{Insta} Boyfriend by Atkinson Jen

Author:Atkinson, Jen [Atkinson, Jen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9798368189741
Google: DEmrzwEACAAJ
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services LLC - Kdp
Published: 2023-01-28T05:00:00+00:00

Twenty

Iris

Dean Cooper…Hale just kissed my dog and earlier, he called me attractive. My throat is tight and my nerves are bouncing off the bones inside my body as I recall his words, his worry over me. What. Is. Happening?

“Ready to go?” he says, but I’m frozen, staring, unblinking and lost in my own thoughts. “Iris?”

“What are we doing here?” I say, my head speaking out loud before my mind can think through the words.

The skin on his forehead wrinkles. “Uhh—Humane Society?”

“Right. Right.” That’s totally what I meant. I wasn’t asking what HE and I are doing? I wasn’t asking if all this fake dating was getting his head muddled—like it is mine. “Let me change my shoes.”

He looks down at my feet. “Black Converse high tops again?”

I would be barefoot except that I’ve already been over to Gramgram’s today. “They’re my fav. I can’t get them dirty.”

“I think I could have guessed that,” Dean says, his cheeks blossoming into cherries with his smile.

I scurry back to my room and change into my holey, gray, pull ons—still Converse—yes, I have a problem. I grab Snappy, snug in my camera pack, and start back for Dean. “Ready,” I say, hoping he’ll forget my odd question from before. I’m afraid I’m just a book to be read—a large print, easy-reader. Hopefully Dean won’t want to pick me up and read. It terrifies me what he might discover.

But really and truly—I mean, deep down—I do not have feelings for Dean Cooper—Hale! I can’t… it’s been two weeks since we’ve met. I think I am a puddle of emotion because back in school I had a friend named Coop. I haven’t thought of him in years, but since meeting Dean Cooper, Coop has surfaced to the top of my memories more than once. That—and Dean didn’t introduce himself as Hale until recently. Weird right? Maybe it’s just new. Maybe he isn’t used to it yet.

Anyway—I don’t have feelings for Dean. Forget what I told Ebony. I’m sure that I don’t. It’s just all these fake pictures and outings—they’re confusing my head and making me think that I like him, that in some strange universe, he could like me.

“Iris?”

I blink waking from my thoughts, standing at the end of the hallway with Dean watching me. Yep—he’s reading me.

“You’re zoning out again—you okay?”

“Whew!” I blow out an exhausted cry-like breath. “You know, I’m tired. I didn’t sleep great. I am a little zony today.” What does that even mean? Zony? Does that word have a definition? Is it in the dictionary? How do you spell it? With an e? Or without?

“Do you still want to go?” Dean’s head dips to see me better.

“Oh yeah! I’m fine!” I shout, because I’m doing it again. Zoning. I’m zony… Definitely no e. That, and I’m anxious. I have no desire to sit at my house and watch TV or convince Gramgram to play checkers with me.

I want to go out. With Dean.

“Are you ready to make friends, Hazel?” He pats Hazel’s head and she falls to the ground, as if she’s fainted, belly up, ready for a rub down.

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