Chapter 7: As Obvious As...

I've done it now, haven't I? Ugh, it just slipped out since I hadn't talked to anyone about relationships in a while. It's all Matthew's fault for getting me to open up like this... I shouldn't have told him any of these things anyways! I mean, who even tells the guy she likes about all the other guys she's likes! There must be something seriously wrong with me.

"...What?" Matthew asked, startling me since I almost began to forget he was sitting right in front of me. My head shot up to face him, looking back at me with a weird look on his face as if he was trying to squint through his glasses when he should've been wide eyed.

"I, um...yeah?" I didn't really know what he was asking me now. I'm pretty sure I said I liked him sometime before my head voices began yelling at me for being so stupid. Did he not hear me or is he just messing with me?

"No, I...was just watching you make those funny faces again so I think I blanked out just now. Did you just say what I think you said?" he explained, as if he sincerely didn't understand what had just happened. Just my luck: the first not dense guy I (accidentally) confess to and he didn't even hear me?

"...W-what did you think I said?" So it's not too late to take back what I said? I would feel relieved if I wasn't suddenly so disappointed.

"Uh, well, I don't wanna say it in case I'm wrong. I don't want to be...wrong..." he trailed off, almost apologetically, which he shouldn't be because he didn't even do anything wrong.

"I...it wasn't anything important," I said hurriedly, getting up from my chair and reaching for my book bag to leave. I slung my bag over my shoulder and started walking away from our table. "Oh, look at how late it is already! We won't be able to get dinner at this ra—" Just then, Matthew grabbed onto my wrist, stopping me in my tracks. It was his turn now to keep me from running away. I spun around to face him, as was now habit, and besides, I couldn't ever not look at him. But he didn't say anything and only stared at me with his lips ready but hesitating to tell me something back. We stood there, unmoving for a few moments, before he seemed to gather his thoughts and say something.

"Y-you're right. Wait for me while I get my stuff. I'll go to the cafeteria with you." he said finally, further confirming that he really didn't hear my confession. It's okay since we've only known each other a few weeks. It's too early for me to ruin our friendship with this kind of stuff, right? But somehow it's still deals a blow to my confidence. I don't think 'll be able to tell him again until I've built up some more courage.

I couldn't do it. I couldn't tell Tina I liked her... It's just that she said it "wasn't anything important" so that wasn't a confession or anything? Maybe I just heard her wrong... Unless she means it's not important that she likes me or not. Well, she still does like Al so, she there's no way she could possibly like me too...

"Hey, you haven't left me behind yet?" I said, trying to joke around with Tina as I walked over to where she waited for me. Acting like I was confused, which is how I felt, wouldn't served either of us any good right now.

"I wouldn't even if I could." she said without thinking.

"..." What did she—?

"...Haha! Uh, let's go get dinner now. I'm getting a bit hungry." Tina followed up, after realizing what she had just said. Well, it's not like that meant anything anyway. Yeah, that's right. I haven't really seen Tina talking to any guys so maybe she's like this with everyone? Yeah, that has to be it.

We made our way to the cafeteria in silence, still walking side by side. Once we got there, I held open the door for her like I always did, but there was something different this time. For some strange reason, I was strangely self-conscious and getting embarrassed. Did I always do things like this? I'm pretty sure I do...at at least with Tina. B-but I just realized I liked her earlier today! Had I been unconsciously treating her in a special way all along?

She walked passed me, and for the first time since I grabbed her arm, she looked straight at me, and then said thank you and smiled. But wait...is she blushing? No, that can't be. I've been doing this all the time. Unless she always blushed like that. Well, maybe she didn't really blush. I might just be imagining things. I mean, she only looked at me for a second.

"Hey! Over here!" Grieta waved her arm to catch our attention. She was at the same table where we usually ate lunch with everyone else. But tonight it was just her, Ludwig, and Feliciano. "Oh, so you two came together~" she said as Tina and I made our way to the table. I noticed Ludwig blushed at the comment, and then realized why. I turned pink myself.

"No, Grieta. It isn't anything like that..." Tina tried to explain, although you could tell she understood the innuendo too.

"So, you just came at the same time?" Grieta asked, still smirking as if she knew something we didn't. With that, Tina turned as red as her tanned skin would let her. She, Ludwig, and I tried to pretend that we didn't know what the other two were thinking. And Feliciano just kept eating his pasta [where did that come from anyways?]. Eventually, after a few seconds, Grieta grinned even brighter and giggled. She obviously understood now...

