Sapphire's POV
The statuesque guy looked at me in awe, which turned to shock in the same second. "Sapphire?!" he exclaimed, stepping closer to me.
I felt my stomach do cartwheels as I stuttered, "M-Magnus? W-what are you doing here?"
Magnus looked taken aback, but then a warm smile spread across his face. "I'm here for the date. I didn't think you'd be the one to show up. You look..." He hesitated, his eyes scanning me from head to toe before continuing, "Different."
Travis, Chloe's boyfriend, looked at us with a hint of surprise, his hand in his pocket and the other around Chloe's shoulder. "You two know each other?" he asked.
Magnus nodded. "Yeah, we're in the same class."
As the boys chatted, I caught Chloe's mischievous smirk out of the corner of my eye. It was clear she had known Magnus was the "c-u-t-e" guy all along and had chosen not to tell me.
I grabbed Chloe's arm, excusing us from the boys for a private conversation. "What's the rush?" she asked, as I released my grip on her arm.
My eyes narrowed, and a look of disappointment crossed my face. "Why?" I asked sternly, my tone monotone.
Chloe looked at me innocently. "Why what?"
I glared at her. "You knew it was him and didn't tell me. I told you he was a jerk to me, literally yesterday. And now I'm supposed to just look at him straight?"
Chloe's sly smile returned. "Oh, come on, Stone. I could see your eyes widen in surprise, and you were totally blushing. Even right now," she teased, gently pulling my cheeks.
I smacked her hand away, feeling my face grow hot with embarrassment once again. "Stop."
Chloe chuckled and held my hands. "Just relax and enjoy the moment. He seems like a nice guy."
I raised an eyebrow. "That's not what I thought during our first conversation."
Chloe's expression turned thoughtful. "You judge people way too quickly. He might've been in a bad mood or you actually hurt him."
I shook my head. "I didn't do shit. And he was ready to play basketball, so he definitely wasn't in a bad mood."
Chloe waved her hand dismissively. "Forget about all that. Here..." She rummaged through her purse and pulled out lip gloss. "You could've used this if you didn't apply makeup."
She held my chin straight and applied a decent amount of lip gloss. She also added a touch of blush to my face, and did my brows which she conveniently had in her purse.
I looked at her in confusion. "Why do you have all that in one purse?"
Chloe smiled. "For emergencies, dummy. Sometimes, I wonder why you weren't born a boy."
I rolled my eyes. "Because that'd be pretty fucked up. I'm no princess either, so don't judge."
Chloe chuckled. "Alright, alright. They're waiting, let's go."
She took my hand, leading me back to the boys. As we chatted, I found myself reevaluating Magnus. He was funny and considerate, not minding running errands for Chloe and me. He even displayed his brilliant side, often shown in class when he argued with Travis.
As we arrived at the theater, I couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement and nerves. We took our seats, with me sandwiched between Chloe and Magnus, while Travis sat on Chloe's other side.
As the movie started, Chloe's enthusiasm was palpable. She shook me and squealed, nearly spilling my drink.
I shot her a look, trying to calm her down. "Chill out," I whispered.
Chloe hushed me, her eyes fixed on the screen. The boys were texting each other, laughing and joking around, despite being only a few seats apart.
As the movie progressed, I found myself getting bored. The plot was predictable, and I couldn't help but feel like I was part of the production team. Chloe, on the other hand, was thoroughly enjoying herself, munching on a chocolate bar with wide eyes fixed on the screen.
Magnus was texting someone, and I tried not to pry. Travis was probably the one he was chatting with, given their earlier behavior.
Some minutes later, Magnus put down his phone and turned to me. Our eyes met, and I felt a flutter in my chest. He was leaning in close, and for a moment, I thought he was going to kiss me. My blushing intensified, and I panicked.
But instead of kissing me, Magnus whispered, "Wanna step outside for a bit? I can tell you're bored, and so am I." He smiled warmly, and I could see the dim light from the movie illuminating his face.
I nodded silently, still feeling a bit dazed. Magnus got up and took my hand. I felt a jolt of electricity run through my body as our hands touched.
As we were leaving, Chloe gave me a mischievous grin, and I avoided eye contact with her. I knew she was going to tease me mercilessly about this later.
"We're gonna head out for a bit," Magnus said. "Be back shortly." Travis and Chloe nodded, and Magnus led me out of the theater.
As we stepped outside, the darkness was illuminated by the streetlights. But my mind was preoccupied with why Magnus had wanted to take me outside. He released my hand and turned to face me. I assumed he was looking at my face, but I avoided eye contact, fixing my gaze on the streets instead.
My face was probably beet red, and the thought alone made me wince. Magnus chuckled and said, "The streets are attractive, huh?" I maintained my gaze on the passing vehicles, trying to play it cool.
But then, Magnus's hands brushed against my cheek, and he gently lifted my head to face him. My heart skipped a beat as our eyes met. I felt like I was going to explode. Why were we so close? This was uncharted territory for me.
Magnus's eyes sparkled with amusement as he said, "You act more like you don't care about anything when you're approached in school. What's up with the redness now?" He laughed and gave me some space, allowing me to breathe again.
