I Love You, Always

Chapter 10

The extended weekend with Lexy is a lot of fun, despite the whole movie theater situation that happened. Even skateboarding isn't so bad and this time I manage not to fall off the board like last time. The hardest part is when Lexy has to leave Monday. I don't want her to go and neither does she, but she has to. She hugs me tightly and kisses me on the cheek before she goes.

"I'll definitely be back to stay another weekend soon, okay?" she says and I nod as I hug her back.

"Yeah, totally."

Then she's gone and my routine goes back to normal. I finish my remaining homework and spend a little time helping Dev with his math work before going to bed.

When I get up Tuesday morning for school, I start to feel a little anxious. After Lexy's comment about getting Simon's number, I started thinking about it more over the weekend. It would be nice to have someone else to text and talk to on the phone. It would also be nice to talk to Simon more outside of school. Except I'm not sure if it's too soon to ask for his phone number. We've only known each other for about two weeks, is that too soon?

The more I think about it, the more I manage to convince myself to ask for it today, and that's where my anxiety stems from.

Even though Simon and I have a couple classes together, we don't get to talk to each other often during them, so my first opportunity to ask him is during lunch where we meet in the library.

"Do you wanna go somewhere else for lunch?" Simon asks when he approaches our table. Where else would we go besides the cafeteria? I mean, if Simon wants to go to the cafeteria that's fine, but as far as I know, he actively avoids it.

"Where? I ask.

"The roof."

"The roof?" Since when does Simon have the ability to access the roof of the school? I'm not so sure about that idea. What if we're caught? What sort of punishment is in store for that?

"Yeah. There's this stairwell by the art rooms that people hardly use anymore since the renovations and I don't think anyone realizes the door to the roof is unlocked in that stairwell. It always is when I go."

"Is going to the roof a common thing for you?"

"Sometimes," Simon simply answers.

Well, if Simon has been going a lot and never has been caught, then what are the chances we'll be caught this time? I guess I'm in.

"Yeah, sure, let's go," I reply. I unfold my cane and begin to follow Simon out of the library, but it quickly becomes frustrating to follow him because I don't know where this stairwell is and relying just on the sound of his footsteps isn't the best way to follow him. Not to mention, I accidentally hit him in the shin with my cane a couple times. I hope I don't make things awkward by asking this, but at this point, I have to.

"Hey..." I say and slow down my footsteps to stop. Simon's footsteps cease a second later. "I hope this isn't, like, weird to ask, but following you right now is kind of hard. Do you care if I hold your arm or something?"

My heart is pounding so fast in my chest and I don't know why I'm suddenly feeling this anxious. Honestly, what's the big deal? I guess there is a small fear of Simon outright rejecting me and leaving me to fend for myself. Not that I couldn't if he did do that, but it would still hurt a little.

"Oh. Yeah, if that'll help," he says after a couple seconds. I'm a little surprised that he agreed so easily, but relieved at the same time.

"Thanks," I say and reach out for where I think he's standing. He's not that far from me. Suddenly, Simon grabs my hand that I extended out and brings it to rest on top of his left arm. The sensation of his fingers touching my own sends a shiver through me. His skin is so soft. I don't know why him touching me makes me feel like this, maybe because I'm not used to this with him yet? I don't know.