*Beauty*
Will's gaze was focused on something behind me, his expression abruptly unreadable.
For a short period of time, his emotions had been clear, his gaze open. It felt like a kick to the chest to see the ice sheath over his features.
I glanced back to see what had caught his attention.
My mouth fell open.
Justin and Chelsea strolled into the restaurant. Justin's arm was wrapped around Chelsea, his typical smirk on his face. Chelsea giggled, fluttering her lashes up at him.
I spun away quickly.
I have horrible luck.
I sighed. If Justin noticed us he'd definitely come over, ruining the best night of my life.
The other thought made my heart twist: What if Will didn't want to be seen with me?
What intelligent, talented and overall amazing guy would want to be seen with a dumb blonde cheerleader?
Maybe that was why he froze up. Maybe he was scared they'd see us and spread rumours.
Abruptly, I couldn't breathe.
My eyes caught on Will's. He was staring at me now, silent. Every trace of laughter was gone from his face. Something, an emotion I couldn't decipher, stirred in his eyes.
My heart sank. Maybe I was right: he didn't want to be seen with me.
His voice was quiet when he spoke. "Do you want to leave?"
My chest hurt.
I gave a slight nod.
Will nodded, his jaw flexing. "Alright." He stood, walking over to the front of the restaurant.
I peeked at him through my hair, now pouring in dishevelled waves around my shoulders.
It was as if someone knocked the breath out of me and set of a billion butterflies in my chest simultaneously.
His legs were long, his gait brisk but composed. I couldn't help staring at the wide expanse of his back, imagining my fingers pressed against his muscles when we kissed.
Agh, Ellie, stop being creepy!
A loud feminine laugh jarred me out of my reverie. "Oh, Justin!" Chelsea squealed as she slapped his arm.
He chuckled, flexing for her.
I turned away quickly.
Will returned with the waitress. He shot me a small smile as the waitress packed up the rest of the food in takeaway boxes. But his eyes were still unreadable.
The waitress beamed at him as she handed him the takeaway bags. "Thank you so much for the tip. Please enjoy the rest of your evening." She gave me a small smile. "You've got a good one there, miss." I blinked in surprise as she strode quickly back to the front of the restaurant.
I felt my face heat up as I glanced up at Will. He was looking at me, his face softened from before. I looked away quickly, feeling my face burning.
Sheesh, Ellie, stop with the blushing!
"We should go," Will said softly.
I glanced up. Will's hand hovered over my shoulder. Despite the inch difference, I could already feel his hand on my shoulder, making heat dance down my arm.
Wow. Will was just...
Internal squeal.
I nodded, standing.
Will strode beside me, slowing down his usual pace. I hid behind my hair, hoping neither Chelsea or Justin would notice us.
We passed by them. We rounded a few booths. So close to the door...
"Oh my gosh!" Chelsea's high pitched squeal made me freeze.
"Don't do that Justin!"
I breathed a sigh of relief.
Will's expression was unreadable as he watched me.
Silently, he pushed open the door, holding it for me.
"Thank you," I murmured as I stepped out into the cool night air.
The breeze blew my hair back, warming my boiling neck. I felt like I was running at a hundred degrees whenever Will was present.
Will unlocked the car. I bit my lip as he strode towards the passenger door and held it open for me.
He was so perfect.
I was the luckiest girl in the world. I had to be.
Or this was just an amazing dream.
I slipped into the car. I watched as Will shut the door and made his way to the driver's seat. His limbs were fluid as he slid into the driver's seat.
I watched him as he started the ignition, pulling the car out of park.
Wow, he was hot.
Then out of the corner of my eyes, I spotted something.
Chelsea Simmons stared at me. Her eyes were narrowed as she gazed at us through the window of The Sweet Plaza.
*
We arrived at my house way to soon. I sighed.
I didn't want my dream to end.
I glanced back at Will. He was already looking at me, eyes poring into my face.
Woah.
His eyes softened when I blushed.
This couldn't end. I didn't want it to end. Now or never.
"Can I see you tomorrow?" I blurted out.
Ugh, so embarrassing!
