━━━ 𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐘

𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐞, 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫

Would it be an exaggeration if I said that our trip to Windermere lake was perfect? Well, minus the fact that I may have smudged a bit of ice-cream on my clothes as I bumped into Louis, It’s up to you to decide. And Joaquin just had to record it.

Was it awkward, kinda. Was it embarrassing, very much so. But did I find myself slightly melting with giddiness inside when I heard Louis apologising in that goddamn London accent of his when it was definitely my fault? Well….

Regardless, It was a great trip and I had great fun. So much, in fact, that Issie and Louis asked me and Joaquin if we wanted to hang out the next day as well. We agreed and so here I was, on their doorstep as the sun disappeared into the horizon.

Joaquin said that he’ll meet up with us later at the edge of the woods where we both used to meet when we were kids. It wasn’t anything special but we’d made it our own. There was a small river beside it and I perfectly remember the feeling of running my hand through the fast flowing water at nights when I felt down. There was just a sense of tranquility there.

I rang the bell to have Mrs Partridge open it up.

“Betty, darling, hello. How are you.” she said as she let me in.

I smiled and replied “I’m good, what about you.”

“Great as ever.” she said and I sat down on the nearest couch. “The kids’ll be down soon, I don’t know what’s taking them so long.”

I randomly looked around their living room while Mrs Partridge headed upstairs to call the two of them down. They’d recently moved in, so there were still some cardboard boxes lying around. I looked at the few pictures that were hung up on the walls and placed on the tables.

They were all mostly family or baby pictures but there was one that caught my eye. It was Louis’. It didn’t look too old, but it was him in what seemed to be a movie set in costume.

Was he an actor? He never mentioned it.

As if on cue, Louis came down the stairs in quite a hurry.

“Hi, um, sorry to keep you waiting.” His voice was quite huffed and his hair was messy. The hot kind of messy. Don’t stare. Don’t stare. “Issie’s still doing her hair.”

“Oh no, It’s completely okay.” I said trying to be casual.

He sat down on the seat right in front of me.

Oh God

I tried not to think about how effortlessly good-looking he was. Wait, when did I even start thinking about that? I mean, he was attractive but was he attractive to me?

Oh fuck it, he was. Okay, he really was.

We were silent for a while. I expected it to be awkward but somehow it wasn’t. I looked back over to the picture on the wall. Louis on set, apparently.

He must’ve noticed me looking when he answered my unasked question. “I act.” I looked towards him. “I’m an actor, back in London.”

Well then my assumption was right. “Wow.” I tried to start a conversation. “Since when have you been acting.?”

“A couple years. I, uh, actually got a new movie role recently, but shooting doesn’t start until the end of summer.”

Interesting. “Oh, what’s it called.”

“Enola Holmes. I’m going to play the viscount Tewksbury and Enola will be played by Millie Bobby Brown.”

What. Millie Bobby Brown. He looked at me with an expression which basically said he expected that reaction.

He smiled, Oh god, his smile. “I know.”

“Millie Bobby Brown, as in the Mille Bobby Brown.” I asked in disbelief.

His grin stretched wider.

“Oh my gosh, That’s amazing!”

His face flushed. “Yeah, everyone’s quite excited.”

My smile mirrored his. “Louis, you’re gonna be famous!”

He shrugged, still smiling. “I mean, if the movie does well.”

“Which I’m sure it will.”

“I hope so.” and in that moment when his eyes looked at mine, I froze. There was a gleam in them. One I couldn’t describe other than being hopeful. This movie, and however it would turn out, meant a lot to him.

I may have looked at them a second too long but when I heard footsteps coming down the stairs, I couldn’t decide whether it was a relief or I wanted to talk to him a bit more.

But I didn’t have a choice, did I? We both got up to leave as Issie entered the room, apologizing profusely for her tardiness. So It really is an English thing, being overly polite.

We headed to ‘our place’ where Joaquin had already arrived. It wasn’t anything as special as Windermere but beautiful in it’s own right.

Issie gasped in awe. “Oh, It’s beautiful!” she exclaimed. I looked over at Louis who had the same expression as his sister.

Joaquin showed them around. The old tree where I used to hide years ago, and the rope hanging from the branch where he attached an old tire to swing off of.

“Oh my gosh! Let’s do that.” Issie said, referring to the tire swing.

Joaquin perked up to the idea but apparently I was the only one who acknowledged the fact that not only was it almost night time but we’d be soaking wet on our way home.

I protested but with Louis’ vote to proceed with the bad idea, well, majority won.

I sighed, this was definitely a bad idea.