SCENE FIVE: The Hard Life of a Pokèmon Trainer.
  Edited by iheartreading211

"I think it's extremely unladylike for you to be spying on a boy with a pair of binoculars while hiding behind a bush." Jason states.

"Who asked for your opinion again?"

"You did." He deadpans,"Two seconds ago."

I snort,"How do you expect me to remember that far back?"

Jason rolls his eyes.

"Well I never asked you to accompany me." I say getting back to the task in hand,"You're free to leave. Besides you're totally ruining my camouflage with that suit of yours."

"It's my job to accompany you and keep you safe." He says stoically,"I have no choice."

"Everybody has a choice." I say,"For starters you can make the choice of not telling my step mother about this little excursion, okay?"

He just gives me a blank look.

"Despite the attitude I know you won't." I continue looking ahead,"If you wanted to you'd have already done it."

Day before yesterday when Jason had dropped the figurative bomb I'd nearly fallen to the ground.

I'd got to give it to him, he'd done a fantastic job of surprising the hell out of me and I'd just stared after him when he left my mouth open in shock.

And then I'd progressed to freak out.

Granted the freak out session lasted for two minutes because then I'd realised that I'd miss out on the newest episode of Teen Wolf. Honestly after the shit day I had if I didn't see Dylan O'Brien at least once I would lose it.

I'd fallen asleep halfway through because I'd been far more tired then I'd originally predicted, the run in that morning had taken a lot out of me and I'd only woken up around noon the next day.

And then I'd continued the freak out.

I'd already missed my chance to intercept Will on his morning run and when I'd opened the door of my room I saw Jason standing there stoic and expressionless as always. I was cautious at first but as the day progressed and I realised that he'd neither told a word to Amelia and nor had Tyler thrown a hissy fit about my unladylike behaviour the day before which made me realise that there was a lot more to Jason than my previous judgement of him being a mindless muscle man.

I wasn't surprised to see Jason standing outside the door waiting to accompany me today to the park at the crack of dawn. I didn't mind though, if Jason had kept his mouth shut about before then there was no reason that he'd tell on me now.

I hear footsteps and I quickly grab Jason's hand and pull him down so fast that he falls face first into the bush.

Yes, this was the person who was supposed to protect me.

"It's not poison oak, don't worry." I say,"I'm an expert at these things."

He gives me a look that says that my statement isn't particularly reassuring but nonetheless, he  sighs and keeps his position, crouching in the bushes next to me.

Will jogs past.

He looks sooooooo good.
Too bad he's a self centred asshole.

"Hiding is pointless." Jason's voice is low,"His guards have already seen you, so the likelihood of him knowing that you're here is high."

"I know that." I say looking at the track even though Will was out of sight now,"I'm actually curious as to whether he'll just ignore us or come and confront us."

"Spoiler alert." Will says from behind me,"He chose the latter."

I let out a small scream as I jump, simultaneously knocking Jason down with me into the bushes.

"Jesus Christ!" I exclaim as I struggle to get up,"You scared me!"

Will gives me a look,"That's quite pathetic considering you were the one spying on me."

"I'm not spying on you." I huff as Jason gets up.I don't move from my position, looking defiantly at Will.

He raises an eyebrow,"So what exactly were you doing hiding behind a bush with binoculars?"

"Well- There was a Pokèmon in the bushes!" I say quickly,"A Jigglypuff at that."

He raises an eyebrow but there is a faint trace of a smile on his face,"A Jigglypuff?"

"Yup." I nod,"Life as Pokèmon trainer is hard."

Thank you Pokèmon Go.

"Oh really?" He says peering behind me,"I don't see it. Where exactly is it? I didn't know there was an update on the app which allowed you to use the game without a phone."

And that's when I realise that I don't even have my phone in my hand.

Well, since I'd been caught anyways.

"Aha well you see I was all out of Pokèballs so I thought it be smarter to just catch them the old fashioned way." I state,"After all a dedicated Pokèmon trainer shouldn't be afraid to get their hands dirty."

Jason simply sighs as if he's given up on me but Will doesn't look the least bit perturbed. 

"Well I like getting my hands dirty too." He says nonchalantly,"For entirely different reasons of course."

Usually faced with my sheer weirdness, most people conceded when they realised that there was no winning an argument against me but Will Kensington managed to throw each and every reply of mine back at me without even flinching. It's bloody amazing and freaking annoying at the same time how nothing I did or say could catch him off guard.

Well then time for plan B.

"I was doing it for...... science!"

He blinks.

Jason blinks.

I grin. I'm a fucking genius.

