Beyond the Ordinary

Chapter 35

KATE 

The second I got home, I rushed up to my room, searching through all my dresses to see which one would be the best one for me to wear on my date with Axel.

Finally, I decided on a cute red dress and laid it out over my desk chair. After finally deciding on the outfit, I stripped out of my clothes and hopped into the shower, wishing this night could just hurry up and end so that I could be in Axel's presence once again.

I couldn't describe the way I felt for him because I barely knew myself. It was complicated. All I knew was that being in his presence made me feel more comfortable than I'd ever felt around a boy.

Before him, I'd always stuttered in boys' presences and stumbled over my own words like I had a speech impediment or something. Everyone made fun of me for it which only made me stutter more.

I chuckled at the memory. Now that seems like ages ago because I'd managed to have a conversation with a boy that I'd developed a crush on one, and I'd hoped that he was too...

I shut off the water and reached for a towel, wrapping it around myself, and stepping out of the shower. I wiped the steam from the mirror, my reflection coming into view.

I walked into my room, letting the towel slide off my body. The cold air hit my bare skin and I shivered, quickly slipping on my pajamas. I wrapped up the towel onto my head and walked over to my desk to begin my pre-calc homework.

Suddenly, my phone started to ring, and I knew it was Axel. I quickly removed the towel from my head and propped up my phone against my desk light.

"Hey, Axel, what's up?" I asked him, still focused on my homework.

"I'm bored," he responded, and I heard loud voices behind him.

"Are you at work right now?" I asked him.

He nodded and headed into the back room where he'd trained me, turning on the light. "Yeah, I'm on my break."

I smiled. "Why are you in the back room? No one ever goes in there on their breaks."

"Yeah, that's why I'm in here, actually," Axel admitted, grunting as he hopped up onto a table. "I come in here for my breaks sometimes, it's quieter."

I nodded, understanding. "What time does your shift end?"

"Seven. I've been here since four," Axel said unwrapping what looks like a turkey sandwich.

"Jeesh. It's almost 5," I said, checking the time on my phone.

"I know," he sighed. "Anyways, enough about me, what are you doing, Katie?"

I smiled. "Pre-calc homework. We have a quiz tomorrow."

Axel nodded. "I see. Nice pajamas, by the way," he said with a smirk.

I blushed. "Um, thanks," my voice coming out higher than it normally was, making Axel laugh.

"Aw, Katie's blushing, aw, that's so cute," he said.

I blushed harder and covered my face.

Axel laughed and checked his watch he always put on before work. "Fuck, I gotta go, but I wish I could talk to you all night."

I smiled. "Have fun at work."

Axel sighed and got off the table that he'd been sitting on. "And have fun doing that homework," he responded with a wink.

"Hey, Axel?" I asked him shyly.

"Yes, Katie?"

Wanting to end the call with him smiling, I said, "I like you."

Axel smiled widely. "I like you too, Katie."

I smiled happily. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Axel nodded, still smiling. "I'll see you tomorrow."

We just stared at each other, neither one of us wanting to be the first to hang up until he gave me a quick wave and hung up.

I put my phone back down onto my desk and continued working on my homework, the words "I like you too" still repeating in my head.