Grasers New Neighbor

15

~Zach~

"I can't do this..."

"Wait, Haley stop!" She's gone. I get my jeans and the shirt and the stuff she had picked out for herself and paid for it. I text her 'comeback to Panda Express I'll buy and explain. I'm sorry'. Shoot I just messed everything up. I'm so stupid. Stupid stupid stupid. My phone goes off 'orange chicken, white rice, and a water. I'm at the table by the carousal.' I laugh she must not be too pissed at me because she's accepted food as an apology. I order our food and sit down. She won't look at me for a few seconds then speaks up "so, we kissed. You kissed me then I returned it because I may have enjoyed it. Explain." Jesus that's the look. It's so captivating and it ugh. "Well, you wouldn't look at me even though it was just my shirt off but I wasn't thinking straight because I don't care if someone sees my chest but it's fine I won't do it again. I'm sorry about that. But then I made you look at me and needed to kiss you. Haley, I hope this doesn't ruin our friendship but I want to be more than friends with you. I want to be able to hug you when I want and kiss you and...." "Zach, Zach, Graser. Slow down take a breath. First off you can hug me whenever, you give some of the best hugs I've ever had so I mean can't stop won't stop. Second it didn't know what you were doing just stripping in a mall. Third, my last relationship moved way too fast for me and I ended up getting hurt. Physically and emotionally. I can't do that again, I can't just kiss the first person who acts like they care. Hell if that were the case I'd be kissing a lot of people. Zach, I just want to have you as a friend and if we do date and it goes badly I want to still be friends with you." She laughs but I can see the pain behind her eyes. I reach out to hold her hand but immediately pull it back not wanting her to leave again. She won't look at me. "Hal I hate when you do that." "do what?" I smirk as she looks up "you start doubting yourself and then try to avoid all eye contact with me. Also, I'm a sucker for brown eyes just so you know." "Your accent just got really heavy right there." she laughs. "sorry eh, you got a problem with that?" She sticks her tongue out and smiles. "Stop smirking you idiot. I still don't know if I like you or not." "Would someone who hates you buy the clothes you had said you wanted?" "Zach you didn't" "I did." She looked under the table at the bag of clothes. "Zachary you bought me food and clothes. There must be a way to repay you." "Go on a date with me, just one. If you hate it we can forget about me even asking." Please work.

"Okay, let's go see 'The Giver' I read the book and it's really good. Oh and zach, you're buying us the big popcorn or I'm leaving." I laugh and agree as we get up from our table. "Whatever you say goes my friend."