Chapter 26- Athazagoraphobia

Chapter 26- Athazagoraphobia

Kim's POV

Stopping at my locker at the end of the day I stuff my books away with Asher hovering over me like a guard working for the President of the United States. We had a long talk about what happened at lunch. It was crossing the line, swooping in there and starting problems. At first, of course, he didn't see it as a big deal, but soon later when I started ignoring him and pointing out what he did wrong he eventually saw what the "big deal" was.

"You know the championship game is this Friday, right?" He states, for the fifteenth time today, talking about football.

"Yeah I know. That's all you've been talking about since physics." I utter, staring into my locker. I need to clean all this shit out. I thought to myself looking at all the loose leaf paper and garbage.

"Well I have practice today, just for a couple of hours, but I was thinking maybe we could study or something after." He suggests, shrugging his shoulders.

"If you're up for it." I agree, shrugging my shoulders.

"I'll call you." He says, waving his hand. I raise my hand as a gesture of goodbye as he walks off. I walk away from my locker, throwing my papers in the nearby recycling bin. Going back and forth a couple of times I waited for Spencer to arrive. He's usually here by now; I wonder what's keeping him.

Digging through my locker I heard a faint call of my name behind me, "Kim!" Spencer shouts from down the hall, waving his hand in the hair to get my attention. Next to him Maddi walked on his right, holding some new books in her hands. "Sorry I kept you waiting. I was just showing Maddi where her locker was." He excuses, pointing to Maddi.

That didn't explain why she still had a bunch of books in her hands, "Then of course the combination the office gave me didn't work, but it's whatever I'll get some help in the morning." Maddi continued with a shrug of her shoulders.

I nod my head, turning back to my locker and grabbing the things I need to bring home. "And Maddi has something to ask you." Spencer mutters, nudging Maddi with his elbow and a nod for encouragement.

"I mean it was just an idea. Spencer's idea mostly- just a suggestion." Maddi rambles, waving her hands in the hair as she spoke.

"Uh huh." I mumble, looking at Spencer from the corner of my eye as I shrug on my jacket.

"Well you see the clothes Maddi's wearing? She can't survive a winter here wearing just that." Spencer argues, pointing to Maddi up and down.

"Yeah I know." I say, looking at him with a more than obvious look.

"So, why don't you two go to the mall? You know, girl stuff." Spencer suggests, closing my locker door for me as we turn away. Like... bond?

I look up at him with a you-have-got-to-be-kidding-me look. I didn't want to say it out loud but my answer screamed no in my head, "You don't have to of course. I thought it would be cool, you know to get to know you. Make friends. Plus, I don't know where the mall is, and you probably know the best stores with the greatest deals."

Not really. Katie is the more of an expert shopper than I. If anything, Spencer should have asked Katie, she's at the mall almost every weekend. "So what do you say, Kim? Shop 'til you drop?" Spencer instigates, grabbing my hand and smiling hopefully to me.

"I don't know. I've got a lot of homework to do, and an essays due. I have my AP session coming up-"

"You can take a break for yourself, that's allowed." Spencer chuckles, opening the door to the outside for me. I clench my jacket closer to my body with the unexpected cold chill. I looked over to Maddi and saw her shrugging on a guy's sweater. One that I swear belongs to Spencer.

"It doesn't have to be today. I can go another day or two. Whenever you're available." Maddi agrees, walking by my side now.

I feel like I can't get out of this. Why the hell is Spencer encouraging me to go out with his ex-girlfriend? Even after the whole lunch dispute. "I'll think about it." I forcedly say under my breath.

"That's great! Thanks so much." She says happily, balancing her books in the crook of one arm and looking for her keys in her bag with her other hand. "And look I'm sorry about lunch today. I apologize from whatever I did on my part. Your friend Asher, uh, has quite the personality."

I grin, not saying anything about that. I didn't want to start that conversation again. "We'll see you tomorrow, Maddi." Spencer waves, pulling me to his car.

