Thanks to jueka1 and amiva0402

Now for the long-awaited Flynn chapter...

... enjoy?

___

As I exited my geography class and glanced across the school grounds keeping an eye out for the girl with the brown hair and metal leg, I couldn't stop the smile taking hold of my face as my eyes locked on her.

She didn't respond to my text this morning and her head was turned down to the ground as she made her way to maths. But this didn't stop me from bounding over to her and throwing my arm around her shoulder.

She flinched away from me at my touch, and my chest panged in pain.

"But if I'm right, you know Callie is never going to be brave enough to confess to you," Lexi's words rang in my ears, causing my heart to tear at the seams even further.

That's not the expression of someone who likes you, I told myself as Callie looked to the ground.

Shoving my feelings aside and putting on my friend hat, I said, "What's wrong?" Then I threw my arm around her shoulder again, ignoring her rigid response, as we continued to make our way to maths.

"Nothing," she muttered, keeping her eyes on the ground as I continued to search her face for the truth she wasn't telling me.

She had been like this since her birthday. All Sunday she gave me delayed one-worded responses and now she seemed to not even like looking at me. Last week after the creek was pretty bad. She avoided me a lot in person. 

But even then, she still texted back. And still wanted me to come to her birthday. 

Though now... now it was even worse.

She doesn't like me, my heart whispered.

Then... I thought back. Should I just abort the plan?

Miss Fischer had given up her fight in berating me for being late, eventually realising that I was doing it for Callie's benefit. So we easily walked into the classroom, our teacher barely paying us any attention as we found our seats.

I was back to taking my usual seat next to her. With the kiss list on hiatus and no need to maintain my friendship with Jackson and Zac to get us invited to things, I figured giving her company right now when she was in this weird funk was more important than ensuring my friend circle was wider. Because no friend could ever replace the role Callie had in my life.

Unable to take the dullness of her eyes any longer as she opened her textbook and started the questions Miss Fischer had set for us, I quickly scribbled a note to her.

What's wrong? I had asked her again.

Nudging her with my elbow, she glanced at the note then hesitantly met my eyes before mouthing, 'nothing.' Then she turned back to her school work.

But I wasn't having it.

Scribbling her another note, I nudged her again to read it.

It doesn't seem like nothing. You haven't been responding to my texts and won't talk to me.

She heaved a small sigh before pulling the edge of my book closer and writing down her response:

I'm just feeling unwell today.

Even though I couldn't hear her tone in her written words, the way she avoided looking at me as I glanced back up at her told me she was lying.

Don't push me away when you need a friend, Callie, I wrote back.

I'm not pushing you away. I really don't feel well.

How are you unwell?

Headache.

Perhaps you should go home then? Lay down?

I'm fine.

A part of me was glad that she was at least talking to me, but it felt like last week again with the curt responses.

Taking a deep breath, I then decided to drop the issue at hand and wrote instead:

If you're really fine... is it still okay if I come over tonight?

She read my note and turned back to her book, taking her time to solve the next question.

A part of me wondered if she was actively ignoring me, or pretending she hadn't read it just like she did with my texts, even though I was sitting right here and had seen her look at it.

But once she finished her equation, she grabbed my book and pulled it close before writing down:

You know you're always welcome over, Flynn.

The corners of my lips turned upwards as I read her words. Again, she still didn't meet my eyes, but she did pause, glancing at my hand as I wrote her a final message.

Good... Because there's something I really need to tell you.

I knew Lexi had to be wrong about me being the person Callie liked. A part of me wondered if her sudden attitude was because she had told that person and was in the throes of rejection. Perhaps she was too ashamed to admit it to anyone?

Nevertheless, if Callie could be honest about her feelings with whomever he was, it was time I be truthful to her. 

Even if it makes things awkward. 

Even if she breaks my heart. 

Because I couldn't keep lying to my best friend. And I needed her to know that even if every guy she likes doesn't like her back, at least I do. As much as I will never measure up to them, maybe it will count for something.

After knocking on the front door, I couldn't stop the grimace and squirming feeling in my stomach as I met his blue eyes and dark brown hair. Cory was more than intimidating whenever I arrived.

