Angelina's POV
In a friend group it's really hard to get everyone to agree on the same thing. Everyone has their own opinions and wants others to agree with them. And this task becomes frustratingly difficult when you have a friend group as big as mine. I can already feel the headache looming over my head and some of them haven't even arrived to eat yet.
"We should go to bowling."
"No, we should go to the beach."
"We should so to the city center, there is a really good gaming arena."
"Are you kidding me? We should go to the mall; there we can see a movie then hang-out together."
I shut my eyes to block out all their voices so that I don't end up shouting at them.
"Can we watch that new cartoon movie?"
That's it. I am about to give them a piece of my mind when I feel something soft touch my cheek. My eyes snap open to see Jake leaning back and pulling out the chair beside me. Did he just kiss my cheek?
"Sorry, I was running late this morning so I couldn't meet you, and our teacher wanted to discuss something right now." Jake says, giving me an apologetic look. Today is Monday, which means the first school day after our date.
"It's okay; we are still up for study hall right?" I ask, just to confirm. We had decided to have one of the tutoring classes today.
"Did you just kiss her?" Noah points an accusing finger in Jacob's direction.
"Yeah I did, why?" He asks, and then takes a bite from his sandwich.
"Are we missing something?" Drake asks skeptically.
"Wait, you guys don't know about our date?" Jake asks, finishing the food in his mouth quickly.
"You two went on a date?" Justin exclaims, having just arrived at the table.
"You didn't tell Justin?" I ask turning to Rose.
"I thought you didn't tell him because you didn't want to!" She says.
"I thought you would tell him then he would tell these two." I say gesturing to Drake and Noah.
"Now they know anyway." She says shrugging.
"We are the only ones who didn't know?" Justin asks sitting down beside Rose.
"Precisely," Chris answers. I had conference called Rosie, Katie and Chris immediately after the date.
"Did you two have fun?" Noah asks wriggling his eyebrows.
"My own sister flipped me off so that she could kiss the guy, so I am sure they had fun." Ash says rolling his eyes before I could even open my mouth.
"Seriously?" Drake asks as everyone else is busy laughing.
"Technically that one didn't last that long, the next one did." I point out.
"What did you two even do?" Noah asks. Now it's my turn to laugh thinking about the horror movie.
"He took me to a horror movie, I will spare the details but we ended up making fun of the movie."
"That's a pathetic first date." Justin says.
"After that I took her to eat sushi and we went on a long walk during the sunset. Tell them everything, not just the part where I screwed up!" Jake exclaims and then starts pouting.
"I was coming to that. Now stop pouting." I say, kissing his cheek.
"Maybe I will if I get a kiss somewhere else." He says, with a mischievous spark in his eyes.
"Where exactly?" I ask playing dumb.
"Young love; I forgot how mushy it makes you." Noah says suddenly.
"Noah, you know you are still young, right?" I ask, shaking my head.
"Yes, but I am going to remain single forever." He answers, giving me a wide grin.
"Leave this, we were discussing about which place we should go to hangout." Drake says exasperated.
"Oh yes, I almost forgot." Noah exclaims
"Wait, why are you talking about going to hang-out? You two have still not studied for the Economics test that is day after tomorrow." Justin says.
"We can study tomorrow." Drake says, waving off what Justin said.
"Sunshine also has a Chemistry test actually. Why don't we do group study for an hour or two and hangout after that?" Jake suggests.
"We also have a Computer Science test on Friday so why not?" Rosie says. Chris and Rosie are in normal Computer Science classes while I am in the AP one.
"Rest of us can just do our homework." Katie shrugs.
"There is a tiny problem; Mom and Dad are in town so you all can't come to our house." Justin says apologetically.
"It's okay, mine are out of town and even if they would have been at home, they wouldn't have minded. So you all can come to my house after school." Jake offers.
"But we don't know where your house is, text us the address." Ash says.
"Okay and the city center is near my house where we can play tag and there is bowling and gaming arena too. It also has a food court to die for." Jake says.