It sounded so demanding, as if I were ordering him to spend time with me.
Will blinked in surprise. Then his lips twitched, just a little bit.
I buried my face in my hands. "I'm really embarrassing aren't I?" I mumbled.
I felt his hand on my fingers, gently pulling them away from my face. His glorious lips stretched into a smile that made the entire car glow.
I inhaled sharply.
"You're not," he grinned, "you're adorable."
My face boiled.
"Of course I want to see you tomorrow," he said. He paused, frowning slightly. "To study?"
Will!
Seriously?!
I blushed again. Did I have to say it out loud?
I want to be with you. Not because of studying, but because of you. I want to talk for hours about stupid stuff, then listen to you tell me your life story, sparing no details.
I want to be with you.
"Y-yeah. Sure. Studying, that's it." No, not really.
He nodded, still smiling.
Oh, Will.
After a few moments of electric sparked silence, he dropped my hands gently. I watched as he got out of the car, striding to my side of the vehicle. He pulled the door open, holding it as I stepped out. I grabbed the plastic bag containing my soaked top, nearly forgetting it in the midst of my Will daze.
My eyes met his as I stood, making my heart skip a beat. I looked away quickly.
My eyes flickered to his hand. Would he get creeped out if I held his hand? Would he hold mine back? I blushed just thinking about wrapping his hand around mine again.
Before I could make a decision, we had already hiked up the porch steps and were at my door.
I sighed.
There was silence. I shot Will surreptitious looks, admiring the shape of his jawline, his high cheekbones, those beautiful lashes...
His gaze caught mine.
My heart spluttered to a stop before pounding relentlessly.
I gnawed on my lip.
It hadn't been nearly long enough.
I gazed at him from beneath my lashes. "So, we'll see each other tomorrow?"
He nodded. "Is one ok?"
I nodded. "Y-yes."
He smiled again, this one soft and small. Slowly, he leaned towards me, brushing a light kiss on my cheek. Electricity and heat burnt my face.
Did he just kiss me on the cheek?
The gesture that most people would find so minuscule managed to short circuit my heart.
My heart pounded in my chest and I struggled to take in a breath.
He shot me another smile. For a moment, I couldn't get over how sweet he looked. How absolutely kind, and wonderful and perfect...
I really didn't want him to leave.
"See you tomorrow?" he said.
I barely managed to stutter out a "Y-y-yes."
He brushed his fingers over my face once more before turning and striding to his car.
I stood there for a second, frozen, heart beating a million miles a minute. Finally, feeling as if I was floating outside my body, I bent over the potted plant on our porch, picking up the spare key.
I glanced back at Will. He smiled at me from beside his car.
I waved at him, unable to hide the grin stretching over my face as I entered the house. The moment I shut the door, I rushed to the window, watching him enter his car and drive away.
For a moment, I stared at the spot in awe.
I crumpled onto the ground, hyperventilating. Did all of that just happen?
I squealed, rolling on the ground.
"I went on a date with William Johnson!" I screamed at the top of my lungs.
I stayed like that for a long time, finally shifting when the door clicked open and the voices of my family floated in, bringing an end to the best night ever. The night I confessed to William Johnson, the kindest, the most good-looking and the smartest guy I would ever meet.
And the day he said he liked me back.
*
I woke up at 6:00 on Saturday, as usual. I practically leaped out of bed, hopping onto my desk chair and gazing out the window.
Anticipation danced up my spine. I could barely rip myself away to quickly brush my teeth, brush my hair and wash my face. I'd done the same thing so many times for the last few years, just in case Will spotted me. I'd always hoped he'd fall in love with me as soon as he saw me.
And now, he'd said he liked me.
Squeal!
Finally, his figure emerged from around the street. Will jogged by, staring forward as usual, muscles pumping, face concentrated.
I exhaled. If every girl at school could see him like this, Will would be stalked by women every where he went. My eyes pored over the muscles of his arms and legs, his tight jaw line, his beautiful green eyes...
Just, wow.
And his lips...they looked so darn kissable.
I want to kiss you again Will.
Abruptly, he stopped. He froze in the middle of the pavement, right in front of my house.
