AN: I'll update my other story as soon as I can, but school's starting soon and I'm starting to stress. Ah, SOPHOMORE YEAR. That means two AP's and an IB (sorta). SO, yeah. (: ANYWAYS. enjoy! that KROSH moment you've all been waiting for? :D
Disclaimer: I kinda want Olive Garden right now.
Kristen Gregory was completely absorbed in her conversation with Kemp, who surprisingly was a great listener and friend to talk to when he wasn't testing out his cheesy pickup lines. She didn't even notice Josh walk over and take off his cap in a dramatic manner.
"K?" Josh asked hesitantly.
Kristen looked up in surprise. Josh hadn't talked to her since Saturday. And from what she told Claire earlier that day during lunch, she also hadn't expected him to even care about her again. She was starting to think that maybe it was just a tiny fling, a flame that burned out quickly.
Well, what did she expect? Kristen herself felt she was a boring person.
"Hey, I'm really sorry about what happened Saturday." Josh winced. "I should've texted you or called you to hang out. I just didn't want you to have this bad idea of me and thought if we both just cooled off a bit…"
"It's okay," Kristen automatically said. What Josh said made sense, right? It wasn't his fault. He was Josh Hotz. And he hadn't really hurt her yet nor done anything to lose her trust. "I was just confused."
"I was too." Josh made a face, running his hand through his hair nervously. "But I thought it out and to prove to you that I'm not just playing with you, will you go out with me?"
… What?
Kristen's eyes widened. She had only been at the school for a week and she had already gotten asked out by a guy? She wondered if things were moving too fast, or maybe everything was just falling into place.
She'd never had a real boyfriend. Sure, she'd gone out with groups of friends back in middle school and not that much during her horribly monotonous freshman year. Was she even ready for this?
Could anyone not be ready for this?
"Yeah," Kristen nodded, swallowing and forcing herself to smile.
Josh grinned. "Alright. We should start hanging out a lot again." He suggested as he plopped his beloved NY cap onto Kristen's head, earning audible gasps from everyone around them.
Josh never let anyone wear the hat, especially since he rarely ever took it off. Never had he even let Alicia touch the hat. But now Kristen got to wear it?
Kristen tentatively touched the cap on her head with the tips of her fingers. She felt a bit silly, thinking to herself that she must have looked really stupid wearing it. But it meant a lot.
"Thanks." Kristen said. Thanks? Was she even supposed to thank him?
"It's yours now." Josh replied. "Don't lose it, please?"
"I won't!" Kristen said, maintaining a cheerful tone even though she was silently freaking out on the inside.
Why didn't this feel right?
--
Massie Block winced as Alicia stomped into her room and shouted every known curse to a not-so-innocent fifteen-year-old. "You need Midol?" Massie said through clenched teeth. Alicia's voice, already not the most pleasant noise ever, was even worse when she was wailing and shrieking.
Who even liked hearing shrieking?
Alicia stomped her pump-clad feet against the hardwood, not caring if it scuffed either. "I'm going to kill that bitch!" Alicia screamed. "I'm going to push her into a ditch and kick dirt over her head and laugh!"
Massie flinched. "Alicia, you're so overreacting."
"I am nawt!" Alicia shrieked. "It's not effing fair that after all Josh and I went through, he still chooses the new girl over me!"
Chooses? Excuse me?
"What do you mean chooses?" Massie narrowed her eyes, no longer feeling as calm and neutral as before. "Josh had no other choice than Kristen. It's not like you've been seeing him too."
"But we've started talking a lot again." Alicia sniffed, calming down a bit and sliding herself onto Claire's unmade bed. Alicia bunched up the white comforter underneath her in her fists. "I thought he liked me again."
Massie breathed deeply, reminding herself to refrain from being mean and telling off Alicia with the honest truth. Instead, she put on a brave smile and prepared to sugarcoat.
"Leesh, you and Josh have had a lot of history. And sometimes, it's not good to bring back the past. Sometimes it's better to just move on and accept that things have changed. I'm sure that if you guys went out again, things would have just happened the same way. And maybe you guys did text a few times, but Kristen and Josh seem to have really hit off. Maybe it's best for you to just back off for a bit and let them be. If they don't work out, you'll still have a chance, Alicia. Don't freak out so much."
Alicia remained silent, most likely seething and thinking violent, destructive thoughts. (That's the loveable Alicia Rivera for you!)
"Leesh?"
"This isn't over." Alicia said ominously, tugging at her hair. "Until I say it's over."
