Under the Stars

8. Look within

Chapter 8: Look within

Mia's POV

*****

Layla wasn't kidding when she said that Theo wanted to create his own Skype account. Nearly fifteen minutes after hanging up with her, I got a new contact request from the one and only Theo Jones. 

Needless to say, we spent a lot of time messaging each other after that, and even if I would have never gotten myself to admit it in front of Layla, a smile never ceased to appear on my face whenever we talked. 

His affect on me started to scare me, but I wanted to see where it was going nonetheless. 

It felt amazing talking to him. Not only because he was one of the funniest and most entertaining people I had ever met, but also because he was a great listener. 

That was the thing with him and Layla. They didn't spend the entire time talking about themselves and not letting anyone else get a word in like most people I had met. They loved hearing more than they loved talking, and that was exactly why they had the possibility to learn more things about me than anyone ever had.

Because no one had ever tried to get to know me as much as they had. 

'Good luck on your game tonight,' I messaged Theo as I was packing my backpack for my weekly math tutoring session. 

From what both he and Layla told me, Theo was really good at basketball, and that day was the day of his first game after he started talking to me. 

I wished that the circumstances were different. That I could actually be there to watch his game and cheer him on. That was what friends did, and I certainly wanted to be that kind of friend. 

'I'd have better luck if you were right there with me ;),' he replied, automatically bringing a smile to my face as I scanned through the message. 

I frowned at the thought that for as long as I was going to maintain the long distance friendship with the twins, I could never be there for any of their important events. I couldn't be there for Theo's basketball games, I couldn't be there for Layla's art galleries, and they couldn't be there for any of my shows. 

That, however, didn't stop me from encouraging them, and wanting to be one of the first to wish them luck, and to congratulate them whenever they succeed. 

'Too bad I have math tutoring then. Oh, and the stadium is quite far away from me,' I teased, my smile returning as soon as I typed the message. 

"Why are we so cheery?" My mom asked as soon as she saw me walk down the stairs, a cup of lemon tea in her hands. 

I couldn't help the pink tint that took over my face after catching a glimpse of the look my mother was giving me. I always felt so awkward in situations like that, so much that I felt as if I were tounge tied. 

"Nothing big," I said, trying to mask my emotions a bit better than I had up to that point. 

Technically, my answer wasn't a complete lie. To anybody else, my conversation with Theo wouldn't seem like anything big. 

What it was to me, however, was a completely different story. 

My mother nodded at my answer, the smirk on her face making me feel as if she hadn't completely bought what I was trying to sell. 

"Very well. Now go, or you'll be late," she said with a smile on her face before I walked up to her and gave her a small kiss on the cheek, grateful that she decided to drop the conversation despite clearly not believing me.