Nick
Ava's right beside me right now. If only I could date her... Knowing myself, I always end a relationship after a few weeks. I'm sure I'll hurt her in the end.
"Ave, have you ever had a boyfriend?" I asked her, turning my head to look at her beautiful face. She nods her head with a smile. A sad smile.
"Yeah. I loved him. He left me for an older woman though. That was my one and only relationship with a man. Anyway, I couldn't fully move on because I want to know why he left me. Was I not pretty enough? Was I not intimate enough?" She says, her eyes casted down on her hands.
My heart throbbed as I heard her utter those words. No girl deserves to feel those unwanted feelings. Especially not Ava.
"He probably couldn't take your perfection." I suggest with a smile. She just laughs a fake laugh.
"Ava, want to go out with me this weekend?" A guy walks up to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. I saw Celeste frowning as she moves closer to Ava.
"I'm busy, sorry." She shortly replies.
"C'mon, it's gonna be fun." The guy insisted.
Celeste pulls on the guy's jacket. "She said no." Celeste softly tells him, crossing her arms. The guy rolls his eyes and leaves, purposely shoving Celeste back with his shoulder.
"Cel, you're the cutest friend ever!" Ava squeals, hugging Celeste tightly. How I wish I was Celeste right now. Ava's hug must feel amazing.
"You're too pretty." Celeste mumbles.
True, true.
"And you're really nice." Celeste adds.
Yes, that's right. Celeste understands me well.
Ava stands and goes to the restroom, so I took this opportunity to ask for a favor from Celeste.
"Celeste, I have a request." I told her. Celeste looks up in confusion and tilts her head to the side, urging me to continue my sentence.
"Come with me to the carnival tomorrow." I said. That way, I can ask her more about Ava. She knows her friend the best. I could ask Angela, but she's already with Histon. Jaxon won't misunderstand, right?
Her eyes moves away from me and she contemplates whether or not she should agree. "I guess I can go. Is it only the two of us?" She asks innocently.
I nodded. "Yeah. That's cool with you?" I asked, just to make sure that she won't feel awkward or uncomfortable.
She hesitantly nods. "Yeah. I'm fine with it."
Ava returns and plops back onto her seat. We continued talking about random things, laughing and having a good time. I'll be honest; Celeste makes my heart jump whenever she smiles or does gentle actions, but Ava makes my heart explode and flutter whenever I see her.
School passed by in an instant and I went home. Dad was at home and mom was out with her friends. "Nick, what do you want for dinner?" Dad asked. He can cook quite well if you ask me.
"Anything is fine. Maybe pasta?" I suggest.
Dad smiles and nods. "Roger that."
I chuckled and trudged up the stairs, opening the door of my room. I dropped my bag onto the floor and took out my phone. I have quite a lot of things to do, but who cares? That can be done later at night. It's not like the teachers actually care.
Hm? Melissa and Jack are together now? Hm, so many couples are getting together. I should get a girl already. If Ava doesn't agree to go out with me, then who should I pick to be my girlfriend?
Maybe Andrea, she's a ditzy one though. Or Maria, but she's a b*tch most of the time. Liza will be a good date, but she's clingy as hell. Somehow, Ava is the only person I want to go out with.
My phone rang and the caller was Celeste. I was surprised. I immediately picked up and offered a short greeting.
"Nick, I wanted to know the time that we will meet up. And where the carnival is." She states, going straight to the point.
"I'll be in your place by noon. Don't worry, I know your address." I assured her.
"Is that so? Thank you." She expresses her gratitude before ending the call.
"Kid, it's dinner time!" Dad calls from downstairs.
"Geez, I'm not a kid anymore." I mumbled with a faint smile. I ran down the stairs and sat on my seat. At the same time, my mom comes in, holding a paperbag with food.
"Your dad told me that we'll be having pasta. I think that fries and milkshakes would go well with it." She giggles, placing the food down on the table.
Dad stands and grabs the chocolate milkshake, which was his favorite. I grabbed the vanilla flavored one and mom's favorite is the strawberry one.
"Your mom is the best." He chuckles.
I rolled my eyes. "You two are so flirty," I commented. Dad smirks and purposely presses a kiss on mom's lips. I shuddered and looked away.
