Something changed between Ryder and I. He was starting to open up more about things that I didn't even know about him. I remember the night he told me I scared him because he wanted to tell me things he couldn't tell himself. What does that even mean?

Oh this boy. The way he made my brain overpool with thoughts and questions.

Another thing that has changed between us is that he's been more protective of me ever since Halloween night. He will walk close to me in the halls or if I'm talking to a guy, he will cut in and ask to speak alone but when we're alone, he just says that what he wanted to say wasn't important. I hope I didn't spill secrets to him when I was drunk on Halloween.

We got past the whole "him hating me thing" obviously or else our relationship would be far from what it is now. There isn't anything between us even though I wish there was, but I don't know how he feels about me.

Although the thought of getting to be closer than friends with Ryder sounded like heaven, it also sounded like a risky path. I remember the first day of school, thinking how unbelievably gorgeous Ryder was in the back of the classroom. Even though I thought he was hot, I never thought I would end up liking him this much.

The thought of him tourmented my mind bit by bit, day by day. Everytime I shut my eyes I would see his pretty brown ones. There's something about his that's just so addictive.

Having a mind that overthinks and a heart that over loves is a very dangerous combination and that's what I have.

Ryder made me feel things too deeply and overthink too much and for some odd reason, I liked it. Even though it's dangerous, I liked it.

During class I could feel myself aching to see him, even just look at him.

Ring! Ring! Ring!

Immediately I stood up from my desk and hurried out of my math class to meet my friends in the cafeteria.

All of a sudden, I was pushed from behind. Turning around, I looked to see who pushed me and almost rolled my eyes at who it was.

"Heather."

"I cant believe you." she whispered harshly in my face, moving me to an empty space in the hallway.

I looked at her with confusion, "what?"

"You deleted the pictures of your arms off my phone!! I know you did don't deny it!!"

My eyes widened.

Oh shit...

"Can I explain myself please, Heather?"

She analyzed me with her angry green eyes. "Fine."

"Look. You can't take a photo of me without my permission and I shouldn't of went on your phone since it is yours but you can't blame me. I didn't want you showing people that photo, Heather. You have to understand. So you can't tell people I went onto your phone because I can say you took pictures of me. We are even."

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Why should I play fair with you?"

"Because I know something about you that you don't want anyone knowing."

"You don't know anything." she responded, suprise and fear lacing her every word.

"Yeah actually I do. I know that you live in an abandoned neighboorhood in a run-down one story house alone. I know that you're not rich like you want everyone to think and–''

"Ok ok ok," she silenced me because she was afraid that people would hear, "we're even."

"Good," I smiled at her. "And Heather, if you cut the fake rich girl crap and actually started being nice to me then I bet we could be good friends. I don't want to fight with you anymore and I hope you act mature and stop hating me for no reason." I said and walked away from her, leaving Heather frozen in place alone in the hallway.

***

Ryder and I sit on the floor in his room, working on this weeks essay for our progress in our project.

Well atleast I was working. He was just watching me intensely as my fingers clicked on the keyboard. I tried to play it off cool and act like I didn't notice his stare but I did.

Hot. I felt hot all over.

Closing my laptop, I turned to face him, "something wrong?"

"Your arms. They are even more bruised than the last time I saw you. Autumn if someone's hurting you–''

"No ones hurting me," I lied. "I'm just clumsy and I trip and fall all the time.

Ryder didn't seem convinced. "Ok...if you say so I guess."

We looked into each other's eyes. His eyes were consuiming me whole so I looked down. "Don't stare at me."

"Why not?" he teased and smiled.

"Because...just don't Ryder."

He continued staring.

"You hungry?" he asked out of no where.

"No I'm good, thank you."

"Well that's too bad because we're going out for ice cream even if you say no."

"No Ryder–''

"Great let's go!!" He cut me off and grabbed my arm, pulling me out of his room.

***

As we waited for our turn to choose out flavors at Ryders favorite ice cream store, Icicles, I noticed that a few boys our age sitting down were eyeing me like a snack. It was quite disgusting since they weren't my type.

Ryder noticed their looks and smirks so he stood tall behind me, blocking me from where they were sitting down.

Why was he protecting me so much? It's not like those guys were going to come up to me.