Moreover, the worst part was that I always felt like he was dissecting me. As though I wasn't even good enough to be his daughter's friend. Or maybe he, like every other white man in this area of town, just thought I was going to steal something of his.

I often got anxious visiting Callie because of the scrutiny of her father. But seeing her smile, hearing her laugh, always made it worth it in the end.

After a little bit of back and forth, he finally stood aside and let me into the house.

I could feel Cory's gaze on me the whole way down the hallway and to Callie's room.

Gently, I knocked on her door. 

"Come in," she called out.

I pushed the door open and our eyes met across the room from where she was seated on her bed.

"Hi," she breathed, face softening, though those same clouds from earlier today still lingering there.

"Hey," I said back, standing awkwardly by her door.

Noticing my rigid state, she patted the spot on her bed next to her.

Ever so slowly, I walked across the room, ensuring I left the door a smidge open as per her father's request, before I took my seat on the bed next to her, leaving some space between us.

My heart was hammering in my chest knowing what I was going to do tonight. Knowing that things were likely to change between us.

Though, easing my nerves ever so slightly was that a little bit of light had returned to Callie's eyes in the time since school finished and I had gotten here. Like whatever she had been stewing about this past week was finally behind her.

"So," I started after too many moments ticked on with us just sitting on her bed not saying anything. "I want to tell you something."

She nodded, gaze still focussed on her lap and not on me. While the corners of her lips were turned up slightly, her eyes had a glisten to them.

"It's about... Remember at the creek, when you asked me if I like someone?" I said.

Her body straightened beside me, shoulders going rigid, breathing seeming to stop. "Yeah," she almost squeaked out.

Does she know what I'm about to say?

Is she hoping I won't say it?

Shaking the doubt, I knew I just had to rip this bandaid and get it out there. She needed to know even if she didn't like me back.

"Well... I want to tell you who that is."

I could almost hear her gulp.

She knows... She knows its her and she's feeling awkward about it because she doesn't feel the same way and she will have to reject me, I started convincing myself. Nonetheless, I continued, "You see, Callie, that person... well... she's actually—"

"I want to resume the kiss list," she suddenly blurted out, cutting me off.

My body went still as her words slowly sank in.

She wants to do the kiss list again...

Is this her way of rejecting me?

Of telling me I'm not what she wants?

It has to be... Why else would she want to do it again?

"Do you... do you like Noah again?" I hesitantly asked.

She shook her head.

"Did... Did you and Lexi put the other guy at the end of your new list as the bet?"

She shook her head again.

"Then... why?"

"Because... I started it and I may as well completed it. And who knows... Maybe one of the guys remaining will actually be someone for me."

I didn't know what to say to that. All I knew as that I could feel the crushing weight in my chest.

She can't even look you in the eyes and tell you she doesn't like you, Flynn, my mind taunted.

"What happened to stopping because of the guy you like?" I asked her, trying to fight the stinging sensation in my eyes.

At this point I knew that whoever he was was evidently not me. Lexi was wrong on that part for sure. But who?

"I found out he likes someone else," she whispered.

"How did you find that out?" I asked, wondering when. Wondering who. Is this why she had been so sad?

"He... I saw him coming out of a situation with another girl."

"A situation?"

"They had been alone together. Hooking up or something like it."

"Oh," I said, still trying to piece together who. "I'm sorry, Callie. He doesn't deserve you."

She shrugged and kept her eyes on her lap. "As long as he is happy."

In that moment, as she continued to keep her gaze downcasted, her eyes glossing over, I realised I had lost my opportunity to confess. I couldn't tell her 'hey, at least I like you' when she was in pain from her own rejection.

So I did all I could in that moment. 

I pulled her in for a hug and told her that one day she will find the right guy. 

And he will treat her like she deserves.

And she will forget all about this jerk who couldn't see the amazing parts of her he was missing.

I just wished it could have been me.

Will they ever get together? Who knows... Not me

But how about that kiss list starting again?

We like steps backwards, yeah?

(Do you want to kill me yet?)