Isabella & Levi | ✓

twelve

"Trying to get over her?" Georgia asked as the two walked out of class.

"How'd you guess?" He asked, bewildered.

She let out a fruity laugh as she cocked a brow at him. "You're honestly in your own world, aren't you? You haven't spared me a single glance since the double date, Levi."

His cheeks colored slightly as he apologized, and she quickly denied it. "It's not a big deal. I get it, Levi," she said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "You're wrapped up in Isabella, in her bouncy waves, in her Crest Whitestrips smile."

"Hey," he felt the need to say while checking her lightly, "don't sell yourself short, Georgia. You're pretty great, too."

She was, on an equal level with Isabella, even though the two starkly contrasted. Georgia deep brown hair was almost always tied up in a messy bun. Her almond eyes seemed to fit her perfectly, and she could've fit Levi perfectly.

But where others saw a gorgeous half Japanese, half German girl, Levi noticed the absence of freckles on her cheeks, the absence of a scar below her chin, all of which Isabella possessed.

It wasn't that Levi didn't think Georgia was beautiful, truly she was, but she was too perfect. She didn't have, as his mother would say, character. There weren't any imperfections to her face; they were all seamlessly covered by foundation.

Because of Georgia's open personality, there weren't layers to her. There weren't things to be learned, things to be discovered. Georgia wore her heart on her sleeve, and Levi, stupid Levi, wanted a challenge.

A challenge, he'd admit, he was trying to let go of as soon as possible.

"I gotta go, Levi," she said as she stopped in front of his locker, "but we'll talk later, yeah?"

A small smile formed on his face as he agreed, "yeah."

As he watched her disappear into the sea of people, he met Isabella's twinkling eyes and felt a tinge of something in his chest.

"We're still on for tomorrow, right?" She asked, coming closer to him.

"Yeah," Levi distractedly answered, focused more on her voice than anything else.

For the first time since he found her sobbing at Patsy's, there was a sense of uncertainty in her voice, as though, perhaps, she was scared he'd say no.

Isabella was known for her confidence, for her ability to stand up in front of the class, in front of hundreds even, and talk as though she was talking to her friends.

This was a big reason why he liked her, why he admired her.

"So you're saying tables have turned," laughed Kyle as he pulled Cora closer into him.

"I guess," Levi answered. "Please don't make my life into one of your telenovelas- I mean, your mom's telenovelas," he quickly corrected after Kyle gave him a death glare.

He hated to admit it, but Kyle was right. Levi was the one with the uncertainties, with the fears, and it was powerful to have the upper hand for once. His words weren't the ones bumping and crashing into one another anymore.

He wasn't the one who felt insecure, who felt inferior to her and her pearly white teeth, her effortless beauty.

Yes, he obviously still felt something for Isabella, but perhaps not in the same way as before.

In a few days time, Levi began to feel more confident and the gap that he thought was endless between himself and Isabella seemed to be closing, and for that, he was grateful.