Willy Wonka: That’s before I knew how goddamn annoying he was.
Okay?
Kass: Stop. He’s nice. I even bet when he says “Netflix and Chill” he means “Watching a movie”
Willy Wonka: Can you hear me snoring?
Kass: Shut up. Just because a guy is a gentleman doesn’t make him boring.
Willy Wonka: Yeah but that’s not what you need.
My mind runs a marathon.
Kass: You don’t know shit about what I need, Willy.
Willy Wonka: Wrong.
Kass: Okay. What do I need?
Willy Wonka: You need a guy who can’t keep his hands, eyes and mouth off you. Not some mama’s boy who doesn’t have the balls to kiss you.
Something in my chest gives a jolt.
But it’s not my heart. It can’t be.
I won’t allow it.
I don’t understand my body’s reaction to his message, but what I understand even less… are the images invading my brain when I soak in his words.
I imagine him.
Will.
Doing all these things to me.
Kissing me, touching me, fu—
Willy Wonka: But that’s just my opinion
I nibble on my lower lip. My mind went to a seriously weird place for a second there.
Kass: Yeah, well, if you know a guy who can do all these things, hit me up. Until then I’ll keep going on my “boring” dates.
I blink at my screen, confused by my own damn self. I don’t know why I said that, why I was just going on about how much I don’t want to date anyone only to try and get a reaction out of Will a second later.
He doesn’t text back. Not in the first five minutes, not in the next. Fifteen minutes later, I grow sick of waiting and speed out of the store parking lot. As soon as I pull into my driveway, my phone lights up with his reply.
Willy Wonka: I’ll let you get back to golden boy now.
First thing I learned today:
I can’t figure out William Martins.
Second thing I learned today:
I sure as hell am going to try.
Kassidy
Groaning in annoyance, I rifle through my purse, desperate to find my keys. Stress ball, sticky notes, lipstick. No keys. I release a scoff, mocking myself for hoarding so much useless shit. I’ve never, in the five years I’ve had it, used that stress ball, but I still carry it around, just in case.
I’ve been working at the pet store for a few days now. The adjustment period wasn’t easy—processing truckloads of information in a completely new environment never is—but the silver lining is, I got to meet my long-lost gay soul mate, Ethan. We skipped the awkward, work friend moment and jumped straight into the “let’s hang out” phase.
He fed me bits and pieces of his life story, skimming over the details, but it didn’t take a PhD to figure out it had something to do with his parents disapproving of his sexuality and shipping him to Florida to live with his older sister.
Unlocking the front door, I shuffle inside my house, checking the time. It’s past 9:00. I was supposed to be out of work at 8:00, but a family of five walked in two minutes before closing. Fun.
Tonight is movie night. The girls have been blowing up my phone, whining about how late I am. I was supposed to meet them at Zoey’s an hour ago. I just need to get changed and hop in the shower. Lobbing my purse and keys on the kitchen table, I begin texting them ba—
“Stop moving, for God’s sake!”
I nearly drop my phone.
My eyes jump to the closed bathroom door. Someone’s in there.
A guy someone.
I didn’t see a car outside.
Or was I too exhausted to notice?
“Easy for you to say. You’re not the one with this thing stuck on your head. Which, by the way, isn’t exactly weightless.”
Is that… Winter?
“Oh, I’m sorry, princess. I shouldn’t have given you a helmet. It’s not like it can save your life or anything.”
Wait, I know that voice.
“We might have to go to the hospital. I mean, you can’t exactly keep it on your head forever, can you?”
Winter laughs. “They could make a documentary about me.”
“Helmet girl. When Winter was eighteen years old, her head got stuck in a motorcycle helmet. People were never able to get it off. She’s been living without makeup and hasn’t brushed her teeth ever since.”
My cousin’s laughter increases.
Failing to contain my curiosity, I walk over and swing the door open. What I see on the other side is… a shitshow.
No better way to put it.
My cousin, wearing a motorcycle helmet. And Haze Adams, hands dripping with soap.
“Winter?” I frown.
“This isn’t what it looks like,” she stammers.
Haze bites back his laughter. “Tell me, what exactly does this look like?”
Fuck it.
“You know what? I don’t even want to know.” I shut the door. I’ve had a long day, and I’d rather not waste the last of my brain energy on this. Hurrying to the fridge, I grab an apple. I hear them burst into laughter and can’t help listening. Thin walls, okay?
“If she tells Kendrick, I’m dead.”
“What could she possibly tell him? He had soap on his hands, and she had a helmet on her head?”
They don’t say anything for the next minute. I’m halfway up the stairs when I realize I left my bag in the kitchen.
“I hate to put an end to our second date, but I have to go.” I discern Haze’s voice as I’m passing through.
Did he just say second date?
As in they had a first date?
“I’ll see you at school?” he questions.
I don’t hear her answer, only Haze’s footsteps to the door.
“Hey, Kingston?” he says quietly.
Silence.
“Thank you for getting to know me.”
“Hey, Adams?”
I hang on to their every word.
Wow, I am such a creep right now.
“Thank you for showing me you were worth knowing.”
Haze is out of the bathroom a second later. I hide like the professional stalker that I am, awaiting the front door’s slam. Winter wanders into the hall next, head free of Haze’s helmet. I lurch out of my hiding spot, making her jump.
“Thank you for showing me you were worth knowing? Seriously?” I blurt out.
Winter, come on, you’re smarter than this. He is so going to break your heart. Reeking of shame, she rounds me, rushing up the stairs without a word.
“When you catch feelings and he drops you, don’t say I didn’t warn you,” I call right before she closes her bedroom door.
I instantly regret being hard on her. I don’t mean to be the bad guy. I don’t mean to be the annoying cousin, but she has no idea who she’s dealing with. People don’t change. Especially not the kind with bulging muscles and tattoos.