The power of a glance has been so much abused in love stories, that it has come to be disbelieved in. Few people dare now to say that two beings have fallen in love because they have looked at each other. Yet it is in this way that love begins, and in this way only.

J A M E S

Aunt Janine liked my friends better than I did.

To be fair, I didn't like anyone, so that was a given.

I tolerated them because I hated them a little less than everyone else, no matter how annoying they were-and I would never admit that out loud.

They didn't need an ego boost, neither did I need to admit to putting up with them because I almost liked them.

Because my oh so lovely Aunt loved my friends so much, she made sure to invite them to dinners at least once a month when Maia went over to her friend's house for a sleepover so that we'd have a 'boys night'. Or whatever the heck that was supposed to mean.

"So," Aunt Janine said as everyone at the table continued to stuff their faces with her famous chicken lasagna, "How's the program going for you boys?"

"It's going great," Tyler said through a mouthful of food- and because of that, it sounded like "Impf's goinh great."

"Yeah?" My Aunt smiled, evidently very happy with that answer before she turned to me, "See? I told you it would be worth a shot. What's your partner like?"

On cue, three heads snapped in my direction.

I chewed slowly, as sly smiles began spreading across their faces

"She's fine," I said, avoiding their eyes.

"She?" Aunt Janine's voice sounded surprised, "I thought girls and guys didn't work together?"

"She was initially another girl's partner, wasn't she?" I stated dryly. "Luna David or something."

"Louisa Davies," Archer added helpfully.

"Her, yeah," I nodded.

"Right," my aunt said slowly, her lips pursed- before she looked at me again. "What's her name?"

"Annabeth Evans," I said, and then scrunched my face for saying her whole name like an idiot. 

"Ahh yes, Annabeth," Tyler said, wiggling his eyebrows in my direction with a smirk, to which I promptly looked away.

Only to see Archer and Ethan doing the same.

Fucking hell.

They had been doing that ever since Tyler announced something, which was completely untrue by the way, to the whole damn corridor when we were in school. 

Being cute? Fuck no. I wasn't being cute. That's positively revolting. 

I've had to put up with their weird faces, along with smug smiles and a whole lot of stupid, completely untrue comments since then.

How wonderful, don't you think? 

No. It wasn't wonderful and I didn't want to think about it, thank you very much.

I had a bunch of idiots with two braincells each for friends, and obviously, they found it very necessary to keep bringing it up for no apparent reason.

"Mhm, what was that?" Ethan said to me, after Annabeth turned around the corner of the corridor, disappearing from our sight.

"What was what?" I said as nonchalantly as I could, while leaning on the locker behind me. 

The nonchalance was not because I was trying to play it off cool and pretend like my cheeks were a little redder than usual. Absolutely not. 

I was nonchalant because it wasn't a big deal. 

It wasn't. 

"You were hugging her," Tyler said, a big smirk on his face. 

Damn right I was. Until his big stupid mouth interrupted it.

And the weirdest part about it? I wanted to do it again. 

Not because I liked it. No way. 

She just, probably needed comfort on a daily basis. Yeah.

"I was offering comfort. She needed it."

"And since when have you offered your 'comforting services' to people?" Archer asked, using finger quotes, his eyebrows raised with a glint in his eyes.

I rolled my eyes. "And that is your business, how exactly?"

"We're just trying to figure something out," Ethan said with a bright grin, "And I think we did."

"Congratulations," I drawled sarcastically. "You want a fucking medal for that?"

"Nah," Tyler said, slapping my back- making me scowl at him."Do you know what we figured out though?"

"No," I snapped. "And I don't think I want to know, so I'll be leaving-"

"We're coming with you anyway," Archer said standing in my way. "Your aunt invited us to dinner, remember?"

Fuck. I groaned looking at the ceiling. They were definitely going to annoy me about what they just saw for the rest of the evening- which is why I didn't want any of them in a five foot radius around me. 

For the next three days, preferably. 

But obviously, we can't have what we want.

"Aww James," Tyler cooed. "We know you love us. Now, back to what we figured out- you wanna know what it is?"

