Threads of Fate: An Asa Butterfield FanFiction

4- Planning Ahead

AUTHOR'S NOTE: There's some plot twists coming up in the next chapter FOR SURE! Yes, I realize I said they would be in this one, but I changed my mind :)

- DRAMA QUEEN

Asa's POV

Ping! Ping!

I glanced over to my phone, the notification of a text flashing on the screen. I unwillingly set aside my laptop and trudged over to phone, wondering which of my annoying mates wanted to talk as such a unfavorable time; I was just getting ready to video chat with my mother and sister, Loxie.

The person who had sent me a message was identified as an unknown number. Perplexed, I unlocked my phone and tapped on MESSAGES.

I snickered at my obliviousness, realizing that Alice from the convention had been the culprit with the unfamiliar phone number.

As if by habit I pressed the message box and right as my thumbs were about to go to work creating a message, I found myself frozen with uncertainty.

I apprehensively started to type away, wondering how Alice was feeling on the other end of this conversation. Did she feel antsy and overwrought, just waiting for my reply? Or was I overthinking this and was Alice not even curious about what my response to her text would be?

••••••••

Me: Haha Alice, I figured it would be you. Ik we didn't discuss everything at the convention so maybe one day we should talk at this awesome coffee shop I know of not far from my hotel ^.^

••••••••

After wrapping up the message, I promptly sent it and refocused my attention on the laptop sitting on the hotel room bed. Right as I took a seat on the foot of the bed and and opened up the video chat icon, my phone went off again.

I snatched it up and this time, set it beside me as I sat back down by my laptop. Opening my phone to the home screen, I pressed MESSAGES and began to read through Alice's long-winded and lengthy reply.

••••••••

Alice: OMG not to sound like a crazed fan or anything... But why would you invite ME to hang out with you? I mean you're ASA BUTTERFIELD, if you haven't already figured that out, and I'm just some kid you met an hour ago *.* This is just all too weird for me, no offense. But if you would like to go that coffee shop I'm always up for it.

••••••••

For a breif moment I could do nothing but sit poised in the same position, phone in hand, perplexed look glued onto my face. My brain tried to conjure up some logical answer for Alice's question, but even as the gears turned in my head and smoke billowed out of my ears, I turned up with nothing.

Why DID I want to hang out with Alice?

I let the nagging question sink in for a moment, knowing it was the elephant in the room. I could not deny that Alice had an ingenuous and suave aura about her, and not to mention an outgoing personality. She just seemed like someone who had sparked my interest from the minute I laid eyes on her. It wasn't her looks; it was the fact that Alice was just so full of life.

It was the way she talked with overdramatic hand gestures and it was the look of individuality in her eyes. Qualities like those aren't ones you come across very often, and when you find a person harboring that unique sense of creativity, you just want to bottle it up and hope it never dies.

That's it! That's the reason behind my unexpected desire to see Alice again. It struck me as odd that it had taken me this long to realize it. Even so, I began to eagerly type a reply to Alice.

••••••••

Me: Idk... I guess I wanna hang out some more is because you're so unique and interesting :) It'll be fun to see a fresh face around and someone to keep me company while I'm in LA for the next two months. When I arrived here I really didn't have anyone to hang out with besides Hailee Steinfeld. She's awesome and all, but now that we've known each other for about a year now, there's nothing new to talk about.

Alice: That's so nice of you to say that!!! This is legit like a dream come true, you have no idea. Honestly Asa this is so unreal... I'm texting you. I'm planning to go to a coffee shop with you.... Do you understand my starstrukk-ness?

Me: I guess I do. When I found out Harrison Ford was gonna be working with me for Ender's Game I was so excited and in awe. :D So when do you think we should get some coffee?

Alice: hmmm not today obviously... Maybe this weekend? I mean if you're not busy?

Me: How about Saturday? Friday I meet with my agent and Sunday I have a photoshoot for Ender's Game :D

Alice: Sounds awesome!!! Can't wait, but now I've gotta go. My parents are hollering at me to come and see something in the living room lol.

Me: Alright see ya Saturday. I'll text you the address sometime tonight.

••••••••

With that, I turned off my phone and turned to my laptop for what must have been the tenth time. My fingers rested on the keys hesitantly, second thoughts about video chatting my family racing through my mind.

Just minutes ago I had been yearning to talk with my mother and sister; the last time I had a full-fledged conversation with them being three days ago when I boarded my plane to L.A. My emotions had taken a sudden change of heart in the past few moments, and now I wanted to do nothing but rest and sort out my thoughts.

Heaving a heavy sigh, I closed the laptop beside me, flicked on the tv, and fall back into the cloud-like pillows on the hotel bed. I tuned out the show on the small flat screen, and instead dove into my thoughts, scrupulously replaying the events of the past three days in my mind.