"For science?" Will asks clearing his throat.

"Yup for science." I say,"I mean considering that you're most probably an alien who has been ditched on planet Earth as a test subject to see if this planet was habitable, I'd thought I'd just do NASA a favour and start observing you early on in case your species ever decides to invade. That's why I was doing it......for science."

And this time he can't hide it anymore. He actually looks to his side in an attempt to hide the smile on his face but he can't. In fact, he shakes his head and looks up and laughs.

I gape at him, my mouth hanging open. I'm clearly not the one who finds this shocking because even Jason is looking at Will with an expression that's a far cry from his stoic frown and something along the terms of genuine shock.

Will also notices Jason's expression and simply shrugs,"It's not that surprising that I find her funny."

"You find me funny?" I ask, my eyes wide.

You know what, despite knowing how awesome and hilarious I am, it's nice to be appreciated for it by someone else once in a while.

He sighs and ruffles my hair,"Jesus, butterscotch if you give that cute smile to anyone who says you're funny then that's just upsetting."

Jason chokes. If I hadn't been staring intensely at the ground, trying to hide the fact that I was beetroot red, I would laughed at at Jason's 'what-new-planet-have-I-landed-in' expression.

"Besides-" Will continues this time bending forward and pinching my nose between his thumb and index finger, "With a face like yours it's impossible to not call you funny. You look like a small chipmunk today, Butterscotch."

"What?" My voice is high pitched and nasally and I realise he's still pinching my nose so I quickly swat his hand away and repeat,"What?"

"But the resemblance to a boiled potato is still uncanny." Will mutters,"Which means you're a boiled potato that's shaped like a chipmunk or wait...Are you more like a chipmunk that looks like a boiled potato? It's funny either way though."

I'm red, but it's with anger this time,"I hope you go bald Goldilocks."

"But then you won't be able to call me that would you?"

"Fine then I'm officially changing it to Goldi-go-bald."

"Tcch Tcch, Butterscotch, calling me names and threatening me is simply a sign that you lost."

"Jason hold my earrings; I'm going to kick this guys ass." I say.

"You're not wearing any earrings." Will points out.

"It's a metaphor Goldilocks keep up."

He simply shrugs"It won't be that hard considering you're currently stuck in that bush."

Shit he'd noticed.

I'd been subtly trying to get up for the past five minutes but my sleeve had caught on to the bush and it refused to let me move.

"I'm not stuck." I lie struggling,"It's just the-"

"-bush loves you so much that it doesn't want to let you go?" Will finishes,"I figured."

I stare at him mouth agape and amazed.He'd literally taken the sentence out of mouth.

Gosh when had I become so predictable?

"Well do you need help?" Will sounds kind of smug and I look away trying to free my sleeve.

"I don't need your help thank you very much." I manage to say as I tug hard on the sleeve playing tug of war of with the twig it had caught on to,  I pull on it hard and the twig broke with a loud snap, splintering everywhere and I fall forward but manage to catch myself just in time.

I curse loudly and flinch at the sharp sting on my arm that followed.

"You idiot." Will says as he kneels down to brush off the leaves and bits of wood all over me. I flinch when he touches my arm and he sighs looking at the bloody scratch the splinter had left,"Yesterday you tripped because of those ridiculous shoes and today you're stuck in a bush. Honestly you're a disaster, aren't you?"

And there it is. The switch.

"I'm sorry." I say, trying to sound earnest. His head snaps up and he pins me under his dark blue gaze.

"No you're not." He says curtly, the iciness returning back to his face freezing away his concern,"I just gave you what you wanted, didn't I?"

I blink, trying to bite back surprise. Nobody had ever seen so clearly through one of my schemes so quickly.

Although getting stuck in a bush wasn't exactly what I'd had in mind but I had planned on something similar. Day before yesterday when I'd fallen I'd contemplated whether Will had actually caught me or not. It had been one of those few moments where I had seen another side of him that was almost...Concerned.

He simply sighs, exasperated with himself, stepping away from me,"I never learn."

He gives a cursory glance at Jason as if to say, go on help her.

Jason sighs and stretches his hand forward standing in front of me but I bat it away and tilt my head to the side so I can get a clear view of Will.

"Move." I tell Jason, who promptly steps out of the way.

And then I take my shoe and throw it.
Right at Will Kensington's face.

It's probably out of a set of very impressive reflexes that he dodges it but almost instantly, several things happen. Jason pushes me back into the bushes with his gun drawn and pointing at the tree line beyond the track. Will acts equally fast almost as if he'd predicted Jason's move and in a blink of an eye he's standing in front of both Jason and I.