My heart halted.
Slowly, as if we were caught in slow motion, I watched what happened next. He glanced up at  the house, and right into my eyes.
There was a breath of silence.
William Johnson had just caught me watching him run.
The breath left my lungs.
Oh my gosh!
No way! No way! No way! No way!
Now he knows what a freak I am!
He was staring at me, eyes wide, surprise written over his beautiful face.
What's he going to do? What's he going to--
A smile stretched across his face and my heart palpitated in my chest. He waved up at me, still grinning. A dusting of red touched his cheeks.
'See you later,' he mouthed.
Then, with one last grin, he jogged out of view, while I just watched him, awestruck.
I think I might have just died of embarrassment.
My seven year crush had just caught me staring at him, jogging. Like a creep.
And he'd smiled at me.
When my knees were finally strong enough for me to wobble to my feet, I began scouring my wardrobe, searching for the perfect outfit.
Study or not, I was going to see Will in a few hours, and I had to look perfect. I paused, catching sight of Will's shirt hung behind my door, so I could stare at it as I slept.
Just looking at it made me blush.
Oh, Will, why are you so perfect?
A few hours later, in my cheer leading outfit, I made my way downstairs. I had cheer practice this morning so I'd neatly folded my perfect Will outfit into my bag with my pom poms.
Mom was sitting on the couch, jabbing at her salad. Tessa was in her cheer leading uniform--she also had practice this morning--chewing on fruit between texts.
She flipped her hair as she glanced up at me. "Hey, sis," she gurgled around her food.
"Don't talk while eating Tessa," Mom called from across the room.
"Ok," Tessa replied, still speaking around her food.
I was in such a good mood, I just laughed.
"Want to walk to school with me?" I asked.
I was practically bouncing on my feet, impatient and excited. The faster I went to practice, the faster it ended. The faster it ended, the faster I got to see Will.
Will's face popped into my head. I giggled.
"Hmm." Mom perused me, eyes narrowed. "Lovey dovey symptoms." She wiggled her eyebrows. "Is it the blonde jock?"
"No way Ellie!" Tessa squealed "I knew you guys looked good together!"
I blushed at the word lovey dovey, but cringed  at the mention of Justin. "No way, Justin is so not my type. Like, just no."
Will, however...
Internal squeal.
My Mom frowned, a furrow appearing between her brows. "What is your type then?"
Tall, dark and Will.
I blushed as I grabbed Tessa's arm, pulling her off her stool. "Come on, Tessa, we can't be late for cheer practice."
"Yep," she pepped, smiling.
I dragged her out of the house before my mother could drill me. I wasn't ready to tell her about Will yet. What if she scared him off?
Tessa hummed a song as we trekked towards school.
I dazed out, thinking about Will's grin last night. The way it had lit up the darkness... Then the sound of his laughter, rumbling though my frame.
I sighed. I missed him already.
Tessa waved at me as we arrived at school. "Later, big sis."
"Later," I called.
I jogged towards the field. I needed to get this done as quickly as possible. Then I could see Will.
A few girls were in the locker room when I walked in. I paused for a second, wondering if they had heard about Will and I from Chelsea.
Had she told anyone? Then another thought that filled me with anxiety: would Will be upset if anyone find out?
I bit my lip.
The girls glanced up at me, smiling. "Hey, Ellie," they grinned.
They didn't seem any different. Phew.
"Hey," I grinned back.
One of the girls, Melissa, paused. "Are you alright, Ellie?"
I blinked in surprise. "Yes, of course, why?"
She hesitated. "It's just, you look really happy..." She glanced at her friends for support. "But we heard about Justin and Chelsea..." She glanced up at me. "We're sorry. You can definitely do better."
Oh.
What a relief.
I laughed, waving off their concern as I made my way to my usual spot in the changing room. "Don't worry, I'm fine. I wasn't really interested in him anyway."
They frowned.
"Really?" Melissa asked, her voice doubtful.
"Yeah. I think Gemma and the others were trying to set us up though. I'm glad it's over to be honest. As long as they're happy."
They still looked doubtful, but I was oblivious. My mind was still focused on Will's beautiful smile. Nothing could peel the grin off my face.
