girl, don't do it - j.p x female!reader
Blurb: based on those tik toks where they list a bunch of things you shouldn't do with a boy because you'll catch feelings
Word Count: 5.8k
Warnings: unfortunately it is heavily referenced that everyone is straight also it is a modern one and this is not proofread
Masterlist
“What do you mean?” She asked the group of girls sitting around her.
Marlene shared a look with Lily, both of them quick to realise the reason a soft crease formed on their friends forehead.
“We mean,” Marlene said, dragging out the last syllable, “there’s just some common things that you shouldn’t do with a boy because you’ll catch feelings.”
The crease deepened and so Lily tried to explain.
“Like when you do these things, you form a connection and then you get attached.”
“Well, give me an example,” she challenged, still not quite getting at what the group of girls were trying to say.
“Like going to the gym with them,” Mary chimed in, but it only made the girl frown.
“Yeah,” Dorcas agreed, “you see them in their gym clothes all sweaty.”
“The gym should be your safe place,” Marlene said. She went to continue but the confused girl became lost in her own thoughts.
‘Come to the gym with me?’ Her phone flashed and James Potter’s name appeared on her lockscreen.
‘I hate the gym’ she replied. She watched the bubbles pop up to indicate he was typing.
‘Please?’
‘For me?’
She shook her head at his double text and replied.
‘Fine :/’ As if she would have ever said no
‘But you’re picking me up’ she waited for him to reply.
‘See you in 5 :)’
At the gym, she didn’t really know what to do. James immediately went over to the weights, but she decided to go on the treadmill.
She wasn’t a fan of gyms. The unknowinigness of who had used what before her and what germs they had left. The inability to use the machines and not knowing how more than half of them worked. But at least she got to wear the matching set she had bought.
She was going at a slow pace on the treadmill, a nice stroll. She couldn’t help but look over at the man who had dragged her here.
His biceps were straining under the weight he was lifting and his face was contorted as he lifted it up. A coat of sweat was covering his bare arms and when he stood up straight she began to wonder how long it had been since his thighs were that big.
He had already done a few reps and when he saw her looking, he put the weights back and walked over to her.
“Like what you see?” He asked as she took her earphone out, continuing her slow pace on the treadmill. He was leaning on the arm of the machine next to her and she shook her head at him.
“Didn’t realise you were bringing me to the gun show.” He laughed. A breathy laugh. His chest was rising and falling as he tried to catch his breath and she couldn’t help but stare at the patch of skin that was exposed under his loose top.
The sleeves of his top were clinging to his forearm and she wanted to tease him about buying clothes that actually fit him, but before she could he was going back to his mat and starting to do some pushups.
“That’s ridiculous,” she scoffed at the girls in front of her, trying to relax her face. “I’ve been to the gym with all of you before, what difference does it make if it’s a boy?”
“Well that’s not the only thing,” Marlene explained, “like, for example,” she dragged out her speech, trying to think of something you couldn’t do with a boy without catching feelings.
“Like going shopping with them,” Lily chimed in, earning a chorus of various noises, all in agreement with the red head.
“Yes,” Dorcus groaned, “especially grocery shopping.” They all agreed and started speaking about how it gives your brain the wrong idea. She wanted to argue, but before she did, a memory flashed into her mind.
“What are you doing today?” James Potter’s face was currently occupying her screen, he had video chatted her to show her a cute dog he had seen on his morning run and now that she was awake and his run had turned into a walk, they couldn’t stop talking.
“I don’t know,” she said, yawning and rubbing her eyes, “I’m overdue for a grocery shop so probably just that.” She was still in bed, lying on her back, holding her phone up at a somewhat flattering angle.
“Can I come?”
“Why? It’ll be boring.”
“I love grocery shopping.” He was looking at her through the phone and she was looking at him, watching the way the sun made his eyes a few shades lighter.
“If you want,” she shrugged and James smiled.
“Great, I’ll be there in an hour.”
