Learning From The Bad Boy

Go Get Her Tiger

The mall was just on the outside of town. It was strategically placed for any tourist to stop in after their day at the beach. Lana and her friends, Scott, Emily and Joseph were seated in brightly colored yellow and orange chairs eating frozen yogurt. Clearly a heated debate was taking place. Lana and Emily moved their arms wildly. The guys sat and watched in amusement.

"You're just sexist pigs. Like all men." Emily declared, folding her arms over her chest.

"No." Scott said, leaning forward on his elbows, "All were saying is women shouldn't be muscular." He shuddered in repulsion. Joseph nodded in agreement. His light blond curls bouncing as he did so.

Lana narrowed her eyes. "So if I became a bodybuilder, you both would quit being my friends?"

The guys looked at eachother. They almost seemed to gauge eachothers reactions, seeing how they should respond.

"Yes." Scott said in finality. Joseph elbowed him, his cheeks going pink as he looked at Lana.

She raised an eyebrow that seemed to disappear under her light brown hair.

I stood silently and watched in amusement.

"I'd still be your friend, Lana Bear." He said meekly, looking up at her under his lightly colored eyelashes.

Pleased by his response, she looked back at Scott. Hell, even I'd falter under her glare. He shrunk back in his seat, letting the long strands of his hair shield his eyes from her death stare.

"Alright she demon! Quit with the satanic stare!" Scott practically shouted.

Lana and Emily high fived in celebration of breaking him.

Slowly I moved to sit in the empty chair.

"I never knew that Scott was such an chauvinist." I said sarcastically.

His face dropped. "I am not a chauvinist!"

We laughed at his flustered response.

"I'm just kidding Scott. But don't be jealous when Lana has bigger muscles than you one day."

For added effect Lana flexed her small arms.

Scott rolled his eyes, but Joseph watched her intently. A glimmer of affection shone in his light blue eyes.

"Alright Celia, Emily." She looked at the boys, "Pigs. Let's go get some shopping done!"

The boys both grumbled out their objections to shopping, only to be ignored. Lana and Emily walked into a Bath and Body Works, putting body sprays and lotions on the guys. They insisted it was to help them figure out what to buy.

Joseph strayed away from the group, but kept a soft gaze on the girls, Lana especially. I stepped towards him, pretending to be reading the label on a bottle of shower gel.

"You like her don't you?" I said nonchalantly.

Joseph jumped at least 5 inches off of the ground at my voice. His cheeks turning a shade of light pink. "Who Lana? No way." He laughed, but it was strained.

I examined the label, skimming through the ingredients. Papaya extract? Interesting.

"I think you're lying." I shrugged, feigning indifference.

He gulped audibly.

"So why don't you ask her out?" I questioned.

His light brown eyes widened. He blinked once. Then again. "You're not kidding are you?"

I gave him a look. "Why would I be joking?"

He sputtered out a laugh. "Lana doesn't go for guys like me."

"Guys like you?" I asked in confusion.

He sighed. "Look at me! I'm pale, and I can't do a push up to save my life! I've known her long enough to know what her type actually is." Joseph hung his head.

"Do tell. What exactly is her type?" I grinned encouragingly.

"Guys like Marcos, and Austin."

I laughed a little, "I know she's tough, but both of them? Kind of seems like a task." I joked a little.

He grimaced at the image I burned into his brain. "That's just gross, Celia."

I rolled my eyes. "Kind of the point. But anyways, the football players? I don't really see her dating them."

He shook his head. "I'm just not the guy she's looking for. To look at them, and then me..." He ran a hand through the messy white blond curls on his head. "I don't stand a chance."

I shoved him a little. "That's a lie. Lana is smart, I don't know her well, but I do know that." I stated firmly. "And I know Marcos and Austin. They're both airheads. Now tell me, does the Lana you know like idiots?"

"Well no-"

"Then what's the issue?" I cut him off. "You like her, so go get her before someone else does!"

If I wasn't ever going to live out my dreams of romanticism, I was going to make someone else do it for me.

"I don't know-"

"Well I do!" I said laughing at his facial expressions.

Lana's eyes snapped over to where Joseph and I were standing. The smile slipped off of her face when she took in how close Joseph and I were standing together. Her face became clear of emotion when she saw my smile.

Jackpot.

"She likes you too." I whispered, now completely sure of myself.

His pale eyebrows rose. "How do you know?"

"She's jealous."

He folded his thin arms across his chest. "And how do you know that?"

"That look she gave me. She thinks I'm trying to snag you." I giggled a little at the outrageous thought.

Suprise flashed over his features. "You think so?"

I looked back over to Lana who was now sneaking glances at Joseph and I.

"I know so."

This gave him confidence. He nodded. "Okay."

I smiled. "Go get her tiger."

A soft smile reached his eyes. "Thank you Celia."

I smiled back. "I'm going to find some paint brushes, I'll catch up with you all later."

He nodded, as we parted ways. The relieved look on Lana's face when he came back to her side was a definite confirmation. Yes. Both were quite taken with eachother, and all it took was a little bit of a push.

I left the store and wandered around the shopping center. The realization that the only craft store that might have any form of painting supplies was on the opposite end of the mall crashed down on me. It was hard enough to walk without looking like a zombie for a short distance, let alone across the whole damned mall.

Freaking great, I thought as I looked around for a short cut.

Well I could always take the elevator, and take a chance on a different store.

With that sounding more appealing than walking any further than I had to, I walked to the elevator with a little hop in my step.

The doors began to close, but a hand shot out, keeping it open.

Tanned skin and sandy blond hair stepped through the elevator doors.

"Andrew?"

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I just love you all so much! The comments make my day! I can't promise anymore super fast updates, but three in a row? I'm kind of proud of myself. Just a little. Much love to everyone reading, voting, commenting. You know who you are and you're amazing!!!

Oh and forgive the typos/grammatical errors I haven't read through this.