extra_ordinary: if someone says they take it as compliment when you look at their ass is that flirting?

Marius: wtf

Marius: who would want you to look at ur ass

Chip: she wants the d

Chip: invite her over for netflix&chill

With a sigh, I minimised the chat. Never mind. Asking Chip, Marius and the other guys was a dumb idea. Like I was going to get any serious answers out of them if they were all together in a group.

They had the wrong frame of reference anyway. They thought I was straight, and I preferred to keep it that way.

Part of me wished I'd read in Asa's psychological file that he was gay or otherwise not straight. Then again, what was I going to do with that information? It's not like not being straight would make him notice me. Hell, I'd be kind of scared if he noticed me like that.

That didn't stop my rebellious cheeks from flushing hard every time Asa glanced my general direction in school.

I don't know if it was just me being hyperaware of things now, but he seemed to look at me more often than usual. We made eye-contact when we passed each other in the hallway. Then at the lockers. Then when he was standing outside the locker rooms, about to go to gym class.

We had gym class at the same time slot, but in different halls.

I didn't go into the locker room to get changed, rather opting for the toilets. Because unless I wanted to land in a cold shower with my clothes on (courtesy of Rolf or his friends) I better not show my face.

After class, the same thing went.

I lingered in the sports hall, waiting until I was absolutely sure all the other guys would be gone. Only then I entered the locker room, doing a quick scan of the room to make sure it was empty.

It wasn't today.

I came to a screeching halt, like a deer in the headlights, realising there was one guy still in the locker room. One guy, none other than Asa Walker.

He'd already changed back into his regular jeans and sweater, and casually lounged on the bench.

He looked at me. I looked at him.

I contemplated walking right out of the door again. But that would look incredibly weird. Leaving without changing. That's what locker rooms were for, and it'd be obvious that I was fleeing from Asa and-- and why should I? He'd said he had no issues with me staring at his ass.

But the real question was: what about the other way around? Why the hell is he still here, anyway? Okay, whatever, screw this.

I didn't care if it looked weird. I was getting out of here. Clinging onto the straps of my backpack, I started walking, making a beeline to the door on the other side of the room. You know, so I wouldn't have to awkwardly turn and leave through the same door where I came in.

When I was halfway across the room, Asa seemed to catch my intentions. He also caught me at the door, blocking it with one arm placed firmly on the frame.

My heart skipped a few beats in my chest, before starting up again at twice the speed. I swallowed.

"Hey, what's up Asa?" came out of my mouth. My voice cracked, adding a highly unwanted prepubescent quality to my sentence.

"I see you watching me," Asa replied.

Unlike me, Asa was the epitome of smoothness. His voice was deep and even, and he leaned down. Closer to me.

I took a step back. "S-sorry."

Asa tilted his head to the side slightly. "Cindy asked for you to come over today."

"Okay."

There was honestly not much else to say. Mom was so delighted I had an actual real life friend, she even allowed me to skip dinner last minute so I could stay with 'my friend Asa' longer.

I still didn't get why Asa was waiting for me in the locker room. He usually intercepted me on the school parking lot, and that worked fine.

Something had changed, and I immediately felt it again when I arrived at Asa and Cindy's house.

Even if Asa wasn't in the living room, where Cindy and I played Double Singularity, the knowledge that he was in the same house made the air feel electric. Kind of like a storm was brewing, could break loose at any moment, and I didn't mean in-game.

Cindy was advancing nicely. With her nose nearly pressed against the screen and the tip of her tongue sticking out on the side, she steamrolled her way through the final level of the campaign on expert mode.

Right as she was heading to the very last end boss right on planet Earth, her phone screen lit up and an annoyingly shrill alarm went off.

"No," Cindy groaned, stretching the word as she paused the game and switched the alarm off.

"What's the alarm for?" I asked.

Cindy planted her elbows on the table and buried her head in her hands. "Ballet," she moaned, her voice muffled through her hands.

"And you are going."

Asa, who'd probably been drawn to the living room by the shrill sound coming from Cindy's phone, shot Cindy a stern look.

"But if I don't finish the campaign on expert mode before eight, I'm not getting access to the extra downloadable content," Cindy whined.

Asa had about as much mercy on Cindy as he had on me: none at all. He crossed his arms and raised one eyebrow.

Cindy grumbled some unfriendly words under her breath as she lifted herself out of her chair with clear reluctance.

