catching feelings | paxton hall yoshida |

eight.

word count: 1,918
tw: mentions of death
*****

"This is beyond frustrating," Georgia groaned as she lost a match against Paxton, yet again. The boy had a cocky grin planted on his face. "I think I have to start practicing daily now."

He laughed, setting his controller down on the coffee table. "Wanna do something else?"

"Sure! Like what?"

"Likeee," he looked around the room, searching for an idea.

Georgia spotted a deck of cards across the room. "Have you ever played speed?"

He shook his head, "I don't think so." She stood and retrieved the deck of cards, sitting criss cross on the floor in front of the coffee table. She patted the spot on the ground in front of her before shuffling and dealing out the cards.

"Alright so," she pushed her hair that had fallen in front of her face behind her ear. She explained the rules of the game and Paxton listened to her words carefully.

"Okay I think I've got it."

They played a practice round in which Georgia won, but Paxton began to get the hang of it and actually provided her with a challenge.

"Speed!" Georgia called out, excited, as she played her final card in the third round. Paxton rolled his eyes, and she collected the cards to shuffle again. "Games are so much more fun when I'm the one winning," she smirked triumphantly.

"Whatever," Paxton chuckled. He grabbed his speaker off of the coffee table and turned it on while she dealt out cards. Music began drifting softly out of the speaker. "How are you liking Sherman Oaks so far?"

"So far, I love it." She smiled fondly. "I think that's all because of you and Trent though."

He smirked, "Is that so?"

She laughed. "Yeah if I hadn't met you guys day one, I'd probably be eating lunch alone. It's hard for me to put myself out there to make friends sometimes."

"How come?"

She shrugged. "I get anxious. I'm a people pleaser, so I'm scared of not being liked."

Paxton chuckled, "You're literally a ray of sunshine. What's not to like?"

"There could always be something."

"Well, you are very well liked here. If it helps, I haven't heard anyone say a single negative thing about you."

She smiled. "That does help, thank you."

"Anytime." He grinned back. "You and your brother seem close."

"We are! He's like my best friend. Is that sad?"

"A little." They laughed.

"Do you have any siblings?"

"I do, I have an older sister. Rebecca."

"Oh cool! Are you guys close, too?"

Paxton nodded. "Yeah, we're pretty tight."

"That's really good, it makes me sad when families don't get along."

"Yeah, I'm blessed," he smiled softly at her. "You're close with your mom, too? I feel like you've got to be if you ask permission to go to 'no parents' parties," he chuckled.

She giggled at his reference. "Yeah I think we're pretty close," she agreed. "She's a pretty cool mom. And I know she works hard to provide for us. I really appreciate everything she's done for me and Thomas."

"What about your dad?" Paxton's eyes were full of curiosity before he realized she had tensed up. "Sorry you do not need to answer that."

Georgia giggled and rested a hand on his arm. "It's fine. You can ask me anything, I'm an open book." He smiled gratefully and listened carefully. "He passed away six years ago. It was a car crash. I was actually... in the car with him." She pulled the hem of her shirt away from her neck and her fingers lightly felt for the thin scar just under her collarbone. "This was from the seatbelt."