Just a Newsboy

Chapter 8

hi I wrote for 4 hours today to get this done so hopefully it's good
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•••••Joshua's Perspective

I walked through the door to Ben and I's hotel room and shut it behind me. Quickly kicking my shoes off, I climbed on top of the untouched comforter, willing my stomach to settle down.

I wasn't sure if I was feeling sick, exactly. All I knew was that Alex started talking about her sister, and then my stomach twisted itself into a bunch of knots. It wasn't quite the sensation of nausea, but I had no idea what else it could've been.

Whatever it was, I didn't like it.

The door to the hotel room opened, and Ben stepped inside. "Hey, where've you been?"

"IKEA." I mumbled into my pillow.

He tilted his head. "You feeling okay?"

I sat up and sighed. "I don't know."

"Describe your condition." He instructed, sitting down next to me. "I will do my best to diagnose you."

"My stomach feels weird." I said. "And I don't know why."

The corners of his mouth pulled his lips into a frown as he folded his hands, resting his chin atop his knuckles. "When did it start feeling weird?"

"Well, I was with Alex, and then she was talking about how her sister thought that we would be cute together, and then my stomach—"

Before I'd finished my sentence, Ben's bright blue eyes went wide, and he doubled over with laughter, sending him rolling off the edge of the bed.

"Why is that funny?" I asked, watching as he attempted to catch his breath.

"I know exactly what's wrong with you." He declared, picking himself up off the floor.

"Really?"

He nodded. "And it has everything to do with Cricket."

I tilted my head. "How does this have anything to do with Alex?"

"You're crushing on her." He stated. "Clean and simple."

"What?" I narrowed my eyes at him, feeling a strange heat creeping up the back of my neck. "What makes you think that?"

He blinked, a smirk forming in his expression. "It's hilariously obvious, Josh."

"Is not!"

"Is too!" Ben's smirk turned into a beaming smile. "Your ears turned bright red at the exact second that I mentioned it!"

I ran a hand through my hair. "I think I'm very sick."

"You're not sick, you're in love."

"I can't be!" I shot back.

His smile faltered. "Why not?"

"Because we were just talking about how ridiculous that would be." I shrugged. "Also, she hates me."

"You know, there are a lot of romantic comedies that start out this way."

I rolled my eyes. "We're not in a romantic comedy, Ben."

(*cough*)

"Well, even despite that," he smirked, "you clearly have a thing for her."

"That's impossible." Shaking my head, I crossed my arms and laid back down. "Don't be stupid."

•••••

•••••Cricket's Perspective