Aimed At You

Chapter 3

 There's something about one another that they can't seem to put a finger on. They can't stop staring at each other, and they won't. Nathan's eyebrows furrow as he holds eye contact with the nameless girl, while the girl shows no expression in her face. At least, that's what she thought. 

"You really don't want to tell me your name?" he asks as he tried to read her crystal blue eyes.

"I don't have to tell you anything." 

He chuckled and leaned forward, pressing his hands together. "Okay, why were you at Vance?" She leaned forward, mimicking Nathan and not uttering a word, causing him to tilt his head in confusion. "Hmm" he hummed, nodding. "You weren't there for the challenge, clearly. You're not an employee. Or maybe- are you?"

Again, he got no response and resorted to shaking his head instead. "You are the most talkative person I've ever met, you know?" For a second, Nathan saw a small smile form on her lips, which were immediately covered by the straw she used to drink the chocolate milkshake. "You ask too many questions.", she said as she put the milkshake down on the table. 

"Well, you don't really answer any of them."

"Hmm, it's probably because I don't want to." she states, scrunching her nose in the process. Nathan would be lying if he said he didn't find that adorable. "Okay." He said as he sat back again, crossing his arms. 

"Sure."

"Alright."

"Fine."

Nathan, not breaking eye contact, gestures toward the girl's fries. "You gonna eat that?", he inquired. She looks at his ring-covered hand, then to her abandoned plate of fries. She pursed her lips and stared right back at him for the thousandth time today before she answered. "I mean, that's why I bought it."

He grabbed 3 of her fries and ate it as he watches her reaction. She scowled and swatted his hand away when he attempted to grab another. "Is the competition your primary source of income?" 

He choked on the fry he was chewing, surprised at the bluntness of her question, or the fact that she said something other than sarcasm.  She wrote something on a tissue, then smirked as she handed the milkshake to him, surprising him once more. Once he calmed down, he handed the milkshake back to her and said, "Oh, how the tables have turned." 

She rolled her eyes. "I assume it is. You earn a great deal of money from it, though it is practically gambling. If you lose, you're gonna have to say goodbye to all that money."

"Who said I was gonna lose?" He said, brow quirking up.

"Your arrogance will get you nowhere."

"Your sarcasm will get you nowhere." he imitates her. "I have a job, too. I don't live off of gambling, honey. Don't worry about me." 

"Who said I was?" She said, almost too quickly. He laughed, again. "Okay, don't get too defensive." He playfully said, raising both hands up in surrender. 

Nathan then put his left hand out towards her, "I'm Nathan, in case you didn't know." The girl scoffed at his arrogance, staring at his extended hand for a second, then finally shaking it. "Okay." 

He grinned, "And you are?" She didn't say anything. Instead, the girl sneered, stood up, then left the bill on the table along with a folded tissue. Nathan watched the bright red-haired girl walk out of the diner and followed her with his eyes through the window. When she ultimately disappeared, he shook his head and grabbed another fry, when he noticed the tissue. He opened it with curious eyes and read the words written in neat and small penmanship, "It's Lexie, stalker."

He smiled to himself and tucked the tissue in the pocket of his pants. "Lexie."