Admit It

19; half of a moment

Camila scanned for the lavender haired girl in the crowded hallway on her way to lunch. Lila had moved from Sacramento only a few weeks ago, and although Camila was rather new herself, she felt the responsibility to make sure she didn't go down the wrong hallway and end up in the gymnasium that smelled of old fish sandwiches and high school boys' uniforms. Lila was also her only friend apart from the slight friend she had in Brian, and of course Shawn, but the both of them were always at lunch earlier than anyone.

She spotted the purple, wavy hair near the lockers across the hallway. She rushed over and tapped the girl on the shoulder, and the affectionate girl gave a hard shove to her textbooks and hugged Camila.

"Hey, Camila," Lila said, letting go of her, her deep brown eyes still sparkling from under her glasses. "So I assume you're ready to spill your deep, dark secrets about your little fling with Shawn Mendes."

Ever since Camila admitted she went on a date with Shawn last night, Lila wouldn't stop asking questions. 'You don't even know Shawn, I don't know what interests you so much about him,' she typed, laughing a bit.

"Well, I know you decently well," she replied, grabbing her backpack and starting to walk down the hall. "And you wouldn't stop smiling this morning so you know damn well I want to hear what it was all about."

'It was kind of perfect. Maybe just a little bit perfect,' she admitted. 'I know nothing is ever perfectly perfect, but I feel like I would change nothing about that night if I had the chance to.'

"What's he like? Tall, brunette, handsome, and...?"

'Sweet. You and Shawn are both just the sweetest people. He's gentle, and he's kind. Kind of intense at the same time though. He's a lot of opposites and similarities mixed together.'

"Aw, you think I'm sweet! You're still better than me," Lila said. She'd moved from Japan to England when she was around kindergarten age, and out of England when she was in middle school, but she still spoke with a subtle but noticeable English accent. "Like what? Lactose intolerant but loves ice cream and dulce de leche?"

'I'm fairly sure he's very allergic to gluten but still likes pizza,' Camila shrugged, smiling. 'He's kind and gentle, but also assertive when he needs it. He's got a lot of internal walls, but he tries so hard to be truthful. He's golden with me, but he has a bad reputation here. Sometimes it seems hard to describe him.'

Lila raised an eyebrow. "Why does he have a bad reputation?"

'It's hard to say why, most of the boys here have gotten in so many more fights than him. People here just don't know what to expect from him- and he has a bit of a dark persona- so they keep away from him.'

"It's just high school," she said. "Everybody judges, and that's fine. As long as he's not actually a dick."

'He's not a dick. Rumors will always just be rumors, but Shawn is just... perfect in his own shadow of fault, you know?'

"He's waving to you."

Camila snapped to Lila, mouthing, What? Lila gave a subtle nod to the table in the corner of the small outdoor lunch space, but Camila had already locked eyes with the boy.

Staring over his history notes, ignoring the nudges of the redhead boy sitting beside him, there he was. His chocolate curls fell messily over his forehead and his lips melted into a soft smile as he pulled her into his stare, so perfectly entrancing without doing a thing. The rest of the world seemed to blur into one when the two locked eyes, but maybe it was only that way to her. Slowly, she beckoned for Lila to follow and paced toward him.