It wasn’t bad having him along, he pushed the trolley and he was always humming a random tune. He wasn’t an issue until they got to the biscuit isle.
“Look,” he exclaimed, picking up a packet of biscuits shaped like teddy bears, “they’re half price!”
She laughed and agreed saying, “Cute,” before she went to keep walking. But she turned around when James let out a gasp.
“And you’re not going to get them?”
“They’re not on my list,” she shrugged, turning around to face him still holding up the packet of biscuits.
“Well what am I going to eat when I come to your house for a cup of tea.”
“I don’t think you’ve ever come to my house for a cup of tea.”
“Well I would if you had these biscuits.” She rolled her eyes at him and crossed her arms, giving him a defeated look.
“Fine,” James cheered and threw them in the trolley, “but you better come over for a cup of tea, James Potter.”
He gave her a cheeky grin and pushed the trolley so it purposefully and gently hit her front.
“I promise.”
“That doesn’t make sense,” she scoffed causing the group of girls to share a look. “It’s just grocery shopping.”
“But don’t you think it’s so ‘couply’?” Mary asked causing the crease to reappear on her friends forehead.
“It gives the brain the wrong idea,” Drocas explained and they all murmured their agreement.
“Like building furniture,” Marlene chimed in. They all chimed in in agreement and the crease on her forehead deepened as her lips turned into a frown.
“James, I need your help.” She had called him the day after she had moved into her apartment. Everything had been brought into the house (with James’ help) and today she was going to put everything away.
James had offered to come over and help, but she had already put him out when he helped her move everything in so she declined. But here she was, swallowing her pride, and asking him to come over and help her put together her bedframe.
“What do you need?” James Potter’s voice rang through her phone and she wondered if he could tell she was pouting.
“I’m really sorry to bother you again, but I don’t know how to assemble my bedframe and I’ve tried but it just won’t work and I don’t know who else would know-”
“Open your door,” he cut her off.
“What?”
“Open your door.” She raced over to the door and when she opened it, James Potter was standing there, using his shoulder to push his phone up to his ear while he held his tools in both hands. “Didn't think I’d leave you to do all this by yourself did you?”
She hung up the phone and let him in.
“You’re the best,” she said.
She repeated those words a lot that day. She repeated it when they entered the bedroom and James said, “why don’t you go unpack some of the boxes, this won’t take me to long.”
“You’re the best,” she said, putting her arms up and around his neck as he placed them gently around her waist.
“I know.”
She took the opportunity to take her clothes out and put them in her wardrobe. It needed to be done and it gave her a chance to keep James company. She didn’t feel right leaving him by himself when he had so generously offered his help.
She watched him move the bedframe, his arms tense under the slight weight. The way his sleeves clnug to his biceps. She wondered where James learnt how to use all of the tools he had brought over. His hammer and his screwdriver and the drill that made her flinch everytime he turned it on.
When he finished he turned to her awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck.
“This s random and I’ll obviously give you something better, but these are yours.” He handed over a small box of tools. She gave him a confused look, but took the toolbox regardless. “It’s just the basics, you’ll need them for around here and I’m sure I’ll get more use out of them than you, but it saves me bringing my own over every time, so really, it’s a present for me.” He was speaking fast and almost rambling so when he paused to take a breath she cut him off.
“You’re the best.”
“And don’t even get me started if he puts together a bed,” Lily laughed making the other three girls laugh. All she could do was roll her eyes.
“This is so immature,” she argued, “these are all adult things that are so common. You can do these things with anyone, it doesn’t change anything just because it’s a boy.”
“Well it doesn’t have to be adult things,” Dorcas argued back, “like,” she trailed off trying to think, “if you touch their hair.”
“Yes,” Mary agreed, “any hair touching is just an invitation for feelings to arrive.”
“Can I braid your hair?” James Potter asked her one night when she was over his house watching a movie that he made her watch when she admitted she hadn’t seen it.
“Why?” They were both sitting on the lounge next to each other and she turned to face him at the question.
