All is Fair in Love and School (COMPLETE)

:) 30- A Picture Lasts Longer (:

"You didn't have lunch with us."

"That's the first thing you're gonna say to me?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did you hurt yourself on the climb up? I can ask my mom for ice."

"I hate your sarcasm sometimes," James says as he collapses onto my bed.

I'd snuck him in again. There was no way my mom would let me have someone over so late and on a school night nonetheless.

I roll my eyes, "You know you love it."

"I said sometimes."

"Whatever," I exasperate as I collapse onto the bed beside him.

We lay there in silence. I look at the fan above my bed just go round and round. Is it awkward? Am I awkward? What's going on?

I turn to look at James and realize that he's already looking at me. I smile at him and realize that he's on the left. He's on his side like the good old days.

I grab the remote on my nightstand and turn the TV on. Awkward crisis averted.

"It's been a solid 4 weeks that Stranger Things 3 has been out."

"Haven't seen it," James answers my unspoken question.

I smile, "Neither have I."

I press play and get under the covers. I see James smile from my peripheral vision as he does a little shimmy to get the covers out from under him. Once he's in, we relax into a comfortable silence and enjoy the show we always watch together.

At some point during the episodes we somehow drift closer to each other.

Okay, I'm rolling my eyes at myself too.

His arm slides up and over my shoulder. I smile, it's the first time since he's apologized and come back to his senses that he's done that. It used to be so natural, and now that it's back. I couldn't be more content.

"You know, we don't keep the door open 3 inches."

I laugh, "Why would we need to?"

He shrugs his shoulders and looks back up to the tv. I stay staring at him. Taking in his features that I now realize I've missed. His strong jawline and floppy hair. His hazel eyes that glisten from the tv light.

"A picture lasts longer."

I roll my eyes, "I have plenty. The one from January comes to mind."

He turns to me, "You said you deleted that."

"I never delete blackmail."

Stranger Things becomes background noise as we both become invested in the conversation at hand.

"Blackmail? What were you planning on doing with it?"

I shrug, "It's no fun if you know."

"You drive me crazy."

"Now you're just copying the show."

"Well we did spend the whole night watching it," He defends.

I turn to look at the clock that's on my nightstand. It was almost 4 in the morning. Fucking shit. There's school tomorrow, I mean today.

My eyes are wide as I turn back to face James, "Fuuuuuckkk."

He laughs, "You'll live."

"That's the problem, I should be dead asleep."

There's a moment of silence and I take the opportunity to speak my worries, "Shouldn't you go back home?"

"My parents think I'm hanging with Ethan for the night."