Moon Rise (Ryan Magee)

ten

y/n

When the next astronomy lab day rolls around, I'm fully prepared to bitch Ryan out, ignore him completely, or drop the class. Thank God Tucker is there, though. I didn't tell him about anything that happened- in fact, I don't think he even really knows I like(d) Ryan. 

"Hey, kiddo. Where's Ryan?" He asks, sitting down beside me, telescope in tow. 

"Who cares?" I reply, scoffing.

"Woah... you okay?" He asks, seeming genuinely concerned. 

"Yeah... yeah. I just... I saw Ryan and Callie kiss the other night. I think they may be a thing now.

"What? He told me he didn't like her all that much. Honestly, I don't know what I saw in her either."

"Really? What changed?" 

"Okay, so I work in writing center, you know? I help people write their papers and all that." I nod. "So, Callie comes in one day and asks for help writing a paper. It's a paper about an iconic piece of art. So, she's talking about the Mona Lisa." I brace myself for the stupid. "She says, 'well, I think Leonardo DiCaprio did an amazing job, but there's nothing all that exciting about it. His performance in Titanic was much more iconic.'" 

"NO FUCKING WAY." 

"Ms. <y/l/n>..." The professor has just walked in as I call out the "f" word. Tucker and I shrink into our seats. As soon as his back is turned, we dissolve into a fit of giggles. 

Callie strolls in and shoots me a look. 

"Have fun with your little boyfriend, y/n." She says as she passes the row of seats Tucker and I are in. 

"What grade did you get on your paper about Oscar-winner Leonardo DiCaprio's paramount painting, Mona Lisa? You know it was based off of Panic! At the Disco's timeless song "The Ballad of Mona Lisa, right?" 

Tucker bursts out laughing, making Callie turn bright red. She comes back down to our row and leans close to Tucker's face. 

"Why didn't you tell me that? That was a good piece of information!" She's serious. Oh, my God, she's serious. I laugh harder than I've laughed all year, with Tucker displaying the same fit of laughter beside me. 

After we've calmed down, I wonder why she made that crack about Tucker being "my little boyfriend." I shake it off, glad to be done with her. 

After class, Tucker and I decide to work on our next project together. It's a project that's really for extra credit. And it doesn't necessarily have to be a group project, but we decide to work on our separately... together. We agree to meet at his house on Saturday to start working. He's an amazing painter, so he decides to paint the full moon. 

Since I'm into photography, my project is gonna be a time-lapse picture story of the sky from sunset to sunrise. Tucker's parents' house apparently has a great view of the sunrise/set, so we decide to do it there. 

Both of our classes for the day are miraculously cancelled for the day because of an oncoming storm. It's November now, and South Carolina almost always has a huge storm this time of year. <a/n: do i look like a fuckin meteorologist pls just pretend this is real> 

"So... y/n... I was kinda thinking... would you maybe want to see a movie tonight or something?" He's walked me to my car, and we've spent several minutes talking about how dark it is for so early in the day. 

"Yeah, sure, maybe I'll see if my roomies wanna join?" I take out my phone and unlock it, but Tucker covers it up.

"No, y/n," he chuckles nervously. "I was wondering if maybe you'd wanna... like... go on a date? I think maybe there's something here," he gestures to the space between us, and goosebumps rise all over my arms and legs, "and I'd really like to see... like, where it goes."