Reasons I Fell for the Funny Fat Friend Part 10

"How about I pick you up so you don't have to walk in the rain?"

She shakes her head as she tosses her eyes to the ceiling. "Okay, but don't come in. Like, just text me when you get here, and I'll come out."

Kind of wish I knew why she's so weird about her house, but I don't want to mess this up.

"Great. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

She smiles and steps out of the car-she's got one h.e.l.l of an a.s.s-and leans back to say, "Catch you later, home-fry."

I've got to figure out how to get the corn chip smell out of my room. Not that I'm expecting Hayles to be in my room today-okay, okay, I don't expect, but I'm hopin' like crazy we end up here-but it should probably smell better anyway.

I throw open the window, even though it's pouring outside, and start chuckin' all the laundry on the floor into the basket in the corner. The bed sheets go too, as well as the stuff crammed under the bed. I'm pretty sure there are a thousand empty Monster cans jammed into my overflowing trash.

"Brody!"

"Yeah?"

Mom stumbles downstairs, and her jaw drops. "Are... are you cleaning?"

You'd think I just murdered someone. "Yeah. Got a friend comin' over later."

Her brow furrows. "You've never cared before." Then her face splits open with a wide smile. "Is this friend a girl?"

Dude. Do not want to talk about this with Mom. But I'm honest. "Yeah. Is that all right?"

"Oh Brody, I don't know..." She bites her bottom lip and takes a few breaths. "I mean, I'd like to be the cool Mom, but I just don't think having a girl here while your dad and I are out is a good idea. Especially if you're cleaning your room. Call me crazy, but it worries me."

Ugh. "She's just a friend."

"Then why are you cleaning your room?"

"Because it stinks."

"Brody...?"

d.a.m.n it. She's not goin' to let this happen. "Look, Mom, Hayley and I are just gonna-"

"Oh! It's Hayley?" She c.o.c.ks her head, and I nod. "Well, that's fine." She swipes her hand through the air. "I thought... I was a.s.suming it would be... never mind. You kids have fun. I'll be home around ten." She kisses my forehead-ugh-and leaves.

Uh... okay. That was weird. But at least I don't have to worry about Parent Patrol.

I check my phone for the millionth time. Still nothing. I texted Hayles the second I woke up and it's been about four hours. What the h.e.l.l? Did she forget or somethin'?

Maybe I should just go get her. Tell her I just happen to be in the neighborhood and wondered if she still wanted to hang.

There is somethin' seriously wrong with me. Girl's turned me into a psycho.

I s.n.a.t.c.h up a pair of gym shorts and toss them in the pile of laundry. Then grab the garbage and trudge upstairs.

c.r.a.p. The kitchen and front room are a disaster too. Not nearly as bad as my room, but bad enough I gotta clean it before Hayles gets here. If she gets here.

It's only 2:00. Chill out.

I check my phone again as I pull the front door open.

"Fart! Brody, you scared the poo out of me."

There she is. Drenched to the bone, big smile on her face and a grocery bag in her arms. She scared me too, but I don't let her know. Not sure what comes outta my mouth, but she laughs.

"Can I please come inside, even though I'll drip everywhere?"

"Yes! Get your crazy a.s.s-" She flinches. Oh right. "Sorry. b.u.t.t in here."

I drop the garbage and run to get her a towel.

"Thanks," she says as I wrap it around her. I kind of want to rub her shoulders and dry her off myself, but I bet she'll slap me if I try. "Lookie what I brought you!" She thrusts the grocery bag in my arms and tugs the towel around her tighter.

I can't help the laugh barreling out my mouth. "Cheeseburger Doritos. Did you give another cas.h.i.+er an interesting story?"

"Nah. But maybe next time." She smiles and wipes a few raindrops from her cheeks.

"Why the he... heck did you walk here?" At least I caught the swear this time. Didn't realize I was so bad at that.

She shrugs and follows me into the kitchen. So much for cleanin' everything before she got here. "I like the rain."

"I was goin' to pick you up. You never answered my texts."

"Yeah, sorry. I don't have my phone on me today."

Her eyes drop to the floor as she sits on the bar stool. Is that all she's going to say about it?

"Uh, am I going to have to ask?"

"Ask what?"

"Why you don't have your phone." I rip the bag of chips open and dump some in a bowl. Guess I didn't have to worry so much about the corn chip smell.