Ludwig coughed, reminding Tina and I that we hadn't sat down yet. Even though there was a lot of space at the table, we ended up sitting across from each other instead of side by side like we usually did. It didn't go unnoticed, but this time, Feliciano beat Grieta to the question.

"Ve~ Tina, did something happen between you and Matthew? You two are acting a little different." Feliciano asked, sincerity in his curiosity.

"O-oh no, Feli. Nothing happened. We were just talking before..." she sounded a little like a single mom trying not to tell her son that she has a boyfriend. Not like Feliciano is Tina's son or anything. And it's not like Tina has a boyfriend either...

"Eehh. That must've been a very awkward talk if you two aren't sitting ne—" he began to point out, but was interrupted by Ludwig.

"Feliciano, you shouldn't prod." the German said, putting his hand on Feliciano's shoulder. But then, for just a fraction of a second, he shot me a look as if he was torn between wanting to know too and not wanting to ask. He really confuses me. Usually Ludwig is very quiet and polite during meals, but every now and then, he says something when Tina's involved. I notice the weirdest things today...

... ... ... ... ...

"So, what did you and Matthew 'talk' about before dinner?" Grieta asked after we barely entered the doorway of our dorm room.

"It was nothing really. You know, the usual stuff..." I tried to answer without really answering.

"Oh, so more things about pancakes, books, and Alfred?" she said, trying to goad a reaction from me. The last part stopped me for a second, but I didn't give her the answer she wanted.

"...Yeah." I said, simply.

"So...you and Matthew were thinking the same things during dinner tonight~ It's like you two are on the same frequency." she changed topics to try and get more out from me. Grieta was obviously aware that something had happened between Matthew and me.

"L-ludwig was thinking it too! Besides, you have to be more aware of what you're saying sometimes, Grieta." I tried to turn it around.

"What~? What I say doesn't have to be like that. It's you guys who make it seem wrong." she explained, her grin getting as wide as the Cheshire cat's.

"But..." I was lost for words. I can't really defend my thoughts against her...maybe I should stop hanging out with so many guys...

"I know, I know. You don't want to seem like a perv in front of your boyfriend." she went again. It almost seems like she just wants to see me flustered.

"I told you: it's not like that...!" I reiterated. I couldn't even confess properly...

"Still! Really, you two are slow at this. Just confess to him already!" she ordered suddenly, as if she was getting impatient.

"I-I never said that I liked him or anything!" I said, as I tried to review all my previous conversations with Grieta to try and find the moments I may have been too obvious. Now that I think about it, I'm really obvious with these kinda of things.

"Oh please, Tina. We're friends, aren't we? You don't have to go hiding it from me~" she said, sighing as she stood in front of me with both hands on my shoulders, as if she was supporting me in some kind of decision.

"...Is it really that obvious?" I asked, hoping that she was only kidding. If I was really that obvious, would Matthew already know then too? Alfred probably wouldn't have noticed (because he never does), but Juan would definitely know by now (because he always does).

"As obvious as Ludwig and Feliciano." Grieta gave an example.

"...Gosh, that is obvious..." I realized. I gave up on trying to hide it from Grieta. I mean, it'd be hard to keep hiding that fact that I like Matthew from my roommate. I told her everything about today from the time Matthew asked me if I liked anyone up to the part when he stopped me from going but said nothing about my confession. I expected Grieta to start pouring advice and suggestions on me about what I should do, but all she did was grin even wider.

"You're smart. You'll figure something out~" she said in a singsong voice as she tucked herself in the bottom bunk bed. I stood for a few seconds staring at her, as if she had offended me somehow in calling me smart. But after a while, my exhaustion got to me and I climbed up to my bed and tried to sleep.

...Dammit. I can't fall asleep like this...

Gosh:

It's been so long since I wrote that I can't even remember if I ever did a chapter in first person. Is it okay? I'm kind of thinking of continuing writing in this style...maybe. The first part was so awkward that I was getting embarrassed just writing it...

And sorry...I just had to sneak in something perverted in there somehow. I was just typing up what Grieta said and then I imagined what me and my friends would've thought if someone really said it like that XD.

Yeah, I'm a horrible person for saying there'd be more chapters soon last time... I ended up being really busy this summer since I'm taking a Physics course. Gah.

Anyways, thanks rultas, Monk Gyatso, darkbutterfly45 and anyone else for reading and reviewing despite my very slow updating! If you guys still stick with me for the future chapters, thanks in advance! You're awesome!