Levi used his free hand to ruffle up his hair up nervously before knocking on Cath's door.
"Come in" she called.
She was sitting on the bed. Levi decided that he like her there very much, and practically ran across the room to hand her their drinks and keep her from returning to her chair. It seemed to do the trick,so he took off his coat and told her to scoot over.
They enjoyed their warm drinks in a silence for a few minutes before Cath turned to ask hum a question. It was the first time he could remember her initiating a conversation between them, and it was a welcome change to babbling on like a lunatic, trying the get her to string more that three words together in response to anything he said.
"Why did you take a literature class if you can't finish a book?" she asked. It never took people long to ask this question when they found out about his problem. It usually upset him, but he was not sensing any judgment in it this time. She seemed genuinely, innocently curious. He answered her as best he could, even though it meant admitting that he had failed several of his classes last year.
"How do you get through any of you classes?" she asked with wonder. Cath seemed impressed when he listed off what he liked to call his coping strategies. Until he got to the part about befriending the smartest girls in his class. At that point she frowned up at him, and told him he was being exploitative, although a slight twitch of her mouth told him she was holding back a smile. He flashed a huge grin her way and tried his best to explain things from his point of view.
He liked Cath like this, joking, debating and enjoying herself. It seemed that the longer she read for, the longer the residual calming effect lasted afterwards. He made a mental note to get her to read a huge book before he asked her out on a date in the future. Then again, she was reading a pretty big book now. Maybe he would ask her out at the end of it. If only he could be sure that she liked him just half as much as he liked her. Maybe he should ask her now. The friendly banter was a good sign. He tried to work up the courage.
"Do you feel exploited Cather?" He asked instead. He still liked to say her full name whenever he spoke to her. He was pretty sure he was the only one who ever did, and he like having something with her that was just his. That, and it always got a response from her when she might otherwise ignore him.
"No" she replied "I know you don't like me"
He blinked at her. Was she serious? He spent the last few months trying to spend every moment possible with her, trying to make her smile, trying to figure out how to kiss her, and she still didn't have a clue.
"You don't know anything" he said. Maybe he would have to hold off on asking her out. He didn't want to scare her off. At least she didn't say that she didn't like him. That would have been crushing. This way, there was hope. As they continued their banter, he decided that he was going to have to step up his game. He tried to think of a more obvious way to show his affection. A neon sign, perhaps?
She picked up the book again. He wanted to tell her just how grateful he was, but all that he could get out was a simple thank you. She started to read, and seeing that the message had not gotten through, he tried again, pulling the book down to look into her eyes.
"I'm serious,"he said, "Thank you.". He tried so hard to convey how much this meant to him, how much she meant to him. After a few seconds Cath nodded, and he hoped that at least some of his feelings were made clear.
Levi's mind was still racing, trying to think of a way to show Cath how much he liked her. Flowers? He would probably have to get a vase too. He doubled she had one. He looked around the tiny room, trying to see if one was hidden in a corner somewhere. As he looked over Cath's bookcase, he noticed that her prom photo was no longer there. He knew that Cather didn't have a boyfriend. He never heard her speak about or even to a guy, except her study partner. At the same time, he was glad that the photo of the boy with his arms around Cather was gone. He smiled as he closed his eyes and got lost in the book again.
It was a good book. It had an even better narrator. He tried to stay focused on the story, but he started to get distracted by how close Cath was to him. She was just inches away. He though of the couple sitting in Starbucks, side by side, just like they were now. Except Levi didn't have his arm around Cath... yet. Maybe this could be how he revealed his feelings. He started to lean towards her, until his shoulder was just touching hers. He waited for her to lean away, but she didn't. He leaned a little closer, enjoying her warmth and her smell. It was subtle, unlike many girls who sprayed on heavy perfumes that made him want to gag. Just a hint of lavender, and perhaps a touch of vanilla. He wondered what it would be like to bury his face in her neck and inhale it.
Patience grasshopper, he told himself. Don't scare the pretty lady. She ever so slightly shifted, leaning in towards him. Bliss. He could sit like this all night while she read to him. It would be the best date he'd ever had.