t w e n t y ;

Logan kept Valentina from going to the room until he saw Louise pass them. Then his girlfriend went to leave her things in the bedroom. When they returned, the had breakfast together, and afterwards, she went to take a shower. While she was in there, Logan went around his house, whispering, "Louise, where are you?" Just loud enough so that if she was there, she would hear him. But she wasn't there. 

He finished his search of the house and returned tot he kitchen, wondering what had happened to the seventeen year old. But knowing her and the havoc she was prone to causing, he knew that her absence couldn't be the best thing.

Meanwhile, Louise went into town with Dieter. He parked right in front of the pharmacy and he gestured down the street. "The diner is right down that way, so we can meet up around lunch time if you want."

Louise nodded.

There was a moment of silent pause between them, before she asked him a question, "Is there anything fun to do here in the mean time?"

He pointed somewhere else, in the opposite direction to where the diner was located. "Down that way is the movie theater. In the mornings the tickets are only three dollars to watch a movie, and they have old arcade machines in the lobby." He made a face at his own suggestion. Though he was trying hard to show her a good time, their little town was no match for the big cities. The teenagers there often found themselves with nothing to do.

Louise crinkled up her nose, and then smiled politely. As an idea came to mind, she blurted out, "Can I just hang out with you at work?"

If only her parents--mainly her father--could see her now. Back at home, they tried to get her to help out at the restaurant thousands of times. And every time she would make any excuse to get out of it. Now she was doing exactly the opposite. The only difference was that this time the pay off wasn't keeping the restaurant in business, but it was getting to spend time with a cute boy. Her parents would also be surprised if they saw her trying to get a guy's attention. 

His smile quickly grew. "I wanted to suggest that, but I wasn't sure if you'd want to."

She nodded, assuring him that she would like to spend time with him, even if it was just watching him work at the pharmacy. The two then entered the small shop with a sign above it that said Park's Pharmacy.

They made conversation to pass the time. They talked about anything and everything, and one conversation seemed to flow into the next with no effort at all. He told her that he went to Westfield High School, with just about every other teenager in town, since the population of the place was just slightly over three thousand people. When he asked if she would be attending there too, she replied that she would be attending St. Mary's Academy. Dieter quickly informed her that it would be hard to see her after starting school over there--and that no one ever saw those girls until vacation, when thy all rolled through town to get to the airport in New York in their expensive cars.

"You must be a rich girl then." Dieter commented, immediately feeling self conscious about having her at his family's pharmacy. He thought that she would be used to the better things in life.

Louise didn't correct him.

"So, that guy Logan." Dieter began, trying to sound casual. But his curiosity seeped through every word. "Is he like...your boyfriend or something?"

Louise shook her head quickly. "No. I don't have a boyfriend. Logan is just..." She paused, not knowing how to explain their relationship. He was like her arch nemesis, but not so much anymore. He was her chemistry professor, but she treated him like any other person. The lines were blurred, and like with Logan's neighbor, she couldn't just tell him that he was her teacher. He would probably assume the worst about the two of them. She didn't want to lose her chances with him and she hated it, being at the mercy of a boy's approval. She never wanted or needed that. But with Dieter it was different. He was so nice and polite, and handsome, that it was hard not to like him. Before she knew it, the words had gotten out before she could stop herself. "He's my half-sister's boyfriend. She's in town judging at some beauty pageant and left him babysitting me for the weekend."

"Oh, that's why you're here." He concluded, putting all the pieces together. Then he informed her with pride, "My sixteen year old sister Liesl is participating in that pageant. The whole town was ecstatic when she was picked to represent the state of New York. We spent all summer campaigning for her, and there were hundreds of posters of her around town."

"I'll let my sister know." Louise kept on adding to her lie, a nervous smile lining her lips. "Maybe she can give Lisa some tips."

"Liesl." He corrected her politely. Dieter and Liesl, both were names that Louise had never heard before. They sounded foreign to her. "My parents gave us German names because they were originally from North Dakota, where there's a big population of German Americans. They moved here just before I was born."

"Liesl." Louise repeated his pronunciation. 

Just before lunch time hit, an older man with the same shade of reddish-auburn hair as Dieter walked into the pharmacy. Louise instantly knew he was Dieter's father, not just from his uniquely colored hair, but from the white coat he wore as though her were a doctor. He was carrying a cardboard box in his arms, that as he approached them, Louise noticed was full of campaign buttons with the face of a sixteen year old red headed beauty queen.

