"Relax. Cool down. Be indifferent."

She kept repeating these words , smoothing out the none existing creases on her dress. Today she decided to go a little . . .neutral.

From inside , she was bursting with un contained happiness and excitement but from outside she had the image of everything is under control. The Jacquemus pale skirt had a waistband that she tied so hard, her figure seemed like an hourglass.

Finally she had a chance to wear her favorite nude heels .

Nothing can ever go wrong with nude heels, that's what Madame Delores had said anyways.

"If confusion gets the best of you, go for nudes." Madame had said and Gloria had noted it down on her pad and in her head .

It was always the little tricks and tips with your outlook that made you stand out from the rest.

At least that's what she believed in.

To be very true to herself, she wanted to dress up in a ball gown and enter the school . . greeting him with a bow. And then him kissing her—

She stomped down on the breaks.

No kissing!

He was a friend. .

God! , She flipped her sheet of golden hair , her nerves really need to stop putting her heart in trouble. There should be nothing but platonic relationship between them and that was exactly how it will be!

She had ushered Mia to the class because she told her she had to visit the loo when in reality she was standing beside her locker, her eyes trained on the corridor. .her heels tapping on the floor.

Waiting.

"Can I talk to you?" A voice squeaked from behind her.

She didn't look back.

"No you can't. " She said absently.

Why can't people just let her be for a minute? Why can't people just stop coming at her when she was doing her job?

"Umm there's a tag hanging on your back."

"Okay." Was all she said.

Honestly all these boys wanted was to talk to her and —

She whirled around!

Her golden hair slapping the guy in the face, his eyes squinting.

She remembered him! Luke! The nerd!

"Are you serious?! Get it off me ! " She cried clearly panicked as she looked back towards the corridor in horror.

"How?" He pushed his glasses up his nose, his eyes noting her shaking up .

She turned around , her back to him.

"Snatch it. Do something! God please!"

Her cries unnerved him a little bit still with shaking fingers , he reached out catching the tag in his hand and then tugging at it hard—but it didn't work so he he bent down , ripping the wire with his teeth. .the tag fell to the floor.

"It's done."

She breathed a sigh of relief while turning towards him.

"Thank you so much Luke!" Gratitude was clear on her face.

"You-you remember my name?" He asked , surprised.

Gloria grinned .

"Why yes! Once you cross my path you can't be forgotten." She winked, seeing the tips of his ears turning pink.

He was about to reply when her ears perked up, listening to the footsteps coming closer every second.

"You gotta go Luke. " She urged.

"What? I gotto-"

The footsteps got near.

"Now Luke!" The urgency in her voice made him frown . .he shook his head as if not believing what he just heard but then he did walk away, dragging his feet.

Taking a nice calming breath, she turned towards her locker. . opening it up.

Her hands going inside like she was trying to look for something.

Well, she couldn't be obvious now could she? She had an image to maintain and answer to her self respect.

Her self respect was the first thing she had to answer before anyone else.

The footsteps kept coming and then they stopped . .near her.

"Gloria?" His deep voice made her smile but then she fixed her face and pasted a surprise look as she spun around . .

"Logan." She said his name as her eyes took in his maroon t shirt with puma logo. .the sleeves rolled up to his elbows exposing his tattoo, black pants and black sneakers. .oh his hair were in the middle of drying out...seemed like he took a shower . .

She tried to take a whiff of him without giving herself away.

Ugh! chocolate chip cookies all the way!

"Were you waiting for me?" He asked giving her a lop sided smile.

Of course she was !

"Why would I? Usually I don't wait for my friends . It's the other way around." She said rising her eyebrows.

"I see. May be tomorrow I should wait for you?" He suggested , his smile reaching his eyes.

She touched her chin.

"Hmmm, I'll think about it . "

Logan lifted his hand and placed it on her heart.

"That's so kind of you to actually think of me." He mocked ,managing to get a smile out of her.

"Didn't anyone tell you friends don't mock friends?" Gloria said widening her emerald eyes.

It was so sudden.

He took a step towards her , her back was already pressed to the lockers so she couldn't even step anywhere.

His scent filled her in as he was one feet away from her. .his stormy eyes glinted at her . .God he was more gorgeous upfront . .

