#192 - i want to live not just survive

eeek more story eeek blog up eeek life sucks eeek PARDON THE TYPOS GAHH
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Arizona's phone buzzed, making her look up from the book she was reading. It was Ryder.
'I'm bored. Text me your address?'
"Like shit." She mumbled. Arizona replied back 'only if we actually finish this damn project.'
A few seconds later her phone vibrated in her pocket.
'You drive a hard bargain, babe. But I'll accept.'
Arizona frowned, but sent him her address. She played nervously with her hair, the book abandoned in her lap. This had happened to Arizona before. The classic quiet girl is called pretty, given attention, all for a game, for fun. But she kept letting it happen. She knew it was because she was still clinging to the hope that maybe someone, someday, might actually mean it, might actually love her. The doorbell rang, startling her. Ryder couldn't be here already...could he? Noises from downstairs confirmed the latter. Arizona could hear the tell tale sounds of her mother being overly accommodating, ushering Ryder in. Sighing, she put a place marker in her book and slid it back into her shelf. She could hear Ryder climbing the wooden stairs up to her room.
"Hey." He stood in the doorframe, fidgeting with a silver ring on his left hand.
Arizona smiled, a tight-lipped smile devoid of warmth. "So I guess we'd better get to work then?" she asked, pulling out her laptop. Ryder tugged off his sneakers and settled himself next to her on her bed, a little closer than Arizona would have liked. She subtly took a breath, smelling his cologne. It was a weakness of hers, how guys smelled, odd as it was. She shivered slightly and tried to distract herself from his close position as they worked, her typing and Ryder reaching over her to correct things and brainstorm.
A few hours later, Arizona closed the the lid of her laptop, and leaned back onto the pillows behind her, rubbing her eyes.
She didn't know it, but Ryder was studying her. He could see her hipbones in a narrow stretch of pale skin at the top of her sweats, which he kind of found attractive, even if he didn't know why. Shit, Ryder thought. Why was this getting harder? It's easy. Get Arizona to fall for him, move on. And from the looks of her red cheeks when she opened her eyes, he was already halfway there, he thought, smirking.
He was propped up on his elbows, his dark eyes frames by thick lashes. Arizona gulped. "So at least that parts over with," she offered up. "Almost done."
Ryder raised an eyebrow, making Arizona nervous.
"There's one thing we still haven't confirmed." He sat up, watching Arizona. "What's that..?" she asked cautiously. Ryder smiled to himself. He loved making her squirm. "Do you still have that crush on me?" Arizona bolted upright. Eurgh, she'd hoped he had forgotten about that. She knew better than that, though. Of course he hasn't.
"No." Arizona said briskly, getting up and heading to her closet, pawing aimlessly through the clothes. The creak of the bed springs meant he had gotten up. Ryder came up behind her again, a hand on her hip, the other sliding down her arm.
"You still so sure?" He asked, his voice low. Arizona could practically hear her heart beating in her chest.
"What is it with you and creeping up on me?" She demanded, turning around to face him. Oh crap, she thought. Now Ryder was even closer than before. She could smell the mint on his breath, could see the color of his eyes, not really black but a deep brown instead.
"You're changing the subject..." Ryder whispered. "Makes you seem like a liar. Guilty." This was just as easy as he had thought it would be. He debated just kissing her now and getting it over with, but he held back. Why stop the fun so soon?
Arizona twisted out of his grasp and walked over to her desk, trying to control her breathing.
"So I figure we should meet up again soon so we can finish this in time for the due date," Arizona stated, just to break the silence. She looked up across the room to where Ryder stood, his posture casual. "Sure thing, gorgeous. It's a date." An alert tone chimed, and he pulled a black phone from the pocket of his jeans. "But now I've got to go. Ryder glanced up at her. "Later Arizona."
Arizona tensed, and watched him walk out her door. That was the first time in all these week that he's called her by her name, she realized. And, Arizona mused, she was sad to see him go.