iridescent ↠ grayson dolan ✓

↠ t h r e e

{ c h a p t e r t h r e e }
lauren's pov ;

There was certainly more to Grayson Dolan than met the eye.

For the first few days, their friendship was mainly built over small actions that involved their shared distaste for their boring lives. Soon enough though, she could practically feel Grayson's comfort increasing around her, and they became fast friends. It felt nice to talk to someone who related to her.

Lauren liked Grayson. She liked the way that they didn't have to say anything to each other and they'd still enjoy each other's company. She liked the way his eyes shone when he smiled at her as she walked in each morning. She liked that he was always so ready to listen, and how he never resorted to sympathy when she talked about her bad days.

She liked having a friend.

That day, it was raining. When she walked in, Grayson beamed at her, his pearly white teeth glimmering in the dully lit room. The lights were off, and fragments of light floated through the windows.

"Rain." He said, smiling.

Lauren smiled back. "Rain."

It seemed to be raining an awful lot in the past month. Not that she minded, rainy days with Grayson we're pretty much her favorite. According to him, rainy days were traditionally spent tangled in a warm blanket, watching movies with popcorn and sweets. And so that was what they did.

She hung her coat up as Grayson shifted onto one side of his bed.

Lauren remembered the very first time she attempted going just a step near his bed to fetch a tissue. His entire body stiffened and all the color drained from his face. She could practically see waves of white seeping to his knuckles as he clutched the sheets of his bed.

This time, she simply sat down next to him. Their arms were pressed together and their knees slightly touched, both of which made Lauren's skin tingle. She glanced at Grayson to make sure he was okay. He shot her a reassuring smile and handed her some popcorn.

"You pick." Grayson said, handing her the case. Lauren chose one at random, not turning over the DVD until it was inside the TV. They did this each time, so they never knew which movie would be playing until it started. It was silly, really, but it was little things like this that made their friendship- well, their friendship.

The room was chilly, and the two sat closer to each other than they ever did before. Lauren was cautious around Grayson, just in case he felt uncomfortable. But she knew how much he hated it when people acted as though he was fragile, so she decided to not spare it another thought.

The movie started, and Grayson recognized it immediately. His eyes lit up and an excited giggle escaped his lips. "Paper Towns." He gushed.

Lauren looked at him and laughed. He looked like a little kid on Christmas. "What?"

"You've never watched Paper Towns?" He asked incredulously.

Lauren shook her head. "Is it any good?"

"Only the best movie ever made."

Lauren laughed at Grayson's enthusiasm. She watched him carefully at the beginning. She saw the way his hazel eyes lit up with childish delight at certain scenes, or noticed the way he mouthed the words ever so slightly. It made her wonder how many times he watched it. Turning her attention back to the movie, she realized what a good one it really was. It excited her, the idea of a spontaneous road trip, or a mission of some sort.