"Oh yeah! See you guys later, thanks for a memorable first day!" She chuckles, walking up to her car on the other side of the lot.

Spencer opens the passenger for me, a wide grin on his face as he watches me climb in. He throws his backpack in the back seat, then walks around to the driver's side, "Don't get mad at me." He says off the bat, throwing me a worried look as he starts up the car.

"You want me to go shopping with your ex-girlfriend. Why would I be mad?" I say rhetorically, putting my seat belt on.

"Oh thank Go-"

"I'm annoyed!" I interrupt, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Well I thought it would be a great opportunity for you two to bond! Get to know her, like her a little more. There's no harm in that." He explains, turning the heat on and reversing the car out of the spot.

I roll my eyes, looking out the window, "I feel uncomfortable." I huff, seeing my breath fog in the cool air.

"Do you want me to go with you guys?" He offers, stopping at a red light.

I scoff, shaking my head, "That wouldn't help, that would only make things worse. I'd feel like I would need to compete for your attention." I argue with him. It's going to be hard enough in school never mind spending a whole day with him and Maddi at the mall.

"You don't need to compete for anything." He tells me sternly. "You don't have anything to worry about with Maddi."

"Hmm, I find that hard to believe." I mumble quietly, looking back out the window.

"You're just going to have to trust me on this one." He tells me, shaking his head as he turns quickly on my street.

"Just like you trust me about Asher." I grin tightly, comparing our situations.

Hesitant on his answer, he presses his lips together firmly, glancing to me quickly and then back to the road, "Yeah." He says in a breathy snicker. He pulls his car into my drive way, and for some reason my mom's car is sitting in the drive way. Odd, she's never home at this time. "Want me to come in?" He asks, putting his car in park.

I rest my head back on the head rest, turning my head to the left to look at him, "Only if you want to. My mom is home, actually."

"Exactly why I'm asking." He chuckles, resting his head back on the head rest too, "I know you don't spend a lot of time with your mom. I figured you'd want to be alone with her." He's the sweetest; really.

"Well aren't you just being so considerate." I mumble, leaning in closer and hovering over his lips.

"Well I figured you had enough of me today anyways." He chuckles, pressing his lips against mine delicately.

"Mm, I don't think that's possible." I giggle, pulling away and brushing my thumb softly against his cheek. I sigh, looking up into his eyes, those mesmerizing, colorful eyes and smile, "You're too nice for your own good, Spencer Gray."

"Finally, someone notices." He says cheekily, kissing the tip of my nose softly, earning a smile.

"I've always noticed. Of course you're a little stubborn too and sometimes a little insecure, but you have too many good qualities to out weight the other ones." I comment, tracing my finger on his bottom chapped lip.

"Oh I'm insecure? Who was the girl sitting in my passenger seat five minutes ago telling me she has to compete for my attention?" He reminds, nipping at my finger playfully.

"Oh we're all a little insecure." I whisper, shaking my head, "That's what society has done to us." I tell him seriously.

He grins, pushing the hair out of my eyes and tucking it behind my ear, "Insecurities will destroy us all. We just got to have a little more courage, and remember the better things about ourselves."

Right there. Right there I felt like someone got me, someone understood me and didn't look at me like crazy, but someone who just went with it. Someone that I could instantly go into deep conversations with and be real. Someone, who made me feel better about myself. I closed my eyes, leaning my forehead against his and sat in silence for a few minutes.

"Will you go out with her this weekend? For me?" He asks quietly, lacing our fingers together as I shifted uncomfortably between the passenger seat and the middle console.

I take a deep breath, mentally rolling my eyes, "I'll think about it." I said unsurely to him.

"Alright." He decides, placing his lips on mine, passionately, until we both run out of breath.

"Don't think that kiss is going to make me change my mind so quickly." I said, shaking my head as I tried to steady my breathing.

"It was worth a shot." He chuckles, pressing his lips once more on mine. "Go hang out with your mom. I'll text you later and pick you up tomorrow morning."

