Play Pretend | ✓

20 | scene 3

Dedicated to bangtangirl2004 because happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if only one remembers to switch on the light.

Today I got up, feeling fresh and ready to give it my best at work. My happy spirits were mainly due to my reconciliation with Tyler. We parted on fairly okay terms at the park that day. At least, now I could understand his motives for leaving and ignoring me. I'm not saying it didn't affect me at all, or whatever pain it had caused me was now completely removed just because of Tyler's justification. But least I got to hear and understand his point of view, something which I'd missed out on for two years, leading to a whole lot of pain and misery. Now it was cleared.

But something which still troubled me was the love I'd had for him. Not the best friend kind, the romantic kind. He'd never know I'd once fallen in love with him, and that feeling was slowly but surely coming back.

This new bonding with Tyler made me think I'd found my old best friend back. Yes, a lot of things had changed between us, but it gave me the hope that maybe we could start afresh. But how could I control my not-so-healthy feelings for him? Plus the added bonus of his good looks didn't help either.

***********

I reached the film set and greeted the cast and crew with bright smiles. Kiara at once sensed the change in my demeanour and came over to inquire me. On hearing the good news, she literally jumped with joy, she was that ecstatic.

Today I had to shoot a scene with Ronan and Leah. Tyler also was supposed to shoot a couple of chase sequences. It was going to be a hectic day.

After finishing my scenes, Kiara and Matt started with Tyler. He was supposed to shoot the chase sequence in the town square, with Johann hot on his trail.

We watched at the sides while Tyler ran. He could run quite fast. I remembered he'd always been a track star back in high school. He was literally good at every sport, while I only knew swimming, a bit of dancing, and tennis.

Yes, I used to love playing tennis when I was young. I learnt from my dad and though I gave up practising after entering college, I'd still play with my dad sometimes, whenever I came home. It was kind of like a bonding time for us.

I watched Tyler run for his life, and soon the action sequence was over. Then the crew started packing and we got up, ready to leave.

Tyler suddenly came up to me. "Hey."
I smiled. "Hey yourself."
"Can...can I call you Lizzy?"
I felt a pang in my chest, an old and familiar feeling I associate with my senior year at high school, when I was head over heels for Tyler.

"I think you already answered your own question at the park that day."

He grinned goofily. "Okay, then, I'll not be asking you about this in future and assume I have your permission and full consent. So, Lizzy, what do you say about you, me and a takeout pizza this Friday night at my place? My parents', I mean."

My head jerked up at his words. Now, normally, in this situation any girl would be inclined to think he was asking me out on a date. But no, this was different. This I knew. This was us.

Ty, when we were young, would sometimes ask me this exact same question and I'd reply with the same answer, and then we'd proceed to hang out at his place, or sometimes at mine. It was like our thing.

I smiled wide. "I say we carry out this plan, Mister. Sounds just about right."

Tyler, or maybe Ty, grinned at my familiar response, which came naturally to me by now. I was still having trouble adjusting to the fact that the Tyler I despised and the Ty I loved were slowly merging into one. It was a foreign concept, but I can't say I wasn't liking it.

He held out his hand and I shook it, just like old times. Then he turned and headed home, just like everyone else.

I returned home and proceeded to call Paris first thing, and all I could process from her voice was squealing. I swear even I was not as hyper about this as she was. Even my parents were overjoyed to hear about it and insisted I should invite him over once.

Well, we'll see about that.

All I could think of that night, as I willed myself to sleep, was I can't wait for Friday to come around.

(A/N: Who else is waiting for Friday night, ie the next chapter? Me, that's for sure! XD
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