What You Don't Know - A Tom Holland Fic (WIP)

Chapter 3

The weeks go by, with every interaction between Tom and I being mildly awkward, and usually ending with me excusing myself. Every night, I go back to my apartment and just lie in bed cringing, thinking about all the embarrassing stuff I said throughout the day.

But when we're on set, when we're Ivy and Sebastian, everything changes. Like something clicks into place and the world melts away till we're not on some soundstage in Hollywood, California. Instead we're in Diamond Lake, Maine, the setting of Kissing Fireworks. Till the director calls cut, I have all the confidence and wit of my character. It's so weird.

We're on our last week of shooting at the studio before we leave to shoot on location at some remote lake town in Maine. We wrap up a scene between the man playing my father and myself and the director tells everyone to go to lunch. I grab my phone and my headphones and head for the catering table. Today, they are serving us sandwiches and chips. For some reason I thought studio food would be a bit more glamorous. I grab a veggie sub, a bag of Cheetos, and head for the picnic tables they have set up.

I put my earbuds in and hit my usual Spotify playlist. Harry Styles' voice graces my ears and I settle into an almost meditative state. At lunch I usually isolate myself and eat alone, one, because I'm way too shy to ask any of my co-stars to eat with me and two, if I'm not talking  to anyone, I'm not embarrassing myself in front of Tom.

Suddenly, I feel a tap on my shoulder that causes me to jump. I turn and... think of the devil... Tom stands behind me clutching two sub sandwiches and a bag of potato chips. I pull out an earbud and look at him, mildly shocked.

"Sorry," he says. "Didn't mean to sneak up on you like that. Do you mind if I..." he gestures to the table with his handful of sandwiches.

"Oh! No, of course!" I unplug my headphones turn back facing, forward and he sits opposite of me.

"Thanks, darling." He chirps.

I cough slightly. Not two years ago was I lying in my bedroom, watching a compilation video of Tom Holland saying "darling" over, and over again. I imagine this moment being added to the mix. I clear my throat.

"No problem." I say, hoping I can pass as mildly chill.

"What were you listening to?" He asks.

"Oh. Harry Styles. His new stuff."

"That's cool. You like Harry Styles?"

"Yeah, he's like my top celebrity crush." Right after you.

"You know, I know the guy?" He says casually.
I stare at him for a moment, disbelieving. "No you don't."

"Do too!" He challenges.

"No! You don't. You're just trying to get me to ask if you really do know him, then you're going to make some sarcastic comment about how 'not all British people know one another.' I'm not falling for it."
"What?" He gasps, clutching his chest. "I would do no such thing!"

I laugh. "Oh, I'm sure."

"Cross my heart and hope to die, Cordelia. Styles is like one of my closest friends."

I stare at him for a long moment before curiosity takes over. "Really?"

"NO, NOT REALLY! NOT ALL BRITISH PEOPLE KNOW ONE ANOTHER, COLLETT."

I throw a Cheeto at him from across the table. "Dick!" I shout.

"Hey, don't get angry with me. You're the one being racist." He eats the Cheeto I launched in his direction and smiles.

"You're annoying." I reply, because I can't think of anything clever to say.

He just shrugs and digs into his sandwiches. We sit there for a bit in silence, but for once, it's not an awkward silence. Occasionally he tries to steal more Cheetos from me, and I have to keep batting his hand away. It's a nice time. I feel my heart begin to flutter.

No. I think to myself. Rein it in.

I once my plate is clear I waste no time and stand up. "Okay, well I have to use the restroom, so I'll see you back on set."

"Wait!" He says through a mouth full of sandwich. He abruptly swallows and looks at me. "Why do you always do that?"

"Do what?"

"Run off. Like your scared of me or something." He smiles but something about his tone tells me he might actually be concerned that I'm intimidated by him. Which I am, but he shouldn't know that.

"I... I don't know. I guess I'm just scared I'll..." I trail off.

He finishes his second sandwich and stands, crossing over to meet me. "Scared you'll what?"

I can feel my face turning red. "I'm scared I'll say something stupid, I guess." I look down at my feet.

"Seriously? Collett, I say stupid things all day long, you genuinely don't have to be worried about that kind of thing around me. Trust me, I don't judge."

I nod, unconvinced. "Okay. Thanks."

"You don't believe me?"

"Look, it's just the way I'm wired. I'm weird and awkward, and just don't want anyone to think less of me."

"Delia, no one would ever think that."

My phone starts to buzz and I can see I have an incoming FaceTime call from Annie.

"I have to take this." I say, pointing at my phone.

Tom bows slightly, making a sweeping gesture with his hand. "By all means."

I smile slightly and walk past him, and around a trailer before I answer the call.

"What's up, baby? How's it going?" Annie asks.

"It's okay. I just ate lunch with Tom."

"Wow. Exciting stuff. Have you kissed him yet?"

"Not yet. I think they're waiting for all that stuff to happen when we're shooting on location."

"Right, right. Well, just wanted to call to check in. Haven't seen you in a hot second."

"I know. The schedule for this movie though is insane. Stained Glass Sky literally took a month to film."

"Yeah." She replies. "Just remember to text me or something every once in a while. Keep me updated on the hottie situation."

I roll my eyes. "Bye, Annie!"

"Bye, love you,"

"Love you, too." I say and hang up the call.

When I turn the corner, Tom is leaning on the opposite side. "Hottie situation, huh?" He quips.

"Jesus Christ! You scared me!"

"Again." He laughs. "My bad." He doesn't seem very apologetic.

"Were you listening to my phone call?"

"Just a lil. Hottie situation?" He raises his eyebrows and winks at me.

"Yeah. My friend Annie has a huge celebrity crush on you." I say, deflecting any suspicion of attraction  away from me.

"Maybe you'll have to introduce me to her." He winks and elbows me in the side and a feel a pang if jealousy in my chest. I force it down. "C'mon, we gotta get back."

"Coming." I answer.

He begins walking away and I just watch him go.
"Jesus Christ." I whisper to myself.