a kiss is just a kiss

007

*monday at skl*

i'm so confused. i don't know what to do or say or how to act but i knew i had to try and avoid louis at all costs to save myself from embarrassment.

"i think we should go and book out the auditorium so no one disturbs us," i commented after a period of awkward silence.

"uh okay. i'll go book it," nailea says. we head to the auditorium while nailea heads over to the office to book.

as we entered the auditorium i was stunned to see louis standing there alone as if he was waiting for us this whole time.

"uh- if you're using the auditorium we can go somewhere else.." i stutter.

"i was actually waiting for you guys to get here so we could spend our break in here. i booked it actually," louis replied. a couple minutes later, nailea comes running in.

"GUYS! the auditorium...is already...booked," she slowly says as she slowly realises that louis was already here.

"yep, thanks for pointing out the obvious nailea," lukes says.

"so...shall we get the whole rehearsing part started?" i ask everyone. after the whole awkward meeting, we walked up to the stage, unpacked our stuff and louis and i began practising for our auditions that were happening later that day.

"so..do you know who you're paired up with for the auditions?" i question after a minute of silence.

"uh yeah. i'm with...chelsea," he says slowly knowing how awkward it would be for him to mention her name.

"cool..." i slowly answered. we had a free period next so we continued to stay in the auditorium and just chill while we waited for the next period to start.

"so why were you hanging out with chelsea?" nailea, luke and valerie say at the same time coincidentally. i choked on my water and brought my hand up to my mouth to try stop the water from spilling out of my mouth.

"uhm...well this is awkward," he mutters.

"you got that right," i agreed. "guys, just leave it. if he wants to hang out with that iguana then let him be," i joked. the rest of the group laughed along except louis who just sat there quietly. "louis, you should probably go practise with chelsea since she'll be your partner and as we all know, i'm the better actress so you might want to get used to her before you make a fool out of yourself at the auditions." he stood up and packed his things but before he left he turned to me and asked "can i talk to you nova...in private please?"

"uh sure," i replied uncomfortably before i got up and followed him.

"are you okay?" he said once we were out of earshot.

"sure. i'm just a bit upset that chelsea got you as your partner for the auditions." obviously this was a lie. i had to try and act like i wanted him to be my partner so he wouldn't know i was trying to avoid him.

"well i can request for us to be partners. i'm sure they'll allow it," he shrugged.

"oh you don't have to. seriously, it's fine." there was no way i could let us be partners. clearly i didn't think this through.

i currently had third period with luke and i was talking about me and louis' moment last night to me having to do my auditions with louis at the end of the day. i was not looking forward to it all but there was a part of me that was glad that this was all happening. that's weird...

"well i think you should talk to him. tell him how you're feeling. i'm sure he'll understand, how could he not? he's louis partridge," luke shrugged. luke was always the best to go to when you needed advice on certain things. he's like the mum of the group.

"okay, i'll talk to him during lunch. do you mind if you take nailea and valerie and go somewhere else so i can talk to louis alone," i ask quietly.

"yeah, of course."

during lunch, i went to find louis so i could speak to him about how i was feeling with what happened last night. soon enough, i found him by his locker grabbing his lunch. i was about to reach him but i backed out at the last minute and started to walk away.

"hey nova!" i hear louis beamingly say.

i turned around and awkwardly said "hey louis." there was no going back now. he started walking alongside me and after a long while of silence i finally spoke. "auditions...we should practise. don't you think?"

"thought you'd never ask," he smirked. we went off to the auditorium to practise and of course, we were the only ones. to be honest, i don't know what i was expecting because i had already told luke to take valerie and nailea elsewhere and no one was ever in the auditorium.
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louis took my hand.

"if i profane with my unworthiest hand this holy shrine, the gentle sin is this: my lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand to smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss," he spoke.

"good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much, which mannerly devotion shows in this, for saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch, and palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss," i rehearsed.

"have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?"

"ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer."

"o, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do. they pray; grant thou, lest faith turn to despair."

"saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake."

"then move not, while my prayer's effect I take." louis looked deep into my eyes and i didn't know what to do. the next scene was the first kiss that romeo and juliet had shared and with the awkwardness between me and louis...that was not going to happen.

"STOP!" the casting director yelled.

"stop?" i muttered. louis sensed that i was nervous so he grabbed my hand.

"ladies and gentlemen, i think we found our romeo and juliet." there were people in the audience and we all heard chelsea scream and run out of the auditorium as the casting director beamed with happiness. louis and i whipped our heads to face each other with our mouths gaped wide open. louis spread his hands out and i jumped right into them. he spun me around and i felt like i was on top of the world, i didn't want to be anywhere else.

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authors note
hey guys. new chapter. ik its kind of a mess and  there might be mistakes so im sorry abt that but i was just trying to get u a new chapter asap. i think ill publish another 2 or three tmrw or the next day after that.