"Thank you." I grin, pressing my lips to his cheek extensively before grabbing my books and bag, "I'll talk to you later." I tell him, opening the door. He nods his head, watching me walk into the house before pulling out of my drive way.

I set my books down, hang up my coat and scarf, and replace my shoes with my slippers before walking to the kitchen. My mom stood by the stove, grabbing the tea kettle off the fire, "Hey mom." I greet, a smile on my face as I hug her quickly then sit on one of the chairs.

"Well hey." She says, looking shocked, "You're in a good mood." She notices, pouring some hot water into a mug.

"I am." I confirm.

"That's good." She says, staring at me for a long moment, studying me, "Whomever is putting that beautiful smile on your face I suggest you keep him around."

I chuckle, thanking her as she hands me a mug and placing the sugar cup in front of me, "Yeah, I think so too." I agree. We talked about our day. Why she got to come home early and who I met in school. I guess we both had interesting days.

Nevertheless, it was nice to be able to talk to my mom like this. I hadn't for a while, and I kind of missed that. I didn't realize it until now though. Sure, I know sometimes I believe my mother does things to embarrass me, but I know she does it in spite of love and good intentions, and that's what mothers always try to do.

~~~

It's late at night, and usually, this late at night I'm up doing my homework, but that wasn't the case this time. This time I was laying in my bed, freshly bathed, PJs on and teeth brushed. It's probably one of the first night in all my high school life when I'm in bed before eleven.

I just laid there on top of my bed sheets, staring at the ceiling, thinking of absolutely nothing, but yet I still felt worried somehow. That's probably what kept me up. It wasn't like me to be like this, usually I'm the type of girl that lays her head on the pillow and instantaneously sleeps through the night.

I picked up my cell phone, scrolling through my contacts until I find myself pressing on Spencer's number. I knew it was late at night, and a school night, but I just couldn't fall asleep. I just wanted to lay there in bed, stare at my ceiling and talk to someone until I fell asleep. "What are you doing up this late, gorgeous?" He faintly chuckles into the phone.

"Well I could ask you the same thing since you picked up my call." I mention, a smile growing on my face as I listen to his voice.

"Touché." He mutters, taking a deep sigh. "Can't fall asleep either, huh?"

"Well you know what they say, right? Legend says when you can't sleep at night you're in somebody's dreams." I quote, grabbing the decorative pillow next to me and hugging it to my chest.

"You believe in legends?" He says, sounding amused.

"Well, seeing is I am one; I whole heartily do." I joke, not being able to keep the smile off my face. I felt like that was a joke Asher would make, and if he could only hear me know he would be so proud.

"Kimberly Taylor, you never cease to amaze me." He declares, as I picture a smile on his face.

"You know what's really keeping me up?" I whisper, biting my lower lip as I waited for him to respond.

"What's that, gorgeous?" He wonders. At that moment it goes away, atelophobia, but since he was waiting for an answer I had to tell him anyways.

"Atelophobia and athazagoraphobia." I tell him, feeling that it was a little dumb probably to use those words. Words he probably won't understand.

"Sorry, I'm not an AP psychology student." He chuckles.

I took a deep breath, listening to the sound of his breathing patterns, enjoying the peaceful night and darkness, "I'll do it." I mutter, rolling to my side and throwing my decorative pillow to the floor.

"Do what?" He asks, softly.

"I'll go to the mall. With Maddi." I sigh, crawling under the covers and laying my head on the cool pillow.

"Really?" He says, sounding surprised.

"I have nothing to worry about, right?" I confirm, only being able to agree if I thought of it that way.

"Nothing what so ever." He agrees, the muffling noise on the other end of the phone sounding as if he were moving around in bed too.

"And you still love me?"

"And I still love you."

I smile, feeling at ease and relaxed, and becoming slightly tired now. We didn't say anything after that. We just kept the phone on, at our ears, listening to each other drifting off into sleep.

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