It all started with a bet...

Chapter six

Mason's POV
We're walking home and it's dark out, the stars completely out and the moon full, I can't wipe the smile from my face. He breaks the silence by saying,"Thank you for taking me there,"
          "No problem, I felt I could trust you so I showed you," He nudges my shoulder but doesn't look at me. We stop in front of his house and he says, "Me and my family are going out of town over the weekend but I'll be back late Sunday so I'll see you Monday,"
"Yeah, see you Monday..." Neither of us move we're just standing there in the streetlight, silently but making direct eye contact with each other.
"Why are you staring?" We both ask at the same time,
Our faces instantly turn pink and I say, "Sorry,"
         "Yeah, sorry," We stand there for a moment longer and he says, "Well I should go,"
         "Yeah," I smile at him and he smiles back and holds his hand out to me. I take it and shake his hand and say, "I'll see you later I guess,"
         He drops my hand and says, "Yeah, see you Monday," He turns around and walks to his door and unlocks it then looks at me and says, "I've had fun,"
I smile at him and say, "Me too,"
He smiles back then goes into his house.
I continue to smile to myself as I walk down the road to my house.

I get home to my mom standing looking at me with a look I can only describe as a "Molly Weasley" look. "Hi mom,"
"It is Ten o'clock! You have work tomorrow!"
I laugh and say, "Mom I quit that job a few days ago because the boss was fired and the new one hated me,"
"Oh. Then I'm glad you quit,"
"Plus, our money won't be spent uselessly on alcohol now."
A thick silence sits between us and she says, "You're right, he spent a very excessive amount of money on it..."
I walk over and hug her and whisper gently, "It's good that he's gone, we both still have scars and bruises from him." I pull out of the hug a bit and look down at her bruised eye, "Especially you..."
"How are you my son? You are like six feet and you're 18!"
"So is James,"
She gives me an annoyed look then says, "There's balsamic chicken and pasta on the stove," And she walks out.
          I chuckle to myself then walk to the kitchen.

It's the next morning and mom wakes me up at eight for a reason she didn't tell me, "There's someone at the door for you," She says then walks out of the room.
          I roll out of bed and get dressed then go to the door and open it to see James, "James?"
          "Hey, I just realized that you didn't have my number so I figured I would, oh this sounds so weird now that I say it,"
          I chuckle then grab his phone out of his hand and unlock it easily (I have seen him unlock it many times so I remember the password) and type my number into it and send myself a text. "There,"
         His face is bright red and he says, "Ok, thanks," He walks off muttering his face not going down in color at all.
         "See you Monday you tomato!"
         "You're such a jerk!" He gets in his car and says, "See you Monday!" Then closes the door quickly.
         I walk inside laughing and I go back to bed.

It's the next day and I'm laying down on my bed texting James and teasing him about his tomato face from yesterday when suddenly...
"MASON!" Zoey bursts though the window and throws a pillow at my face. "Who you textin'?"
I take the pillow from my face and say, "I'm talk to James Z,"
She pulls me up making sit down and she sits down next to me and says, "You really do like him don't you?"
I look away from her and without thinking I hear myself say, "Yes." I realize what I said and I say, "Fuck, I know I can't hide it!"
She laughs and says, "You can't hide anything from me! I know all!"
"Wait how did you get in? My mom's asleep!"
"The window," She says calmly,
I go to say something when I feel my phone buzz in my hand, I look to see like ten texts from James and now he's calling me. I answer and say, "Hey, sorry I wasn't answering Zoey just jumped through my window,"
"What?" He seems confused and says, "She jumped through your window?"
I laugh a little and say, "Yeah she does it a lot not that weird,"
I hear him laugh a bit and say, "Well I got to go anyway you keep doing whatever with Zoey,"
"Call me Z," She says with a warm smile.
         He is silent for a moment then says, "Thanks,"
         "You like my best friend so,"
         "ZOEY!" We both scream at her and I push her off the bed and I say quickly, "Bye James see you Monday!" I hear him mutter bye and I hang up then push her back to the ground while saying, "What the fuck Zoey!?" Was
          She laughs and says, "Sorry it's just obvious that you like each other!"
          I feel my face grow hot and I lay down face first  on my pillow while saying, "Go hang out with Bryan asshole."
          "Did I hear my name?"
          "FUCK!" I hear Bryan jump trough the window and kiss Zoey. "Go away you jerks!"
"Get up Mason," I feel Bryan try to pull me up but fail, I am quite a bit stronger than him because of all the shit my dad put me through. I'm not necessarily happy about it, but I'm not upset about it either. "Come on let's go eat,"

It's Monday and I walked to school with James and we had first together so he told me about his trip. I'm looking for him now after school because we're about to walk home from marching band practice. I see him talking with his friend then I hear what the friend says, "You actually carried through with the bet? You cut it off so quickly but you actually managed to get Mason to fall for you?"
Before James could respond I loudly scoff making sure that they both heard and I walk off. After I get away I think I'm safe and I scream then I hear, "Mason... Please just let me explain..."
I look at him, ignoring the hot tears forming in my eyes, and say, "I don't want you to explain anything! I just want you to leave me be!"
"Mason I promise-"
I hold my hand up cutting him off and I walk off while muttering, "I can't believe I actually was falling for you..."