Chapter 5: 5. The Hating Game

Now a movie starring Lucy Hale and Austin Stowell, USA Today bestselling author Sally Thorne’s hilarious and sexy workplace comedy all about that thin, fine line between hate and love. [Source: Google Books]

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FFAEK: Emily wished someone would be so obsessed with her that they would paint their bedroom wall in her eye color, then she would remember that would look hideous.

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Chapters Five: The Hating Game

I swallowed dignity for the sake of education and asked, “Are you free after class?”

Nathan turned to me and smiled like I existed to entertain him.

“I talked to you for two days, and you’re asking me out on a date already?” Nathan said, leaning his face into his palm, “Aren’t you moving too fast, Kingsley?”

I wanted to roll my eyes but also wanted to flip the cards on him, “Is that what you think about? Why’d I ever do that?”

One corner of his lips turned up further, “What else do you need me for, Kingsley?”

“That’s such a weird thing to say,” I retorted. Nathan shrugged. So I continued.  “I need someone to study chemistry with me.”

Nathan stared.

I sighed, “Can we study together?”

I wanted to die after asking that.

Nathan cocked his head, “Why me, Kingsley?”

He was fishing for compliments so hard. I looked away, “Cause, you’re good, I guess,” I said in a low voice.

“Didn’t catch that. Can you repeat?”

I turned to him, “Whatever. It’s not like you’ll do me much favor. I’d just sit there and study with you.”

He raised his eyebrow, “Yeah, that’s why I asked: Why me?”

“Why you? ‘Cause you got an A and you sit beside me?”

I didn’t get what was so hard to get. It was a no-brainer.

“I am not the only one with an A,” Nathan smirked. “You are making me feel special.”

I gritted my teeth, “The last thing I wanna do is stroke your ego.”

He smiled at me sneakily.

“What?”

“Nothing,” he shook his head, still smiling.

I hated his smile. It was too bad because his eyes were shining, and I could think of a few reasons why he’d be smiling like that.

“Stop smiling,” I said, “Stop.”

He laughed, “You know, you could ask any one of these 30 students. But it had to be me, huh?”

“Narcissist, much?” I narrowed my eyes at him.

“Obsessed, much?” Nathan replied.

“You’re delusional,” I said.

“You could ask one of your friends,” he countered.

I shook my head, “They wouldn’t do.”

Studying with my friends would be like blind leading the blind. And if we did study together, it would defeat the whole purpose. We’d do everything except for what we were supposed to be doing.

Nathan nodded, “Why don’t you ask him?”

I pursed my lips, “Him, who?”

As far as I knew, I didn’t have any guy friends.

Nathan chuckled, “Already forgot all about him?”

“What do you mean?”

Nathan looked away and shook his head, like he was disappointed.

“How can you forget him when you claimed,” he glanced at me, “He’s the love of your life?”

It took me a few seconds to catch up. “Oh.”

Nathan was trying too hard not to laugh.

“He’s a senior.”

“He can tutor you then.”

“I don’t need a tutor.”

“So you’re smart, but you’re lazy.”

“Yeah, rub it in my face,” I turned away.

He murmured something under his breath. It was too low for me to hear.

Wong chose the exact moment to enter. I sat there dreading the lesson and the test that would probably be taken next class. I had studied nothing for it so far.

As Wong went on and on about the lesson, I heard Nathan say, “I have babysitting duties after this.”

Babysitting and Nathan. Something didn’t quite feel right.

“You? Around babies?” I whispered in suspicion.

He made a face, “So?”

“Don’t the babies start crying looking at your face?”

“Haha, very funny, Kingsley,” Nathan said, “He doesn’t ‘cause he is my brother.”

I tried to picture a little boy who looked like Nathan. The fact that this giant 6 feet large, annoying, grouchy seatmate of mine was a baby once still kind of blew my mind.

Then Nathan added, almost dramatically, “I have siblings ranging from the age of 28 to the age of 5.”

I blinked, “Wow. How does that work?”

“Biology,” he said simply. “The birds and bees story? You must have heard it, right? Oh wait, you read things like that.”

He would never let that go. I was sure of it.

We stayed silent because Wong was eyeing us.

I wish we were alone now. This sucked.

Did I really just think that?

When Wong turned towards the board, I smacked him on his arm, which was due, then said, “but really the range of ages. Your parents must be...”

I chose not to complete my sentence. Why did I even start it?

“The word you are looking for, Kingsley, is horny.”

I had to cover my mouth in case the muffled sound of my laugh reached Wong's ear. “You did not just say that.”

Nathan shrugged.

I tried to think of all the other topics to talk about instead of focusing on the class ahead of me. Even talking to Nathan was better than listening to Junior-grade chemistry lecture.

The class ended finally. We were packing our backpacks.

“You can come over,” Nathan suggested.

I glanced his way, “At your house?”

Nathan shrugged like it was no big deal, “I'd be there anyway. It's not like Bear is a little kid. He will be fine as long as I am around.”