"No-"

"I'll tell you anyways," he said with a grin."You so like her."

I stared at him as if he had grown another head. 

"What?" I gritted. 

"You have a crush on her," Archer said, with an identical grin- which was weird- since he was mostly pretty serious. 

"You guys get more and more stupid everyday, don't you?" I said, looking at them incredulously. "I do not have a fucking crush on her!"

"De-nial," Ethan sang, "is a river in Egypt."

I was going to smack the stupid grins off their faces.

"That is bullshit," I stated firmly. "I. Do. Not. Like. Her. She annoys the crap out of me."

Tyler looked at me for a moment with a blank expression before he flung his arms around me, squeezing me tightly. "My baby is all grown up! James finally found a girl! HE FOUND A-"

"Tyler, get the fuck off me," I hissed, shoving him away, "And do me a favor, yeah? Shut the fuck up."

"James and Annabeth-"

"Stop-"

"Sitting on a tree-"

"What part of stop-"

"K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

"Annabeth Evans," my Aunt repeated, before a little furrow appeared in her eyebrows, "Tell me you haven't made the poor girl cry yet. Or tell me she isn't like the girl in the cheerleading uniform who introduced herself to me as your girlfriend at one of your football games."

Any guesses who that was?

However, I felt the tiniest pinch of guilt at the 'cry' part.

There was a small chance I made her cry when I brought up the thing about siblings.

That was because I had only been thinking about myself when I said it.

I hadn't stopped to think that she might be in the same boat.

She was just so... happy all the time, so it hit hard because one, I hadn't expected it, and two, I felt a lot worse than usual for saying something like that.

I even bought her candy because I felt bad. Who even wastes money on something sweet for someone else? It was pathetic, I couldn't believe I nearly went soft for a few moments.

"No," is all I said in response to my aunt.

I wanted to keep any conversation about her to the minimum. I was already being so weird about her- I could only imagine how bad it would get if others knew I was thinking all this weird shit.

Unfortunately for me, things never went my way.

Tyler looked at me with a wide smile and a glint in his eye. Oh no.

"Oh no," he said with a Cheshire Cat grin. "She's not like that at all. In fact, I think James has embraced the entire situation of working with her, really."

I choked. 

Fucking idiot. 

"Oh dear," Ethan said, with a grin just as wide, as I was recovering from my coughing fit. "Are you choking on some carrots?" I cannot believe he would bring that up, all because I chose to give her the food I left on my tray, "Would you you feel better if I offered you my comforting services?"

"A hug, perhaps?" Archer said slyly. 

I glared at the both of them. "Shut the fuck up."

"James!"

"My bad," I wiped the corner of my mouth with my middle finger, hoping my aunt wouldn't notice, "Shut the hell up."

"That wasn't any better," she frowned at me before looking between them curiously, "Am I missing something here?"

"No," I gritted. "You're not missing out on anything. They're just being idiots, as usual."

I gave them all a look that clearly said Don't say a fucking word. 

"James!" Tyler exclaimed in mock horror. I glared at him even harder. Don't you fucking dare. Don't say-

"Are you seriously not going to tell your aunt about your crush?"

This fucking little bi-

My glare grew even more murderous, but the idiot just sat there with the same expression and a barely-concealed smirk. 

"You finally have your eyes on a girl," he continued dramatically. "And you won't even tell your aunt about it?" He shook his head. "Shame."

Don't strangle him in front of your aunt. Do. Not. Strangle him.

"What?" my aunt's eyes went wide, "You have a crush on someone? A girl?"

"I do not have a stupid-" I began to say, but my voice got drowned out by them.

"Not just any girl," Ethan added, an expression of mock seriousness. Don't say it. Don't- "He likes Annabeth! You know, the girl he's paired with?"

I needed to prevent a homicide today. 

And I would have to prevent this homicide by exercising all possible self control, because otherwise I would drown them.

"You know how we know?" Archer continued. Oh for heaven's sake don't- "We saw him hugging her today. Voluntarily."

Great. Just fucking great.

