lovely - Leonardo DiCaprio

23

I can feel the awkward tension between us, as he looked as though he was embarassed. What would he even be embarassed about?

"How did you — uh, learn so many French sentences?" he asks shifting his attention to the music.

"Books, of course. It's a very difficult language. And you?"

He tipped his head a little, then answered, "We lived in Paris for 2 years. Father used to work there as a Gynecologist, I almost forgot English when we moved back here."

Letting out a chuckle, the surprise of Leo living in Paris lingered in my head.

"And yeah, it was difficult at first. But, if you lived there you'd learn so much faster than me." he added.

"Oh, I don't know. I'm not that smart. I remember struggling with fractions when I was 14 because I kept doing some weird ass rules I invented. I kept it a secret because I was embarassed." I respond, while he laughs as I finish.

"Well, do you wanna know my secret?" he asks as I gave out a small nod. "I've never had a girlfriend."

With a serene look, I answered, "Why would you keep that a secret?"

"I don't know — I mean, I just - I have never really been that interested you know?"

He then continues, lying down while I was sitting down at the edge of the bed, "I liked a girl once, but – Jayson also liked her. We got into a fight, and I decided to be the bigger man and let him have her. Turns out, that's also what she wanted. And after then on, I seemed to really be afraid of being hurt like that again. So I turned down all the girls that wanted to enter my life.  Jayson broke up with her, and with that, we promised each other to never like the same girl ever again."

I was lost for words, I didn't know what to think or say to be honest. Besides the fact that my feelings for him seemed to grow even more. But I can't. I just can't.

"W-What do you mean 'turned down all the girls that wanted to enter your life'?"

"It means, I don't want to be associated, or be attached to a girl."

"Well... —you're friends with me." I answered as he looks at me speechless.

"Y-Yes, we are. And also, you know — you're different. We're not like that."

Releasing an exhale, I spat, "Of course, I serve you."

"N-No, it's not like that, Lottie I–"

"No, it's okay. I completely understand," I said with a faint smile.

With the subtle slow music still dallying in the room, it was now dark as the reflection from the window gives a night starry sky. As silence centers in between the both of us, Leo stands up from his bed and muttered, "Do you know how to dance?"

I was confused, yet a little surprised for I wasn't expecting that that was what he was going to say.

"Why would I want to learn that?" I spoke.

"Seriously? You don't know? Come on, let me show you."

"No, you'll only make fun of me."

He sniggers, as he held my hands, helping me stand up, "Well... not today."

I got up from my feet, looking as though I was pissed as this is so against my will.

He placed my left hand on his right shoulder then held the other with his left, as he puts his right hand on my torso. "Is this okay?" he asks.

"Yeah. Just don't make fun of me, dingus."

"You'll need to learn a thing or two about this, Lottie. I'm telling you, Homecoming is almost around," he responds adjusting my hands properly and his, as I roll my eyes with what he said. I don't really want to come, dancing is not something I shine at.

"Okay, so you start with a few little steps sideways. Alright, now start with the left, no, the left, wait, ow!"

"Oh, shit. I'm so sorry," I said, as I of course, have stepped on his foot for the first 2 seconds.

"Okay, you know what?" he says, holding again my hands and wrapping it around the back of his neck, as he places both of his hands on my torso. "Screw the formal style, alright, we need to be a little closer you're so far away from me."

"Closer."

"A little more, there we go."

"Now, feel the rhythm, and don't think, I don't really know the steps either."

We started to sway a little along the beat, my eyes are at our toes, not wanting to step at his feet, or mine.

"Hey," he says.

I looked right up immediately, "Yeah?"

"You're okay, look into your partner's eyes when you're dancing with them." he answered, it was almost a whisper.

"Oh — okay."

I didn't need to put much effort into looking in his eyes, in all honesty. It was as if the blue complexity were hallucinating me.

He had a set smile drawn on his perfectly made face, but I was still panicking a little, not knowing if I'm doing this correctly.

"You're doing great, Lottie." he says.

My eyes lit up, as I gleamed back at our feet, trying my best to hide my reaction.

He took his left hand from my torso and placed it beneath my chin, motioning it upwards which made my heart pummel fast.
"You're very pretty, Lottie. Can I say that?"

My heart was screaming from the inside, it was like we were alone in the world, his smile was perplexed on my head as my eyes were stuck at his.

Of course, I hid it with a joke just as always, "You'll get there, eventually."

He burst out with a loud laugh, shaking his head as he looks back at me again.

And with a few little more steps, the song has ended.

He slowly lets go of me, as I did the same thing.

"Thank you, Leo."

"It's the least I could do," he answers.

With a cheerful smile I insinuated, "Anyway, I should get going. I still have a few to do."

I opened the door and looked back again giving out a small wave, "See you tomorrow, dumbass."

•

I went to my room and proceeded to lie on my bed immediately, recapturing all the moments Leo and I shared a few minutes ago, before I have realized that I still have a few homeworks to do.

I got up and sat on the chair in front of the desk, as I reach out to my bag and grabbed my books when a medium-sized paper fell down. I stretched my hand with all my might for it was atleast 3 feet away from my desk.

Not thinking too much about the paper, I opened it with curiosity.

Giselle,
Please meet me tomorrow. I have something to tell you. After-school, Griffiths Main Building 3rd floor.