6 || Attack Of The Late Night Thoughts

                                    

                                          
WE STARE AT THE phone lying between us on the counter like if we keep looking at it long enough, it'll come alive.
Jalen pokes it, shoving it toward me.
I put my fingertips on it, shoving it back.
After rushing home, it turns out the reason he called me several times was not because of an actual emergency. But because Jalen found a weird bird sitting on the fire escape outside our window and he thought I would want to come home and see it.
Needless to say, my life update ended up being much more exciting.
"C'mon Indi. You gotta do something!" Jalen prods.
"Do what?"
"What do you mean do what?" He emphasizes each of his following words. "He gave you his phone number. Do what people do when someone gives them their phone number." 
My eyes narrow, staring at Jalen as if he's speaking a foreign language.
"Which is texting. We text. Normal people text." He grabs my arm and shakes it.
"I'm not going to text him!"
"Why? He clearly wants you too!"
"He does not!"
"Why would he give you his number then?"
I groan in frustration then grab the phone off the marble counter and put it in my back pocket, hoping that will end the conversation.
"Indi, are you serious? You have Harry Styles' phone number in your phone! And you aren't going to text him? Literally anyone else in the world would kill to have his number, and you're just gonna pretend you don't have it?"
"But that's exactly it!" I walk to the couch and sink into the puffy cushions. I find the remote for the TV stuffed under a pillow and turn it on. 
"What do you mean that's it?"
"He's here to be alone. He sounds like he needs to get away. I don't want to hound him." I argue. "What if he doesn't want to talk to me?"
I'm pretty sure if I wanted to, I would be able to see Jalen's eye roll from the International Space Station.
"You are unbelievable. No wonder you barely date." He groans.
"What? This has nothing to do with that!" His eyebrows raise. "I just want to give the man his space. Stop acting like I suck at reading signals."
He glares at me with a stare that would make most toddlers break down and cry.
"Okay...I do kind of suck at reading signals." I admit quickly. "But that's beside the point. And who are you to assume his intentions? He was just being friendly!"
Jalen lets out an aggravated sigh when he sees that no amount of pushing is going to make me budge. He knows my stubborn tendencies as well as my sister, so it's a wonder he even tried.
After dropping the texting conversation, I pick back up the remote and start scanning through the shows on the screen. I try to find some relief in the distraction, but in reality, my mind is still back in the café – replaying each word of my conversation with him.
Harry getting me a tea.
Asking me questions about my life.
Sharing his interests.
He was so unlike what I expected.
The impression of him is already stamped in my mind – branded with a hot iron that's unable to be erased.