EXPLANATION - chapter 9

What the fuck?
My left cheek sting as hell!
"You... You slapped me!" I shouted at her.
She was clearly embarassed: her face was completely red that I'd joke about it in other situation. "You could have said «No!» or something like that!" I kept screaming. "I didn't know you hated me that much!"
"Excuse me? You're the one who ignored me a whole week and when I asked you why you just glared and turned away!" She retorted.
"And slapping me solves anything?"
"Yes! I mean... No! But it helps..."
"What?" I can't believe it! What about anger management classes?
"Now you can start and explain why is that you've been running away from me." She stated while sitting down on my bed. "I demand an explanation."
She demands? "All right. I've been thinking." About you, truth to be told.
"Wow." She said emotionless. "That's a first."
"What? You wanted an explanation!"
"So, you started thinking and came to the conclusion that you don't want to hang out with me?"
"Hum? No, I never said that!" Is she insane? Where did she came up with that theory?
"Then «I've been thinking.» isn't an explanation for avoiding me."
"Errr... Just stop acting like that! I wasn't avoiding you! The thing is: the guys said some stuff and I needed some time to think about it." I explained. "On my own."
"Why didn't you tell me that? It would have been easier."
How was I going to get out of this? Now you could be very helpful. "It crossed my mind... But then you'd get in Sherlock Holmes' mode and try to find out what was the things they told me." I used as an excuse. A good one. "Now it's my turn of demanding explanations." She sat up straight and I continued. "Why did you slap me? If your excuse was true then you'd have done it earlier... Now spit it!"
She took a deep breath. "Well... You are my best friend and I don't want to ruin this friendship?..."
"I don't buy it."
"It was because of the shock?"
"Nope." She could at least put a bit more effort on it. "Let's put it other way... Why did you kissed back instead of pushing away?"
She didn't answer and look other way.
"So?"
She flushed even more.
"You're in love with other guy, right?" Her head snapped in my direction. "It's the only explanation..."
"What?" She whispered. "That's not it..."
"Then what is it?" I was boiling in rage. "I bet you like that Ben from the other class... Who wouldn't fall for a boy with blond hair and blue eyes who has the guts to proclaim is love in front of everyone? That's so typical that I'd never expected it from you..."
She was trembling with anger. "That is not true. You know that I hated the fact that he shouted out loud from the top of the stairs how much he loved me and wanted to be my lover... Besides he's not the one that I love."
See? I knew it! "So there's love after all!" I didn't try to hide the scowl on my face.
"..."
"Who is he?" She turned away. "Tell me."
"Why do you care anyway?" She asked. "You're one of the most popular guys on the school and you have a very large group of girls who gladly would date you... And that includes all the other girls in our class. So, why me?"
"In case you missed the kiss a while ago I love you!" I bet that now I was even more flushed than she was. "You and not any other girl on the whole school."
"Why?"
"Because you're not a typical girl..." I was smiling a bit now. "You understand me, solve all the «problems» I get into, don't crawl all over me expecting popularity and a lot of other things." I added.
She looked like she was about to cry but it was somewhat different... More like she was too happy. "True." She chuckled.
"The true reason why I was keeping some distance between us was because the boys were saying jokes about us acting like a old married couple, though we weren't one, and when I explained that they got all surprised because we looked like boyfriend and girlfriend because we're together all the time and so close... And about how protective I am of you." I told her. "So I started thinking about it and came to the conclusion that I cared about you... A lot. So I avoided you to think more clearly. When you came and confronted me about it I didn't meant to glare, I was just angry at myself about not noticing earlier how much I loved you and I totally forgot that you were there waiting for an explanation." I finished. I looked at her and notice how glad she was. "The least you could do is telling me who do you love... I'm still your friend."
"Fine."