Chapter Two: Book Three
Taylor shut the door behind Aria and walked into the living room. I stiffly sat on the couch as he sat beside me. The sent of his cologne filled my nostrils and I found myself getting goosebumps when Taylor's arm brushed mine as he settled back into the couch.
He looked awesome. His long blonde hair was pulled back into a low, loose pony tail, leaving a few strands hanging down, framing his face. His sunglasses were hanging off the collar of his red T-shirt and he slipped his shoes off, letting them "thud" on the floor. He obviously was planning to stay for a while.
I suddenly felt self-conscious of what I was wearing. Was I being too showy? I was wearing a spaghetti strap tank top and denim shorts that my aunt had commented on being "a tad bit too short."
I folded my arms around myself, trying to cover myself up without being too obvious.
"Are you cold?" Taylor spoke up, cutting the silence.
I looked over at him, meeting his eyes for the first time that night. "No," I said weakly. "I'm ok."
After realizing that Taylor was staring at me, I started reaching inside my mind of what had happened today.
"You never told me you were so great at bowling." It was meant to be a playful, teasing comment. Being that he had beaten us all. And the smile that I gave him was meant to be a playful, teasing smile, but it had come out wobbly and weak.
I started picking at the cushions on the faded couch. I refused to meat his gaze again. Never again would I be made a fool of myself.
Tay laughed. "No one ever wanted to know."
Just when I thought that I was going to throw up all over Taylor, Aria walked in.
"I'm ba-ack," she chanted happily. Her smile was infectious. With her was a backpack full of, what I assumed, clothes and a pillow.
She flopped down on the chair opposite of Tay and myself, dropping her belongings onto the floor.
She started talking to Taylor about anything and everything, and I chose to stay a wallflower. I sat and listened. Well, actually half-listened and half-thought.
I was being ridiculous. Just because Zac SAID that he read Taylor's diary, and that I was in it doesn't necessarily mean it's true. I'm sure he has Aria and Katie in it somewhere also. Zac never went any deeper as to telling me what it had SAID about me. It could have just said something having nothing to do with feelings toward me. Zac always liked to play jokes on us. Maybe this was one of them. Right?
"Libby," Aria was saying. "Hey Lib! Are you ok in there?"
I shook my head, coming back to reality. "Yep, I'm here. Sorry."
****
After two hours of talking about absolutely nothing, Taylor decided that it was time for him to leave.
"I'll leave you two to "girl talk," he snickered. He gave me a small hug, which I hardly returned, and smiled at Aria. "Adios you two."
"I'm gonna go get ready for bed," Aria said, trudging up the stairs with her backpack, overflowing with things, on her back. She headed for my bathroom across the hall from my bedroom, and I turned the opposite way, quietly closing the door behind me as I was in my room. I leaned up against the door, sliding down to the floor. Pulling my knees up and wrapping my arms around them, I closed my eyes.
"I don't LIKE Tay that way," I whispered to myself. I re-opened my eyes. "Taylor is a friend. And until he says HIMSELF that he has feelings toward me, I am making myself believe that he thinks of me no more than a friend."
There was small knock at the door. I jumped, startled that someone was on the other side.
"Are you talking on the phone?" Aria asked through the door.
Had she heard me? I scrambled to my feet and opened the door. "Sorry," I said, smiling. "I was just thinking aloud."
Aria returned the smile and walked over to her cot that was still folded up in the corner of my room. She dropped her backpack next to my dresser, which was overflowing with clothes that had been folded once, long ago, but had crept out of their drawers and started dripping to the floor.
She looked at me skeptically. "You're 15, Lib. What's with the animals?" She picked up an arm full of fluffy, multi-colored stuffed toys and tossed them into my open closet.
I ignored her comment and slid under my covers, pulling them practically over my head. I didn't want to look at Aria, I didn't want to look at my stuffed animals, I didn't want to look at the world. I just wanted to sleep. Fall asleep so I could forget about everything that had happened today.
I mumbled to Aria, asking her to switch off my light. I heard her light footsteps over to the door, and through my covers I saw the lights go out. It was pitch black as I heard Aria squeaking to get comfortable in her cot.
"Goodnight," I murmured. And within a matter of moments, I was fast asleep.
Chapter Three: Book One
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