Page 10 of Cloudless
SENT FROM MY IPHONE
LILA
The roar of voices spills into the hall outside the classroom. I let out a sigh of relief when I see Professor Mills is absent from his desk.
Posey had a wardrobe malfunction this morning that caused us to get a late start. I didn’t even know seven-year-olds could have wardrobe malfunctions, but here we are.
Butterflies take flight in my stomach when I spot Kam sitting next to my seat in the back row, scrolling on his phone.
The murmur of surrounding conversations swallows the thunk of my bag hitting the floor as I take my seat next to the aisle.
Kam’s eyes light up and his phone lands face down on his desk when he sees me. “Good morning, Sunshine.”
His genuine excitement at seeing me warms me from the inside out. “Good morning, Kam.”
A piece of printer paper, too far away to read clearly, but titled and well-filled out, sits neatly on his normally solo notebook. A rush of panic flows through my body as I mentally go through my planner.
Did I forget about an assignment?
I try to conceal my rising panic as I casually incline my head toward the lone piece of paper. “What have you got there?”
An embarrassed smile pulls at Kam’s lips as he looks down at the paper. “This is for you, actually.”
My brows rise as my panic fades away to be replaced by curiosity. “For me?”
A hesitant laugh escapes his lips as he nods. He absentmindedly plays with the corner of the paper as his brows draw down in contemplation. “I know what you said last night about not wanting a relationship.”
I wish so badly I could have taken him up on his offer for dinner. But if I’ve learned anything over these torturously long weeks, it's that we don’t always get what we want.
His eyes turn away from the paper and snare mine.
Hope and maybe even a bit of mischievousness shine brightly in his eyes.
“But you never said anything about a friend.” His long fingers deftly grasp the delicate paper so he can slide it onto my desk.
“This is my formal application for the title of your friend.”
The single piece of paper settles onto my desk like a butterfly would land on a flower. My eyes scan across the document without actually taking anything in for several moments.
My mind struggles to accept the fact that the captain of the hockey team just handed me a resume, laying out all the reasons I should allow him to become my friend.
What the hell is happening?
I lick my suddenly dry lips. “You, uh, want to be my friend?”
“Who wouldn’t?” He says it with such conviction, I’m half convinced he’s talking about someone else entirely.
Or maybe this is a dream. I dig my fingernails into my thigh and wince at the sharp pain.
Nope, definitely not a dream.
My brows furrow as I lift my eyes to his. “Um, why?”
His voice quiets from his previous confidence as he admits, “You seem like you could use one.” His solemn face transforms to hold a cocky smirk as he says, “And I know I’m the best man for the job.”
Even though his first sentence cuts me to my core, I feel a smile threatening to appear. “Oh yeah? And why is that?”
Smirk firmly in place, he inclines his head toward the paper sitting on my desk. “That’s what that’s for.”
I sigh as I look back down at the paper, resigned to my fate. “Alright, I’ll humor you.” A full smile grows on my face as I look at the professional-quality document. “You went all out, didn’t you?”
I can hear the smile in his voice when he says, “I don’t do things halfway.”
I look at him with raised brows, a lightness to my voice I haven't felt in weeks. “Shouldn’t that have been one of your perks?”
His smile grows to shine so brightly, he lights up our isolated corner of the room. “I can make a few amendments.”