16 The Tech Wiz | Chapter Fifteen

"So, you're coming to my place?" Felix asked for the fifteenth time in the past thirty minutes. I sighed, looking up from the book I was holding before nodding. We were in the library, going about our different projects while sharing the fifth edition of the Building Tech textbook Felix had hidden.

He looked at me, nodding his head. "Oh, okay."

"You don't blame me for asking though," he started, playing with a pen cover as he bit his bottom lip. "You've been so cold to me lately. I'm kind of surprised you will want to come."

I felt my face warm up at his words. Yes, maybe what he and Amanda discussed had put me in a bad mood, but I had to come up with something when we needed more time to look through the replies we'd gotten from the people we let test the app. My folks were having family over, so that had been a no, and I didn't think we'd be allowed in the building after school. I'm also sure there was no way I was staying in his car with my laptop on my lap for four hours at a stretch. The local library was too far from his place, and they'd kick us out of any fast food restaurant for not getting any food.

Suggesting to go to his place had been the only option.

We'll just sit at his dining table or something. I thought when I started to get a little nervous about staying in the same place with him alone — especially seeing as that place was his house.

"We can do it in bits at a time in the library," I heard Felix say, making me look over at him. He was looking straight at me, and he shrugged before turning back to face the A4 papers that held his building plans in front of him. "I mean, there's no need to make you uncomfortable."

"I'll be fine," I said firmly, making him look towards me. His look told me that he didn't believe me in the slightest, but I ignored it, turning my attention to the book in front of me.

I heard him let out a small sigh, but I didn't react. We stayed in the library, not saying anything else to each other until the period came to an end.

Felix got up immediately the siren rang, leaving me behind as I packed up my books and returned the textbook to its hiding place. It was crazy that the librarian hadn't found it yet. To be honest, I wasn't even sure she ever arranged the shelves. That only got done when someone was on punishment to do it.

I left the library soon after and headed for my Chemistry class with Ji-Hun and Wyatt after I met up with them in the hallway. The rest of school went by quickly, and I met up with Felix in the parking lot when school hours came to an end.

I watched him talk on the phone a bit as he looked at me from time to time before looking away again.

"Yes, you can still come over."

I rose a brow, wondering who he was talking to.

"Yes Simon, we're still having a game night."

Oh. I thought as the conversation started to make sense.

"I'm sorry about that. I was talking to Simon," he said with a small smile after he hung up. "We have game night every once in awhile—"

"Game night as in board games, or—"

"We're playing Mortal Kombat and Infamous today. I meant video games, obviously." Felix rolled his eyes, making me smile a little.

We got into his car, leaving the school compound early for the first time in a long while. I started humming when he turned up the volume of the radio, singing along to the band called Imagine Dragons.

I let myself look out the window to observe the scenery as he drove. When we got to an area I hadn't seen before I let my gaze fixate longer on the passing buildings and shops until they were out of sight. The streets were near, and instead of apartment buildings and duplexes, there were neat little identical flats that were numbered side by side. Felix drove into the parking lot of one, turning the car off before turning towards me.

"It's just my dad at home today. His boyfriend works overtime on Thursdays — I think — I don't know, I'm bad at paying attention," Felix said, making me laugh. His eyes widened a bit, probably not expecting that.

"All you've done for the past few days is give me forced smiles or outright frowns." Felix grinned. His Teletubby smile on full display. I ignored him, taking my bag before getting down from the car.

I then walked with him to the small cream door, watching him unlock it before walking in. I followed him, allowing myself to take in the tiny living room with just a couch and two small one seaters. The TV on the high table stand was on, and a football match was playing on the screen.

"Ranger!" Felix laughed when sudden barking erupted through the room. I turned, only to find a small hairy dog running over Felix with his tiny legs.

"He's hyper!" He said, looking over at me with a smile as the small white dog jumped around his legs. I ran a hand through my hair, clenching onto the strap of my bag as I watched the dog. It suddenly turned to me, letting out a bark that sounded like a mix between a yelp and a siren before turning his attention back to Felix to claw at his shoes.

"He can get very confused..." Felix laughed, and in turn, making me smile.

"Oh, you're back," A voice said, making me turn towards the door that had been swung open. I saw a man that was not too old looking — he was probably in his early forties. He walked into the living room looking around the place. He had Felix's dark hair and eyes, and the same facial features. He smiled at me, giving me an odd salute before turning to Felix.

"How was school?" the man asked.

"It was fine." Felix shrugged as the man's headed over to give him a side hug before patting his back. I watched the man head over to the sofa, taking the remote that had been sitting on the center table before changing the channel.