At Icicles, the one man that runs it chooses your ice cream flavors if he sees love in your eyes. That may sound confusing but you'll understand.

"Hello young lady how are yo— ohh! I see love in your eyes!!" The worker cheered.

The Italian man grabbed his scooper. "Coffee like his hair," he scooped out a scoop of coffee ice cream and put it in the waffle cone. "Peach like his skin," he scooped out peach and I shuddered. Peach and coffee together, that sounds awful! "And for the final scoop, chocolate like his eyes."

Coffee is brown.

I looked at Ryder's hair. Brown.

Peach like his skin.

He is white, close to fair like peach.

Chocolate like his eyes.

His eyes are brown too.

Oh god. The worker said he saw love in my eyes and every flavor is explaining Ryder.

Love?

Wait wait wait wait...WHAT?!

Pfft, no!

The man handed me my ice cream. "Thank you," I said as I took it from him and tasted every flavor. Mmmm, it was really good.

"And you kind sir," the man looked at Ryder, "I also see love in your eyes!"

The man got a waffle cone and went to work. "Dark chocolate like her hair. Strawberry like her lips. And for the final scoop, blueberry for her eyes."

Dark chocolate.

My hair is dark brown.

Starwberry lips.

My lips are pinkish-red like strawberries.

Blueberry eyes.

My eyes are blue.

Could the ice cream represent...me?!?!

Once again, my head was spinning with thoughts.

I looked up at Ryder to see him blushing bright red. Once he noticed my stare, he turned away and grabbed money from his pocket. "Have a good day sir," he said to the man, giving him the money.

"Thank you for paying Ryder."

"Anytime." Ryder replied as we sat down outside.

He licked his ice cream and I watched in awe.

The way his tongue touched the ice cream and flicked up slowly, catching some of the dessert on the tip of his tongue. His savoured the taste, closing his eyes.

"This is so good." he said in between licks.

My mind became dirty as I imagined him licking and tasting–

No. No I can't think like that.

Feeling nervous and hot, I gulped. "Y-Yeah its really good."

But I couldn't help the thoughts. Why was it so sexy seeing him lick and taste and savor his ice cream like a prize.

I wanted to be his prize.

I realized it doesn't matter what he's doing, he is just hot without trying.

"Watchu thinking about, Autumn?"

"Huh?" I asked, startled.

"You're drooling as you watch me. You all good? And ur ice cream is dripping on your hand." he laughed.

Wiping my lips, I pretended to act like everything was good. "Ofcourse I'm fine why wouldn't I be fine I'm always fine you know because like fine is practically my middle name so–''

"You're speaking so fast! Slow down!!"

Closing my mouth, I wanted to slap myself in the head. I did not play it off cool. What an idiot I can be.

I wiped the trails of ice cream on my hand away and looked around instead of at him.

"So let's play a game. You tell me one thing about yourself and I'll tell you one thing about me, ok?" he suggested and it suprised me.

"Why?"

"I want to know more about you. You're not just a partner in English to me, you're my friend."

Wow. A friend, huh.

The me that barely knew Ryder would have been happy because he said that but now it's like ehh, why can't we be more. But I understand.

"Ok," I agreed, "let's play. You first."

"I hate pizza." he admitted and my mouth opened in shock.

Wait wait wait wait...WHAT?!

"Ew what kind of person are you. I love pizza!" I exclamined and he rolled his eyes.

"Yeah yeah, your turn."

"I hate fake people." I said.

"I'm deadly afraid of starfish."

I roared with laughter, "what the fuck?! That's so random!! Why?"

"Because one time I was snorkeling in Hawaii and I saw this starfish and thought it was cool so I got close to it and out of no where, it attacked my face!! It's body was so big that I couldn't breath when I tried pulling it off my face. I almost passed out because the stupid starfish's leg was on top of my nose and mouth!!" He was laughing as he shared his story with me and I laughed along. Kind of weird to be afriad of starfish but that's just Ryder I guess.

The rest of the time we sat together, he joked and told me other stories about himself and I could not stop laughing and giggling.

Everytime I watched him smile brightly or laugh, my heart would skip a beat and dance to the feeling of happiness.

He's the one, my heart whispered as I saw a tear from laughing too hard escape his eye from all the hilarious stories and jokes we shared.

And for once I strongly agreed with my heart.