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005

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PART FIVE

i set off in my baby blue porsche to meet zoe at the beverly hills sign. i remember to put her phone in my pocket as well as my own.

i was kinda excited but also very nervous, turning my snapback backwards and fixing my hair.

once i saw the sign in the distance, i parked in a nearby parking lot and searched for a girl with similar looks in the picture. i decided to sit on the edge of the fountain and looked at the time on my phone. 2:03 pm. she would be here any minute now.

i was looking left and right since i didn't know which direction she was coming from. my heart began to pound every time a brunette girl would walk past me.

then, suddenly, i saw a girl with the exact same appearance as the picture and my heart fell further to my ass with every step she took closer. a nervous smile formed on my lips and she was finally close enough.

"grayson, right?" her voice spoke with a strong english accent.
"yeah, hi, it's me," i replied and we both laughed. i pulled her into a welcoming hug, getting a whiff of coconuts from her hair.

"thank you so much for returning my phone," she thanked as i handed her phone back with the cat lockscreen.
"it's nice to meet you," i said, slipping my hands into my pants pockets.
"and you too!"

────
imessage
e 😎

is this weird?

is what weird?

well i gave her
her phone back
and we started
talking and now
we are gonna go
for sushi as a
thank you gift

haha i mean she's
paying i'd do it

well i know
you would do
it, should i?

well you don't
have anything
else to do today

yolo

true
read

────

we went to wasabi which was a few blocks away but as we were walking, i got to know her a bit better. she was born, raised and currently lives in london, england and has been travelling around the states for 6 months. LA is her last stop. she also has a 15-year-old sister called jade.

"so," zoe started once our food arrived, "what did you get?"
"i went for... i can't remember... rice, something?" i said, listening to her laugh synchronise with mine.

i unwrapped my chopsticks from the paper they're kept in.
"i love this place but i'm not very good at using chopsticks," i confessed.
"oh my god, same, i'm gonna embarrass myself in front of you," she said, looking down at her food and smiling.

"so am i." i began to place the chopsticks in between my fingers and struggled to pick up a piece of nigiri. she giggled, making me smile nervously.

"i believe in you, don't worry," zoe told me.

────

"what's this jar for?" zoe asked, picking up a small jar, full of hair ties, from the table.
"oh, it's for tying your hair up so it doesn't go in your food," i replied, watching the confused face on her face and chuckled at it.

"really? no way!" she giggled, getting one out, "you try one, if you have enough hair."

my mouth fell open, pretending to be offended and took my snapback off. my hair fell down and she laughed at the mess. i took one from her hand, fisted as much hair as i could in one hand, before tying the hair tie around it.

"oh god, this is so weird," i grinned, feeling heat rush to my cheeks, i hope she didn't see it.
"no, it looks amazing, like a pineapple."

i chuckled at her comment, "you've got to try it too!"
"no, my hair is a mess!" zoe protested.
"come on!" i begged her, dragging the word 'on'.

she brushed through her hair with her fingers first before tying it up. of course, hers was a lot bigger than mine.

"it does look like a pineapple," i laughed and she joined in. god, i love her laugh, it's contagious.

"don't worry, it's a very cute pineapple," i said, not believing i actually said that.
"aww, thanks," she thanked, a small pink tint forming on her cheeks. she fixed her hair slightly.

"this actually hurts, i don't know how you girls do it," i said, holding my hair tie in my hair.
"it's probably a bit too tight. here."

zoe leant across the table and i leant my head forward. she wrapped her fingers around the small ponytail, pulling it apart slightly. quickly, my head felt a lot more relaxed.

"is that better?" she asked softly. i put my head back up and instantly looked into her eyes.

they were a stunning color of chestnut brown with a hint of green. they were majestic. she stared back into mine and it's like time stopped. everyone around us turned into blurred shapes and the background music drowned out. it was like it was just the two of us.

"um, yeah," i croaked out in a raspy voice, surprised that she even heard me. zoe blinked a few times before leaning back and sitting down in her seat. she awkwardly cleared her throat and looked down at her food, fiddling with her chopsticks.

"enjoying the food?" she asked innocently. i nodded, stumbling over words in my head, and still taken back by the sweet color of her eyes.