The Staircases // 5SOS

Chapter 8

Kat's P.O.V.

The bell for lunch is gonna ring within a few minutes and I'm torn. Torn between letting the silence between Michael and I build or saying something. We're sitting right next to each other and haven't talked the entire hour. I'm not quite sure why, but we haven't.

I've been thinking of things to say since class began and I wonder if he's doing the same. I don't know why it's awkward right now. Or is it just me that thinks it's awkward? God, why does he make me hyper analyze everything! He's not even my boyfriend and I feel like I over calculate all his moves more than I ever did with my exes.

I guess I just don't fully understand why the sudden halt in our communication since this morning. This morning everything was fine.

I look over at him and he's working diligently on the paper Mrs. Davis handed out, like I should be, but I'm too caught up in this game of 'evaluating Michael Clifford' to do it.

I decide to do an old trick, the lamest one ever, but it'll work.

I grab my pencil laying across the paper I was given and start faking that I'm reading it and actually doing it. Then, very dramatically, I drop my pencil. Strategically, of course, it lands by Michael's feet.

I make sure to act flustered and embarrassed and before I can really process probably the lamest thing I've ever done, I'm leaning over towards him at his desk and I whisper "Would you mind getting me that?"

He looks up kind of dazed like he forgot where he was, like what he was reading had him in another dimension. He looks down to where the pencil is and grabs it and hands it to me.

"Thanks" I whisper with a smile, slightly proud of my lame move.

"Yeah, I know, you'll do anything to talk to me" he whispers back with a smirk. What?

"Excuse me?" I say a little too loud and a few people turn their heads. Did he really just say that? And how did he know?

He doesn't say anything back, just smiles and goes back to reading.

I think I realize what he's doing, and how he's playing his side of the game. Half the time he's dazed or shy and can't speak to me and the other half he's cocky and witty and he's doing it to confuse me. It's the only semi logical thing I can think of. What I really wonder though is this really him? Is he really this combination of two extreme personalities, shy and cocky? Or is this just an act to try and impress me that he's clever and fast with his words? God this boy is killing me.

Before I can think too much more of it, the bell for lunch rings. I get up hurriedly, partly because I'm agitated by what Michael said and partly because I want to get to the cafeteria quick, the lines are always so long I barely have time to eat or talk at lunch.

I'm already halfway to the cafeteria when I hear someone walking right beside me. I know who it is just because who else would it be?

Before I can think of anything to say he talks. "Hey" is all he says.

I don't respond because I just don't feel like it.

"Are you upset?" he asks sounding a little worried.

"No" I say and push on the door to the staircase to the basement where the cafeteria is.

"Then why didn't you say hey back?" he questions.

"Because I guess I won't do anything to talk to you" I snap hoping he bites his own words.

"Someone doesn't like not being the one in control" he laughs. What the hell does that mean?

"What the hell does that mean?" I repeat my thoughts.

"It means I know you're upset about what I said and you're upset because you like to be in control and to be the one with the witty remarks and not left speechless. Which I left you. Well guess what? If you wanna talk to me you gotta get used to it, at least for part of the time."

What he said made sense, I mean I didn't like being one upped, but damn it why was he acting like such a dick all of a sudden. And if he's gonna be like this 'for part of the time', maybe I won't get used to it because I won't talk to him.

I haven't said anything back yet so he of course takes the opportunity.

"Speechless?" he smirks and I just want to punch that smirk into his face.

"Actually the opposite, I have a lot of things I could say but I won't because I wouldn't wanna hurt your big precious ego you asshole." I walk a little faster and we're now downstairs in the cafeteria. I see the lunch line and make a bee line for it and hope he doesn't follow. No such luck.

"Hey" I hear him say from behind me.

"Michael what the fuck do you want?" I say exasperated and a little too loud again because the people ahead of us turn around, it's a good thing I've never cared about people staring at me.

"I...I wanna..." he stutters. There he goes again! One minute he won't shut up and you wish he would and now he's stuttering like a fool and can't even spit out a sentence.

"Spit it out or I swear to God I'll leave this line and never talk to you again because you're getting on my last fucking nerve." I roar low so that I don't look like I'm causing drama and so people don't listen in.

One thing I don't really appreciate about myself is my hot temper. You irritate me and I'm angry fast.

"Could I sit with you today? Like right now at lunch after we get our food?" he finally spits his words out and he has his head down and I can just barely see that his face is a pale shade of pink. Is he blushing?

I want to say no so bad just because I'm angry, but at the same time I can't. He looks up and his eyes look more green than blue right now. They look so perfect.

Someone else would say no, or say yes, but I just can't directly do either.

"Yeah, I guess as long as you don't annoy the hell outta me" I try and make it sound mean since I'm still kinda distracted by his emerald looking eyes.

Someone else would be angry, or be sad I said that so harshly, but he's not either.

His eyes light up like a Christmas tree and his faint blush has faded. "Alright!" he smiles and stands rather close to me in line as we get our lunch.

It's a weird kind of perfect.

Yay for shorter chapters! Comment and let me know if you like the multiple POV's or one POV chapters better:)

Sorry if my story sucks but thanks for reading!