His right hand is outstretched in front of the muzzle of Jason's gun as a clear sign to tell Jason to put the gun down. His stance is somewhat protective which makes it look like he's shielding us.

"Stand down." His voice rings out loud and clear like a command. His back is towards me but I know from the tone of his voice that this is the version of Will Kensington no one would dare to defy.

Much less throw a shoe at.

Oh gods. I'd just thrown a shoe at the president's son, hadn't I?
Ohmygod, I'd nearly died, hadn't I?

I'd totally forgotten about Will's bodyguards who were lurking somewhere in the trees. I'd nearly gotten shot because I'd thrown a shoe at Will which could have easily had some potentially dangerous item hidden in it that could threaten his life.

I sink back into the bushes, staring at the sky, hoping to just disappear into thin air.

What the hell had I been thinking?

Throwing a shoe at a person was downright crazy but throwing a shoe at the president's son was fucking bonkers.

I'd lost it, I'd really lost it.

I'd been reassured several times by the doctors as well as my psychologist that other than my amnesia I'd not damaged my brain at all the tests showed that the grey matter in my skull was perfectly intact.

But times like these, times when I did something so utterly stupid something that the old me wouldn't even think about doing, I really wondered if the tests were a hundred percent accurate.

Ugh, Rebecca why?
You can't throw a shoe at a person.

Well, technically Will may not be a person considering-

NO EXCUSES BEX! Throwing a shoe at anybody is crazy, even if the anybody in question might be-

UGH I CAN'T BELIEVE I DID THAT! Can I have a time machine, please?

Will's face that pops up in my field of vision all of a sudden and I shrink back highly embarrassed.

Can Mother Earth please swallow me up right now?
Please?

"Did you just throw your shoe at me?" Will peers down at me, his face neither angry nor disappointed like it had been before. In fact, he almost sounds amused and looks the tiniest bit incredulous as if he can't quite believe his own words.

Well if I'm the weirdo who throws shoe, you're the moron who seems to be pretty okay with it.

"Yes?" I say in a small voice,"Although I might not have considered the consequences of throwing it."

Mirth is dancing in Will's eyes as he says,"I was wrong before-about you being a disaster, wasn't I? You're no ordinary disaster, you're a calamity to be reckoned with."

I shrug,"I tend to do things in extreme."

A small smile tugs at the corner of his mouth and he bites his lip as if to stop it from spreading further.

Oooooooohhhhh my god that's gotta be the most adorable thing I've ever seen-even though it looks the slightest bit smug.

Dear brain, please take a screenshot of this and save it under things to look at when I'm sad.

He offers his hand and I don't hesitate before taking it.

He pulls me up with no effort at all steadying me with his hands on my shoulder once I'm on my feet.

"I've got to admit that's the first time anybody's ever done that to me." He says, amusement now clear in his voice as he's picking out leaves from my hair,"Though I won't recommend doing that again."

"Is that threat?"I ask cautiously.

He blinks for a second as if I've truly caught him off guard. "A threat? Do you honestly expect me to encourage you to throw shoes at other people? This would normally get you a restraining order or shot if the persons has guards who are quicker to shoot than to think."

It takes me a moment to soak it all in. Will standing in front of me picking out leaves in my hair and scolding me as if he's done this many times before and it's the most natural thing ever.

Had he?

Had he done this before?

I don't remember.

"You should take care of that scratch when you get home." Will says,"And I suggest you be slightly more careful. Jason here looks like he almost had a heart attack."

It's so different from all the many many versions of Will I've seen up till now I have to blink several times to make sure it's him standing in front of me.

"Is there something in your eyes?" He asks and I shake my head, breaking out of me reverie.

"I'm sorry I acted impulsively." I apologise realising how childish I was acting,"Your hot and cold personality seriously pisses me off."

"To a point where you end up throwing a shoe at me?"

I look at him sheepishly,"You were leaving and I hadn't finished what I wanted to say, besides it got your attention didn't it? Although it was a tad bit too much, I agree. I'm sorry."

"Do you do this to everybody?"

Contrary to popular belief I wasn't impulsive.

No, I take that back.

I wasn't this impulsive.

Sure, I was a bush hiding, boy spying, cyber stalking impulsive person (I believe that when it comes to doing recon on a person who might spend the rest of their life with my best friend, all of the above were acceptable) but I swear to god I'd never thrown a shoe at someone or for that matter run after them like a psycho.

It was desperate to a point that it seemed clingy, needy and frankly batshit crazy.