“It soothes me,” he was joking with her but she still nodded and took her hair out of her scrunchie. “C’mere,” he mumbled, sitting back into the lounge and spreading his legs so she could sit in front of him.
She stood up just to sit back down. It was squishy on the lounge, but it was warmer than the cold floor and James was tall enough to see over her head.
He combed it through with his fingers and she shivered.
“Sorry,” he giggled, not sounding sorry at all.
“Its fine,” she whispered, her voice so soft he wouldn’t have heard her if she wasn’t so close.
He parted her hair and started braiding. He was clumsy and unsure, but he was gentle and was always asking if it felt good. She nodded each time, humming a yes before he’d continue.
When he finished he squeezed her shoulders and told her to show him. She turned her body so he could have a look and his whole face broke out into a grin.
“Beautiful,” he mumbled, pausing a bit too long before he continued, “thanks to your expert braider.”
She could feel that they were loose and she could see strands already falling out but she smiled at him and said, “thank you, expert braider.”
They were almost gigglinig, staring at each other and smiling before James broke the silence.
“Okay, back to the movie, you need to pay attention because I will be quizzng you once it’s over.” His hands found their way around her waist and so she didn’t bother moving.
She was warm here anyway.
“I touch your hair all the time and you touch mine,” she reminded the group who were all giggling.
“Yeah but it’s not hot when you touch my hair,” Marlene laughed, “but if a boy touched my hair?” She let out a noise that sounded like a moan. “I’d be down bad.” She scoffed at her friend, but she seemed to be the only one in disagreement.
“Do you know what always gets me?” Mary asked making the group turn to her. “When they’re driving and they reverse out and they do that thing where they turn around and-”
“Don’t even go there,” Dorcas said, already making a face of agreement.
“It’s why you shouldn’t let a boy drive,” Lily said and they all hummed in agreement.
“I can’t reverse park,” she admitted to James Potter, sitting in his passenger seat as he drove through the car park trying to find a parking spot.
“You can’t reverse park?” He asked, his eyes flickering to her.
“I can’t reverse park.” She confirmed.
“It’s easy,” he said, “I’ll teach you.” She didn’t say anything, but just smiled as James finally found a spot.
“Okay, teach me your technique.” She said causing James’ lips to quirk upwards.
“Okay,” he said, clearing his throat. “So first, you indicate,” he said, turning to her as he put his indicator on. She rolled her eyes. “It’s a simple step that a lot of people forget and it’s not fair to the person behind you.”
“Step one, indicate.” She repeated and James nodded.
“Then you just drive forward and angle the car,” he said as he did just that, “you put the car in reverse,” he did that, “and park.”
He turned around, putting his hand on the back of her seat and turning around to make sure he didn’t hit the pole.
“You make it sound so easy.” She scoffed, playfully rolling her eyes at his explanation.
“Because it is,” he argued, turning to look at her. His arm was still on the back of her seat and his body was still partially twisted.
His shirt was creasing around his abdomen and his cologne was filling up her senses. He was wearing his glasses today and they had slipped down his nose. She wanted to push them back up but he had finished reversing and had turned back around to put his car in park.
“I’m serious though,” he said turning to her, “next time you drive and I’ll walk you through it.”
“Okay,” she sighed, “maybe that I understand.”
“See,” Marlene exclaimed, “now you know what we mean.”
“No,” she argued, “I can just see how that would be attractive, it doesn’t mean that you automatically fall for someone when they do all of these things.”
“Speaking of driving,” Lily chimed in, the group completely ignoring what their friend had just said, “no picking up the other after eleven at night.”
“Oh definitely not,” Dorcas agreed, “and don’t ask them to pick you up either.”
“Who knows what will happen on the way home,” Marlene added and they all hummed in agreement.
“Are you okay?” James Potter’s voice was in her ear the second she had sent him a text asking to pick her up.
“Yeah,” she hiccuped, “I’m fine, I’ve just had enough and really want to go home. I’m sorry to bother you, but I’m too scared to go home by myself.”
