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Just like nearly every other morning, she can feel it. As she turns onto C hallway and makes her usual trek towards her locker, Bonnie weaves in between bodies in a sea of students and can feel the hot and heavy weight of a certain pair of dark blue eyes on her. It feels like a physical touch on her skin, like he's right next to her even though the closest they have gotten is the five feet that lies between their desks in the classes that they share. And just like every other morning, she's careful to keep her eyes straight ahead despite the sensation of her stomach flipping in response to the gaze.
Making her way up the hall she heads towards her bestfriend who is yawning widely as she closes her own locker door. Once she gets close enough she signs 'Is he looking again?' discreetly to Aaliyah before she proceeds to spin out her combination while her ears burn.
'Yes,' Aaliyah signs, rolling her big brown eyes as she leans her back against cool metal. 'As usual.'
Bonnie yanks open her locker door. Grabbing both her Trig text and notebook she shoves them into her green satchel and shakes her head, mildly annoyed. 'What is his problem?' she signs, trying to ignore the uncomfortable mix of unease and barely contained giddiness she feels every time Kai Parker's eyes rest on her. Which is often. Very, very often. 'It's like he's never seen signing before. There's like, thirty other deaf kids here.'
'He's probably just wants to know more,' her friend suggests.
'If he wants to learn how to sign I'm not a great teacher.'
'Not about ASL, dummy. About you.' She pokes Bonnie in the shoulder. 'I'm telling you, he likes you.'
Bonnie scoffs. 'Doubt it.' She grabs her science textbook next and shoves it in alongside the others. 'You've seen the girls he dates. Big boobs, usually a cheerleader, looks like a Heather; you know, the complete opposite of me.'
A sly smile creeps over Aaliyah's face. 'You've been paying attention to who he dates?'
Bonnie feels her cheeks grow warm. 'What?' she signs, emphatically. 'He stares at me. Sometimes I look back for second. I notice things. Occasionally I notice who he's sucking face with.'
'Sure,' Aaliyah signs, eyes teasing. 'Of course you are only looking because he looks first. It has nothing to do with his dimples, right? Nothing to do with his entire face and that linebacker jock thing he's got going on.'
'Whatever,' Bonnie signs, slightly embarrassed. Even though he can't understand them she still feels self -conscious talking about how Kai is her type while he stands less than fifteen feet away and she can still feel his eyes on them.
'I bet you wouldn't mind if he wanted to suck faces with you.' Aaliyah puckers her lips and leans in, pretending like she's going to lay a fat one on her cheek.
Bonnie laughs and pushes her way. 'Maybe I wouldn't, Stupid' she signs flippantly and Aaliyah laughs too. 'That's not the point. I don't care if he's hot and looks like a good kisser- '
'You think he looks like a good kisser??' Aaliyah signs, expression alight with glee.
'-its weird,' Bonnie continues, ignoring her. 'The whole damn school year. For over seven months he's just been... looking. It's getting creepy. Plus I'm almost positive that he is copying my tests in Math class.' She closes her locker. 'Is he still staring?'
Aaliyah looks to the side with no attempt to be discreet. 'Yeah.'
'God,' Bonnie signs. 'I don't have time to think about this. I still haven't finished my Chem homework.'
'You do know we have Chem for first period right?'
'Exactly. I'll see you there.' They sign their goodbyes and turn to head to their respective homerooms. As Bonnie looks around she catches sight of Kai who looks away quickly, down at his hands where he holds a copy of One Hundred Love Sonnets: XVII printed on the light blue paper she recognizes from the English Lit class they also share. He's smiling slightly as he pretends to read, and she catches sight of a hint of those dimples that now that Aaliyah is gone she can admit that she's a sucker for. Bonnie takes in his short brown hair, still tousled from bed head and lets her eyes drag down the strong line of his neck and across his broad shoulders that fill out his dark purple T-shirt nicely. Idly she wonders what it would be like to rest her hands on those shoulders, wonders if they're as strong and hard as they look. And that thought just causes her eyes to stray down to his big hands and makes her contemplate how they would feel cradling her face...
A group of girls pass by in front of her and Bonnie snaps out of her reverie. When she looks up her pulse skips; Kai is staring at her again and the look in his eyes makes her mouth go dry. Her teeth releases her bottom lip (she didn't even realize she was biting it) and she turns away quickly, certain that she now has flames on either side of her head where her ears should be.
-
'He's staring again,' Aaliyah signs to her two days later.
'What's new? ' Bonnie replies before she grabs her books, a small pout on her lips. It's after lunch and she's a little grumpy. The cafeteria had run out of chicken fingers before it was her turn and she's still irritated at the salad she'd been forced to pick at the entire hour. She glowers at the little balsamic stain on the hem of her shirt as her stomach grumbles.
Aaliyah taps her shoulder, drawing her attention. 'Maybe the fact that he's coming over,' she signs quickly and Bonnie's mouth drops open.
'Really? How do I look?' she signs hurriedly.
'I thought you didn't care about that.'
'Lee.'
