Kiss An Alpha novel Chapter 11

"Dude, in trying to be nice," Mason said.

"I'm not," I didn't even look up.

Mason sighed in-dare I say it-defeat, and didn't try to speak to me again. I didn't dwell too long on why he was trying to be nice, because I frankly didn't care that much. I'd made it clear that I didn't like him, and I wasn't about to change my mind because he suddenly wanted to make amends. Cella probably put him up to it, anyways, because as far as I knew, he hated my guts.

Annoyingly enough, after he spoke to me it was as if a switch had flipped, and I was suddenly much more aware of his presence. The aggravation I felt when I was around him skyrocketed, and I couldn't seem to tune him out. He spent the entire period talking to-more like flirting with-Cella, and I heard every obnoxious moment.

I couldn't stand it.

That was why, halfway through the class, I asked if I could go to the bathroom and didn't come back. After that, I didn't really feel like going to any classes at all, so I sneaked past the security guard in the parking lot-it wasn't hard, he was sleeping in his little booth-and drove off. Kind of like my drawing, I didn't really pay attention to where I was driving. Maybe this was a bit more dangerous, but, as with most things, I simply didn't care. As long as I didn't cause any accidents, there was no issue.

I ended up going here and there, not doing anything too special but nothing too boring either. I simply found ways to pass the time until it was 2 pm and school would be over. I drove to Marcella's house, figuring we'd be working on the project again today, and saw her car and another that I didn't recognize-probably Mason's-in the driveway. Marcella's mother let me in and I went up to Cella's room, growing increasingly irritated as I neared.

I had to admit, this whole Mason deal was starting to seriously confuse me. No matter how hard I thought, I couldn't figure out what repulsed me from him so much. Obviously I didn't like him, and that could just be me being me. But the literal irritation, like a bad itch, that I feel just by being in the same general area, was something I'd never experienced before.

Or maybe I just really didn't like him.

I pushed the bedroom door open with one hand, using the other to cover my eyes. "Is it safe to look? My eyes are for PG material only."

I didn't have to see to know that Cella was turning a nice shade of red, and Mason was probably glaring. "Nah, you just missed it," came his cocky voice. I dropped my hand and fixed him with a bored gaze, not amused by his joke in the slightest.

"Aw shucks," I said dryly. "I was hoping I'd catch it."

"How about," Marcella said quickly, her voice shrill, "we stop talking about this? Like, now? We have a project to work on."

Mason clearly hadn't been expecting that answer, because his eyebrows shot up. "What? So you're just a dick to me for no reason?"

"I just don't feel like I'm meant to like you," I said honestly. I wasn't quite sure why I was explaining to him, I didn't have any reason to.

"You've gotta see how that's unfair."

"Don't act like you don't know what I mean," I snapped. "I can't stand being near you, that's that. Don't ask me why, I don't know, but I'm pretty sure you feel it too. We aren't meant to be friends, Mason, so get over it."

Mason huffed in exasperation. "Maybe I do, but that doesn't mean I've gotta let it control me. I've seen you with Marcella-you're a cool guy when you want to be. So why can't you-"

"Because I don't want to!" I snarled. "Mason, you need to get this straight: I. Do. Not. Like. You. At all. Maybe part of it is that weird irritation I feel whenever you enter the room. But it's also the way you walk around like you own the place, the way you don't know when to back down, the way you insist on flirting with Marcella even though you don't fucking deserve her. You made your way onto my bad side when we first met, and you can't come back from that. I'd say I'm sorry, but I'm really not."