Here, have another. But now I'm back to one a week unless I can find the enthusiasm to write more.

Thanks amiva0402 , brightyeolie and jueka1

Hopefully this chapter sucks less than last... but no promises.

~Didn't proofread~

___

While of course Flynn and I shared smiles and glances at lunch time, on Tuesday I didn't speak to him until final session: maths.

He didn't have a reason to walk with me to class this time considering it was only around the corner from where we sat at lunch and I was bound to show up on time. 

Nonetheless, as the bell sounded, he mulled around talking to his cousins until they trudged off gloomily to class—whether they actually went, who knows. 

And then Flynn sauntered over to me.

Standing right by my side as I got to my feet and slung my bag over my back, I raised an eyebrow at him.

"What's up?" I asked when he said nothing and continued to stand there.

"Waiting for you," he said simply with an obviously gleam to his gaze.

"Why?" My eyes narrowed.

"So we can walk to class together."

"But it's just—"

"I want to walk with you, Callie," he said, a touch of annoyance seeping into his tone—which seemed to contradict his claim, but I didn't press.

Because, at that admission, there was nothing else for me to say. 

So I rounded my bench and began trekking along to class, all the while Flynn kept pace, not saying anything, but staying by my side.

Stop it heart, I hissed as it began to jump for joy in my chest. You're making me worry with how you keep reacting when he does something nice. We're just friends, okay?

But unfortunately my heart did not have ears.

When we rounded the corner to maths, it was hard to avoid the questioning stares on us. While our peers had probably shrugged off Flynn sitting next to me in maths yesterday as a result of us both coming in late, his decision to sit by my side in bio and also walk with me to class today had certainly gained some attention—especially Jackson and Zac who Flynn normally sat with.

We put our bags on the rack and grabbed out our equipment, joining the line as we waited for Miss Fischer to arrive... and even then, Flynn stood next to me.

Jackson, who was in front of us, turned around, eyes flickering between me and Flynn.

"What?" Flynn asked, noticing his behaviour.

"Are you two..." While Jackson didn't finish his statement, he didn't have to. Because we both knew what he was implying.

To my relief—and my heart's dismay—Flynn said, "We're just friends."

"Hmm... okay," Jackson said, eyes narrowing as he seemed to not believe us. But thankfully Miss Fischer turned up and we all forwarded inside.

Halfway into the maths lesson, a bump into my side had me looking over at Flynn. His gaze was on his book, but the paper was moved to the edge of his desk, a note scribbled into the corner.

I spoke to Ashton during HPE, Flynn wrote.

Meeting his gaze that flickered to mine, I gave him an 'and...' look.

Then Flynn scribbled again. They're going late-night shopping on Thursday.

Glancing over at Miss Fischer as she busied herself on her laptop—we were tasked with independent textbook work—I scribbled my reply.

I'd be lying if I said I didn't find it odd he felt the need to tell me this in the middle of class, especially considering he had all that time when we walked here to tell me—because it's not like he suddenly found out just now. A part of me wondered if perhaps he didn't want to tell me this information... but I shook that thought the moment it came, because that would be impossible.

That's good for him? I had written back.

Flynn sneakily read my reply, but then his face fell. Turning to look at me, he rolled his eyes before scribbling another note, then shoved the book back towards me.

I've gotten us invited, he had written

Oh... How is that going to help with THE THING. Because no way was I writing 'kiss list' down where someone might read it.

I'm conveniently going to have a lift home and you aren't.

My eyes narrowed as I read his words. Then I scribbled my response. And how are we going to justify whomever is giving you a lift home not giving me one?

I don't know. I'll think of something... but the goal is to get Ashton to take you home.

My heart thudded a little at the thought of being alone with him... especially after yesterday's history debacle on top of him craning his neck a few times to glance at me before lunch in history. At one point, Ashton coincidentally dropped his pencil on the floor, using his opportunity to cast me a glance and a small smile before righting himself.

Okay... I wrote back. And how do I... Y'know?

Do what you do best, Callie.

Which is?

Be you.

My heart fluttered a little at the two words on the page, yet I restrained myself from looking up at him, especially considering I could already feel his eyes on me.

So I wrote back: What does that even mean?

My eyes flickered his way as he read the note. Flynn pursed his lips and shook his head slightly before scribbling his reply. It means pull your amazing jokes, bat your eyes, and flaunt those gorgeous lips of yours at him.

