Behind The Screens

6 | It's You.

Britten

"What on earth is wrong with you?" Mira asked me after I'd sighed for the thousandth time.

We- well Mira- was getting ready for the festival. I was moping around, stuck on my latest conversation with Pointless Blog. I'd just got done messaging him and the last thing we talked about was a girl he liked. I didn't know we were at the point of our "friendship" that he could tell me about his feelings for someone else, and it didn't make me happy. Maybe I should've told him how I felt sooner, rather than assuming he liked me and being wrong. But I guess I couldn't say too much because I was starting to have feelings for someone else too-  Alex Perez . . .
Oh, that Alex.

Mira threw an outfit on top of me. I gently pushed it to the side and sat up. "Whoa," Mira said. "um, you are not going to any festivals with that hair. Now, are you going to tell me what's wrong?" I shrugged.

Mira sat back and threw her hair into the perfect messy bun. I never knew how she always got her hair into such a nice messy bun. I rolled my eyes at her and changed into the outfit she threw at me. When I was dressed, I stood motionless in front of the mirror. Mira positioned herself beside me to do my hair. We had ten minutes before the guys got here.

"He doesn't like me." I said to the mirror. "Who?" Mira asked. I turned toward Mira, but she resisted. "No no no, we need to get your hair done, talk so I can finish it." I sighed and turned back at the mirror. "Pointless Blog." I replied. "I thought you liked Alex?" She said while finishing the first Dutch braid. "Bangs?" She asked. "That's weird." I said, touching at the front of my curls.

"To be honest, I don't really know." I explained. "It's like, when I'm with Alex, I feel this connection between us that attracts me to him. But when I'm chatting with Pointless Blog... I don't know. It's like the same- Ow!" It felt like Mira had ripped a few of my hairs out. I winced in pain. "Oops! Sorry!" She apologized.

I'd finally gotten done getting dressed and prepared for the night and as soon as I slipped on my shoes, there was a knock at the door. Mira went to go open the door. "Hey, guys!" She exclaimed. Alex caught sight of me and smiled. I gave him a half-hearted smile. His own slowly faded.

His face showed concern and he mouthed "what's wrong?" I waved him off. "Ready to go?" Tyler asked. "Yep." Mira replied and marched out of the door. Tyler tagged along behind her, but Alex stayed behind while I gathered my purse.

"Britten, what's up with you?" Alex asked, softly. I dreadfully draped my purse over my shoulder. "Nothing." I lied. "Britten... I know we... kind of just met a few days ago, but you can trust me..." He assured me, stepping closer. I looked him in the eye. "It's a guy." I responded after a silent pause. "Oh..." He grunted. I rolled my eyes and began walking out the door but he caught my arm.

"Wait... I'm sorry... continue." Alex said. He let go of my arm. "I don't mind listening." He gave me a sincere look. I leaned my head against the wall. "I... I really liked him." I began explaining. "And he likes someone else... smart, beautiful. All that I'm not." I sighed for the hundredth time today- and he smiled. Smiled. "You think this is a joke, pretty boy?" I said agressively. He held his hands up in defense and shook his head. "No... No... it's just that you are both of those things and so much more." He said. I smiled, then he took my hand and led me toward the beach.

Alex

When we arrived at the beach, Tyler and Mira were holding drinks and hit dogs in their hands. Tyler and I never ate hotdogs, so they must be good. "We get these all the time from food carts in New York." Mira was telling Tyler when we finally caught up.

"You like those things?" I asked Britten while still holding on to her hand. I wasn't sure if it was because she didn't mind or she didn't realize it.
"Like what?"
I pointed at the hot dog cart.
She nodded. "Want one? I'll pay." I offered with a smile. "Oh you don't have to-" She assured, but I insisted.

I led her to the hot dog cart and asked for two. "Thanks..." Britten said to the ground after I paid. "No problem." I replied. Anything for you. "When's the first band coming on?" I asked Tyler when we got back together. He shrugged, but someone behind me answered. "Five minutes." He said. I gave them a thumbs up.

"What is that?" Tyler asked. "What?" I said. "That," he pointed at me and Britten's hands. I tried to play it cool. "I was just walking her over here." He laughed. I looked at Britten and noticed her looking off into the sunset.

When Tyler turned his attention away from us, I took out my phone and opened up my blog. I took a picture of Britten and I's hands.

Her hands are soft... and her face, and her voice...

"What's up Cali?!" Someone yelled into the microphone. Startled, I dropped my phone while the fans cheered and clapped for the band. I let go of Britten and bent down to retrieve it, but when I came back up, she was walking away. I turned to Tyler and Mira to see if they were paying attention and when I saw that they weren't, I followed her.

"Hey, wait!" I called after her. I found Britten sitting under a tree with her head in her knees. She lifted her head and leaned it against the tree. I hurriedly squeezed through a few more people until I finally saw her clearly... crying. Red nosed, puffy eyed, mascara stained, crying.
"What's going on?" I asked while getting down to sit next to her. She shook her head. "I shouldn't be crying,"
"He's just a guy. It's just a stupid internet crush, that's all, but he doesn't like me. I'm not good enough for him." I sighed.

It was then that I realized that I was stupid for waiting to tell her who I really was? What was I waiting for anyway? Was I scared to how she'd react? Was I nervous that she wouldn't think I was that great after all? Or maybe I just didn't know how to bring it up. But right now, I'd decided it didn't matter, either it would make it worse or make it so much better, but that was the risk I was willing to take to make her happy again. I scooted a little closer and put my arm around her.

"You're more than good enough, Britten." I assured her. She leaned her head on my shoulder. "You're amazing and I'm glad to have met you- and I do, in fact, like you... so much." I told her. She looked up at me and smiled, but it soon faded. "That's sweet... but why do you have anything to do with him?" She questioned. I took my phone out to find my latest post. "I know you like me but- but I just... what is this?" I showed her the picture. "You-" Britten started to say, but instead exhaled forcefully in sort of a disbelief. "It's me." I admitted.

I took her face in my hands and wiped away one of her tears with my thumb. "Now stop crying, we're having a good time." I said. Then I kissed her. And so what if they tasted like hot dogs, it didn't matter because I was finally living the moment I'd imagined with the girl I'd fallen for.