I muttered, trying to save face, "I... I am tough. It's just... You were invading my space, and I don't like... I don't let guys like you that close to me." I kept my hands behind my back and stared at his shirt, trying to appear nonchalant. At least I was looking at him, right?
"Of course, guys like me," Magnus said with a sigh. "That's partly why I brought you out. I... I actually want to apologize for what happened that day. I was only trying to protect my friend from another heartbreak." He finished speaking, his gaze still fixed on me.
I glanced at him before folding my arms together. Magnus sat down on a wooden bench, while I remained standing, looking down at him.
"Heartbreak? You're talking about Julian, right?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow.
Magnus nodded. "Yeah. Julian was dating a friend of mine last year. It was going well, but... let's just say things changed." He responded, his eyes focused on the sidewalk.
"She picked an interest in me after some months, and I couldn't hurt Julian so I acted like I knew nothing. One afternoon after school, I was sitting in the park, and she was there too. She had a small tub of ice cream, and decided we should share it. I thought it was a little too much, but since we were friends and had done that before, I guessed it wouldn't hurt. She had me close my eyes before she'd reveal what flavor it was. I obeyed, and then she planted a kiss on my lips with the ice cream on her lips."
I was taken aback by the story. As I listened to him, he sounded like he didn't want to talk about it, even though he was.
"What happened after that?" I asked, unfolding my arms.
Magnus continued, "Well, Julian didn't know about it until his birthday, December 25th..."
"On Christmas?" I asked, showcasing my shock.
Magnus nodded. "Yeah. She sent a text to him saying she didn't want to continue the relationship because it didn't feel like they were a right match. Julian was confused and tried calling her, but she didn't pick up. Probably blocked him after multiple calls. I was with her at that time. I asked who was calling, but she said it was no one important."
I sat next to him. "Um... why were you with her, though?"
Magnus explained, "I invited her and the guys over. Julian was supposed to meet us at my place, but he didn't show up. I called him, but he didn't respond. I checked on him at his place, but they weren't home, so I left. When he found out she was into me, he was disappointed, but thanked me for letting him know. Since then, he's been waiting to get out of the school and pays little attention to girls."
I listened intently, feeling a pang of sympathy for Julian.
"Oh, that's horrible. It's good that you're looking out for your friend like that. But you shouldn't be rude to nobody again. Especially me." I huffed, folding my arms once more, feigning annoyance.
Magnus chuckled. "Alright, ma'am. Definitely noted that part." He grinned at me, and I couldn't help but chuckle.
As Magnus's eyes locked onto mine, I felt a swarm of butterflies in my stomach, and I hastily shifted my gaze away from him. He inched closer, his presence making me feel flustered and vulnerable.
"I can't believe it..." he muttered, his gaze still fixed on my face. His voice was low and husky, sending shivers down my spine.
I managed to stammer out a response, my voice barely audible. "Believe what?"
Magnus's eyes sparkled with sincerity as he replied, "I can't believe I didn't notice how beautiful you are. I was probably blind then and regained my sight now." His soft voice melted my defenses, and I felt my heart skip a beat.
I couldn't believe his words; no one had ever spoken to me like that before. I tried to brush it off, feeling a mix of emotions: surprise, embarrassment, and a hint of excitement.
"You're just being cheesy now," I said, nudging him playfully with my elbow. My attempt at nonchalance was a thin veil for the turmoil brewing inside me.
Magnus laughed and shrugged. "Okay, maybe I am." His eyes crinkled at the corners, and I felt my heart flutter again.
My tone lowered, and I felt a pang of self-consciousness. "I usually don't dress... cute. You're only interested in that." I was trying to protect myself, to downplay the significance of his words.
Magnus's expression turned gentle. "I'm not gonna lie... Yes and no. Yes, you dress really carefree on a normal day, and sometimes like you're dressed in the dark." I leaned away, frowning at him, but he continued, his voice soft and sincere. "No, because you're beautiful without it. I would've given you a chance if you were more open, but you're usually hidden."
I felt a lump form in my throat as I processed his words. No one had ever seen me, truly seen me, like that before.
"Cuz, I like my space," I said, trying to sound nonchalant. "People can be frustrating sometimes."
Magnus nodded understandingly. "I understand that, but I... I wanna get close to you, if you're okay with that." He reached for my hand, and as our skin touched, I felt a jolt of electricity run through my body.
I was stunned, unsure of how to respond. Part of me wanted to pull away, to protect myself from the vulnerability that came with getting close to someone. But another part of me, a part that I couldn't ignore, wanted to lean in, to see where this connection might lead.
"C'mon, let's go back in," I said finally, my voice barely above a whisper. "Those kids are probably wondering what's going on."
Magnus nodded, and we walked back into the theater together, our hands still touching. I felt like I was floating on air, my heart soaring with excitement and uncertainty.
As we took our seats, Chloe kept pestering me for the full gist of what happened outside. "Later," I whispered to her, and finally she agreed. I couldn't help but steal glances at Magnus. He smiled at me, his eyes crinkling at the corners, and I felt my heart skip a beat.
I was on cloud nine, and I couldn't deny the connection that had sparked between us. But as I looked at Magnus, I couldn't help but wonder: what did this mean for us? And where would this newfound connection lead?