“You know Brooke, you really are going to be sorry when I’m gone and you never see me again.” Max put his arm around my shoulder as we made our way out of the arcade. Peyton and I had decided to take them to an old arcade with few people. The guys all wanted to play separate things, so we decided to meet out front in a few hours. Max had somehow stuck with me and wouldn’t stop talking.

I crossed my arms as we walked. “And where exactly are you going that I’d never see you again?”

He shrugged. “Nowhere. I just think when you stop coming by for practice, you’ll miss me too much.”

I shook my head. “Where is everyone?”

He nodded behind me. “There’s Flower and Sid.”

I nodded. “I can call Peyton but you should call Jordan and Kris.”

He took out his phone and began dialing and walked away. Marc and Sidney came over to me. “Hey Brooke.”

I smiled awkwardly. “Hey Marc. Hi Sidney.”

He returned a not so convincing smile. Marc noticed the silence and began to talk. “So-” his phone ringing interrupted. He smiled and excused himself as he walked talking on his phone. Great. Maybe this isn’t going to be too awkward.

He put his hands in his pockets and looked around. He had a hopeful look as if someone would come by.

“Pants.” Okay, I could’ve probably come up with something better than that.

He gave me a strange look, almost smiling. “What?”

“I meant to say I like your pants, but I sort of skipped to the end.” I laughed nervously.

He let out a small laugh. “Well, thanks.” He looked at me for a moment, before he grew very serious and looked back down. He glanced up at me and opened his mouth. “I-

“Found them!”

Seriously, people need to stop interrupting people trying to say something.

We both looked up at Max to see Jordan, Kris and Peyton walking behind him. Peyton came up to me and put her head on my shoulder. “Thank God it's you.”

I patted her head. “What did they do to you?”

“Jordan wouldn’t let me or Kris leave until he beat my high score in that shooting game.”

Jordan grinned. “And I did beat it, thank you very much.”

I shook my head smiling, glancing at Sidney, who had gone and was talking to Marc quietly.

Max quickly texted something on his phone and put it in his pocket. “Come on guys, we should get going. It’s getting late and we don’t want to get mobbed.” They nodded and started to walk back to the car.

Kris looked confused. “But it’s only like 3 in the afternoon.”

“Still, we have to go.”

Peyton nodded. “Yeah, I have to go too.”

I looked at her. “Where?”

She thought for a moment. “Uh, I promised I’d go see my parents.”

I nodded slowly “Okay, sure. Come on Peyton, let’s go home.” I said pulling her to the car.
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“Peyton! Have you seen my phone? I swear I had it today.” I walked back out into the living room and looked under the sofa.

“No I haven’t seen it. Did you check your jacket?”

“Yeah.” I let out a long breath as I sat on the couch. “Forget it. I’ll look for it later.”

She came out of her room looking even nicer. “Where did you say you were going again?”

“With my parents.”

“And your going to your parents looking like that?” I eyed her heels, tight jeans and silky top.

“Brooke you’re too funny. I gotta go. Bye.” Without another word she slipped through the door.

I sighed looking around the empty apartment. I decided I would have a movie night and order endless amounts of Chinese food. So I did. I put in Pride and Prejudice and pulled a large blanket over my legs. Midway through the movie, there was a knock at the door.

I opened the door and saw Kris giving me a small smile. “Hey.”

I shook my head slightly. “Uh, hey.” I smiled and stepped aside to let him in. “How are you?”

He put his hands in his pockets and shrugged. “I’m okay. You?”

I nodded. “I’m good too.” I stared at him for a moment. “Is there anything I can help you with?”

“Well, everyone sort of left to do something else and I had nothing to do. And Max suggested that I should come over here because you might be lonely and said we could get to know each other better.”

“Of course he did.” I muttered under my breath. “So you came here out of force? Or because I’m a last resort?”

He looked down at the floor not knowing what to say. I smirked and giggled. “I’m just joking. So I ordered some Chinese food. Do you want some? We can watch a movie."

He smiled at me and took a seat on the couch. He sat a fair amount away from me but enough that I could smell his cologne. I’ll admit, it smelled too good that I couldn’t focus during much of the movie. I smiled to myself.
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“How could you not get it?”

Kris shrugged. “I don’t know. I just don’t.”

I threw my hands slightly in the air. “But it’s Peter Pan! It’s just amazing!”

“I still don’t get it.” He took another spoonful of ice cream from the carton and kept the spoon in his mouth. After we had finished Peter Pan we just sat there talking. Not about anything in particular, just talking. It felt nice to speak to him. I felt comfortable. I leaned on the armrest of the couch as he sat across from me, only a carton of ice cream separating us.

After a moment of silence he spoke. “Can I ask you something?”

I stuck the spoon in my mouth and nodded.

“Do you have any other friends besides Peyton?” I raised my eyebrow at him and he quickly responded. “Not that I think you’re lonely or anything, but Max just made it seem like she’s the only person you ever talk to.”

