CHAPTER 006.
real life

For some reason, Nick felt nervous. The type of nervous that included sweaty palms and a nauseous stomach. She was just as pretty as the first time he saw her and even funnier.

As his parked his car outside of the address she sent him, he took a moment to admire the small shop. It had a vintage, nostalgic look to it. The open sign was turned off, but he still knocked on the glass door.

A few moments later, Kendall appeared behind the glass and unlocked it for him.

"Hey, come in," she greeted, smiling. "Sorry, it's a little messy in here. Things start to get a little crazy during the spring slash summer."

"Nah, it's not bad," he commented, briefly studying the blue carpeted room with only a section of changing curtains, stands, and mirrors lining the walls.  "I like it."

"Thanks, but just you wait," she shook her head, still with a grin on her face. She led him into back room, past a curtain of beads, and the room was much more characteristic. He could easily distinguish between Kendall's side and her aunt's.

Her's was covered wall to wall in posters. He recognized some like the classic Nirvana, the Ramones, and Freddie Mercury. Pictures of other bands he didn't know joined the bigger posters. He laughed quietly to himself as he found and old Harry Styles poster hidden besides all of the others and slightly behind it.

"Why are you laughing," she asked, looking up from the multiple pin cushions and spools of thread that covered her desk.

"Harry was my favorite too," he pointed to him.

"Oh, god, he still is," she laughed and turned back to trying to organize her desk. "Lowkey sobbed at my temp job when they broke up."

"Me too," he didn't deny. "I met him a couple times a couple of years ago. He's a nice guy."

"You have no idea how fucking jealous I am of you. Thirteen year-old me all the way to current me." Her eyes were shooting daggers, but she then smiled and shook her head. "I'm still in love with him, honestly."

"I'm texting that to him right now," whipping out his phone, he began to mimic texting while watching her face to see her reaction.

She wasn't even phased. "You're sounding a lot like Keiynan right now." 

"I don't know if I should be offended or not."

"It's up to you," she joked while sifting through dresses hanging on a rack besides her desk. She found a long, blue sequined dress and studied it for a moment before seeming satisfied and brought it back to the desk.

Nick then found himself settling into a lounge chair besides her. "So what was your music timeline? One direction, then emo music, what else?"

"You can't laugh," she said even as she began to  laugh and settle into her chair.

"I won't, I won't," he exclaimed.

"Hannah Montana AKA Miley Cyrus was my first and ultimate girl crush."

He couldn't help but snort and covered his smile.

"You're such a liar," she returned. "But anyway, yes, I loved her. She was my first concert ever and I was obsessed."

"I'm sorry," he shook his head, still grinning.

"Who was your first idol then," Kendall wondered.

Thinking back, he ran his fingers through his hair to push it back before saying, "I think it might have been John Mayer, or Springsteen, my parents listened to a lot of them and classic rock when I was younger. Now, I usually switch between that, alternative and indie."

"I respect that," she nodded as she began shorten the dress, "My parents played a lot of it when I was a kid too. But then I got into grunge after One Direction and thankfully had my emo and fangirl phase in one go."

"Oh, I really wanna see pictures of that," he leaned forward, excited.

"Oh, you're never going to see anything from that period," she mocked as she began to undo a seem and take out the sown in beads. One by one, she would systematically put them into a small bowl besides her.

"Bet," he challenged before settling back to watch her some more.

Before she really began to work on the dress, Kendall shuffled through some of her playlists before picking one. Nick liked the beat and vocals that then came through the speaker beside them. He nodded along, listening to her hum.

After a couple of songs, she looked up at him and smiled, "You like it, don't you?"

"I do. You know, I always thought people who listened to this of music wore, like, the thick black eyeliner, all black clothes, and Doc Martens."

"Well, I mean," she paused for a moment, drawing out the last syllable in thought. "That was popular in the 2000s mostly. But not all heroes wear capes," she winked.

"I still wanna see those pictures," he replied, still amused.

Kendall only shook her head with a smirk, "Keep dreaming Robinson."

The two enjoyed the time spent together. Most of it wasn't filled with talking but simply them
listening to a random playlist of hers, and she showed him what she loved to do.

Attention strayed from the prom dress, and the two found themselves hunched over the stacks of notebooks stowed away in her corner. Hundreds upon hundreds of doodles and fashion magazine clippings filled each book. "Most of these are from high school, but it's all me and Holland would ever do," she laughed. "I can't believe we came up with some of this stuff."

"They're.... interesting," he notedly chose his words carefully.

"That's a nice way of saying it. Thankfully, the creations have gotten better," she still continued to flick through the pages and motioning to another clothes rack back towards the stairs leading to the apartments.

Rising to look at them, he recognized the snakeskin jeans he first met her in and smiled, "That's very true."

Kendall's gaze then turned back to him, her brown eyes curious, "Could I make you a suit sometime?"

He didn't even have to hesitate. "I'd love that."

All of the nervousness he felt early had completely subsided when around her.  He liked that she was easy to talk to and carefree. It felt as if they had already been friends for years.

By the time the sky had darkened, Nick realized he needed to return back to his apartment for an early morning interview. Kendall walked him out. As his cab waited outside, and she was just about to lock up, she asked him, "So you'll join us next month?"

As he opened the car door, he responded with his crooked grin, "I wouldn't want to do anything else."