h a l l e
v a l e n t i n e
Waking up the following morning was a downhill experience, sweat clung to my body as I'd forgot to open the windows last night, yesterday's events came crashing down on me. I groaned, this is why people like me didn't go to parties: one, we would be kissed by popular seniors; and two, I would make usually chill seniors like Dylan explode angrily although I blame that on the night, he had already looked slightly stressed now that I thought about it.
It was probably something personal, I mean, we'd been arguing about something completely irrelevant and stupid. Yep, I'd probably just hit a very sore subject and he'd forgive me. . . Right?
I didn't expect Carmen to be back so soon, I kind of expected her to get caught again by mom, but instead I walked out to see Carmen eating breakfast in sweatpants. Previously I had thought I'd scream at her the minute she set foot in the house. Now, I just grabbed an apple and walked out of the house wordlessly, I wondered if she even knew that I was mad at her. I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't, sometimes she was oblivious to my feelings while other times we were the sisters who knew everything there is to know about each other.
. . . Really, there was no in between.
The apple was eaten quickly because I was hungry, honestly I should have eaten breakfast at home but my pride wouldn't have allowed me to do so—never in a million years. In the mornings, the park was usually empty with the exception of a couple of people using it as their morning hangout. I collapsed on the bench; I was both hungry and tired. Parties are so energy draining, I don't know how some people do this every weekend.
I was still in my brooding state when I heard a familiar voice which made my heart leap. I was so close go jumping under the bench to hide. Yes, you've got it. It was Dylan Morgan and his group of friends, however I was better than that and I did owe him an apology. The bold last night Halle was resurfacing again, I'd better use the newfound confidence while I could.
He was standing with the rest of his senior friends, hands shoved into his pockets when I walked up to him, "Hey, Dylan! Thanks for last night-"
This gained a number of catcalls from his friends jokingly, his cheeks was dusted a light pink before he pulled me away towards a more empty side of the park. Guys are honestly such jerks, his friends were suggesting that he had done more than take me home last night, what dirty little worms. If I could blush I would but my skin just doesn't have the capacity to blush, books tell that girls blush every minute but yet I've never blushed.
"Last night wasn't a problem, it's cool, " his hand rubbed his neck awkwardly.
"Right and I'm sorry about what I said, it was obviously a sensitive subject and I shouldn't have pushed it."
He shrugged, "Yeah, I probably shouldn't have tried to shove my opinion down your throat so I'm sorry too. I was going through my manly period, " I laughed but held my tongue, did he have blood flowing out of him every month, I think not. "Hal, have you had breakfast?"
"N—" my stomach's loud growl beat me to it, the sound was basically to put it lightly, it sounded like a dying whale. Almost instantly, he cracked up laughing—it was that bend over, knee slapping and utterly genuine laughter. I frowned, the universe just doesn't like me, that just had to happen. He began to recollect himself before taking a look at my face then cracking up all over again, god, I hate him. My scowl only grew bigger as his laughter became louder.
He stifled a laugh, "That settles it. Come on, I know this place that we can go to for a good breakfast and I'm sure your stomach agrees. I'm sorry, it was just so loud. You're hands down louder than the entire football team."
My eyes narrowed to slits at his words, "No, I'm not. I hate you."
He shrugged, I was good height for a girl at 5 ft 7" but he was tall. He wasn't a skyscraper but he was definitely very tall and far taller than me at something like 6 ft 3" or maybe 6 ft 4"-that was a rough estimate. Never in my life had I imagined that I would at some point be in this sort of situation. I wasn't a nobody but I wasn't exactly a somebody either, however Dylan Morgan was more than a somebody. People like me simply didn't hang out with people like him.
It was just a high school thing—social statuses were everything.
"So, did Carmen get home last night?"
"Yeah, she did. Thank god because if our mom found out that we went out she'd ground me for life."
