The Locker Wars

Adele felt sort of guilty after she told him that. The whole car ride back, she was silent, wondering why she let the stupid voice get to her in the first place.

“I still want to talk with you,” William mumbled (he seemed to mumble a lot tonight) as they parked someplace far from their houses. It was at some park, with a play structure a wide field showing the stars. “Even if you feel that way towards me.”

Adele wanted to go to school and bang her head on her locker repeatedly, perhaps until she was knocked unconscious. But she pulled herself out of the car and William did the same, and they began to walk. Adele was barefoot.

As soon as they set foot on the playground, Adele headed for the swings. It was like some instinct. She sat on one and immediately started pushing herself with her feet. William watched her and started to smile.

“Want me to push you?” William offered. Adele blushed a little, but didn’t refuse. He walked up behind her and started giving her slight pushes, his hand sneaking to her waist some odd times. But Adele didn’t tell him that she didn’t like it. In fact, she sort of did.

“We’re on the same page, though?” Adele asked, continuing her conversation from the ice cream shop. “You do understand where I’m coming from.”

“Not really,” William replied, laughing nervously. “I mean, I know we’re not on the same page.”

“Explain it to me then,” Adele offered. “Hit me with the truth, Beckett.”

Perhaps it was the rare mood that he was in that night, being alone with her and all. Maybe it was the fact that she wasn’t planning to interrupt his explanation, and that she was just going to listen, unlike previous times. Whatever it was that made William want to confess, it was strange and new, and he wanted to become more accustomed to it. If only his fantasies didn’t ruin it...

He’d imagined it differently; her yelling at him and slapping him and telling him that he was just one sick fuck, messing with her head like that. It was just so awful that he felt like that and she didn’t want to ever see him again. Something along those lines, at least.

“Well,” William answered, and then suggested, “Um. We should walk.”

He looked at her as she stood from the swing, her feet making patterns on the sand. He wanted to tell her in a warmer place, and when she wasn’t barefoot and looking like she did in her dress in the moonlight. He wanted it to be better, but what could he do then?

They walked back to the car and she put her heels back on, giving an inch or two to her height. William could still see the top of her head.

They started walking down a path past the park, into a small cluster of trees that led to the sidewalk of some more homes. It was a few minutes before Adele spoke up.

“I’m listening, Beckett.”

William sighed, “First of all: I think we’re more than on a last-name basis. I don’t think I’ve actually heard you call me by my first name at all. Ever.”

“Okay,” Adele replied slowly, “William.”

William smiled, enjoying how she actually listened to him. “Wait, call me Bill.”

“Okay,” Adele repeated. “Bill. What’s to explain about this?”

Again, William’s insides twisted up and he couldn’t seem to talk. He blushed and his heart fluttered deep inside his chest... like it had just woken up, or something. And with his heart reawakening, brought on his old feelings towards her. He stared off into space, just smiling.

“Sorry,” he mumbled after a few moments. “What... honestly, what do you think about me?”

Adele shrugged. She didn’t take the question as seriously as he had wanted her to.

“But really,” William tried to reason, and then gave up. “Okay. Why did Kirsten and Riley make you come to Prom with me?”

“For the same reason your friends wanted you to come to Prom with me... they’re idiots.”

“That’s not my reason.”

Adele looked up, raising her eyebrows. “So, this is it, huh? This is... it.”

In his mind, William knew what she was talking about. This was it. This was the talk that was going to influence their lives and potentially ruin or create their relationship. It made William gulp and sweat. The flutter of his heart turned into explosions, one after the other.

“They know something about me,” William continued, “I mean, probably. And I didn’t think I made it as obvious as I did... if they knew. But I don’t think they did, is all I... I’m saying. I mean, do you think that it was meant... meant to be or something?”

“... What are you talking about?” Adele asked.

William turned to her, his lips trembling. In his mind, Adele’s words kept echoing: This is it. He ran his tongue over his bottom lip and sighed, feeling shaky all over.

“Okay... well... I wasn’t ever planning to tell you this,” William gulped, finding himself stuttering even more. “Ever. But... I like you. To the point that I may actually... l-love you. But, the point is, I like you. Um... a lot.”

Instead of breaking out into a smile like he hoped she’d do, she just stopped walking and got a really strange look on her face. “This is it,” she repeated faintly.

“Yeah,” William smiled, his cute grin stretching from ear to ear.

Only Adele didn’t seem to get it.

“This... this is it.” She looked up at him. “You... you knew. You knew all along. This... this is some sort of payback. This is... it, isn’t it?” Her eyes threatened to spill tears.

“Payback?” William was confused, and he started to panic. “Know what? Know what?”

“Know that I like you!” Adele cupped her hands over her mouth and nose, breathing heavily. “I mean, this isn’t very nice! There’s a difference between... between wanting to win some war so badly, and fucking with a girl’s feelings!”

“You... what?” William asked. “You like me...”

“Yeah. I mean, not if you’re going to be an ass about it!”

“Wait, wait, no,” William placed both of his hands on Adele’s shoulders. “I like you, and I admitted it... and you think I’m doing this to win the war?”

Adele took deeper breaths and calmed down. Suddenly she felt like an idiot for reacting the way she did. “Okay. No, that was stupid. Wait, are you trying to win?”

“Are you?” William countered.

“I just don’t see it,” Adele sighed. “I just... don’t know what you mean.” Her mind was racing with thoughts, though. She just denied it all.

William breathed in deeply, and then exhaled. “Keep walking?”

Adele nodded.

“So by walking with me, you mean to say that you actually like me.” William stated, and the words were a little strange to say.

“I don’t know,” Adele told him softly.

And then the decision was quick; William thought it would prove something. Maybe tell her that he wasn’t trying to win some war and that he actually did like her. So with one fluid motion he placed a hand on her cheek, tilting her lips upwards towards his to meet in a small, close-lipped kiss.

It didn’t seem to last longer than a moment. Adele broke away first.

“This is so classic; enemies falling in love,” she whispered. He shrugged in response and they continued on their walk to nowhere. William bit his lip.

“Only it’s not.” He swallowed; his voice was shaky again. “I mean, it’s not just now... Well, what I really mean to say... is that I’ve liked you for a long time.”

“Oh,” Adele was speechless. “For, like, how long?”

William laughed. “Since I first talked to you.”

“You hated me.”

“You thought that. Then you claimed that you hated me so... that was that.”

“This is complete bullshit!” Adele cried. “I... honestly... wow. And you just kept your mouth shut like that? You just sat back and like... took it!”

William didn’t say anything. He only smiled, his eyes gleaming proudly in the moonlight.

“And... your friends... my friends... they knew.” Adele’s eyes were wide. “They knew and that’s why they set us up on this date.”

“... The discovery of it is amazing, isn’t it?” William asked. “How we were too blind to notice. Well, I mean...”

“I know,” Adele grinned.

And then all of a sudden, it was like everything was settled and gone. There was no need for any other attacks or revenge or anything else of the sort. Nobody had lost. Nobody needed to win.

“So, how ‘bout it?” William asked, and then giggled. “I mean, that’s totally not a proper way to ask you out. But we are on a sort-of date already. And it’s prom night. And you do look damn pretty.”

Adele found herself taking his hand, and then she looked up into his eyes.

“I actually wouldn’t have you ask me out any other way, Beckett.”

William grinned and shook his head, and Adele sighed.

“Okay, that was the last time. I promise.”