"GIRL, YOU KNOW YOU'RE LOST"
Constance and William were awkward around each other. But that's okay because it's the cute kind of awkward, the thrilling shy kind that you just have to break when you have enough courage.
Constance took a long sip of her chocolate milkshake, tugging William's soft blanket tighter around her curled up body. She sits on one side of the couch, while he sits comfortably on the other.
They're watching The Office, which has quickly became 'their' show.
It's not Tuesday, as in therapy day. It's just a regular Sunday night, and William asked to hang out.
Constance feels calm around him, like she doesn't have to worry about if he's judging her in any way.
William thinks Constance is a good way to forget about his busy life for a while every now and then. She's always treated him like he's completely normal, which he finds completely refreshing.
He doesn't know how to tell her about his busy life, his hockey, and he doesn't know if he wants to yet.
Although he does know that he wants to hold her hand.
They're both holding their slowly developing feelings in, bottling them up in hard and keeping everything to themselves.
William is stubborn, but Constance is closed up, and that's possibly even worse for an open friendship to flow steadily.
But it's okay because they don't really need to be talking about anything to have a good time. Each other's company is simply already enough, the presence of one another fills the void of actually speaking.
She had plans with one of her classmates to study tonight, although she didn't hesitate to cancer when William asked her to come over and give him some well needed company. It's not easy to be alone, especially when you're anxiety has been hyping up lately and the only thing you have to do is look at diagrams of dinosaurs all night.
No offence to the dinosaurs— but William is more interesting to Constance by a long shot.
She sniffles quietly. William's eyes are glued to the tv, intently watching Michael and Dwight drive a car into a lake, for the sole purpose of what exactly? She had know idea.
It wasn't Constance's decision to watch The Office, but William has insisted over and over again that he had to show her it. Through time she's willing to admit that it's kind of weird, but crazy entertaining.
William really is a hockey super fan.
The first time Constance took a take around his apartment she noticed a few unusual things about it. One: it was a little bit more expensive looking than most apartments people their age could afford (but that could mean anything really, and two, there's Maple Leafs sweaters, shirts, jogging pants, hats, mugs, blankets, and even a few pucks in a stack. This was all weird, he didn't seem like the kind of person to have such an obsession.
Constance watches William take a hand through his hair, admiring the way it slowly slid perfectly into place then right back into his eye view therefore achieving nothing. It's simply perfect, attractive, hot, she could go on forever.
William notices her staring, seeing the shine of bright green eyes in his peripheral vision. As soon as he does so she shrugs back into the couch, pulling the blanket further up her body and almost covering her entire face.
He thinks it's absolutely adorable how shy she can get around him. Just as thoughts of Constance begin to flood his mind, the episode finishes, showing the black screen that asks if you're still watching.
Both at the same time they reach over to grab the remote from the couch cushion in between them, their fingers delicately brushing against one another.
"Sorry." William rushes out, his tone unsure.
"It's okay."
After that accidental moment, William may or may not have accidentally scooted closer to her. For the next five minutes he shifts in his place trying to find the position for optimum comfort. He looks tired, and Constance begins to wonder if she's taking up too much space.
"It'll be more comfortable if you lay down.." Constance mumbles almost wordlessly.
"Yeah, you're probably right." William sighs. "If that's okay with you?"
"Of course, it's your couch." She laughs softly, smiling warmly.
William had an achingly long day of practice today, meaning he was sore after working out too, not to mention extremely exhausted. When he finally got home to his apartment he'd realized how empty it felt, and that maybe he should invite one of his friends over.
That's where Constance came along.
She tries to wedge herself as far way from the blonde as humanly possible so he won't have to touch her if she lays down— because she has no idea if he would be comfortable with that, but it just won't seem to work no matter how hard she tries.
William's head ends up falling right into her lap, his soft blonde hair cascading across his forehead. At first she lets out a small wheeze, before she adjusts to the weight. Constance has never done this before with a boy.
"Erm— um sorry, I didn't mean to," He stutters.
Constance laughs. "It's okay Will, I don't care, your hair is super soft anyways." Amazingly, she laughs it off humorously. That's how it goes, covering all of her emotions with sheer humour.
They watch another episode of The Office, where this time Michael hits Meredith with his car. William laughs, the loud annoying sort of laugh that for some reason isn't annoying at all to Constance.
This is before his breathing slows and his eyes begin to droop as he blinks continuously. She knows he's asleep when she hears his soft snores.
William is unknowingly cuddling up to Constance, face shoved into the side of her hip making his snores all the more louder.
He looks so focused, driven, observant, sometimes even alarmed when he's awake. Constance notices how now when he's sleeping there's a sense of peace floating through his features, like he's finally relaxed and not on guard.
Is it possible for a heart to shake? Her heart was shaking?
• • • • • • •
It's around 7:30 and Constance is out for dinner with her friends at some sports bar downtown. She's bored, tapping her nails against the table and eyes flickering around the room.
On the tv they're talking about hockey, the Toronto Maple Leafs to be precise. Constance remembers how they're William's favourite team; how he has a huge amount of his wardrobe dedicated to the hockey team.
Then she wonders, does he go to their games? Constance had never been. She was always more of a baseball fan.
"Con, what do you think?" Madison taps her shoulder to get her attention.
"Hmm?" She hums.
"About the leafs new rookies, how do you think they're doing?" Hadley nods her head in reference.
"Who?" Constance furrows her eyebrows. She has no idea what they're talking about.
"Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, you know, those guys?" Paige waves her hands around gesturing to the tv above their heads.
"Look they're playing right now." Hadley points.
"William Nylander? Who's that?" Constance only asks because that's the same name of her friend, who happens to be obsessed with the leafs. He must think it's cool to have the same name as him.
"Just watch the player reel, it'll show him I think." Madison smiles.
They all watch the tv above their table as they wait for their food, and sure enough guess who's on the tv: William.
Not the hockey player her friends were talking about— well yes actually, but it's William from therapy, William who binge watches Netflix with her on Sunday nights, William who's obsessed with the toronto Maple Leafs.
"Are you sure that's right?" Constance interjects.
"Yeah, that's him. Don't you think he's cute? The hair brings me life." Paige laughs grinning.
He's cute alright. A moment of realization dawns over Constance.
William isn't obsessed with the Leafs, he's is one.
"Why are you so interested all of a sudden?" Hadley furrows her brows.
Constance doesn't know what to say at first, still a little shocked— no not just a little, a lot shocked.
"Um, I know him." She mutters, blinking to make sure that it's actually William's face on the tv screen above her.
"Who? William Nylander?" Madison scoffs playfully. "Yeah right Con." Everyone laughs.