Just a Crush: Dear Diary (Oli Sykes)

Chapter Seventeen: Ducks, Tattoos and Twilight

'I can't believe this. I've managed to force Oli to watch Pride and Prejudice with me! Ha!:)'

I nervously fixed the black dress I'd borrowed from Gemma. I think I slept an hour in total, and I didn't know if the weirdness I felt in my body was sleep deprivation or nerves. Probably both, though. It was 5 to 9, and I was waiting by the festival entrance like we'd agreed. I regretted coming early because it gave me more time to overthink whether Remington would even show up. I kept checking the time on my phone, and the closer it got to 9, the more nervous I felt.

"Guess who," a voice spoke behind as the person covered my eyes with his hands. I squealed happily and turned around. "You came," I grinned. "Of course, I came. Were you doubting me?" he asked. "No, I was just a bit nervous," I admitted. "You look pretty, by the way," he said and took a step back. "I borrowed the dress from Gemma," I said. "The soulmate?" He asked. "Aye," I nodded. "You know what you would look even better in?" He asked. "What?" My eyebrows knit in confusion. "My arms," he winked. "Oh my God," I laughed. He remembered I liked cheesy pick-up lines. That's a bit cute, innit? "Wait, I have one, too. I seem to have misplaced my phone number. May I have yours?" I asked. He placed his hand over his heart dramatically and said, "You're killing me, Leonora. Ugh. Let's just go before I ask you to marry me again," he said and grabbed my hand. "Where are we going?" I asked. "I don't know, really, but I do have a cab waiting for us outside the parking lot," he said. "Well, where is the taxi going to take us then, if you don't know where we're going?" I asked, a bit flabbergasted. "Just trust me, okay?" He said, squeezing my hand reassuringly. "Are you a very spontaneous person?" I asked him. "Just a little bit," he grinned. "Alright," I nodded. "Why? Aren't you? Spontaneous, I mean?" He asked. "I don't know, really. I might be," I shrugged. "How very mysterious," he noted. "Aye, mysterious Len is what they call me," I nodded with a serious expression. "Do they now?" He asked amusedly. "All the time," I said with a light laugh.

Our conversation was cut short when we arrived where the taxi was waiting for us. Remington was a proper gentleman and opened the door for me. "Sorry to have kept you waiting," he told the driver when he sat beside me. "S'alright, sir. Where are we going today?" The driver asked. "Somewhere in the city where it's beautiful. Do you have any suggestions?" Remmy asked. "I can drop you off at Heaton Park. It's quite picturesque at this time of year," the man answered. "Heaton park it is then," Remmy nodded, and we drove off.

Remmy chatted with the driver a bit as we drove while I stayed quiet. I was a bit tired still and just enjoying the feeling of my hand in his.

When we arrived, Remington paid the driver, and then we exited the taxi. The many acres of the park stretched out before us. It really was beautiful. We walked in comfortable silence for a bit before we found a bench near a pond to sit on. "This is gorgeous," I hummed happily as I watched a family of ducks swim in a perfect line. "It really is. I love ducks," he said. "Me too! They're really adorable, aren't they?" I nodded. "Especially the ducklings," he added. "Blimey, are we having small talk right now?" I asked. "Yeah, but look on the bright side. At least we're not talking about the weather, right?" He chuckled. "Not yet," I said. "So for the sake of getting the weather talk out of the way, what's your favourite?" He asked, fully turning toward me. "My favourite weather? D'you know what? I don't have one, I reckon. Maybe when it's warm and sunny? I really like wind, though. The kind that knocks the air out of your lungs," I told him. "You like having the air knocked out of you?" He asked with amusement. "Only sometimes. Stop laughing. I'm serious. When you're on a hill somewhere and a strong gust of wind blows through you and you can't breathe, and it's just so beautifully overwhelming for a second. I love that," I explained. "That sounds like something from Pride and Prejudice," he commented. "It does, doesn't it? I really like that film," I said. "My mom is a big fan of Jane Austen's novels. I've only read like two of them, but they're good, yeah," he said. "I've never read any," I admitted. "What? But you're British. And a girl. Don't you guys have some sort of law about that?" He asked, gobsmacked at my confession. "No, actually, there's only a law about reading the Harry Potter books," I explained. "Oh, my bad. That's great, though. I feel like everyone should read Harry Potter at least once in their lives," Remmy said. "I reckon you're a fan then?" I asked. "Yes! Are you?" He asked. "I am. Those are the only books I've read of my own volition. Which house are you in?" I questioned. "Guess," he grinned. "Hmm, well, you're quite goofy and sweet, so I'd say Hufflepuff, but then again, you're also quite eccentric, so maybe Ravenclaw," I thought out loud. "I'm actually a Slytherin," he grinned. "Really?" I asked, surprised. "Yup, I even have the Dark Mark tattooed on my arm, see?" He showed me his forearm. "That's so cool," I gushed. "What about you? Which house are you in?" He asked. "I'm a Hufflepuff, of course," I said. "Hmm, yeah, I guess I can see it," he said thoughtfully.