He smiled after that but didn't say anything else. I'd always argue that Chris Hemsworth had the best smile in the entire world but you know what, after seeing Dylan's right now I think that Dylan comes a very close second. His smile had the dimples and everything, his eyes crinkled giving him crow's feet under and his face lit up. His smile could make him look years younger in just seconds. I realised I was staring and reluctantly tore my stubborn gaze away from the beauty that is him.
Walking with him was probably the most exercise that I'd gotten in weeks, he was faster than me with longer legs and I had to increase my normal pace to keep up with him. Finally, we arrived at a small coffee shop that was hidden by other buildings.
"Ladies first," he swung the door open for me resulting in a grateful smile from me.
The coffee shop was cute with a distinct smell of cinnamon, the woman at the counter grinned widely as we entered. It seemed that Dylan was a frequent eater here because he'd already manoeuvred the both of us to a small table which he stated was "his table " which confirmed my thoughts-he was definitely not new to this place.
"Dylan! Long time no see, darling!" she grabbed his cheeks, kissing both of them affectionately to which Dylan, for the second time today turned a dark shade of crimson showing his mild embarrassment.
"Maria, this is Halle. Hal, this is Maria who is a family friend," her eyes flickered back and forth, making him add cautiously, "We aren't a, you know, a couple. Just so you know Maria."
She squeezed Dylan's cheek before smiling brightly at me then sassing, "Oh, honey. Trust me, I know. Not even you could get such a stunner like her, she's quite the looker, isn't she?" she was astonishingly forward but at the same time one incredibly cute old woman, "Now, loves, what would you like to eat?"
I sent Dylan a look, urging him to recommend something for me and he nodded, "Right. We'll both have the Dylan Special with coffee," he turned to me, "She named a meal after me, it's brilliant actually. The best you could get in town. I picked it specially for you," he hid a smile, "I was very considerate of the fact that your stomach is a lot hungrier than most."
He was never going to let that go, was he?
Scoffing, I threw a napkin at him. It was weak and missed by a couple of millimetres—well, actually no. It missed completely and ended up at another table. What? I have very bad aim. He laughed at the lame move as I sulked. I don't know why guys automatically assume that just because girls are girls, we should have small appetites—reality is that I eat like a pregnant cow as do many other girls. My stomach just had to growl when a guy was around.
"So, H, what's the matchmaking business like?" H? That's a new one. "Have you found me a match yet?"
I shook my head, "Well, I found Kade a couple of matches so she has a lot of blind dates coming up next week. I've found you a few but I'll keep on researching them before I set up a date for you. Matchmaking is surprisingly easy, it's basically finding someone that will complement the other. It is cliché but honestly, opposites do attract the most. They're most likely to stay together too. Everyone wants to bond over a topic but that hardly ever works. Opposition works best."
"Sounds like you're experienced at this."
"Well, yeah. It is the family business, I've lived in that place for years and I've never seen a matchless case. I grew up believing fairy tales and the cheesiest love stories. I believe that everyone has their true love but it's their choice on whether they find and keep theirs. Love really is everywhere and it makes me happy to know that I get the chance to play cupid in someone's life. I could do this whole matchmaking thing my entire life."
He nodded slowly, "Damn, you're so invested in it. My life is basically a two way road. I could be a football player but then eventually I'll get old and well, yeah, that's pretty much it for me. Or I could take over my dad's business which is currently being run by uncle but I don't see myself doing well there."
"What do you mean?" I pushed, my voice coming out a lot softer than I meant to.
With a tantalising slowness, he pulled his bottom lip between his teeth, "I've always wanted to make my mark in life. I want people to remember me for who I am and what I've done. I don't want to be just okay at whatever I do, I want to be brilliant at what I do and a nine-to-five office job is just not for me. I'd always be just okay at it, nothing more, nothing memorable."
"Then what do you want to do?"