Eyes going wide as I read the words on the page, I quickly scribbled over the top before nudging him with my elbow.

Flynn brought his hand to his mouth as he tried to cover up a chuckle as a cough.

Then he passed me one final note, just before Miss Fischer's eyes snapped over to us.

You know you won't have to try hard, Callie. Just be yourself and the rest will come naturally. He will be wanting to kiss you.

And again I scribbled out his note as Miss Fischer got to her feet, walking over to us to check our work.

Flynn quickly turned his page to his actual work—which was in an abysmal state—just in time for her to glance over our shoulders.

Yet it seemed Miss Fischer's suspicion of us was irking him—even though she was right to not trust us by patrolling past our desks.

It was at that moment, as Miss Fischer began to walk away, Flynn whispered, "Hey Miss?"

Eyebrows raised, Miss Fischer walked over to our table, crouching by so that Flynn could ask his question without disturbing others.

But then he said, "Is the fish on that ribbon like 'Fisch' in Fischer?"

Miss Fischer grimaced and got to her feet. "If you can use your brain for that, Mr Thomson, then you can try a little harder on getting more questions done before the end of class."

And then she sauntered away, never answering Flynn's question.

But Flynn's plan to get me alone with Ashton didn't go well. 

Aunt Jojo dropped Flynn and I off at the shops at the 6pm meetup time on Thursday evening. With a nudge from Flynn, I made an effort to walk by Ashton's side for most of the night as we went around the mall. Or at least... I tried to. 

Over the course of the few hours we were there, window shopping, browsing video games, eating this and that, I took many rests on benches to give my leg a break. And during that time, Ashton awkwardly walked away with his friends into a shop while Flynn stayed with me.

And rather than asking if I was okay, Flynn understood without me having to say anything. 

So instead of worrying about my leg or suggesting we go home, he took the time to sit with me, chatting my ear off about this and that to pass the time until everyone forwarded out of the next shop and I shuffled a little further until a new wave of pain hit me.

When we were walking, Ashton and I ended up gravitating next to each other all over again. He'd walk closer to me than the others did—so close that his shoulder bumped against mine along the way. But just as the vibe got a little intense and his hand started to twitch at his side—almost as though he wanted to hold mine—my leg would start to hurt again.

And reluctantly, I'd step away from the group at the nearest sight of a seat, taking another opportunity to rest my leg.

"Sorry," Flynn said the fifth time we took a break and Ashton, Fraser, and Luke went into the nearby tech store.

I shook my head. "It's not your fault."

"I stupidly thought this would be a good idea—"

"Flynn?" I cut him off.

"Yeah?"

"Shut up and talk about something stupid again to take my mind off the pain."

The corners of his lips turned up slightly before he started going on a tangent about aliens—of all things. But it did its trick.

After the boys forwarded out again, the throbbing at my stump subsiding again for the moment, we headed a couple steps down and forwarded into a department store. 

As per most shops we had gone in tonight, the boys gravitated towards the tech department, but Flynn became amused in the costume section. Unable to help myself, I followed him instead of Ashton—like I should have—and Flynn grinned at the sight of me. 

"Try this on," he insisted, fingers coincidentally brushing against my face as he smoothed the headband over my hair.

"Do I make a good Minnie mouse?" I asked, tilting my head to model it, already knowing what he put on my head. 

His eyes scanned my face before he smiled sweetly and said, "You're a better Mickey, Callie."

I whacked his arm in response while he snickered. "What does that even mean?"

"It means you're no side character, Callie... Now go back to Ashton," he said, face firm, though something distant in his eyes lingering.

Grimacing, I replied, "But they're looking at laptops again."

"You're in IT," he said, as though that said anything about anything.

I rolled my eyes. "Just because I'm in IT doesn't mean I want to look at laptops in my free time..."

"But we are here to tick Ashton off... So you should actually hang out with him."

Groaning, I pulled the mouse ears off my head and put them back on the shelf before hobbling over to Ashton and co.

Fraser gave me a sly smirk when I came into sight—he was still relentlessly hitting on me and Lex during the week—but I went straight between Ashton and Luke to keep away from him. 

Shoulder brushing against his, Ashton turned his head towards me when I arrived, smiling down at me before turning back to his conversation with Luke, ensuring I was excluded from the tech talk.

We lingered around the store for another ten minutes before making our exit. But on the way out, the security guard pulled up Flynn.