But the second Will gets that disappointed look on his face the kind where I know he's about to walk away and leave, I panic.

I panic big time.

Take it from a person who actually gets panic attacks, when that feeling comes over you, the one where you're on the verge of going numb and your throats closes on you- you'd do anything to stop it, anything.

You become desperate to stop that feeling where you're losing control over everything and you can't breathe properly; much less stand on your feet.  And when Will looks at me like that... that expression where he's about leave, my mind goes completely blank to a point that I end up doing things that are fit to get me a restraining order at the very least.

Anything just anything to stop him from going away.
Anything to stop the rising panic.

"No." I answer his question my voice strangely uneven,"You just piss me off more than anybody else so I get carried away."

"Well I suppose I should be honoured then." He says,"That I'm the first person you ever threw your shoe at."

"You're surprisingly okay with the fact that I threw a shoe at your face." I state.

"Well, chimpanzees are known to fling poop so I was pleasantly surprised when you chose to go with your shoe." He then pauses,"Although, I shouldn't be giving you any new ideas."

"See this is exactly why you deserve getting a shoe thrown at you." I enunciated.

Will doesn't respond but instead he takes a few steps backward and picks up said shoe and holds it up.

"Do you want me to get down on one knee and help you wear it?" He then looks thoughtful,"I'd make a pretty good Prince Charming but you'd make a better fit as the pumpkin carriage than Cinderella."

"I think it's probably best if you don't have your face that close to my leg because I will kick you." I say drily,"Just throw it. I'm pretty skilled at catching things."

Will doesn't do it though. Instead he walks ahead, his eyes resting on the cut on my arm for only a moment before he hands the shoe over to me and says,"That wouldn't make me very gentlemanly, now would it Butterscotch?"

"Considering the fact that you've called me a chimpanzee, a pumpkin carriage and boiled potato up until now you can afford to do this much." I say as I snatch the shoe from his hand and bend down to wear it.

I'm almost done with the last knot when I speak up,"So did Jason pick out the colour of these shoes or did you specify that too?"

There is silence as I look up. Will's face betrays nothing but Jason looks shocked.

"What?" I say, "Isn't anyone going to at least deny it? After all, Will it was you who told Jason to hand me shoes to wear the next time I decide to chase after a boy, wasn't it?"

"You like being dramatic don't you?" Will says instead.

"Well I do enjoy big reveals." I admit,"But I'm not going to let you change the topic so easily."

Will quirks an eyebrow,"I'll admit it, you were quicker than I thought you would be."

Of course I was, I was me.

I shrug trying my best to pretend to be modest,"Well for starters there was no way Jason could sneak up behind me and watch the whole spectacle.The gate barely opens up and when Jason was coming today he had to push the gate to open up a little further which makes a loud noise. If he'd been here the day before, I'd have definitely heard the gate opening."

"Then, there is obviously the fact that Jason didn't even know about the gate. He looked pretty surprised when he saw it. After all, it is a big red flag for security." I sigh, "And even if he did see us, there was no way he'd be able to say something that implied that I've chased other boys. I only told that to you."

"I'm glad you trust me enough to reveal all your fascinating endeavours only to me."

I glare at him as I continue,"But the biggest mistake had to be yours. I wasn't sure you knew him before but then you said his name so casually it simply confirmed my suspicions."

Both Will and Jason look at me silently, Jason with his eyes wide as if he's really looking at me for the first time.

"Well, you certainly impressed Jason." Will states,"That's his look for, you didn't tell me that she was actually smart."

Lol. For a pro Sherlock watcher this was a piece of cake.
Now can I have my very own John Watson, please?

"Didn't that impress you?" I say haughtily with a slight flick of my hair,"I mean I was pretty damn awesome for someone who you called desperate, needy and stupid in the same sentence, you insensitive jackass. You really should apologise for that."

"Calling somebody a jackass after demanding an apology is not a very good strategy."

I snort,"Considering the crap you told me yesterday and today I think jackass is me being nice Mr. It's simply good advice."

I mimic the last part making a face and lowering my voice.

"That was pretty accurate." Will says,"Did you practice in front of a mirror?"

"I didn't have to." I say,"After all-you're doing it again aren't you? Deflecting a topic you don't want to talk about."

"I don't want to talk in general."

"This time you were the one who came to me."

"Touché." He says,"But you can hardly blame me for being curious as to why you were hiding in the bushes."

"Well, you were the one who told me to stay away from you."

"So you decided that this would be the smarter option?"

I shrug,"In theory I was staying away from you. The fact stands that you were the one who came to me."

"So you purposely hid in the bushes so that I would notice you?"

