London Boy | Jamie Flatters

One

I've never been the type of person to dream big. When I was a little girl, and my birth father was still around, he made it pretty clear that dreaming big got you nowhere in life. I can clearly remember being five years old, mom had just signed me up for piano lessons, and he freaked, claiming it was a waste of money.

    Whenever I'd sing around the house as a kid, he'd drunkenly yell for me to shut up, taking my CD player away so I could no longer play music. When he wasn't yelling at me, he'd be yelling at mom, though his words were always much harsher to her, and it usually ended with her crying. When I was 6, she finally left him, taking me and never looking back. Not long after that, she met my stepdad, the two marrying a year later and eventually giving birth to my sister, Trinity.

    It was odd, now living in a house with two loving parents. My birth father cut off all contact as soon as we left, and slowly, this man who randomly entered our lives one day became my dad too, the four of us becoming a family. When Trinity told us she wanted to be an actress at just four years old, I backed her up 100% never wanting my little sister to feel like she couldn't do anything she set her mind to. When she booked the role in Avatar, I happily started online high school so I could go to Los Angeles with her, wanting to be with my sister through every step of her journey.

    Which is why when she asked me to join her as her guardian on the press tour, I didn't hesitate to say yes; there's nowhere I'd rather be than here, watching as my little sister lives out all of her wildest dreams. I've also grown close to her castmates, whom we're headed to see now.

    "I can't wait to see their reactions," Trinity squeals, squeezing my hand as she drags me down the hallway. Today is day one of press for them, and Trinity was insanely energetic for someone who had to wake up before sunrise; Disney wanting us in their theme park before opening. "I told them mom was coming as my guardian."

    "They'll probably be disappointed," I shrug, tone laced with sarcasm as I press the elevator buttons as we enter. Though I can't help but smile, an excited feeling floating through me as the elevator moves downward.

    When I moved to be with my sister, longing to stay with her while she filmed, I never expected to become friends with any of her co-stars; but we clicked from day one, the rest of them treating me like one of the gang, always inviting me to tag along.

     The lobby of the hotel is eerily quiet as we exit the elevator. It's far too early in the morning for anyone but the employees and the cast to be awake. I spot a few of Trinity's cast mates sitting at couches near the exit, waiting for our ride to get here. They're facing away from us, all on their phones, unable to notice my sister and I approaching from behind.

    I pause as Trinity begins speaking, her voice breaking the silence, smirking excitedly as she announces my presence, something she'd been waiting weeks to do, claiming that telling them I'd be joining in person would be way more fun than over text. "Is no one going to say hi to Eden?" She asks innocently, giggling as all of their gazes fly over to us.

    Bailey and Lilly are the first to run over, the two of them practically knocking me over as they pull me into a group hug. The two of them played sisters in the movie, both a part of the Metkayina clan. "I thought you couldn't make it?" Bailey slaps my arm lightly once we pull away, excited.

    "I thought it'd be fun to surprise you," Trinity informed the two of them as Lilly wrapped her arm around my younger sister, pulling her into our group. She looks absolutely stunning, her blonde hair curled into waves, the blue corset top she's wearing making her blue eyes pop.

   "It was pure torture not being able to tell you," I admit, playfully rolling my eyes, "but I couldn't miss this."

    "Okay, okay," Jack walks over, placing his hands on Lilly and Bailey's shoulders as he gently moves them away. Despite being younger than me, he's much taller. It's crazy how much he's grown over these last five years, "my turn."

    "Hey, Jack," I greet him, smiling as the younger boy wraps me in his arms, picking me up slightly. I laugh, "if people didn't know, they'd think it's been years since we lost each other." I inform him. It's only been two months since I'd seen everyone last, but Jack's always been the kind of person who greets you with the biggest hug. It's sweet.

    When he finally places me back on the ground, Jamie walks over, waiting for his turn to say hi. He's always been more shy than the others and much less affectionate. While Bailey, Lilly and Jack are constantly hugging me at random moments, Jamie's more closed off, awkward about physical touch.

    I expected Jamie to wave; I'd grown used to his shy nature, though sometimes, I selfishly wished he was just as affectionate as the others. I'm shocked when he steps forward, hand reaching for my waist as he pulls me into a hug. "Hey, trouble." His breath tickles the side of my neck as he whispers his greeting just for me. He'd given me that nickname forever ago when I convinced him to sneak off set in his mocap suit to get smoothies, the two of us getting into trouble by James. "We missed you."

    For some reason, the word we makes my heart drop. It's stupid, really, to believe that Jamie could ever feel the way I do, and I'd never dare admit out loud that I missed him a little bit more than the others, knowing he'd probably be weirded out by it. "You know I hate that nickname," I mutter, completely lying. I feel the exact opposite, to be honest, though again, I'd never admit that out loud. "It was one time."

    Jamie hums, his body vibrating against mine as he chuckles, tone still quiet, like we're sharing secrets, "we both know that's a lie." He mutters, and I can't help but frown as his grip on my loosens, pulling away until he's looking at me.

    Jamie's always had these insane eyes, a greyish blue that I could only compare to a storm cloud, far more interesting than my plain old brown ones. It isn't until I'm no longer wrapped in his arms that I remember everyone else standing around us, all silent now, watching the pair of us. Jamie must remember them too because he lets go of me entirely, stepping back, as he clears his throat, "It's uh, good to see you, Eden." He nods, his cheeks growing a faint shade of pink.

    When I first met him, I used to think his blushing meant something. Like, maybe he felt the same way about me, but I'd come to learn Jamie is easily flustered, his cheeks almost always coated with a faint blush. "Yeah," I nod, trying not to seem disappointed that the moment between us was over, "you too."

    Before either of us can say anything else, one of their managers informs us that the bus is here to take us to the park. Jamie turning around, leaving the moment in the past. He probably wouldn't think much of it, but I don't know if I can just move on, my mind replaying the moment in my head, wishing there was a way to freeze it, missing the way his hands felt on me.

    Bailey links her arm through mine as we walk to the bus. Lilly, Jack and Trinity walk ahead; my sister is taking selfies with them as Jack carries her on his back. "Well, that was something." She muses out loud, nodding towards Jamie, who's back on his phone, typing away. "Jamie's not usually the hugging type."

  She's smirking like she knows something I don't. I'd confided in Bailey forever ago when I first started crushing, swearing her to secrecy, and sometimes, her imagination tends to run a bit wild, causing her to tease me whenever Jamie looks at me for a few seconds extra, claiming it must mean something.

    I used to believe her, but it's been forever, and nothing has happened. Honestly, it's much easier to just push my feelings away. Clearly, Jamie just wants to be friends, and I will not let my silly little infatuation with him ruin our friendship.

Ahhh I am so excited for you all to see Jamies and Eden's relationship progress. You're in for a wild ride!
Please don't be a silent reader, comment your thoughts and what you'd like to see happen in this story.
I completely suck at writing first chapters for some reason! I promise this will get better lol