'You look fine,' Aaliyah assures her.
Just as she's done turning the ends of her shirt under she feels a tap on her shoulder. Turning around Bonnie looks up to see Kai standing in front of her smiling warmly. The first thing she notices is the woodsy, fresh smell of his cologne and the second is just how tall he is this close. She barely reaches his shoulder. 'Hi,' she waves at him a little nervously.
She watches as he tentatively raises his hand and signs "Hello,' back. 'Am I interrupting?'
Bonnie blinks, staring at him for a few moments too long; She's surprised to see him signing, and so fluently at that. 'No,' she shakes her head.
'Ok. I'm Kai.' Did he always know how to sign? She briefly thinks back over the three years she's 'known' him and tries to remember if she's ever seen him doing it. She draws a blank.
'Bonnie,' she replies.
'I know.' He looks mildly amused.
'Oh, I see.' She's slightly surprised at his blunt answer but maybe she shouldn't be; he has been watching her nearly everyday since September. If he didn't know her name by now he'd be a pretty shitty stalker. 'I didn't know you could sign.'
'Yeah. I'm not the best. I've only been doing it for two or three years.'
Bonnie blinks. 'I had no idea. You're pretty good.'
'Thanks. I'm still learning,' he signs. 'I'm someone learning.' She looks at him confused and he presses his lips together, as if thinking. 'Wrong,' he signs. He moves his finger in a small circle, the motion for the word 'someone,' looking unsure and then seems to remember the right movement. He repeats the entire sentence again. 'I'm always learning,' he corrects himself, making the motion with his finger a littler wider.
'You're doing great,' she assures him.
'Ok, good.' His expression changes slightly and there's a small undercurrent of nerves to his movements. 'I -' he hesitates but then begins again. 'Would you like to go out with me this weekend?'
'What?' She's not sure she read him correctly.
Looking unsure once again he repeats his question. 'Would you like to go out with me?' he signs carefully, perfectly. 'On a date?'
'With you?' she points to him. 'With me?' she points to herself.
He nods. 'Yes'
'Why?' she signs without thinking and immediately wants to take it back, but it seems like he already has an answer prepared.
'Because you are beautiful,' he answers, punctuating the statement with a soft touch to the ends of her hair that rest on her shoulders. She's seen him do that before, when he flirts with the other girls and when she realizes that means he's definitely flirting with her Bonnie's cheeks burn. Surprise mingled with delight and that giddiness she's still not quite used to even after all these months rushes through her. 'When I first saw you smile I thought you were an angel.'
Her nose wrinkles at the compliment, and she can't help the smile that threatens to extend literally ear to ear. Neither can she stop the little nervous snort that escapes her. Her hand flies to her nose, and she rubs it a little as if it could possibly mask the occurrence. She shakes her head. 'Stop it.'
He's gravitated a little closer, eyes sparkling as he laughs. 'Was that a snort?'
'No,' she signs quickly, face aflame.
'It was,' he grins at her, and his expression is fond. 'It's okay. It was cute.' Bonnie looks down briefly, suddenly feeling shy. 'Cute and smart. The second reason why I'm asking you out. You're the only reason why I'm passing Math.'
Bonnie's mouth falls open in faux indignation. 'You are copying my answers. I knew it.'
'Sometimes,' he admits. 'Thanks for always writing so big.' They grin at each other and Bonnie feels her heart flutter. This isn't what she expected today at all. She looks down at his pretty teeth and those dimples. 'Please,' he moves his lips as he signs, rubbing his chest in the sexiest way she's ever seen anyone sign the word. 'Say yes? This Friday?'
'Okay,' she answers.
'Really?'
'Yes,' she signs, nodding.
'Great.' He looks a little excited. 'Can I have your number so I can text you?' Bonnie nods again and pulls out her phone. They switch and punch their numbers in, both making sure to press Save afterwards. Right after he hands hers back, Bonnie feels the vibration of the warning bell for class and Kai signs, 'See you in math.' His gaze roams over her face one last time and he looks extremely pleased with himself when he walks away.
'Told you,' Aaliyah's hands bursts into her line of vision and when Bonnie looks up the other girl looks smug.
'Shut up,' Bonnie signs back, cheeks aching with her smile.
'Oh my God. You're going to be a linebacker's girlfriend.' Her friend bounces slightly on her toes, and her big, thick, honey colored fluffy fro ponytail bobs with her. 'Did you see how he was looking at you? You guys are going to look so cute together. Wait,' Aaliyah pauses in her gushing. 'He was signing.'
'I know. I had no idea he could. He's really good, right?'
'Yeah, neither did I.' Aaliyah tilts her head to the side, contemplating. 'And yeah, he is. So, that means... if he can sign, he could probably understand us all those times we were talking right across from him and he was watching.'
Bonnie shrugs. 'I guess so.' Aaliyah's doe eyes widen and it takes about five seconds for Bonnie to realize why. Just then her phone vibrates in her back pocket and she pulls it out.
Kai it reads and she opens it.
Oh, and the third reason - you look like you're a really good kisser too.