Love Is a Losing Game // Joel Pimentel

30 | The World

Chapter Thirty

Joel's POV

Winter ball for me was a social event that always led to some type of drama and some gossip. Every year a rumor would be brought up to my attention, usually one that included me. So when it finally came time to ask someone, I knew I couldn't put Blu through all of that.

Instead I asked some girl named Payton that had asked me personally. She had smiled happily at my response and then told me she had already bought a baby blue dress. I nodded and said we would match, seeing as how I had the same shade of blue she had described.

"I can't wait," she grinned.

Now I was laying on the edge of my bed thinking about how Yoandri was going with Blu. I think about how they are going to match, how they are going to slow dance and probably kiss just like they did today.

In front of everyone.

I groan and rub my eyes with the palms of my hand, wondering where it all went wrong, why she hadn't picked me to give her the affection I knew I could offer.

She deserved the world.

***

"Are you almost done with that slide?" Blu asks from her place on my desk as she goes through her index cards for our presentation. I nod at her and begin to type the last sentence before running through it to check for any errors.

This was one of the last actual times I would be with Blu alone in my room. The project was due the day of winter ball, which was less than two weeks away, and we had to practice presenting it. 

I glance over my laptop to look at the girl who had somehow managed to make me care for her without even noticing that she had done so. She had curls coming out of her bun, her eyes were concentrated on the deck of cards before her, and she was mumbling softly to herself.

She seems to feel my eyes on her but I look away before she can catch me. I clear my throat and look up, "I'm done, if you wanna practice now?" Blu smiles and nods, "Sure. Let's do it."

***

"And that is what we learned about each other in our project," we say simultaneously, cheesing at absolutely nothing in particular.

We both laugh at how we ended the presentation and she grins, giving me a fist bump. "Let's go!" she hypes us up. I grin back and match the energy she was giving, "This is honestly such a good presentation, princesa, I can't wait to blow them away."

She stops jumping up and down and looks at me as if I just sucked away all the air in the room. Her eyes were big and questioning, as if trying to determine whether or not she had heard correctly. It's only when I look back at my words that I realize my mistake.

"Oh, shit. I'm so sorry, that slipped out," I say as I scratch the back of my neck, my cheeks turning red.

"It's cool," she says with a soft smile that leaves butterflies fluttering in my stomach and makes my body flush hot for a second too long. I'm the one to break the awkward tension by suggesting that we continue practicing and she agrees immediately.

After a couple of run throughs, we manage to get it down under the time limit of fifteen minutes and then decide to chill before she has to go home.

"So do you know what you're wearing?" I ask her as I plop down on my bed, curiosity getting the best of me. The tips of Blu's ears turn pink at the question and she nods once, "Yeah, I'm wearing a red dress."

I smile at the thought of Blu dressed up formally and realize how stunning she would look in such attire. She would most definitely rock it, just as she does with whatever she wears.

"Sounds cute," I compliment.

She nods once more before looking over at me then back at her notebook. Her eyes flutter towards mine and I see a small hint of hesitation in them.

"What's up?" I ask her as I sit up from my position.

Blu shrugs and grabs the pencil nearest her. "Just wondering what it would be like to draw you properly," she says softly.

At her simple words my cheeks flush with pink and my heart tugs at my chest. We make eye contact for a couple of seconds and I see the small longing in them, begging me to say yes so that we can have a little more time together.

I finally sigh, "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Please," she says barely above a whisper.

Her eyes look into the depths of my own, wandering around to see what she could find, but I don't let her get too far before responding, "Fine, why don't you give it a try then?"

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a/n

good morning. a h a h a h a