"We're not going to talk about it." Her voice is stern, but she's smilin' with her eyes, so I know she's not all that serious.

"Drop it in the toilet or somethin'?"

I could listen to her laugh all day. She shoves my shoulder and rolls her eyes. "No. But it is a bit... waterlogged."

Before I can ask what she means, she grabs a chip, sniffs it, and then jams it in her mouth.

"Okay, so these aren't as bad as I thought. You've got good taste."

"Told you." Laughing, I open the fridge and pull out two cans of c.o.ke and nod to the front room. "You want to play another game?" I'm up for another slaughter, since that was crazy hot.

"Ooh!" She hops off the stool and skips into the next room. "Let's see what you got..."

The small of her back peeks out from her s.h.i.+rt as she crouches. Her wet clothes cling tight to her skin, showin' off some serious curves. Goin' to have to sit down or adjust or something. That is d.a.m.n s.e.xy. She looks so... soft. Not like bony chicks, but someone who holds their own. If I hold her, I know she won't break.

"Brody?"

"Uh, sorry. What?"

She waves a game in the air by her face, but yeah, I don't know what it is.

"You okay with this one?"

I'm okay with anythin' right now. "Yup." I put the food down and grab the game from her. She plops on the couch, not even caring she's sitting on some unfolded laundry, and she's still soakin' wet.

"Prepare to be annihilated!"

I laugh and just as I pop in the game, the TV shuts off. The X-Box goes out too. I glance at the clock. Blank.

Well, so much for that.

The fizzle of Hayles opening her c.o.ke brings my attention to her again. She's smilin'-I like that about her. Nothing gets her down-and she takes a sip before sayin', "Guess we get to play something else."

Reason 10: You are the FHF-Freaking Hot Friend.

"And what is that?" I sit next to her, closer than I would have if it was someone else, but far enough away so I don't touch her.

d.a.m.n, she's cute. She tucks her legs under her b.u.t.t and leans toward me like the idea she has should make me just as excited.

"Twenty questions."

I raise my eyebrows. She wants to play twenty questions? Does she realize how dangerous a game that is?

"You sure?" I say, a smile breaking through. "*Cause you may regret that."

She giggles. "Is that a challenge?"

Compet.i.tive. Girl keeps gettin' hotter and hotter. "Definitely a challenge."

"Okay then, rules."

"There are rules?"

"In my version."

How many people has she played this with?

Don't get jealous, Brody. She's never been on a date, remember?

"Okay..."

"You have to answer every question, but you do get one," she holds a finger up, "that you can choose to plead the fifth. But choose wisely. Once you've used it, then that's it!"

That's not so bad. She already knows about Quynn, and besides that, there's really nothin' I have to hide.

"Also, twenty questions means twenty total. Ten for you, ten for me. And any question counts as one, so if you ask any follow-ups, they count toward your ten."

"Got it." Hope she's ready for this. I'm dyin' to know more about her.

She adjusts her towel and s.h.i.+vers slightly. I'm such a douche. Girl's probably freezin' her a.s.s off.

"Hang on." I fling myself over the back of the couch and race to my room. Sweet, I got a clean sweater and a blanket I can give her. I spray a little cologne on them though *cause they live in the a.s.s room.

"Here," I say handing her my stuff. "You look freakin' cold."

Her face goes a little pink as she smiles. "Thanks." She takes the blanket and wraps it around her, but leaves the sweater untouched. I'm trying not to get a complex about that.

"So, you ready?" she asks.

"Shoot."

She smiles again as she tucks into the blanket. I catch her breathing it in.

Stomach twists.

"Have you kissed Quynn?"

Whoa. She ain't messin' around. "Loaded first question."

She shrugs. "Sorry, I didn't mean to cross a line if I did."

"You didn't." I just don't want to talk about Quynn. I want to be with Hayles. "No, I haven't kissed her. On the cheek, maybe, but not like what you mean."

Is that relief in her face?

"Your turn," she says softly.

Since she's going for the kiss question...

"How many people have you kissed?"

She barks out laughing. I give her a *what the h.e.l.l is so funny?' look since I can't ask the question out loud.

"Sorry, it's just... I thought you would've figured that already. I haven't been on a date, so, um, never been kissed."

Why does this make me nervous? Why does knowing her lips never touched anyone else's make my abs feel like they've been sucker punched?