Drop Dead.

Louie, Dylan, Amy, Laker and I exit the movie theatre after watching The Lion King in 3D. I had no desire to waste my money on seeing it since I hate 3D movies but Amy, Laker and Dylan insisted on going. They just had to see it in the theatre. Louie tried to inform them that we could all just watch it on his huge ass TV since he has the DVD but no…it had to be the theatre.

Although I hate 3D movies, it was nice just because it was the Lion King. I mean, even someone like me loves the Lion King. Disney movies are the shit and they always will be no matter how old you are.

“That was so worth it!” Laker chirps happily at my side. He looks over at me and reaches for my hand. I allow him to intertwine our fingers while we walk. “Although Louie and Jinx had to have us pay for them.”

“There was no way I would be paying to see a movie I already own,” Louie grumbles, saying exactly what I thought.

“Plus I hate 3D so why would I pay to see one?” I sigh, rolling my eyes at the pout Laker is now sporting.

“You’re both just losers!” Amy points accusingly at Louie and I. “It’s just the feeling of being in a theatre that makes movies better!” Dylan nods in agreement.

Our group walks about the mall for a while longer, just window shopping. Laker drags me into one store after the other and orders me to try on whatever he thinks would look good on me. Obviously, I do no such thing. When Amy tried taking us into Victoria’s Secret, Laker tried his hardest to talk me into buying some type of lingerie. Let’s just say Laker was on the ground howling in pain in a matter of seconds.

“That was harsh, dude,” Dylan laughs, watching Laker curl up on the floor, cupping himself.

I shake my head. “It wasn’t harsh enough. If he ever suggests something like that again I’ll rip them off.”

Louie chuckles. “I’ll never understand why he went for you. You’re a vicious creature.”

I shrug and start walking towards Hot Topic for no real reason. I just felt like looking around. I don’t always buy clothes from here but I still enjoy looking at the stuff they have. There are some pretty neat accessories and such in this place.

Eventually, Laker joins me. He’s silently following me around the store until I finally ask, “Is something wrong?”

“You punched me in the nuts.”

“You wanted me to buy lingerie. How many times do I have to tell you I’m not a girl until you understand?” I throw a glare over my shoulder.

Laker laughs and wraps his arms around me from behind. I grab his wrists and growl for him to let me go but when he doesn’t and just places his head on my shoulder, I give up. I really have gone soft. I should grab this bastard by the testicles and chuck him across the mall.

“It was just a joke, calm yourself,” he says with a grin. “I love you, Jarrod.”

I really hate it when he says that. Love. It’s just a word, right? But for some reason it makes my body still for a moment and all I can feel is the emotions that come from it. There are so many it’s hard to think properly. It’s hard to speak and move. I don’t know how to react, what to say. I should say I love you too, right? And…I…I do…I think.

Laker is, whether I verbally admit it or not, very precious to me. I don’t like seeing him hurt, as in really hurt emotionally or physically. I don’t like not knowing what he’s thinking or how he’s feeling. I just want him to be happy and smiling all the time because that’s how he is. It’s his personality and at first it was annoying, more annoying than anything but now I don’t understand how I disliked him in the first place.

So instead of saying it back I just sigh and wrap my fingers around his wrists, squeezing them in hopes that he understands I’m not saying it because I don’t feel the same way. It’s fear, that much is obvious. I’m scared and it’s just so stupid. I should get over myself and just say it and I’m sure I will, one day but not now.

Laker presses his lips to my cheek and I know that he’s fine with me not saying it, which relieves me. He pulls away and literally skips after the others, who are about to exit the store. I shake my head at him and follow.

The group walks back to the car and Laker gets into the driver side, I the passenger side. Laker drops everyone off and when we get back to his place, he asks me to stay over. I shrug and run across the street to ask for permission from my parents. When they say yes, I grab a clean pair of clothes and jog back over to Laker’s.

Carter grins and asks, “Is there anything you want for dinner, Jinx?”

“No, I’m good,” I reply, waving to Carter’s wife and himself. Laker is already up in his room in his PJ pants when I arrive. Honestly, it’s only four o’clock. What a bum.

“Hey gorgeous.” Laker wiggles his eyebrows, slaps the bed and turns back to the TV when he sees me heading over. I take a seat at his side and lie on my stomach, watching as he plays CoD.

“Do you do anything besides play this game?” I groan because I swear he is playing this every time I come over.

“I do you.”

“I will kill you.”

Laker cackles like the idiot that he is, “You say that all the time yet you have never succeeded!”

I roll my eyes. I think I take back what I said earlier. There is no way I could love this…imbecile.