best day ever.

chapter five

I studied James's car, something I wasn't able to do earlier.
It was a a simple truck, just black and shiny. It looked a little old, like it had been passed down. The back of the truck reminded me of those cliche moments in movies and tv when the boy and girl lay down together in it. I quickly scolded myself when I pictured myself and James together in it, also surprised that I didn't think of myself and Will instead.
Again, my brain liked to compare Will and James, though they weren't even in the same category for me. Will's car was shiny and new, a small dark blue car with tan leather cushions.
I walked to my front door and noticed the outside. The sky was no longer clear, just a cloudy gray. It was going to rain again, great. I became relieved when I remembered the concert was in an indoor stadium.
I opened the already unlocked door, and noticed a note near the door.
eliana, we have gone to the store! also, Charlotte left the house. Love, Penny.
Penelope's handwriting was easy to spot and I was glad my parents weren't home. The door was probably unlocked because Charlotte never locks the door when she leaves, another small mistake she has made that could cause big problems.
I had figured James would be inside, but I didn't hear or see any traces of him. I walked to my room past my kitchen and shut the door behind me, turning on the light. When I turned around, facing my window, I screamed.
James was not in my room, but in my backyard. The figure was dark and shadowy at  first, and I thought it was a murderer or something, before realizing it was him. He knocked on my window, and I opened it.
"So this one is your room." He smiled, a dimple evident in his face.
It was the first time I had seen a smile from him, and I took a moment to admire it. I was surprised at how damn attractive he was.
"Yes," I said as he climbed through the window. "Oh, I actually have to go take a shower. You don't have to stay." I repeated.
"I can just wait in here." He smiled again. Why was he smiling all of the sudden?
"Okay.." I said and wandered to the bathroom.
I turned on the shower and hummed Loud and Clear while removing my clothes. The steam filled up the bathroom, which I always enjoyed, and I wrote on the mirror with my finger. I let my mind control my hand, my index finger gliding across the mirror without me actually thinking. I didn't know what I wrote until I was done, and my eyes widened. I had written James.
It was stupid, was I really thinking of him? I mean, I had just found out my boyfriend was cheating on me. But for some reason there was something growing in the pit of my stomach, something that had James written all over it. I never had that with Will, sure, I liked him, he was a good boyfriend. But I never actually became infatuated by him, we were simple.
Again, I couldn't have liked James, not so quickly. It made me question myself. Had I ever actually felt any sort of love with Will? Had he actually hurt me that much? I thought that maybe I was glad we ended quicker, because if things went on, the boringness would still be there. I just wished it wasn't through his cheating on me.
I used my hand and wiped over his name then walked into the shower. It felt nice with the warm water hitting my skin. I began singing without even realizing it, the lyrics of Free by Wren Griffins took over me.
You make me feel free
when your hands are on my waist and my lips are on your mouth.
You make me feel free
when you're calling my name and we're lying down
James kept on consuming my thoughts, though. Maybe I really was going crazy. Maybe it was because James was the first boy I talked to after finding out about Will. Maybe my mind was tricking me.
So many maybes.
And still I only know one word.
James.
...
I exited my shower with my towel wrapped around me. I had forgotten to bring my clothes and began to panic.
James was probably still in my room, what was he doing? Maybe he was making fun of how empty my walls were or the utter messiness of my clothes. Maybe he saw how big my shoes are or how over sized my clothes are. Maybe he saw my stack of pads or the stick on plastic stars on my ceiling. Maybe he saw how many candles I had or how many succulents I had. Maybe he saw my large book case and all of the books I had, maybe he thought I was a nerd. Maybe he saw my art supplies, my drawings. I hadn't thought about all of the things in my room, how each little thing defined who I was. My plain white bed sheets, did that make me boring? Or maybe I wasn't thoughtful because I didn't have any memories or photos along my walls like his house did.
And now, what would he think when he only sees me in a towel?
I gripped onto the fluffy towel and walked through the hall, popping my face in the doorway, trying not to expose my whole body.
I knew I looked disheveled. I knew my makeup was smudged under my eyes and there was many hairs that escaped out of my bun. I felt vulnerable. No one has ever seen me straight out of the shower, so disheveled on the outside.
I observed him from the back, he was looking at my books, so close to my collection of diaries. He had taken his jacket off again, and his hair was disheveled, yet that made him look attractive, even just from behind.
"Umm," I mumbled, nervous for the moment when he sees me.
His head turned and then his eyes were on me. I kept on holding on the towel, so tight I was scared I would get a burn that you get from rugs. I had walked into my room awkwardly.
