Bluff

Kory awoke in an unknown place, and her heart gave a jolt before she remembered the previous night. She must be at Matt's house.

She pushed herself tiredly up from the bed, unwillingly letting her chilled limbs greet the cold air. She padded her way towards the door, hoping that she wouldn't run into anything before she found the light switch. It wasn't needed though, because as soon as she opened the door a faint light poured into the room. She walked into the open hallway, before carefully making her way down the stairs. When she had gotten the the last step, she noticed Brian lying on the sofa, his ankles crossed and the remote in his hand.

Brian hadn't given her any thought as she walked into the kitchen. He heard the tap run, shut off, and Kory's soft footsteps before he saw her again. Her hair was tousled, and her eyes were sleepy. She held a glass of water in her right hand. She set the glass on the floor, before sitting in front of him and pulling her legs against her chest, resting her chin on her knees.

"Am I a bad person?" She suddenly asked, licking her lips as she waited for his answer. She let her eyes scan over the intricate details on his face; she spent extra time scanning his dark eyes.

He was somewhat startled by the question. He knew Kory well enough to know that beyond the hard exterior she showcased to everyone, she was pretty broken and messed up but he had never taken her for the insecure type. She just didn't seem like the person to hate what she saw in the mirror. "You're not a terrible person, why?"

She simply shrugged, and bit at the thin layer of skin on her lips for a second before answering. "It's just, I'm not very nice at all. Especially to Clara, who hasn't ever done anything to me, ever. And it makes me feel like shit but I just, continue to do it. And then there's Rissa. I'm always going to her for help but whenever she's faced with a problem and comes to me for comfort I never know what to say. I just kinda listen and say that everything will be fine. And you, I'm just a dick all 'round. And, there really isn't any reason for me to be so harsh towards my mom. And, when I was in middle school I found this girl named Audrey's diary and I read it in front of the class instead of doing my cell presentation once. I still haven't let go of that one. She ended up crying in the bathroom and I felt terrible but I never even said sorry." She felt that she could have gone on and on with reasons why she was a terrible person but she was too tired to remember any more.

Brian sighed, then. "That doesn't make you a terrible person. Anyone who cares enough to get past those things is lucky enough to get a glimpse at the real you. And anyone who isn't strong enough to get that far, well, it's their loss," he replied honestly.

There was a long silence then as Kory assessed what Brian had just said. She could give a million reasons why that wasn't true, but she thought it best to not argue with him. And she wasn't sure what to say. There was no script when it came to these situations. Saying 'thank you' seemed like it wouldn't have been enough to reply with, and saying something like 'that means a lot to me' scared Kory that it would come out as sarcastic, because in reality it didn't. She didn't feel any better than she did a few minutes ago.

"You're thinking," Brian observed her carefully, coming to the conclusion that her mind was actually running a million miles an hour, whereas here eyes were so calm and collected. He wondered what she had been thinking about, but he didn't question it. He knew that she wouldn't give him an answer to a question like that anyways.

Instead of replying, or even acknowledging his statement for that matter, Kory instead leaned up, and placed a small but sweet kiss on his lips. The sweet taste lingered, and left her wanting more. Brian's response willingly gave her that. He placed his hands on either side of her face, pulling her closer to him, this kiss a lot deeper and longer than the first. When he pulled away, they were both fighting for air.

"I'm not sure if you remember of not, but a few weeks ago you said something to me just before falling aslee--"

"I remember," Kory said, unsure of what exactly Brian was getting at. Of coarse she had remembered. She might have had a few drinks but how could she not remember saying something like that?

Brian nodded. "Yeah, I've been thinking about it lately. And, I think that it's only fair to let you know that I do want you; ya know, if it makes a difference anymore." He hoped that it made a difference, because if anything was accurate it was that he wanted her in the most innoccent of the phrase. He wanted to take her on dates and see her laugh with tired eyes and he wanted to see her in just a hoodie and underwear, sat on the sofa with him watching stupid tv shows until 2 AM.

Once again, it seemed as if Kory had been oblivious to what he had just said. She just stared at him, occasionally sighing or running her tongue over her bottom lip. But, then, as if the entire world had decided to shift again, she got to her feet and extended her hand out towards Brian.

He quickly shut the tv off, and laced his fingers with hers. She pulled him back upstairs, and into the guest bedroom that she had been sleeping in nearly an hour before. She wrapped the both of them in the blankets, cuddling into his chest. In truth, she wasn't sure what to think. She was so confused at this point in time that she wondered if what she thought would even matter. So she remained silent, and soon enough, her breathing evened out and dreams of what could be in the near future took over her mind.