Chapter 5

I gazed at him in complete awe, tears long forgotten at the back of my eyes. 

I had my lips slightly parted, and my body was still stiff in his arms as he regarded me weirdly but in amusement. I had never seen him before, that's for sure. But I could see that he was well around my age. 

"Are you okay Skates?" He spoke again, making me more nervous with just the very sound of his voice. He had a nice voice. A really nice voice. 

"I-I um what?" I questioned as my mind cleared. I realised that I hadn't really noticed what he asked because I was too deep in my own awkward mess to realise what was coming from his lips. Oh God his lips. 

He chuckled lightly as he helped me up to my feet again, but I almost fell again, getting me back in his arms and back in my stiffened state. Like a freaking cock. 

"You really aren't good on these things aren't you?" 

"Am good I " I blurted out, mentally slapping myself for my stupid words. 'Am good I? Really Paris?'

"Aren't good with words either I see" He chuckled as he began to hoist me up. 'Great. See what you did Paris? You scared him off. '

I huffed as he helped me to my feet again, this time holding onto my arm as he led me to the locker area in silence. 

I momentarily glanced at him from time to time, stealing quick peeks at him. Handsome he indeed was, and he saved me from what might've been a hell of a concussion. Every time he caught me glancing, he would chuckle to himself, showcasing a hint of a dimple on his cheek. His grip on my arm was firm, but his hands felt so soft. And his height was just right. I could probably fit perfectly under his chin. 

But of course, I had to go and be a freak in front of this perfect looking human being. He was even hotter than Colton, and that meant a lot coming from me. Nobody was hotter than Colton in my eyes. Nobody. 

Finally, we appeared at the lockers, and I almost felt disappointed when he let go of my hand. 

I stood there casually, not entirely sure why he brought me here. I gazed around oddly as I tried to keep my balance. But the weird thing was, he was just leaning against the locker, gazing at me with a stupid amused smirk on his stupidly charming face. 

"Aren't you going to change back in your shoes?" He asked as his eyes darted from my feet to my face. I subconsciously glanced down, seeing the blinding pink abominations still strapped to my feet. 

"Right. Um lemme just.." I attempted to remember where I had my own shoes, wobbling from time to time as I moved. I surely looked like an idiot. 

Every time I moved, I tumbled over and almost fell as I made my way to the locker that I remembered putting my stuff in. It was obvious to anyone with eyes that I was struggling, and the guy, whose name I've yet to learn, only laughed ever so often at my demise. It actually became annoying after a while. 

"Okay I am grateful that you saved me back there, but I fail to understand why you're just standing there and laughing at me" I snapped as I attempted to stay steady on my feet. I had to hold onto a locker in order to keep my balance. 

But instead of looking serious at my outburst, he only smirked wider as he raised his hands in mock surrender. "Easy there Skates. I'm just here to bring those back" He pointed at my feet, and my eyes involuntarily followed where he pointed as if I didn't already know. 

My eyebrows knitted together in confusion as I gazed from him to my feet. "Why would you-" I paused once I processed it. "Oh my gosh you work here?" 

He chuckled with a shake of his head as he closed the distance between us, holding onto my arm again to steady me. I tried to avoid how fast my heart was going with him this close. I knew I wasn't used to boys, since the only boy I hung around was Colton. But my nerves shouldn't have been so all over the place right? 

"Nah. My older brother owns the place. I only help out from time to time" He told me as he slowly rolled me across the room. I pointed to where I finally remembered putting my shoes as we aimed for there. "When I saw you bolting for the exit with the roller-skates still on, I was only trying to get them. Still am actually" 

And here I thought someone saw my heartbreak and felt for me. He was only doing his job. Of course. 

What did I expect? That the universe suddenly likes me and put a gorgeous human in my path to save me from self wallow? Hell, even these obnoxious pink skates were more wanted than me. 

"Um sorry. I wasn't thinking straight" My eyes watered again when I remembered why I was trying to leave in the first place. He didn't seem to notice, which I was grateful for. 

Once I grabbed a hold of my still wet shoes, I huffed nonetheless and slid my feet into them. I cringed a little at the uncomfortableness, but I managed to stand with a single squish of water. 

"Here you go" I handed the skates to him, feeling a tad weird by how odd he was ogling me. 

He nodded once as he took them, and I realised that this was the part where we part. Strangely, I felt sad. Maybe because I knew that him leaving will only result in me being left alone in my grief again, and maybe I actually will join the rain. 