"It got your attention, didn't it?"

"I think that defeats the purpose of hiding."

"Who said I was hiding?" I say,"I was observing from the bushes and following your simply very good advice. After all I can't stay away from you if you're the one the approach me now, can I?"

His mouth twitches upwards and I'm pretty proud of myself.

Ha! Take that-

I trail off as I realise that his slight smirk has something very smug about it. As though he was waiting for me to realise something.

I look at him confused for a tiny moment before my eyes widen.

Shit! Jason.
He'd done it again.

So I ignore Will and look at Jason who is staring stoically ahead,"You might as well spill. I doubt my dad or Am-mother will be too happy to hear you're working for the enemy."

"Enemy? Isn't that pushing it?" Will asks wryly but before he can say more Jason speaks up.

"I'm not working for him."

"Does he-"  I don't need to finish the thought as I look at Jason seriously.

Does he know the fact that I'm illegitimate?

Jason shakes his head,"I'm still loyal to Windsor family first and fore-most. My job isn't to spy on you for anyone, it's to guard you and keep you safe."

I look at him carefully, he's not lying. I can make out that much. There isn't a lot about Jason that's actually opaque and once he actually talks it's pretty easy to figure out what he's thinking.

Anyone. His choice of words makes it clear that he's not only talking about Will but also my step mother and Tyler.

"Don't worry Butterscotch I'm not interested in your deepest darkest secrets." Will breaks the silence,"I won't sink as low as to spy on you and I certainly wouldn't use Jason to do so."

"If that's the case, then why did you ask him to do this entire shoe thing?" I hiss.

"Concern?" He suggests quietly,"I can't have you tripping and falling on other boys now, can I? Who knows what will happen to you if I'm not the one who catches you?"

For a second my eyes widen and I look at him stunned. Something about that had sounded genuine and yet....

It was so full of shit.

I narrow my eyes,"Cut the crap. What's your real reason?"

"I'm sure you have a theory on that too." Will says offhandedly, almost as if he's pissed that I dismissed his previous answer so fast,"Let's hear it."

"It was some sort of test, wasn't it?"

"I suppose you could call it that." He says,"It's been two years, Butterscotch. I wanted to see what you're capable of."

"And?" I ask haughtily,"Did it make you want to take back all the crap you've said to me up till now and admit that I'm not only breathtakingly beautiful but unfairly intelligent too?"

His mouth tugs upwards slightly,"Not really, no."

I glare at him but he continues.

"If you don't believe me then you can take Jason's word." Will tells me,"I'm sure you've figured out by now he's pretty committed to his job after the little display you saw where he heroically protected you. It nearly moved me to tears."

Jason and I both snort at that.

"Somehow I think you are incapable of real feelings."

It's a careless remark and I'm not quite sure why but I want to take it back almost immediately after I say it. It's not even the worst thing I've said so far and yet I feel like I've said something incredibly stupid.

Wills expression doesn't change though and his face is almost carefully blank,"You may be right about that Butterscotch."

I shake my head realising that I was going off topic.
Again.

"Then how exactly do you know him?" I ask Will.

Surprisingly,  it's Jason who replies,"He's an acquaintance. I've known him long before I worked for the Windsors. He asked me to that whole shoe thing as a favour and I had no real reason to say no."

"Acquaintances might be pushing it." Will says his voice back to its usual bored monotone,"But I suppose that's one way to put it."

"That's not vague at all." I deadpan.

Jason sighs,"I used to work for a client that Will is rel- used to know. So I know him from then and that's it. But I understand if you feel the need to report this, as you cannot trust me-"

"Jesus, Jason, stop behaving like a martyr." Will cuts in,"I highly doubt that Butterscotch has it in her to tell on you. Besides it's a two way street isn't it? I'm sure her parents can't be too happy that she's having a secret rendezvous with me before the sun is out."

"I'm an adult." I say,"I'm not a dog who is on a leash. But none the less Goldilocks has a point it is a two way street, besides I never really planned to tell on you."

To be perfectly honest I was hoping that Jason had told Will about my family situation. Things would have made so much more sense then, those subtle hints about my hair were hardly concrete evidence. But then again Will knowing that I was illegitimate and keeping quiet about it was a different ballgame altogether.

The worst part is that I can't even confront Will about any of the weird remarks he's made up till on the off chance that I accidentally tick him off about the truth when he didn't know about it.

Goddamnit! My life was so complicated.

"So you believe me?" Jason asks me dubiously and I look up at him with a start.

It hadn't even occurred to me that Jason might be lying mostly because....