He was looking at me, at my bare legs and my bare arms. At my messy hair and my face. He kept on staring at my face, my eyes then my nose then my lips and back to my eyes. It felt like he was just looking into me, like he knew all my secrets. Maybe I looked like a clown with my makeup smudged. Maybe I looked like a mess. But I was a mess, this time I just couldn't hide it.
"I forgot my clothes." I said, then he acted like he was pulled out of a trance, his eyes swept over me once more and then the oceans were no longer on me, but on the ground. And then they dart back up, darted to me and then darted at his hands. He looked everywhere.
I grabbed the plastic bag from my floor and bolted back to the bathroom before he could say anything.
I finally was able to release my hand from the towel and I looked into the bag and inwardly screamed. Undergarments. I'm so stupid, was I really going to have to embarrass myself again? This wouldn't have even happened if he wanted to stay so bad, why did he want to anyway? He doesn't even know me, I don't know him.
I sat down and went on my phone, something I wasn't able to do earlier. A text from Cath, two texts from Will. I deleted Will's before I could read them and read Cath's, which was from earlier asking if I was okay. I checked instagram, checked twitter, checked snapchat.
I suddenly realized how boring everything really was, how everything was always the same. Same routine, same boyfriend. I check everything and it's all the same. Maybe something changed in me today, but not in anyone else.
I knew I couldn't stay in here forever and walked back to my room. Gladly, he wasn't there this time, gone again. I quickly grabbed a bra and underwear and scurried to the bathroom yet again before changing. I slid into the jeans which hugged my waist perfectly and then the shirt and flannel, doing exactly what Cath did when she had made me try it on. I then wiped the makeup from under my eyes with a wash cloth and removed the tie from my hair. I ran my hands through my long dark brown hair. And then I was out of the bathroom.
I walked downstairs, looking for James. I then saw Cath, sitting on my couch and laughing as soon as she saw me.
She had taken her honey blonde hair out of it's pony tail, her naturally straight hair laying on her shoulders effortlessly. She was wearing the outfit she had bought, and it suited her. Her face was as bare as mine, and I could tell she felt self conscious without the makeup. She didn't need it though, her face was empty of imperfections. I never understood why she was always dependent on it.
"James? James Reed?" She said, jumping up and walking to me. "Oh my god, he's your guest?"
"You saw him?" I asked, looking around. "Where is he?"
"I thought he was intruding or something so I told him to leave." She said. "He's at his car."
"Cath! You can't just kick him out, oh my god."
I walked outside barefooted and there he was, leaning on his truck again, staring at his phone. He looked up when he saw me.
"Sorry about her, she didn't know you were here." I said walking closer to him.
"Oh, it's fine." He smirked. He obviously thought it was funny, funny how Cath just kicked him out of my house.
I leaned next to him on his car, and for a moment, everything was just silent.
"How come you want to stay?" I blurted. I really wanted to know, for some reason. I didn't mean to sound rude, but my tone might have said otherwise.
"I think you're interesting." he said. I don't think he meant it in a mean way, at least that's what I thought.
"Thanks?" I said, confused if it was compliment of not.
"And I want to know you." He said, not seriously, yet somehow it burned me to the core.
And then I laughed. Not in a mean way again, I just laughed, my teeth showing and my eyes crinkled. I didn't know what was so funny, or why I was even laughing, but it felt nice. And he smiled, staring at me. I suddenly felt comfortable around him, felt like I have known him forever.
"I would invite you to the concert, but I only have two tickets." I said.
"Can I drive you?" I got the sensation that he had felt too, like we were meant to be talking to each other right here in this exact moment and in this exact spot. We were meant to be smiling at each other and we were meant to be happy.
I thought that I wouldn't be able to forget about Will, but right now, I did. I was content, I was warm, even though it was only around 30 degrees outside. I didn't feel the bite at my bare feet or the redness surfacing at my nose. Didn't feel anything really, just that thing at the pit of my stomach.
"If you really want to." I laughed again.
And there we were, laughing together in front of his truck, all dimples and small eyes. I didn't remember who Will was, what he looked like or what I thought I had felt for him. I thought I had something with Will that was special, but what I was feeling right now with James made that feel like it was nothing. I had never felt like this, not for Will, not for anyone. It was the brink of a new friendship, a new beginning maybe. It was a new me too, because James had changed me, ever since the day I met him, this day.

Sorry I haven't posted in a while, I'm actually on vacation! Don't worry, I'll be posting more now since I leave tomorrow. I hope you guys are enjoying the story! What do you think is going to happen next?
Have a suggestion? I might just use it, so tell me!
Also, like I said last time, please send any thoughts for celebrities to play each character. If you need descriptions just check my last authors note at the end of chapter three!
Love you guys, and happy reading
xx Leah