Park and Ani

I blame it on hormones

The next day of school marked another day of Imani acting strange, though this time it seemed as if she was in pain.

Already a bad sign.

Her head remained firmly planted on one of her arms as her other arm remained tightly wound against her stomach, and she was stiff as a board. Her black hoodie swallowed her thin frame and her Van clad feet relentlessly tapped on the floor. I couldn't see her face, but based on the light sweat on the back of her neck, it was most likely contorted with pain.

"Mani you okay?"

I instantly knew how dumb a question that was once all of her movement stopped. As if she was in a horror movie, her head lifted slowly and she turned to me with the most dead expression shes ever had. Finally able to see her face, I was right about her being in pain. Even though she was expertly masking how much, I easily caught the crease in her brows and the masked grimace on her lips. Of course I'd notice her lips, Christ their the only thing I've been thinking about these past couple of weeks. More so than usual.

My hormones are cut short once she latches her hand onto my arm, squeezing the ever living shit out of it.

"Shit Mani, ah, dammit that hurts!"

She ignores me to engulfed by the pain she's in, which ,if her face offers any evidence, is a lot more than the pain she's inflicting on my arm. After about a minute of her mauling my arm her grip loosens and her eyes reopen and immediately zone in on my now red arm decorated with crescent moon shapes. She looks back at me and again alarms go off because her eyes are the dullest they've ever been, a murky lake water color.

She glances back at the teacher who remained oblivious to the whole situation, before looking into my open notebook. Nodding to herself she slowly pulls out her phone sending someone a text before slowly starting to pack her things.

"Park," she mumbles, voice hoarse "I need you to take me home after this class ends, these cramps are killing me."

If it were any other person, I probably would have said no, but when the bell finally rings I find myself walking to my car with Imani latching onto my arm.

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Pulling up to her house I notice that it's completely empty.

"I thought your mom or dad would be here."

She only glances at me before unbuckling her seat belt and opening the door. Sighing I mimic her actions before joining her at her front door.

"Ma got called in for work earlier, and dad went to the base that's here until they deploy him again."

Nodding I grab the keys from her fumbling hands before unlocking the doors myself. If I waited for her to do it, we'd be out here all day. Giving me a thankful half smile she opens the door letting both of us in. The second her foot hits the wooden floors, she takes off into the kitchen hoisting herself onto the counter to open a cabinet.

After digging through it for a second she finds what she's looking for before turning to me. A devious smile lights up her face and she turns back to the cabinet, back facing me. My eyes start drifting down her back, but before they make it to the point of no return she throws herself off the counter.

Running forward, I make it to her right before she hits the ground before looking down at her incredulously. In return she gives me a heart stopping grin before lifting herself up from her swan dive position.

"Impromptu trust fall. Aw I can trust you Park." She laughs poking me in the stomach.

Shimming herself out of my grip, she nods over to the living room silently telling me to follow her. She opens the small Midol box before dry swallowing two white pills. Pushing me onto the couch she situates herself beside me before sighing and laying her head on my thigh, flicking the T.V. to the Amazing World of Gumball.

Not helping the 'hormone' issue I've been dealing with lately.

Shifting to move her head from my lap I focus on many 'things' to keep her from noticing my dilemma. But she's clearly oblivious to my attempts because she simply moves back in response. Eventually I give up and instead zone in on the goofy cartoon she's constantly watching.

"What's up with you and cartoons?"

"They're funny, distracting, and colorful what's not to like about them," she shrugs before finally sitting up.

Glancing over at her I immediately burst out in laughter. She finally took down the scarf she tied into a bun for the day and unveiled the several braids she was hiding. Much like any other teenager, I had a photo of her on Snapchat in less than a second.

"PARKER!" she lunged for my phone narrowly missing me as I jumped off the couch. I break off into a sprint cackling as she chased me around the first floor. Thank God she had an open floor plan otherwise I would've ran into a door.

"You look like A$AP Rocky!" I choke out over my laughs before locking and pocketing my phone.

She scowls at me before her facial expressions suddenly changes. I've seen this look on her face several times before and in most cases it ends with me embarrassed and her laughing at my expense.

"You think it's funny huh?" she questions, coy smirk on her face.

Slowly but surely she makes her way over to me before cocking her head to the side, long plaits falling behind her neck. Her round smooth face in full view and she smiles catching onto my obvious attention to her full lips. My mouth goes dry in less than a second. Her whole demeanor changed in a second, and for the first time ever her expression and actions are something I've never seen before. Her eyebrow raises expectantly and I dumbly nod along to whatever she said.

"Oh? So you were staring at my lips again?" she questions biting back a smile.

My mind barley registers anything before I go nodding like a trained dog to whatever she said. She finally stops in front of me, sock clad toes skimming my own. She looks back up at me slowly, eyes wide and full of unidentifiable emotion. Her eyes lock onto my own and my body feels as if its on fire; she simply smiles in response. I stiffen when her long slender arms link around my neck as she hoist herself onto her toes. Her coconut scent enveloping my entire being.

"Hey Park, you know what else is funny?" she whispers, lips ghosting my own.

She starts closing her eyes and I feel mine closing in response as my hands find their place on her hips. Everything around me goes mute as I zone into the girl in my arms. As quickly as the moment happened it ended as she pulled away from me bursting out in laughter.

"Your face!" she cackles out before showing me a photo of my beet red face.

She drops down from her toes still laughing at her own little game before making a move to go back to the living room. Waving her phone with the victory photo back and forth in the air.

Again I blame it on hormones. Because one second I'm grabbing her wrist to turn her back to me.

And the next my lips are smashed against her own.