“I’d be upset if you didn't call me,” James said and she let herself smile slightly. “Where are you?”
“I’ll share my location with you.” She brought the phone away from her ear to do so and when she brought it back up she heard James’ notification come through.
“Okay, maps tells me I’ll be there in fourteen minutes.”
“James?”
“Yeah?”
“Can you stay on the phone with me?”
“Of course.”
She had gone out with friends from work, but after 12am she had lost them and when she realised that they had all left the club, she went into the bathroom and messaged James, hoping he was still awake.
When she got into his car he was in a pair of plaid pyjama pants and a loose black top that hugged his arms.
“Thank you,” she hiccuped, “sorry.”
“It’s okay,” he said in a tone that made her believe that it actually was okay. “When you told me you’d get home by ‘playing it by ear’ I knew I’d come pick you up anyway. Did you have a goodnight.”
She had had quite a lot to drink, but when she turned over to look at James she knew that it had been a successful night.
“Yeah,” she hummed and James’ eyes flickered over to her as they both shared a smile.
“Feelings change anytime after ten, you cannot trust yourself or anyone else after ten when it comes to emotions,” Mary said and even she had to agree with Mary on that one.
“And I’d argue early in the morning as well,” Marlene started, “like, you can’t make breakfast with him for example.”
“Oh definitely not,” Lily agreed, “like I’ve said, it confuses your brain.”
“I’d even say you can sleep over, but just don’t make breakfast together.”
“How are you feeling?” James Potter asked when she made her way into his kitchen the morning after he had picked her up.
“Okay, my head hurts a little but I took the aspirin, thank you.” She said, referring to the aspirin James had left on her bedside table in his spare room for her to take in the morning.
“What do you feel like for breakfast?” He was sitting down at the dining table and she went over to hs fridge and opened it.
“Bacon and eggs?”
“Sounds good,” he said gettng up and taking the carton of eggs and packet of bacon out of her hands.
He got out a pan and she got out the oil.
As he turned the stove on she walked around him and got his bread, putting a two slices into the toaster.
James put the oil in once the pan heated up and put the bacon on and cracked the eggs. She grabbed the items from him and put them back in the fridge.
“Did you sleep well?” He asked, leaning against the bench as he let it cook.
“Yeah,” she nodded, “thank you agan for picking me up and for letting me crash here and for letting me borrow your clothes,” she wanted to add that she was thankful for them even if she was swimming in them but James cut her off.
“Don’t be stupid, it was all nothing I’m just glad you’re here safe.”
“Do you get what we mean?” Dorcas asked the frowning girl and she sighed.
“Okay,” she racked her brain trying to think of something, “like you wouldn’t watch the finale of a show with them?” Her voice got higher as she offered her experience, asking to see if she was right.
“Yes!” They all exclaimed, glad their friend finally understood.
“The emotions are too high it’s too much,” Mary shook her head and they all agreed.
“I’m actually upset that it’s ending,” she said to James Potter who was sitting on her couch, hogging the blankets. She had brought a large bowl of popcorn with her and when she sat next to him, he put his hand in and grabbed a handful.
“Me too,” James agreed, swallowing his mouthful of popcorn before he replied. “It’s been fun watching this with you,” he said, poking her side, “even if you talk throughout the whole thing.”
“I do not!” She exclaimed, pausing before she ate her mouthful of popcorn.
“You so do,” he laughed, “I’m going to count how many times you talk throughout the episode.” She pouted at him and he smiled down at her, pushing his glasses up his nose.
“Whatever,” she rolled her eyes and took another handful of popcorn.
When the show ended, she had her head rested on his shoulder and James had taken off his glasses to wipe at his eyes.
“That was such a sad ending,” she whined wiping her nose with the back of her hand. The empty popcorn bowl was placed next to her and she lifted her head to look at James. His cheeks had a slight rosy tint to them and his eyes were puffy making her want to smile.
“Twenty nine,” he said, making her tears dry up as she cocked her head at him in confusion. “You spoke twenty nine times throughout the episode.”