"I trust you Jason." I say firmly, I have to trust someone in this hell hole and Jason seems pretty much the only option I've got. He's easy to read unlike stupid Goldilocks who has got too many layers for me. Plus if he's got some past connection to Goldilocks I'd be able to get a better insight on Will if I played my cards right.

"Well if that's done then I suppose I can leave now." Will says but before he can move I instantly block his path.

"Hey! I'm not done." I say,"And stop acting so important even I'm taking out time from my busy schedule to talk to you."

Will snorts,"You just eat all day in front of the TV. "

I give Jason a look,"Are sure you're not spying on me for him?"

"No. That was an educated guess." Will responds instead,"You seem like the person who has no social life whatsoever."

"Fuck you Goldilocks."

"And what if I tell you that you already have?"

I look up suddenly and my eyes widen but Will has the his trademark blank expression on his face.

"Sorry." He says simply,"But it got your attention, didn't it?"

Although his face is blank his tone clearly smug. He'd clearly found my weak point, the fact that I'm desperate to find out what had happened the last time I was here and he was throwing it back in my face.

"You like playing with people don't you?" I snap,"Treating them like crap and controlling them as you please."

"You wound me Butterscotch." His words have no emotion in them although,"That really hurts my feelings."

"I don't think anything can penetrate through that armour of yours." I reply drily.

Wills eyes darken,"You might just be wrong about that."

"I may be." I shrug,"But let's face it the amount of things you truly give a fuck about is practically non existent."

He looks at me vaguely amused,"Indeed. The amount of the only thing I give a fuck about is really small. Midget size really."

"You manipulate your words and twist them in a way that always turns the tables towards you." I continue, ignoring his words because he's royally pissed me off now,"You're the kind who is used to holding all the cards in your hand but you'll still smile politely and make the person opposite you think that they have a chance to win. You'll get their hopes up and when the time is right you'll crush them and leave without so much as a ciao."

"A ciao?" Will looks like he's trying hard not to laugh.

"That's French for goodbye." I say proudly.

"Oh really? French?" He says,"I never knew."

"Well consider yourself educated."

"I'm forever indebted to you." He says. And after that, he simply shrugs,"So you gathered all of this from meeting with me twice? That' s quite a leap."

I shrug too, "I'm quite good at reading people. And I've never seen someone who can manipulate conversations and people to the extent you do. If you don't want to answer a question you simply twist the entire conversation in a way that the person forgets what they had asked in the first place."

"Is that supposed to be a compliment?"

"When someone is that good at something it can be nothing but." I say,"You're kind of like a Jackass prince from Frozen. All nice on the outside but-"

"I can hardly sing that high." He cuts me off drily,"But that is an interesting comparison. So what you're basically trying to say is that I'm a snake."

"That's a rather mundane way to put it."

"Well, Jason looked a little lost so I felt kind of bad." Will says pointing at Jason who had a confused look on his face but the second Will said his name he quickly tried to covered it up with disinterest.

But unlike Will he's not subtle about it at all.

"If I were a snake, which one would I be?" Will asks nonchalantly.

I look at him weirdly.

Shouldn't he be more offended?

What snake would I be?

This dude is more random than I am.

"An anaconda." I reply anyway after some thought,"You're the kind who'll devour the person whole before they even realise it."

"Ouch." Will says lightly,"That's quite the horrible opinion you have about me. Jackass prince from Frozen, anaconda, next you'll be comparing me to Tyler. Now that will be truly offensive."

"Well you did call me desperate and needy on top of saying it was unfortunate to meet me." I say,"I thought that since you were generous enough to share your opinions I should return in kind. Besides, things that might seem like a joke to you may actually matter to other people."

"Why? It's hardly my fault that you were naive enough to believe that we slept together."

"Don't flatter yourself. My type isn't manipulative bastards." I deadpan,"No offense."

A.K.A I hope you're offended you stupid jerk!

He simply looks at me calmly,"Why should I be offended? What you've said is your opinion. Of course your entitled to it. It's another matter entirely that your opinion, just like you, is entirely irrelevant to me."

"It's like you're trying to make me hate you." I say.

"As talented as I am, even I can't do the impossible." There is something almost bitter about his tone and I'm about to call him out on it but he quickly switches the topic.

"So I have a proposition." Will says,"Since our rendezvous in the morning here will be coming to an end-"

"End? Why?" I ask.

"I'd almost say that your disappointed."

"Pfft, disappointed, me?" I fake laugh,"I'm ecstatic. But honestly, you shouldn't just give up on your morning routine. I mean you're fit and I'm sure you've got abs and all but your chocolate boy looks will all be gone if you slack off. I mean, look at Jason I'm sure he would never even think of skipping his work out routine."

