Chapter 12

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So what now?

Those words had been running through my head ever since last night, refusing to leave me alone. Did I tell him? Absolutely not. Did I keep it quiet? I couldn't just let another chance slip away, could I?

Then what was I supposed to do?

"Did the concrete personally offend you, or is that just your face today?" Keefe asked, glancing up from his phone to look at me. He came by every morning to catch a ride from Fitz, who despite having a car, decided to make Dad drive us around anyway.

I wasn't quiet sure how to respond, so I didn't. Keefe nodded, and went back to scrolling through his phone. "Right."

I glanced over at him. If anybody knew about this kind of stuff.....

"Say you have a crush on somebody," I said suddenly. Keefe gave me a strange look. "Uh, okay..."

"Do you tell them?" I continued. "Or do wait to see if they like you back?"

He considered it for a moment. "Honestly, it depends on the person. If they're the awkward, quiet type that would never in a million years tell you they like you, then yeah, you might wanna tell them. If not--" Keefe shrugged. "Do whatcha want."

Yeah, Tam definitely fell into the awkward category.

Keefe narrowed his eyes at me. "Why?"

"Oh, no reason." I avoided his eyes as they narrowed further.

"Riiiight."

"Keefe!" Fitz bounded down our porch stairs, pulling his jacket on as he went. "You ready?"

"For torture?" Keefe asked, suspicion forgotten. "Anytime, bro!"

I smiled. He really was a great guy.

Which reminded me of another someone that I couldn't quite get out of my head.

I stifled a sigh. Today was gonna be fun.

***

"I--hate--this," Tam groaned, emphasizing each word by hitting his head on the desk.

"Might wanna stop," I told him, scrutinizing our project for any last-minute mistakes. "Can't present if you give yourself a concussion."

"That was kinda the point," he grumbled, sitting up and tugging on his bangs. "Are you sure we have to do this today?"

I pointed to the board, where our names were written in bright red, along with several other groups.

"Right." Tam sighed, putting his face in his hands. "Maybe if I hit my head just a little bit harder, I might actually get a concussion and we won't have to present."

"Are you okay?" I asked him, folding our poster and laying it carefully on the ground beside my desk.

"I'm great," he said, still talking to his hands. "Why?"

I sighed and glanced up at the front. "No reason."

Tam looked up at me with concern, his eyebrows scrunched together in a way that was way too adorable for me to focus on right now. "Are you okay? You seem a little off."

"I'm fine," I said lightly, still not looking at him. 

"Okay...." Tam gave me one more glance, before going back to panicking. "What am I even supposed to say?"

"Lucky for you, I already thought of that." I slid a piece of paper towards him, filled with my superior handwriting. His light eyes skimmed the words, and his expression softened with relief. "Biana, you are such a lifesaver."

I smiled. "I know. You have thirty minutes to memorize your part, and then its show time."

Tam breathed some more words of thanks and began studying the script like that alone was worth half his grade.

I studied him as he read over his part, mouthing the words to himself. I wasn't quite sure what it was, but there was something about Tam that just....

He slammed the paper back onto his desk, making me jump. There was a new gleam of confidence in his eyes as he exhaled, gazing at me with a smile that did weird things to the rhythm of my heart. "Got it."

I laughed. "If I'd known it was that easy to cheer you up before, I would've done that a long time ago."

Tam gave me that grin again, but it was more embarrassed this time. "Sorry."

I smiled at him. "It's alright. Everyone freaks out every once in a while."

He shrugged. "Yeah. Like kicking your friend out of your house after they spilled all their secrets and feelings."

I gaped at him, and his face split into another sheepish grin. "Too soon?"

I laughed, and decided: I'd keep my feelings a secret if it killed me. I couldn't mess this up.





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