27. I’ve Got Boo —
twenty-seven
I’ve Got Boo —
Tulip: 2016 Age: 15
“ W hat’s got you smiling?” B asks, glancing out the window as he fills the seat across from me.
“The sun looks like glitter on the water,” I tell him, nodding at the beautiful scene below us.
“I like the trees.” He shrugs, watching me stare out the window.
Recently, I’ve noticed he stares at me a lot. Sometimes, I catch him zoning out while he’s looking at me. I’ll never understand guys.
“Did she leave yet?” I ask him, refusing to turn around and check for myself.
His eyes glide to the side, checking over my shoulder. “Nope. She’s still hanging out,” he answers.
Rolling my eyes, pulling my sleeves over my palms. “She pisses me off.”
“Whoa, potty mouth,” he chuckles.
“Shut up, you cuss all the damn time,” I remind him, sighing loudly as I shake my head. He might not cuss often around me, but he acts like I don’t hear all the dirt his mouth spews when he’s talking to other guys around here.
He leans forward a little so as not to get us in trouble. “You’re too adorable to cuss,” he tells me softly.
This!
He’s started saying weird stuff like this and staring at me. I love having all his attention. I just don’t know how to respond to it.
I think he’s flirting?
The other day, I was eavesdropping on some older girls in the showers. They were talking about flirting to get stuff they wanted. I almost got myself caught because I gagged when Sasha started saying she flirts with Dan.
Yuck!
But I’ve been thinking. They said they flirt to get what they want. So…
What’s he trying to get??
“How tall are you now?” B asks out of nowhere, distracting me from my thoughts.
“Um… how tall are you?”
“Six feet,” he answers, brows dipping as he studies me.
“Well, I’m almost to your chest, so five feet, I guess?” Wondering why he’s asking me this and why it even matters.
“Your hands are getting bigger,” he says, glancing down at my laced fingers.
“So are my boo —” His brows shoot up, and I bite my tongue so hard I taste copper in my mouth. Instantly, I start to sweat.
I’m an idiot!
Shooting to my feet so fast that I almost knock over the chair I’m sitting in. “I have to go,” I sigh, wishing he’d disappear.
“Tulip —”
“What’s going on?” Dan asks, suddenly appearing beside me, cutting B off.
“I’m not feeling well. I need to go lay down,” I lie quietly, spinning around, too embarrassed to face B for another second.
After two steps, my eyes land on familiar ones peering at me. “One second,” I whisper to Dan before stepping to Mom’s table, leaning over a little. “Stop coming here. I hate you,” I whisper angrily before straightening, motioning for Dan to follow as I walk away.
Once I’m finally alone in the safety of my room, I fall on my bed. My skin burns with embarrassment from my lack of filter. I seriously just told the boy I have a crush on that I have boobs. He probably thinks I’m such an idiot. I didn’t mean to tell him. It just kind of slipped out.
Throwing an arm over my eyes, trying to hide myself from the world. My mom’s starting to get on my nerves too. After years, she decides to show up, expecting me to forget that she left me here on my own. No calls. No letters. No visits. No answers.
He said I was here to learn…
Well, I’ve learned more inside these walls than I did in my former life. Screw her if she thinks I’m just going to forgive her and pretend like nothing ever happened.