Forest Pierce looked different in real life, standing in my kitchen, rather than he did over his Instagram posts.
For starters, his skin was a lot tanner in real life. He was also a lot more built, like he had just recently gained muscle weight. His pink hair that looked freshly dyed over Instagram is now faded and messy, his hair growing out. His eyes were like a black color, and not a dark brown like it shows in the sunlight...
In other words, I was still not attracted to him in the slightest. He's not my type.
"Well I'll be damned. This explains a lot." I cross my arms over my chest, looking him up and down with an unimpressed expression.
"What's that supposed to mean?" He tilts his head.
"Every single sketchy thing that you did right after you knocked Gatorade all over me? Yeah, seeing who you actually are explains a lot." I explain, rolling my unusual colored green eyes.
"You sound unimpressed." He narrows his eyes.
"Because I am." I admit, shrugging my shoulders.
His jaw drops, but he begins to laugh.
I ignore him as I see my Gatorade still in the bag. I grab it, and walk back to my room, putting it in my backpack.
I knew Forest followed me further into my apartment and stopped at my room doorway, so I wasn't shocked to see him leaning against the frame.
"A university student?"
"A Hollywood actor?" I retort
"Ah, so you do know who I am." Forest smirks.
"Unfortunately." I grumble.
His smirk fades. "Are you not a fan?"
"I don't even want to know you, so no, not really." I stand up, zipping up my bag and placing it on my desk chair.
"What do you not like about me?" He steps curiously into my room, gaining more confidence when I don't stop him.
"Everything." I blink.
"Not helping, I need more specifics." He points to me, eyes roaming around my room right after.
"Why does it even matter? I'm just another person you'll meet on the streets and never think about again." I groan, clearly annoyed.
He shrugs but says nothing, urging me to still answer his question.
"Fine. Your 'bad boy' thing you got going on is absolute shit. You only choose cheesy romance movies to star in because you prefer to be the main role and not a better written side character. And let's not get started on those horrible tabloids of you leaving multiple hookups." I shake my head disapprovingly, and he just lightly scoffs.
"I could go on." I check my nails boredly.
"I'm curious as to what else you think about me honestly. Anything good?" Forest crosses his arms, and I shrug.
"The only good thing about you so far is that you're taking my opinions on you like a champ." I admit honestly.
He smiles. "Yeah, well, I'm used to that. Not to sound like a cheesy quote placed in front of a landscape with a sunset in the back or whatever, but as long as I know who I am, others opinions on me don't matter."
This time I smile, but I hold back on a laugh. "Damn, you really do sound like a cheesy quote."
It goes silent between us, and his eyes roam around my room again. I notice as they stop on two things- my math homework, and my open skating bag, my white skates being a stark contrast to the black fabric the duffle bag was made from.
But he didn't ask about them.
"What's your name?" He perks up suddenly.
"Oh. Zoe Madison. Just call me Madi." I tell him, secretly praying to the heavens above that he does not ask why I have two names, or expresses that he likes Zoe better.
"Ok Zoe." He says casually, and takes a few steps around my room, now exploring it, but not touching anything. Just looking.
"Madi."
"Zoe."
"Madi."
"Zoe." He stops and turns around to me, and I scrunch my nose up in distaste.
"You're not going to call me Madi, are you?"
"No offense to all Madi's, but that name is too common. Zoe is more unique, and more you." He stands in front of me again, and he brings his hand up, attempting to tuck a strand of my blonde hair behind my ear.
I slap his hand away and back up. "I swear to god if you make a move on me, I will not hesitate to castrate you and hang your single testicle from a flag pole."
His eyes widen at my threat, and he steps back, knowing it wasn't a joke by the tone of my voice.
"My apologies. You're just very beautiful." He tells me, and I narrow my eyes.
See, the one thing that was different about Forest and Boston so far, was that Boston only ever called me pretty or cute. But beautiful is a very different type of compliment for anyone, or at least for me.
"Alright, are you drunk? Because you're being very bold right now." I tilt my head, and he shakes his head.
"Contrary to popular belief, I don't drink." He rubs his hands in front of him awkwardly, as if this was a hard subject to talk about.
