"Why do you hate me, Evans?"
CIRCLES
She gaped at him.
She couldn't believe he was asking such a question. Boys were so stupid sometimes.
She cleared her throat and said composedly, "I don't 'hate' you. I think despise would be a better word," she said flatly.
James snorted. "Like that's any different."
Lily simply shrugged.
"But why?" he pressed with an air of an annoying investigator looking for the smallest clues.
"Haven't I changed? I didn't touch old Snivelly for ages-"
"That does not mean you are not a show-off," she pointed out, not interested to talk about the person who used to be her best friend.
"So my being a show-off upsets you?"
She shifted uncomfortably. This was the weirdest conversation she had ever had.
"Maybe..." she trailed off.
James started to smirk. "I sense a confession coming."
"It's not a confession," Lily snapped, irritated.
"It's just... Girls don't talk about things like this," she finished, looking at him in the eye.
"And when you bring up such a ridiculous topic..." she sighed, shaking her head.
"Why not?" he demanded. "If you explain what is in your head, then there won't be any of this misunderstanding, will there?"
She gave him an exasperated look and muttered something that sounded like 'Boys'.
After a minute of uncomfortable silence where he watched the onlookers, James checked his watch.
Two hours till he had promised to meet up with his best friends.
Two hours was what he had left of his date with Lily, if you could call it that.
He could almost feel himself losing her forever.
How could he change her mind about him in the two hours he had?!
She was reluctant to even explain why she hated him. Maybe she had seen him through six years of his life as the idiot that she thought him to be and felt the same way again?
But the others hadn't seen him as an idiot.
They had always called him intelligent and mischievous and what not, but never an idiot.
His face had gained a very dirty look as his mind went through unpleasant thoughts.
Lily couldn't help asking, "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," he said with the same look, though not meeting her eyes.
"Um... Do you mind if we leave?" she asked tentatively.
"No, I don't," he said sarcastically and got up irritated, making his way for the door through the crowd that was still staring shamelessly.