Cherry

Chapter 11: The project II

Another boring day with boring classes pass. Again I anticipate tonight's meeting with Lion. I hate my heart for doing this to me. I don't have time to do this. I need to focus on my studies so I can enroll in a decent college. Dating can wait for after high school. Plus, he's already taken.

 "Really heart, really? You couldn't find someone single at least?" I quietly mumble getting out of my house.

The time has come. Again, I'm standing in front of Lion's house, wiping my hands off of my jeans as usual. Why am I feeling more nervous than yesterday?

As I ring the doorbell, Mrs. Anderson opens up.

"Cherry, what a surprise. Lion didn't tell me you were coming" she says, looking back at Lion with a smile.

"Hello Mrs. Anderson" I greet her.

"I was about to..Miss Davis gave us a chemistry project to do together. " Lion says coming next to her.

"Oh really? Come in, come in" she makes space for me to come in.

"Let's head up to my room" Lion says and grabs my hand dragging me.

I feel like time is slowing down. I can feel tingles where where he touches my skin with his hand . My heart starts beating faster every second. I feel like it's going to burst out of my chest. I never want this feeling to fade, it's like I'm floating above the clouds. I should get myself together. We'll finish this project as soon as possible and I'll head home fast. If only this gesture makes me feel this way, then I'm dead for sure.

As we get inside his room, he closes the door behind him and I just stand there still being in trance from his gesture.

"Come here Cher. Don't be shy. I don't bite." he smirks and pats the empty space next to him.

"O-Okay, yeah" I stutter and sit next to him.

  'Get yourself together. Don't do this.' I psyche myself up.  

After a couple of minutes bickering on how we should make the project look good I notice that he has an Xbox.

"Wait, you have an Xbox?" I ask pointing to it.

"Yeah" he says turning towards it.

"Let's have a break, play some games and then we'll finish the project because I can't do this anymore. I need a break. We've been at it for almost two hours" I say adjusting on my chair because my butt starts hurting.

"Okay. But let's make a deal. If I win, you have to grant me a wish. If you win I will finish this project all by myself" he suggests.

"Deal" I blurt instantly, without thinking.

"Wait, no. Not deal, it's not fair. Why do I have to grant you a wish, but you just need to finish the project. It's not fair" I whine.

"Deal's a deal. You said it first" he says acting cocky.

"Oh come on. I didn't think it through" I start to pout.

"You can't get out of this acting cute. " he says, patting my head.

I glare at him, swatting his hand away. "Okay, fine. I'll definitely win" 

"We'll see" he chuckles.

As I struggle to not be at least last place I start leaning right as the kart in the game is doing. That makes me stumble off of the chair, planting my face on the floor and loosing the game at the same time.

Lion bursts out of laughter to the point where tears start falling from his eyes.

"Why do you always fall every time we're together?" Lion asks mid laughter as he offers his hand for me to stand up.

"Shut up. It's my tactics to win the game. That apparently don't work" I say, grabbing his hand.

"Are you okay? I mean you fell on your side" 

"I'm fine. You won. Now tell me your wish" I grumble.

"Aw, you're so adorable when you're mad" he chuckles.

"Shut up and tell me" I demand.

"Hmm.... I wish..... for a tickle war" he says and starts tickling me right away.

"Oh no no no no" I gasp, retreating myself towards the bed as he follows me to start the tickle war.

I glare at him for the second time today. "Don't" I whisper as he lunges himself towards me, pinning me on the bed with one hand and tickling me with the other. I start laughing like a maniac.

At that moment I try to get away from his grasp, but he continues tickling me so I just squirm under him.

As we both get worn out by this war, we try to catch our breath. He doesn't move his grip on my hands and just hovers above me, his head wayyy too close to mine. We stare into each others eyes. I feel his deep breathing tickling my skin. My heartbeat gets faster and blush creeps up on my cheeks. He looks at my lips and starts getting closer as my heart starts skipping beats.

'Stop it. He has a girlfriend. You can't do this' my consciousness wakes me up from the trance Lion put me in. 

Coming to terms with reality, I push him off, accidentally too hard and he stumbles to the floor.

I widen my eyes. "Oh my god. I'm so sorry. Are you okay" 

He just starts laughing. "That was exhausting. I feel like I just exercised for like an hour"

"Oh thank god you're okay. Now get up. We need to finish this project." I say like nothing happened. 

We both start working on it like the good students we are. For a couple of minutes things are awkward but then I stop thinking about it and things go back to normal.

"Finally." I sigh as I close the finished chemistry project.

I turn to him only to see him starring at me, smiling.  At that moment I remember Melanie's story about me and Lion.

'He'll kiss you' my heart says.

'No, he won't. That was just a story Melanie invented. It won't happen' my consciousness says.

'He looks so cute' my heart says.

'No, he doesn't. Stop it' my consciousness fights back.

'But look at him. Look at how precious he looks' my heart gushes at his appearance.

'Stop it. It's WRONG. He. has. a. girlfriend.' my consciousness states.

'I don't care. We can get rid of her'

They bicker like a devil and an angel in my thoughts.

"STOP" I accidentally say out loud. Great.

"What?" Lion asks, surprised.

"Nothing. I'm sorry. I need to go" I say standing up.

 "Oh, okay. See you tomorrow in school" he says, seeming down.

As I get home, I lie on my bed, rethinking my decisions today.