Where does it hurt? pt5

  Artemis stood in the shower, the scalding water running over her hair. After a few minutes, when her skin was red and she couldn't take the stinging anymore, she quickly ended the constant stream of water and hopped out of the shower. Only to slip on the towel-deprived tile and fall soundly on her sacrum.
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Normally I would yell. Scream; a string of profanities leaving my mouth. But instead I just sat there. Sat there and took the pain.
I slowly washed my face, then brushing my teeth. I didn't look myself in the mirror once until my pajama pants warmly greeted my hips. It was childish, what I did next, and in that moment, I didn't care.
  
"I don't wanna go back in my room." I whispered to myself.
But I did anyway.

I slowly opened the door, tenderly crossing the room to my bed, the pain and shock from my fall in the bathroom still resonating through my spine. Wally was waiting for me, now clad in dark plaid pajama bottoms and … missing a shirt. Sitting on the bed next to him, I stared at him, hoping my facial expression was incredulous, since I was too tired to care. It worked.

He was very defensive about it, too. "What? High metabolism, remember? And I don't want to get beat up for getting sweaty on your bed."

I raised my eyebrow at him, hoping he caught the innuendo in his words. He did.

"I didn't mean it like that!" He said a little too loudly. "Jus-just turn around."

  I sat across the bed, my legs pointed to one corner. Wally sat behind me, somewhat leaning against the pillow I never slept on. Because it was furthest from the door. And I always slept closest to the door. Just in case.
   His hands clapped together, the rough rubbing sound reaching my ears. I sighed softly when he placed his warm hands on my shoulders, his thumbs firmly pressing into the muscle above my shoulder blades. He rubbed my back for a few minutes. When he straightened my spine from it's hunchback position, I cringed from the pain and recovered.

I could hear the thick worry in his voice as he spoke. "What's wrong?"

"I fell. In the bathroom… on my butt."

If I wasn't in pain I'd punch him in the face due the giggles erupting from behind me. "What is SO funny, West?"

The giggling fit all but stopped. "Nothing I just…I just heard a loud thump earlier, and I…I guess it was you!" He was full on laughing now.
All I did in response was bring both my hands to my face. I didn't need, nor want, to be laughed at right now.

With a loud sigh, Wally's laughter stopped. It took me a moment to realize I was on my stomach, my face in between the two pillows on my bed. I turned my head to the side just as his fingers found my skin again. I sighed softly, thoroughly enjoying the moment. So much that I almost didn't hear what Wally said next, feelings of euphoria clouding my ears.

"You're definitely wrong."

My face scrunched up in confusion, but quickly relaxed when his hands went over me in a wave and I realized he wouldn't see my expression. Once I realized the topic of the new conversation though, I was ready to go back and forth.

"Care to explain?" I said lucidly, trying my hardest not to let sleep overtake me.

"I didn't make any bets."

At this point my eyes were fluttering closed. "Yeah right…"

He flipped my body effortlessly into a sitting position, so I was facing him. "I actually care about you, Arty. I didn't kiss you because of a bet. I kissed you because… I didn't really have… a lot of… self-control at the time."

The shock of the situation did a great job of waking me up. One deep breath worked better than a twig of spearmint or a splash of cold water to my face. I stared into his eyes. There was a thick layer of relief that had freshly fallen on them, from the burden just lifted from his shoulders. But something just beneath that, something that looked a lot like… anticipation. Fear. And I remembered it was my turn to speak. But when I opened my mouth, no words came out.

"…."

He happily covered for my forgotten social obligation. "I don't know, I just… I'm really sorry. And I know that won't do anything or --"

"How do you feel about me Wally?" I cut him off, wanting to hear his answer more than an insecure apology.

It was his turn to forget social obligations. "……" He drew a breath as if to say something, but only filled the air with a strong silence. He looked at me with trepidation and delay, as if he was waiting for me to come up with the answer. As if I knew it.

I was irritated now. "Just spit it out, West."

Unfortunately, his state of vulnerability made him more susceptible to my callousness. When I moved to catch his eyes, I saw the fresh hurt in them.

"I'm sorry…. Just… just tell me how you feel."

He quickly looked away and to his feet, his hands… anything but me. His chest rose with one deep breath, and he tried to give an answer.

"I think that…..and really….. And I know that…. And it's bothersome but… I saw you… and I thought… but I really hope…"

"Wally, I can't hear you."

"I like you!" he said loudly, still not daring to catch my eyes. "I like you and I think that you're beautiful…. I think about you a lot…" he finished, turning red.

Then he was gone, leaving my door -- and my mouth -- gaping open.

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I COULD NOT believe I just said that. Did I just tell her I think about her a lot?! As if I didn't get rejected enough…

What am I supposed to do now? I pretty much confessed my undying love to a girl who wishes my mom used birth control. A girl who I have to see almost every day. And would have no problem humiliating me until it was actually possible to die of embarrassment.

The look on her face when I told her… the shock was incomparable.