Drowning them seemed real tempting right now.

"Oh my goodness!" My aunt's smile got so big I was afraid her face would split, "That is so sweet! James, I didn't know you had it in you, darling!"

"I know!" Tyler said, with almost the same enthusiasm, holding his phone out in her direction. "In fact, I even got a picture!"

"What?" my aunt and I said at the same time. 

Her tone was one of absolute delight. 

Mine was not.  

"Okay, that's enough," I snapped grabbing the phone out of his hands and turning to face her. "I do not have a stupid 'crush' on her and the only reason I hugged her was because she was upset. And seriously?" I turned to Tyler. "You took a photo? That is creepy as hell."

"It's a moment that will go down in the history books," Tyler said, completely serious, "Mark my words."

I scoffed.

"I have to meet her," my aunt announced. 

"No you don't," I shot back immediately. 

"Why not?" she said. "Why don't you call all of them over next week? You boys, the girls and your partners? It'll be great! I haven't cooked for a big bunch in a long time!"

"You're a chef," I deadpanned again. "You literally cook for people everyday."

"James, don't you argue with me," she scolded. "And you don't have to invite them over, Maia can do that anyway."

This was the reason I hated everything.  

I scowled at her.

"Well," My Aunt got up from her seat pretending not to notice it, "This has been a lovely, enlightening dinner. I'll see you boys around, I have some TV shows to catch up on."

They all offered her cheery goodbyes like the little kiss-asses they were as she headed out. 

I waited for a whole five seconds to make sure she was gone before I turned to them- whacking each of them on the head. 

Fucking finally. I had been wanting to do that since hours ago.

They all let out hisses of pain. Tyler even went so far as to dramatically collapse on the ground and clutch at his head. 

Extra idiot. I think his mum dropped him on the head when he was a child.

"That was for not shutting up," I said with narrowed eyes. "And for annoying me with your shit."

"It is most certainly not shit," Ethan said in a posh English accent, rubbing his head. "It is the absolute and complete truth."

"You do like Annabeth," said Archer pointedly. I glared at him making him raise his hands in surrender. "Just stating facts man." He winced before rubbing his head, "Though that hurt like a bitch, you little shit. Did you have to hit us that hard?"

"You deserved it," I said.

"Sir, I assure you, we most certainly didn't -".

"Ethan, stop fucking talking like that," I said, massaging my head with my fingers. "You are the most annoying fucks I've ever met."

"I didn't know being annoying meant stating facts," Tyler intervened, still clutching his head. "But you're right- we did deserve it, because we annoyed him a little extra today, so we better stop-"

"Thank fuck-"

"-for today, of course. We'll resume tomorrow boys" 

Self control, I told myself as I closed my eyes and harshly exhaled, can help in preventing homicides.

"We'll leave you alone," Ethan said, patting my shoulder as he walked towards the door, and as an afterthought he added, "For now."

I stick my favorite finger up at him. 

Archer continued to stand next to me, even as the two other idiots raced to their car. 

"Yes?" I probed impatiently. 

"You know," he told me, giving me a thoughtful look, "You keep scoffing that you don't like her. But every time Tyler or Ethan crack a stupid joke, you look at her first to see if she's smiling."

Bullshit.

I gestured to the threshold. "Get out."

"Okay," He raised his hands in mock surrender, "See you at football practice."

I hum but don't give him a verbal response other than that.  

"Oh and James?" Tyler called turning around, just before he got into the car. 

I raised my eyebrows questioningly.

"You know that football game we have coming up, in a week?"

I maintain the same bored look of questioning.

"Maybe, you could let a certain someone wear your jersey for the match."

I slammed the door shut. 

I could hear their laughter as I walked away from the door. 

Yeah, we'll see about that.

thank you for reading ! don't forget to vote and comment :)

I did this chap when I took a break from studying and honest to God, this only took like an hour because it was just editing work ! I think the next part has some rewriting though, so that'll take time. cool bye have a nice day x

Cassie's bucket list #07: Go to Walmart and get a single grape, put it on the conveyor belt at the check out and try to buy it.