"See you around Skates" 

"It's Paris by the way" I corrected as calmly as possible. 'Skates' was just so annoying. But I wasn't even surprised when he smirked again. 

"Paris? Like the famous city Paris?" 

I gave him a deadpanned look. "No, like the roller-skating rink called Paris " I retorted sarcastically. He raised a questioning eyebrow as his smirk transformed into an actual smile. 

"Nice to see that you can actually speak" He teased, remembering my awkward encounter minutes ago. 

"I was-I was recovering from shock okay? Don't be a twat about it" To my surprise he actually laughed, before making a 'googly' face and running his hands through his shiny dark hair. 

"Oh yea?" He smirked. "You were shocked to see such a gorgeous being on earth huh? " 

I crinkled my nose as I eyed him carefully. Of course he wasn't lying, but his cockiness just deducted a large percentage from his attractiveness. "Egoistic much" I mumbled as I grabbed my bag from the locker.

Colton was my ride here, but I had no intention of seeing him again for the rest of the night. Neither was I too eager to see Anastasia either. So if I had to walk in the pouring rain and take a bus, then so be it. 

"By the way what's you na-" I paused abruptly when I turned around and saw no one. Was I talking to myself all along? Did I actually hit my head and was hallucinating this whole time? 

Of course I did. No human this perfect was actually talking to me. It was all in my head. 

"See you around Skates" I yelped as the voice shook me from my thoughts, and my eyes darted to the door where I saw that he pushed his head through and winked at me before disappearing again. But just when I was about to call out to him again, he was gone. 

Wasn't a hallucination. Noted. 

My lips tilted upwards of the thought of 'seeing him around'. Despite the slight annoyance that he caused with his stupid smirk and ego, he wasn't that bad. And the fact that he said it, kinda means he wants to. Right? I bit my nails as I threw the bag over my shoulder. 

Maybe, Paris. Maybe. 

Just as I was about to leave, my one and only heartbreaking best friend walked in. He had a worried look on his face as he approached me, and he oddly kept looking behind him. My heart raced as my smile dropped, and I was reminded once again that this was the person my heart cried for, but will apparently never have. 

He eyed my bag weirdly as he pointed to the door. "Are you leaving? I saw a boy with your skates when I was looking for you." 

I shrugged. "I suppose. I'm feeling a bit under the weather anyways" I faked a cough as I avoided eye contact. Colton knew how to sniff out my lies, and I didn't intend on telling him the truth again. Never again. 

"I'll take you home then." He offered, but I quickly declined. The last thing I needed was to have Anastasia and Colton in a car laughing and flirting away as my heart broke all over again. I'll take my chances with the rain. 

"Don't bother Col. The night has just began; don't let me ruin it for you and your date." I was happy that he didn't pick up the venom in my voice when i said 'date'. I wasn't trying to be bitter, but I couldn't help it. 

"Don't be ridiculous, Paris. It's raining cats and dogs out there" 

"But-"

"Tell you what" He cut me off by saying, holding both my cheeks in his hands as he peered at me. Big mistake. " If it makes you feel better, I'll just drop you off and come back here okay? You won't have to feel guilty for anything" 

Eventually I gave in, since I knew he was just as stubborn as me. I nodded once as I shrugged on the jacket he wrapped around me earlier, and I had to resist the urge to cry. 

"I have a headache too. Let's just get going" I mumbled as I headed for the door. 

I didn't have a headache, but it was my way of telling Colton not to talk to me. He always knew that when I had a headache, I preferred keeping conversation minimal. 

These are the little things that made me sad too. If I should fall for another guy, whenever that will be, he will have to learn all the little things that Colton already knew. Will I make it difficult to love someone simply because they aren't Colton?

I actually started developing a headache at the very thought. I didn't want this kinda life for myself. I was supposed to graduate highschool with Colton, go to college with Colton, and marry Colton. 

Now, it was just graduate high school, go to college and live with 50 cats. What is love if it's not with Colton?

I felt his hand on the small of my back as he led me towards the exit that I was bolting for not even twenty minutes ago. I looked over my shoulders without even realising, knowing that I was looking if I saw him. Yet, he wasn't there. Colton followed my gaze at nothingness, before pushing the door open to the streetlights, cold and raging rain. 

"Who was that guy anyways? The one with the skates?" Colton asked, breaking my train of thought. I shrugged in all honesty.

Just a sexy teenager of a mystery I guess. 

"I don't know," I admitted lowly. "I don't know."