“You’re such a dick,” she scoffed, slightly slapping his shoulder. He laughed and grabbed onto her wrist so she couldn’t get away.
“I told you I’d count.”
“Oh and you cannot buy alcohol with them,” Marlene continued, “kind of like shopping with them but also explicitly, no alcohol purchasing.”
“Especially sharing with them, like you cannot buy alcohol with the intent of sharing it,” Dorcus added on and they all agreed.
“Whenever alcohol is involved it’s usually a ‘no’.” Mary said and she sighed as she recounted the last time she had bought alcohol.
“I want something sweet,” James Potter told her as they walked around the alcohol shop trying to figure out what to bring to Remus’ birthday.
“Me too, I don’t like drinking unless I can’t taste the alcohol.” She had her arms crossed around her chest as they walked through the shop and James brought his arms to his chest as he exclaimed, “Me too!”
“What about this?” She asked, pointing to a six pack of something pink.
James picked it up and read the label.
“Ooh,” he hummed, “guava.”
“Guava sounds nice.”
“Guava does sound nice,” he agreed. “Should we get it?”
“Are you sure you’re happy to share it with me?”
“Of course,” he smiled, changing his grip on it as he walked over to the counter. She trailed behind him, opening her wallet to get out her card.
He put the drinks on the counter and started a friendly conversation with the cashier. When the price came up on the machine, he nudged her with his arm so she couldn’t reach it with her card.
“Please,” he scoffed, “I’ve got it.” He thanked the cashier and took the drinks with him, causing her to speed up to try to catch up with him.
“You didn’t have to,” she huffed.
“That’s a funny sounding thank you.” He was still a few feet in front of her, but she knew he was smirking even if she couldn’t see it.
“Thank you, James.”
“Much better.”
“Yes and no one is allowed to throw up in front of anyone,” Mary emphasised. “Drink as much as you want and throw up if you have to, but they are not allowed to watch.”
“Come on,” the girl complained, “there is nothing attractive about vomit, you will not get attached from that.”
“Well how can you know if it hasn’t happened to you?” Dorcas argued and she rolled her eyes as she slipped back into another memory.
“I don’t feel great,” James Potter whispered into her ear at Sirius Black’s birthday.
“I think you drank too much.” She told him and he shook his head before he realised it made it worse and put instead his head in his hands. “C’mere,” she mumbled, reaching out for his hand and dragging him up into Sirius’ spare bedroom.
She shut the door behind her as James basically fell onto the bed. His face was smooshed into the pillows and she sat down next to him and rubbed his back with the palm of her hand.
“Everything’s spinning,” he whined, turning his head to face her. She chuckled softly at the way his eyes were closed and his face was scrunched up.
She liked drunk James. Usually he was the sober one, making sure everyone else was okay, but he somehow got softer and funnier and louder and more excitable all at the same time.
“I,” he hiccuped, “I,” he opened his eyes, “I think i’m going to be sick.” She had never seen James move so fast as he made his way into the ensuite in the spare room and pushed the toilet lid up before she heard him empty out whatever was making him sick.
She cringed at the noise, but still forced herself up and made her way into the bathroom. She knelt beside him and continued rubbing his back.
When he had emptied everything out and flushed the toilet, he put his hands in his face and ran a hand through his hair.
“I’m sorry,” he said, resting his head on his shoulder and pouting over at her, “I’m a horrible friend.”
“You are not,” she argued, a little too forcibly, “you’ve always delt with vomiting people it’s about time you’re the one vomiting.” He gave her a weak smile and closed his eyes again.
“I feel so unattractive,” he sighed.
“You’re still very pretty,” she whispered, pushing his hair back from his forehead. He opened his eyes slowly and smiled at her and for a moment she wasn’t even grossed out by the contents that were just in the toilet.
“It has happened to me,” she said indignantly and Marlene sighed.
“Let me guess, it happened with James.” She shot Marlene a dirty look.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if you’d done all of them with him,” Lily giggled and she bit back a retort knowing that the red head was right.
