;find good people to grow with

I often get asked why I'm so quiet - answer is, I'm not.

I observe people - I look for tell tale signs; their body language when they're involved in a certain tone of conversation, small movements indicating whether they're lying, happy, sad, faking it, genuine.

It helps me understand a person without having to talk to them.

That's what I did today.

I watched Maddox Hunter.

The star shooting guard. The man about campus. The ladies wet dream. The brown haired, chocolate eyed, tall as fuck, fine as wine, sex on legs, baller.

Not that I'd go there, again - for one, he was a jock, I didn't know that at the time like. And two, he's my brothers team mate - been there done that, another thing I wouldn't do. Again.

I took in all Maddox's little features that I didn't notice that night; the ghost scar above his right eye. When he laughs he has one dimple come out on his left cheek. The way his smile would falter when no one was looking.

Maddox was a man of many attractions, I'll admit.

He had a toned and chiselled body - from what I could see anyway - his biceps were bigger than a normal ballers, his jaw was strong and defined, his legs long and toned, arms and hands holding defined veins that was just mouth watering.

I liked how his messy brown locks looked good regardless of him sweating or not.

I took all that in by being quiet and observing my peers.

People that were going to be in my life, friends or not.

"You gonna keep standing there looking all pretty and shit, or are you gonna help?" Maddox smirked, holding a big brown box in his strong arms, hat sitting backwards on his beautiful head of brown hair.

I gave him a tilted smile, faking a thinking look. "I'm just gonna stand here looking pretty and shit." I replied.

"Well, you're doing one helluva job." He winked before walking out the door.

I should not be getting coochie flutters right now!

He's a freaking baller - and I don't date jocks.

And is he seriously acting like he doesn't know me or does he actually not remember me?

Luckily that was the last of the coochie flutters when I saw him cornering a naïve looking fresh faced sorority girl - against my car!

He had her caged between his body and the vehicle, looking down and whispering - what I assume was - filthy words from the bright red blush she wore on her cheeks.

Instant ick.

But because we were finished - and now had to drive back to their house - I needed to get in my car.

I sauntered over, not a care in the world, and cleared my throat in an attempt to capture their attention.

He slowly looks up from the rosy cheeked girl and gives me a left sided grin. "You want to join in, fire cracker?"

I scoff. "No, but I would like you to stop getting your greasy hand prints all over my car."

His grin doesn't falter but now he's got a raised eyebrow, glaring right at me. Then he chuckles. "My bad, Bella."

Bella? Who the fuck is Bella?

"You know it's Tori, asshat." I roll my eyes. "- Move." I shove him out the way and the girl moves with him.

Opening my car door, I hear him laugh again.

Ignore him, Tori. Ig-fucking-nore him.

As I was about to close my door, it was tugged back by an amused Maddox. Large hand resting on my the roof of my car as he bends at the waist meeting my eye level. "I think Bella suits you better." he whispers.

I shot him a confused but disgusted look.

Disgusted at the fact he could be so obnoxious. "And how you figure that?" I challenge.

"Simple Italian."

"I have some simple Italian for you - arrivederci." I reply, the Italian word slipping off my tongue like silk.

Going to grip my door handle, Maddox moved his body close. "You trying to get rid of me, Bella?" He teases. "Scared you're brother is going to see us?" His tone was low and mocking.

The smell of his peppermint chewing gun and worn off aftershave filling my senses.

Did he have to smell so damn good?

"Why would I be scared of that? Not like anything is happening between us." I could barely find my voice from him being so freaking close.

A smirk that never left his lips turned into his bottom lip being rolled under his tremendously white teeth as he looked me up and down. "But it did, and it will."

"Not." I quickly shoot back.

"Soon."

"Never."

"It will."

"It won't."

"This is fun."

"Only you think so."

I nudged him out the way and slammed my door shut, starting up my engine and driving off - not even giving the smug jerk off that is Maddox Hunter - a second glance - all while pushing aside the strange affect he had on me in a egotistical encounter.

I knew he had to remember me and the damn jackass played it off like I was no one.

Thankfully I got everything I had of Eli's dropped off without having to be in the same space as Maddox Hunter.

Giving my brother a hug and ensuring he buys me waffles in the morning, I got in my car and left - back home to the relaxation I left behind.

I walked into my apartment, getting greeted with giggles and clinking of glasses.

I stepped into the living room to see Steph and Hannah huddled on the sofa with a pile of fluffy blankets and a glass of wine in hand - a spare empty glass sitting on the coffee table.

"Tori! We was wondering when you'd be home!" Steph bellowed through a slight slur, jumping from her seat and wrapping her arm around my shoulder, pulling me over to the sofa with her.

"Yeah, where the hell have you been?" Hannah asked, pouring the dark red liquid into the spare glass and handing it to me.

I appreciatively accepted it and sunk back into the sofa while crossing my legs, trying not to think about Maddox being awfully close to me earlier. "I was helping my brother move."

"Okay. Sorry - but your brother is ridiculously hot." Hannah dramatically groaned, dropping her head back with her eyes closed.

Steph giggled, obviously spaced from the Boone's farm she'd been drinking.

"Ew. Could you not? That's my brother." I grimaced.

"We'd have such cute babies though!" she whined.

Internally and externally cringing.

I chucked a decorative cushion at her head. "You needed that to stop talking so stupid, I thought you were a science major?"

Hannah looked over at me with a devilish grin on her face. "You'd love to be the aunt to our children."

Although I could imagine Hannah and Eli being a cute couple. She was sweet, he was okay, I guess - that doesn't mean I was going to encourage it.

"You could do so much better. I love him an all that, he's my brother so it's wired in me to do so, but he's a pig."

She nods but I don't think she cares all that much.

The rest of the night was spent getting wasted on cheap wine under the blankets and giggling at a stupid, low budget horror movie, then all of us falling asleep in a huddled position, laying on each other in some way.

I was only dreaming about when Eli would drop my waffles off in the morning.

Mmmm.

I deserved it for two reasons; one, actually helping him, and two, having to breath in the same oxygen as Maddox freaking Hunter.