𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐀𝐂𝐈𝐍𝐆

;grayson

Emma Chamberlain

I feel the need to have a long conversation with this Samuel guy.

Sure after 3 hours I knew more about his families horse than the horse did itself, but I needed to warn him that Olivia wasnt some piece of meat.

I take a right turn down a alleyway and become faced with a brick wall. I decide here is the best place to begin working on my little 'Samuel speech'.

After many ideas of rubbish ways to put across how he should love Olivia, I give up and hopelessly slide down the brick wall almost definitely tearing the skin off my back.

I look out through the alley opening onto the busy streets. Mums and dads, children and grandchildren, boyfriends and girlfriends, grandads and grandmas all pass the alley way either in a mad rush or calmly taking their time.

In front a tall-ish brown haired boy drops his plastic bag ripping it in the process.

I slightly recognise his face but it's kind of blurry so I brave a closer look. With little thought, I scramble towards him only managing to help pick up one can of pathetic soup, though I do manage to get a closer look at his structured jaw and the dangling earring from his left lobe.

"Thanks" he smiles and then begins to walk away craddling his bag awkwardly in his arms.

"Wait" I say a little too forcefully, I slap my hand against his chest, stopping him from walking off.

His eyes burst with fear, like I'm about to kidnap him. Which is funny in itself because I'm very much shorter and probably a few years younger than him.

"Okay so prentend your a 17 year old dude-" I start and then stop, realising that the boy is looking even more shell shocked.

"I am indeed male and 17 years of age" he says.

Wow, that's pretty lucky.

I quickly try scan my memory to see if I maybe went to the same school as him, or maybe the neighbouring one but nothing rings a bell.

"Anyway so-" I begin to ramble this not-so-thought-out speech I was planning on telling Samuel.

"I was not expecting this" he mumbles quietly as I near the end of my long winded and now regretted speech.

Suddenly I realise what I'm doing and snap out of the extreme monologue.

"I am so sorry. I dont know where that came from o-or who you are. O-or why i chose you. I think I know you but I'm so confused. I dont even know what im thinking right now" I spit frantically turning away from the boy and scratching behind my neck, taking deep breaths.

I half expect to turn round and not see the boy any more but he seems firmly stood in his place.

"You can go if you want" I say with a fake smile on the end. I drop back to the floor cutting my back on the bricked wall for the second time today.

The boy is still planted in the same position with the same shocked expression.

"My names Grayson, you can call me Gray" he says approaching me.

The name isn't familiar.

He lets the ripped bag fall onto the floor making the soup cans clatter.

"Emma, Emma Chamberlain." I answer back pulling my knees up to my chin. "What school do you go to? I haven't seen you around" I question. 

"I like the name Emma, Its beatiful" he smiles and I feel like scoffing but I hold it in "I go to QUEENS, just round the corner" he replies chewing down on his bottom lip.

I laugh and run my hands over both sides of my face in disbelief.

"No way, I haven't seen you around. I go there too. Well this is embarrassing. Please if you see me in the halls don't hesitate to completely ignore my existence for my own sanity. Thanks"

Grayson laughs with a wide grin and shakes his head as if to tell me not to be so silly.

He's a nice guy. Why couldn't Olivia fall for someone like him? I sigh, I don't even know if Samuel's a nice person, I didn't even give him a chance- I blocked him out like the others...yet again.

"So thanks for the help back there-" he mumbles and I can suddenly tell hes normally a shy person.

His cheeks flush pink as his eyes connect with mine, they're a deep coffee swirled brown.

"And if you ever want to test out some more speeches im only a call away-" Grayson says standing up and walking towards the alley opening.

"Gray-" I cough and his head spins round towards me "-you forgot to give me your number...and get your soup" I laugh pointing down at the soup cans littered on the floor.

He scrambles towards the cans and hands me a piece of paper.

Then hes gone.

Not like in some movie where he suddenly disappears into the darkness,

He leaves with a trail of soup and the loud sound of clashing tins.