"Are you serious!" My friend laughed at me, sitting in the canteen. We were waiting until next lesson and I decided to tell her how he had messaged me yesterday.
"Why didn't you ask him to add your snapchat? His number? Anything Natalie! Get in there while you can..." She nudged me encouragingly.
"He has a girlfriend Rach. Anyway, he wouldn't want to be my friend never mind a fucking girlfriend." I sighed, picking at my food.
"He literally lives here in South London. Go meet him!" I looked at her like she was insane.
"I'm pretty sure I've seen him out and about, that's how fucking close he is." She laughed at me.
It was true, he did live close. But I didn't want to tell him that, nor meet him. It terrified me.
"I don't have time for this, let's change the topic-" However, she snatched my phone off of me. "Let's see.." I wasn't in the mood to make a scene, so I just let her. When she went onto Instagram, I felt a little uneasy. She clicked on my dm and I hadn't even realised he replied.
'I hope your day is better today, smiley face. Ooo, look at that, he's thinking about you!" I just scoffed. "It was because I was upset last night. It's common courtesy at best." I reached out to take my phone from her but she leaned out of my way.
"It's been good so farr... Hopeee... yours is too!" She said what she wrote. "Yeah, no." I went to grab it seriously now but she pressed the blue send.
"Too late." She closed it and gave it to me. "There's that grand thing called the delete button." I turned on my phone but he had already replied. Can't say mine's been the best.
"Bitch!! Ask him what's up. And slide in the snapchat as well while you're at it." I smiled a little and started typing. That sucks, what's happened?
The bell rang and I got up, phone still in hand. Just had an argument with someone, it left me kinda heated.
I didn't like hearing he was having a bad day, it pulled at my heart strings a little.
"Natalie you're literally glowing. You're eating this up!" She giggled.
"Rachael, I'm genuinely nervous." I was excited but scared at the same time.
"Just keep it going. Post something on your story. Be like, I want to use snapchat again, swipe up and ask to add me." She really was something.
"That's so bait Rach. I might aswell have a fucking sign on my forehead saying 'add me Elmo'." I laughed as we got to our classroom door.
"Just do it. Or I'll take your phone and do it for you."
This girl was so damn demanding.
-
I ate the last slide of pizza from the box, Rachael letting me. I was at her house, but it was getting late. The days were still short, the night creeping over. I hated walking home in the dark but I had no choice, my parents were on their date.
"I gotta get home soon." I said to her as I finished chewing it down. Looking outside, it was basically dark. "You sure you don't want me to call my parents and have one of them take you?"
I shook my head. "I don't live far, don't worry. I'm a big girl!" I huffed, standing up.
"Fine, but if you get abducted then they can't blame me. I offered." She followed me to get my shoes.
"If you get scared then just call me. Or just act like you're on the phone if there are any suspicious people around." I laughed at her and opened the front door.
"I'll see you tomorrow yeah?" I said to her. She gave me a hug and nodded. It was pretty chilly so I pulled my hood up to get more warmth.
As I made my way home, I checked my phone to see who had been texting me. I tend to keep off my phone when I hang out with Rach, we like being more sociable. As I started texting, I was thrown to a stop, literally. I had walked into someone and I nearly fell on my ass, but my phone was the only thing to drop.
"Oh god, I'm sorry." The deep voice came out with. I watched as the stranger went to grab my phone for me, looking at it to see if there were any cracks for me. It was so dark, my eyes struggling to make out a face.
But I could recognise that voice from miles away. It was Elmo. I knew Rachael joked about seeing him around but I didn't expect him to live so close. I took a deep breath and pulled my hood further over my head so he couldn't really get a good look if he tried.
I needed to keep my cool in hopes that the encounter would not freak me out. I hadn't posted my face on my fan account before so he wouldn't recognise me.
He was wearing a black Nike hoodie and grey tracksuit bottoms. I watched as he got back up, swivelling to face and look at me.
"I-It's fine. I should have watched where I was going." I replied to him and grabbed my phone as he handed it to me. "Thanks." I said softly, not wanting to hear the shakiness in my voice.
"You sure you alright?" He tried to catch my eye but I looked down. I was trying to hide myself as best I could.
"I'm okay. I really should get going." I rushed out. "Oh, okay. Sorry again." He said to me as I walked past him. I felt him turn, his eyes watching me as I made my way to the end of the street.
The minute I turned the corner, I raced to my contacts, clicking on Rachael.
"What's up? You getting abducted?" She said to me. "Y-You won't believe.. I. I don't even know, I can't speak help oh my god!" I was freaking out.
"Jesus, what's happened?" She seemed concerned for my safety. "I just bumped into Elmo." I came out with in the quietest whisper.
"You're lying. Shut up!" She screamed out laughing. "I fucking bumped into him, literally. I'm going to shoot myself." I cried out, doing a little jig in frustration.
"Did you properly speak to him? Is he tall? Is he as hot as he is online? Does he smell good?!" A flood of questions escaped her mouth.
"I-I don't know Rach, I need to get home. I literally can't breathe. I'll call you later." I ended the call and shoved my phone in my pocket.
I didn't know what to do with myself. I had made this plan in my head of how our first encounter would happen, but that most definitely was not the way I thought it would be. I wanted to cry, only because of how humiliating it was.
I started running, I could get home in two minutes flat from here, and if I ran I could speed that up.
I was home in no time, jimmying the key into the door and throwing myself inside. My dog came up to me, her tail wagging. "Hi baby.." I said to her as I came to stroke her. She licked my cheek and I let out a little squeal.
After getting ready for bed, I went back onto my phone. Rachael had text me loads, which I understood because I'm sure she wanted me to fill her in. But when I went onto Instagram and checked my dm, the 'replied to your story:' was highlighted on Elmo's dm. I flicked onto it, where he said, me :)
Rachael did it again. haha okay my snapchat is ________ (*i aint got time to make up a snap*)
After a few mins, the notification that Elmo had added me back came up. I squealed and jumped in bed, flicking onto snapchat.
He had already snapped me, a red square at the top. I clicked it and it was his face smiling, 'hey' as the caption.
I looked horrendous so I took a photo of my dog, replying with a 'heyy'. I also didn't want him to realise I was the girl he bumped into. If I gave it a few days, I'm sure he'd not remember.
I clutched my phone to my chest and sighed. This had got to be one of the craziest days in a while. Was friendship really a possibility?