He shrugged, "I kind of want a job as a writer or maybe a poet. Not like a fiction one but one that is able to express their thoughts easily like Maya Angelou or Pablo Neruda or maybe someone like R.M Drake who can be so relatable. Or maybe even greater. I don't want to be confined to this town, my ancestors lived here too. Our family has been in this town for over a hundred years, " same, "I just want to be adventurous and explore the world and know my options."
He sighed again, "I hope I didn't wear you out with all of that? I usually don't talk that much."
"Of course you didn't wear me out and I'm a matchmaker, my job includes getting people to talk, " then I bit back the smile that was inevitable to come on my face as his grew, "Maybe you'll write something for me someday."
Fighting off a grin from his face too, he echoed, "Maybe."
At that very perfect moment, Maria bustled out of the kitchen, a stack of plates expertly balanced in her hands. She smiled, setting down the plates, it was an array of breakfast choices and I could kiss Dylan for bringing me to those heaven on earth.
"There we go. Eat up, you two! You could both do with some meat on you. Especially you, Dylan, you need some serious fattening honestly. Screw the football team and their stupid requirements."
There was truth in this statement, the football team had dire weight requirements and an undesired amount of exercise. Due to this, Dylan had the dream body that every athlete hoped to have. He lifted even the lightest of things and his biceps would flex, more than most times killing the girls at school. The skin that covered his back and stomach was taut, his muscles evident through the thin, almost see-through shirt that he had on.
Let me tell you this, it took every ounce of my self restraint to refrain myself from accidentally pouring my water on his white shirt just to get a glimpse of his chest. Previously I had thought that abs and six-packs were overrated—that is, until the entire football team jogged past my house all sweaty and shirtless. That certainly changed my mind a bit.
"You're definitely enjoying the food then! " Dylan declared, "You're actually drooling."
I was snapped out of my perverse thoughts, immediately using my thumb to rub off the string of drool forming at the corner of my lip, talk about embarrassing. If only he knew that it wasn't the food making my mouth water but thoughts of him and the exceptionally good looking football team that did this to me. Making matters decidedly worse, he reached out to get the jug of orange juice from across the table, his shirt raising up slightly as he did so.
° ° ° ° °
To shorten it for you, Dylan wolfed down on his food prompting me to do the same. Once he was done with his, he called it upon himself to help me out and ended up finishing my food as well. He didn't speak much after his confession earlier but generally guys really don't speak much, do they?
Me? I remained more interested in eating Dylan up than I was in the breakfast but as you know, the devil himself, helped me out there and cleaned my plate. I would soon need to be back home again anyways because him and three other clients were awaiting their potential matches but as I learnt more and more about Dylan, I was beginning to wonder whether anyone truly was worthy of him as a whole. He was kind, charming, had his undeniably sweet moments and was utterly himself.
This was exactly why it was a bad idea to get close to a client.
We were walking home now, he kicked a pebble out of the way, "So, Hal, what are the rules on dating clients?"
"Well, there are many but in conclusion, I'm your matchmaker and therefore you're my client. Only if you were to quit the whole thing could you date me but Carmen although she is a matchmaker too isn't your matchmaker so she could date you. Also you can date my brothers too, if you're into that kinda stuff," I shrugged, "You could date Carmen."
He nodded silently, shoving his hands into his pocket, "Cool," we stopped at my front door, "Bye then, I guess I'll see you around, Halle Valentine."
A / N : This was a longer chapter I think , hopefully they'll keep getting longer by chapter. Plus there's more dialogue.
Dedication to the lovely Bruna (BrunaaSilva) for being one of my sweetest readers. And can I talk about how this got ranked #946 in Teen Fiction last Tuesday (not that much but I honestly didn't expect it to even get anywhere). It's not ranked anymore but who wants to get it ranked again higher than #946? I do! Plus it has over 50 votes, of my god you guys are amazing honestly.
- Zara.
P.S: Vote, comment and share, my loverlies!
Edit (11.10.14): A few people said that Dylan said something that was exactly like Augustus Waters from tfios, sadly I haven't read the book yet but I am this week so hopefully there won't be anymore similarities!