"Okay, that's it for introductions. I think we should all talk and get to know each other—"

"Bonding time!" the blonde-haired partner of the writing group's leader yelled on top of her high-pitched voice, making everyone laugh.

It was late noon on Friday, and the writing group I'd signed up for was having their first meet up. The room we were in was a small one in the humanities building that no one else really used. Everyone was sitting in a circle on chairs, and the table by the door had snacks for anyone who wanted to eat. Maxwell was in the room as well. In fact, he was sitting right next to me.

"It seems fun already, don't you think?" Maxwell whispered as he leaned into me a bit. I smiled, watching as one half of the group got into a small conversation. Soon enough Maxwell got up and joined them too, and I did as well after a while of just watching.

"What do you write?" someone asked, directing their question at me.

I smiled a bit. "Literary fiction, you?"

"Sci-Fi," he said with a proud smile before turning his head to the person next to him which made his dark curls bounce a bit.

All twenty of us talked for the rest of the hour, sharing our main projects at the moment, and the genres we wrote, read and liked or disliked. Maxwell blended in well, although it seemed he was a bit lost. He did a lot of reading, but not writing, and it was obvious.

"Everyone seems nice," Maxwell told me as he made to sit beside me when the introduction period was over.

"Okay, we'll head on to tell each other about our current projects, and what we're working on," Cynthia, the head of the group said as she ran a hand through her blonde hair. Everyone turned to the person beside them and started talking.

Maxwell laughed, shrugging. "I'm not really working on anything. I'm not really a writer. Well, I've tried, but I don't think it's any good."

"Wait, you write?" I asked, watching as he shook his hands in a no motion before laughing a bit.

"No," he said, before biting his bottom lip and looking down at his sneakers. "Well, I've tried, but it's not any good."

"Most writers think their work is shit. I mean, they read it all the time," I said, but it didn't seem to lift Maxwell's spirit because he just gave me a small smile.

"What about you? What are you working on?" he asked, not replying to what I'd said.

"Nothing much, I'm helping my mum turn her comic concept to a novel. So, there's that," I said, mostly to avoid falling into a discussion about my actual writing. I was shy about it, especially when — you know.

"Your mum makes comics too?" he asked, making me blink before nodding. Most people at my high school knew my parents. They were like those ones that came for every and anything. Most people thought their parents doing that was irritating, but I guess I'm a big mama's boy because I never really minded. One is a journalist and the other one who I also Caleb's mum's sister is an illustrator that is just getting into comics.

"That's so cool," he muttered. "All I did was play my cello, and my dad does boring stuff, so..." he laughed before giving me a small smile.

I remembered Maxwell's dad. He was a big tall man that never had a smile on his face. In fact, from his dad's behavior, you'd think Maxwell would be moody and reserved, but he was the exact opposite. I'd never seen his mum, and I just assumed he didn't have one or that he wasn't living with her.

I smiled back, but in my mind memories of watching him play flooded my mind. I used to watch him whenever I could. He'd known me, and he'd talk to me from time to time, but I'd be tongue-tied and I just ended up running away. I wanted to ask Maxwell if he'd thought I was weird in high school. I mean, I basically hung around him like a ghost but avoided talking to him as much as I could.

It was starting to make me a bit regretful now. I'd really liked Maxwell back in high school and never got to know him. Getting to know him now was great. He was a little — Okay, a lot different from what I'd imagined him to be, and it was completely fine. I think I like him even more now.

When the meeting was over everyone told each other goodbye before we arranged the chairs in the room and left. I walked out with Maxwell, and he gave me a small grin as he made to walk side by side with me.

"Let's eat lunch together," he said, making me turn my head so that I look at him directly. His hair was bouncing about today, and his freckled face was bright with the smile he had on his face. I also noticed a feature I hadn't before. He had the perfect bow-shaped upper lips, and I bit my bottom lip, trying to remember how his lips felt on mine that Saturday—

"Err, sure," I ended up muttering before looking away when I realized I'd been staring for too long.

"Great!" he said, walking up ahead of me before turning and walking backward so that he was looking at me the whole time. "We'll stay in the resident cafe, they have nice potatoes," he said, before turning so that he was walking in the right direction again.

We made it to the residence soon after and headed for the Cafe. I was feeling a bit squeamish, and kind of nervous to be sitting with Maxwell on the same table — alone. Not a lot of people were in the cafeteria either since most people ate lunch outside. The room smelled of fish and potatoes, and the little speakers at the corners played what I could only describe as elevator music.

"Is something wrong?" I heard Maxwell ask, making me blink before I looked over at him. He was smiling at me and was currently picking at the potatoes on his plate. "You aren't eating or saying anything."

I muttered an apology under my breath before picking up my fork to eat. "I'm fine. I'm just kind of nervous—"

"Why?"

I looked up at Maxwell, staring into his brown eyes as I tried to think of the best answer to that question. Because I like you? Because I don't want to be weird? I thought to myself, finding both answers to be subpar. Instead, I just looked away, earning a chuckle from him.

"You're really cute," he said, making me look up at him again as my face grew warm. He was smiling, and he let out a chuckle before cocking his head to the side. "What?" he asked, making me blink.

"Nothing," I mouthed before looking back at the food on my plate. I was confused, and I wasn't even sure what was going on anymore. Is he just teasing me? I wondered, frowning a bit before looking up again. Is he? I wondered again, watching him eat. My mind was swimming with questions, and I couldn't just ask him.

Maxwell looked up, making me turn away immediately.

Why am I like this? Damn it. It's embarrassing. I thought to myself as I heard him chuckle. I was starting to feel more like a walking joke, and I didn't know what to do. I should talk to Caleb soon. I thought, remembering what I'd decided to do yesterday.

I found myself looking up at him again. He was cutting his potatoes into bits before dipping them into the plate of sauce beside him. He kind of looks cute when he eats. I thought to myself as I watched him. He kind of ate like a kid? I couldn't explain it, but if I had to I'd describe it like how a kid could take an hour to eat a biscuit. He diced his food in small prime and proper portions, and it was sort of interesting to just look at.

"Hey," I heard Maxwell say, making me look over at him. He smiled a bit, before pushing strands of his red curls behind his hair. "Would you like to watch a movie with me this weekend?"

He laughed a bit when I didn't respond. He dropped his fork, fidgeting with his fingers as he looked at anything but me. "Like, alone. Like, not in my room, but at the mall or something. Like, like a date—"

"Sure," I said, cutting him short. He paused before looking over at me with wide eyes.

Oh my God. The sight of his red face was making the butterflies in my stomach go mad. He smiled before covering his face with his hands. So cute. I looked away from him after a while, and the cafeteria table we were sitting at stayed silent until Maxwell spoke up.

"Thanks," he muttered with a small smile after taking his hands off his face. I smiled back, and we continued to eat.

"I'll text you. You can choose the movie," he said as he started to pick at his food again.

When we were done we headed for the elevators together, taking as we got in. When the lift stopped at my floor Maxwell waved me goodbye as the elevator's doors shut close after I got off.

I found myself smiling like a fool when I was by myself in my floor's lodge. The realization that I was going to see a movie with Maxwell washed over me like someone had poured a bucket of ice-cold water over my head.

I'm going on a date. I told myself as a smile made its way to my lips. I made to walk to my room. I unlocked the door, dropping my bag before hugging myself and smiling. I couldn't wait to tell Ollie and Caleb.