"Can you empty your pockets, please?" I heard the guy ask him.

Pausing in step, I let Ashton, Fraser, and Luke walk on ahead while I turned back to Flynn, pulling his phone and wallet out.

"And your jumper pockets?" the security guy pressed.

Unable to tolerate it anymore, I walked back over to him. "Is there a problem?"

"Just regular theft checks, ma'am. You can go along."

I should have bit my tongue and left as told, just as the wary look in Flynn's eyes pleaded I did, but I just couldn't. Watching them harass him for absolutely no reason, I turned to the guy and said, a little too venomously, "How come he's getting checked and I didn't? He doesn't even have a bag but I do."

The security guy warily glanced at me as Flynn turned his jumper pockets inside out before turning back to Flynn. "I'm just following protocol, okay?"

"And that protocol is not to check people with actual places to hide things, but just to check people who have a different skin colour, right?"

"Excuse me?" the guy spat, turning away from Flynn and looking to me.

"Callie," Flynn warned. "It's okay."

"No, it's not. He's being a fucking racist."

Flynn softly grabbed my arm, and while his eyes swirled with sadness, he gave me a small smile. 

"I'm not a racist!" the security guy spat.

Turning back to him, I said, "I'll be filing a complaint. Can my friend go now?"

Nostrils flaring, he gave us a short nod. Linking my arm around Flynn's, I started dragging him out.

"You could have gotten me into a lot of trouble there, Callie," Flynn muttered once we were out of the shops but not caught up to the rest of our group.

I let his arm go and came to a stop, turning to face him. "If he tried to report you for resisting store protocols then I would have continued to stay by your side and argue. I had an actual bag on and a prosthetic that, for all they know, has storage options. What he did was discrimination."

Flynn shrugged, but couldn't meet my eyes. "Well things are different for you and me, Callie. We should go." 

And rather than continuing this conversation, he kept walking, catching up with Ashton, Fraser, and Luke. 

I made it into hearing distance just in time to overhear Flynn mutter, "Oh, it was nothing," to them—the boys having evidently asked what happened. And they just dropped it.

After that, we all forwarded out of the shops to the carpark where Flynn's Uncle Jimmy had pulled up, car idling.

"Hey Ashton?" Flynn asked before getting into his uncle's car, meanwhile I stood awkwardly on the side of the road, conscious of the fact Flynn had barely looked at me since we left the department store.

"Mmm?" Ashton responded, turning away from his friends.

"I have to go somewhere with my uncle. So can you take Callie home?" 

I knew it was part of the plan, but for some reason... it hurt. Like perhaps he really didn't want to spend more time with me.

Ashton's eyes widened before turning to meet my gaze. Corners of his mouth creeping up, he looked back to Flynn and nodded. "Of course I can."

"Great," Flynn grinned, then he climbed in the car without so much as a glance my way. 

My stomach started to sink further as I watech him buckled in and exchanged small chit chat with his uncle.

But as his uncle released the handbrake and the car crept to a crawl, Flynn finally turned his head, taking one glance at me just in time to shoot me a wink and mouth a 'good luck' before pulling away from the curb.

I gave him a small wave that he didn't even see, then turned back to Ashton.

Yet as we said goodbye to Luke, Fraser continued to follow us. 

And after Ashton unlocked his car and I climbed into the passenger, Fraser hopped into the back, leaning between the gap in the seats.

Meaning the plans for Ashton and I to be alone were for nothing.

The whole way home, Fraser talked about the footy, or tried hitting on me, or brought up other stupid topics I really didn't care about, completely ruining whatever mood could spark between me and Ashton. 

And, to my dismay, we pulled into my driveway first.

Because there was no way I could kiss Ashton with Fraser present—because that would be awkward—I mumbled a, "Thank you," and climbed out of his car.

"Anytime," Ashton grinned at me before I closed the door, a touch of sorrow and annoyance clouding his gaze—almost as if he too had hoped we would get a chance to be alone tonight. 

Yet before I could say anything else, Fraser climbed through the middle, taking the passenger seat and capturing Ashton's attention from me.

So I walked up to my door while they backed out of my driveway, still with only one boy checked off my list.

It's so easy to write ridiculously long chapters, but I feel like I'm really compromising plot through character. The fault of that was that I really went into this story with only a vague idea of plot and decided I'd get to know my characters along the way... I hope you guys aren't bored at all! This about sums how how this story is going for me: