Laura just couldn't shut up during the whole shoot. She and some muscular sandy blonde guy kept the whole crew laughing. Including Maleficent.
She gave such discrete smiles, if you didn't look closely, you would have missed them.
"Okay Laura, I think it's high time you shut your trap. I'm tryna work here." I said.
She just chuckled and totally ignored what I had just by telling another funny tale of her odd childhood.
"Let's wrap up for the day," Shawn yawned, stretching out like like a stray cat. "I'm still very tired from yesterday."
"Sure." I took the camera and checked the photos out. They weren't bad at all.
"Are they good?"
"Yeah, I'll just hand them to Ms Salem."
"Without giving me a preview?"
"Yes. You would not appreciate the beauty in it if I showed you."
"What do you mean? I do appreciate how much of a beauty I am every freaking day. Besides, I know a thing or two about photography."
"Do you now? The only thing you could possibly know about photography is Snapchat filters."
He came over and looked over the photo's. He showed me his favourites and I told him I don't have any, because his ugliness ruined the pictures.
I couldn't admit my favourite was the photo of him giving an innocent smile, his hazel eyes bright.
Hazel.
That's the colour of his eyes.
I don't why I felt a mild rush of satisfaction finally knowing this unnecessary piece of information.
"Clumsy, you still up for tonight?" Shawn asked.
×××
I made an extra effort to look presentable tonight. Instead of wearing and beanie and a hoodie, I wore the hoodie only.
See, effort.
There was a knock on the door and it was him. Holding two comically large bags of popcorn.
"What in the..."
"Popcorn!" He said. "One for you and one for me."
"Oh my goodness, Shawn! Where did you get that from? The BFG?"
"No, I got it from the sweet shop downtown."
"That was not the point I was trying to make." I let him in.
I watched him casually put the popcorn on the table and grabbed the remote. I checked his head for horns growing out of his head, but are guess that this was really an everyday thing for him.
Who could blame him, he's a celebrity.
"What are we watching. A comedy?" He asked.
"Nah, I was thinking more of a horror movie tonight."
"Mmm," obviously not liking the idea. "Why don't we just meet halfway, a romcom?"
"How is that meeting halfway?"
"I don't know. It's not horror, and it's also not all comedy, it has romance too."
"Romance...pssh." I said, grabbing the remote from him.
"What do you have against romance?"
"Nothing." I lied.
"What do you have against it?"
"Why are you catching feelings?"
"Only for you my lady."
"See, that's why I don't do romance. It turns you into a delusional fool...or a pervert." I mumbled the last bit.
"I'm not a pervert."
"I didn't say you were, you are the one who brought the pervert title on yourself. I was actually trying to imply you were a delusional fool."
"Touchè."
"Okay, now let's really meet halfway. What about a paranormal."
"Eh." He said grabbing the remote and browsed through. "Oh, guess what's on. Fifty shades freed."
"Already living up to your title, huh?"
"It was just a suggestion." He continued browsing. "But it'll be fun..."
"Hell to the no." I dismissed.
After minutes of arguing about what to watch, the argument shifted to a full blown argument on Game of thrones. Which later shifted to an argument about the 100, then to an argument on whether Friends and How are met your mother are the exact same thing.
I told him that they are totally diffrent while my mouth was stuffed with popcorn, but he begged to differ.
"Okay, okay," I said, putting a hold to the argument. "Are we picking a movie or starting up a debate team?"
"Movie." He shifted on the couch, his feet on my coffee table.
"The Nun, It, Birdbox, Truth or dare? Choose your pick."
"But they are all horror."
"Exactly."
"Birdbox." He conceded.
"I actually already watched that, something else?"
I guilted him into choosing The Nun because I've watched all except for that one. When he told me he still wants to try watching the others, I told him I'd spoil all the endings.
So he just laid back and shoved popcorn in his mouth.
"Don't look glum, you owe me this. It's your way of apologising."
×××
The Nun was a pretty disappointing movie. There were some parts that were delightfully scary, but the overall movie wasn't really enticing.
So we easily got distracted and started chatting off, while trying to finish a whole bag of popcorn.
"So what was the whole point of the movie, Clumsy?" He asked.
"I dunno," I forced a popcorn down my throat. "It was kinda boring."
"Ya' think?"
"So, how about we get on with a romance movie now?"
"I said no the first time, I'm not gonna say it again."
"You really can't stand romance."
"Mm-hm. Love is a subject that has never sat well with me."
"Why?" He sat up, intrigued by my statement.
"I don't really wanna talk about it. Isn't it late?" I checked the nonexistent watch on my arm.
"Clumsy," he jerked my arm. "Spill."
I sighed, really not willing to talk about it. "Love is an emotion I can't figure out. I don't understand it, I can't relate to it, I never felt it."
"You never felt it? Not even with your parents."
"Not even from my parents. And I often feel that love is pretty dumb actually."
"Love isn't dumb." He got defensive.
"Really? Then you tell me, Shawn. What is love?"
"Love is an unexplainable feeling."
"Probably because it doesn't exist."
"No Clumsy, it is an unexplainable feeling of passion, desire, and ultimate tranquility. It not only attracts, but it bonds two souls together. It's the contentment you feel when you hold the hand of the person you love. It's more than an emotional attachment, Clumsy." He said almost breathless.
"Mm-hm." I was unconvinced.
"What do you think love is, Clumsy?"
"It is a made up emotion to compensate for ones selfish needs and wants."
"That's totally not it Clumsy."
"Then what is? Have you seen divorce rates recently? Have you seen how many people are being killed by their romantic partners?"
"But many people mistaken mere lust and chemistry for love."
"How sure are you that love isn't just lust or chemistry?"
"It can't be, lust doesn't last for that long. Some people grow old with their loved ones."
"Maybe that's because they are quite compatible with each other."
"Compatible? Do you want to be compatible with someone?"
"Well, I don't see anything wrong with that."
"So you really don't do love?"
"Yes. I do compatibility, stability. I don't think I want to be misled into a defective idea of love." I said, which left us silent.
"Defective? Love is not defective."
"Neither is it logical."
"Love is logical. It's the most logical thing, in a illogical way though. Everything logical-- art, literature, music. They are all inspired by love. I wouldn't be singing if it wasn't for love." He held his tattooed hand over his heart.
It was pretty clear that we weren't agreeing with each other on this. We have totally different views of love. He wouldn't understand why I feel like this.
He's just a helpless romantic.
And l'm just...helpless.
"You and love? Shawn please, stop contradicting yourself."
"How I'm I contradicting myself?"
I think this conversation has spiraled out of control.
"How about we watch that fifty shades black or something?" I said eager to dismiss this silly argument.
"How?" He persevered.
"You contradict yourself."
He took hold of both of my hands and forced me to look at him straight into his hazel eyes. Surprisingly, he didn't intimidate me. "Listen to my question, How? How am I contradicting myself?"
"Do you love Camila?" I bit my lip, regretting my question.
He loosened his grip and didn't make a sound. Instead he avoided my gaze.
He saw it, he didn't love her.
My point exactly.
"If you want romance so bad, let's watch anything Jennifer Aniston. She can do no wrong." I tried to change the topic.
"No, that's not necessary." He gave a small smile. "You're right. Let's watch action instead. You up for the fast and the furious?"