"I mean, I can finish the final boss for you," I offered, immediately regretting the offer the moment it left my mouth.

Usually I offered things like this expecting people to wave it away and say no, so I looked like a good person without having to do anything.

This logic did not work on Cindy, whose eyes began to sparkle. "Oh, yes! If you could do that, that would be great!"

"Time to grab your bag and go," Asa put his hand on Cindy's shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah!" she huffed. She walked out of the room in a way that clearly showed she wanted to stomp, but didn't because that'd get her in trouble with Asa.

I gingerly took a seat behind Cindy's laptop. Asa was still in the room though, watching me and making the little hairs in my neck stand up.

I attempted a smile. "You're bringing Cindy to ballet class?"

"It's close by. She goes alone," was Asa's curt answer. "Besides, you're not staying here alone."

Asa seemed to look straight through me, and I averted my gaze to the laptop screen, feeling my cheeks burn. Why did I get the feeling he knew I'd snooped around his room? It was impossible because he would've kicked my ass if he knew, but I still couldn't shake the guilty feeling.

Or the nerves.

The front door opened and fell shut. Cindy had left the building, leaving Asa and I in the living room alone. Damn it, where were Cindy's parents? I couldn't be alone with Asa. I needed witnesses at all times.

"You have fifteen minutes. Finish the game," Asa said, taking a seat next to me.

"Uh, so you're going to stay here and watch? Okay... uh, cool," I blabbered.

It was terribly ironic that I sucked at pretending I sucked at games. Yet, now with Asa sitting next to me, I legitimately tried to play well and sucked.

Asa didn't say anything, but I sensed him thinking, judging me when I died in-game.

"People watching me makes me nervous," I explained totally unasked, while reviving my character.

"People watching?" Asa asked. I felt his eyes burning on the side of my face. "Or me watching?"

Some uncontrollable nervous laughter escaped my lips. "You do kind of make it worse."

God, why did I say that? Gabriel. Sometimes lying is a viable option, even if you're terrible at it.

It was a damn miracle I managed to beat the end boss exactly two minutes before eight, securing the bonus game content for Cindy's account.

The ending cinematic started playing, and I breathed out through my mouth, leaning back in the chair and letting my arms flop to the side.

"Damn, that was close."

Speaking of close. Was it me, or had Asa somehow moved closer to me? I felt the heat radiating off of his skin, and my blood boiled, rushing through my veins.

"I'm, uh, done with the game," I tried to stay on topic. "You want me to shut the laptop off or...?"

Without breaking eye-contact, Asa pushed the laptop shut, taking care of the last distraction I'd been grasping at to keep my cool. He leaned even closer. I felt his breath ghosting across my red-hot burning face.

I was somehow unable to break eye-contact even if the intensity was too much. "What are you doing?"

"I'm pan," Asa said. "That's what you wanted to know, right?"

Asa's simple, matter-of-factly answer combined with his proximity made me near hyperventilate.

Was he about to kiss me?

I didn't know if I wanted it. On the one hand: hell yes, my body was ready. Asa wasn't just the school's tough guy. I did look at his lean, strong body in the locker room for a reason, and the contrast between his cobalt-blue eyes and black hair was stunning. When would I ever get a shot to do anything with a guy like him again?

On the other hand, the alarm bells in my head weren't just ringing. They were blaring. There was a reason guys like Asa and guys like me didn't usually hook up. I was too normal and Asa too out there. Then there was the secret identity that I didn't trust. Asa put me on-guard as much as he attracted me.

I was clinging onto the edge of my seat for dear life, every muscle, nerve, and fibre in my body taut. I didn't know what to do.

Asa didn't leave the choice up to me.

Suddenly, his warmth was gone. He leaned back, got up, and then walked out of the room with the laptop under his arm. All without saying a word, like nothing had happened.

...Wait, that was it? I didn't know whether that odd fluttery feeling in my chest was relief or disappointment.

I had no idea what the hell just happened.

Had Asa Walker actually been coming on to me? Me, Gabriel Hill, a geek from the misfit table. Had I ruined it by being too tense and hesitant?

No, come on. A guy like that wasn't going to try anything with me. He wanted me to stop shooting him those questioning stares, that's all.

But if he was, it'd be just be my luck. Having a shot at kissing Asa Walker, but accidentally turning him down due to self-esteem issues.