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It hasn’t even been a week since we met at Dr. Williams’s office.
I haven’t texted Holly to see if she wants to hang out.
She doesn’t know that I know she’s in this class.
I’ve made it to the front of the building when the full weight of my weirdness registers.
What is wrong with me? When did I turn into a stalker?
I turn to head back the way I came and make it two steps before someone shouts my name. I’m caught, betrayed by my own.
“Benny! Look who I found!”
There’s no question in my mind who’s going to be next to my overly helpful friend when I shift to meet his grinning face. There, walking at his side, is Holly Foster, organ donor and unhealthy crush of mine. Luckily, she doesn’t appear creeped out by my sudden appearance. Instead, she wears a small smile as her eyes travel between Jasper and me, like she’s trying to figure us out.
“Aren’t you glad I told you to meet me here? I was totally right. I have class with your Holly.” Jasper gives a dramatic flourish of his hands, as if he were a magician introducing his assistant.
“I didn’t call you my Holly.”
I need to get new friends.
She just chuckles and shakes her head, making her soft brown hair swish against her cheeks.
“Well, I’ll leave you two. I’ve got ten minutes to make it across campus.” Jasper waves before sprinting off, leaving me standing awkwardly with my hands in my pockets while Holly watches me.
“You’re really uncomfortable right now, aren’t you?”
Her question takes me aback, and I fumble on a response. “What? Me? No. Of course not. I’m so comfortable right now. I’m practically a Lay-Z-Boy recliner.”
And I’m also an idiot.
She laughs. “Oh, Ben. I knew it.”
“Knew what?” I brace myself.
“You’re weird.”
Holly is full-on grinning at me now, and it’s hard not to smile back when she gazes up at me with that joyful expression on her face.
“I’m not weird.” There’s no conviction behind my words because they’re definitely a lie.
“Oh, sorry. My mistake. You’re totally normal, and you did not just compare yourself to furniture.” She’s still staring up at me, clearly enjoying herself.
And, suddenly, I want to be weird. I want to be so weird for her.
“Not just any furniture. A Lay-Z-Boy. That’s a high-quality chair. Someone weird would pick a crappy piece of furniture, like a desk.”
Holly breaks then. One hand on her hip, the other covering her mouth, she lets her laughter spill out, and the sound is something I could get drunk off of. I step in closer, so I can soak up as much as possible.
“So weird. I love it.” She shakes her head, eyes squinting with her smile. “So, you decided to ambush me, huh?”
Ashamed, I hang my head, maybe putting on a bit of a show for some sympathy. She gives my shoulder a light shove, and I have to fist my hands in my pockets, so I don’t grab her wrist to pull her in closer.
“Don’t worry. I’m not mad.”
“Yeah, sorry. Jasper said you were in his class. And I guess I just wanted to see you again, so I thought casually dropping by would be the cool thing to do. But, now, I’m realizing it’s more stalkery.”
“Well, as long as you realize that. And you seem sorry, so I’ll forgive you.”