In the four hours since they had opened that day, there weren't many customers that came by the pharmacy. At least not to buy typical things that would be found at a pharmacy. What most people came to buy at Park's was candy or ice cream. In the back of the small store was a display of twenty different types of ice cream and a variety of candies. 

Since it was the weekend, children and teenagers alike had been rung up by Dieter until his father arrived. 

"Alright son." He grunted as he walked up to the counter and placed the box on top of it. With the same polite smile that seemed to be ever present on his son's face, he continued, "You can go have your lunch break now. I'll take over from here."

"Thanks dad." Dieter replied, untying his apron and folding it neatly. He placed it on top of the counter and walked around it as Louise got back on her feet. "This is Louise. She and her sister just moved here." He gestured to the girl who had been waiting for him all day. 

Louise waved hello awkwardly.

"Take her to Granny's Diner." He suggested. "They make the best burgers."

"That's exactly where we're going." Dieter assured.

They were on their way out the door when they were stopped once more by Mr. Park. He walked over to his son and gave him a handful of campaign buttons. "Make sure to hand these out at the carnival tonight." He instructed, and took one from the pile he had just set in his son's hands to hand it to Louise. Liesl Berlin Park for Miss USA 2019.

Louise thanked him with a nod and a smile, and pinned the button to her dress whilst they walked out the door. 

"Sorry." Dieter apologized for his father once outside, on his face was a hint of embarrassment. "My parents just really want Liesl to win."

-

Logan wanted to go search for Louise, since she was his responsibility for the weekend and he knew he would feel guilty if anything happened to her. But he was unable to get away from Valentina for even a moment. He finally got an idea and told his girlfriend about the carnival that was in town, telling her that he really wanted to go with her that night.

Knowing Louise and the way that she had been suddenly smitten by a boy with red hair, he figured she would be in town. He also figured they would probably be at the carnival together.

He was right. 

After having lunch at the diner, Dieter returned to the pharmacy for work. But his father allowed him to take the rest of the day off. He encouraged his son to show Louise around town and they went everywhere that was considered remotely fun or interesting. In a small town with a population barely surpassing three thousand, that didn't give them very many options. 

They went to the arcade in the lobby of the movie theater and played games until Dieter ran out of a ten dollar bill he had changed for quarters. They went to the playground to sit on the swings while they talked some more. They took a walk down by the lake. The last thing they did was to visit the local park, where he showed her an old cement fountain that was run down and its water full of coins. "I come here all the time to toss a coin in and make a wish. A little town legend says that wishes that are made here always come true."

Louise nodded with interest. "That's good to know."

He slipped his hand into his pocket and got one quarter out. It was one that he had missed when they went to the arcade--or perhaps he had saved it all along. Dieter handed it to her, and looked towards the fountain. "Make a wish." He said to her. 

She held the coin in her hand tightly and closed her eyes as she made her wish in her thoughts. If this is what liking someone for the first time feels like, please let this last as long as possible. As she finished, she tossed it into the fountain and her coin fell with a plop, quickly getting lost between the other coins that had been thrown in. 

Louise opened her eyes to catch him looking at her, his hands in the pocket of his blue and black Westfield High School varsity jacket. Another thing that they had in common. He was on his school's American football team. It was a different kind of football than the one she played, but the fact that it was a sport made Louise feel like they were soul mates who were destined to be together. She realized the way she was acting, like her sister Tina, and thought that maybe it was all in her head. But she thought Dieter liked her too.

"What did you wish for?" He asked her with curiosity.

She shook her head, refusing to tell. "If I tell you, then it won't come true."

As night time came around, they walked back to the main street with plans of going to the carnival again. On the way there, a breeze picked up and Dieter quickly shimmied out of his varsity jacket to offer it to her. Louise took it happily because he was offering it to her and because she didn't want to pass up the opportunity to wear his jacket. As she slipped it around her shoulders, she sighed and inhaled the scent it carried--his scent. 

They arrived at the carnival together. Dieter told his friends that he wouldn't be seeing them that night because he was going to spend it with Louise. His friends had then made a silent agreement to stay out of their way and give them some privacy.

But who they did see that night was Logan, and he was accompanied by his girlfriend Valentina.

To make matters worse, Dieter's sister Liesl arrived, and she was the third wheel in their date all night long.

-

another update for this story because im suddenly inspired again. 

thank you all who still read and comment on this story. i was beginning to get discouraged because it had lost views and comments and votes. but as long as people still read, even if its one person. i'll be happy.

also thank you for 19k reads. have a wonderful night!

-clary xx