spoken word. (gxg)

sixteen.

sixteen.

Throughout the night I kept searching for moments to get Tyler alone so I could question him. Halfway through dinner, when he got up to go "take a piss" (his mother threw a spoon at him for that), I pounced. He looked amused as I closed in on him.

"You owe me some answers," I reminded him, voice low. He smirked, eyes flickering over my head.

"Maybe not right now, love, June looks about ready to bite my head off," he inched backward and I flushed, realizing how close we were. I took a large step back.

"Right," I said, face burning. He looked amused.

"Want my number?" He offered. Texting-- I was an idiot! I internally facepalmed. I didn't even have June's phone number.

"Yes, please," I said, fishing my phone out of my pocket, finding the contacts app-- which took an embarrassingly long time to do-- and shoving it in his face. When he handed it back to me, I noticed that he placed a little yellow heart next to his name. I frowned at him, unimpressed, and he winked, slinking away. I returned to my seat next to June. She had questions in her eyes, but I didn't say anything. If she wanted to know, she could ask.

Was it petty? Yes. Half of me was curious to see if she could work through her phobia of starting conversations. Eventually, she looked away, which was a little disappointing.

When dinner was over, the dishes washed, and June and I were reclined against the couch in the front living-slash-dining room, I took out my phone, shooting a text to Tyler so he had my number. Then, I opened up a new contact and handed my phone to June. She took it, typing in her number.

When my phone buzzed, however, she stiffened, her gaze hardening. When she handed my phone back without looking at me, I was worried at whatever notification I could have received to make her react that way. I didn't have anything bad on my phone, did I?

Then I read the text message. Oh, I was going to kill Tyler. He had sent one of those kissy-winky face emojis and his name still had the heart at the end of it. Hurridly, I deleted the heart.

"It's not... I'm not..." I tried to explain myself to June, who still wouldn't look at me.

"I don't care what you do with my brother," she said, obviously affected. I might have laughed if the situation wasn't so hopeless. What was I supposed to say? That I wasn't interested in her admittedly handsome brother because I was actually probably attracted to her?

Was I attracted to her? I pondered, watching June. Her red hair was muted in the yellow of the lights, complemented by the warm browns that colored the living room. I was hit with a wave of normalcy, and suddenly I could see it-- June and I, relaxing on the couch, listening to books or music or just talking a little bit. June and I, laughing together. Somehow, over time, the fear I felt around her, the shaky hands and pounding heart, lodged throat and adrenaline rush, had changed. The symptoms were the same, but the feeling was no longer terror. No, not at all.

My ears heated up, and suddenly I was looking away as well.

Tyler came back, quirking an eyebrow.

"You ladies having a fight?" He asked. June ignored him, and I sent him a fiery glare. He snorted, leaving the room.

My phone buzzed with a text. I opened it, shocked to see that it was from Caelan.

Are you home? He asked. I shot a text back.

no, what's up

My car broke down and I need to go to work, but don't worry about it if you're busy. My eyebrows furrowed.

I'll be right there, I let him know. He didn't reply, which didn't shock me. Caelan wasn't one to express gratitude or affection, even if he felt it intensely. It was endearing.

"I have to go," I told June, and she turned to look at me. I could tell she wanted to say something, and I wanted to wait for her to work up the courage to say whatever she needed to say, but I was in a hurry. If Caelan texted me, it must have been a last-ditch attempt to get someone to take him, which meant that his shift probably started soon. I sighed.

I didn't want to leave my car at the school when I came here, so June and I had traveled in our respective vehicles. That was good because it meant I didn't have to suffer through an awkward misconception-filled silence with June while she drove me to the school.

"Bye," I said, searching out June's eyes. My breath caught when she returned the eye contact. I paused to see if she would return the gesture.

She didn't. I tried not to feel too disappointed as I stepped out of the warm house into the blowing wind.

I hated driving when it was windy out-- it always made me feel as if I was going to fall off the road. My shoulders hunched-- I couldn't get them to relax-- as I navigated through the city to the hospital Caelan worked at.

"I can drive," he offered for the third time, which made me think that my driving was worrying him. I answered through clenched teeth.

"It's okay, I've got it." He side-eyed me warily, and I tried to school my demeanor.

"What entrance do you want me to drop you off at?" I asked as we approached the hospital. He pointed to the left, which wasn't helpful at all.

"What?" I asked, trying not to get irritated. I adored Caelan, but he really needed to use his words.

"Entrance 3," he translated. I veered left, cursing internally as I missed the curb by inches. Caelan's eyes were wide as I parked.

"Sorry," I said, "I don't always drive like that."

"Right," he said like he didn't believe me. I banged my head against the wheel.

"Just go," I said, and he cracked a smile.

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A/N:

Mia is the driver all of us hate.

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