Get up Whenever You Fall
Thea
"Here's some ice." I pass Travis some ice cubes packed inside a zip loc. Now I've calmed down after watching that scary movie with Nic. "Put it on your injured body part or whatever you have hurt to numb the pain."
"Thanks," he groans as he reaches his arm over. Wincing, he clasps the pack of ice onto his bruised leg, and the slight pain shows in his eyes in a flicker.
"Here, I'll do it for you," I offer and gently move my hands onto the ice pack. I make an attempt to act as though nothing happened just recently between us.
Travis, on the other hand, gets straight to the unwanted point. "About the beach..." he trails off quietly and expects me to pick up from where he left off.
"I don't know what you mean by that," I say, stalling.
"Do you like me?" he queries bluntly.
"Let's turn that question around first," I reply softly. "Do you like me?"
Suddenly, his shoulders become a little rigid, and nervousness shoots across his face clearly. "I... don't know." He shrugs meekly, making an effort to add a brittle laugh.
"Same here," I shrug, smiling. "I don't know if I like you either."
An awkward pause hangs in the air for a short while. Then he goes back to his normal slouch. "Well, that leaves us to nothing."
"I'll tell you something," I drag on slowly, "on one condition." I'm trying to steer this conversation into something more interesting.
"What?"
"Pull your pants up," I complain. "Nobody needs to see your boxers. Why do guys low ride all the time? It's not sexy."
"It isn't?" he chuckles. "Well, maybe the point of low riding isn't to flash the chicks."
I almost giggle. "Are you suggesting that guys let their pants sag for the amusement of other guys?"
"You're the one who said it." He shrugs and leans back on the couch coolly.
"Just pull your pants up." I scrunch up my nose to feign a look of disgust.
"Can't," he chuckles even more. "My arms are kinda tired."
"Well, I'm not pulling it up for you." I stick my tongue out teasingly.
"Why were you even looking at my pants anyway?"
"Because for a second there I thought your butt crack was showing." Then I quickly add, "Or maybe it is kind of attracting chicks, like me."
"I thought it would," he nods. "I have that effect on people sometimes."
I giggle. "Keep dreaming, young grasshopper."
"I hear you guys talking about pants, butt cracks, and pulling something up." Adriel plops down in between me and Travis. "Am I supposed to be worried?" Then his expression shifts devilishly, and he adds, "or am I supposed to be enjoying hearing all this?"
"Enjoy it." Travis looks serious, but it's obvious he's joking. "If you're lucky you'll catch some action."
Despite Travis' dirty comment, I am sparked by curiosity. "What are you doing here, Adriel?" I question. "And how on earth do you know where Nic's house is?"
"I have amazing stalker skills," Adriel tells me as a matter-of-factly. Casually, he rests a palm onto my shoulders. "You should never question 'the master'."
I stare at him like he's a pig who just karate chopped a slug. "... what in the world?"
"No, just kidding!" He grins so brightly, it's blinding me. "I just followed the four guys here. Maybe you should be asking them how they know Nic's house."
I've been so preoccupied with my talk with Travis that I forgot about Nic and the other guys. "Oh, god, Nic!" I cry out. "Where is she?" I didn't even realize she has left. And Kyler isn't here either. Devon and Nate are still here, though, trying to sleep off the pain of their injuries.
"Probably with Kyler." Adriel smiles an even broader smile. I'm starting to wonder if his face are hurting with all the lifting of his cheek muscles. "They're... together."
My eyes widen. "They're dating?"
"No."
Just in case Adriel is lying, I scream at the top of my lungs. "NIC!!!" I storm into her room and find...
"Thanks," he groans as he reaches his arm over. Wincing, he clasps the pack of ice onto his bruised leg, and the slight pain shows in his eyes in a flicker.
"Here, I'll do it for you," I offer and gently move my hands onto the ice pack. I make an attempt to act as though nothing happened just recently between us.
Travis, on the other hand, gets straight to the unwanted point. "About the beach..." he trails off quietly and expects me to pick up from where he left off.
"I don't know what you mean by that," I say, stalling.
"Do you like me?" he queries bluntly.
"Let's turn that question around first," I reply softly. "Do you like me?"
Suddenly, his shoulders become a little rigid, and nervousness shoots across his face clearly. "I... don't know." He shrugs meekly, making an effort to add a brittle laugh.
"Same here," I shrug, smiling. "I don't know if I like you either."
An awkward pause hangs in the air for a short while. Then he goes back to his normal slouch. "Well, that leaves us to nothing."
"I'll tell you something," I drag on slowly, "on one condition." I'm trying to steer this conversation into something more interesting.
"What?"
"Pull your pants up," I complain. "Nobody needs to see your boxers. Why do guys low ride all the time? It's not sexy."
"It isn't?" he chuckles. "Well, maybe the point of low riding isn't to flash the chicks."
I almost giggle. "Are you suggesting that guys let their pants sag for the amusement of other guys?"
"You're the one who said it." He shrugs and leans back on the couch coolly.
"Just pull your pants up." I scrunch up my nose to feign a look of disgust.
"Can't," he chuckles even more. "My arms are kinda tired."
"Well, I'm not pulling it up for you." I stick my tongue out teasingly.
"Why were you even looking at my pants anyway?"
"Because for a second there I thought your butt crack was showing." Then I quickly add, "Or maybe it is kind of attracting chicks, like me."
"I thought it would," he nods. "I have that effect on people sometimes."
I giggle. "Keep dreaming, young grasshopper."
"I hear you guys talking about pants, butt cracks, and pulling something up." Adriel plops down in between me and Travis. "Am I supposed to be worried?" Then his expression shifts devilishly, and he adds, "or am I supposed to be enjoying hearing all this?"
"Enjoy it." Travis looks serious, but it's obvious he's joking. "If you're lucky you'll catch some action."
Despite Travis' dirty comment, I am sparked by curiosity. "What are you doing here, Adriel?" I question. "And how on earth do you know where Nic's house is?"
"I have amazing stalker skills," Adriel tells me as a matter-of-factly. Casually, he rests a palm onto my shoulders. "You should never question 'the master'."
I stare at him like he's a pig who just karate chopped a slug. "... what in the world?"
"No, just kidding!" He grins so brightly, it's blinding me. "I just followed the four guys here. Maybe you should be asking them how they know Nic's house."
I've been so preoccupied with my talk with Travis that I forgot about Nic and the other guys. "Oh, god, Nic!" I cry out. "Where is she?" I didn't even realize she has left. And Kyler isn't here either. Devon and Nate are still here, though, trying to sleep off the pain of their injuries.
"Probably with Kyler." Adriel smiles an even broader smile. I'm starting to wonder if his face are hurting with all the lifting of his cheek muscles. "They're... together."
My eyes widen. "They're dating?"
"No."
Just in case Adriel is lying, I scream at the top of my lungs. "NIC!!!" I storm into her room and find...