"You have so much of expectations from me . . friend." he added the word like an after thought.

"Not expectations. Just stating what I know." She shrugged her shoulders when from inside she was quacking with panic , a blush threatening to make itself visible.

"Seems like you know too much?" His eyes looked all over her face, a playful expression on his face .

"Well I'm not a narcissistic but yeah. . I know way too much about everything. Sometimes I think I should drop reading and. . ." She trailed off as she realized what she said.

Damn it!

She gave away a little piece of herself!

He had been listening so attentively that everything came tumbling out of her mouth!

"You read." He wasn't asking, he was stating.

"I get it. How a girl like me loves reading so much? How a girl—"

He cut her off.

"I knew you read. "

Now that actually shut her up.

Her eyes asking him how?

Logan smiled at her.

"You had all the signs of being a spastic nerd. You talk like everything is a fucking story. You always have this-this faraway look on your face. " He said softly as she tried to speak.

Okay?

"Also," he continued. . .raising his hand and forcing her to stop breathing, his thumb touched her cheek, his eyes staring in hers. . then slowly he rubbed his thumb on her cheek so softly she could hardly feel it," You had something on your face."

Blush unleashed on her cheeks and he lifted his hand away.

Her face felt on fire.

"Thanks." Involuntarily she touched her cheek, feeling the heat.

He laughed at her reddened face as she tried to join him .

Her cheek tingling from his touch.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

She sipped on her drink as she listened .

"-and he seems like a nice guy, glow. " Mia said , a dreamy look on her face .

Gloria nodded.

"Did he ask you to come in for a tea?" She asked curiously.

"Eww who wants a tea in this era?" Mia made a face. " And no he didn't."

Gloria mentally ticked on the good guy indications.

"So what did you guys talk about?"

"Nothing special. It was . .regular stuff. And I had hard time in trying not to pee in excitement." Mia huffed.

"Looka like you got a good guy for yourself." Gloria grinned , placing her half full apple juice carton on the table.

Mia rolled her eyes as she got up .

"It's too early to know what kind of a guy he is so ....I'm gonna get a big fat burger and then we can discuss how I shouldn't think about his ass." She said dryly as Gloria laughed . . watching her friend walk away.

She was really happy that Mia got herself a nice man. Well, she hoped he was a nice man . .since Mia was such a dream girl! She deserved an equally dreamy guy—

"Hey day dreamer!"

Startled , she was pulled out of her thoughts as the chair that Mia vacated just now was scraped back and a large frame sat down.

Her lips went dry as grey pair of eyes settled on her.

"What are you doing here?" She blurted out.

There was like three feet distance between them and already her heart started to jolt around.

"To eat? At least that's what people do here." He smirked as he took the apple juice carton off of the table.

With horror , she saw him putting his mouth on the top and drinking it directly!

That was like an indirect kissing!

"That's—its mine!" She cried out watching his Adams apple bob up and down.

All he did was give her a thumbs up as he gobbled it down and then looking around , he dumped the empty carton in the trash can near by.

"That's so rude. You shouldn't drink another person's drink." She said grumpily.

He placed his elbows on the edge of the table.

"Really? I thought sharing increases love or some shit like that." He said casually.

"You can't throw around that L word so... casually." She chided , not liking him joking with it.

"It's not the L word, Gloria. It's love. And it is casual."

She leaned in, her emerald eyes flashing.

"It's not okay? It's . .special."

"Really?" His grey eyes slanted , puzzled, " how?"

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"It's special because it's used for someone special. You're allowed to use it only for that one specific person." She said enthusiasm in her voice.

He kept staring at her.

And then. . .

"I love you, Gloria."

For a moment it was all crickets and then just as she registered what he said. .

Her jaw hit the floor, she resembled a fish out of water because. . .this was so not happening!

Did he just confess his love to her?!

But how?!

Weren't they friends?!

Wasn't it too soon—

And then his threw back his head and laughed, crashing down her heart.

"I'm sorry," he said in between his laugh, " its just—its just that you were so fucking serious-," he couldn't continue because of his laughing fit.

Her eyes narrowed .

And then she got up in one swift motion.

Leaving him behind.

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Outfit of the day:

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A/N

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