“I know he’d give me a reason not to like him.” This earned a chuckle out of him. “I do. Just not as good friends as Peyton. She’s probably the closest friend I have. I have other friends that I hang out with but I don’t speak to them much. I don’t need friends. I have Peyton and besides that, I’m perfectly fine on my own.”

“And me. I’m your friend Brooke.” He smiled at me. That adorable smile of his.

I smiled back at him. “Thank you,” I said taking another spoonful of ice cream.

“For what?”

“For coming tonight, whatever the reason. You saved me from a very boring night. You’re good company.” I put my spoon in the empty carton and set it aside on the floor.

He grew slightly serious and looked down. “You’re welcome.” He adjusted himself on the couch and focused on his hands. “And I did have a reason for coming actually.”

I tilted my head slightly. “Really?”

He nodded. “I didn’t just want to come over out of boredom.”

“Then why did you come?”

He took a long pause before sighing. “I like talking to you and-”

I frowned. “And what?”

“I wanted to see you, even though I get nervous around you,” he shrugged.

I raised my eyebrows slightly. “Why?”

He scratched the back of his neck. “Because ever since the day I met you I thought you were insanely pretty.”

I took in a deep breath and began to feel my face growing warmer. I bit my lip slightly and looked down at my hands. He thought I was pretty? I tried to think of a response, but no words came to mind. I couldn’t think clearly.

I had no idea what I was doing and it became apparent when I looked up and his face was inches from my face and I didn’t move. I looked into his eyes and down to his lips. He moved in close enough that I could feel his breath on my face.

He slowly leaned in and pressed his lips to kiss the corner of my mouth. “I think I really like you,” he whispered.

He pulled his face away just an inch so that I could still hear him breathing. I had no idea what I was doing but I didn’t pull away and before I knew it I moved my hands up his shirt and around his neck. Without hesitation, he kissed the corner of my mouth again and then moved to my lips.

I couldn't move from the shock when we finally broke apart. My breathe caught in my throat and I searched for anything to say. He opened his mouth to say something but was stopped when a noise came from the door. There was shuffling on the other end of the door. I heard voices whispering and muttering and quickly got up to go see what it was leaving Kris on the couch. I opened the door and saw Peyton and Max there.

“Brooke hi! Look who I found out in the hallway!” she pointed her thumb behind her back at Max who stood their looking confused and unsure of what to do.

I nodded slowly eyeing the two of them and noticing they were both dressed extremely nice. “Hey Max. What are you doing here?” I asked leaning against the doorway.

He smiled nervously. “Oh you know just here to,” he looked around as if someone would come save him. “To, uhm-”

“Max?” I looked behind me to see Kris coming to the door, ignoring Peyton standing beside him. “What are you doing here?”

“Kris!” He pointed his hands towards Kris and let out a nervous laugh. “I came here to pick up Kris!”

He looked confused. “You didn’t even know I was here.”

Peyton nodded. “Yeah. Hi Kris. What are you doing here?” she looked between us. “Were you two doing something?”

“No.” Kris and I said at the same time, looking at each other and smiling slightly.

I cleared my throat. “Kris just dropped by to, uh,” I looked behind me next to the table by the door and picked up the empty Peter Pan case and hold it in the air. “He came by to drop this off for me.”

Peyton raised an eyebrow. “He came to drop off my copy of the Peter Pan movie?”

I looked at the case that read [i]Property of Peyton[/i] in black marker. I laughed nervously. “Yes?”

Kris cut in and began to put on his jacket. “Well, I really should be going. It’s getting late. We have to get up early tomorrow.”

Max nodded. “Yeah I’ll see you guys later. Bye Peyton. Bye Brooke.” He waved and started pacing down the hall.

Kris turned to me. “Thanks for tonight Brooke. I had fun.” He smiled and waved to Peyton.

I smiled as I walked inside the apartment after Peyton. “So, weird- you running into Max like that, huh?” I began to pick up the trash around the living room.

She took off her coat and went to her room to change. “Yeah. Weird. I saw him outside when I came back here.”

“I thought you said you ran into him in the hallway?” I put the dishes in the sink and crossed my arms looking at her coming out of her room.

Peyton stood there staring at me. “Oh, yeah I meant that.” She paused for a moment. “Well, look it’s 11. I’ve got to get to bed. We have to go to the rink tomorrow. Goodnight!”

“Uh huh.” I nodded and dumped the carton of ice cream in the trash.

“Oh,” she peered her head from her doorway. “Weird how Kris just decided to come over right?”

I blinked at her a few times before forcing a smile on my face. “I should get to bed too. Goodnight!” I called walking to my own room and shutting the door.

Notes

You guys should be nicer with the comments, just saying.

I'll make her end up with Kris if you don't. Just kidding. Maybe not. Who knows.