Change Isn't Always Bad

"What, what?" Mike asks, smiling, "You're serious?"

"Yeah! In fact," Kellin turned around towards the cashier. "Hey, AJ, what are some of the funniest ways to get kicked out?"

"Oh God, you guys really wanna get kicked out again? I'm pretty sure they're gonna ban you soon." the cashier, AJ apparently, groaned.

"You think I care? It'd piss off my mom, which is always a plus, and there's other malls. Now come on, help us out." Kellin said,

"I don't know why you hate your mom so much," AJ muttered, obviously not keen on helping us get kicked out.

"Because she's a bitch, but that's not the topic of our conversation." Matty butt in.

"How about we make it a game?" I suggested.

"How?"

"Like, we split up into groups or by ourselves, and whoever gets kicked out fasted, in the funniest way they can think of, wins."

"I call Kellin!" Matty and Mike said at the same time. I turned around to look at Mike. He should have known I wanted to go with Kellin - he's my fucking crush, after all.

"Oh, I don't get to chose for myself?" Kellin laughed. Matty shook his head.

"Nope. Either me or giraffe."

"Well, in that case, I'm gonna go with Vic. Should've let me pick for myself, bitches." Kellin said with a smirk. "Ain't enough Kellin for all y'all."

"I'm sorry," Matty laughed. "Did Mr. Fucking Grammar Nazi You-Didn't-Put-An-Apostrophe-So-I'm-Gonna-Have-To-Kill-You just say 'Ain't'? And 'Y'all'? Who the fuck are you?"

"Shut up." Kellin laughed. "But yeah, I like the idea. Okay, so Matty and Mike against Vic and I."

"Okay, whatever. Kellin, text me when you get kicked out."

"Yep. Ready, set," Kellin paused, smile wide and adorable. "Go!"

Matty and Mike ran off, and Kellin and I stayed where we were, shooting ideas at each other.

"PDA?" I suggested.

"Fist fight?" Don't wanna hurt your pretty face, KellyBear.

"Public sex?" Hey, worth a shot, right?

"Dancing on the tables in the food court?" Too High School Musical.

"I'mma say PDA again."

"Making fun of the mall cops?"

"Make out on that prize car."

"I'm beginning to see a pattern in your suggestions." Oops.

We decided to ask AJ for help again.

"I dunno, kiddos. Maybe you can do something too couple-y. You guys seem pretty fond of each other." he shrugged. I blushed.

"Uh, no, we're not, like, together or anything." Kellin said.

"Not yet. He's totally crushing hard," he said, pointing to me, then to Kellin. "And you're gonna get there. I give it a month."

"Whatever, we have to get going." Kellin said, dismissing the conversation. He grabbed my sleeve and pulled me out of the store. "I have an idea."

"Oh yeah?" I asked. We started walking left, away from Hot Topic.

"Yeah. We stay here and hang out, and when Matty texts me saying he got kicked out, we stroll on outta here ourselves. Make them seem like idiots." he smirked. And wow, I have it bad.

"Okay." Yeah, Vic, leave your little brother with a complete stranger so you can hang out with your crush. Such a role model, much irresponsible, wow.

"So yeah, food court? We can sit and talk for a while."

"Sure."

-

"So why are you so quiet at school?" I asked.

Kellin shrugged, taking another sip from his water bottle. "No one to talk to, really. Plus it adds to the creepiness."

"Creepiness?" Who thinks he's creepy?

"Yeah, I hear it all the time. I mean, a vampire pale guy with jet black hair who wears nothing but black jeans and band merch. He doesn't talk to anyone at school and at lunch he'll stare at someone, never blinking, and say something. Little creepy, right?"

"You do that at lunch?" I asked. How come I didn't know this?

"Sometimes. I blink when they look away and the things I say are song lyrics. But it's fun."

I nodded.

"So why are you hanging out with me? You can easily go find your other friends, you know." Kellin said, looking at the table in front of him.

"I like you." I shrugged. Kellin laughed dryly.

"You're stupid."

I would have replied, saying no, I'm not, but Kellin's phone went off, playing a quiet Chelsea Smile against the rest of the noises at the mall.

"That's Matty, let's go." he said, getting up. I followed.

When we got outside, we saw Mike and Matty standing with proud smiles.

"So how'd you get kicked out?" Kellin asked Matty. He smirked.

"That's for us to know and you to never find out."

"Okay then." Kellin said slowly. I laughed. "So I kinda have to go now. My mom said I had to be back home before dark; I'm grounded."

"Aw, okay. Bye, Kelly." Matty whined, giving Kellin a hug.

Back off.

"Bye, Vic, Mike."

"Bye." We said simultaneously. Fuckin' weird. Kellin smiled and started to walk away, leaving Matty, Mike, and I.

"So Matty," I started. "I wanna talk to you."