knj imagines

snowstorm || b. mares

"Mom better really enjoy this CrockPot," I mumbled to myself as elbowed my way through the crowd. I had wanted to do "traditional" Christmas shopping this year rather than go online, but now I was reminded why I usually didn't do it this way.

I gave the cashier a strained smile as I pulled out my card to pay. "You waited until the last minute too?" I laughed and nodded. "After my shift I still have to do mine, wish me luck."

"Yeah you'll need it. These people are like animals," I said, gesturing to the people around us. She laughed and slid my box back across the counter to me. "Have a merry Christmas, if you survive tonight!"

As I turned, I ran into a boy and he grunted in surprise, dropping the few things he had in his hands. I immediately stooped to pick everything up. "Oh, you really don't have to do that," he said, kneeling next to me.

"Of course I do! I'm so sorry, I should be watching where I'm going." I put his stuff up on the counter and apologized again for holding up the line before walking back to the entrance of the mall.

About halfway there, the blaring Christmas music cut out and a voice replaced it. "Due to the impending storm, the mall has been put on lockdown. This will be in effect for at least the next two hours. We are so sorry for the delay, and thank you for shopping with us!"

I frowned up at the voice, my shoulders slumped as I made my way back to the central hub of the mall. All I wanted to do was go home and curl up on my couch, and now I had to spend the next two hours on the cold, concrete floor.

I chose a spot away from everyone and leaned against the wall with my bag pressed between the wall and my head. I sent my parents a text so they wouldn't worry and shut my eyes, hoping I was tired enough to spend the whole two hours sleeping.

Someone cleared their throat above me, making me open my eyes to find the boy I had run into earlier. He was holding a to-go cup in each hand, one held out to me. "Hot chocolate?"

"Um, why?" It came out sounding ruder than I meant and I took the cup with an awkward smile. "I mean why did you get me a hot chocolate?"

"Don't flatter yourself, they're giving them away over there," he said with a wink, pointing to where there were mall employees pouring drinks into styrofoam cups.

I opened the lid and sniffed carefully, glancing back up at him. "Did you poison this?"

"Absolutely not! Any other time, maybe but not this close to Christmas. And you were so nice earlier so I thought I could be a little nice back. Plus you look lonely and we aren't leaving any time soon so we might as well be friends."

He sat down across from me and I smiled at him. "I'm (Y/N)," I said, putting my hand out to him. He shook it and was about to introduce himself when two girls came rushing over with flushed faces and nervous giggles.

"You're Bobby Mares, right?" The smaller of the two girls was hiding behind who I assumed was her sister and he gave them both a sweet smile.

"I am, do you guys watch my vlogs?" They both gave vigorous nods and asked for a picture. "Oh my gosh of course! You guys are adorable. This is my new friend (Y/N), I'm sure she wouldn't mind taking one for us?"

I was almost too busy studying his face to hear the question but I took the phone one of the girls had stretched out to me and snapped a few photos. They thanked him and wished him a merry Christmas before running back to their mother. "Bobby Mares?"

He seemed bashful all of a sudden and nodded. "Yeah, that's me. Have you seen my videos?" I furrowed my brow at the question and shook my head. "On YouTube?"

"Not really my thing," I said with a shrug.

He scoffed playfully that I didn't know him and turned with his back to me. "How dare you not start fawning all over me like those girls!"

I laughed and pulled my phone out to look him up, beginning to play one of his videos. Despite our just meeting, he launched to rip my phone from my grip and I yanked away from him. "I'm watching one of your videos! You should be happy!"

"I can't watch you watch that! That's embarrassing!"

"Oh, it's embarrassing all of a sudden?" He gave me a pleading look and I rolled my eyes before hitting the subscribe button. "Now that we're friends, I suppose I have to subscribe to you."

"Dang right." He offered to get a pretzel for us to split and we spent the next hour and a half talking. He was so nice and easygoing that it didn't felt like we had only met that day. "I think this should be our thing."

I finished chewing and frowned. "Our thing?"

"Yeah, like when I take you out on a date I think we should get hot chocolates and a pretzel and sit in this exact spot."

The word date threw me off and I coughed, causing Bobby to have to pat my back. "Excuse me, date? Where did that come from?"

He shrugged and pinched my cheek, making me smile at his confidence. "Don't you feel the chemistry oozing?"

"Don't say oozing," I said and we both wrinkled our noses. "But you are very nice. And not bad looking I suppose."

"You too? I think?" I laughed and handed him my phone, pulling up a new contact and handing it to him.

"Save yourself as 'YouTube Sensation Bobby Mares.'"

He rolled his eyes and handed my phone back to me, and I sent him a text so he would have my number. Just as we had finished, the voice from above told us that we were free to go.

We grabbed our bags and headed out to the parking lot, him insisting on walking me to my car. "You didn't have to do this," I said, unlocking my car and throwing my bags inside. "I am honored to have a celebrity walking next to me though."

He laughed and shrugged. "What can I say, I like to do charity work." I rolled my eyes and we stood for a minute while Bobby kicked at the ground. "I would like to go on a date though. A friend date, a date date, whatever."

"A date date would be nice," I whispered and he nodded excitedly. "Just text me when you're free?"

"I am a celebrity so I'll just have to fit you in my schedule," he said with a wink. We said our goodbyes and he walked back to his car.

I sat for a minute and waited until I was sure he couldn't see me, then let out a squeal of excitement. This mall was now my new favorite place.