Pizza n' Tea: A Weird Combination

7. Is that how you ask a girl for her number?

Fin: sometime in beginning of 2021

We're lounging on the couch in silence when Shaun says, "Hey, give me your number."

"What, this is how you ask a girl for her number these days?" I raise my eyebrow at him.

He gets up to face me. "Hey girl. I think I'm a snowflake," he bats his eyelashes at me. "Cuz I've just fallen for you." He pokes my shoulder.

I gag and jump up from the couch. "I simultaneously want to slap you and run away from you." I stick my hand out. "Give me your phone." He beams his pearly whites in my face as he slaps his phone into my hand. He cranes his head over my shoulder to watch while I tap in my digits. Just as I press confirm, he grabs the phone back. "I just called you, so once your phone is charged, you'll have mine too," he says cheerfully.

I hum. "That's great."

"You don't sound excited Bailey. Why aren't you excited? You know what, I don't care. What socials you got? Let me add you."

"Facebook." I throw myself on the couch.

Shaun types it into his notes. "Mhm, what else?" I say nothing, just sitting there. He looks up. "Bailey, what else?"

"Uh, that's it. I don't really use social media. I don't remember the last time I even opened Facebook. Too busy working," I shrug. "You know?"

He stares at me with a small look of sadness. "I don't know a single 20-something-year-old who uses less than 3 socials." He shakes his head. "No matter." He heads over to his laptop and turns it on. "Good thing I charged this thing before the storm."

I slouch on the couch with my eyes closed while Shaun taps away on his laptop. I drum my fingers on the armrest, ears homing in on the systematic ticking of the clock.

"Bailey."

"Hmm...?" I answer, half asleep.

"What's your email?"

"pandagirl64, one word no caps, gmail," eyes still closed. He snorts.

"I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear that."

"What's your favorite animal? Never mind, I know. What's your favorite color?"

"Teal blue." I stop drumming my fingers. "What are you doing?"

"Making you socials."

I sit up. "What. Why. I don't need them."

"Yes, you do. Everyone needs them." He taps the enter key with finality and walks over to me. "Now it's time to take pictures!"

"Nooooo!" I wail. I shoot up from my seat and race towards the stairs, but Shaun hand latches onto my arm just as I make my escape, pulling me straight into his arms.

"You're not going anywhere, Miss Pandagirl," he whispers in my ear. I freeze.

"Why are you whispering. Can you not whisper?" I hear him chuckle behind me.

He drags me over to some green fern with giant leaves. "Stand still. The lighting here is perfect."

I sag my shoulders down, melting towards the floor. "Do I have to? Can't I just leave it empty? Everyone does that these-"

He raises one eyebrow at me. "No." He pulls me back up. "Don't worry, I'm an expert cameraman. I'll make you look beautiful."

"Not that that's hard," he mutters. I pretend I don't hear him and look out the window. Nothing has changed. Shaun's house is so big and there isn't anything nearby, so I doubt this area is a priority for sanitation to plow the snow out.

I turn back around to see Shaun on the ground, camera pointing up at me.

I snicker. "What are you doing?"

"Making you look taller."

"Are you implying that I'm short?" I squat down and squeeze a hand on his shoulder, digging my nails in.

"Ow ow ow. No, you're tall, you're tall! Let go!"

"I'll have you know, I am five feet three inches. That is the average height for a female." I release his shoulder and walk back to the fern.

"Yes, yes, you're right." He lays on the floor and massages his shoulder.

"Are you done taking the picture?"

Shaun is staring at his screen. "Shaun? I said, are you finished with the picture?"

"Huh? Oh, uh, yeah. I think it, uh, great came out. I mean, it came out really great." He scratches his head. "You want to see?" He offers his phone over.

I take a look and hand it back to him. "It looks ok, I guess."

"Alright, your profiles are all done! Now you've got Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat."

"Gee, thanks. I'm never using them."

"Never say never. I've taken the liberty of adding myself to all of them. Be prepared for me to send you photos everyday."

"...Please no."