Massie sighed. Looks like she had to find another way to calm Alicia down. It was time for her plan to kick into action. "How about this, Alicia. Leave it up to me, okay? I'll plan something. Just don't do anything without my permission."
Alicia looked at Massie with hopeful eyes. "So you'll help me?"
Massie nodded her head, absentmindedly playing the ends of her slightly wavy, chestnut brown hair. Just then, Dylan strolled casually into the room. When she realized Alicia also sitting there, a huge smile crept onto her face.
"Wasn't that sooooo epic?" Dylan giggled as she wiggled next to Alicia on the bed, purposely pushing her buttons. Dylan received a glare from Alicia, who then hopped off the bed and trudged out of the room noisily.
"Dyl…" Massie warned.
"What?" Dylan giggled again. "That was funny. Did you see her face? She's so uptight about this thing. Kristen's nice, but it doesn't seem very long term. Why does she have to act like a boy not liking her again is the end of the world?"
"It's Alicia." Massie rolled her eyes. "Try to be more sensitive, even though I know you're the last person to be good at that?"
Dylan shrugged, her Sprite can-green eyes wandered around Massie and Claire's room. She took note of the way Massie's side was so much more simple and clean than Claire's, whose side of the wall was covered with pictures of their group. "She's my roommate. I have to deal with her enough already. Why are we even friends with her?" Dylan whispered.
Massie looked at Dylan impatiently. "Because you can't just ditch your friends after hanging out with them for a year. Plus, she was your roommate and Josh's girlfriend. And the last time I lost my patience with her, she said she'd find a way to get her dad to sue my dad's company."
"For no reason?" Dylan raised an eyebrow. "How the hell would he win?"
"Len Rivera has never lost a case." Massie said, looking at Dylan seriously. "And I'm pretty sure, knowing the way my dad runs a business, he'd find a way to sue."
A heavy silence fell among the room. Massie awkwardly played with her white gold Tiffany charm bracelet.
"So then we're stuck with her?" Dylan said after a while, her face looked crestfallen. She raked her fingers through her red hair. "Not fair." She pouted, sticking out her glossed bottom lip.
Massie stood up from her desk chair, where she had been doing her homework until Alicia barged in, and walked over to where Dylan was sitting. "I guess so. But I was hoping you could do me a favor?"
Dylan Cheshire cat-grinned, knowing that a "favor" in Massie's language could only mean participation in one of her little projects or plans. "Love to."
"We're going to have to watch what Alicia's planning to do to Josh…" Massie said, scratching her head. "Because I doubt she's going to listen to me and my advice."
"I'm on it!" Dylan pumped her fist. "Want to sneak into Josh's room or something? We can wait until one day when Josh and Kemp are absolutely gone."
"Sounds fun."
--
Josh Hotz slid his John Varvatos Henley over his head just as Cam walked into his room. Josh didn't bother to even acknowledge his presence since they weren't exactly the best of friends at the moment.
"So I guess you'll have to start doing your hair." Cam said quietly, scratching his head.
Josh turned to give Cam a narrow-eyed look. "You gone yet?"
The last thing he needed was Mr. "Sweet And Sensitive And The Entire World Loves Me (And My Cologne)" to start judging him again and criticizing every single freaking little mistake he made. Come on, he was only fifteen. Wasn't he supposed to be breaking hearts and having regrets?
"If you're serious about Kristen, that's great. I just didn't want you to lead Alicia on too." Cam said, holding up his hands in mock surrender.
Josh rolled his eyes. Cam always had a point. "Alicia and I are friends. Isn't it good to be friends with your ex's?"
Cam flicked his hair out of his eyes before stating the obvious. "That's if both parties are completely over each other."
Josh made a disgusted face. "I was over her before I broke up with her."
Cam raised an eyebrow. "Um."
Josh shrugged. "If she's not over me, that's her problem. Don't make me look like the bad guy." With that, he turned and pretended to be completely in his reflection in his laptop's plain black screensaver.
Pretended?
"You can go now." Josh said after a minute when Cam still wasn't gone.
How annoying could a guy get?
"See you at dinner, I guess." Cam said uncertainly, stuffing his hands into the pocket of his jeans and strolling out of the room.
Josh let out a sigh of relief. He grabbed his cell off his desk and opened it to read his latest text. He didn't want her to think that he was ignoring her or anything.
Josh: sorry, cam came in :P see u at dinner?
Josh didn't have to wait long for a reply. Sure, she was probably always waiting for his text, but Josh Hotz didn't mind eagerness. (Or desperation.)
Leesh: yup, see ya gorgeousss [[;
you know what to do
;)