Spark

19 | Don't Say Killer Chicken

Be happy, be bright, be you.

I suppose I'm not an impatient person after all. Perhaps it's just with unfamiliar people. Right now, as Colton and I work through several trigonometric equations, me offering help with any questions he finds difficult, I relish the fact that he's actually listening and paying attention to me. I've had a grin etched on my face since the start of lunch and I'm almost upset it's a few minutes away from ending.

Colton leans back in his seat and lets out a sigh of relief. "I am so glad you have a big brain," he turns to smile at me. "Sorry if that sounds weird."

I shrug and shut my open notebook. "That's fine. I like having a big brain."

He laughs and that makes me laugh.

"So, McDonald's after school today?" He offers, sitting up to lean against the table in front of us. He places his hand beneath the back of his head, propping his elbow up in the process. This way, his eyes roam everywhere but seemingly nowhere. "If that's okay with you, of course."

Heat radiates beneath my skin as I turn to put my books in my bag. I do this so he doesn't see how excited the thought of hanging out with him is. "Today's fine but I'm not really a McDonald's kind of person."

His eyes widen and he sputters inaudibly. "You're not a McDonald's kind of person?" He leans in closer with narrowed eyes. "Don't tell me you don't like junk food. I mean, burgers and fries and fried chicken...seriously Einstein?"

I put out my arms and shake my head. "I love a good burger. And they're not healthy but yeah, I like junk food. I just have it somewhere else."

"Oh," he leans back. "Where's this somewhere else? We can go to your somewhere else as long as they have killer chicken."

A strangled laugh escapes my mouth and I clamp a hand over it. "Don't say killer chicken."

He throws his head back and laughs. "Killer chicken. It does sound a bit wrong."

"It sounds very wrong." I argue.

The first bell sounds then but he remains in the same position with his elbow still propped on the table.

"Regardless, I hope it has those," he says. "What's the place called?"

I reach up and lightly tug on a loose curl. "Hive's Diner."

"I like it!"

My brows shoot up and another laugh forces it way up. "You haven't even been there yet."

"I like the name so I reckon I'd like it," he explains. "It's a thing, Einstein."

"It is not." I shoot back.

He sits up and shakes his head. "Do you always have to be right?"

"When I'm right, well, yeah."

He grabs his bag just as the final bell rings and stands up. "We can deal with that. You coming?" He reaches out a hand and I stare at it almost too long before grabbing my bag off the table and taking it. He pulls me up and his strength surprises me.

An involuntary gasp escapes me.

He throws his head back once more as we make our way out the library. "God, you're adorable."

Why's my heart doing that funny thing?

×××

"You're what?" Morgan shrieks when I'm done relaying everything that's been going on with Colton and our planned hangout after school just before the last period starts. "When? How? Huh?"