By Chance (Accidentally In Luck #1)

3. The Birth of Famous Boy - Cora

In reality, I knew that the jerk-like attitude he gave me was just a front. His grin at the end, though mostly stuck in my head because of the tilt of his perfect lips, was also stuck in my head because it had been genuine. You can't fake a grin like that that well, especially not if you're actually mad about getting blackmailed (which I would forever feel terrible about). Yeah, he was insanely hot, but I got the feeling that whoever it was had a lot more to him then just his looks and his fame.

Elle groaned and tossed her blond hair over her shoulder. "I hate when you're a good person."

"Hey!" I cried, laughing. "I'm always a good person!"

"Yeah. Oh-kay." Elle started chuckling too. "Hey, how did you know that he was famous? I mean, it's not like he came with a label saying, 'hey I'm famous, don't bother me.'"

I shrugged. "Bro, have you ever met my mom? It was obvious. Versace pants and Gucci shoes under a slightly over-sized sweatshirt with the hood all the way up. Only celebs do that."

"Ugh. I forgot your mom was a fashion guru."

And that she was. Her inability to talk about anything else made me almost glad she wasn't around much anymore.

As always, we finished eating at the same time and dumped our plates in the trash. Halfway out the food court, Elle pulled me to a stop, shoved her Pink bag into my arms and made a right turn for the bathroom. I grinned and readjusted her bag, so I had a comfy wait. (Yeah, I know, I didn't actually go into the bathroom with her. What can I say? I guess Elle and I just aren't that close. Well we actually are, but we both think that's weird.)

I was leaning against the wall outside of the bathroom when I saw him. A guy in a familiar blue hoodie was sat at a table just a few rows away from where Elle and I had previously been just a few minutes ago.

Just as the realization that I was staring at the side of his hood and should probably look away entered my head, he turned to look at me. Or I assume that what he was doing. The hood still shielded half of his face but a saw a flash of a smirk before his expression returned to normal and he raised a hand in a wave of recognition.

On a sudden surge of confidence and curiosity, I waved back and took a step forward, headed straight for him and ready to find out who this dude was. That's all the further I made it though, because just then Elle stepped out. "Ready?" she asked, oblivious to everything surging through my head right now.

I painfully tore my eyes from my famous boy and nodded, unable to form words. I knew I'd never see him again, let alone speak to him again, so getting my body to follow Elle into the concourse was about as easy as pushing a chain. Luckily, Elle was still oblivious and didn't realize I was dragging behind her. It wasn't like I wanted a sit-down meeting with the guy, but something about him drew me in.

We shopped around for a few more hours— well, correction: Elle shopped around for a few more hours, I was still lost in thought about Famous Boy— and Elle bought some really cute earrings, a new scarf, and a skirt so short my mom would've forbidden if she wasn't the fashion guru of LA.

Not me though. I couldn't focus. That is, I couldn't focus even less than I already was today. It felt like every time I turned a corner or ducked out from behind a rack, I was going to see that curiously familiar blue hoodie. I didn't see it once after the second time in the food court, but the feeling lingered.

Elle knew that something was off. She also knew that I didn't want to talk about it and that I would eventually spill everything to her. That's just what best friends do. She was impatient, but she knew me well enough to know I'd only talk when I was good and ready. I have such love for how much she understands me.

We left the mall, marching out to our car and I saw him again. He was a few rows to our right walking at a pretty good pace towards the back of the lot. My eyes followed the path my brain predicted he was going to take and ended up at a car I had a hard time believing no one had noticed yet. It had to be his, literally no one but a celebrity would own a car that intense. At the far back of the lot, there it was sitting there in all of its bright, bright cobalt blue glory, complete with a black stripe down the hood.

If I could drive, I would die for that car. Elle was always laughing at me because I'm 18, can't drive, and have to bum rides off of literally everyone. I keep telling her, though she already knows it, that it's not my fault my parents won't agree to letting me get my license because they got stupid strict on some things four years ago. I could run around LA all I wanted; I just couldn't drive around it. I could stay out as long as I wanted, but if I was gone for a whole night, they put me on lock down. (Of course, that only happened if they knew I was gone for a whole night or if they knew I would be gone all night, but I was staying with Elle.)

I sighed and smushed myself into the passenger seat of Elle's car. She looked at me with a question in her eyes, but I wasn't bringing it up.

Instead, I asked, "Want to go to my place and binge watch rom-coms?"

The unsaid question vanished, and she nodded, a huge grin plastered on her face. "What makes you think I wouldn't want to do that?" she asked.

So that's what we did. My parents were both out as usual, so we had the house to ourselves and we took full advantage of that. Every blanket, comforter, and pillow were stripped from its location in the house (except for Mom and Dad's room, they were weird about me being in their room) and placed on the floor of the living room until we had a suitably squishy floor. Elle also got to raiding the kitchen, bringing in way too many snacks.

We were just about to start our third movie of the night when my phone lit up and started buzzing. Elle and I just stared at it. We both knew that I do not get texted unless it was Elle or someone needing help on homework. And yes, I know how lame that is, but Elle was sat next to me and we were currently on summer holiday after our senior year.

Neither of us moved for the phone and a minute later, it did the buzz to remind me that I got a text. I didn't need to be reminded.

"Maybe someone has summer school..." Elle suggested.

"Yeah, maybe," I agreed, but it was a long shot. No one at our school would be caught dead in summer school because it ruined their 'image,' whatever that was.

"Well, pick it up." I did.

1 New Message- Unknown Number

I clicked the "view" button.

"Well?" Elle asked immediately.

I stared at the screen, wordless.

thanks for what you didn't do today
-E

I was just about to send out a quick "who is this" text, but another one came through before I could.

i mean it
-E

Then another.

i really needed to cool off from a bad day and i didn't want to be mobbed by people so thanks for not outing me
-E

That's when it clicked. Famous Boy was thanking me for not announcing him today at the mall. I stared at Elle with my mouth slightly open.

Who was 'E' though? Even with all the knowledge Elle as bestowed upon me about the stars of Hollywood, I couldn't come up with one who simply went by E. Maybe it was a nickname. Maybe he still didn't want me knowing who he really was.

It didn't take long for her to scoot over and read the messages over my shoulder. I watched as her eyes flicked back and forth several times. Apparently, she had to read them multiple times as well before they sunk in.

"Holycrap," she whispered finally, and I couldn't agree more.