big time crush ✭ btr

NINE

Taken back, May was flattered that he remembered she had a test shoot last weekend— "it went really good," she smiled. "They hired me to shoot with them at the end of the week."

"That's amazing May!" James congratulated. "Not that it's all that surprising, they would be idiots not to hire you."

Blushing at the compliment, it seemed he wasn't even saying it to be flirty or anything— rather matter-of-factually. "Thank you," she looked down bashfully. "That means a lot, actually."

"It's true you know," he continued. "You're extremely talented."

"Okay now you're being cheesy," May pushed his shoulder lightly as to not hurt him.

"What can I say," James shrugged, picking up the quickly melting ice pack and tossing it on the coffee table. "Oh I know! You love my cheesiness," he joshed.

"Shut it you dweeb," she brought her hands up to her burning cheeks.

Their silence settled for a moment, only the light noise from the TV was heard at low volume— but it wasn't uncomfortable, no, quite the contrary. It was peaceful and normal.

"Favorite holiday," James interrupted the quiet, continuing their game from weeks before.

"Halloween," she smiled. "Yours?"

"Christmas."

"Cliche," she clicks her tongue, giggling at his mock-offended look. "Biggest pet peeve?"

"When people scrape their fork against a plate, it just grinds my ears," he shuttered and then looked for her answer.

"When people kill bugs," she give a sad look. "My mom always taught me to catch and let them go—"

James wasn't sure what to say, knowing the last time they brought up the topic of her mom, she was in tears. So he nodded— "biggest vice?"

"Stealing silverware—"

"What!"

"What," May smiles innocently.

"Your biggest vice is stealing silverware?" He asks incredulously. "What do you even need the silverware for?"

"I don't know, okay!" She defends jokingly. "What is yours?!"

"Retail therapy, for sure."

"I can see that," she nods. "Best memory?"

"Ohhh," James took in a breath while thinking. "It's gotta be this— getting a record deal and coming to the Palm Woods. Making music with my best friends and becoming famous. It's always been my dream."

May admired the way he spoke with such a glimmer in his eye, like he just shared his most prized possession with her. She hoped that someday someone would look at her like that.

"What's yours?" He snaps her from her stare.

As she internally grimaces at being caught staring, she thinks for a moment— "my sixteenth birthday," she decides. "It was my first birthday without my mom. I thought it would be miserable. But my dad and I sat down and talked that day, really talked, and he finally understood me. Like he got what I was about— and now he came to LA with me," she shrugs.

James smiles for a moment, thinking that this girl deserved nothing less than support and understanding. And he wanted to see her too, really see her. For who she is. For everything.

"Most embarrassing story," he now shoots, making her groan and throw her head in her hands.

"No, no way! Not even the CIA could get me to confess that," she speaks muffled through her hands.

"Oh come on!" James grew curious. "Now you gotta tell me!"

"Nope, no, no, No—" May almost caved when she saw the look he was giving her, but still held her ground. "If you go first, then maybe I will share."

"I'll go first, if you definitely share."

"Fine!"

"Sixth grade," he starts. "The guys thought it would be funny to steal my clothes during gym class. After our showers, I have nothing to change into accept a towel. I had to chase them all through the halls for it. They all got detention, but the worst part is— my entire class watched it happen from the doorway."

Dying of laughter May nodded, "okay, yeah that was bad," she kept laughing until James groaned.

"Okay, then you go!"

Her laughter stopped suddenly, before she felt her body burn like a hot furnace with the memory. "Okay," she takes a deep breath. "I was the only freshman on the varsity cheer squad, and the seniors were throwing this huge party. I got invited and thought it would be super cool until the rest of my teammates started feeding me alcohol. I took a nosedive down the basement steps and broke my jaw. It had to be wired shut for over a month!"

It was eerily silent for a moment, until James took his turn to laugh at her. "It's not funny!" She disagrees as he continues laughing. "They got it on video too!"

"Oh I need to see that!"

"No!"

"Please!"

"Absolutely not!"

Finally throwing his hands up in defense, he settled down. "Okay, fine, fine," he agreed. "But yeah, your story was definitely worse."

May grumbled something under her breath, making James snap his head towards her. "What was that?" He asks. And when May shrugged he continued, "huh? Huh?" He kept asking, beginning to tickle her sides.

A giggling mess, May almost fell off the couch, "stop! Hahaha stop!" She kept laughing until he finally relented.

"You're so dead," May turned to him deadpan before charging after him— causing him to run out the door.

Yeah, maybe treating her like a best friend was working out.