Starstruck

Chapter 20

Chapter 20 

-Alyssa Taylor- 

   I sighed, placing down another magazine with my picture in it. All I needed to do was to stop being seen with Ryan and stay under the radar for a few weeks, and ta-daa, my life is back to normal. But normal is boring and staying away from Ryan is getting harder due to the fact that he just keeps showing up at my door.

  I pushed my thoughts of Ryan to the side, making myself believe that he wouldn't show up anytime soon. He's a world famous artist; he has no time for a Youtuber like me. 

  I opened my front door and pulled my bike out of the closet and outside. I placed my bag and ukulele into the basket and clipped the helmet around my head before swinging my leg around the bike. I started off down the street but before I could make it very far, a familiar car pulled up beside me. I slowed down to stop and propped my leg on the cement to keep me steady. The passenger window slowly rolled down to show a pair of hazel eyes. Damn it.

  "Hey, I was just about to head to your place," Ryan frowned. "Where are you going?"

  "I'm volunteering at the soup kitchen today," I replied, looking back at him. "and I need to get going if I want to get there on time." I lifted my foot back onto the pedals, ready to get away from Ryan as fast as I could. After all, the paparazzi are everywhere, and I learned that the hard way.

  "Alyssa, you're too nice. The least I can do is drive you there," Ryan yelled to me as I started to bike away. I just shook my head at him. Too much of us together would send the media-and me-crazy. It didn't take that long to see that Ryan was following me in his car.

  "Can you stop? I already have a ride," I sighed at him. He's going to make me late and I'm going to find myself in another magazine.

  "What kind of boyfriend would I be if I made my girlfriend bike everywhere?" He smirked. 

  "I'm not your girlfriend," I said quickly with a red face. He took me off guard; I have to give him that. "I need to go. Don't follow me."

><><><><

   I poured a ladle full of soup into a man's bowl and he thanked me before walking towards the next volunteer, who was handing out drinks. I let out a content sigh as I poured out more soup to the next few people. It was nice to have a break from the real world.

  "Thank you, Alyssa," A woman said. I recognized her. She was one of the many regulars here.

  I poured some more soup, but this time the person didn't say thank you. "You must come here often if the people bother to learn your name." I looked up to see Ryan pull his scarf, sunglasses, and hat off.

  "Why are you here? You're holding up the line," I said with as little emotion as I could muster up.

  "Do you happen to know where to sign up for volunteering? I was wondering where I can sign up."  Ryan grinned, ignoring my question.

  "You're holding up the line," I said again with more strength. My eyes flickered to the door. Surely, the paparazzi would have followed Ryan here. What if they were taking pictures right now?

  "Could you at least tell me where to sign up?" He frowned at me.

  "You need to email them through the website," I said, urging him to keep moving.

  "What's the website?" He asked with an eyebrow raised. He looked stupid with it raised, but it was more of an attractive kind of stupid.

  "You can Google it. How else would you find where I am?" I smirked at him.