stay (jenna ortega x female reader) AU (editing and revising)

chapter 2

Your POV

    I felt my shoelace being tugged against the bike pedal with each stride I took. I tried to ignore it as I rode down the steep hill of the avenue, softly humming the tune of a song that was stuck in my head. My bike vibrated ever so slightly with each cobblestone the fragile tires hit. The strain of my shoelace was becoming worse and worse, so I couldn't resist the urge I had to look down to see what was going on. Unfortunately, I picked the worst time and place to do so. By the time I got to see that the lace of my black Converse was wrapped around the pedal, I noticed a figure in my peripheral vision becoming closer and closer. I finally looked up, but it was too late. I made a desperate attempt to get the girl to move by frantically ringing the bell on my bike, but it was no use. I gripped the brake lever on my front handlebar with such force that thankfully, the bike came to a complete stop and the girl didn't become a complete pancake. The problem? The bike came to a complete stop.

  I got launched off the bike and did a little flip before tackling the poor girl in front of me. I heard plastic clatter against the ground as we slid a good couple inches before coming to a stop. I felt a stinging pain on the backside of my forearm, and I could already tell a bruise was forming on my knee. I groaned in pain and opened my eyes. I was greeted with mesmerizing dark brown eyes filled with surprise. I gawked at the drop-dead gorgeous girl just a few inches away, endearing her every feature. Her flowy black hair sat perfectly a few inches below her shoulders, and she had curtain bangs that sculpted her face perfectly. She had soft lips and a perfect button nose, splattered with faint freckles. I soon began to realize what just happened and noticed my other surroundings, and quickly stopped admiring the girl below me. Another realization- I was on top of her with my messy (your hair color) hair hanging on her forehead. As if on cue, I watched as her shock turned into anger and embarrassment. The girl suddenly kicked me off her and quickly stood up.

"What the hell? Watch where you're going." She said with a terrifying glare.

"I-I'm sorry." I stuttered, trying to think straight thoughts. The mystery girl bent down and started hastily picking up the spilled food and coffee. Everyone at Melina Café sat and stared at the scene, including the people inside whose heads were turned looking out the café window from indoors. She got back up and stormed inside, leaving me in awe at her beauty. I snapped back into reality and looked around to see everyone now staring at me. I gulped and felt my face turn hot from embarrassment. I quickly turned around and saw my bike laying lopsided on the cobblestone. I ran to it and bent down to tie my shoes, but the damage was already done. I felt horrible, and silently cursed myself at how much of an idiot I was. I picked up the bike from the ground and hopped on it. I pedaled as swiftly as I could, wanting to get out of there as soon as possible.

I set course for my house, which was a quick ten minute bike ride away. I rode through the nearly car-less streets with speed and stamina I didn't know I had. Concrete buildings about three stories high decorated with flowers and a sea of colors stood stacked together on each side of the boulevard. I had lived in Plaka, Athens my entire life, so I knew every nook and cranny of this place, as well as the people. I also knew I had to be cautious with how I represent myself. The people are friendly until you're different from a social norm, such as being gay. I tried my best to hide it, though it was hard at times. The only people who knew about me were Maddie and Eddie, and it took a long time to tell even my childhood best friends, who love me unconditionally. I still had not told my mom, unsure of what her reaction would be. She was the sweetest person I knew, but I just didn't know. So, my solution was to not tell her.

I turned onto a small pathway about six feet wide and traveled down the narrow course. Small patches of grass and weeds laid in between each cobblestone brick. Overgrown plants and vines draped from balconies above, providing shade from the blazing sun. Each side of the unsteady stone pathway was decorated with flower pots so tall it went up just below my waist. The cup shaped pots overflowed with plants and flowers sacred to Greece. My mom is a florist and has a small stand set up, where she sells an array of flowers in the summer. I unsurprisingly know a lot about flowers and plants because of this reason, and people are shocked when I can point out a flower and name it. It's my hidden talent.