a wicked smile that's only accentuated by her blood red lipstick.
She's smiling at Max. She's short enough
to be at about eye-level with him, as she stands up and he sits on the
windowsill, and her obvious and blatant flirting makes Theo's stomach twist
into knots. He shouldn't care, though; Max said that he has made it very clear
to Beth that he's not interested. But still. Theo can't help but feel extremely
uncomfortable and inadequate, not to mention jealous, all at the same time, as
he watches her watch Max.
He's on his way out of a classroom when he
sees Max, over there, and he stops as Michael does, when they reach his locker.
Hannah is with them, too, and she waits patiently while Michael rummages
through his locker, Theo at his side.
Theo tries not to look at Max. He really
tries, especially while Max is with his friends. Theo hasn't even spoken to
them, after all (not that Max has ever spoken to Theo's friends), and he's
pretty sure that they wouldn't much approve of him, anyway. And he has no idea
what difference it would make if he looked. He's still not entirely convinced
that last night wasn't just a dream.
But he can't help it. Michael and Hannah
are busy talking to each other, and Theo lets his eyes wander over to Max,
where he sits, several feet away. He's just so beautiful. He's so beautiful
it's stupid, frankly, and Theo kind of hates what it does to him. Max is so out
of his league, and for a moment, he feels something like panic.
Of course last night never happened , he thinks. That would be too amazing and
too surreal and just too good .
But then, Max sees him. It's just a
glance, at first, but then those intense, blue eyes focus on Theo, as though
seeing him for the first time, and Max's entire face seems to light up. Theo
can see it, even from so far away, and he feels his heart do a double take, as
Max simply, unbelievably, smiles.
Theo takes a deep breath, trying to still
the way his entire body seems to tense up in anticipation. And the way Max is
smiling at him, so softly, yet with such unabashed affection and something that
looks an awful lot like hunger (because it's Max, and he seems unable to not look at Theo that way)... He's convinced. Last night did happen, and
it wasn't just a dream. And Theo hesitantly, just barely, smiles back.
"What do you think, Theo?"
Hannah's voice comes from somewhere far
away, and Theo barely notices. He doesn't answer her, whatever it is she and
Michael are apparently talking about. He can't. He's just too distracted by the
way Max is looking at him from several feet away, and all of a sudden, he feels
as though he's physically forcing himself not to move, lest he run over there
and attack that stupid, beautiful face with his mouth.
"Theo." Hannah's voice is a bit
harsh now, as though she can clearly tell that he's distracted. "What's
the matter with you?"
"Uh-huh," Theo musters, eyes
still on Max. Then Hannah notices, and turns to look. Her entire face twists
into a confused, annoyed frown, as she realizes just who he's looking at.
"Really?" she exclaims, and Theo
glances at her briefly, before looking back at Max. "Theo, we've talked
about this! What are you doing?"
Theo looks at her properly, then, suddenly
anxious. Michael has closed his locker, and his eyes are on him, as well,
slightly disapproving and suspicious. Theo swallows hard. He's pretty sure
anyone can tell that he's immensely uncomfortable and kind of scared, right
now. He doesn't know what to say. These are his friends, sure, but he just
knows that they'll hate him forever for hooking up with someone like Max, and
he hasn't exactly told them, yet.
"I―" he starts, but
doesn't really know what to say. Out of the corner of his eye, he can see Max
tensing up slightly, straightening in his seat, as though paying more
attention. Almost as though he's concerned . "I just―"
"You just what?" Hannah says,
frowning angrily. "He's not worth it, Theo!"
She gestures vaguely in the general
She's smiling at Max. She's short enough
to be at about eye-level with him, as she stands up and he sits on the
windowsill, and her obvious and blatant flirting makes Theo's stomach twist
into knots. He shouldn't care, though; Max said that he has made it very clear
to Beth that he's not interested. But still. Theo can't help but feel extremely
uncomfortable and inadequate, not to mention jealous, all at the same time, as
he watches her watch Max.
He's on his way out of a classroom when he
sees Max, over there, and he stops as Michael does, when they reach his locker.
Hannah is with them, too, and she waits patiently while Michael rummages
through his locker, Theo at his side.
Theo tries not to look at Max. He really
tries, especially while Max is with his friends. Theo hasn't even spoken to
them, after all (not that Max has ever spoken to Theo's friends), and he's
pretty sure that they wouldn't much approve of him, anyway. And he has no idea
what difference it would make if he looked. He's still not entirely convinced
that last night wasn't just a dream.
But he can't help it. Michael and Hannah
are busy talking to each other, and Theo lets his eyes wander over to Max,
where he sits, several feet away. He's just so beautiful. He's so beautiful
it's stupid, frankly, and Theo kind of hates what it does to him. Max is so out
of his league, and for a moment, he feels something like panic.
Of course last night never happened , he thinks. That would be too amazing and
too surreal and just too good .
But then, Max sees him. It's just a
glance, at first, but then those intense, blue eyes focus on Theo, as though
seeing him for the first time, and Max's entire face seems to light up. Theo
can see it, even from so far away, and he feels his heart do a double take, as
Max simply, unbelievably, smiles.
Theo takes a deep breath, trying to still
the way his entire body seems to tense up in anticipation. And the way Max is
smiling at him, so softly, yet with such unabashed affection and something that
looks an awful lot like hunger (because it's Max, and he seems unable to not look at Theo that way)... He's convinced. Last night did happen, and
it wasn't just a dream. And Theo hesitantly, just barely, smiles back.
"What do you think, Theo?"
Hannah's voice comes from somewhere far
away, and Theo barely notices. He doesn't answer her, whatever it is she and
Michael are apparently talking about. He can't. He's just too distracted by the
way Max is looking at him from several feet away, and all of a sudden, he feels
as though he's physically forcing himself not to move, lest he run over there
and attack that stupid, beautiful face with his mouth.
"Theo." Hannah's voice is a bit
harsh now, as though she can clearly tell that he's distracted. "What's
the matter with you?"
"Uh-huh," Theo musters, eyes
still on Max. Then Hannah notices, and turns to look. Her entire face twists
into a confused, annoyed frown, as she realizes just who he's looking at.
"Really?" she exclaims, and Theo
glances at her briefly, before looking back at Max. "Theo, we've talked
about this! What are you doing?"
Theo looks at her properly, then, suddenly
anxious. Michael has closed his locker, and his eyes are on him, as well,
slightly disapproving and suspicious. Theo swallows hard. He's pretty sure
anyone can tell that he's immensely uncomfortable and kind of scared, right
now. He doesn't know what to say. These are his friends, sure, but he just
knows that they'll hate him forever for hooking up with someone like Max, and
he hasn't exactly told them, yet.
"I―" he starts, but
doesn't really know what to say. Out of the corner of his eye, he can see Max
tensing up slightly, straightening in his seat, as though paying more
attention. Almost as though he's concerned . "I just―"
"You just what?" Hannah says,
frowning angrily. "He's not worth it, Theo!"
She gestures vaguely in the general
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