"Oh my god, Laura, no, you need to find something else to wear!" Cassie scolded me after I stepped out of my bedroom wearing black high waisted shorts with three buttons and a white and black ringer t-shirt.
"No, Cassie, I'm wearing this," I told her.
"Laura," She warned me.
"Cassie," I said back.
After a few moments of silence, Cassie finally sighed. "Okay. Fine," She said.
I smiled. "Great. Now walk me to the venue because that's where I'm meeting Axl," I told Cassie.
***
"Nervous?" Cassie asked as we neared the venue.
"I mean, just a little," I admitted.
"Eh, don't be. You're Laura Marie Atwood. You can do anything!" Cassie told me.
I just smiled and laughed a little. "I wish that was true," I replied.
"It is," She said and I just shook my head.
We walked up to the front of the venue and waited. The sun was starting to set and it was getting darker. I turned to Cassie.
"Start heading home. I don't want you to walk back by yourself in the dark," I said to Cassie.
"A-are you sure you don't want me to wait with you?" She asked.
I shook my head. "Nah, just go," I told her.
"Okay. If you say so," Cassie replied hesitantly and she turned to walk back to the apartment. She stopped when she got down the sidewalk as if she was going to say something's but then kept going. I just kept watch for Axl.
"Laura?" A familiar voice came from behind me, making me jump.
I whirled around, my heart racing. I felt relieved and smiled when I saw Axl there.
"Oh, hi," I said, "you scared me."
Axl smiled back. "Sorry about that," He said, scratching the back of his head.
"So, where to?" I asked him.
"The cars around here. I was thinking Santa Monica pier for the heck of it," Axl suggested.
"Sounds fun," I said, following Axl to his car. I couldn't help but to think about what Cassie was saying.
"Tell me about yourself, Laura," Axl said after we had gotten in his car and began driving.
"I mean, there's not much to say. I'm just me," I told him.
"Nothing? Nothing at all?" He asked.
I shook my head. "Nothing," I replied blankly.
"Can I ask questions then?" He asked.
"Only if I can ask one first," I said.
"Shoot," Axl told me.
"Why are you so interested in me?" I asked.
There was a silence.
"I don't know. There's just something about your eyes and the way you talk and smile, you know?" Axl said.
"No, I don't know," I said, making him chuckle.
"Anyway, what's your favorite color?" He asked.
"Easy. Gray," I told him.
"Ever had sex before?" He asked, making my eyes widen.
"What?" He asked after a complete silence. "I was just kidding." He was grinning.
"Well that escalated quickly," I told him.
"I said I was kidding!" Axl said, holding up his hands in defense.
"Hands on the wheel!" I exclaimed, gripping the seat of the car, making Axl die laughing.
"Don't worry, doll, I know what I'm doing," He tried reassuring me.
"Doll?" I asked.
"Yep. Doll," He said, nodding.
"You should tell me more about yourself. What about your past? Did you grow up in LA or no?" Axl asked me.
I shivered thinking about my childhood and growing up. It wasn't very fun and it wasn't something I really wanted to talk about.
"No, I grew up in San Francisco and moved to Los Angeles when I was seventeen," I said.
"Why so young?" He asked.
I shrugged. "Reasons," I replied.
"Same here. I hitchhiked to California when I was a teenager for reasons, as well," Axl said.
"If you share your reasons then I'll share mine," I told him, wanting to get closer with him. Something inside me trusted him.
But, Axl just shook his head. "Another day, doll," He said, "We'll talk about it another day. Not today because today is a good day."
I nodded. "Right," I agreed. Today was a good day. It wasn't a day to talk about sad stories, it was a day to hang out at the pier and have fun.
"Hey, there it is," Axl said, pointing.
In the distance, you could see a large Ferris wheel and rollercoasters. You could hear the seagulls and smell the salty air.
"Excited?" Axl asked me.
"Oh yeah. I haven't been here in forever!" I told him.