“You and James have broken all of the rules though, remember that time you plucked his eyebrows?” Dorcas asked.
“Another thing you shouldn’t do,” Mary pointed out and they all nodded.
“James?” She asked, putting on her sweetest voice. He was sitting on her lounge, flicking through his phone and he looked up when he heard her voice. “Remember that time I let you braid my hair?” He hummed.
“What do you want?”
“Can I pluck your eyebrows?” James had thick, bushy eyebrows and for the most part, they were neat, but she just wasn’t to tidy them up.
James sighed. “Won’t it hurt?”
“C’mon,” she whined, “I do it all the time and I’ve survived.”
He sighed again. “Fine. But I want one of those teddy bear biscuits when I’m done.”
She laughed. “I’ll even make you a cup of tea with it.”
He was still sat on the lounge and she was hovering over him, pulling at the skin near his eyebrow as she plucked the first hair.
“Ow.” He exclaimed, but his tone made her roll her eyes, knowing it didn’t hurt.
“You’re such a baby.”
“Am not,” he pouted, looking up at her.
“Then be quiet,” she said as she plucked the next hair.
James kept his eyes open. He was inches away from her face. She had taken his glasses off so his vision was a little blurry, but he could make out the tiny freckle on her cheek and he knew she was wearing the earrings he had bought her for Christmas.
He could feel her breath and he was so focused on syncing his own breath with hers that he almost jumped when someone walked through her door.
“What the fuck is going on here?” Marlene asked, the other three girls trailing behind her.
“You do everything with him,” Mary continued.
“It’s because we’re friends,” she argued, “just like us.”
“Sure,” Marlene mumbled under her breath, but she went unheard.
“Like I’d get ready to go out with you and I’d get ready to go out with him.”
“Another thing you shouldn’t do,” Lily exclaimed making her roll her eyes.
“I just need to do my makeup and I’ll be ready.”
“Okay, I’ll watch you.”
“Great.”
James sat on her bed while she sat at her vanity and started getting various products out.
“Tell me what you’re doing.” James said making her pause and look back at him through the mirror.
“Puttinig my makeup on?”
“No,” he laughed, “like what each product does.”
“Oh,” she giggled, realising what he meant, “well this is primer, it just primes my face,” she trailed off as she started putting it on her face.
“Makes sense,” James said, a smile tugging on his lips. He was already dressed. A pair of black pants that looked like they were made for him and a nice button down shirt that she had picked out for him last time they went shopping.
She had done her hair, but she still needed to finish her makeup and get ready, she was currently just in a pair of tracksuit pants and an old loose top.
“And then this is setting spray,” she explained as she sprayed it on her face. James smiled as he watched her face scrunch up at the sensation before she forced herself to relax her features.
He had sat there throughout her whole explanation, listening intently and asking questions as she went through her routine.
“Okay, I’ll just get dressed and I’m ready.”
James turned around as she got her dress from the hanger and started getting undressed.
“How am I going for time?”
“We stll have fifteen minutes.”
“Perfect.”
The noise of her cloothes was rustling filled the room as they paused in conversation. But as she put her dress on, she called out to James.
Instinctively he turned around, but when he remembered she was getting changed, he covered his eyes with his hands.
“Sorry,” he apologised, already turning back around, “habit.”
She giggled at him and walked over so she was standing in front of him with her back facing him.
“Thank you, but I did want you to turn around, can you please do my zipper?”
“Oh, sure.” James stood up and pinched the end of the fabric in between his thumb and forefinger as he pulled the zipper up.
He tried not to focus on her bare back or the way her shoulders rose and fell with each breath.
She could feel his breath tickle the back of her nack and she tried not to focus on how close he was to her.
“All done,” he whispered and she turned around to face him and smile, “you look beautiful.”
“You’re all benig ridiculous,” she scoffed, “I’ve done all of those things with James and I still only see him as a brother and nothing more. I have not gotten attached and I don’t have feelings for him.”
