FAME│s.m

four

The receptionist at our small motel gave me his room number without questioning it. I thanked him and took my time finding it. I usually wasn't inside this building, in fact, this is the second time I've been in here my whole life.

7B. I've made it, I mentally sigh, lifting my hand and twisting it into a fist. With zero courage, I push my knuckles to meet the door several times, maybe a few too many even. I was still knocking when the door opened.

I laughed nervously, pulling my hand back to my side. I take a deep breath, and he allows me time to prepare.

"Hi, I'm Amari Hall," I smile, placing my hand in front of me. He smirks, gripping his hand around mine. He knows what I'm getting at.

"Simon Minter. It's nice to meet you," he replies, removing his grasp. I hesitantly let my arm hang beside me.

"Would you wanna go to a drive-in movie with me tonight?" I ask with hopeful eyes.

"You have those here?" he asks, breaking his new character. I clear my throat to remind him of our 'new' acquaintanceship. "Oh, right. Uh, I would love to," he corrects, still smiling wide.

"Sounds great. I'll come to get you at 7:30," I reply with a slight nod.

"Sounds perfect, Miss. Hall," he grins. My stomach leaps into a mushy puddle, the feeling of water dripping down my sides tickling me.

"Can't wait," I say before heading toward the front doors of the building.

••@ 7:25pm••

"Dad, I have to go!" I insist, attempting to leave the house once more.

"Not until you tell me where it is you're rushing off to, and who with!" he playfully shouts. He didn't know he was annoying me.

"Drive-in movie with Calissa!" I replied, a slight turn in my stomach as I was able to lie so carelessly.

"Alright, have fun!"

"I will!" I call back, stepping outside. "Hopefully," I mumble as I wrap my lightweight Adidas jacket closer to hug my body as a cool breeze brushed over me.

My feet patter along the driveway, making contact with the step of my car.

I didn't think I would panic about what music to play whilst Simon and I sat in my car for whatever amount of time until the movie started, but I did. And it was blatant.

"You alright?" Simon chuckles as my hands shake and my cheeks heat up while flicking through my playlist.

"Yeah- uh, just can't find anything to listen to," I stutter. I eventually give up, unplugging my phone from the auxiliary cord and slamming it into a cup holder.

"So, tell me about yourself," he says, leaning on the center console so he could close the big gap between us—

We talked for so long. It felt as if we'd only talked for a half hour, but in reality it was for the entirety of the movie. Both of us apologized simultaneously, giggling at ourselves.

"No, I didn't realize the movie had started and that was what you wanted to do- was to watch it. So I'm sorry I ruined that," he speaks up.

"Oh, I much rather preferred our conversation anyway," I reply, smiling at him. He smiled back, his teeth shimmering in the moonlight.

"We should do this again some other time," he suggests.

"Of course," I answer. "Why not keep talking for now?" I ask, now my turn to lean on the center console.

"Don't you have to get back home?" he asks, a little worried about me getting in trouble with my father.

"Nah, he thinks I'm with Calissa so he'll be fine." His face drops, his emotion changing. "What's wrong?"

"Your dad thinks you're with Calissa right now?"

"Yeah... don't be so concerned, I'll tell him about you later." He fakes a smile, just to brush onto another subject.

••few hours later••

"You were out quite late," I heard my dad bellow as I walk into the house.

"Yeah, sorry, Calissa just needed to get away from family and-"

"It's funny because Calissa came over and wondered where you were." My heart was no longer beating in my chest, it was now pulsating in my ass.

"Uh- I- Just- Um-"

"Who the hell were you with? And why did you feel the need to lie to me in the first place?" he strictly asks, standing on his feet. He no longer was in a joking mood.

"I was just out with a new friend-"

"Was it that boy? The professional soccer player?" I stay silent, trying to decipher his sudden tone change. "It was."

"Okay, yes, it was, but nothing happened and I don't plan on anything happening..." I let my run-on sentence trail off from there, as I knew I would say something and just the opposite would happen, possibly upsetting my father even more in the future.

"Just get to bed," he huffs, squeezing the bridge of his nose with the pointer and thumb of his right hand. "And no phone!"

I roll my eyes, trudging up the stairs. I slip off my clothes, changing into a pair of shorts and a very loose t-shirt.

My feet drag along the carpet of my bedroom, my hands pressing onto my bay window as I lift my body to sit beside the glass and look out at the stars.

A smile creeps on my face as I remember the things Simon and I talked about. He apologized numerous times for being so desperate earlier and claimed he didn't know what was going on with him. I reminded him each time that I had no idea what he was talking about and he got the message, smiling to his lap every time.

Flirty remarks were made back and forth, but they weren't too ambitious nor romantic. It was just a platonic hit-on session.

We shared each other's pick up lines, and laughed at how horrible they were and at the hand gestures that followed.

We shared everything about our past and present, giving little detail but still comprehending every situation the other talked of.

He's completely changed the image I had of him in my head, in a drastically good way.

And as I gazed at the stars, taking in every shining detail and contour of them, I saw his eyes. Both items shimmered with same amounts of hope for their's and others' future(s).

Past all of the bad things I told him that I've done, he only saw the good in me. He congratulated me on my smallest and my biggest achievements, and encouraged me to be better than my bad decisions.

He was that light that my life needed to keep going strong. And I couldn't thank his car enough for breaking down in the middle of this small town.