"Come on," Felix muttered, tapping my hand. I mumbled a small 'oh' before following him out of the living room and into the hallway. He stopped at a door adorned with stickers, turning the knob before pushing the door open and walking in.

"This is it," he said, dropping his bag on the floor before landing on the small bed laid with a black bedspread. "My room."

I bit my bottom lip, walking in and dropping my bag on the table filled with superhero figurines. I also noticed a carton filled with comics at the side. I chuckled awkwardly, running a hand through my hair as I looked from one corner to the other, wondering where to set up my laptop.

"Uhm, where should I set up?" I finally asked, looking at the crowded table and then at Felix. He'd already set up his laptop on his bed. He looked up at me before shifting a little and patting the space he'd created beside himself.

My face warmed up as I understood what he was trying to offer.

"Come on," he laughed. "Are you scared?"

"No," I said, a little too sharply for it to be believable. He nodded as he suppressed a little chuckle. I came to join him on the bed, kicking off my vans before sitting on his bed yoga style. I set up my computer, going ahead to tackle glitches while Felix looked through the site. We'd handed the site details to thirty people, but somehow fifty-two people were presently online. I asked Felix why that was, but he just shrugged, saying that people must have distributed it a bit.

"The girls seem to love it — especially the freshmen. The site is 'cute' as they put it."

We worked together until around seven PM. I started wondering if I should start heading home, but Simon called Felix, telling him that he was at the door. Soon Simon was in the room with us, sitting on the floor as he discussed with Felix and played games on his phone.

"Ah, it's raining," Felix sighed, looking out the window of the room. "I can drive you home before it gets heavy," he said, turning to me.

"Why not stay for a bit? Felix's dad makes good food," Simon said, making both Felix and me turn to him. He brushed his blue-dyed hair to the side before grinning up at me as I thought about what he'd said.

"You can stay," Felix said, "but not if you don't want to, that is."

I sighed, thinking about it. At this time at home, my sisters would have attacked the pot and left a laughable amount for me to eat.

"I'll stay for dinner," I said, making Simon cheer and Felix smile. We shut down our laptops when we were done, and I watched from Felix's bed as he and Simon set up his play station.

"I am not prepared," Simon laughed as the game screen loaded. He was in a really ripped black pair of jeans and a grey tank top. Felix laughed at his friend, leaving his position by the small TV sorting wires to sit beside Simon on the carpeted floor. He was handed the remote, and they soon started playing.

I watched them, and when I got a tad bored I laid down on Felix's bed, flushing when my mind started to stray. It smelled clean, with a faint trace of his familiar perfume fragrance.

"I'll get the plates," he said when the sound of his father calling out to us for dinner filled the room. He paused the game, getting up to leave the room, making Simon and I the only ones in it. The room was silent, except for the low game repetitive music that played as the pause icon occupied the small TV screen.

"Are you guys dating yet?"

I coughed, sitting up on Felix's bed when I heard Simon's question. "What? No."

"So not yet?" He said, making me stare down at my socks. I was saved the stress of having to answer Simon when Felix walked into the room with a tray in hand.

"My dad made meatloaf."

"Yes!" Simon cheered, getting up before heading to snatch a plastic plate from the tray Felix was holding. He let out a moan when he put a piece of meatloaf into his mouth, nodding in content as he chewed.

"You act like they don't feed you at your place."

"They don't. No one in my house can cook to save their lives," Simon said, making me chuckle a little, almost forgetting the odd invasive question he'd directed at me.

Felix rolled his eyes, heading to me with the tray. I took a plate and fork, thanking him before he headed back to sit on the floor next to Simon. When the rain calmed down Felix dropped me off at my place.

"Thanks for talking to me — properly — again," he said, smiling a bit when he pulled up at my place. I shrugged, taking my bag from the backseat.

"What exactly did I do, you know, to get you to act that way in the first place?"

I turned, my hand on the knob as I opened my mouth, searching for what to say. "It's nothing. I was just moody," I lied, deciding not to tell him that I'd eavesdropped on his and Amanda's conversation. I watched him nod before he muttered a small 'okay.'

I smiled at him, getting down from the car and immediately regretting the decision when my shoes soaked up water from the partially flooded driveway, and when the drizzle started to bite my skin and clothes. I made a run for the front door, not missing the sound of Felix's laugh. When I got to the entrance, I turned to find out that he'd driven off, leaving me in the semi-darkness of the street that was dimly lit by home lights and street lamps at nine PM.