A Tangled Web We Weave (Completed)

7. Swinging After The Bell

Cal

"Is this one of those times you want me to lie to protect your precious emotions?" Hudson said, leaning back on his library chair's back legs. "Because the last time I did that, you went to school in that terrible mustard sweater with the little embroidered decorations all over it. And that was a mess, man. I thought that girl in your first class was going to cry, she laughed so hard."

"That was 7th grade," I sighed, setting my head down on my folded arms. "Just answer the question, dude."

He shrugged. "I think if he's stood her up multiple times, she probably broke up with him and so no, I don't think you were helping some random girl cheat on her boyfriend."

I let out the breath I had holding. "That's what I thought." I shifted a little in my chair. "I texted her and we've exchanged small talk, but it's nothing like dinner plans or anything. I'm comfortable being myself around her, like my Uncle Davis. He doesn't care what I say around him."

"I don't think I would tell her that she reminds you an old relative," Hudson said, almost tipping his chair over. "But I mean, some girls like that."

I stood up, stretching my arms out. "I'm going to go find a book for my history project."

He nodded. "Go ahead, do actual work. Try hard." He stood, the front two legs of his chair touching the first time in an hour. "I'm going to talk to Coach about the game this weekend." He jogged out of the library, ignoring the librarian's overly loud scolds.

I rolled my eyes and meandered over the Ancient Rome books, looking down the next aisle. I saw long brown hair dancing in a long ponytail. The very short girl reached up to grab a book on a shelf that was too high for her. I walked up behind her and, stepping probably too close, lifted my arm over my head to grab the book she reached for. "Here," I said and even though I wasn't close enough to touch her, I felt her body freeze. She whirled around, causing me to jump a little back, and gasped. Her entire body shook violently.

"Cal?" Andrea gaped at me, her face blushing bright red. She immediately looked down, stammering. "Th-thanks for helping m-me with the book , but I could've probably g-g-gotten it on my own." She still continued shivering. This had to be more than just being shy. Right?

Her face flushed was the most adorable thing I'd ever seen. "It's all good, dollface, I was glad to help. Fancy meeting you here." Be smooth, Cal.

"I'm j-just checking out s-some books to read i-in my f-free time," she kept looking around nervously.

"You read willingly outside of school?" I chuckled, leaning against a pillar. "You are an anomaly."

She giggled a little and tilted her head to look at me. "What's an anomaly?"

"For a bookworm, you're not quite living up to the brainiac expectation-" I stopped, seeing her anger cloud her eyes. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding."

"Better be," she replied. "What's it mean?" Inadvertently, she had stepped forward and now her hands were only a few centimeters from mine and it would be so easy to just reach out and grab them-

"That's for me to know and you to find out, dollface."

She blushed a little bit more and stepped back a little bit, the light coming in from the window catching a triangle portion of her face. Some of her mascara had gotten on the back of the eyelids and she had bright blue vein right below her eye that stuck out a little bit, but she was beautiful. One of her shoes was untied and she had little bumps in her ponytail and I was staring.

"You have a little sparkle on your face," she whispered, reaching up and brushing her fingertips across my cheek.

I froze.

She jerked back, blushing furiously now, scrambling to back away. Why is she so nervous? Her purse slid down her shoulder and she shrugged it back up. "Well, I'll see you later, I guess. I have AP Chem homework I need to-"

"Go out with me," I blurted. What is it about this girl that makes me always trip over simple situations and land with my foot in my mouth? 

She tucked her chin in a little bit and thought about it. Suddenly, her face jerked up and she looked at me with wide eyes. "Oh my God, I remember you. You're Sabrina's brother, the one who won that big boxing competition." She tensed. "Are you messing with me?" She pressed her lips together, shivering again.

I shook my head once. "I'm dead serious. Well, not dead serious. But I wouldn't play like that."

Her eyes didn't leave mine for one of the longest moments of my entire life and finally, she leaned back, straightening her spine. "Ok, I'll go on a date with you. As long as you're sure. That it's me that you're talking about. And not the other Andrea on the soccer team. I go by A-Andy, that's what my friends call me. She's Andrea, I'm Andy. I'm told we look alike."

I held out the book she had been reaching for to her. Be smooth. "I'm not confused, dollface." As she took the book, our hands touched and I looked into her eyes. "At least when it comes to Andreas."