Page 5 of Choosing Skyler

She blushes and I know I’ve got her. She glances at Devon who’s eyeing us like we’re on a daytime soap opera or some shit.

“I like it,” she admits. “I just don’t know if everyone else will.”

Devon starts to cut in and I glance at him to make sure I’m not about to get punched. He said he wouldn’t be mad at anyone defending her, but I’m taking it a step further than that. He must see something he approves of on my face because he winks, and I know I’m good. So, I look back to Skyler.

“Who gives a shit what they think?” I wave my hand at the rest of the store. “Whose opinion is the most important to you? It should be yours,” I state firmly. “But, if you can’t choose you, then who is next?”

She glances at Devon again just like I knew she would. That’s why she only wants him to see the dress. She doesn’t want to embarrass him and isn’t that the saddest shit, ever. I want to find whoever made this girl feelless thanand kick their asses myself.

Devon steps up beside me to face Skyler and wraps her in a bear hug before leaning down to mock whisper in her ear. “Go change and get the blue dress. If you like it, you wear it, period. I don’t care if you dress like a clown. You’ll still be the hottest chick there.” Then, he straightens, turns, and starts to walk towards the men’s section. “Make sure she listens, Bulldog Brady,” he says over his shoulder.

I turn back to her expecting the blush that I’ve seen a few times today, but it’s not there. She just grins, shrugs, and goes back down the hall to the dressing room to change. When she comes back out, she has the blue dress and the black cotton dress in her hand.

“What about the red one?” I ask.

She looks shocked that I remembered what she carried in. “Um,Ididn’t like it.”

“Right answer,” I say with a wink.

We’re seated in the food court of the mall eating bourbon chicken from Oriental Kings. I’m on one side of the table while Devon and Skyler sit on the other. My back is to the main gallery of the mall. So, I can’t see whatever Devon and Skyler see as they keep pointing with their forks and making faces. Never saying a word, they just point, smirk—point, frown—point, grimace. Every time they do I turn to look over my shoulder, but I’m missing whatever it is. I stand to throw my empty container away and get a refill on my drink. As I’m walking back Devon laughs and points his fork straight at me… Skyler blushes.

“I feel like I’m missing the game,” I say, grinning at Skyler. “Wanna fill me in, Beautiful?”

Her blush travels to her chest like it did earlier and she glances at Devon, who winks and grins. Then, she looks back up at me.

“Um, checking out hotties. You should sit over here with us since you’re done eating. The rules are easy. Never point with your finger, that’s rude. No negative words, they’re rude. I mean, you know Devon doesn’t need words to know what you’re thinking anyways. Or is that just with me?” she questions.

I laugh, pulling my chair around to sit next to her. “Nope, that’s Devon with everyone. I swear he’s a mind reader or psychic or some shit. But I just threw my fork away, so I don’t have a pointer,” I say with a shrug.

“Oh, damn. That’s okay. Devon can be the pointer.” She giggles.

So, the game continues with me added. Devon points at a tall girl with platinum blond hair, obviously fake breasts, and a flat ass. Skyler and I both grimace, Devon smirks. He points to a stocky guy with a red ponytail and a goatee. Skyler and I frown, Devon smirks. He points to a petite girl with light brown hair and a curvy figure that from a distance reminds me a little of the girl next to me. Skyler smiles and I smile at her smile. Devon has a full blown, megawatt smile. Although I'm not a mind reader of all like he is, I do knowhimbetter than anyone—except maybe Skyler. He’s not smiling because he thinks the girl is hot. He’s smiling because he knows that Skyler sees beauty in someone like her even if she finds it hard to see it in herself. He’s also smiling because he knows that’sexactlywhy I smiled.

Devon jumps up and declares “Game over! Brady and I win!”

“Wait, what?!” Skyler shouts. “How do you both win? Brady didn’t even get to point.”

I lean over and whisper in her ear. “We both win because we got to sit with you, Beautiful.”

Of course, she blushes, but she recovers quickly, jumping up to shout, “Ha! That means you have to split the non-points. So,IWIN!”

Devon smirks like he knows what’s coming when Skyler states matter-of-factly, “I got to sit with the hottest guy in the mall.”

His smirk slips when he asks, “You mean the two hottest guys in the mall?”

She smirks and shrugs. “Sure.”

Devon and I glance at each other before turning back to her and bending at the same time to hoist her up on our shoulders. She squeals and laughs, and I swear it’s the best sound I’ve ever heard.

Chapter 3

Skyler

Devon and I share a three-bedroom apartment in one of the nicer complexes between the main strip and the school campus. We both lived in the dorms freshman year since neither of us knew anyone to room with and apartments in U.S. college towns are NOT cheap. Since we both despised the dorms, we decided that summer to split the rent and find an apartment. We opted for the three-bedroom so we would have the extra room to share for our hobbies and studies. Devon is a graphic design major and I’m in computer programming. So, our third bedroom is basically an art studio/computer lab. Odd, I know, but at least we don’t have our materials all over the place like we would if it were a two-bedroom.

So, that’s where I sit Sunday evening after getting home from the mall. I’m working on the coding for a new game that Devon and I are preparing for our senior project. I work on the background code for the game to function while he does the graphics and world building. We wanted to get ahead because we know senior classes are going to be tough as it is, and we both work part-time jobs during the school year.

“Damn it!” I mutter when I can’t find the error in the block of code I’m trying to debug.

---