I changed quickly into my cheerleading outfit, grabbed my phone, and made my way to the field.
I swiped my screen, reading Gemma's text:
Are you at cheer?
I typed back:
Yeah, hurry up GemStar.
My phone beeped almost immediately:
LOLZ. You haven't called me that in ages.
I typed back:
:p Hurry up or I'll tickle you.
I perched on one of the benches, waiting impatiently as the other cheerleaders flooded into the field. A few of them yawned as they chattered quietly, probably exhausted from the festival last night. It was surprising to realise that the world had kept going, even though it felt as if the world had stopped the moment I'd met up with Will.
Gemma arrived fifteen minutes later, joined by Madison and Layla. I hopped down, squeezing them in a group hug.
They laughed, hugging me back, but I caught an uncomfortable expression in their gazes.
I frowned. "What's wrong guys?"
Gemma crossed her arms and I could tell from her face she was angry. "We didn't know Justin was such a douche."
Madison rubbed my arm. Her voice was sympathetic. "I'm so sorry sweetie."
"Do you want me to beat him up?" Layla pitched in.
Oh. That's why.
I laughed. "Guys, I'm fine, no worries."
Gemma raised her brows. "Didn't you hear? About him and Chelsea? The slut practically defiled her facebook page with pictures of them making out." Her voice was rising. "She knew you guys were talking. When I see her stupid face I'll--"
I laughed again. "Seriously guys, I'm fine. I wasn't all that interested in him anyway."
They all gaped at me.
Finally, Gemma just laughed. She shoved my shoulder. "Seriously, Ellie!" She jabbed me. "Stop making us worry."
Madison laughed and Layla rolled her eyes, smirking.
"Come on," I called. "We should get started." I clapped my hands over my head, getting the attention of the other cheerleaders. "Let's get started guys!"
"Yeah!" They chimed back.
Chelsea Simmons arrived late, well into cheer practice. Her black hair, decorated with brown highlights, was tied back in a ponytail. She was flanked by the 'blondies,' as I'd dubbed them. Gemma's nickname for them was a little less innocent.
Gemma shot her a glare.
Okay, Ellie, time to avert the next world war.
"Hey, Gemma, can you get us some basketballs from the gym?" I asked.
She shot me a look.
"Pretty please?" I pouted.
Huffing, Gemma turned on her heel and strode towards the gym.
The nearest  imminent threat to Chelsea was Layla, who was currently perched on a bench, glaring at her from beneath her lashes.
"LayLay," I chimed. "Can you pretty pretty please help Gemma with the basketballs?"
Layla stared at me silently for a moment, before finally getting up. "Sure, captain," she drawled as she sashayed after Gemma.
I squeezed Madison's hand. "Do you mind calming them down?" I whispered.
Madison broke the disapproving look she was giving her cousin, Chelsea, before turning and following the girls.
They were sweet, the most amazing friends on the planet, to care so much. But seriously, Justin didn't even register on my radar. Especially when my beautiful Will...
Oh goodness, don't even get me started.
I glanced up at Chelsea. She shot me a smirk as she flipped her hair.
"Oh my goodness, Justin was so hot last night," she gushed to one of the blondes next to her.
I would have rolled my eyes, but Will's face was still making me grin.
I clapped my hands together. "You guys are late. We're about to finish up so just do some stretches before I tell you guys about my new idea for our next routine, ok?"
Chelsea scowled at me. The quartet waltzed off.
Gemma and Layla arrived back with the basketballs.
I picked one up, enjoying the familiar sensation of them between my fingers. Believe it or not, basketball used to be one of my favourite sports. Until my mother got involved of course.
"Ok, guys, I have an amazing idea for our next routine. " I pointed to the basketballs. "So, I thought we could incorporate these into our routine. Basketballs are the best choice because they bounce, so its much easier to use them. I think we could do the moves while swapping a few basketballs over here and there."
Chelsea snorted.
Gemma snapped. "I am totally going to pound your stupid fa--"
A whistle tore through her statement.