Jason gives me a look that clearly says, Leave me the hell out of this.

"I'm moving." Will states, the corner of his lips tugging upwards,"But once again, thank you for telling me how keenly you've observed me. That does explain the binoculars. I do like chocolate boy better than Goldilocks so feel free to call me that more often, Butterscotch."

"Moving where?" I quickly deflecting the topic realising that I'd stepped into some very dangerous territory.

He raises an eyebrow,"Why? So you can hide behind the potted plants in front of my apartment?"

"I'm not a stalker."

Will glances at the bushes and the binoculars before looking back at me with a pointed gaze.

"Hey! This was a public place. For all you know I was bird watching." I say,"Stop giving yourself so much importance."

"Pokemon Go, research for NASA and birdwatching." He lists,"You could at least try keeping a track of your lies."

"Fine." I glare at him,"I'm not that much of a stalker. If you actually give me a straight answer to all my questions I would leave you alone."

Mostly.
Probably.

"That brings me back to my proposition." He says,"I'll answer all your questions. You'll have my full undivided attention and I'll tell you whatever you want to know about the last time you were here. After all, that's what you want to ask me right?"

I look at him suspiciously,"Why the generous offer?"

"I'm curious." He says,"I want to see how desperate you are to find out what happened between us the last time you were here. I mean if you're willing to believe the words of a snake..... Besides I'll get rid of you this way won't I?"

"So this is another test of yours."

"Not really." He doesn't feel the need to elaborate further.

I sigh,"So is that what's in it for you?"

"In exchange I want a favour." He says,"Something I'll ask you to do sometime in the future and you can't refuse."

"Fine."  I say, "But if it's anything against my family or anything that's particularly damaging to people I'm associated with, I will not do it."

"You're quite straight forward."

"I think that's the best course when dealing with you." I say,"Besides I happen to find snakes highly interesting creatures. Family issues aside, I think we'd make pretty decent friends Will Kensington."

"Is that what you think we were, friends?"

"I don't know." I say,"It's what I'd like to find out."

"I wonder what kind of person willingly makes friends with a snake."  He mutters softly.

"A charmer." I say "Get it? Because snake charmer?"

Will sighs at that and shakes his head as if to say, Really?

"What?" I pout,"That was funny."

He gives me a look and continues,"Since you've specified your limits I'd like three favours. Kind of like a genie."

"What?" I say,"You can't do that."

"This is a negotiation isn't it?" He says,"Besides if you've laid down your terms it's fair that I should too."

I can't really argue with that so I agree,"Fine. Three favours but you'll have to answer all my questions, honestly."

He shrugs,"I'll answer them but it's up to you to judge whether they are the truth or not."

That's not exactly reassuring but I nod.
It's the best I was going to get.

"You should be the one thanking me." I say,"After all spending time with me is an absolute delight.'

"Yes." Will deadpans,"Dodging shoes being thrown at me does happen to be a hobby of mine."

"I said I was sorry!" I exclaim,"Just don't piss me off and you'll realise what a delight I am."

"Not like-" Will's phone chimes and he sighs as he checks it.

"I need to go now."

He almost seems disappointed.

"What about all my questions? I thought we had a deal!" I say.

"We still do." Will says,"Just not today."

"What are you going to telepathically send me the time and place?" I say, "Ha! I knew you weren't normal."

He rolls his eyes"No I was planning on sending my pet owl."

"You have a pet owl?"

Will nods solemnly,"Yes. It was a gift for my eleventh birthday from a half giant who came with my acceptance letter to a magical school."

"Aah, I see.They must have run short of Dementors so they decided to just call on you instead. You suck the happiness out of people with no effort at all. Congrats, Goldilocks you're a natural. Now all you need is a black cloak and you're all set."

Ha! There was no way he could beat that!

"Well I have been told that my kiss is far more effective than an ordinary Dementor's." He looks at me innocently,"Want me to try it on you?"

Oh. My. God.

I turn red instantly.

"I-I-I d-don't want to kiss you, you-you-soul sucking pervert!" I say.

He sighs,"I didn't think I would actually come to miss Goldilocks, besides I thought you'd decided that honesty was the best approach with me."

"I-I am being honest." I stutter.

He leans forward and I simultaneously lean back turning flustered at the lack of space in between us,"Hmm, you're surprisingly shy, aren't you?"

"N-No I'm not!" I stutter out refusing to look at him,"It's just that-that your invading my personal space."

