I stand here, attempting to process what just happened. Did he think he could just go ahead and kiss me on a cheek? Not that I didn't like it, but that's just not normal. We are in Australia, though.. Makes sense.
I keep replaying the moment in my head as I walk around the island. I glance at the surface and there's still a small piece of paper he must've forgotten to throw away. I pick it up, and it doesn't feel like the packaging band aid's come in, it's thicker. I realize it's a torn piece of a paper towel. I flip it over and there's something scribbled on it. A number is what it is. He wrote down his number! Impressive, I thought.
It takes me a while to decipher it, but I finally get it. I argue with myself for a while. Do I put it in my phone, or do I throw it away? I decide on the first choice, and grab my phone and quickly enter him in my contacts. Now what do I do? Do I text him? I ask myself. I decide to text him later, later is good.
It's later and I'm pacing the floor in my room upstairs, phone in hand. I'm so clueless as what to do. Call Payton! That's what I can do. I quickly unlock my phone and dial her number.
"Hey, Kor! What's up?" she asks, as cheery as always. She's always awake at various hours of the night, always ready for conversation.
"Not a lot, the usual," I tell her, undecided on whether to tell her about Luke or not.
"Not a lot? That's not a Kory answer. Seriously, what's up?" She asks me, prodding for an answer.
"Um.. I met a boy an-" I say before I'm cut off.
"KORY! A BOY. OH MY GOSH. KORY AND A BOY. NO FREAKING WAY." She yells through the phone. "This is so great! What's he like? Is he cute? Do you like him? Does he like you? Oh my gosh." She fires all the questions at once.
"Calm down, Pay. I think I might like him.. Which is weird. And yes he is cute and I think he likes me, but I guess I'm not sure," I say, answering her questions. Then I continue on to tell her the story about how we met and what happened today,
"Kory, he so likes you! Get it guuuurl!" She repeats the phrase I often say to her, but her never to me.
"Okay, okay. I'll text him then," I tell her nervously.
"I'm gonna let you go do that, then! Bye, bebe! Love you!" Payton says. I reply with a little less enthusiasm, but just as much meaning.
"Here goes nothing," I whisper to myself as I write out a text.
Kory: Hey, Luke, right?
*Message Delivered*
I fidget a little, nervous for a reply. A few seconds becomes a few minutes, now I'm sweating. This was so not a good idea. I'm on my way to the bathroom when I hear the jingle of my text messaging tone. I immediately turn back around and snatch my phone off of my bed.
*iMessage From Luke*
I slide my shaky finger across the lock screen to see the message.
Luke: Hey! I'm guessing this is Kory?
Kory: You guessed right!
Before I could even think, I reply. Really? "You guessed right?" Real smooth, Kory. I flop back on my bed, expecting a few minutes for a reply, but only a couple seconds later and my phone dings.
Luke: I knew you'd text me. ;) What's up?
He knew I'd text him? Am I that predictable?
Kory: You know, just laying here. What are you doing?
Instant reply again. I like this.
Luke: I'm with the lads, but I want to be somewhere else.
Kory: Why? Are they being annoying or something?
Luke: No, there's just some place I'd rather be right now.
Kory: Oh, like where?
Luke: Well, you see.. There's this person I met a couple days ago, and I kinda want to hang out with them.
I feel a blush creep onto my cheeks, even though there's no one here to see it. Wait, though. He could've met way more people than just me.
Kory: Oh… Well.. Okay. I'm pretty tired, though. I think I'm going to bed. Night!
The truth is, though, that I'm not tired at all. Not even a bit.
Luke: Um, okay. I'll talk to you later, then? Goodnight, Kory. :)
I read the last text a few times, and I start to smile. Wait, this isn't normal for me. What am I doing? I cannot be falling for this boy. No way, no how.
I take one last look at the messages, then I slide my finger over the conversation and press 'Delete.' No need in keeping non important conversations, right? Right.
I lay here a while and think about Luke, then realize what I'm doing, and switch to something else. Somehow my mind keeps wandering back to him. I lay there for what seems like forever, but it's only been ten minutes. My stomach growls, jolting me from my trance. Food is something that can get my mind away from.. him.
I wander down stairs and into the kitchen. I open the fridge, but nothing looks appetizing. I scan the counter and all I see are various fruits. I just want junk food. Then I feel something click in my mind. Kim has always been a sucker for ice cream. On that thought, I pull open the freezer drawer and dig around some frozen vegetables and wa-la! 'What A Cluster' Ben & Jerry's ice cream. Score! 'What A Cluster' has been mine and Kim's favorite since we discovered it on one late night trip to the convenient store in Michigan. So delicious. There's only half a pint left, so I take the whole container and fish a spoon out of the silverware drawer.
I start to head back up to my room when I hear a knock on the door. I glance at the clock on that mantle and it reads 9:07 pm. Who in the hell could this be? Kim and Mark are at some club, and I'm stuck here. What if it's a killer? I am SO going to die, I think to myself. I slowly walk toward the window and look through the curtains, but all I see is a silhouette of a lanky looking person. I turn towards the door and slowly open it. The face that looks straight back at me is none other than, guess? Luke.
"Uh.. Hi?" I stutter like an idiot.
"Oh, hey. I brought this over for Mark. Ben was using it and I told him I'd stop by and return it," He tells me as he starts to hand over some type of cord, but then sees my hands are full with the ice cream and spoon. "That doesn't look like going to bed," he says to me with a smirk.
"I- I got hungry, so.. Yeah," I reply, not knowing what to say.
"Looks very filling," he says to me, slightly laughing.
"Yeah, it is," I say a little icily. "Thanks for bringing this back. I'll be sure to get it to Mark and let him know Ben returned it." I say taking the cord from his hands.
"Okay, I guess I'll see you around," He says, the smile falling from his face as he turns around.
I go to shut the door, but then something pushes back against it and Luke peeks around the door, "Kory? It was you. Nice seeing you, goodnight." He turns around and leaves.
I watch him walk down the front porch and get into the passenger door of a car waiting out front. It takes off, and I'm still standing here with the door wide open, in awe. It was me. This cannot be happening. I shake my head and shut the door.
I make my way back upstairs and into bed. I put in a DVD I brought from home. '10 Things I Hate About You,' a personal favorite of mine, especially to remind me why I hate boys and will never settle for less than Heath Ledger, even though he's dead.
I crawl into bed with my ice cream and shove spoonful's of deliciousness into my mouth until it's gone. I finish the movie, shut the television off, and sink under my covers. My mind keeps drawing back to the last words Luke said to me. If every night is going to end with me thinking of Luke, then I am going to tear my head from my scalp. This is not what I want.
I lay here for hours still thinking about the dumb boy. Why am I made to function like this? I wish I was a guy, so I could just think with my penis. It sounds so much easier. Finally, after I hear the sounds of Kim and Mark coming, and get well past exhausted of thinking of Luke, I shut my eyes and drift off to sleep. An insanely over packed Luke-filled sleep.