"That sounds cool actually," Chris say and everyone murmurs in agreement. "I will tell Dyl," He adds. Dash was sick so Soph took a leave as well to take care of him. They love each other so much that they are literally couple goals. Em is out of town for a week so Mia is hanging out with her cheer-leading friends. Dyl said it's been a long time since he has hanged-out with some of his buddies so he having lunch with them right now.
*****
"Wow, your home is awesome." I say looking at the mansion in front of me. Even if it's big, the warmth and homely feeling coming from it is enough to make you feel comfortable. The house has two floors and there are different flowers around the perimeter except in front of the door. A wide dirt path is in front of the door and beautiful bushes are on either side of it. On one side of the path there is a court with nets neatly folded by its side. I am guessing they are different types of nets for different games. At the far corner there is a lounge chair with a small table beside it and a round table with four chairs beside it. On the other side there is a swimming pool.
After school was over, we decided that I would go with Jake to his house first so that I can have a head start. Rest of them will come eventually after their practices or after going home once.
"Thanks, I am sure Mom will appreciate it." He says grinning, as we enter the house.
If the outside was beautiful, then the inside is out of the world. Elegant couches, armchairs, giant staircase and what not adorn the living room of the house. But like the outside, it provides a homely feeling which must be due to the different photo frames on the wall of the staircase and small ones on the tables. Wait; is that a guitar on the couch?
"You know how to play a guitar?" I exclaim pointing towards the said instrument which is lying there innocently as if it didn't just make me want to squeal like a mad woman.
"Yes, I do. Sorry, I was playing last night then forgot to keep it in my room. You can sit while I drop it in my room." He says sheepishly.
"No!" I say all but shouting which stops Jake in his tracks. He gives me a bewildered look. Way to go Anne!
Take a deep breath and ask nicely. I tell myself to calm down because I am sucker for boys who can play guitar and sing as well.
"Canyoupleaseplaymeasong?"
"What? Sorry, I didn't quite catch that." He says confused. So much for calming myself down...
"Can you please play me a song?" I repeat slowly.
"But what about your test?" He says unsure. F*ck that test!
"Five to ten minutes won't hurt." I say instead.
"Okay," He picks up the guitar and starts tuning it. He has this pensive look so I am guessing he is thinking of a song. After a while his face lights up so he must have got a good song.
He clears his throat, puts the guitar on his shoulder and then offers his hand. I look at him confused. He just gives me a wide grin so I take his hand unsure. He leads me to the center of the room and then leaves my hand. When he strikes the first notes, I recognize the song almost immediately. This boy is going to kill me with giddiness.
"You're insecure
Don't know what for
You're turning heads when you walk through the door
Don't need make-up to cover up
Being the way that you are is enough."
He sings the first lines swaying a bit and offers me smiles in between. My heart...
"Everyone else in the room can see it
Everyone else but you
Baby, you light up my world like nobody else
The way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed
But when you smile at the ground it ain't hard to tell
You don't know, oh oh
You don't know you're beautiful
If only you saw what I can see
You'll understand why I want you so desperately
Right now I'm looking at you and I can't believe
You don't know, oh oh
You don't know you're beautiful, oh oh
That's what makes you beautiful."
He sings all the lines looking at me straight in the eye while revolving around me. The fastness with which I turned my neck and then body should have snapped a few bones but it didn't so that's good.
"So co-come on, you got it wrong
To prove I'm right, I put it in a song
I don't know why, you're being shy
And turn away when I look into your eye-eye-eyes
Everyone else in the room can see it
Everyone else but you
Baby, you light up my world like nobody else
The way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed
But when you smile at the ground it ain't hard to tell
You don't know, oh oh
You don't know you're beautiful
If only you saw what I can see
You'll understand why I want you so desperately
Right now I'm looking at you and I can't believe
You don't know, oh oh
You don't know you're beautiful, oh oh
That's what makes you beautiful."