“What about the time you spent your birthday with him?” Mary challenged and she cursed herself for ever telling her friends that.
“Another thing you shouldn’t do,” Dorcas pointed out.
“Happy birthday sweetheart!” James Potter’s face was filling the screen on her phone. It was 12am and he had woken her up with his call, but she didn’t mind. “I had to be the first person to wish you a happy birthday.” She smiled at him, even if he couldn’t really see it with the light from her phone being the only source of illumination.
“Thank you, James.”
“I know we’re all going out tonight, but what’s the birthday girl’s plans for the day?”
“Not much,” she shrugged, pulling the blanket up towards her face, “everyone’s busy or at work so i’m just preparing for my birthday bash tonight.”
“That’s not good enough,” James said seriously, “I’ll come over and we’ll do somethinig.”
“No James,” she sighed, “you have work today.”
“That’s not as important as you, I’ll just take the day off.”
“I can’t ask you to do that.”
“You’re not asking me to do it.”
“James,” She whined and he smiled at her. “I’ll come over at ten and we’ll go for brunch, sound good?”
“I don’t expect you to do this.”
“I know, but I want to,” he said, “believe it or not, I like spending time with you.”
And that was apparently true because after brunch he took her to a park and laid down the spare blanket in his car on the grass so they could sit and enjoy the sunshine that he swore had come out just for her.
And then after that he took her back to hers where he let her win at her favourite board game. He let her go home to get ready for her celebration with their friends, but after an hour he was back there to pick her up and he brought her to the restaurant.
After she had had a few too many drinks nad was telling the girls the lengths James had gone to to make her day so special, she accidentally said, “it was like we were a couple!” And it seemed her friends weren’t going to let her forget.
“Whatever,” she scoffed. “I was really drunk and maybe it was like we were a couple, but it doesn’t mean we are.”
“And why aren’t you?” Lily asked.
“Because we’re just friends,” she exclaimed.
“James wants more,” Marlene said as if it was the most casual thing in the world.
“He does not,” she argued.
“He has never taken a day off for my birthday, last year he didn’t even ring me until lunch time.” Marlene said.
“I don’t think James knows any of my favourites, if he had to do all of my favourite things on my birthday I don’t think he’d know what to do,” Mary chimed in.
“You don’t give him enough credit,” she argued, “he would know, he is just a good friend.”
“Aren’t you doing something with him tonight?” Dorcas asked.
“Yeah,” she said, not wanting to tell them what after this conversation.
“What are you doing?” Lily inquired, ruining her plan.
“Stargazing.”
There was a beat of silence.
“I swear if someone says that’s another thing you shouldn’t do then I am leaving.”
Everyone looked at each other causing the frowning girl to sigh.
Thankfully, the four girls changed the topic of conversation, but unfortunately, she couldn’t stop thinking about it.
She wasn’t dumb. She knew what her feelings were, but she had such a great friendship wth James and she wasn’t willing to give it up for feelings that may not even be reciprocated.
But maybe she was sick of the glances her friends had shared throughout the entire conversation and that they had been sharing ever since her and James had met.
It was probably why that night when she was wrapped up in one of Jame’s jumpers that smelt like him, lying on the same mat he had brought out from his car when he had taken her to that park on her birthday she turned to him and said his name.
“What’s up, sweetheart?” He asked, turning over to her as well. “Are you warm?”
“Yeah, thanks for lending me your jacket.”
“Can’t have you shivering the whole night, can we? I’ve always wanted to stargaze you know,” he said, looking back up at the sky, “the stars are so pretty, although I can never see the shapes they make, maybe I need better glasses, or-”
“James?” She didn’t mean to interrupt him but she didn’t know if she’d have the confidence to go through with it if the moment passed.
“Yeah?”
She blinked slowly at him. She was gonig to do this.
“I have to tell you something but I don’t want it to ruin our friendship.”
“Okay,” James said, his heart pounding in his chest.
“I like you. More than a friend.”
