Jared's POV
I was walking through the mall, looking for a good place to type, and maybe a coffee shop.
I don't often come to the mall, but whenever I do I spend most of my time wondering why I did.
I don't really like the mall, all the annoying kiosks, the depressing food court (some weird kid was on the ground screaming earlier), the people around every corner trying to shove cell phone providers and lotion down your throat.
Overall, not my favorite place.
Just as I was about to leave, I was stopped by another sales person.
"Hi, have you tried Famous Amos cookies? They are simply the best!" She beamed, handing me a napkin with tiny cookies on it. I gave her my fakest smile and pushed it back.
"No thanks lady."
But she was persistent.
"I promise, once you try one you'll get hooked."
She shoved the cookies towards me again, but I pushed her hand away.
"Really, I'm fine-"
"Come on just try one."
She pushed one towards my face, and I had to give her some credit, she was very resolute.
I reluctantly hit down on the tiny treat, and she smiled.
I smiled, signifying it was good.
But before she could get a word out, I was struck with a terrifying feeling.
I held my throat due to the sudden tightening and swelling I felt, and tried to spit out Was was left of the cookie in my mouth, but it was too late I already swallowed it.
I coughed and hacked, loosing breath and I could smell the nuts in it.
"Sir? Sir are you okay?"
I fell to my knees, severely regretting forgetting my epipen. I wheezed and grabbed her arm.
"Nuts..." I barley managed to groan out as I hit the floor, I will admit being a little overdramatic.
But also, I was loosing oxygen and starting to panic. She put a hand on my arm and I heard muffled yelling, my eyes starting close.
Then, there was a sharp pain in my arm and it felt like everything opened back up.
I started gasping for air as it came back in twice as fast as before.
My eyes adjusted and I saw a beautiful girl leaning over me, her face laced with worried.
"Hey, hey are you okay? Can you breathe now?" She asked, shielding the fluorescent lights from my vision. I smiled and took her hand, pulling myself up from the floor.
"Y-yah, Thanks."
She wielded and epipen in the left hand.
"No problem, my brother has allergies too."
She smiled, brushing a piece of hair from my eyes.
"You should get some water or something." She said, her eyebrows turned down in concern.
"Okay, I will."
But before I did I turned back to the saleswoman. She sat there, red in the face and biting her nails.
"Sir, I am so sorry. I didn't-"
"You're an asshole, don't let it happen again."
She nodded profusely and cleaned up her work area.
I started making my way to the food court, but my savior started following me.
"What are you doing?" I asked her.
Her smile ceased to go away, and she hooked an arm through mine, looking around.
"I don't know, I don't come to the mall a lot and you've peaked my interest." She bounced.
Her adorable, curious face made my heart swell and my cheeks warm up slightly.
"You like Sbarro?" I asked her. She beamed.
Adorable.
*time skip*
"That jerk! Why were you ever friends with him?!" She screeched, listening intently to my story and munching on a breadstick.
I held a finger up as if to erase her phrase.
"Ah, family friends. And I didn't even want to know that guy anyway. He... he left me behind."
This girl was strange. I never opened up to anyone, ever.
But she was different. She made me want to, like once I started I couldn't stop. And soon I was this flowing river of words and she listened to ever but with undivided attention.
And she was easy on the eyes too, I had to admit.
Her hair was beautiful and swept like a movie character's, like she was always on film. Her eyes pulled you in, so that you couldn't look away, and they were He most gorgeous shade of (e/c) I'd ever seen.
Her smile demanded attention, not that any should mind, it was beautiful.
With a sudden burst of confidence, I reached across the table and laced our fingers.
"Hey, would you uh... would you like to go out with me sometime? Like... a date?"
She stared at our hands, her cheeks turning a dumbfounded dark red tint.
Did I go to far? I bet I freaked her out.
Before I could take it back she squeezed my hand.
"I would love too." She smiled.
Goddamn that smile again. It made me smile too, but in a way I don't usually. My smile was real, less cocky. Strange. Very strange.
"Great. Let's not come back tot his mall though."
I grimaced, staring around. She nodded.
"Absolutely not."
And we sat there, munching on breadsticks, talking about our weekend, and our fingers laced together.
My skin tingled, my eyes were warped, and I was something I truly hadn't been in a long time.
Happy.
.
