When in Rome

Chapter ①②

Chapter ①②

I can't believe I have roughly only seventy three hours left in Rome. It would make more sense to refer to that as three days, but I feel like times catching up to us in minutes. Today is Thursday, tomorrow is Friday, Saturday is the play, and then Sunday we go back home. I still can't wrap my brain around it because it feels like one day I was complaining about sharing a room with Mason and here we are, already putting the finishing touches on the play. I also can't help, but wonder how this trip would've gone if the boys never came. Probably, a lot less hectic that's for sure.

I scan the backstage room quickly before picking up the clipboard I was sent to get. I admit, I do feel a bit smug at the fact that I am always the one in charge of the it. It makes me feel like I'm working on a real production; all professional and such. I turn around only to abruptly smack into a wall.

"Good morning." The wall speaks and I look up into mocking green eyes.

My faces involuntarily scrunches up as I bid him a, "good morning," back and he chuckles.

"What's with the face?"

"Well," I crane my neck, looking straight up at him. "Considering I just smashed my nose into the brick wall you call a chest, you'd probably make a face too."

"Well, besides that," he grins down at me, "how are you?"

I let out a breathy laugh and find myself looking back down at the clipboard in my hands. "I'm good."

"That's good." I sense his nod just before he leans in a little closer. "But what if I said you're about to feel even better."

"Oh." I meet his gaze again, playing along with the mockery. "And why's that?"

He allows a smirk to stretch across his lips before responding. "Because I'm here."

"Ha—" I short laugh escapes me before I shove the clipboard into his chest, shoving him back a step. "I beg to differ."

"Nah, I don't think you beg to differ considering we're friends now." He says not missing a beat as I walk past him.

"Oh, that's right." As if I forgot.

"Yup, so I guess now I'm obligated to call you Ade." I abruptly stop in my tracks, now in the middle of the stage, and he comes to stand in front of me, laughing at the disgusted look I'm now sporting. "Ade, Ade, Ade," he sings as I vigorously shake my head. "Ade, cade, bade, sade," he begins to list, ticking the words off with his fingers. "Made, tade, hade, Oh! Crusade, blade, fade, lade," he pauses and meets my gaze just so he can wink at that last one and in turn I send a slap to his chest.

"Alright," I sigh, more or less feigning my annoyance and I tilt my head to the side. "I guess if you're going to call me Ade, I need a nickname for you." We hold gazes for a second, his eyes still sparkling in amusement. "I'm thinking Macie, M.C., M-dog... which do you prefer?" I tilt my head to the opposite side throwing him another mocking look and he chuckles.

"You can call me whatever you want, love."

It takes me a second to register what he said before it seems my eyes pop out of their sockets. I glance at the floor to make sure I didn't lose one before looking back up at Mason only to see his smirk back in place.

"I think I prefer Ade better." I mumble and turn away to distract from the color entering my cheeks.

"What's that, love?" He did it on purpose this time leaving me to whip my head back around.

"I don't know, Mace." I settle on a nickname, wanting to reverse the roles, but he proudly pounds a fist onto his chest.

"No," He shakes his head with his lips pursed together in an exaggerated pout. "I'm M-dog now."