Notebook || Leonardo DiCaprio

Chapter 2: Ahead of Myself

"So, what movie do you want to watch tonight," Cydnee casually wondered. We tended to put a film on if we ate inside our dorm.

"You have to ask," I wondered, faintly smiling as she shook her head.

"Of course. Inception. Haven't you seen enough of Leo today," she teased, causing me to giggle.

"I can't help it. I could literally stare at him for hours." I covered my face with my hands, only peeking through my fingers.

"Yeah, I know. It was your idea to have the marathon of his movies on our last break. I loved them too, but they were so long."

"Yeah, his movies do usually run from 2 to 3 hours. Oh shoot," I muttered as I remembered something.

"What is it?"

"I forgot to pick up a few books from the library for my English report. Do you care if I go there real quick?"

"No. It will take awhile for me to pick up the food anyway. You want Taco Bell, right? A supreme burrito," she double checked.

"Yeah, and a side order of chips with nacho cheese. I better run, I think the library closes soon." I dashed across campus with my heart thudding in my ears, grateful when I made it to the right building. There were rows upon rows of bound leather, me carefully following the dewey system to locate what I needed. I pulled out a book and jumped a little when I saw a pair of blue eyes on the other side. A blush rose to my cheeks, since I felt like that scene in Romeo + Juliet when Romeo first sees Juliet through the fish tank. I bit my lower lip as I stared at the cover of my book, hearing someone subtly clear their throat. Our eyes met, since we were now standing, facing each other across the short shelves.

"Oh, hi, Mr. DiCaprio," I managed to get out, using his last name at the last second. I wasn't sure if it was proper for me to call him by his first, while he was teaching us.

"Hi, Diana," he replied, my heart fluttering beautifully. How could he say my name so perfectly?

"I was just getting a few books for my English class," I explained, holding the one I had for evidence.

"Do you need any help finding the others?" He licked his bottom lip briefly, which I knew had been a natural habit of his for years.

"Sure, that would be nice. I wanted to find them before the library closed."

He nodded as we walked next to each other with the low shelves only showing our upper halves. I gazed in the distance to avoid looking over at him.

"Which book are you looking for," he lowly chuckled once we reached an opening, him scratching his nose briefly.

"Oh. Yeah, that would help." I went ahead and told him the title, entranced by how he concentrated on finding the correct letters along with numbers on the spine. His eyes squinted as he bit his lower lip in the process, just looking more attractive by the minute. Eventually he squatted before carefully tugging the thick book from its place.

"Here," he spoke, holding up the dark green item. I freaked out when our fingers accidentally brushed, steadying my breathing as he stood. "Now, let's find the last one."

I barely reacted as I studied him on his search, feeling my skin heat up when he caught me staring. He just gave me a small smile, which made me die.

"Good, this one's on one of the higher shelves. I fucking hate having to get on the floor to find them," he softly chuckled. I couldn't help but think about how I loved seeing him getting low to the ground like that though, stars in my eyes as I daydreamed. I snapped back to reality when he cleared his throat with his hand balled up in a fist in front of it. "Here you go."

"Thanks." I took the lightweight object he handed me, just awkwardly standing there as I hugged all of the books to my chest.

"So, big study night?"

"No, I'm actually watching a movie with my roommate and best friend, Cydnee. We're getting Taco Bell, and then after I might work on my English report. The due date's coming up soon, and I don't want to put it off last minute." I couldn't stop myself from rambling as I tucked my hair behind my ear even if it wasn't in my way.

"What movie are you planning on watching," he calmly inquired.

My face paled as I couldn't think of a single lie, only the truth sticking in my brain. "Inception," I whispered.

"Oh yeah, you said that you liked that movie of mine." He scratched the side of his nose as I nodded, struggling to know where I should look as awkward silence settled between us. "Well, I hope you have a nice night. I'll see you in class tomorrow."

"Yeah, it's always been my favorite class," I shot out, feeling the heat rising to my cheeks.

He merely smiled before beginning to walk before stopping. "Would you like me to walk to you to your dormitory? It's already getting dark out. I know it should be safe on the campus, but you can never be too careful."

"Yeah, that would be nice, Mr. DiCaprio," I agreed, us both stepping up to the front desk. The librarian tiredly stamped the cards for my books before giving me a weak smile. I melted at how Leo opened the door wide for me like a true gentleman. We stepped into the chilly twilight, our feet hitting the cement walkways.

"So, what courses are you graduating in," Leo casually asked as we passed a few students in the distance.

"My major is acting, and my minor is English literature. I'm interested in acting, but also writing my own screenplays."

"Have you ever thought about directing?" He sniffed a bit as a breeze ruffled my hair.

"Not much. I don't know if I would be good at telling people what to do. Like I feel like I would be too timid about it."

"I understand. I haven't really done full directing, since I'm worried I wouldn't know how to talk with them."

"Is there anything you can't do?" I wanted to shut my mouth but his quiet chuckles comforted me. "What made you decide to teach here?" I spoke up after a minute or so of complete silence.

"I wanted a change, and I thought teaching might be nice. I'm glad it's only one semester though. I'm not sure how helpful I'll be."

"I can't see how you can't be, being the best actor."

"Really? You think I'm that good?" He tilted his head as I shyly nodded.

"Of course. You're the best male actor I've seen."

"Who's the best female actor you've seen?"

"Patty Duke," I answered in a heartbeat.

"Really?" He appeared amused as I nodded.

"Yeah, she not only played two believable, identical cousins, but then she played another cousin in a wig on the same show, and it was like they were all different people."

"I guess I never really watched her show," he admitted, glancing at the ground as I realized we had reached the dorms. Light flooded from the main glass door to the lobby area, me pressing my lips together. "I'll see you tomorrow, Diana."

If he could just repeat my name a hundred times I would be the happiest person on earth.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Mr. DiCaprio." Even with the formalities, my mind kept playing tricks on me there was something more. I mean, he was only around 37, while I was 24. That was only like 13 years apart, and I had a birthday coming up. I wished I didn't always get ahead of myself, especially when Leo was more than likely to remain just a dream.

A/N: Hey guys, I hope you enjoyed this second chapter. Please remember to comment, vote, and follow. Thank you so much! :) <3 <3 <3