"Me neither."
He relaxes a little, and my mind begins to wonder if he has a bad past or history at all with drinking. Like maybe someone close to him was an alcoholic, and it didn't end well.
The awkward growing tension between us suddenly snaps when I hear the apartment door open, and Fireball yell into the house.
"Madddiiii! I'm home!"
My eyes widen.
"Stay here. Don't leave this room. Or make any noise. Just...don't do anything besides stay in here." I beg Forest, and his eyebrows furrow in confusion.
I knew if Fireball saw him, that it would be a very long night.
Not like it already isn't though.
I exit my room and meet Fireball in the kitchen.
"Listen, I'm sorry about your Gatorade." They apologize, and I shrug.
"It's not a big deal. I went to go get more anyways."
Shelby walks through the door, and that's when I remembered she went with Fireball somewhere, so of course they're back at the same time.
"Well that's good. I didn't know they were for your midterms, so again, I'm sorry."
I chuckle, waving her off. "I already told you, it's fine. For real, don't worry about it."
Fireball was about to continue until a sound of something crashing on the floor sounded pretty loudly from my room.
Oh. My. God.
DID HE BREAK SOMETHING OF MINE?!
"What was that?" Shelby quickly grabs a knife from our kitchen counter.
"Uh..." I decide it's best if I don't speak, and I scratch the back of my neck anxiously.
"Madi, seriously, do you have someone in here...oh." Fireball scolds, before they glance behind me and raise an eyebrow.
Forest stood there with a sheepish smile on his face. "I dropped one of your trophies. It's not broken, but I apologize."
I facepalm.
Great job on staying in my fucking room, Forest.
The room goes silent, and everyone is staring at me, waiting for me to say something. An explanation, a joke, a random fact, I don't know?
"He spilled Gatorade on me." I point to Forest.
"You ran into me!" He fought back
"And then you ran with me from your stupid paparazzi!"
"Hey, I'm not the one who agreed to bring me back to your place."
"You suggested it! I didn't even agree at first!" I huff.
"Okay okay okay! SHUP UP!" Fireball screams, silencing me and Forest.
Shelby continues to stand with a knife in her hand. I give her an incredulous look, and she just shrugs.
"Can you two not argue like four year olds caught by their mom when they're not picking up their room and instead looking at old toys?" Fireball rolls their eyes.
"Okay now that's just oddly specific." I point out.
"Not the point I'm trying to get across Madi." Fireball tells me through clenched teeth.
I just sigh in response.
"I'm sorry, but who are you two?" Forest looks between the twins.
"Forest, this is Fireball and their twin Shelby." I point between them.
"Fireball like the alcoholic drink?" He tilts his head in curiosity.
"Fireball like my personality, something that yours will never be. Hi, nice to meet you." Fireball casually insults the actor next to me, before reaching out their hand.
Weren't they just pining over him a few months ago? Why are they suddenly hostile?
Forest takes it, and they both shake in greeting.
"I have to say Zoe-"
"Madi." I mumble. Fireball glances at me.
"You have great friends." He gives me that signature smile he uses to charm others, but I wasn't having it.
"I know right? Too bad you don't know anyone as great as them." I give him a mocking smile, and Forest goes silent.
"Ooookaayyyy, lets bring down the tension please. Forest, do you need a place to stay for the night?" Shelby jumps in, setting down her Knife.
"Probably." He says as I'm quickly shaking my head and making a flat line motion with my hands.
Forest glances over at me and I quickly stand still.
"Okay that's fine. One quick thing though."
"What?"
Shelby smirks, and shares a look with Fireball before turning back to him. "We get to fix your god awful hair."
———
(A/N: hey besties! Sorry it's been literally forever since I last updated! I had to finish off my first year at university and then I got in a mental rut that only time could fix.
Also I have adhd, I'm not saying that is an excuse for my writing, but it's just an explanation as to why I write the way I do. I'm doing my best to not let it get in the way but I mean it's literally a disorder lmao
Anyways how are you guys!? I hope you are all doing well and staying safe!)