Love is Beautiful (She's so Ugly)

Chapter Seventeen

Jacob wiped Merida's tears away. He feels really bad when she cries. "I'm sorry, baby. Brandon was right, I should've-"

"No, it's okay!" Merida sniffed and looked at Jacob's eyes. "It's not your fault. I wanted to try too. I wanted to make friends and-and ... I didn't make any today. But that's okay, right? It was nothing."

Jacob continues to hug Merida until she calms down. He's going to make it up to her. "Do you want to have dinner with me later? I swear it's not with my friends."

Merida just nodded.

•••

The bell just rang for afternoon classes but Leo is a relaxing under a tree at the schoolyard. He sighed so deep and stares at the blue sky. He's going to relax here and ditch class.

The festival is coming and he bet it will be a big mess or ends well. He just hopes that he'd be in the perfect spot to save Merida's eyes. That way it won't hurt her, he thought as he closes his eyes and starts crashing out.

When he woke up, it was already getting dark. He got up and rub his eyes. Damn, he overslept. Walking away, he thought to just go straight home but then he forgot his car keys was in his desk drawer.

Nobody was inside the classroom, he guessed Merida must've walked home with Jacob. He opened his drawer and frowned when he saw a box. He took it out.

"How about this one?" He read out loud the sticky note. He smiled, he knows who it came from.

Leo removed the top of the lunch box and tada! Egg rolls. He took one and stuff it in his mouth. He smiled cutely when it tasted perfect to him.

He took out his phone and typed, "Perfect". Then he sent it to Egg rolls.

***

Chapter Seventeen

Merida was busy with her choosing which shade of lipstick to wear on this dinner with Jacob. It took her a lot of time deciding which and what, just for this dinner date.

It was almost time, so she ended up just putting lip balm in her lips. She hurried down and Jacob was smiling at her. "You're beautiful, Love," he said and kissed her.

Jacob just can't get enough of those natural pouty lips. He softly chuckled when Merida broke the kiss. "Okay, okay. Let's go."

It took them about thirty minutes to be at an open-air restaurant. It's in a high place which you can see the city lights too.

"It's magical! They're like stars underneath us!" Merida exclaimed when they took the table outside at the garden. You can look down and your hands will be so sweaty with how high you are.

"Don't get too close to the edge," Jacob told her.

Merida heard him but she was too busy looking at the lovely view. It'd be wonderful to stay there!

Jacob secretly took pictures of Merida happily lurking at the far sides. He smiled genuinely. It was under the night sky like this when he first said she was beautiful. And now look at where they are? Moving further.

He steps closer to Merida and back hugged her. They felt the wind blowing on both their faces.

"What's your favourite movie?" Merida asked Jacob.

"Uhm, it changes every year," he replied. "What about you?"

"A Walk to Remember."

"Wait- are you sick?" Jacob was worried. He heard that the leading lady died in the end and it was a sad story so his heart is pounding!

Merida softly chuckled. "No, silly! It's just Jamie Sullivan made a miracle. She changed Landon. It was a very beautiful movie despite Jamie's death."

Jacob made Merida face him. "Our story will be like that, ours will be beautiful too. Except I'm going to make ours a happy ending."

"It wasn't a sad ending really. For me it was the happiest ending Jamie would ever want to have with her leukaemia. She deserves it, she was so beautiful," Merida muttered.

"You're beautiful too."

Jacob stared at Merida's eyes and slowly moved his head close to kiss her. It was gentle like how the wind blows in that place.

After their sweet kiss, their delicious dinner was served. They went back to their table and ate. The night was too perfect for them, laughing and smiling at each other. It seemed like there was nothing that could possibly ruin their love for each other.

You see, love might come looking so perfect but does it remain perfect? Have you ever found someone, thinking they'd be the one you want to be with and you grow such strong feelings, rather emotions for them? Yes? No? It's scary, isn't it?

And don't you notice that it's what Merida feels right now behind her smiles, laughs, and happy face? It's not that she's pretending to be happy, she is happy but... she's honestly scared. Scared that one day when the season changes, Jacob's love will change as well. But she remained hopeful because that is also what love means.

"Did you have fun, tonight?" Jacob asked her when they were in front of Merida's house.

"Yes, I did have so much fun. Wait, what's that place called again?"

"Lantaw. It's a Visayan word that means "to view" or "to gaze". A perfect name for such establishment tucked on a green hillside, huh? To gaze at the majestic view of city lights." Jacob answered, his voice filled with adoration and excitement.

"I'm going back there someday," Merida mumbled.

"Did you say something?"

Merida shook his head and smiled. "You should get going now. Thank you for showing me the place, Jacob."

"You should try calling me your baby," he joked.

Merida chuckled. "You're so cute," she said, pinching Jacob's cheek for seconds and kissed him.

She got off of his car. "Drive home safe, okay?"

Jacob saluted. "Yes, ma'am. I love you."

Merida blushed and replied, "I love you too with hearts". She then closed his door and waved as Jacob drives away.

What a very beautiful night, she thought and went inside her house. In her room, she checked her phone. She smiled as soon as she read Leo's text.

She sat on her chair and turned on her lamp. Then she took her new notebook and a pen. She wrote some pretty good stuff there.

It took her about an hour to finish writing all her thoughts.

"I wonder if the festival is going to be fun," she wonders and sighed.