Casper's POV
I found myself in class, anxiously glancing at the door, eagerly anticipating Rex's arrival. The memory of our kiss, the way his tongue licked my lips lingered in my mind, keeping me awake until 4 a.m. After finally falling asleep, I dreamt about it and woke up at 6, yet here I was, past 8 a.m., still thinking about Rex.
When Rex finally walked into the classroom, his gaze scanned the room until it settled on me. He leaned in to whisper something to Mick, who nodded in response. As they approached my seat, I glanced back, half-expecting to see Matt, but he was nowhere in sight.
Rex and Mick reached my desk, and Rex wore a broad smile as he asked, "Mind if I sit here?" pointing to the vacant chair next to me.
"Uh, sure," I replied softly.
He took a seat, still grinning at me, and I could hear Darla chime in to Mick, "There's an empty seat here," prompting him to sit down as well.
"Hey," Rex greeted.
"Hi," I murmured back.
"What's happening here?" Darla asked, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes at us.
"I'm just as confused," Mick chimed in.
Rex rolled his eyes, "It's nothing; Casper and I are just friends now." I turned my attention to him, surprised at what he said. Friends?
"Since when?" Mick asked.
Darla shot a glance at Mick, "You're not even the one to ask them that , didn't you babysit Samson just because he ignored your call?"
Mick blushed and muttered, "That's different; he was sick." I felt a wave of relief wash over me when I saw the lecturer enter, grateful that I wouldn't have to answer any of Darla's inquiries. At least for now.
As the lecturer began his lesson, I caught a fleeting glimpse of Rex, and to my surprise, he was looking back at me. He flashed a gentle smile, causing me to quickly turn my attention back to the lecturer as warmth surged to my cheeks.
Are we friends? I don't want to argue with him anymore. Fuck,, I switched up after one stupid little kiss. But wait, does he just want to be friends because of that kiss? What am I even thinking? I mentally chide myself and focus back on the lecturer in front of me.
Once the lecture wrapped up, Rex turned to me and asked, "Are you free tonight?"
"Why…?"
"There's this movie that I want us to go see. It came out recently."
"Oh..." Is this a date?
"Why don't you go with Mick?"
"Because I want to go with you. Besides, we're friends now, right?" Friends. It can't be a date if he sees us as just friends.
"Or... do you not want to be friends? Are you still upset with me?" he probed.
"No."
"Great! I'll swing by your place at 5 pm, okay?" I nodded slowly, which brought a smile to his face.
He got up and turned to Mick, saying, "Let's go." And with that, both of them left me and Darla behind.
"What's up with you and Rex?" she asked. "And don't give me that bullshit Rex said about you both being 'friends now.'"
"We… kissed," I mumbled.
"What?!" Darla exclaimed, causing the other students in class to glance our way.
"Keep it down!" I urged, pulling her out of the classroom.
"You kissed him?" she probed as soon as we stepped outside.
"No, he kissed me."
"And you kissed him back?"
"…yeah." I didn't mention that I had done more than just kiss him. Hell, I had straddled him and grinded like a complete idiot.
She nodded slowly, "So, are you two dating now?"
"What? No, we're not dating; it was just a kiss."
"But he asked you out for a movie."
"As friends, obviously."
"Just be careful, Casper."
"I will, we're just friends." I reassured her. We couldn't date, not when he still had feelings for Matt.
«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»
"It's not a date, Casper," I said while looking around my room. Clothes were strewn across the floor, my bed, and the desk. A knock at the door told me Rex had arrived. After one last glance in the mirror, I headed to open it.
"Hey," he greeted, flashing a grin.
"Hi," I replied as I stepped out, shutting the door behind me.
We walked side by side as we left the building. Once we got to his car, he asked, "You're not afraid of horror movies, are you?"
I frowned, "No, I'm not. What do you take me for?"
He laughed, "Just checking."
"Why? Is the movie a horror film?" I wasn't scared, but I wanted to be ready.
"Not really," he answered.
"But why didn't you go with Mick or…...Matt?"
He glanced at me briefly before returning his focus to the road. "Why did you pause when you brought up Matt?"
"Just curious, that's all."
"Honestly, I have no idea what Matt's been up to, and Mick isn't really into going to the movies."
I nodded in understanding. "Besides, I already told you I wanted to come with you." His words made my cheeks flush, and I quickly turned my head to hide the redness.
The remainder of the ride consisted of light conversation, but it felt easy and relaxed. The theater we arrived at was quite popular, though I had never visited this particular one before.
"Stay here while I grab the tickets," he said before stepping away. A few minutes later, he returned with a large bucket of popcorn, two sodas, and two tickets in hand.
He handed me one of the tickets along with a soda. "I'll take care of this," he said, indicating the bucket of popcorn. "Let's go," he added, and I nodded in agreement.
Once we were seated inside, I leaned closer and whispered, "How much do I owe you for the drinks?"
"What?"
"Aren't we splitting the cost?"
"Absolutely not. It's on me," he said with a grin, turning his attention to the screen as the movie began. Leaning in closer, he whispered, "If you agree to go out with me again, I'll let you cover the next bill."
A rush of warmth filled me as I focused on the film, and I couldn't help but feel my cheeks heat up. In fact, I welcomed it, unable to suppress the smile that spread across my face, which stayed on throughout the movie.
"Thanks for the movie. Um, I'll treat you next time," I managed to say as we stood by the doors of our rooms.
He nodded, his gaze fixed on me, a subtle smile playing on his lips. Then he stepped a little closer, cradling my face in his hand. We were so close that I could feel his breath against my skin. I swallowed hard and glanced down, unable to hold his intense green eyes.
After a moment, he took a step back and cleared his throat. "Uh, the da- tonight was great. I'll see you tomorrow?"
I nodded, unable to speak. He then pulled out his phone and handed it to me, and I looked at him in confusion as I accepted it. "I need your number. I don't have it."
With my cheeks still flushed, I quickly typed in my number and handed it back to him. We exchanged goodnights and retreated to our rooms. While I couldn't speak for Rex, I knew my cheeks were still burning.