Violet
—
"I CAN'T HELP you with that, but maybe I can offer you a cookie?" Louis' voice projected across from me.
We were sitting at a small table in the same Starbucks I encountered when I first got to the airport. This time, it seems like the other worker left and a new one took his place. She was a girl, younger than the other guy. She had platinum blonde hair, straight bangs that stopped just over her eyes, and cute quirky freckles. She couldn't stop looking at Louis. That doesn't bother me though. Why would it?
I sighed, "Fine, I'll take the cookie."
I reached for the ripped off piece of his chocolate chip cookie, plopping it into my mouth. We were talking about the fact that I have not started any of my summer reading assignments for my AP Literature class. We were supposed to read Romeo and Juliet and write an essay on, "Death for Love: Is that realistic?"
I ultimately decided to put it off for the first month of summer and then July came along and I still haven't started it. I only have a few more weeks until school comes back around and I have no idea what I'm going to do. The guiding question is literally called, "Death for Love" I've never felt love, apparently I've never seen love, and I don't believe in it. Love is just some made up word that an old man created because he was bored and everyone ate it up.
"I just don't understand how I'm supposed to write about love if it's not real, y'know?" I spastically raised my hands around, complaining about the stupid assignment that my stupid self decided to work on last minute.
"I think love is real." he shrugged his shoulders, biting into a piece of what's left of his cookie.
"Okay then, explain to me, how is love real? Because it's not physical yet people act like there are physical causes. I just think that that's you being infatuated by someone."
"Is air real?" he stared into my hazel eyes as I furrowed my eyebrows.
I scoffed, "You're comparing love to air? You don't need love to live. But yes, air is real."
"Love is... an emotion. Like happiness or sadness. You can't prove it, you just feel it."
"Have you felt it?" I wondered. He looked down at the table before looking back up at me.
"No, I haven't. But I will one day, and you will too, and that man over there huddling over the trash can will feel it one day as well," he laughed, motioning his head to the guy. "I promise you, you will."
"That's a big promise, Lou. I'm pretty sure that I'm going to never fall in love, probably never date anyone, never get my first kiss, never have children, and die. That's going to happen. I'm sure of it." I spoke quickly, seemingly spilling whatever was stuck in the gear shifts of my mind.
"I think it'll happen soon. Maybe even sooner than you think." he moved his tongue to the side of his cheek, looking innocent yet suspicious.
"Oh, so you're a psychic now?"
"I just think it'll happen soon. Perhaps on your trip to London. They say Paris is the city of love, but I think London has its moments." he smirked.
"Who am I going to fall in love with? I'm sure Harry Styles doesn't currently have his heart set out on a seventeen year old."
"Maybe someone you just me—"
"Hi." I furrowed my eyebrows, wondering why Louis suddenly stopped talking. I followed his gaze and it led me to her. The worker that couldn't stop looking at him since we got here.
"Huh, I didn't know Starbucks had restaurant service." I quietly muttered under my breath.
"Hey." Louis graciously responded, ignoring my snyde comment. A smile was planted on both of their faces. For some reason, I felt weird. Like my body was tensing up just from them looking at each other.
"I, um- are you two dating?" she looked between the two of us.
I rapidly shook my head, "No, no, we're not. Just friends. We actually met like—"
"Cool," oh. Okay then. "I was wondering if you wanted to exchange numbers? I saw you from across the room and I think you're really cute." she said, her eyes never leaving Louis.
So she interrupts our conversation, asks if we're dating (and we aren't, but if we were she would still come up to us?), and then interrupts me mid sentence. Huh. I don't find her that pleasant.
"Actually, we're... complicated," my eyes widened as I almost choked on my drink. He looked at me before continuing. "You know, best friends figuring out our feelings for each other and... such. So, I don't think that would really be a good idea. Sorry." he scratched the back of his neck, his pale cheeks were flushed, and his right leg bounced under the table.
She rolled her annoying ocean blue eyes, "Um, okay? Have fun figuring that out I guess." She walked back to behind the counter, taking off her green Starbucks apron and walking out of the store. I hope her shift was over and she didn't just walk out. You might not have the guy, but you can still get the bag.
I turned my head toward Louis, he was still looking ahead of him, not daring to look at me.
"Complicated, huh?" I mocked, trying to resist the smile that was peeking behind my lips.
He finally turned to look at my smug face. "I just wanted to let her down easy," he shrugged. "I'm going back to London, don't really need... that."
Oh.
Please tell me why that one sentence hurt me more than the girl asking him out. He's not looking for a girlfriend in a completely different country, and that's fine. It's not like I was trying to get with him or anything. Us, this? Is just a one time thing.
"Well, want it or not, you're quite the lady's man, Lou." I said, trying to mask the small disappointment that sat in the corner of my body.
"She probably just saw my one second clip in Paddington 2 and wanted to get an autograph." he smiled.
"So you're telling me that you're not the bear?" I raised an eyebrow, a small giggle slipping from my lips.
"I wish. Have you seen his net worth?" he joked and I felt the small tension between us smoothly fade away.
"Well, what am I doing here with you? I should be hanging out with him."
"Told you you'll fall in love." he snickered.
"So you are a psychic! Okay, tell me what seat number I am without me telling you." I licked my lips, knowing that he won't figure it out.
"Um," he squinted his eyes, trying to think of a number. "17B." I zipped open a small pocket in my suitcase that held my boarding pass. I quickly scanned it, searching for the seat number.
