g o o f b a l l

Heather’s face fell slightly at his response–she had never been the type of girl to need labels, but she also knew that this was a special situation. Tyler was her best friend, and she needed to know where they stood. “I’m making a big deal because I want to talk about the fact that we slept together?” she raised her eyebrows at him. “You’re an idiot.”

“Well, someone is deflecting” He hated this so much- wished they could just go back to the way they were before any of this had happened. It was clearly a mistake on both their parts “We’re teenagers, sleeping with each other is what we do. We both agreed that we weren’t gonna let this make us weird and you’re kinda making it weird, H”

“honestly you don’t need anyone else.” she said with a soft laugh before turning to look at him with a raised brow. “oh we are talking about it ––– who isn’t lame tyler?”

“You’re right. I’m going to abandon all my other friendships and only hang out with you for the rest of my life” He grabbed two small, plastic shot glasses and placed them on the table, beginning the process “We’re not lame” 

“So we can talk in private,” Heather sighed, running her fingers through her hair. She grabbed her books from him, placing them and her book bag on the floor and standing back up. “We have to talk about… this.”

His free hand moved over his face after she took the items he was holding from him. Her back fell against the wall behind him, shoulders remaining in contact to brace his body “There’s nothing to talk about. You need to stop making a big deal over it”

Heather watched him for a second, her head tilting slightly as she listened to him. “Yeah, maybe not the best,” she chuckled before looking around a second. Pausing, Heather grabbed his arm and pulled him into the janitors closet. “We should talk.”

“No. I guess not” He nodded his head, glancing down at the girl as she continued talking, pulling him into a much more private area “What- why are we in a closet, Heather?” 

“Other side of campus,” she smirked at him as they began walking. “Are you… okay? Like, is your arm okay?”

‘Shit, okay” He laughed a little and nodded his head, following her lead “yeah. I just dislocated it a little- I mean a lot but it’s whatever. I’ll survive to tell my future grandchildren about it” he paused for a moment, slight regret written on his face “Poor choice of words”

“Fine, you weirdo,” she chuckled, letting him have her books–if he really wanted to carry them, he could carry them. “But don’t complain to me when you don’t wanna hold them anymore.”

Tyler offered her a triumphant grin before adjusting the books in his arms a little so they were easier to hold “Whatever. I’m amazing and I won’t get tired of them- how far away is your next glass though, for reference?”

“what can i say, this aint my first rodeo.” she said with a soft laugh as she walked into the house, grabbing his hand and pulling him to the tequila. “they aren’t going to know what hit them.”

“Why am I even friends with anyone else? the boy joked, following along with whatever belle had planned “Like it is literally pointless- everyone else is lame. I mean aside from like, some people but we don’t need to talk about them right now”

“Are you sure?” Heather asked, shaking her head as she took her books back. “I don’t know if you’re trying to be all gentleman-y or whatever but it’s dumb, for the record.” She sighed. “I think we all have.”

“Shut up, Heather” He pulled the books closer to him, refusing to let her take them. Not even out of good anymore, just out of pure stubborn idiocy “I’m not being a gentleman I’m just being your damn friend- deflated lung and cast- it’s cool I got it”

Heather had been having a bit of a hard time–the cast on her hand and wrist was one thing, but she was still sore in her side from where the chest tube had been placed. When someone took her books out of her hands she was about to snap, but when she saw it was Tyler, her expression softened. “Are you sure you should be carrying that stuff with your arm all….” she trailed off. “I mean—-” she waved her casted hand in the air between them. “What about you?”

“I’m fine” He wasn’t but he was probably better off than she was. What was she doing walking around already, anyway? “About the same” he nodded his head, flapping his arm enough to showcase it but not enough to hurt himself again “I’ve definitely had better weeks”

belle chuckled as she looked up at him before nodding at his suggestion. “then straight to the beer pong table.”

“Nice. I like the way you think” He beamed, opening the door and allowing her to walk in first like the gentleman he was “Partners, right? We’re going to school these kids”

belle smiled when they had arrived, opening her door and getting out of the car. “i wouldn’t go that far but definitely top five.”

“I would go that far, thank you” He beamed down at the girl, slinging his arm lazily over her shoulder as he led her towards the front door of the party “game plan, b-line for the tequila?”

“Hey” Tyler pushed through the hallway, grabbing the girl’s books from her without even asking. They were both worse for wear but she was a bit rougher than he was “I’ve got this- you doing alright?”

Iris moved closer to him as space was made between his legs, her second arm moving up and around his neck. Something in her mind was telling her that maybe this wasn’t the best idea, but she was doing the best she could to shove that down as he pulled away from her lips and started to kiss down her jaw to her neck.

belle didn’t say anything, instead she just nodded. “smart boy.”

“The smartest of boys” He beamed, getting out of his car and walking around to meet her on the other side.

“Exactly,” she nodded. “It would just… probably end poorly for both of us and I mean—“ Heather looked over at him, and wow they were closer than she realized. And he looked so good. “Uh—yeah. Just not worth it.” She was such a bad liar.

“Nope” as he spoke his head bobbed in an agreeing nod, the back of his mind screaming at him that he was being stupid about this entire situation “not worth it at all” he added, echoing her sentiment with little to no conviction thanks to just how close she decided to sit next to him. And, even though everything they said encouraged the opposite of it, Tyler leaned in, catching her lips again.