AS SOON as she saw me, she smiled. But her eyes immediately radiated distress as she noticed my own discomfort.

“I’m sick, Irene. Don't come near me. You'll only get sick too.” I started heaving out great, racking coughs which was so unlike me, my nose running into a tissue.

She looked at me, her eyes the deepest pools of sincerity. Without any doubts, she told me she wasn't going anywhere.

“Seriously, I'm contagious,” I warned her.

But she just kind of scoot forward, and…

No.

No kissing today, Irene.

I quickly looked down as she leaned in and basically let her kissed my forehead instead.

“Let's hang out some other time, when I'm not congested with these symptoms,” I told her jokingly, as I gave her a wink.

Worried and a bit disappointed, she nodded and just walked me home.

Jennie: 1, Irene: 0.

A week later, not my fault I have a poor immune system, we were watching a comedy show on my house.

I threw back my head, a loud cackling laugh erupting from my stomach. When I opened my eyes again, I saw that Irene wasn't watching the show.

Instead, her blissful gaze was locked on me.

“I'm trying hard not to kiss you.”

She was my leg and I leaned back and said, “God that feels good. Like your fingers are matches and they're striking against me. It's amazing.”

To which she replied, “If my fingers are matches, then let me light every inch of your skin on fire.”

.

My breath caught in my throat. I said, “Please.”

She moved closer to me and I stayed there holding her gaze, slowly my lips to spike out her anticipation.

It was too close, I could taste her breath… Then I turned the other cheek.

Like, literally. I let her kissed my cheek.

7 days. That's how long I made her wait, and I'm extending it because I'm bad.

Jennie: 2, Irene: 0.

How can I say this?

It's that way her eyes remained calmed on my presence. They never flashed frightening anger towards me. They remained peaceful prisms, a constant source of comfort.

That same night, I forgot about our dinner cooking and let it burn to a crisp.

Her eyes crinkled at the corners in a tinkling, reassuring smile. She laughingly drew me towards her, her arms enveloping me.

Oh, she's leaning, om hy dog.

Great idea! Awkward Jennie on the rise; I leaned in, too.

We were like that for a few seconds, our foreheads pressed together.

I stared on her eyes, a hint of betrayal was visible before it was completely replaced with a look of smug satisfaction. And then, hmm… something on the right has distracted me! Oh, look at the food! Gotta order pizza!

“Pizza sounds good,” she said as she reached for her phone on the table.

Jennie: 3, Irene: 0.

I woke up, stretching and grunting into the consciousness of the morning. Kuma wasn't scooted up beside me like that dog always did.

I opened my eyes to see Irene watching me, the most honeyed, doting look on her face, while the dog - who was the latter's mortal enemy - was curled up on her stomach, deep asleep.

“Hey, I really like you. But I don't want to jeopardize what we already have by throwing this pillow at you. Watching me while I’m sleeping? Next time, please say it in advance,” I scoffed.

I noticed the perpetual little smile and blushing out of nowhere.

I got up from the bed but not before I grabbed a little unicorn stuffed toy and threw it at her.

Jennie: 4, Irene: 0.

I was curled up on the couch, deeply engrossed in a book. I looked up to see Irene sitting across the room from me, watching me with a look of pure contentedness.

Upon locking eyes with me, she moved towards, wrapping herself around my body, breathing softly into my skin.

“What are you doing?” I asked, bemusedly.

“I’m just enjoying you. I’m appreciating you.” She said, looking up at me with those shining eyes. In that moment, they were my whole world.

“I, uh… I have to pee!”

Okay, that may not be the most intellectual of responses but I got away with it, left her clueless of what just happened in the room.

Jennie: 5, Irene: 0.

I had been holding her up for weeks now, and it's evident by how she looked at me that it's eating her up. I'm eating her up. Ha ha.

So as we're walking towards our school to get something from her locker, I kissed her as she was about to kiss me.

“I was not expecting that,” she said afterwards.

“You were taking too long.”

I have mastered the art of making myself look colder than I really am, when in reality I'm just a hopeless, awkward, bunny lover.

Jennie: 5, Irene: my heart.