Page 40 of College-Virgin & Dark Bully Next-Door

I want to bring up the conversation I had with Tyler today, somehow, to get a better understanding about what she wants. She pushes me away, texts me, teases me, and pushes me away again. I don’t know what to do with her.

“Sky …”

“This isn’t a date,” she says immediately. “Just to be clear.”

“I remember the rule.”

“Good.”

She turns on the T.V., and we sit there for a while, I nudge her. “You were going to tell me about your week, right?”

“I re-applied for the internship,” she begins.

“Good for you,” I reply, but she looks worried. “That’s good, isn’t it?”

“Well, I won’t hear from them until the end of summer, which makes me nervous. What if they reject me again? Can I handle deferring another semester?”

I think about it for a second. “I’m almost positive you’ll get in this time. You used my photos, after all.”

She scoffs and punches my arm. I laugh.

“Seriously, though. Even if, by some weird chance you don’t get in, it won’t be the end of the world, will it?”

“Close enough,” she mumbles. “I can’t get into that photography club without internship experience. That studio is my only hope.”

“And you need to get in because?”

Sky goes on to explain her career plans, and I finally understand. I’m not worried for her. She’s going to do just fine. She smiles gratefully when I tell her that.

“Thank you.”

I squeeze her arm. “Now, tell me about the rest of your week.”

“I hung out with Bonnie. Got some good photos for my blog site. Ran into your dick of a brother. We came back and … shit.” She jumps up.

“Sky.”

“I have to feed Drac.”

“The …”

“Come watch.” She takes my hand, and I find my feet moving with her.

Ihatespiders. It’s not a fear thing like with bugs, it’s a hate. They’re big, they bite, they’re ugly and mean. Sure, they eat bugs but fuck them. They could all disappear, and I’d be happy.

But somehow, I end up standing in front of Sky as she sticks her hand into the tarantula’s tank. She stands on her toes to be able to get her hand flat, and I notice her shorts ride up, showing off more of her legs.

Fuck, she’s hot. Hot enough to put up with a spider being close by

“Good boy,” she croons.

I realize I’m blushing for a second before she shows the spider. She strokes its abdomen and … it just sits there. Huge, hairy, kind of blue, but the size of her entire palm. Jesus, this thing could take out a small bird … maybe a toddler. I blink at her and hold my hands up.

She holds him out to me. “Want to try? You don’t get to hold him or anything, I don’t trust you like that, but you can pet him.”

“No, thanks. Really.”

“Wimp.” She tries baiting me.

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