Chapter 19: Chapter 19

Austin*

I don’t know what came over me watching her dance. She was like an Egyptian goddess working her magic without knowing the souls she claimed. When the boys stopped talking, I knew something was wrong as my eyes followed theirs to my Snoopy dancing with the fire. It was a beautiful sight. I never knew she could dance so beautifully. All I wanted to do was give them a good beating for looking at what’s mine, cover her and take her to a place secluded for my eyes alone. I know she’ll be highly upset with me if I did that, she hasn’t seen that side of me and I hope she doesn’t because it will break me if she sees me in her eyes as a broken boy, an angry kid. I love this image she has of me and I plan to keep it that way. So instead I walk over to her claiming her in front of the whole team in the best possible way ever. Her cute gasp when I touched her had me feeling like the king of the moment and funny how she knew it was me. As if she sensed me just as I sense her. Always.

Mom was right, if I don’t get my shit together and make her mine someone else will. Someone well deserving of her TLC, selfish me will never let it be any person than I. From the first day, I knew she's a treasure to be cherished. Shy but a spitfire when she can be. Not talking to me the other day had me realize how much of a total mess I am without her. That was a horrible twenty-four hours of my life. If she wanted me to grovel or sleep on her floor I would do so without a blink of an eye but I just had to be close to her. To let her scent caress me. And when she smile at me, I know I can’t mess this up. How vulnerable I am to a breaking point. That I have to clean my messes starting with Kim and the rest.

How lonely I’ve been and survived without her these past years in my life is a miracle.

“Austin.” She calls climbing on my bed with a soft giggle. “You look dazed. What are you thinking?”

“My scores came in today.”

She sits up looking alarmed, nervous yet calm.

“How was it?” I shrug taking off my black tee and putting on a grey one.

“An A-?” she questions.

“Nope” I sit on the other end of my bed watching her with a sad face.

“B +?” I shake my head looking away hating the broken look creeping on her face.

“B-?”

“Nope” getting under the covers. This is bad, I sigh.

“C.” I shake my head. “Oh my.” She chokes on a sob covering her mouth. “A ‘D’?” I look at her solemnly and she’s about to cry.

“It’s okay, I can handle disappointments,” she covers her face shaking it furiously not wanting to sob in front of me, “even when my tutor doesn’t think she did well and got me an A+ in all my test.” She pauses, looking at my now smiling face, suddenly she snatches a pillow hitting me continually. I brace myself with my elbows on the bed taking her angry hits while laughing my heart out.

“I hate you. I hate you. Ahh! I hate you Austin.” she yells at me.

“I’m sorry.” I catch her blows snatching the pillow from her, she huffs sitting with her back to me. “It was an expensive joke and I didn’t mean to make you sad.” She doesn’t reply.

“I’m sorry Snoopy.” I reach to touch her, she flinches. My face frowns, I stood up walking to kneel at her front. Taking her hands in mine,

“I’m sorry Snoopy.” placing chaste kisses on her fingers. Nothing, no reaction. “Hit me, kick me, hurt me; please I’m sorry Snoopy.” blank stare, I’m starting to hyperventilate. Not again, please not again with the silent treatment. I took her face in my large palm. “Snoopy please forgive me, I’m sorry.” Her eyes cast down, in my mind I’m screaming for her to look back at me, to look into my eyes and believe me. “I won’t pull such pranks again, I promise, I swear on my dad’s grave.” My shaky voice says looking at her. Slowly her eyes raise up, inch by inch till it locked on mine, her lips curve up into a beautiful smile.

“Gotcha.”

She fell back laughing hard and I’m left there kneeling on my floor looking like a lost puppy for a second before it dawned on me. She tricked me. I, Austin Mahone, got fooled by a girl again. I blink. Ugh this…. I prance on top of her going for the kill. My hands on her sides, I began tickling, she’s now on full blown cackles.

“Say you are sorry.”

“No.” she laughs trying to push my weight off her.

“Apologize.”

“Never.” She stuck her tongue out.

“You called for it.” I kept tickling her till her eyes shown with glistening tears.

“Stop! Stop! Tap out! Tap out!” I stop falling beside her as she even her breathing, our gaze

on the ceiling. For a moment it was silent, just the sound of breathing suddenly I began chuckling, she joined.

“That was a good one Snoopy, you fooled me there.” I shift my weight to the other position behind the cover. “Good you like it.” She replies getting behind the covers facing me and I her.

I can’t tell what is with this girl that makes me want to move mountains for her. I watch her face, a beautiful smile on her lips, flush face and her hair sprawled over her face and my pillow. I inhale her sweet scent, like a breath of freshness. Closing my eyes and open it, my finger traces the curve of her face, tucking stray strands away. A smile is still present on her face but her eyes close sighing in delight as my I trace her face with my fingers caressing her with my gaze. Kim’s words struck me like a bolt of lightning. "When she gets to know the real you and not what you are showing her, she’ll leave you calling you a monster and you’ll be left alone. End whatever this is for her sake and yours. Be who you are and let her free.

She deserves to be happy. She deserves Lawrence." I flinch not knowing the pause of my fingers snap her eyes open.

“Austin are you okay?” Worry blue look at me carefully. I nod shifting close to her. She watches not moving away. Soon I was two inch apart from her, I can feel her soft breath fanning me, her pretty blue still on me; watching, waiting. She needs to know. I look down before looking back at her.

“I like, like you Snoopy.” I held my breath scared of what will happen next. I could have kept my mouth shut, now I’ve ruined our friendship. She looks at me meeting my eyes next her hand raise up caressing the side of my face lovingly before lacing her fingers with mine; I gulp looking down at our joined hands. I love the feel of her hands on mine, my eyes meet her smiling face.

“I like, like you too, Austin.” Instinctively my hand tightens over hers. She smiles giving a yawn. I can finally die in peace. My heart drum loudly in my chest. I draw close placing a kiss on her forehead. “Goodnight Austin.” She yawns again before drifting off to sleep.

“Goodnight Snoopy.” I whisper fighting the sleep that clouds my eyes until I finally give in taking a last look at her sleeping face while holding onto each other hands. Just because I'm a fucked up kid doesn't mean I deserve the same kind of life. No. I'm a fucked up kid who needs a touch of goodness even when i don't deserve it.

Slowly my eyes flutter close as I fall asleep beside the beautiful girl I like by my side.