Bates & Landon [Wattys2015]

LANDON

Landon

"Ahh," I squealed. "he, Bates, ran into me!! How? IT'S FATE!" I know I was ranting and going crazy, but I didn't care. And neither did Alice, she was skimming through crop tops. "Omg! And his hand....so dang soft yet kinda rough, Alice, and oh my word when he looked into my eyes...."

"This one or this one?" Alice held up two tank tops, thank the lord she didn't pick a crop top. One was a pale blue while the other had the words in cursive written 'ti amo' and I smiled and chose the one with the words written 'ti amo' on it. She went to the dressing room, tugged it on, and walked out. "So -- how's it look?" She spun so I could get the full look of it. It looked good on her, like everything else, and I liked it. Her collarbones were indisputably beautiful.

"It looks really good," I compliment her. She looked at her image in the mirror, frowning slightly, then when she looked back at me, she brightened.

"Thanks! I think I'll get it," she ducked back inside the dressing room. "Hey," she said as she walked out, "why don't you go find you something?"

"Oh," I waved off, "it's okay."

"Ah, no it is not. Here: try this on." She handed me a dark blue crop top.

"No way I'm going to ever wear that, let alone try it on!" I shook my head. She rolled her eyes and handed me a tank top.

"Go," she ordered.

I slipped off my shirt and quickly pulled the tank top on in the dressing room. Sighing, I walked outside for her to see. "It's so pretty!" Alice smiled, clapping her hands together. "You should get it, Landon!"

"I don't know," I murmured to myself. "It doesn't look right."

"It does too!" She disagrees with me. "It'll look cute with those one shorts you have when summer rolls around."

"Yeah," I say, "I guess it will."

She poked me. "You gonna buy it?"

"Mhm," I nodded and changed shirts. I liked it, but not as much as she does when it comes to clothes. I just don't like clothes on me.

After our clothes were bought, we walked out of the store. "Oh, look." Alice said.

And I swear time froze.

Bates was looking at me first.

It wasn't me gawking at him, he was looking at me. Oh my. I bit my lip and glanced downwards then looked back up to see him walking towards me.

"Um, hi." He says, stuffing his hands into his pockets, taking a deep breath which caused his chest to go upwards, and looked around before landing on my eyes.

"Hey." I said.

"Um," he looked down, "could you guys. . .possibly give me a ride?"

"Where's Cece?" Alice asked, giving him a look.

"She's, uh, she left."

"Okay. Well, yeah, we can." I swear felt my cheeks burn. Alice, smiling, walked past him.

"We aren't done shopping yet," she says, "so you'll have to be with us. That okay?"

"Oh, it's fine." He swept some of his hair off his forehead. Tapping his old converse on the floor, I watched him. He had converse too, like me. He looked up at me, but I averted my eyes further away from him to make it look like I was looking at a sign reading: