Lance felt like crying. He was sure that they had circled one particular shelf three times. He had even lost track of time.
"I'm tired" he cried. His legs were sore from walking nonstop for the last how many hours?
Carter looked at him with a blank face before suddenly snapping his fingers. "I got it. Mom said to get an apple pie and a cranberry pie"
Lance's eyes darkened and he raised the bags in his hands to show his dumb cousin. "We already got them" those were the only two he actually remembered before he zoned out. "What time were we supposed to have the dinner anyways?"
"Ahh...erm...." Carter tapped his chin while thinking and Lance wanted to pull out his hair. "Oh I think she said something about Mr Stuart coming back late from work so I think ten or so"
Lance nodded. Then he felt pressed so he dumped the bags with his dumb cousin while warning him not to make a mess while he was gone.
He asked directions to the restroom from the cute girl at the counter. She blushed furiously while poiting at the door. He smiled and winked at her before half running to the restroom.
He was sure that she was still staring until he disappeared behind the door. He got that a lot. Attention from the ladies, but 'she' only blinked at him one time and spoke to him only when necessary and not before.
Even when they had been paired up for a project (which only happened because he had bribed the teacher) she never really gave him much thought.
He relieved himself and winked at his reflection in the mirror in the toilet. He washed his hands, dried them and went in search of that catastrophe of a person.
He spotted Carter talking to a girl. Her back was to him. He saw that her figure was familiar and when he realized she was the one, he ran back to the restroom.
He swallowed and wiped the nonexistent sweat from his forehead. He tried out different smiles in front of the mirror. Luckily for him, no one came in at that time.
When he was confident with himself he went in search of the duo. He saw them sitting in one of the booths tasting a cake that a waiter was holding out to them. He immediately guessed that it was a sample cake.
Carter seemed to notice him and waved at him, making 'her' to turn around and look at him. His throat dried up and cold sweat broke out on his face.
He cussed his cousin for waving at him in the first place. He smiled awkwardly and cleared his throat. Carter picked that very moment to want to use the restroom. So he dumped the bags on Lance and pushed him to sit down next to 'her'.
The waiter offered him a piece of cake which he took grateful to have something to distract himself from the awkwardness he was feeling. But the waiter left to attend to another customer.
Lance played with the fork in his hand and fiddled with the cake. If it was someone else he'd know what to say but now his brain was completely blank.
"Hi" 'she' said.
He looked up. "H-h-h...*ahem* hey" he cussed some more.
"So you it seems like we'd be having dinner together"
"Yeah" he mumbled. His eyes were on his hands. A faint blush was forming on his face because he was so shy that 'she' was talking to him.
"Are you okay?"
"Y-yes" he said, lacking anything else to say. He was racking his brain trying to form sentences when he felt a warm hand on his head.
He flinched but relaxed when he saw it was 'her'. "You're warm. It doesn't seem like you have a fever"
Lance smiled and unconsciously leaned into 'her' hand. He almost purred. He heard a click and jolted back only to see his foolish cousin sporting an idiotic grin.
He felt his face redden and he started mumbling about what could have been his crime in his past life that karma had given such a bother for a cousin.
"So you guys were getting chummy while I was gone?" Carter winked at him and he felt like his face would burst from all the heat in his cheeks.
Carter sat opposite them and said grumpy, "I asked mom for what pastries we should buy and she sent me a text"
From his expression, Lance could tell that aunt Mae had nagged at his cousin again. He smiled.
"You actually look great when you smile" he head a whisper at his ears and felt lips brush his ears.
He didn't know what would stand out more at this moment a tomato or his face. Meanwhile Carter was having a great time taking pictures of his flushed face.
'She' chuckled and he stared at her. "I'll go get the things. Gimme your phone" he snatched the phone from Carter and walked away.
Of course he could've just asked all of them to go together but he had an alternative for collecting the phone. When he was hidden from them he sent all the photos to his phone.
"I don't see you shopping"
He jumped back and spun on his heels to see her staring up at him. He wanted to pinch her cheeks. She was so cute.
He was about to say "hi" or whatever stupid thing his brain had delivered when she cleared her throat. Naturally he assumed she wanted to say something so he sealed his mouth shut.
"Lance..." 'she' paused. His name sounded so nice when 'she' said it.
"Yes?"
"Can you drop your act? At least around me"
"What act?"
"Your—" Whatever she was about to say got cut off by her ringing phone. "Beth?"
Her face grew worried. "Hello? Can you hear me? I'm on my way okay?" Nelly made her way to the door with Lance hot on her heels.
He was worried about Beth. It sounded like she was in trouble. "Where is she?"
"At the beach" Nelly's voice was full of worry.
He nodded and went back inside to drag Carter out to drive them. He murmured, "when did it start raining?"