And sure enough,
....17B.
"How- how did you do that?" okay, maybe he is psychic because I never told him that.
"Wait, you're 17B?" I slowly nodded my head, confused as to how he got it correct. "I just based it off of my number. I'm 17A."
"Wow, that's so weird," I laughed in amazement. "How does that just happen?"
"I think it's fate." he smiled. His cheeks rosy, and his bottom lip being bit— must be a habit of his.
Fate.
"It was the only seat left. I think it's good timing." I took another sip of my almost done iced chai, slowly meeting his gaze.
"Whether it being timing or fate, you don't have to go through the flight alone, so at least you have that. And I'll make sure no aliens try to hurt you." he chuckled.
"Still on that?" I winced, embarrassment flowing into my warm cheeks.
"Yeah, I'm never letting you live that down."
"Great." he smirked at me before looking down at his phone on our small round table.
"It's six thirty, you wanna head over?" he asked, already packing up his things and walking towards the trash can.
"Okay, let me just call my mom real quick to tell her that we board in an hour." he silently nodded his head as I walked outside of the Starbucks toward a semi-empty area of the airport. The place packed quickly after it hit five o'clock. A crying baby was being held beside me and a nasty smelling bathroom on the other.
I held my phone up to my right ear, my finger pressing my left so I could hear a bit better. After one missed call and three rings on my second attempt, my mom finally answered. It's 2:30pm in London, what else could she have been doing?
"Hey, mom." I greeted.
"Hey, honey. What's going on?" she asked. I wondered if she forgot all about me and my trip to London.
"I'm boarding in an hour. You're still picking me up, right?" I chewed on my nails, looking at Louis who was leaning against a wall adjacent to me. It's like he felt me staring because he looked up from his phone and smiled. I felt myself relax as I smiled back.
"Right, about that," what? My relaxation quickly left as I went back to biting my nails. "I have to pick up Raina from a play date at 6:15pm and your plane lands at 6:30. Chris would have done it, but he's at work. But you can just find an Uber, right?"
Right, her family. For one second, I thought that maybe, just maybe, she would choose me. She would drive over here, ask me about my flight, if I was excited to be in London, tell me how much she missed me, but that's not happening because of course— she has her family. The one she chose, not the one with me in it. I shouldn't have agreed to come. This was a mistake.
"Rai- Violet?" she can't even say my name— her first daughter's name. "You still there?"
"Yeah, mom. I'm still here. I'll figure something out." I held the ridge of my nose with my pointer finger and thumb.
I barely have any money left. With paying for half of the flight, paying for a bus ticket, paying for a drink (Louis insisted on paying for the second one even though I said that it was fine), paying for some missed bills, and paying for school items, I don't have enough left for an Uber.
"Okay, honey. I have to go, I love you. Have a safe flight!"
"Okay... bye." I hung up the call, chewing the inside of my cheek. I leaned against the wall behind me, tilting my head back, and closing my eyes. I don't know what I'm going to do. Not just for the transportation thing, but for two weeks with them.
Louis must've seen me lower the phone since I saw him stocking towards me. I quickly perked up, acting like I wasn't just about to have a panic attack in the middle of this crowded airport.
"Hey, how'd it go?" he smiled down at me.
"Um, good. Yeah, it was- it was good." I plastered a smile on my face and walked past him, rolling my suitcase toward the gate.
"Are you sure? You don't seem good, what's wrong?" he asked, walking in front of me causing me to stop in place. His eyes searched my face for answers as I stared down at my shoes.
"Nothing. I'm good, really. We should start going now. Um, we're boarding soon, so." I stepped to the left as he stepped to his right, blocking me from leaving.
"Vi, we have an hour before we board. Seriously, tell me what's wrong." he lifted my chin up to look at his concerned face.
Vi. Why did my heart jump a little?
I inhaled, "My mom can't pick me up when we land, so I need to find a way to get there. I can probably just find a bus or—"
"My family's picking me up, I'm sure they can take you to yours."
I shook my head, "No, no, no, no. That's way too much, I can probably just find a walking route there. It's fine."
"Vi, I'm not letting you walk alone to your flat. Where in London is it?"
"West. But seriously, it's fine. I'll find a way there—"
"I just texted my parents. They said yes and my sisters are excited to meet you." I froze in place. We met a few hours ago and he's being so nice to me. I don't know what to say.
"This is way too much. I feel like a burden, and why would they want a complete stranger in their car—"
"Violet, calm down," he laughed. "It's fine, really. And you're not a stranger, we're friends. It's fine."
"Are you sure? I- I feel bad."
"Violet," he placed his hands on both sides of my shoulders, staring into my eyes. "I'm not letting you walk around London alone."
I sighed, giving up. "Okay, but I'm going to find a way to repay you."
"I'm sure you will. Now, come along." he grabbed onto the handle of my suitcase, rolling it along as I followed after.
After a few minutes of walking and occasionally getting distracted by the cheesy airport merchandise, we finally made it to the gate. Luckily no one was boarding yet as we slumped down into some empty seats, waiting for them to announce the boarding call.
Eleven more hours with Louis? I think I can manage that.
—
Third chapter down! I'm trying to make each chapter about 2,000-3,000 words, but I always manage to get writers block!! Luckily my last three were all in the 2,000s range, so I haven't had to squabble yet. Hopefully I never have to LOL.
I am wishing you the best day ever!!!!! Sending virtual hugs, my loves :) Bye!
- x, Sofia