xi.

                                    

                                          
     "I was gonna ask you out," he slowly turns his head to me, "this time, on your terms."
                          
     "You were gonna ask me out? We made the bet on our first meeting. Ho-how did you think that?" 
                          
           My whole body heat rose to my face and somehow got to my brain. I can't think straight. Why would he ask me out? 
                          
     The sky glow makes his features more pronounced than usual, his natural curls are more wild and coiled, his honey hazel eyes emit more tints of moody olive green and his nose, more contoured. 
                          
     I have always thought of him as attractive. I mean who would deny that? But I have not dove much into the thought that he can be someone I can date.
                          
     He nods, "Nah, when I said I had a dare in mind the first day we met, I was just teasing." He chuckles. "But the day of the game, when we talked and teased each other, I just felt you were funny and cool. I got curious."
                          
     Funny is something I have heard through the years. Although I don't ever take it to heart. I have always thought funny is a safe adjective. When you can't pin your friend to any character trait, what is she? Funny. 
                          
     Cool is another story. Cool is unheard of.
                          
     "I hope you don't take this the wrong way."
                          
        His whole demeanor is an exact opposite of mine. His shoulders are as relaxed as mine are as tensed. He stares at the field with his enigmatic eyes, I look at him with my mind on overdrive.
                          
     He is too cool about this and I am too worked up.
                          
     Then it clicks. 
                          
     This guy does what he feels like doing on the spur of the moment. No second thoughts. He believes in the moment and he doesn't let it pass.
                          
     My shoulders rest from tension and I smile, "I guess we have to be thankful to that expelled student, then. Imagine the torment we'd go through if we have to endure each other on a date."
                          
     "Oh, so you'd say yes to it?" I turn to face him and as expected he has his smirk. I roll my eyes and he chuckles. 
                          
   . "Didn't I tell you not to fall for me, lover boy?" I raise my brow.
                          
     "Sorry, guess I can't help it." We laugh and when the chuckles subdued he continued, "But kidding aside, I'm much cooler with this. If we dated and it was a disaster, I wouldn't have you now as a friend."
                          
     An unconscious upturn forms on my lips. Our moment, as subtle as it was, to the point where I have only felt it after looking back intently, has passed. But just like him, I'm more at peace with this reality of ours. 
                          
      His phone rings. I see the caller ID before he slides the phone icon, it's Jean. 
                          
     "Yeah, she's here." Rocky nods. "Yep, alright, cool, see you."
                          
     "Party?" I ask as he returns his phone in his pocket.. 
                          
     "Graveyard."
                          
     "What? Aren't you guys exhausted?"
                          
     "Yeah, but we won so let's go." He stands up and pats the dirt off his jeans. 
                          
     "I can't." I respond. "I have an older brother back home to show my face to."
                          
     "Funny, Jean said Cobi and Theo are on their way." He smirks. 
                          
 ------
                          
     "He doesn't want to talk to you," Cobi says as he settles himself in the bar stool beside me. "One margarita on the rocks please," he tells Max, the night shift bartender who's on the other side of the bar counter.