Comfort In Conformity

“Would you please just answer your phone?” I whined to the answering machine.

It had been three days since I had heard from Tori. I had known the second I had stepped out her front that I had severely messed up with her, but I had assumed she would get over it by the weekend. I had been wrong.

I hung up my phone, exasperated beyond belief at this whole mess. I wasn’t supposed to care about this girl. It had only been three days since I had spoken to her though, and I was more worried than I cared to admit. I couldn’t explain it—even to myself—but I missed Tori’s pointless physics rants and obsession with any period of history. To be completely honest, I missed her.

***

It was another fourteen hours and seventeen minutes before Tori called me back.

”Finally,” I exclaimed into the phone upon answering.

“Hello to you too,” she said, sounding completely unenthused, “I was just wondering when you wanted to have our next little study session.”

“I can be over in about twenty minutes,” I said, never losing my cheery tone in an attempt to warm her back up to me.

“Fine,” she said curtly before hanging up her phone.

I stood panting on Tori’s doorstep in a record fifteen minutes, considering I had to stop by my house and pick up my book. I composed myself for a couple minutes before ringing the doorbell, trying to wipe my excited smile off my face.

“Hey,” she breathed upon opening the door, already sounding happier with me.

“Hi,” I smiled; my stomach flipping slightly as I took in every inch of her.

***

“So, we need to talk,” Tori said after an awkward half hour of actual trigonometry. I had been too nervous to make any smart ass comments, so I had sat like a good little boy and attempted the problems she droned on about.

“Yeah, I kind of saw that one coming,” I admitted, looking anywhere but in her eyes. Her eyes were the most beautiful thing about her, a bright green in a pale face.

“I thought....Well, to be completely honest, I like you. I don’t know if I can keep tutoring you though. It’s too hard being around you when I know you only see me as this big nerd who’s going to help you earn an ‘A,’” she confided in me, her eyes never leaving her fingernails, which were painted a dark blue.

“Tori…,” I started, my stomach already tied in a double knot.

“Don’t start. I know you’ll just deny it, but I don’t like being lied to,” Tori said matter-of-factly.

“That’s the thing Tori. I like you too,” I said quickly. Her eyes widened as they locked onto mine, which mirrored her surprise perfectly.