Coach leaned against the benches, looking utterly bored. Her hair, as usual, was tied back into a harsh ponytail and a permanent look of irritation brewed in her eyes.
She inclined her chin to me. "Good idea Ellie, I look forward to seeing the routine." She flicked her finger to Gemma. "Cool down, Henderson." Gemma scowled. "And you, Simmons," she pointed to Chelsea, "if you don't start respecting your captain you'll be off the team like this." She snapped her fingers. Coach narrowed her eyes, and her look of boredom broke as she smirked. "Your sister knew how to respect her elders. She was an amazing Captain. I wonder what your parents think about you failing your legacy."
Abruptly, Chelsea's face crumpled. I actually felt sorry for her. Her eyes, reddened, were pasted to the floor.
"Anyway," the Coach continued. "I have something to announce to you tomorrow." She clapped her hands. "As of now, you're all dismissed. Ellie, put those basketballs away."
I nodded, quickly hefting up a box.
"Simmons, help her."
Gemma began to protest, "Wait--"
"Was I speaking to you Henderson? All of you get changed." Her voice hardened when they hesitated. "Now." They all scurried away.
Chelsea, quiet now, grabbed the second box.
I strode quickly towards the gym, placing the boxes in the storage facility.
My foot tapped impatiently as Chelsea deposited her box and stepped out. Pulling off my necklace, hooked to the gym keys, I locked the door.
As I began to walk away, Chelsea paused behind me. "I didn't know you hung out with William Johnson."
Then she strode off.
It took me a  few minutes before I followed her.
So she had seen us.
Why hadn't she told anyone?
To be honest, I'd be happy if every one knew that Will and I had gone on a date. But the idea that Will didn't want anyone to know scared the heck out of me. But I couldn't blame him. I wasn't exactly perfect girlfriend material.
By the time I reached the locker room most of the girls were already dressed. Gemma, Layla and Madison were blatantly missing. Suspicion nudged at me, but I ignored it.
After a rapid shower, and a deodorant and moisturiser spray down, I dressed quickly. I pulled on a high-waisted red skirt and a white tank top. On top of my outfit, I donned a leather jacket. Standing in front of the mirror, I tugged out my hair band from my hair, releasing my curled (freshly curled at 7:00 in the morning, in preparation for this moment) hair over my shoulders.
Then came the make up. I applied a thin sheen--foundation to cover any flaws, quick splashes of mascara, eye liner--so it appeared natural, before inspecting my whole outfit.
Aim? Blow Will's mind.
Gemma, whistled as she entered the changing room. "Dang, girl, you look hot."
Madison and Layla followed her. Madison hummed in agreement while Layla gave me a nod of approval.
I beamed. "Thanks guys."
Madison smiled. "What's the occasion?"
Seeing Will, the most beautiful person on the planet.
I avoided their gaze, trying to hide my blushing behind my hair.
"Sorry, guys, I've gotta go." I grabbed my bag. "See you on Monday, ok?" I called back before racing out of the changing rooms.
A 25-minute walk. A mere 25 minutes till I saw Will again.
I had to gasp for air.
*
Thank you guys for reading! As agreed, I updated twice in one day ;) I hope you enjoyed that chapter. If you did, please vote/comment/share, or all three heehee ;) Tell me what you think! Anyway, I'm warning you guys, drama is on the horizon... You have been warned ;)
This chapter is dedicated to a super duper nice person who leaves kind comments, kind votes, and kindness in her wake. She is amazing and I just needed to say thank you for her amazingness!
BTW guys, this is important. Pretty pretty please keep comments PG. I love your passion and its hilarious for me personally but there may be some younger readers here and I'm sort of doing a swearing chastity thing now ;) Also, I think it's pretty clear that I'm religious from my author notes. I'm a Christian so I do find stuff like 'Oh my god' or other variants to do with God's name offensive. Please avoid these ^~^ *begging.* If you have questions as to why, please just private message me or comment, and I'll explain. I'm going to put this in the first chapter soon, so people know to keep the comments clean.
But I still love you guys and your passionate comments so don't stop commenting! I love you guys! See you soon my beautifuls XD
God bless
XXX
Yemi Everest