Unwritten scars

Chapter 7: Something Between Us

Goody had a group project meeting that ran late, so I ended up alone with Maverick at the café.

It was the first time it was just the two of us.

It wasn't awkward

Just different.

Without Goody talking every five seconds, I noticed things I probably wouldn't have before. Like how he tapped his fingers against the table whenever he was thinking. Or how he sometimes laughed before he'd even finished hearing the joke.

"You always have those things on," he said, pointing at my headphones.

I looked down at them.

"These?"

"Yeah. Every time I see you."

"I like music."

"Clearly."

He reached over and stole a fry from my plate.

"Hey."

"What?"

"Those are mine."

"You weren't eating them."

"I was going to."

He shrugged as that settled it.

"What do you even listen to all the time?"

"Everything."

"That's very specific."

"It depends on my mood."

"Okay, then. What's your mood right now?"

I thought about it.

"Quiet."

He waited.

"That's it?"

"Pretty much."

He smiled.

"Play me something."

"What?"

"Something quiet."

I hesitated.

I don't know why.

It was just music.

But my playlists were kind of personal. I listened to different things depending on how I felt, and I didn't usually let people hear the stuff I played when I was alone.

Still, I unlocked my phone.

"Don't complain if you don't like it."

"I won't."

He was lying.

I handed him one earbud and kept the other.

For a few minutes, neither of us said anything.

We just listened.

I could hear him tapping his foot under the table.

When the song ended, he looked at me.

"Okay."

I raised an eyebrow.

"Okay?"

"I actually like it."

"Obviously."

"Don't get too excited."

I laughed.

"I knew you'd like it."

"I said I liked one song."

"You said my music taste was criminal."

"I was wrong."

"Completely wrong."

He laughed.

"Fine. Completely wrong."

And for some reason, that made me smile too.

---

We walked back toward the dorms after we left the café.

Neither of us was really in a hurry.

The campus was quieter now, with only a few people still outside.

For a while, we just walked.

Then Maverick said, "Can I ask you something?"

"Depends."

He laughed quietly.

"That day after your psych class."

My stomach tightened.

"You looked really shaken up."

"I'm fine."

"I know."

He looked over at me.

"I just don't completely believe you."

I didn't answer.

"I'm not asking you to tell me what happened," he added. "I just wanted you to know I noticed."

I looked at him.

"Why?"

He shrugged.

"I don't know."

Then, after a second, he said, "I guess I understand having things you don't want to talk about."

"You keep saying that."

"Because it's true."

"You actually have stuff you don't talk about?"

He smiled a little.

"Yeah."

"What stuff?"

He looked ahead.

"Not tonight."

I rolled my eyes.

"Convenient."

"I know."

I expected that answer to annoy me.

It didn't.

If anything, it made me curious.

I wanted to know what he was hiding.

Which was weird.

I wasn't usually interested in people's personal lives. I liked keeping mine to myself, so I usually gave everyone else the same space.

But with him, I kept wondering.

Who was Maverick when he wasn't joking around?

What happened to him?

And why did he seem to understand me so easily?

We reached my dorm.

"Goodnight, Miley."

"Night."

I started toward the door, then stopped.

He hadn't moved either.

For a second, we just stood there.

It wasn't awkward though

Just... weird.

Like neither of us knew what to do next.

Then he smiled.

"See you tomorrow."

"Yeah."

He walked away.

I watched him for a few seconds before finally going inside.

I told myself it was nothing.

Just a friendship.

Nothing weird about that.

I almost believed myself.