His voice and the way he is singing the song was melting my heart but then he grabs my hand and starts dancing with me while playing the guitar as well as singing. The dance we did turned lyrical even if we didn't intend it to. By this I mean he looked into my eyes so deeply that I had to turn away and while turning my hair flipped. When it caught up to me that the dance turned lyrical I let out a smile. But it is replaced by a surprised gasp when he twirls me first, pulls me in, then dips me down a bit and finally pulls me up almost all at once.
"Na na na na na na na na na na
Na na na na na na
Na na na na na na na na na na
Na na na na na naBaby, you light up my world like nobody else
The way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed
But when you smile at the ground it ain't hard to tell
(You don't know, oh oh)
You don't know you're beautiful."
He sings this part leaving me and going backwards. I am sure I have the widest grin ever on my face.
"Baby, you light up my world like nobody else
The way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed
But when you smile at the ground it ain't hard to tell
You don't know, oh oh
You don't know you're beautiful
If only you saw what I can see
You'll understand why I want you so desperately
Right now I'm looking at you and I can't believe
You don't know, oh oh
You don't know you're beautiful, oh oh
You don't know you're beautiful, oh oh
That's what makes you beautiful."
For the last part he comes forward again but this time he dances with me slowly and it feels as if he wants to drill the words into my mind. And if he meant to do that then he succeeded, I have never felt so beautiful and loved. During the last line he turns the strap of the guitar such that the guitar is on his backside and then dips me so low that my hair is most probably touching the ground. But this time he doesn't pull me up and we continue staring into each other's eyes. Some of his soft hair has fallen down from his forehead covering his beautiful eyes while his long eyelashes are peaking in from between. His luscious full lips are in form of an open pout and we both are panting.
"Oh my god!" Someone exclaims making Jacob loose his footing and fall on top of me. That hurt a lot...
He scrambled off me and we both turn to look at the intruders who are my twin and Rosie. They both were watching us with gaping mouths and wide eyes. I think Rosie was the one who broke the moment. We both stand up and adjust our clothes awkwardly.
"You two should have closed the door. And I am going to pretend I didn't see my sister almost kiss a boy again. If you two are going to kiss no need to flip me off, I will just go and pretend again that I don't know what is going on." Ash says breaking the awkward silence or rather making the silence after his statement even more awkward.
"You are a good singer, why don't you make videos?" Rosie asks Jake.
"Thank you, but I sing for myself and I don't want to ever feel that it's a job that I have to do." He answers curtly. Rosie nods and then gives me a look that clearly says tell me everything later or you are dead and follows Ash to the couch. Jake turns towards me and points towards the book bag making me internally groan.
I don't know if I am going to learn anything about chemistry today but the one thing I definitely learnt today is that dating someone within your friend group is awful.
*****
Author' Note
Hello everyone 😄! I know this chapter doesn't contain that much bit the next chapter will.
Now that's over with so I am just going to come out and say I love you guys a lot!!! Like as much the amount of stars in the universe. Smitten anyway has over 3K reads and Views of a Pensive Girl over 400. Even The Imperials and the designing book I published yesterday- "Designer Within is getting so much love that you all don't know how happy I am.
Also as of yesterday (IST) I have 100 followers. I couldn't believe it because I had to go through thick and thin for years to reach that goal on my Instagram and you guys are so lovely and supportive that I could reach the goal in months. I love each and every one of you to the moon and back.
Now that Smitten Anyway has 3K reads and I have 100 followers I want to confess something.
Anne and I are similar in so many ways that if I begin to list them, you will go crazy. She is like my alter ego, the person I can be but I am not. And some of the things she has gone through happened to me in real life. But I am not going to give the specifics.
She is the version of me without care for anyone's feelings or the better wording would be without care for what others would think. But I care so she is like me but not me.
Now a question may arise that whose personality is better according to me- Anne's or mine? She is better than me in some aspects while I am better in some. No one is ideal and you can't be good at everything.
NowI will take leave since I am sure you all have better things to do than listenthis girl rant, so I hope you all like the chapter and have a great day/night ahead 🙃!