Selfies.

Back in my room I did as mom said. I sat at my desk and got to work on the rest of my homework. I was in the middle of that when my phone buzzed, and I quickly forgot my diligence in favor of seeing who was talking to me.

-Mila: Hey Oliver! Remember we’re going out tomorrow!

I smiled excitedly at the message on my screen. My hands shook as I typed my reply.

-Oliver: Yeah. I remember.

I pressed send, and as I reread my message I got scared that it sounded rude or something, so I immediately sent another.

-Oliver: I’m looking forward to it.

-Mila: Great! Is there anything specific you want to do?

I thought about it, trying to think of places she would like to go to. And after a good moment, I felt I struck gold.

-Oliver: Doesn’t Maria’s Bakery also have a coffee shop?

-Mila: Oooooh! You’re totally right! Let’s stop by.

I allowed myself to feel proud. Good thing I remembered that truth or dare game.

-Mila: There are a couple of shops I want to see. Mind coming with me?

-Oliver: Not at all.

-Mila: Perfect. And what are you doing now?

-Oliver: Finishing my homework. If I don’t, my mom won’t let me go anywhere.

I pressed send again without thinking, having grown a bit more comfortable with the text conversation. Big mistake. I’d just brought up my mom into the conversation. Would she think that was lame? Would she think that listening to my mom at this age was lame?

-Mila: Ouch. Your mom is like that too, huh? My parents are easygoing, but Grace’s and Sarah’s parents are **** drivers. Actually, Grace’s dad seems to have eased down on that, but you heard her yesterday.

I let out a huge sigh of relief. I wanted to believe she really did sympathize instead of just forcing herself to be polite.

-Oliver: No wonder Grace’s grades are so good.

-Mila: Right? I’m too lazy to study, but I need to do well or I could be held back on my senior year. That’d be totally lame, so I have Grace help me study for midterms and finals.

-Oliver: Sarah as well?

-Mila: Yeah. But her parents are more worried about teaching her the ins and outs of their business than her having a perfect performance in school.

-Oliver: What do her parents do?

-Mila: Ask her yourself on Sunday ;)

I chuckled, but if she hadn’t sent that with a winky face, I would’ve thought she was upset I asked her. That was the moment I understood a bit more the importance of emoticons in texting. Still don’t like them much, though.

-Oliver: Okay.

-Mila: Alright. I’ll let you go. Finish your homework so we can go out tomorrow. Send me a message when you’re done, okay?

I briefly wondered why, but I guessed she wanted to keep chatting. And really, so did I.

-Oliver: Sure.

-Mila: I suppose I might as well work on my own homework too… x(

The conversation stopped there. I went back to my assignments with newfound motivation. Finish it to go out with Mila tomorrow. Finish it quickly to talk to her more! Go!

An hour and a half later, I was done. It’s surprising what one can do with the right mindset, huh? It was around 9:00 pm, so I doubted Mila had gone to sleep. Though if she was still doing her homework, I didn’t want to bother her.

…

She told me to tell her when I was done. So that’s what I did.

-Oliver: Just finished. Are you still working on yours?

Her answer was a picture of her notebook with half the math exercises done.

-Mila: I hate math so much.

-Mila: Ah. Your reward!

Reward?

I got another picture. This one was a selfie of Mila lifting her t-shirt to show her bare tits and suggestively sucking on her index finger while she gave the camera a sexy side glance.

My ears grew hot, and I couldn’t tear my eyes way from the picture. She looked so sexy and cute at the same time. Her tits were perfect and big. That she would send me a picture of her tits… I couldn’t believe my life.

-Mila: Like it?

-Oliver: Yes. You’re beautiful.

I wanted to cringe at my own message, but as embarrassing as it was, it was what I believed.

-Mila: Thank you! I’d like a reward of my own when I’m done with my homework, you know?

I blinked at my phone screen. Was she implying…?

-Oliver: What would you like?

-Mila: I’ll leave that to your imagination.

My face could’ve burst from the heat there and then. Mila didn’t say anything else for another hour. She was likely doing her homework while I had my existential crisis. Then the dreaded message came. A picture of her math homework completed.

-Mila: I finished! I even checked it with the calculator and I only got four of the 20 wrong. Not bad for me, right?

I didn’t answer immediately. I had to think of something to send Mila. I couldn’t NOT reciprocate, right? That’d just make me an asshole! Should I send a picture of my…? No. That would be in poor taste. Maybe. I had no idea.

In the end I went to the bathroom, locked the door and stood in front of the mirror with my phone. I aimed the camera at it and lifted my t-shirt to show my own bare chest. However, I made sure not to show my face. I couldn’t go that far. It was too embarrassing and I’d only look dumb anyway, as always. I sent Mila the picture and returned to my room, feeling like the world was spinning around me.

Then came her reply.

-Mila: I’m gonna lick that chest tomorrow.

WHAT?

I had to read that again and again, but I’d gotten it right the first time. Okay, so… it was somehow just as embarrassing as sending the picture, but it also made me really happy? There was no issue with what she’d said, but rather… I couldn’t see myself saying the same! I’d be stressing myself over whether or not it was appropriate to say it before the words ever left! But Mila could just say something like that…

I didn’t know if I’d be able to keep up with these girls. They were bold and daring, sociable extroverts. They were everything I wasn’t. But… If I could learn to be just a bit like that from being around them, then I’d be able to grow.

A little.

I hoped.