Status: Active
Never Again
Chapter 3: Combined
As AJ rummaged under his bed, trying to get to the back corner where he had some of her stuff, Cary tried to concentrate on breathing. In, out, in out. It wasn’t working very well while she was watching his strong, long legs kick as his waist and up submerged under the bed and he tried to propel him self deeper. After all he did to me, why does he still take my breath away? It’s just not fair! He always gets any girl he wants! He’s not gonna get me, too. She tried to redirect her eyes, without success, it’s not like he would want me, anyways, with all those other girls after him. He probably wants one of them. Her bitterness towards him turned into disappointment.
Cary heard a muffled call of triumph and leaned against his pillows. He may not want her but she could still watch him and enjoy the sweet smell of him pillows, couldn’t she? AJ scrambled out from under the bed, sheer concern on his face as he hurried to get the inhaler to her mouth and nose. He perched on the edge of the bed, waiting for her breathing to normalize.
~♥~
When AJ slid out of under his bed, Cary looked a little funny. He could feel her critical gaze on him and he hoped she approved of him now, he might have acted like an ass leaving her hanging in middle school but that didn’t mean he ever stopped liking her. All the things he did, he just did them hoping she would approve of him, that she wouldn’t look down on him as stupid. When he got up to look at her, she was leaning back into his pillows, looking a little calmer than earlier. He wondered what that meant.
It was only after she was breathing correctly did he relax. When she headed out of his room, she paused at the door and looked back at him, and wanted to know if he was coming or not. He shook his head and watched her go. Waiting until he heard her steady rhythm of footsteps down the stairs to flop on the bed and inhale her lingering scent on his pillows and blankets. Where she had lain was a slight imprint and a small wave her body heat, slowly going away though.
He used the time to himself to evaluate everything that had happened. He and Cary had never had trouble reading each other’s expressions and understanding the feelings behind them. He thought back to earlier that day, when he first had gathered the guts to finally talk to her. She had looked so surprised but also a little disgusted with him. His best guess was that she was still hurt from when he had ditched her and probably a little sore with him, that would explain her bitterness—he had seen it in action before, when he had still be best buds with her, the guy who had just broken up with her—yeah, she was so hot she had a boyfriend in 5th grade! Well, at least a “boyfriend”, since it was 5th grade they weren’t dating the same way teens date but, it was almost the same—came to talk to her, she had tensed up in front of him and had answered only when he spoke first, she had spoken politely but obviously (or at least, obvious to AJ) tense, detached, and with a slight edge to it that sounded a little mean. She had been a little rude, and when the guy left she had turned to face AJ and had sighed and let her eyes once again reflect how she felt, and AJ looked and saw them glistening with hurt and pain. Jeez, he was dense! Why hadn’t AJ realized that in the first place? He would have been gentler and let his apology show through. But, then again, just as she had to the guy in 5th grade, Cary had made sure that the only emotion he had a remote chance of seeing on her face was cold and mean. She had been hiding pain from him. If AJ didn’t know her face so well he wouldn’t have even been able to find the coldness but he could bet his life that after he left and when she saw Maddy she had un-tensed and the pain had shown in her eyes. He felt so bad now. He had left her so that she wouldn’t have the same problem as him—having everyone watch his every move; Cary hated being watched, even by him and their siblings and parents. But even by keeping her from one of her major disgusts, he had caused her pain. He could almost imagine how she felt: feeling like one day they were the best friends they always had been, and then the next, it was probably like she didn’t even know him anymore. He felt horrible.
But that wouldn't be enough to fix what had happened, and that was what hurt the most: that he had hurt Cary and there wasn't much he could do to fix it except apologize and give it time.
Cary heard a muffled call of triumph and leaned against his pillows. He may not want her but she could still watch him and enjoy the sweet smell of him pillows, couldn’t she? AJ scrambled out from under the bed, sheer concern on his face as he hurried to get the inhaler to her mouth and nose. He perched on the edge of the bed, waiting for her breathing to normalize.
~♥~
When AJ slid out of under his bed, Cary looked a little funny. He could feel her critical gaze on him and he hoped she approved of him now, he might have acted like an ass leaving her hanging in middle school but that didn’t mean he ever stopped liking her. All the things he did, he just did them hoping she would approve of him, that she wouldn’t look down on him as stupid. When he got up to look at her, she was leaning back into his pillows, looking a little calmer than earlier. He wondered what that meant.
It was only after she was breathing correctly did he relax. When she headed out of his room, she paused at the door and looked back at him, and wanted to know if he was coming or not. He shook his head and watched her go. Waiting until he heard her steady rhythm of footsteps down the stairs to flop on the bed and inhale her lingering scent on his pillows and blankets. Where she had lain was a slight imprint and a small wave her body heat, slowly going away though.
He used the time to himself to evaluate everything that had happened. He and Cary had never had trouble reading each other’s expressions and understanding the feelings behind them. He thought back to earlier that day, when he first had gathered the guts to finally talk to her. She had looked so surprised but also a little disgusted with him. His best guess was that she was still hurt from when he had ditched her and probably a little sore with him, that would explain her bitterness—he had seen it in action before, when he had still be best buds with her, the guy who had just broken up with her—yeah, she was so hot she had a boyfriend in 5th grade! Well, at least a “boyfriend”, since it was 5th grade they weren’t dating the same way teens date but, it was almost the same—came to talk to her, she had tensed up in front of him and had answered only when he spoke first, she had spoken politely but obviously (or at least, obvious to AJ) tense, detached, and with a slight edge to it that sounded a little mean. She had been a little rude, and when the guy left she had turned to face AJ and had sighed and let her eyes once again reflect how she felt, and AJ looked and saw them glistening with hurt and pain. Jeez, he was dense! Why hadn’t AJ realized that in the first place? He would have been gentler and let his apology show through. But, then again, just as she had to the guy in 5th grade, Cary had made sure that the only emotion he had a remote chance of seeing on her face was cold and mean. She had been hiding pain from him. If AJ didn’t know her face so well he wouldn’t have even been able to find the coldness but he could bet his life that after he left and when she saw Maddy she had un-tensed and the pain had shown in her eyes. He felt so bad now. He had left her so that she wouldn’t have the same problem as him—having everyone watch his every move; Cary hated being watched, even by him and their siblings and parents. But even by keeping her from one of her major disgusts, he had caused her pain. He could almost imagine how she felt: feeling like one day they were the best friends they always had been, and then the next, it was probably like she didn’t even know him anymore. He felt horrible.
But that wouldn't be enough to fix what had happened, and that was what hurt the most: that he had hurt Cary and there wasn't much he could do to fix it except apologize and give it time.
♠ ♠ ♠
Hey, sorry it's short. It would have been shorter since there isn't much for Cary so I decided to combine it. Kinda confused on the next chapter so it might take a little while to work out what's going on.