Chapter 9

"Blossie you still have a chance to back out and not do this project with him you know that right?" Romeo gives it a once last shot as I stare at him blankly.

"Thanks for the ride Rom." I smile and get out of the car, waving at him after closing the door. I see him huff but he waves back nevertheless.

He really hates the idea of me going to Josh's house. The reason why he hates him is probably because he thinks that he'll use me somehow. Rom's just being a little protective because of a reason I don't know of.

I won't let Josh use me like that though...

I slowly step onto the porch and knock on the door a bit hesitantly. I wait for a few seconds until the house door is fully opened and a beaming Josh is standing right in front of me.

"Hey Bloss!" He greets happily.

"Hey Josh." I smile. "I prefer Blossom by the way." I can't help but be a little bîtchy. I really don't enjoy him calling me nicknames. Just like I don't enjoy Romeo doing it.

Oh who am I kidding? I love it when Romeo calls me Blossie...

"Alright then..." He lets me in and I just step inside, looking around to see what's where. "Do you want something to drink? I can make some coffee?" He offers.

"Coffee would be nice. Where are we working?" I ask.

"My room is very comfortable." Come on... My face must have mirrored my thoughts that a look of panic spreads across his face and he quickly changes his mind. "But we can always work in the living room..." Good save, boy... Good save.

"I prefer the living room." I give him a small smile.

He just uneasily smiles back and shows me into the living room, telling me to make myself home while he prepares the coffee.

I sit on the couch, my body a little tense as I wait for him. I'm not so comfortable in his house, but I have to remember that this is only for a project, and that he won't try anything on me.

He is not Brandon. He is not Brand-

"I'm back." Josh appears with two cups of coffee in his hands. He puts them on the small table besides the couch and walks out of the room before coming back with his Macbook and some books.

"Let's start."

***

After half an hour later, I realise that Josh has scooped closer to me, and I haven't noticed until now.

He is almost on my lap by now. That's a little exaggeration but yeah, he is just sitting too close to me for my liking.

I try to ignore it and continue researching on the laptop. Though after a while, the knowlege and the feeling of having him this close to

me becomes unbearable so I excuse myself to the bathroom.

As soon as I enter, I splash some water on my face. I don't know why I'm so affected by this. By affected I don't mean aroused, I'm disgusted. It gives me anxiety to have guys close to me. I can't really understand why, or I'm just avoiding the fact that Brandon has gotten to my head so badly that I can't have this interaction with the opposite sex. It makes me highly uncomfortable.

Except Romeo though...

There's something about him that screams for me to go to him. There's some type of rope wrapped around both of us and is somehow getting shorter by second, pulling us towards each other. It's frustrating - the way I think of him - I don't know how to handle it.

I lift my head and look at my reflection on the mirror. I check if there are any bruises in sight, there aren't which is a relief.

After a few more seconds of blankly staring at myself and observing my unattractive features, I come back to the living room where Josh's still doing the project.

I suppose he got the hint when I practically ran from him when I went to the bathroom that he doesn't try to get closer to me this time. I'm sitting a little farther away from him with a book in my hand, highlighting some key points.

"Can you tell me what you underlined so I can add them here?" He sounds more serious and normal now. His flirtatious voice from the 30 minutes of working with him has dissappeared, which makes me want to sigh in relief. Though, I don't.

"Oh yeah, okay." With that we continue working.

***

Just about an hour later we are done, and I'm standing on Josh's porch, waiting for my Uber.

Josh said he wouldn't be able to drive me home since his car was getting fixed and was not here. I was cool with it, but didn't appreciate the lack of effort he made to make me feel safe.

"So, uh, Blossom..." He scratches the back of his head, leaning on the door frame. "I've been meaning to ask you something for a while."

"Shoot." I simply say, then regret saying it once I hear his reply.

"Will you go on a date with me tomorrow night?"

I cough. Then cough again, then once again.

I clear my throat. "Um, why?" Is all I can get out.

His smiles sheepishly. "I like you a lot Blossom, I need you to give me a chance."

I stare at him for a while, still processing the fact that the school's popular badboy/playboy/douche wants to take me out on a date. Why me? First Romeo then him... Did I get prettier this year? Or is my untouched virginity - well, they think its is in fact untouched- is being chased by a bunch of guys?

"Uh.. Okay I guess." My Uber arrives just then. "Tomorrow night."

"I'll text you where we're going." He informs me before we both say our goodbyes and I get into my Uber to go to my house.

***

"What do I owe this pleasure of my favorite hôe calling me?" Emma's cheerful voice comes from the other end.

It's the day after I met with Josh, and I'm laying on my bed, trying to avoid the sunlight coming from the window. I'm feeling relaxed since no one is home.

"Em I'm screwed." I bluntly say. There's no reason in denying it.

There's a pause. Then...

"I knew it!" I jerk the phone away from my ear. "It's about time you lost your damn virginity babe yeaaah!" She stops for a second and clears her throat as in becoming more serious. "Who's the father?" Emma then asks, making me shake my head.

She doesn't know I already don't have my virginity but that's something I'll never bring up.

"No, Em, jeez... It's not like that." I laugh. I can hear her curse in dissapointment. "I mean, I'm in deep shît..."

"You got arrested?" She makes a guess.

"No." I reply.

"You have diarrhea and you're panicking?"

"No, Em. Worse." Actually, it's not worse. But what can I say? I don't really think going on a date with Josh is the best idea ever. I don't even know why I agreed. I guess I thought that since everyone deserves a chance, he can have one too.

"Fûck. You went out in public butt naked didn't you?"

"What? No... Josh is taking me on a date tonight." I finally tell her.

"WHAT?" With that she hangs up on me.

Okay then...

A few seconds later my phone rings and I take it back in my hand, checking the caller ID before answering. It's Alyssa.

"Hey-"

"YOU'RE GOING ON A DATE WITH JOSH STAR?" She literally screams from the other end of the line, making me jerk the phone away from my face for the second time today.

"Tell me why did I decide to tell Emma this in the first place?" I ask, more like to myself.

"ARE YOU STUPID?" She screams again.

"Why though? Is it that bad?"

"Of course it is!" My bedroom door bursts open with a loud noise and Emma walks in.

"How did you get into my house!?" I ask Emma, bewildered by all means.

She holds up a key and shakes it. "Spare key under the doormat hun."

"Oh..." I say in comprehension. Though I don't remember telling her where the spare key is, since I don't want her - or anyone - to get into the house at a wrong time.

"I ASKED A QUESTION!" Another scream from Alyssa makes me remember she is still there. "ACTUALLY TWO QUESTIONS."

"Okay, okay, calm down for God's sake guys!" I try, but it doesn't work.

Emma snatches the phone away from my hand. "Alyssa, do you know the cafe next to the school?.. Good, meet us there... Okay... Bye." Then she shuts the phone and turns to me.

"This is a state of emergency Bloss. Get ready in five minutes, we're leaving."

What the hell...