking at the cord strings and realized it needed tuning. Staying at Aeryn's was a usual thing. Most the time she assumed I would drop by and stay the night. Her parents didn't mind either. 

"You should DTR, maybe you guys aren't like meant to be kissing."

I let go of all the strings, resting my hands on the hollow base, and glanced around at her. "What does that mean?" I asked.

"DTR: Define The Relationship. Because if he's kissed you before, but doesn't at a perfectly good moment, he's either ready to dump your sorry ass or he doesn't think you two are a thing."

She dragged an eraser across the paper, and stuck the pencil between her teeth as my stomach did an outstanding diving flip, and I debated whether Aeryn's theory made sense or not. Unfortunately my brain was taking her side.