reading what
looked like a textbook.
“Busy?” Kendal asked when he looked up.
“Studying,” Kyan said, motioning to the
book.
Kendal got the feeling that he was trying to
make a good impression on her. “I’ll be quick,” she said.
“It’s okay.” Kyan hopped off the bed and
threw the book aside. “I was ready for a break anyway.”
He looked over at Jason who appeared to be
engrossed in the football game. It took him a minute before he
looked up, and realized that Kyan was staring at him.
“Oh, my bad,” Jason said. “I’ll leave you two
alone.” He stood up and gave Kyan a slight punch in the arm as if
to say, “Go get ‘em.”
“You don’t have to leave,” Kendal said
hurriedly. “I’m just going to be a minute.”
“No, it’s okay,” Jason replied, already
halfway out the door. “I’ll watch the game in Kyle’s room.” He
nodded at them and closed the door behind him.
Kendal held her arms close to her sides, not
sure what to do with them. This was more uncomfortable than she’d
imagined it would be.
“Have a seat,” Kyan said. He plopped down on
the couch and turned off the television.
Kendal remained standing. “So, you know that
invite party you were talking about the other night?” she
asked.
“Yeah.”
“Well, I was thinking about it, and if you
still haven’t asked anyone, then I’d like to go.” She was secretly
hoping that he’d already asked someone else. “Just as a friend, of
course.”
“As a friend,” Kyan repeated. He tapped his
hand on his knee as if he were mulling it over. “Okay.”
“Okay?”
“Well, yeah. I haven’t asked anyone else yet,
and I wanted you to be my invite, so it’s all good.”
Kendal decided to point out the stipulations
because there was still a hope that he might change his mind
afterwards. “Of course, by friends I mean that you shouldn’t plan
on making a pass at me in any way, shape or form. Sure, we can hang
out and talk, but that’s basically it. If your hands start drifting
anywhere I view as off limits, I’m out of there.”
Kyan opened his mouth to respond, and then
thought better of it. “You must think I’m a slime ball,” he finally
said.
“I’m sorry?” Kendal asked. That was the last
thing she’d expected him to say.
“To say something like that, you must think
I’m a complete jerk.”
“Well, you do have quite the reputation.”
“I know,” Kyan said, regretfully. “I’m not
proud of it. So, if the only way you’ll feel comfortable around me
is by telling me that you just want to go as friends, then I
understand. I guess I’ll just have to prove to you that I’m
genuinely interested in you.”
Kendal couldn’t believe it. Either he was an
extremely good actor or he was actually earnest, and she’d severely
misjudged him.
“I appreciate that,” she said. She took a big
breath, feeling slightly better about the whole situation. “I’ll
see you Friday night then.”
“Sounds good,” Kyan said. He rose to his feet
and opened the door for her. “Wait. I thought you had that poetry
thing or something on Friday?”
“I do,” Kendal said. “I’m going to that first
and then I’m coming here. So, I’ll probably be a little late.”
“I didn’t know you were good friends with
that girl from the basketball team.”
“JJ?”
“Yea, the one you were at the library with.
I’ve seen her play a couple of games. She’s pretty good.”
“She’s my Women’s Literature tutor,” Kendal
said. “We’re just getting to know each other.” She tried, but she
couldn’t help but smile. “She’s so smart. I mean really smart, not
just about school stuff. I’ve never met anyone like her before.
She’s so sweet and—”
Kyan was staring at her awkwardly.
“Um, she’s cool, you know?”
“Right. So I guess I’ll see you Friday then,”
he said.
“Yeah, Friday,” Kendal confirmed. She left
the dorm feeling like a fool. If she’d planned on hiding her
growing
looked like a textbook.
“Busy?” Kendal asked when he looked up.
“Studying,” Kyan said, motioning to the
book.
Kendal got the feeling that he was trying to
make a good impression on her. “I’ll be quick,” she said.
“It’s okay.” Kyan hopped off the bed and
threw the book aside. “I was ready for a break anyway.”
He looked over at Jason who appeared to be
engrossed in the football game. It took him a minute before he
looked up, and realized that Kyan was staring at him.
“Oh, my bad,” Jason said. “I’ll leave you two
alone.” He stood up and gave Kyan a slight punch in the arm as if
to say, “Go get ‘em.”
“You don’t have to leave,” Kendal said
hurriedly. “I’m just going to be a minute.”
“No, it’s okay,” Jason replied, already
halfway out the door. “I’ll watch the game in Kyle’s room.” He
nodded at them and closed the door behind him.
Kendal held her arms close to her sides, not
sure what to do with them. This was more uncomfortable than she’d
imagined it would be.
“Have a seat,” Kyan said. He plopped down on
the couch and turned off the television.
Kendal remained standing. “So, you know that
invite party you were talking about the other night?” she
asked.
“Yeah.”
“Well, I was thinking about it, and if you
still haven’t asked anyone, then I’d like to go.” She was secretly
hoping that he’d already asked someone else. “Just as a friend, of
course.”
“As a friend,” Kyan repeated. He tapped his
hand on his knee as if he were mulling it over. “Okay.”
“Okay?”
“Well, yeah. I haven’t asked anyone else yet,
and I wanted you to be my invite, so it’s all good.”
Kendal decided to point out the stipulations
because there was still a hope that he might change his mind
afterwards. “Of course, by friends I mean that you shouldn’t plan
on making a pass at me in any way, shape or form. Sure, we can hang
out and talk, but that’s basically it. If your hands start drifting
anywhere I view as off limits, I’m out of there.”
Kyan opened his mouth to respond, and then
thought better of it. “You must think I’m a slime ball,” he finally
said.
“I’m sorry?” Kendal asked. That was the last
thing she’d expected him to say.
“To say something like that, you must think
I’m a complete jerk.”
“Well, you do have quite the reputation.”
“I know,” Kyan said, regretfully. “I’m not
proud of it. So, if the only way you’ll feel comfortable around me
is by telling me that you just want to go as friends, then I
understand. I guess I’ll just have to prove to you that I’m
genuinely interested in you.”
Kendal couldn’t believe it. Either he was an
extremely good actor or he was actually earnest, and she’d severely
misjudged him.
“I appreciate that,” she said. She took a big
breath, feeling slightly better about the whole situation. “I’ll
see you Friday night then.”
“Sounds good,” Kyan said. He rose to his feet
and opened the door for her. “Wait. I thought you had that poetry
thing or something on Friday?”
“I do,” Kendal said. “I’m going to that first
and then I’m coming here. So, I’ll probably be a little late.”
“I didn’t know you were good friends with
that girl from the basketball team.”
“JJ?”
“Yea, the one you were at the library with.
I’ve seen her play a couple of games. She’s pretty good.”
“She’s my Women’s Literature tutor,” Kendal
said. “We’re just getting to know each other.” She tried, but she
couldn’t help but smile. “She’s so smart. I mean really smart, not
just about school stuff. I’ve never met anyone like her before.
She’s so sweet and—”
Kyan was staring at her awkwardly.
“Um, she’s cool, you know?”
“Right. So I guess I’ll see you Friday then,”
he said.
“Yeah, Friday,” Kendal confirmed. She left
the dorm feeling like a fool. If she’d planned on hiding her
growing
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