Wills smirks,"Well, it's not like I've got you cornered or anything. You can easily choose to step aside, walk away or for that matter even run away. And yet you choose to remain to stay glued to your spot."

My eyes widen with realisation and I quickly step back.

He simply smirks, "Don't worry Butterscotch. I won't slither-in and kiss you."

I blink up at him for a moment.

And then I burst out laughing.

I'm laughing so hard that I have tears in my eyes and Jason is giving me a look that says, Seriously, you're laughing so hard at that?

But I can't stop.

I mean sure it's a brilliant pun considering all the Harry Potter talk and the fact that I called him a snake but it's clearly not funny enough for the loud response I was giving.

And yet for some reason, I can't stop.

It's the first time I've laughed so openly since I've come to this city and it feels good.

Will is looking at me with an odd expression his head tilted to one side as if he's remembering something nostalgic. It's softens his features just the slightest bit and my laughter fades away as I look at him; taking in yet another side of him. For a moment we stand there facing each other, not saying a word just looking at each other as if we are both trying to figure out what the other is thinking.

PING! PING!

I jump at the sound of Will's phone ringing as he quickly takes it out of his pocket and the both of us look away.

Who even invented these STUPID SMART PHONES?

I thought they were supposed to be smart. Then, why couldn't they read the bloody mood?

"Well I suppose this will have to continue later, won't it?" He says without looking up as he typed something on his phone.

"I'm going to hold you to that." I say.

He then leans forward and once again pinches my nose,"Until next time then, Butterscotch."

And with that he steps away turning away from me as he walks forward.

"What-no fancy one liner this time?" I call out. I refuse to let him leave with the last word.

No, I just don't want him to leave.

He stops and turns around. He looks thoughtful.

"Well since you were so entertaining today I'll answer one of your questions."

He pauses for a moment and a smirk places itself on his lips.

"We definitely weren't friends."

He winks and turns around,raising his hand as a form of goodbye. Although I can't see his face somehow I know exactly what expression he's wearing as he says,"Ciao."

And then he walks away.

_____

AUTHORS NOTE

Rebecca:I can't believe I almost lost the popularity vote to Jason. What the hell. Im the main character of this book.

*Turns to Will who is reading some fancy ass book with a French title that Rebecca can't even pronounce* aren't you bothered that Jason beat you in a popularity poll when you are the male lead character?

Will:*shrugs still reading*not really no.

Rebecca:You know as the main male lead you should be worried. Nylla has switched main male leads before you know.

Will:*turns to Nylla* You can rename the book it be Just Ask Jason if you like. Tips about body building and workout regimes, it would be perfect.

Jason:*scratches chin thinking that's not a bad idea*

Rebecca:*to nylla* isn't he supposed to get jealous right now? What crappy male lead have you given me?

*Nylla doesn't respond because she's wondering how to write a book on exercise when her workout consists of moving from her bed to the refrigerator but then realises that she is currently in a relationship with said bed and is writing a romance novel so just keeps her mouth shut*

Rebecca: fine. Let's just change the male lead to Jason. Jason let's go do a workout together. And I mean the kind people do in a bedroom.

Jason:.....*looks at Will and Nylla with a please save me expression*

Will:*continues reading book*

Nylla:*currently dreaming about her bed*

Rebecca: The nerve of these shits. *Marches Upto Will* Hey Goldilocks I can't have such an unlikable male lead.

Will:*looks up from his book * I thought that the entire point of a romance novel is to be liked by heroine and I'm pretty sure that I've got that covered.

Rebecca: *turns red and backs away* I HATE YOU, YOU COCKY ASSHOLE!'

Will:*looks at Jason and sighs* I'd told you to pick out the hot pink sneakers so it would match her face when she blushes.

Rebecca:I AM NOT BLUSHING!

Will: Well if Jason had done his job right then we'd easily be able to compare and see that you're lying.

*Jason gives a be happy I did anything for you look to Will*

*Rebecca marches away*

Will:*looks at Nylla* How many tubs of butterscotch ice cream will I have to give her this time.

Nylla: eh give her a teaspoon of it and also she'll be fine. Jason you have to say the vote line since you were the runner up.

Jason:.....

Nylla:*calls out to Rebecca*So I have an idea of how to make Jason suffer even mo-

Jason:*quickly interrupts* please don't forget to comment vote and tell us what you think.

Nylla:*grins* that's better. I'm evil I know.

I hope you liked the chapter, sorry for the late update. Please tell me what you thought about it and if you thought it dragged for a little too long!

P.S: I added that gif because.... come on look at it 😍