I Care About You

Mila

Something is wrong with Julian when we leave the store with my laptop and new phone. I keep glancing his way, but all I see is his furrowed brows and him clenching his jaw. What happened in such a short time to change him so quickly? I thought for a second we might even become friends, but now I’m not so sure. Being around him feels too…erratic. One second he’s almost sweet and then he’s anything but. It’s confusing and frustrating. So much so that I stop walking and grab his arm. He looks at me, surprised at first, but turns to me when I face him.

“What’s the matter with you?” I snap.

I’m not sure why I feel so worked up over his change in mood, but I do!

“What’re you talking about?” He asks, clenching his jaw once again.

“I’m talking about this.” I wave a hand over his entire person. “You were happy to throw money around for me and then, as soon as we leave the store, you look pissed off. So what is going on? Do you regret what you paid for in there? I’m more than happy to return everything and I won’t be upset in the least. I keep telling you that none of this is necessary- “

He reaches out and cups the side of my face. I’m so stunned by the action that my words cut off and I almost flinch away from him.

“None of what your thinking is true. Whatever I’m feeling right now isn’t because of you. It’s me.” He says dropping his hand and sighing. “It’s hard to explain, so don’t worry about it. Just know you have never once done anything to make me upset with you.”

I watch him carefully and try to see if there is a hint of untruth in his face, but not only does his face look genuine, but I feel the truth as well. Like a gut feeling, but ten times stronger. It’s almost like I can read his mind and know it’s true.

“Are you sure?” I ask, just in case. Here is so far away from our base. This is not your first chance to here. And we are doing a lot of it. Man. Girl. So we need to find more ways to deal with this question. And I am so wondering why I am asking so many problems about this question? About sexual desire?

He gives me a side smile and brushes some of my hair away from my face, making my face burn. I look down and let my hair hide the flush in my cheeks, but there’s no need because someone calls out my name. I look to see who it is and find a classmate of mine walking over to us. She’s pretty and smiles widely at me, but until today she had never spoken to me. When her eyes move past me and her pale face flushes, I know I’m not the one she walked over to see. She’s here for Steven and it breaks the tension between Julian and I.

“Uh hi,” I say, giving her an awkward wave.

She stops in front of me and her eyes move over to Julian, who is standing next to me like a bodyguard.

“Wow! Who are you?” The girl blurts.

“Julian Keller.”

“Uh wow. It’s nice to meet you. How do you two know each other?” She asks, pointing between the two of us.

I glance his way in hopes that he can clear this up because what the heck are we to each other? Friends doesn’t seem like enough since we’ve slept together and have had these…moments that aren’t friend like. So we’re not strangers per say.

Uh! This is so frustrating!

“She’s my girl.” Julian says without a second thought.

My head snaps in his direction, but he doesn’t look at me. What is he doing?

“Oh. So, Steven, will you be in class with us on Friday?” The girl asks as if she didn’t just get brushed off by Julian.

“I go wherever Mila goes.” Is all Steven says, sounding like it’s painful to talk to this girl.

She’s oblivious, though, and smiles. “That’s really cool of you. I was wondering- “

“I’m sorry to interrupt, but we have an appointment soon and so much stuff to do before then. I’m sure you can talk to Steven more later.” Isabella says in her fake sweet voice and a bright fake smile on her face.

Her arm is tucked through Steven’s and she’s leaning into him like she’s laying a claim to him. He’s looking down at her with an amused look, but when he turns to face the girl, he moves his hand around Isabella’s shoulder and smiles as fake as she just did.

“She’s right. I’m taking her out to her favorite place for lunch, so we have to get going. It was nice seeing you again,” Steven says and leads Isabella past us with her tucked under his arm.

Isabella looks over her shoulder and waves at the girl. “See you around!”

She doesn’t even know this girl!

The girl, I should probably learn her name, watches them go and I see her body tense in annoyance. She crosses her arm over her shoulder and lets out a huff.

“Sorry about them. They’re disgustingly affectionate.” Julian says, before he slips his hand into mine. “We better go too.”

That’s all he says before he pulls me after our friends.

“See you in class!” I call out to her and she storms off. “What the heck was that? Why would you tell her that?”

Julian is still holding my hand when we finally catch up to where Isabella is moving her hand sin the air and going off on Steven while he smiles at her.

“You are supposed to be watching Mila, not flirting with some girl! Do you see how fake she is? I bet those boobs cost her a small fortune.” I hear Isabella say.

“I said three words to her in class when she asked me why I was there and not a student.” Steven explains to her, but she scoffs and walks off.

To my surprise, he walks after her and puts his arm back around her shoulder. She tries to push him away, but he just laughs and pulls her closer.

“What is going on with them?” I whisper to Julian.

“Looks like your friend trapped your body guard. He’s always loved a challenge.” Julian says.

I look up at him and see the same serious expression he had on his face before. What is tormenting him so much? I wish I could see into his mind and find out, but I let it go and we continue further into the mall.

We stop by several places where he continues to spend way too much money on me to which I fervently object to and he ignores. Steven and Isabella bicker the whole time, but the longer it goes on, the more it becomes obvious that they’re very much into each other. My best friend moves fast when she likes someone. What’s that phrase? Hate is a step short of love. Something like that.

My phone vibrates in my shoulder bag and I pull it out to see yet another text from Roman.

Roman: Pick you up in an hour?

I look at the top of my phone and see how late it’s gotten. “I have to go. Roman is going to be picking me up in an hour.” I tell our little group.

“Oh, man, I didn’t realize how late it got,” Isabella says, grabbing her bags from the floor where we stopped to rest.

I glance around the food court, if you can call it that, and see the guys coming our way with our iced coffees.

“What’s up?” Steven asks when he sees us standing.

“Mila has a date tonight, so we need to go home and get her ready.” Isabella says with a dismissive wave.

“And that takes both of you?” Steven asks.

He scratches the back of his neck and I wonder if he had planned to ask her out. She, on the other hand, is more interested on her phone, no doubt trying to find someone to hang out with tonight. She has a list of guys in her classes who have been asking her for a date.

“Yes! I have to get ready, too.” She says with a few finger taps on her phone.

“What the fuck for?” Steven snaps at her.

She lets out a sound between a humorless laugh and a scoff. “I have plans.”

He grabs her phone and pockets it. “Like hell you do.”

“Hey give me that back!” Isabella yells, but he steps out of her reach. “You can’t just steal my phone!”

He leans down so that they are face to face. “I can and there is no fucking way you are going out with some asshole tonight or ever.”

“You aren’t the boss of me!” She says before crossing her chest like a pouting child.

“I am now.” He says completely serious before he grabs her hand and drags her toward the exit.

Once again, Julian and I are left to watch them go. This is a very interesting turn of events.