Barbie and Ken | ✔️

Barbie and Ken [15]

Dedicated to Bookwormforever18 because of she submitted options when the title changed. Not sure if you're aware, but the title of Barbie and Ken used to be The Nerdy Model & The Bad Boy Pranker, and this amazing lady was one of the participants in the competition to change the name. BTW - this is her favourite chapter. We both believe something adorable happens in this chapter so stay tuned ;) 

☼Leila Perez☼

I shifted when I first woke up. Today's my sixteenth birthday. But... I don't exactly feel older.

Then I realised I wasn't sleeping in my bed. I was sitting on someone's lap. That someone was snoring extremely loudly. And smelt of rosemary. 

I bolted upright in Castor Cruz's lap and widened my eyes. Everything from last night raced back to me and I leapt up and paced. Not only did I lose my best friend yesterday afternoon, but we'd been offered a two-month contract with Sports Illustrated AU, the highest profiting health magazine in Australia [A/N: probably not true, used fictitiously] and I'd watched A Walk to Remember with Castor, listened to him say he was worried about his dad and... oh crap. I stopped dead. I'd completed broken down in front of him. 

I hurried up to my bathroom and peered into the mirror. Sure enough, my eyes were still puffy and my hair was a mess. I went straight for the shower and washed myself from head to toe. 

I was definitely sixteen. Everything about me seemed to... glow. My hips were out, my waist was in, my bust was... the same. 

I washed my hair and then stepped out of the bathroom. I quickly ran my hair through with a brush and braided it back, still wet. I squeezed the plait with the towel and looked around for my clothes. 

I sighed at my own stupidity. I only had my clothes from yesterday and what's the point of having a shower if you're going to wear the same clothes? 

I wrapped a towel around me and stepped out into the hall. Good, I thought, peering downstairs into the living room. Castor was gone. I walked into my bedroom and pulled out a bra and undies that Lucy had dropped off to me. I pulled them on and sighed. Castor had changed me from the girl that wore skinny jeans and baggy shirts to school to the supermodel I actually am. But today I felt strange and different. I found a pair of this season's light blue skinny jeans from General Pants Co. and a black tank top. I found this season's sleeveless hoodie from PINK and pulled it on over the top. Then I went for last season's bright green high-tops. I looked back through my window where Castor was getting dressed himself. 

Crap, I'd forgotten to close my blinds... again. But I took the moment to admire his tanned back muscles before he pulled on a dark red button-up and pushed the sleeves up to his elbows. I swallowed and called out, "Thanks for last night, Jerk!"

He glanced over his shoulder and smirked, "No problem, Barbie. Though, I probably could have had a little warning that you were going to break down in front of me like that."

[A/N: I'm doing this a lot lately, but I really, really want to add this :)]

⚔Castor Cruz⚔

I also could have had a little warning that you were going to get up this morning so I could have made you birthday coffee.

☼Leila Perez☼

"Sorry," I blushed and looked down at my high-tops.

He shrugged and glanced to his desk. I furrowed my eyebrows at the dark blue velvet box. It had P inscribed in silver. Prouds? 

"Who's that for?" I sat in the bay window, curious.

Castor frowned at the box. He looked confused himself, like he didn't know why it was there.

He finally sighed and picked up the box. He joined me in his bay window and held the box out with a smirk, "Happy Birthday?"

But it sounded more like a question than a statement.

I grinned at him anyway, "Thanks, Castor."

I took the box gratefully out of his hand and opened it gently. My face broke in half to a smile. Not a pretty or confident smile I pull for the cameras, but a goofy I-can't-believe-this smile. On a long elegant silver chain was a medium-sized silver charm...

It was a t-shirt engraved with the number two.

I looked up at Castor, "A t-shirt necklace?"

"Do you like it?" he asked. Was he... was he nervous?

"I love it," I admitted, "But... what does the two stand for?"

He chuckled, "That used to be my mum's. The two stands for the number I have on the back of my rugby jersey."

I widened my eyes and looked back down at the beautiful necklace. I whispered in a hoarse voice, "Thank you so much Castor."

I looped it around my neck and did up the clasp. I said again, "Thanks."

I let it fall under my hoodie and closed my window. I shoved my schoolbooks into my bag and walked downstairs. I looked into the pantry and sighed. I needed to do some food shopping. I had no more teabags, nor carob powder, nor fruit even. I really craved an apple right now. 

I walked outside and into the Cruz's household where everything and everyone was chaos. Zoe was dancing around the living room in a blue and white dress with a red neck-tie. Her feet were bare. I looked down at my watch. She needs to be at school in twenty minutes.

"Zoe," I called gently.

She stopped dancing and turned to me, "Leila!"

She wrapped me in a hug. I lifted her up, "Come on, let's get some shoes on your feet."

I found her socks on the coffee table and managed to get her still for a few seconds to get them on. Then she began dancing again while I tried to find her leather school shoes. The primary school around the corner had a uniform. My school didn't have a uniform because they want us to give out self-expression. 

Long story short, I found one of her shoes behind a pillow on the lounge and the other beneath the TV cabinet. I got her to fit her feet into them. Then she smiled brightly at me, "What's for breakfast?"

"In here!" Rachel called. I followed the dancing five-year-old into the kitchen where Rachel was just pouring some milk into three bowls of cereal. Next to the three bowls sat a fruit salad. She handed me the fruit salad with a wink.

I smiled, "Thanks Rachel."

I tossed the strawberries into my mouth as she tried to force Zoe to stop dancing and eat her cereal. 

Rachel finally succeeded and yelled, "Castor! Get down here please!"

He ran down the stairs carrying two bags. His school bag, but also a sports bag. I cocked my head at it.

He grinned, "Rugby try-outs this afternoon."

"Right," I nodded once. Though I'd had no idea.

He scoffed down his cereal and said, "Recess and lunch?"

She retorted, "Manners."

"Please and thank you," he teased.

She laid out three apples and three pieces of lentil lasagna. I chewed my lip, "How'd you know?"

"Your mum forgets the necessities," she winked. 

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So I hope you enjoyed :) If you did, leave me a comment, if you didn't, tell me what I can improve on. How are you? Leave me a comment and a vote if you're healthy or sick. If you're sick, I hope you feel better. Shoutout to those that are reading this at 1am. A bit unproductive but sweet I hope. 

Sharky.