When Our Worlds Collide (Our Worlds #1)(22)

We continue to talk for the next few hours. She avoids the topic of my “friendships”. I know it makes her uncomfortable, which is why I shamefully slid it into the conversation a few times. I like seeing her blush creep up her cheeks. Kennedy is too innocent compared to my debauchery. She explains to me that the talent show was the first time anyone at the school had seen her dance. She has gone to the same dance studio since she had moved here as a freshman. Before that, she was part of a very small studio where she used to live back in Michigan. I enjoyed watching her eyes light up when she talked about dancing. I look the same way when I talk about baseball.

“Why aren’t you on the dance team at school?” I ask curiously. She is clearly good enough, much better than any of the other dancers at our school.

“Dance has always been my hiding spot. It would turn into something else if I did it every Friday at the pep rallies…” she trails off leaving the thought in the air.

“But you chose to dance in the talent show? Not exactly the most discreet, Ken,” I raise an eyebrow at her. She smiles at me knowing that I am right. Everyone goes to those talent shows. Most of us are bribed with extra credit. None the less, we are all known to be there.

“Violet pushed me to do it actually. She’s the only one who’s seen me dance.”

“You’re too good not to dance in front of people.” I lean forward to get a better look in her eyes. She had leaned away from me trying to avoid eye contact earlier, but looks up at me when I reach up to place a finger under her chin to try to coax her into acknowledging what I just said. She humors me and looks through her eyelashes directly into my eyes.

Something comes over me. I don’t know why I do it, but I lean in to her leaving only a mere inch between our lips. Kennedy’s breaths are deepening along with mine. I can feel every exhale of hers on my lips. I instantly regret what I have done. What are you thinking? She isn’t one of your conquests. Leave this poor girl alone.

Her eyes are wide with obvious surprise. We both quickly turn away before either of us closes the gap any further.

“It’s getting kind of late,” she whispers scooting herself down to the end of the bed swinging her leg over the side. We both look at the clock and it reads 2:45am.

“Holy shit, my mom’s probably freaking out,” I bend down to slide my shoes on before walking towards Kennedy’s bedroom door. I look back at her as she sits at the foot of her bed. “I’ll see you tomorrow at school, okay?” She nods and smiles at me as I turn my back on her.





Chapter Thirteen



-Kennedy-



The sun streams through the sheer curtains in my bedroom waking me before my alarm clock has a chance to actually do its job. I’m not nearly ready to get out of bed. Facing reality is the last thing I want to do. Like most things in life I don’t have much choice.

I had trouble falling asleep last night. I stayed up most of the night once Graham bolted out of my house replaying every word we spoke over and over in my head. My head is still clouded from being near him.

Last night just cemented the fact that Graham and I are different. I keep reminding myself that Graham’s not the type of person to turn his head towards someone as simple as me. He spends his whole existence being worshiped by everyone when I’m average at best. Graham is popular, athletic, and freaking gorgeous to the point that it hurts to look at him for too long. I’m none of these things. There isn’t a world where Graham and I would have any reason to mingle in with each other. That’s just how it is. I think I’m okay with that. I have to be okay with it.

Continuing to lie in bed staring at the ceiling is beginning to seem more appealing as I think how today will go. Being face to face with Graham isn’t something you can prepare yourself for. I have always believed I am immune to his type of power, to his appeal. Last night proved that to be utterly wrong. I am anything, but immune to him. He looks at you in this way that makes you want to become everything he wants. I am under no false pretense that his innocent glances and playful banter is reserved solely for me. I fell into the trap anyways and let myself believe for a few minutes that he could actually be looking at me and not just threw me like he does everyone else.

As I eat my cereal waiting for Violet to show up, I fall into a bit of a daydream. Almost, for a split second, I thought Graham was going to try to kiss me. It would be a lie if I said I didn’t think about it, how his lips would feel against mine. I’ve wondered how it would feel to be kissed.

“I’m leaving for school,” I shout to my mom as I put my bowl of half eaten cereal into the kitchen sink. No response until I nearly shut the front door. I thought I heard her say to have a nice day. Unlikely.

Violet is a good friend, but she isn’t by any stretch of the word compassionate. I would never expect her to walk up to my front door and help me with my things even knowing that it would be a lot quicker if she did. That’s why she’s smiling in the driver’s seat watching the embarrassment of me trying to keep my back pack on my shoulder as I stumble around on my crutches.

“Hey Slut, get in the car,” Violet screams through her open window as soon as I hit the driveway to greet her.

“One…I’m not a slut and you know that. Two…I’m sort of crippled here, so give me a minute or two to get out there,” I shout back to her. I pull open her passenger side door and throw everything in the backseat.