I took a forkful of dad's pasta, shoving it into my mouth. "Mhmm, it's good," I complimented, closing my eyes. Dad smiles and thanks me.
After eating, I washed the dishes and went up the stairs. I decided to do my homework for once before going to bed. I need lots of energy for tomorrow. I have to make sure that Celeste will also have fun.
The next morning, my alarm rang. I shot up and turned it off. I headed to the shower, picking out casual yet nice clothes. After that, I decided to have my breakfast.
My parents are both out, working their asses off. And since I can't cook even if my life depends on it, I had to eat cereal. I checked the time and it was already 10:30.
I washed the bowl together with the utensils before dashing up the stairs. I grabbed my phone, wallet, house keys, and car keys. I walked back down and opened the top cabinet of the kitchen. There were a pack of random sweets in a jar, so I took a few.
I hopped into my car after locking the door of the house. I drove off the Celeste's place. It took about half an hour or so.
To: Celeste
I'm here outside. Take your time.
I placed my phone on the passenger seat, tapping on the steering wheel in boredom. Girls usually take long to get ready, right?
Within five short minutes, Celeste barges out of the house. "Bye Matt! Don't forget to visit dad!" She calls out before looking back at me. She was wearing a cute, lacy chiffon dress. Her hair was in a messy bun and her makeup was kept light. She looked captivating.
I rolled the windows down and gave her a grin. "I thought that I told you to take your time." I laughed.
"It would be impolite of me to keep you waiting. After all, not only will you accompany me, but also drive me there." She answers with a formal tone.
"Get in." I gestured to the seat beside me.
She nods and walks to the other side, opening the door and sliding in. "You don't talk much?" I hummed.
"Jaxon asked that once too. And yes, I don't talk much unless it's necessary. I think that listening will provide new knowledge to a person." She answers with a confident tone.
I thought about her words for a moment. "Then for today, can I ask for a small favor?" I queried, my lips tugging up into a smirk.
She nods without hesitance this time. "Okay. What is it?"
"Let loose. Don't feel timid or shy. Have fun and talk all you want, smile all you want. Surely you can do that for me?" I said, starting to drive.
"You want me to talk and smile a lot? Isn't that request too simple and small?" She asks, confused.
"Nope. That's all I want from you today. Don't forget that today, you're mine." I winked.
"I'm yours'? I don't recall saying anything like that." She frowns, crossing her arms over her chest.
I chuckled at her innocence and her cute gestures. If she keeps this up, I'm sure that she'll be my next aim. We drove past the park and we were an hour away from the carnival.
"You see, when I asked you out and you agreed, it means that you're mine for the day." I tried to explain. Man, this is harder than I thought.
"Only for today." She subtly smiles.
Ah, that's cute.
Nick, don't let your playboy and womanizer side come out. You're here to ask about Ava's likes and dislikes. And at the same time, you should make sure that the innocent bunny has fun.
I want to see a new side of her. I'm sure she has a wild side too. Maybe I can even help Jaxon by observing her from this date.
We were silent as I drove to the carnival. There was nothing to talk about, so I switched on the radio. Avril Lavigne's "I'm With You" started playing. Damn, that's one nostalgic song.
Soon into the chorus, Celeste started singing along. And trust me, her voice was alluring and bewitching. She has a resounding and a velvety voice. I could listen to her all day if I wanted to.
Slowly, I started lowering the volume so that I could hear her voice more. When the song ended, she shut her lips again. "No one told me you could sing so damn well," I inform her.
A light blush dusted her cheeks and she looks down onto her hands. "I don't think that I sing that well." She objects.
"I bet that even people at war would stop and listen to the sound of your angelic voice." I praised her generously and sincerely.
This time, she rolls her eyes. "Such an exaggeration. But thank you." She smiles.
"Don't forget my request." I remind her.
She nodded obediently. "Talk, smile, and have fun." She repeats.
I laughed and pat her head. "That's my girl," I said without thinking. Her cheeks lit up again and I awkwardly coughed.
What the hell am I saying? I shouldn't get distracted. I should focus on my goal today. It's just that Celeste has this charm that makes a person feel at ease around her. She just takes everyone's attention away from whatever they're doing. She has a lot of charisma and she takes people's breaths away.
"We're here," I announced after a few minutes.
