ILTHY | l.p.

20 | l-o-v-e

CHAPTER 𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘
❛ 𝗢𝗵, 𝗜'𝗺 𝗳𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻 ❜
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[ y/n ]

One second I was seven years old, sitting on the floor with my best friend, cutting paper hearts of different sizes. By then I thought about how it was my favorite shape. The next second I'm in high school, on the floor again, alone this time, yet still cutting those stupid hearts. Now I'm thinking about how stupid I look with paper hearts and broken dreams.

Well, not exactly broken, I know. The whole point of how this whole mess started was to make it. Except right now it makes me question how far I am letting myself be dragged and spun in this rollercoaster. I can't believe I'm making scrapbooks again after Michael.

Michael and his stupid blonde hair and blue eyes. He's everything Louis isn't. Louis is warm and cold, a rush of cold air that keeps me shivering but also the kind that warms me up inside like a cup of mom's hot chocolate. I don't even know why I'm making metaphors about my best friend's brother.

I hate Louis Partridge. I hate Louis. I hate Lou. I hate him. I hate his smile. I hate his eyes. I hate his hands.

Hands? Yeah, I mean anything about him I hate!

Totally wasn't staring long enough to memorize every feature, every freckle, golden specks in his eyes, and that stupid smile.

"Oh! That's a good picture!"

"Fuck—good gracious mom!" I screamed, almost throwing the scissors where the voice came from. I gasped out a breath, feeling my face heat up as if I was caught thinking of Louis more than I probably should.

Mom smiled, leaning down on the floor beside me and taking a photo. "This one captures your dimples."

"Mom, I don't have dimples."

"You do when you smile this way." My mom tilts her head, pure awe in her eyes. Her finger traced my printed face, and she chuckled. "The last time I saw your smile was when dad bought you your first set of drums. I could never forget it. You never loved anything more than you loved the beat."

My brows furrowed, but I felt myself soften up. It's true. No matter how stupid boys come and go in my life, I could never love them any better than I loved playing the drums.

"Who took this picture anyway?" Mom asks, now fully sitting across from me. This time, I'm the one who adjusts my position, peeking over to look at myself as well.

"Oh. Louis did. It was before he got us corn dogs at the amusement park downtown. It's so annoying, Mom. God, he pushed the camera up my face like I had no choice but to smile." I snort, explaining the brief background story.

"You weren't looking at the camera," she says.

"I guess so. I didn't mean to look at anything. I saw the camera and his stupid smug face. The bastard knew what he was doing, catching me off guard like that."

"Y/n, you weren't looking at the camera. You were looking at Louis," Mom repeats in a soft, breathless voice.

"Yeah. So?" I look away from my dimpled smile and look up at her, meeting her widened eyes and strange smile. She didn't say anything else.

ⵌ

"Do you ever sometimes think you're going insane?" I ask Millie.

"Everyone's bonkers."

"No, I mean, like the mental asylum kind of insane. The kind where you question reality." I clear out while grabbing my matcha drink from the counter. I met Millie at the cafe after noon, just for a normal hang-out with her.

"Oh," she makes a face, sipping on her order and looking me up and down. "Are you doing alright?"

I squirmed a bit. I didn't know how to answer the question ideally. The biggest talent show of my life is coming around the corner, and all I could think of is her older brother. Obviously I couldn't tell her that. I'd rather die with that secret.

"Just asking," I say curtly, now deciding to change the conversation. "How are things going on between you and Sam?"

My plan worked, luckily. Millie tucked her hair behind her ear and leaned closer, as if sharing a giggling secret. "I think Sam is going to ask me out after your performance. I caught him talking to Felix last week about it."

I smile. "That's amazing, Mills. I'm so happy Sam finally stuck his head out of his butt and is finally doing something."

She laughs and links our arms together while exiting the coffee shop. "I know, right? I know it took so long, and I had the longest crush on him ever. Sam is frustratingly slow, but I think I love him."

"What?" I jolt, stopping in my tracks. Millie Partridge? In love? Who is this girl in front of me right now?

"Oh shut up," Mille only laughs harder. Suddenly I could notice it. How her eyes gleam, her lips couldn't stop curving into a smile no matter how she bites down to stop it. "I love him, Y/n. No matter how much of an idiot he is. He can be the biggest idiot, and I'd fall even harder. He may be slow, but he's Sam. And I love Samuel Tyron."

My eyes could tear up; I could cry a river right now from seeing my best friend in love. My two best friends are in love with one another. I've known them both enough to know that this love story is greater than anything that ever happened. I didn't know what else to say after Millie's speech, so I pulled her in a hug, a very tight hug.

Love is so beautiful when true.

I hope one day I get that love too.

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