back quick and catches my hand in his. He laughs at me, and I just keep staring, surprised.
"Caleb, you scared me," I say, smiling now. It's kind of funny. That really shouldn't have scared me, but I wasn't expecting it.
"Sorry," he says.
We're still holding hands. Sort of. He caught mine and I didn't pull it back, and now our hands are dropped in front of us, kind of a cross between holding hands and shaking them.
I've never really held hands with anyone before. I tried to hold hands with Jake back before I found out what a jerk he was, but he always pushed me away. He said he didn't like public displays of affection. I'd love to hold hands with Ethan, but we have a similar issue going on. A lot of people back home know that we're stepbrother and stepsister, so it seems kind of weird to hold hands out in the open. I'm not sure if people would judge us now.
This isn't really the same thing, but now I'm holding hands with Caleb, and...
I just kind of imagine it's Ethan for a second. Not really, because Ethan and Caleb don't even look the same. Caleb is cute in his own way, though. Not um... I'm not checking him out, alright? I'm just saying that I bet he has a girlfriend or something, because someone that looks like him probably does. Granted, someone who looks like Ethan could probably have a girlfriend, but he didn't until me, so what do I know?
What if Caleb is like Ethan? A bad boy player, who has quick flings with girls and then ignores them? Or what if he's the good parts of Ethan: sweet and considerate, a little careful and a little rough?
Why am I even thinking about this?
We've been holding hands for awhile now. Awkward or what? I try to extract myself from this weird situation, but it's not exactly working. I think Caleb has realized it, too, because he makes some lame attempt at shaking my hand to shake the awkwardness off as an introduction or something. I don't know.
I smile at him, sort of forced, then check the jug. It's only halfway full. Ugh.
"I didn't think I'd see you again this soon," Caleb says.
"Yeah, I'm just getting water," I say.
"That's a big jug," he says. "Do you need help bringing it back?"
"I should be fine," I say.
I actually could probably use help, but I don't think that's a good idea. What would Ethan think if I came back with a guest? No... not a good idea at all.
We're silent for awhile, neither of us talking. I stare at the water, willing it with my mind to fill up faster. I'm the smart good girl and all, but apparently my psychic abilities haven't manifested yet. They make it seem so easy in the movies, don't they?
"So, you broke up with your boyfriend?" Caleb asks.
"He broke up with me," I say, correcting him. "Right before I came back home for the summer. He's kind of a jerk, to be honest. I just didn't realize it at first. It's not a big deal."
Why am I rambling like this? Why am I telling this strange boy my entire life's story? I have no idea!
Then I say something stupider while trying to stop saying stupid things. "Do you have a girlfriend?"
Yeah, um... I'm smart with grades, stupid with people. Who asks something like that? Someone who is interested in whether the cute boy who is showing interest in her is actually interested and available, that's who. Which isn't me. I'm not interested, and I'm not available, either.
I'm not exactly uninterested, though. I don't want to be mean about it, you know? I just don't want him thinking I'm trying to put the moves on him or anything. Honestly, I have no idea how to put the moves on anyone. Is that something girls can do? I don't even know.
"No," Caleb says. "Haven't found the right girl yet, I guess."
That's an answer. It's definitely an answer. Alright, then. Good. Um...
Why do I feel so awkward? I still don't know if he's flirting with me. This isn't at all how Ethan flirts with me. Is that what it's called,
"Caleb, you scared me," I say, smiling now. It's kind of funny. That really shouldn't have scared me, but I wasn't expecting it.
"Sorry," he says.
We're still holding hands. Sort of. He caught mine and I didn't pull it back, and now our hands are dropped in front of us, kind of a cross between holding hands and shaking them.
I've never really held hands with anyone before. I tried to hold hands with Jake back before I found out what a jerk he was, but he always pushed me away. He said he didn't like public displays of affection. I'd love to hold hands with Ethan, but we have a similar issue going on. A lot of people back home know that we're stepbrother and stepsister, so it seems kind of weird to hold hands out in the open. I'm not sure if people would judge us now.
This isn't really the same thing, but now I'm holding hands with Caleb, and...
I just kind of imagine it's Ethan for a second. Not really, because Ethan and Caleb don't even look the same. Caleb is cute in his own way, though. Not um... I'm not checking him out, alright? I'm just saying that I bet he has a girlfriend or something, because someone that looks like him probably does. Granted, someone who looks like Ethan could probably have a girlfriend, but he didn't until me, so what do I know?
What if Caleb is like Ethan? A bad boy player, who has quick flings with girls and then ignores them? Or what if he's the good parts of Ethan: sweet and considerate, a little careful and a little rough?
Why am I even thinking about this?
We've been holding hands for awhile now. Awkward or what? I try to extract myself from this weird situation, but it's not exactly working. I think Caleb has realized it, too, because he makes some lame attempt at shaking my hand to shake the awkwardness off as an introduction or something. I don't know.
I smile at him, sort of forced, then check the jug. It's only halfway full. Ugh.
"I didn't think I'd see you again this soon," Caleb says.
"Yeah, I'm just getting water," I say.
"That's a big jug," he says. "Do you need help bringing it back?"
"I should be fine," I say.
I actually could probably use help, but I don't think that's a good idea. What would Ethan think if I came back with a guest? No... not a good idea at all.
We're silent for awhile, neither of us talking. I stare at the water, willing it with my mind to fill up faster. I'm the smart good girl and all, but apparently my psychic abilities haven't manifested yet. They make it seem so easy in the movies, don't they?
"So, you broke up with your boyfriend?" Caleb asks.
"He broke up with me," I say, correcting him. "Right before I came back home for the summer. He's kind of a jerk, to be honest. I just didn't realize it at first. It's not a big deal."
Why am I rambling like this? Why am I telling this strange boy my entire life's story? I have no idea!
Then I say something stupider while trying to stop saying stupid things. "Do you have a girlfriend?"
Yeah, um... I'm smart with grades, stupid with people. Who asks something like that? Someone who is interested in whether the cute boy who is showing interest in her is actually interested and available, that's who. Which isn't me. I'm not interested, and I'm not available, either.
I'm not exactly uninterested, though. I don't want to be mean about it, you know? I just don't want him thinking I'm trying to put the moves on him or anything. Honestly, I have no idea how to put the moves on anyone. Is that something girls can do? I don't even know.
"No," Caleb says. "Haven't found the right girl yet, I guess."
That's an answer. It's definitely an answer. Alright, then. Good. Um...
Why do I feel so awkward? I still don't know if he's flirting with me. This isn't at all how Ethan flirts with me. Is that what it's called,
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