She looks outside and smiles. There were kids and families. There were also groups of friends and old people. All of them were wearing a smile on their faces.
"I'm excited! It's been some time since I went to a carnival!" She chuckles, stepping out of the vehicle. She grabs my arm and drags me to the entrace.
"Five dollars per head." The snobby cashier tells us.
I took out ten dollars. When I looked up, Celeste already paid. The cashier eyes me judgingly and snickers. There goes my pride. I've been on countless dates and I never let the girl pay. Ever.
"Here are your tickets, miss. You should let the guy pay next time." The cashier advises her with a hearty and sarcastic laugh.
Celeste frowns a bit. "Thank you. But it's honestly fine. Sometimes, girls should also show their gratitude to the guys who always looks after and cares for them. In a relationship, I believe that it's a two-way thing. Paying for something is one of the smallest signs of appreciation." She says thoughtfully, her mind drifting off to her thoughts.
The cashier hums and stares at Celeste, critisizing her. Then she turns to me with an approving look in her eye. "She's a keeper." She whispers.
I just smiled whilst shaking my head. We entered the carnival and Celeste saw an ice cream stand. She takes out her wallet and jogs to fall in line.
"I'll pay." I firmly tell her.
She shakes her head. "It's alright. I can pay for myself. As far as I can remember, you like vanilla and peanut butter right?" She asks to confirm.
I nodded, confused. When did I ever mention what flavor I liked? Did she ask Jaxon or Zane about it? She notices my expression and giggles softly.
"We were having a heated discussion about the best ice cream flavor last month. You happened to mention that you prefer vanilla and peanut butter above the rest." She explains.
I was genuinely surprised. She remembered what I liked? We weren't the best of friends yet she made a mental note about my likes. For me, it's a big plus if girls notices the little details I add in a conversation.
"You remembered." I awkwardly laughed.
"Of course. Sometimes, it's the small things that means a lot. Am I wrong?" She questions with a sly grin.
"No. You're right."
She ordered ice cream and paid for me again. What's with her and paying for the man? She hands me my cone and steps out of the line.
"Nick, what do you plan on doing now?" She inquires.
"Hm, maybe we should ride the carousel? I'll be your prince." I joked.
"Then I'll be your princess." She went along with my play. So this is how Celeste is when she's loose and carefree?
She brings me to the carousel and the man lets us in. She headed towards the high horse and swings one leg over it, but she failed to get on. She tries a few more times before pouting.
"Cel, let me help you. You're wearing a dress today, don't forget that. I don't want you to accidentally flash a random person." I teased. She nods and I place both of my hands on the side of her thin waist.
I lifted her up and she gets onto the horse happily. I approached the small pony beside her and got on, waiting for the ride to move. Celeste smiles gleefully once the ride moves.
"Hey Nick, the reason why you invited me here is because of Ave, right?" She questions.
"Yeah. Why?"
"I decided to come with you because I wanted to see if you were good for my best friend." She confesses. She loves Ave that much?
"Mhmm." I hum.
"You are a great guy. I hope you treat Ave like a princess everyday." She states with a soft smile and an equally soft voice.
"I will. Don't worry." I promised her.
Let's hope that I can stick to my word. I'm afraid that I might unintentionally hurt her. Like I said, I play with girls. I get bored easily. I hope that I can have a long and good relationship with Ava.
We got off the ride and rode a mini ferris wheel next. We got into a cart and the ride started going higher and higher. Unlike most ferris wheels, this one has no bars or windows, so it's open.
Celeste's hand turned pale as she shut her eyes tightly. Could it be that...?
"You're scared of heights?" I dumbfoundedly questioned.
She shakily nods, looking at the ground. "I can usually control it. B-But this cart doesn't have a bar or a window or a roof!" Her voice gets louder as she speaks.
I pondered about what to do for a moment. I boldly stood up, causing the cart to shake and Celeste to yelp. The staff also got annoyed with me. I moved to her side and covered both of her eyes with a hand.
I placed my other hand over hers, in hopes of providing even the slightest feeling of comfort to her. "What are you doing?" She asks.
"This way, you can't see how high up we are." I reply.
When we reached the ground, I removed my hand and stepped out, holding out a hand for her to take. Understanding my signal (thankfully), she takes my hand and gets off the cart.
