I ignored it and dug through a stack of books for a tissue when I felt a tap on my back. I let an exasperated sigh. I'd had enough, just enough of Maddie. Stand up for yourself daisy. Don't be such a scaredy cat.
" I…"
" I know, I know. I'm a geek and agreed. Let me be ( ok, why the hell are MY WORDS RHYMING?!) or go slither into a rock and… I don't know, die!"
" Whoa. I'd like to die in bed if you don't mind" said that familiar velvet, wheezing its way through my ears. I froze, gasped, did all but scream and tear at my hair. I spun round to face him, wide-eyed.
" Oh my God I didn't know you were… you shouldn't… I didn't mean…OH MY GOD!"
" Calm down Daisy I… I didn't mean to startle you"
" i thought you were…" I shook my head. Two epic embarrassment's enough for one day universe. " Forget it" I leaned against the railing beside me and pulled my head back, holding up my chin in the I'm-so-cool-I'm-practically-frozen way and he smiled.
" So," I said in a totally UN-daisy like voice. My brain froze and I panicked. Say something daisy. Say something cool
" What's poppin?" He laughed and shook his head and I so badly want to wack myself in the head too. Why do you have to be such a dork daisy?
" What's popping huh? Everything's ok. How are you?"
" I'm… fine course I…" Stop talking, stop talking! " I feel incredibly motivatingly good" motivatingly? That is NOT even a word!! I made one last desperate attempt at salvaging what was left of my cool-I'm-so-frozen-stance, placing my elbows against the railing. Too bad I had to slip through like I'd done onstage. AGAIN!
Oh I'm SUCH a klutz!!
Justin held me up just inches away from the ground and we stared at each other for a moment, I enthralled in his beautiful emerald eyes and he wondering how we got back here again. I staggered back up to my feet, hiding the blush creeping up my cheek.
" I don't get why you have to show up at my most embarrassing moments" I said, laughing nervously " But I'm not clumsy. Gravity just has this certain fondness towards me" He laughed, brushing his hair back and leaning against the railing behind him WITHOUT slipping. He arched his back and tucked his hand into his jean pockets, grinning in a way that made my heart stop. Against the backdrop of the bright sun burning overhead and the trees lining the corner block filled with small stores, he looked too good to be true I could literally drool, or I actually was.
" About what happened in there, I just wanted to tell you that it was not your fault. It could happen to anyone."
" Yeah right. Things like that only happen to total klutz/dorks. I still don't get how I slipped all the way from the crowd to the runway in one move. And the waiter. What fashion shows has waiters and places them next to physically unstable girls with two left feet?"
" I don't know" He laughed " Ones that are attracted to beauty?"
" Beauty?" I scoffed " the last person who told me that nearly got stoned in school. I have lots of mirrors at home and they don't lie" He laughed and tucked a strand of his hair back.
" Well I think you're beautiful." He smiled and I think my heart stopped " So, where are the stones? Or do I gather them up for you?"
" No…"
" Daisy there you ar… Justin Hayes" Tori gasped, skipping up to me wide-eyed. Justin gave her a small smile and waved and I swear Tori drooled.
" Hey Justin. What are you doing here?"
" Oh I came to check up on Daisy. I'll just go now" he shrugged his shoulders and made his way out, leaving me dazzled and Tori reeling. She went weak in the knees, gasping dreamily.
" OMG Daisy! Isn't he SO hot?"
" Yeah he is" I grabbed my bag and slung it over one shoulder " are you ready to go yet?"
" Sure!" She grabbed my hand and we skipped down the stairs " You won't believe it but I just got discovered!!" She squealed. I gaped at her, heart thumping wildly in excitement. I held her hands and yelled.
" You mean like discovered, discovered? Like you're going to be an actual model and not a backstage tree discover, discover?"
" Yes of course silly" Tori said, laughing " And where'd you get that anyway?"
" From our halloween theatre last year" I laughed " remember?"
" Oh I do. You and I were trees and when we had to throw apples at Dorothy, you ate them." She laughed.
" They were apples Tori. You know how crazy I get about apples."
" Too bad you didn't throw them. Maddie played Dorothy and believe me I had the greatest fun of my life hitting her hard with them. And I never missed target"
" Yeah." I mock-pouted " A big loss" She slipped her hand into mine, beaming so hard my eyes hurt from staring at her " Come on lil' Brit. Walk fast"
" Oi, how might you call me that?" I yelled in a loud Scottish accent, right on cue " You little munchkin" Tori doubled over, holding her stomach tight in hysterical laughter " munchkin daisy? As if you could sound more and more British"
" I am British anyway" We walked up to the T and waited for the bus. " So, what's this discovering all about?"
" Oh I just talked to harry that's all and he asked me to come for some interview or something at harry styles models tommorrow"
" Harry styles models? harry styles ACTUALLY models?"
" What? No!" she laughed, slapping my arm " harry styles models. It's Harry's agency" she pinched my cheek " you little Brit girl"
I pushed her head back playfully and we scuffled our way down to the bus pulling up ahead.
" So, you'll with me right? To harry styles models tomorrow?" Ok now my heart's stopped.
" What? Another walk into fashion? You know I'm a walking fashion disaster!"
" You're not. Just a little… clumsy I guess"
" Clumsy? I'm total klutz! I trip over my own feet!" I shot her a look of desperate despair " I'm going to ruin everything for you!!"
" No you're not silly. I need you" she pouted " remember? You're tied to me. Daisy you made me sit with you through a six hour documentary on pigs!"
I shrugged " Well it doesn't count when you slept through the first three"
" And that museum of sharks we had to go to last fall?"
" I dragged you out of bed…"
" But I still followed you, despite the fact that you were literally screaming in my ears from excitement and had to get your DNA all over me when you were trying to explain the Meg's eating habits. And remember…"
" Ok, ok!" I held my hands up " I surrender"
she gave me a light nudge " You'd better" we slipped into the bus and I scampered to the back with Tori in tow. She flicked her hand through her phone and I buried my face in my Eng. Lit textbook. Fat irony, I know. I wonder why Tori still hangs out with a girl who doesn't even know where her phone is and still carries a bag pack to a Bascar event. With an Eng. lit textbook inside. In the middle of a summer holiday.
What a weirdo
" So, eight right?" Tori asked and I sat up, startled through my tenth page on poetry that I blurted:
" Yeah. The octave has eight lines. Then the sonnet's got 14" Tori stared at me quizzically for a moment, brows quirking.
" What?"
" Sorry I…" I slammed my book shut " What were you saying?"
" You'll be ready by eight right? I have to get to Harry before ten"
" So why do we have to be ready so early?" The bus pulled to a stop by the bus station closest to her house and she gathered her stuff.
" So we know what to do when you show up dressed like a cupcake or something." She pulled me into a brief hug and pinched my cheek. " see you tommorrow Daisy." I backed away, wondering how hard it's be to just pack my bags, make off with dad's piggy bank and settle down in some third world country under a name like poppy Adams. " And early." She yelled, backing away from me and down to her apartment. " and please daisy do your laundry!"
" Won't miss the fun for anything!" I yelled back.
" Squee!" She squealed " I'm so excited!!"
" Squee too!" I yelled, trying to match her excitement. She grinned and backed into her house. I leaned against the door " I'm so excited too. I guess" I pushed the door open and stepped in, wondering,
How on earth am I supposed to make it through tommorrow? And...
WHERE THE HELL ARE MY CLOTHES?