SCOUT | WYATT OLEFF [1]

TWENTY FIVE

LAX | LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

"Can I trust you?" Nora Pettersen, Scout's manager, muttered, her hands gripping the younger girls worriedly, "Can I trust this boy?"

"Yes, Nor," Scout sighed impatiently, her feet itching to sprint to baggage where Wyatt and his mom were waiting to pick her up, "And you've meet Wyatt, same with all my other friends. It's just a birthday party"

"Okay," Nora sighed, "You text me when you find him, and when you leave. And when you get to every place you're going. And be back to the hotel by-"

"By 11, yes Nora, I know," Scout laughed, kissing her cheek. Nora had been her manager since she was a baby, got her her first modeling job at Gap Kids. Nora had taken the place of Scout's mother since she stopped being around, so they were as close as two people could be, "Can I go now?"

"Yes," the older woman sighed, watching the brunette immediately attempt to tear her hands away, but she held her back, holding her cheeks in her hands, "Be careful, okay?"

"I will, Nor," Scout laughed, allowing Nora to kiss her cheek back, "I love you"

"I love you too! Don't you dare forget to text me, Scout Rose!"

"Okay," Scout yelled back happily, her eyes darting to the sign that said, 'BAGGAGE CLAIM, ALL AIRLINES', darting down that way.

She stopped at the huge board of flights, bouncing up and down as she found hers and started toward baggage claim 12. She'd started walking, winded from running all the way across the airport.

She'd gotten out her phone to text Wyatt, ask him if he was there, when she heard,"S!" screamed out by a familiar voice, and she quickly tilted her head past the tall man she was walking behind.

A huge smile broke out on her face, muttering a quick sorry as she bumped into the man, picking up her speed and sprinting toward the curly haired boy, who was running for her too.

"Wyatt!" she yelled happily, the pair colliding in a dramatic hug. Wyatt stumbled back a little bit, regaining his balance before he wrapped his arms around her waist, lifting her up and spinning her around.

"I missed you so much," she mumbled into his shoulder, feeling a lump rising up in her throat as her eyes stung with tears.

"I missed you too, S," he laughed, setting her back down into her feet as he felt her tears soaking through his tee shirt, "Hey, don't cry, you baby"

"Don't make fun of me!" she laughed, pulling away from him and wiping her eyes, smiling happily, "You noodle head"

"Shut up," Wyatt said, pulling her shoulders lightly towards him and planting a kiss on her forehead, leaving her a bit stunned when he pulled away, "Lets go find your bag"

Scout nodded, following him towards the moving baggage ramp. She was a bit surprised to say the least, the last time she'd been with Wyatt in person she could see how nervous he was to be around her, and now he was just kissing her face without even a second though. She was used to being the brave one, but now she was the one who was nervous.

They sat staring, waiting for the bags to each start rolling out onto the ramp one by one before Scout's brain stopped being fuzzy, and she remembered where her bags actually were.

"I'm an idiot," she sighed, making him look over at her, "The bags from my flight were delayed in Nevada, they won't be here for a couple hours"

"Okay," he nodded, going to pull his phone from his pocket, "I'll text my mom and tell he-"

"No, I don't mean we have to wait, Wyatt," she laughed, "Nora said she'd wait here for them so I could leave with you, I just forgot"

"Oh," he nodded again,putting his hands in his pockets, "Okay, well let's go then. My moms waiting"

They walked together to the elevator, going up the 6th floor of the parking garage and walking until they found his mom's car. He sat in the back with her instead of the front, both of them sitting in silence as Scout stared out the window.

She figured it'd be similar to New York, she thought everywhere would be similar to New York. All the post cards she ever got from her mom always looked like big cities, Chicago, Atlanta, Baltimore, London. She'd never left New York, she never had any reason to until she met the losers.

She was pulled from her thoughts as she felt something touch her finger, looking down to where it sat in the middle seat between her and Wyatt. His pinky was touching hers.

She looked up at him, his face hidden like he was looking out the window. But she could still see the smile on his face in the reflection. She looked back out her window, still watching him out of the corner of her eye as she inched her hand closer to his.

He made the final move, turning his whole hand over and lacing their fingers together.