"Mommy, it's a prince and a princess!" A child exclaims while pointing to Celeste and I.
The mother smiles and shoots us apologetic glances. "It's rude to point, Charlie!" She lightly scolds her child.
"I think it's lunch time." I mutter, glancing at my watch.
"Is there anything you would want to eat?" Celeste asks me.
"Nothing specific. Maybe burgers?" I ask, looking at her. I have to make sure that she likes what she's going to eat.
She smiles and nods. "Sure. My treat," she quickly adds. My jaw dropped as she says those words and dashed off to a small restaurant.
"You already treated me two times!" I call out, grabbing her wrist. She looks at me and just smiles.
"Okay. Then why don't you pay for lunch and I'll pay for the booths?" She negotiates.
"I'll pay for lunch and the booths." I corrected her.
"How about we take turns on paying? It's fair for both of us, right?"
"But I'm the one who asked you out today, so I should pay." I stubbornly said.
"Yes, but I agreed to come, therefore I shall also pay my share of money." She says, pouting.
"I know you're used to paying on dates. I just switched things up a bit." She added.
"Fine. Alright. But please, let lunch be my treat."
"Okay." She finally agrees.
I bought a huge burger while Celeste insisted on a small one. I handed her the burger she wanted and she started eating.
"I'll buy the drinks. What do you want?" She asks, standing up.
Crap, I forgot about the drinks.
"Coke will do. Thanks." I grinned.
She laughs and nods. She returns after a few minutes with the drinks. "So, what about Ava do you want to know?" She asks.
My lips parted and I didn't know what to say. Truth is, now that I've gotten to know Celeste better, I realized why Jax likes her a lot. She's thoughtful, gentle yet outgoing, innocently seductive.
I want to go for her. But of course, I couldn't do that to Jax. He's my best friend. That wouldn't be right.
"Rather than that, I want to know more about you," I lightly flirted.
"I like dogs. I'm quiet but I can be loud. I don't mind paying when I'm on dates," she smirks cheekily at me.
"Instead of Ave, why don't I go for you?" I half-joked, just to test the water.
She stares blankly at me for a second before laughing. "Stop joking around. Tell me what you would want to know about my friend." She insists.
"Her favorite food, color, animal. Let's start with the basics." I half-heartedly smile.
"She likes the color purple. As much as possible, don't buy her anything green. She doesn't like green. She likes eating pork and sushi."
Isn't sushi a japanese dish?
"Ave likes small animals, like birds. She likes bunnies and hedgehogs too. She used to have them as pets. She doesn't like pushy men. To her, it's the thought that matters."
"She seems hard to woo but in reality, it's quite easy. Just show her you're sincere and show her that you will treasure her."
"That's about it." Celeste finishes.
"How about you? How can someone get you to become their girl?" I reluctantly ask.
Celeste seemed surprised when I asked the question. My face heats up and I cleared my throat. "Oh. For me, I'm happy with seeing a guy seriously pursuing me. A guy who can be loyal and faithful, not to forget loving... can easily captivate me." She shyly says.
Of course. She's the type of girl who values character more than looks or money. I like her personality. Her parents brought her up well.
"What do you think of Jaxon?" I inquired.
She blushes. "He's alright."
What a short answer.
"What do you think of me?" I asked boldly.
She blushes even more, quickly taking her juice and gulping it down. "You're a good guy. But of course, you're Ave's." She reminds me.
Oh yeah.
"Of course." I chuckle.
We threw our trash and stood up. "Let's play that game!" Celeste grins and squeals, pointing a booth.
"Darts, huh?" I cursed under my breath. I'm not the best at darts. I'll have to depend on my luck.
"What do you want?" She asks me.
"The ring." I pointed to an elegantly designed ring.
A confident glint sparked in her eyes and she gives me a firm nod. "Okay!" She enthusiastically nods.
I paid the man a dollar and he hands her three darts. "If ya want the ring, then ya must hit the center at least two times." The man says, leaning back and watching Celeste.
Celeste brings one dart up, crouching down a bit. She focuses on the middle and aims the part slightly higher than the bulls eye. The dart hits the middle perfectly and she throws her hands up in the air happily.
"A hidden and unexpected talent for darts." I said to myself, making a mental note.
