He Caught Her Eye (Caught #1)[UNEDITED]

35

Playlist : Iris - The Goo Goo Dolls

DRAKE MCCORAL

We enter Queen of Burgers and the waiters and waitresses recognize Mira immediately and take down our orders without us having to form a line. Mira contacted her mother before coming here and it turns out her mother informed the employees too, telling them that what ever we order will definitely be in the house.

Aside from the song being played in the restaurant, there are also numerous voices chattering and talking. The fast food is packed, but thanks to Riana's cousin, it's not such a hassle for us. Fortunately we get served a handful of fries the moment we picked a table.

Before I can sit next to Philip, Mira stops me and points at the gray two seater plastic chair across him. "You sit next to Riana," she ushers before plopping down the seat next to Philip, who pretends to be so interested in the fries on the foodcourt table.

Riana and I look at each other and she shrugs, not saying anything. I take my seat across Philip and she follows, her arm brushing my shoulder for a sheer moment.

"What was that earlier, Drake?" Philip asks me once the waiter serves our soft drinks. When I look clueless, he specifies. "You cussed at the girl next to you."

Both Riana and Mira look at me curiously. "She was bugging me." I answer flatly.

He gives me the same clueless reaction, but knows better than to press me for more questions. Mira and him engage in a conversation regarding his interest for music and I feel Riana's dark eyes on me.

"So.." she crosses her arms over her chest. "Have you been thinking about my offer?" she mimics the tone I used on her that day when Theo and a number of people watched a movie with us.

I play along. "I haven't thought about your...
compromise." I say in a high pitch voice, smirking at her.

She relaxes when she gets what I'm trying to do. "I'm serious though," she mumbles under her breath. "Have you..?"

"I have." I tell her. My eyes shift to the red rose on her hair before looking into her eyes. She's really beautiful. How does she not see it? Is it because of how others look down on her? "I'll tell you."

"You go first," she scoots closer to me, putting both of her elbows on the table, cupping her chin.

"I heard you practice." I blurt out.

She raises both of her brows in confusion. "Back when you were in seventh grade, I heard you practice with your cello for the talent show." I expand quietly.

She stiffens, clearly not a fan of the memory. "You saw me lose too." She returns dumbfounded. "I lost. In of the whole school."

I nod. I want to ask her if that's the reason why she doesn't believe in herself, but I don't. "I heard you crying in the girls' washroom."

She sighs. The song in the restaurant fades into another melody, the opening of the song playing.

"And I saw you head out of the washroom with a smile on your face," I finish. I remember Vex Santiago looking for her and shouting her name. Riana came out of the washroom looking like she didn't just burst into sobs, even when Vex suspected she wasn't alright. "I admired you for that."