“Your baby brother is named Bear?” I asked, smiling.

Nathan gave me a warning look, which seemed to say, Don't ask me about it.

“Then, umm, I will have to ride with you?” I played with the straps of my backpack.

“Yup. Or you can find my house like the stalker you are.” he said, giving me an unimpressed smile.

I took offense, “Hey! I’m no stalker.”

“Sure,” he added.

He was on the stool, backpack on his shoulder, hands in his pockets, looking relaxed.

I brought out my phone and texted Leanna, saying I was going home alone so she could be in her father’s garage without giving me a lift. Leanna reacted with a white heart emoji.

I followed Nathan out of the class. He walked to the parking lot. Because he was tall, way taller than me, I was falling behind. His one step was equal to my three steps. Pathetic, I know.

Nathan shook his head, and grabbed my wrist. He started dragging me while I slapped his arm, “Hey!”

“You’re such a little munchkin,” he said, turning around glancing at me.

“Why, thank you. I am a whole five feet,” I said. It was something I had learned from Lucy from The Hating Game.

Nathan was smiling, “Really? I didn't think so. I thought you were barely five feet.”

I rolled my eyes, “I am actually five feet, two and a half inches.”

He barked a laugh and had the sense to look sheepish as I glared at him while he walked, pulling me forward, “Two and a half inches.”

“Yes, the size of your-” I stopped myself. I couldn’t tell what it was. My brain and my mouth never seemed to work quite right when I was around Nathan Callahan. It was like he made me say the most outrageous things I would never say in front of anyone else.

It was because he made me feel angry and embarrassed, and my brain would stop functioning like normal.

“The size of my what, Kingsley?” Nathan asked, stopping in front of a pink Kia Soul. I never thought he would drive a Kia Soul. I always thought he’d be driving either an old truck or a sports car.

“It’s my mom’s car.” he replied, looking at me.

“I didn’t say anything,” I glanced at him.

“Both Daniel and Georgie got their own cars, and I got this one from mom,” he said, “Don’t you dare laugh.”

I pressed my lips together, “I’m not.”

“I'm gonna get a new car soon,” He glared at me.

You couldn’t blame me if I did want to laugh. Him wearing all black and acting all emotionless and grumpy, then driving a pink Kia Soul to school was the universe’s way of balancing things out.

Thank you, Universe.

“You’re barely holding it together, Kingsley,” Nathan said accusingly.

“Hey, honestly, nobody cares if you drive a pink Kia Soul, buddy,” I replied to him.

He rolled his eyes.

We got in the car and buckled up. He started the engine. Then he did that thing I had seen in movies and read about, where guys put their hands on the head of the passenger’s seat while doing the reverse.

I noticed his black shirt expanding over his broad chest.

I told myself to glance away, but my eyes wouldn’t move.

“Stop drooling,” Nathan said as he turned forward.

“Wh-what?” I replied. Looking away, I crossed my arms over my chest.

“You’re so bad at this,” Nathan shook his head.

“Bad at what?”

He chuckled and didn’t reply as he got us out of the parking lot.

I scrolled through my phone. I got bored easily, but I didn’t want to look at him.

“How many siblings do you have?” I asked, regardless.

“Four.”

“You have a lot of people at home.”

“Way too many people,” He exhaled as if it were trying his patience just talking about it, “too much noise, too much chaos.”

It suddenly made sense, “That’s why you choose to go around school alone.”

He gave me a quick glance, “The only time nobody else bothers me.”

I nodded.

“But that’s gone too,” Nathan eyed me with an accusing look.

“I am taking away your peace? Oh, please. We don’t talk unless it’s chemistry. I have loads of other friends.”

“Whatever you say,” he was slowing down.

We had already reached. It was a short drive.

He parked the car and pulled the brakes. I unbuckled my seatbelt and grabbed my backpack.

I unlocked the car door. He joined me. I followed him to the front door of his house. He unlocked it and entered.

I took a deep breath as I stepped over the threshold.

“Mom, I’m home,” he said as he got in and held the door for me.

“I thought you had babysitting duty,” I whispered as I got in the hallway. I wasn’t really expecting to see his mom.

“Yeah, so?” Nathan replied, looking down at me. He was standing close, and I could see his green eyes focusing on me.

“I must look horrible right now,” I said as I ran my hands through my hair. I looked down at my jeans and the tee I had thrown on in a hurry in the morning. I didn’t like my look.

“Why does it matter?” Nathan knitted his eyebrows, “It’s not like you need my mom’s approval or something. Besides-”

He looked me over. I grew even more self-conscious. I was never so insecure about my body. My weight was okay. I didn’t have a flat tummy or beautiful curves. I was between those two. But I did hate my short thighs and belly fat that stuck out. I always tried to forget about it.

“You look fine,” Nathan said in his most I’m not interested in this conversation tone and turned around.

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A/N: look what I found

iykyk