She hits the other two darts and gets the ring. She hands it to me with a soft smile. "Here," she says.
I take it and opened the box, pulling the ring out. I took her hand and slipped the jewelry onto her ring finger.
"There. Now you have a keepsake of our date today." I smiled in accomplishment. Her cheeks reddened again and she looks away.
"It's not a date though." She protests.
"Is there something you want for yourself? Since you gave me a ring, what do you want in return?" She asks.
"Get me a ring. That way, we match." I smirked deviously.
"Erm... Sure," she unsurely answers before playing another round of darts.
She hands me a ring and I slipped it on my ring finger. "See? We match." I lifted my hand up.
"It's already 2:15. What time are you expected to be at home?" I question her.
"I have no curfew. Would you mind dropping me off at the hospital instead of my home?" She asks, her mood dampened. I wonder what she is thinking of.
"Hospital?" I ask.
She nods wordlessly. It was clear that she didn't want any questioning, so I kept quiet.
"Do you want to ride that?" I pointed to a ride. My promise to myself was to make sure she has fun.
The ride was 'Anchors Away'. It was a boat that swings back and forth highly. At one point, the boat also turns 360 degrees. I'm sure we won't fall off though.
"Yeah!" Celeste answers with a bright smile.
I grinned and falled in line. When it was our turn, we decided to sit at the very back. It's the most thrilling seat.
"Heights." Celeste mumbles.
"You won't fall, I'll make sure of that." I promised her with a chuckle.
"I'll hold you to your word, Mr. Greene." She jokes.
The ride moved. At first, it moved slowly and we weren't that high up. But it started swinging higher and higher, causing Celeste to scream like her life depended on it.
The boat turned upside down, making a full circle. Celeste yelled louder, begging for the ride to stop. I clutched her hand, pulling her close to me.
"It's okay. It's okay. The ride's over." I comforted her.
What have I done?
She trembles, her eyes lowered on the ground. She doesn't look up no matter what. She also doesn't make a move to stand. Is she alright?
"Celeste?" I call softly.
"I-I can't s-stand." She says in a small voice.
My lips formed an 'o' shape and I bent down, lifting her up bridal style. I carried her off the ride, hearing her embarrassed protests and screams.
"I'm okay! You can let me down!" She insists.
I laughed and complied to her wish. I set her down and ushered her onto a bench. "Sit. I'll be back." I promised.
I jogged to a stand and bought a bottle of water since she stated that she doesn't like soda or any carbonated drinks. I went back and sat beside her.
She opens the bottle and drinks the water up. "Thank you. That was nice of you." She politely thanks me, offering a kind smile.
"It was nothing, Cel."
After two hours, we decided to call it a day. We walked back to my car and I turned the engine on. "I hope you had fun. The information you gave me about Ave was really helpful. Thanks." I honestly told her.
"I had tons of fun. We should do it again next time." She laughs, buckling her seatbelt.
God, please help me. Would it be bad if I said that I may have a bit of feelings for her? Yeah, I think it is bad if I said that I have feelings for her.
Kill me now.
"Yeah. We should." I weakly reply.
I drove to the city's hospital and dropped Celeste off. "I really want to thank you again for today. I appreciate the ring too." She says with a teasing smile.
"Darts are your forte, aye?"
She grins and winks at me. "It's a secret talent." She lowly whispers.
My heart raced at her low and seductive tone. I knew she wasn't intentionally trying to be seductive, but she's affecting my feelings and confusing me a lot. I don't know what I feel anymore.
This is why I prefer changing girls frequently. Because having a steady girlfriend confuses me like hell. I start not knowing myself anymore.
"Mhmm. Bye, Cel."
"Goodbye, Nick." She smiles, though it doesn't reach her eyes. She turns around and walks into the hospital.
I locked the doors of my car and drove back home. Celeste, you're one great yet intriguing girl.
********
Hey guys! I'm so, so sorry for being a week late! I'm not sure if anyone reads this book, but if you do, then I'm sorry for updating late! This is how Nick thinks and how his family treats him. He has light feelings for my little Celeste, aye?
Anyway, please do comment and vote! I made this chapter far longer than the rest to make it up to y'all! I'd be extremely happy with feedbacks!
I'll see you in the next chapter! All the love. Xx
MissSeraph💖