wallflowers: one shot collection [Kaylor]

everything has changed

A/N: Was asked if I could make Everything Has Changed super gay, so I came up with this.
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"Taylor."

"What?"

"You're drooling."

Taylor's hand absentmindedly comes up to wipe at her chin, and she rolls her eyes when she realizes that it's just another one of Ed's stupid tricks. Her best friend starts to laugh loudly at her expense, but Taylor doesn't even pay it much mind because she has gone right back to staring at the object of her affection.

Karlie Kloss is sitting across the lunchroom with her friends, poking at a salad and smiling widely. She's effervescent, and Taylor knows that a dopey grin is probably on her face right now. She doesn't even try hiding it, because it's not as if she and Ed get noticed anyway. They are wallflowers. Awkward, painfully shy teenagers who would much rather strum a guitar and write down song lyrics than attend a house party. She and Ed aren't necessarily at the bottom of the typical high school social hierarchy, but they're easily overlooked. They are nothing like Karlie Kloss and her friends, who all look as if they just stepped off of a cover of Vogue.

"We should get going, I want to get a good seat for English." Ed mumbles through the last bite of his sandwich, crumbs spewing out of his mouth as a result.

"She's so hot, I want to die." Taylor groans, completely disregarding Ed's suggestion.

"You will if I don't get a good seat." Ed grumbles as he gets to his feet. Taylor sighs and slowly follows behind the ginger-haired boy, glancing at Karlie's table as they head for the exit. She almost trips over her own two feet when Karlie looks in her direction, their eyes meeting for a brief moment. Ed catches her at the last minute, his arm wrapping around her waist to keep them both from toppling to the ground.

"Thanks." Taylor says, her cheeks flushed from her embarrassment.

"You're so obvious." Ed chuckles as they flee the cafeteria and start heading for their shared English Literature class.

"Do you think she saw?"

"Definitely, she was looking right at you."

"Great, now she thinks I'm a klutz."

"You are a klutz."

"But she didn't need to know that!"

"I'm pretty sure the whole world knows. Remember in eighth grade when you tripped and spilled your entire lunch tray on Harry Styles' lap?"

Taylor groans at the reminder while Ed continues to guffaw. He takes far too much joy in Taylor's discomfort, but he's still the best friend she's ever had. He listens to her rant about Karlie Kloss's perfection on a daily basis and he even tries to offer advice when he can. He keeps telling her to put her big girl pants on and talk to Karlie, but the thought of actually speaking to the statuesque brunette makes Taylor want to curl up and die. Karlie Kloss models in her spare time, and she's set to be the valedictorian of their class. People are even saying that she has an audition with Victoria's Secret after graduation, and Taylor's certain that the girl will one day be sporting angel wings. Taylor doesn't have a chance in hell. She's far too awkward. Far too ordinary.

English is lackluster. It's a small class filled with seniors, and as prom and graduation draw closer, motivation begins to wane. Their teacher, Mrs. Aldridge, is cooler than most and understands that none of her students are in the mood to do much of anything that doesn't involve designing graduation caps and planning senior week celebrations. So she's saved all of the designated 'movie days' for the end of the semester, and Taylor finds herself scribbling in her notebook while the original Frankenstein plays on the projector. Ed is sitting in the desk to the right of her but he's actually paying attention to the movie.