HONEY HONEY, john ambrose mcclaren ✓

( three )

HONEY HONEY
CHAPTER THREE

IF John Ambrose thought that Carly was actually going to read every single word he had written before lunch, he was insane. She had been hiding the fact she wasn't paying attention from her teacher very well. Any time she was asked a question her answer ' I don't know ' wasn't that shocking. Carly had been skimming John's letter and by the seventh page had scribbled ' too long ' in big red letters.

John was, of course, the first person in the cafeteria. Carly had the paper stuffed amongst others, not caring about the condition of his love confession. John watched every person that walked into the cafeteria, his smile never leaving when it wasn't her. Finally, she entered. Her eyes scanned the room and locked on him. She stomped towards him, her eyes tired and irritated. Standing in front of him, she pulled out the papers. There was a high chance that it was not the same number as he'd given her at the beginning of the day but at this point she no longer cared. "Listen, Ambrose, no girl, not even Lara Jean, will sit and read all of this. My feedback; short and sweet. Stop over working yourself, you'll make the rest of us suffer."

John's smile didn't falter when she spoke. He took her feedback merrily. That night he worked on keeping his emotions to a one page limit. The night he really should have been doing homework and reading over the play so he could explain it to Carly on Friday. The thrill of writing to the girl that got away had him distracted. He was living a fairy tale and was determined to win his princess.

The next morning he didn't even ask for Carly's help. He had every faith in his writing and believed his words would make Lara Jean swoon. Carly didn't even bother to ask as the week went by. She saved her queries for the end of the school week. John didn't need a response to be happy for the rest of the week. Everyone had noticed the cheesy grin on John Ambrose's face. After Carly and his interaction, many believed she was responsible. By Friday, the grin was still glued to his skin. Instead of teaching Carly his hands held his chin as he dreamed about his wedding to Lara Jean Covey. Lara Jean McClaren. Lara Jean McClaren-Covey. He was one step away from naming their children when Carly brought a hand to his arm, delivering a powerful slap. "Hey, Romeo, try helping me understand this story instead of daydreaming about yours."

John left his daze, smiling sheepishly at her. "Sorry, where were we?"

"Act three, scene two." John nodded as he tuned back into their work. Carly watched him, distracted from her own work. "You get a reply yet?"

John looked up from his notebook, his cheeks blushing. "No, not yet."

"I didn't see a second draft. I hope you didn't scare her away with your three hundred pages." Carly joked.

"It was fifteen pages." He corrected. "and I fixed that. One page, I promise. I just...I got excited. I thought no one liked me in middle school and now I get a love letter from my biggest crush. Something like this only happens once in a lifetime."

Carly rolled her eyes."You're living a sad fantasy, Ambrose"

"Why are you so pessimistic?" He laughed. It was a big question. Carly sighed.

"Because Ambrose, I live in a world where romance is professed through Instagram photos and status updates. Romance is dead. Your living a fairytale and no offence but it won't last." She proclaimed as she continued with her work. She didn't want to break his heart but in her opinion he was getting pretty high hopes for a six year old love letter.

"You live a sad sad life, Carly Roth." John Ambrose declared, stealing a cookie out of her clear tupperware box.

"It's sad but it's real."

John pitied the girl beside him. Who could live in such a world where love is the enemy. Romance was not dead. He was exchanging love letters, for God's sake. If that wasn't romantic, what was? "Are you free tomorrow?"

"Why?" She enquired.

"They're showing Romeo and Juliet at the theatre for Valentine's. Let me show you romance"

"Romeo and Juliet is overrated" John Ambrose gasped.

"You don't like Romeo and Juliet? What's wrong with you?" He was appalled.

"It's stupid. First of all, Juliet was thirteen and that's just plain wrong. Then there's the insta-love which is completely cringy and unrealistic. And lastly, killing each other in the name of love gives the characters no depth and makes the entire story such a waste. They fought so hard for a love that ended in three days." Carly ranted. If there was anything she loathed in this world, it was Romeo and Juliet. She was completely baffled by the universal adoration for a love story that barely lasted. She had went to see the movie three Valentine's ago. The only thing that made her money worthwhile was Leonardo DiCaprio's acting ability. Even then it wasn't worth the eight dollars plus popcorn.

"You hurt my soul. How could you say that? It's a beautiful love story about people so made for each other that everything else doesn't matter. Don't you want to love someone like that?"

"Do you really want to love someone so much that it consumes you entirely? Shouldn't love give you life not take it away?"

"Okay, your right. How about Casablanca? You can't say no to Casablanca. Monday night, 8 o'clock?" Carly wanted with every ounce of her being to say no. But John Ambrose's chocolate eyes melting into her own, a pleading look on his face to introduce her into a world of love and romance. She had to say yes.

So, she did. John clapped his hands together with glee. Monday night was going to be a special night. Casablanca was one of his favourite movies and showing it to a girl of such pessimism and sadness was the highlight of his week. When he watched the tear run down her face as Rick and Ilsa parted ways, he knew he had succeeded. For once in the two months that they had known each other, he finally saw Carly Roth's heart open.

( am i moving too fast? )