𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝 ~ ✰☽ 𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐱 𝐟𝐞𝐦 𝐨𝐜

~ twenty one ~

"Please forgive me?" Amara begs as she does my hair for today. I've been tense all morning. Me and Louis practiced our scripts a few times last night, but then I left as soon as I could.
And like I said, now we're awkward again. Because god forbid the boy and I ever get along for one full day.

Louis looks at me from the corner of his eye, Willow working on him. I feel my face burn up and look back at Amara through the mirror.
"Fine. I forgive you," I budge.

"Yes!" She jumps a little bit in cheer and I can't help but smile a bit.
"I promise I won't make things weird between you two," she says and slips one more bobby pin into my hair.

Louis stands up as Willow hands him his costume, and then he heads to the changing room to get ready.
I let out a sigh of relief and sink in my chair, while Amara grabs onto some light concealer and begins dabbing it on my skin.

"So..." she whispers, "what's going on with you two?"
I could tell that this time she meant it in a genuine way, and wasn't trying to make me fall for him.
I start cracking my knuckles and bouncing my leg.

"We just- we tried to hang out yesterday. We're trying to get along and stuff it's just every time something happens to make things uncomfortable," I admit, both of us talking in a whisper so Louis doesn't hear.

It's hard because I actually like hanging out with him. I like it when we get along and stuff. But it only lasts so long before it's ruined.

"I get that," she shrugs, "you want me to help?"

"Wait what?"

"I'll help."

"How?"

"I got some tricks up my sleeve," she chuckles, "I'm still in my twenties. I know my ways."

The girl finishes my makeup and then turns to grab my costume again.
"Here you are Enola Holmes, go ahead and change. I might watch from off set today," she smiles.

I take the clothes from her and nod a bit, letting myself smile too.
"Thanks..."

And then I turn on my heels and start walking to the changing room.
Be professional. Be professional. Be profession-

"Oh shit!" I yell, after opening the door to the changing room and seeing Louis, shirtless as he was finishing putting his shirt on.
I slam it shut and feel my face burn to a thousand degrees.
"Sorry I'm sorry I- I didn't mean- sorry-" I stutter through the door as I hear Louis' chuckle.
"You're good y/n don't worry," he assures, opening the door again with an open shirt on, showing his skin as he carefully buttoned it up.

Shit look away y/n

I awkwardly look up at his eyes, not sure why I felt butterflies, but I did.
"I didn't mean to walk in on you..." I mumble, taking a couple steps back.

"You didn't. This is the last piece to the costume," he smiles, finishing buttoning it up and then throwing on the cream colored suit.
"I thought you had brothers... or have you just never seen a boy without a shirt?" He teases, walking past me with a little nudge.

"I have I- I just didn't expect to see you sh-shirtless..." I stutter, clenching my jaw after each sentence and biting my tongue.

"I gotta get into costume- see you in a sec."

Holy shit holy shit holy shit that did not just happen. I did not just see that oh my goodness lord have mercy on me.

The second I hear the door shut I melt in my puddle of humiliation. I drop my head into my hands and quietly whine to myself.