How To Be Beautiful.

The One Where he is rather charming.

"I just met Senna," I announced, putting on my seatbelt as the car turned towards the main street. "Really?" He asked, his eyes turning to look at me for a split second before turning back to the road ahead.

"Yeah, I ran into her by the theatre." I nodded. "What were you doing back there?" He asked in confusion.

"I went to bring Ash her shoes. They're having an outdoor practice, and she forgot them in her locker." I explained. "Mmmmm,"

"Don't," I teased in fake warning. "Oh, sorry." He smiled, noticing what he just did.

"You're forgiven," I smiled. "Thank you, Your Highness, that's so very kind of you." He replied with a smile of his own.

"Have you thought about what we should do for the voiceover? I asked, diverting my eyes away from his face and my thoughts away from his smile. "I was actually just about to talk to you about it!" He chuckled, his eyes still on the road.

"I have nothing," I shook my head even though he wasn't looking at me. "It's okay," He snodded, smiling again. God have mercy! "Because unlike someone, I actually thought about this." He teased.

"Ha ha ha," I fake laughed. "No, but seriously," He added, even though I could see a hint of a smile on his face. "I wanted to ask if any of these kids would be willing to narrate their stories?"

"Oh," I mumbled. "I think it would be great to have them voice out their own stories," He added, and I could feel the excitement rising up in his voice.

"I don't know if they'd be willing," I said. I think it was hard enough for them to share their stories with me, a stranger they found on the internet, let alone lend us their voices for the stories. It feels somewhat incriminating. "But I will ask," I added, refusing to crush his hopes without even asking. 

I got my phone out of my bag, kind of relieved for the escape. We have been pretty normal, I'm not gonna lie. And he wasn't making it awkward, which I cannot exactly say about myself, but we were navigating it well. Its simply that, my head cannot help but jump back to what happened in this specific car on that specific day when I see him and being in the same confined space with the same guy is not helping my case. "But even if some did say yes," I asked, already typing out the message. "What about the parts without narration?" I added as I copied the message before pasting it in the several chats I have on the website. "And the stories we found online?" 

"I don't know yet, but I am feeling music?" He suggested. "Or maybe one of us can do a voiceover?" He added. "Or subtitles," I suggested joining in on the brainstorming

"That works too," He nodded as I felt my phone vibrate in my hand. "Someone is asking how can he do it?" I said, reading the message on my screen. 

I looked up when I got no reply, to find we were already parked by my house, and I could tell by the look on his face that his mind went back to the same place that mine did. "I..," I mumbled, shoving my phone back into my bag before opening the door and jumping out of the car like it was on fire. "I think we should hurry in. Mom is probably waiting for us inside." I mumbled before rushing to the front door as I heard his footsteps quickly catching up with mine. 

"I always feel like mom is more excited to see you than her own flesh and blood," I spit out, trying to sport my most believabe, nonawkwadd chuckle as I opened the front door. "What can I say," He smiled, playing along. "I am rather charming," He added. 

"Don't flatter yourself too much," I said, giving him the side eye as we entered the house. "Shs just missed Alex, and you're the next good thing," I said, the conversation drifting into a comfortable one as we made our way into the kitchen. 

"Not true," said mom as she sat the pan she was holding on the table, "He is charming," she added as he kissed her on the cheek. "See?" She smiled as he stood next to her, smiling sheepishly, making me smile. He is adorable. 

"Whatever," I mumbled, trying to hide my smile as I scooped some cream out of one of the pans on the counter, gaining myself a glare from the woman who birthed me. "I'll go change," I announced, already turning to leave as I heard them mumble about me being jealous, which made me laugh as I ascended the stairs to my room. 

......

"Can I ask you something?" Said Zack as we walked together to class. "Sure, yeah." I shrugged. 

"Why did you run?" He asked as we turned the corner. "Ha?" I asked in confusion, turning to look at him.  "When Adam kissed you, why did you run away?" He explained as we entered the small classroom that was starting to fill up with students. "It's just," He added, taking his seat in the back. "It doesn't add up, no matter how much I try to make sense of it."  

"Like I said," I said. "I was caught off guard and didn't know how to react," I shrugged, hoping he would take it as the truth if I repeated it once again. "But were you?" He asked, looking at me suspiciously. Can't he ever play dumb or maybe you know be dumb and unobservant. 

"And now that I think about it, you did act weird back at the pizza parlour." He said, his eyebrows raised as he put together his chain of evidence. "It was nothing Sherlock." I said, "You're just overthinling," I added, hoping he would just believe me and drop the topic as I prayed for the bell to ring. The one time I need you to ring, the one time!

"It's Senna, isn't it?" He asked, catching me off guard. But from the look on his face, I could tell he knew he was right and I couldn't deny it. "What if it was?" I asked. 

"Then you would be acting stupid," He stated, his voice getting lower as someone occupied the desk in front of us. 

"I am not the one who disregarded it after," I exclaimed.

"Yes, I heard them talking back at the parlor and I didn't know what to make of it, and they looked pretty cosy," I said, irritated by the fact that he called me stupid. "And then he goes and kisses me? What was I supposed to make of that?" I added as the bell rang. Now you decide to ring!