Balloons pov

My thumb starts hurting and I wince slightly at the pain. I've been scrolling through this online story for HOURS and my fingers feel like they're going to fall off. My phone is really warm as well, so to solve both problems, I place the phone next to me on the cool soft grass and I give my hand a break. Staring into the orange-pink evening sky, I think about the characters in the story. Of course I was reading a romance novel, as usual. It was the confessing scene. Then my mind wanders around and makes its way to thoughts about nickel. 

I want to be with him so badly. 

I could express all I want to tell him without the fear of looking weird in front of him! Or fear of getting rejected... I think back on all the memories we made, smiling. This leads me to think about what suitcase said.

"Why would he ask, if you LIKE SOMEONE? HE OBVIOUSLY LIKES YOU BACK!. Stop being so blind!"

Am I really being oblivious right now? Is nickel dropping signs and I'm just not picking them up? Nonono.. that can't be, can it? Why would he like me? Maybe the teasing and the hugging... the way he cuddled into me two nights ago...

Do friends do that? They do that right? Wrong? UGH I JUST DON'T KNOW.

I realise my hand is feeling much better, so I pick my phone back up and continue reading to distract myself from all these thoughts.

Nickels pov

UGH OH MY GOSH WHAT DO I DO WHAT DO I DO WHAT DO I DOOOO

FRIDAY. IS. TOMORROW

I SAID ID CONFESS TOMORROW

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

I stare at the floor, internally panicking. Am I ready to do this? Yeah.. just nervous. VERY NERVOUS. I clench my jaw and gulp nervously while my leg bounces up and down quickly. How do I do this? 

I sit back and lie down in my bed. Then I start rolling around, frantically trying to get my head together. What should I say? What should I do? Do I bring something?

...Will he reject me?

No, we literally cuddled at one point. And he doesn't mind me hugging him... does that count? I should stop thinking about rejection. INSTEAD I SHOULD THINK ABOUT HOW I'LL CONFESS.

I take my phone out and start typing a script.

'Hey balloon, I think you're super cool and I like you'

Nah that's too bland.

'balloon, you are the reason I live'

That's just gonna get him concerned.

'balloon, I think you're pretty and I wanna be yours'

What.

Ugh these ideas are HORRIBLE. Of course I don't know how to confess. I don't even know how to show affection properly. I curl into a ball, blushing hard and trying to get my mind straight. 

Maybe I should ask someone.

Baseballs pov

"Uhh, hello?" I say, confused on why nickel is calling late at 8pm.

"BB I NEED YOUR HELP" Says a familiar raspy voice that belonged to a certain sarcastic shorty. Suitcase perks up beside me, interested.

"What's wrong?" I ask.

"I don't know how to confesssss" he whines. Suitcases eyes widen and she almost lets out a scream, but she quiets down to stay undercover, still smiling brightly.

"What do you mean by that?" I ask, silently trying to calm suitcase down.

"Like I don't know what to say or bring or do- I DONT KNOW ANYTHII-INH-ING" He complains like a toddler. Suitcase quietly laughs, smirking. Nickel only ever acts like that in front of me, since he wants everyone to think of him as that super confident leader role with a good taste in memes.

Which he is, just, not all the time.

"Well, you only have to tell him that you like him, why are you worried?" I say.

"Because I've tried testing out different ways of telling him but none of them work. Like this one, 'balloon, you're pretty and I wanna be yours'"

Suitcase squeals quietly and I kick her lightly, signalling her to be quiet.

"Just, let the words come naturally nickel, don't make a whole script! Tell him like, after a nice conversation or something"

"Well, I guess I can try that..." 

Suitcase quietly asks me to ask nickel when he's confessing.

"Nickel, when are you confessing again?"

"Tomorrow, ughh it's so SOON"

"What time?"

"Oh yeah, uh, after lunch?.. when the sun's out high. Maybe 4 o'clock"

"Did you just decide that"

"Yeah... like I said, I don't know anything yet"

"How about, I meet you at the hotel tomorrow morning, to help you out? You can show me around that orchard too!"

Suitcase jumps excitedly, realising where the confession was going to be.

"Sure, sure, alright. Thanksss-" the call cuts off. Suitcase finally lets out the joy she's been holding in.

"OMG HES CONFESSING TO BALLOON AHHHHHHHH WHY DIDNT YOU TELL ME BASEBALL" she screams. Luckily we're far from the other contestants, so nobody looks our way. I put my foot on hers to calm her down.

"Dude calm down your gonna break my eardrums" I say, unsuccessfully stopping suitcase from running around in circles in happiness.

"I HAVE THE BEST IDEA. I'm gonna visit balloon in the morning when you guys are gone to the orchard, and I'm gonna get him SO READYY"

"WHA-oh wait that's not a bad idea"

"DUH, WHY WOULD IT BE"

"Suitcase seriously I think your going to lose your voice"

"Ok sorry sorry, but how are you so calm! They're absolute love struck wrecks around each other and are finally gonna get together. HOW ARE YOU SO CALM?!"

"*sigh* you're right, but you should seriously stop screaming"

"NOPE AHAHAHAHAHAHAH"

Nickels pov

Ok, just be natural. What does that mean? Like I'm in the middle of laughing at something he said and then I casually just, "oh btw I like you".

Nah. I don't think that's it.

I practice some 'natural speech' to myself.

"Heh.. balloon, you're so funny, and cute... and your eyes are pretty, and you- *sigh*", no that doesn't sound right.

"Balloon, you make my heart beat faster than your dad lef-" NO I CANT PUT JOKES LIKE THAT INTO THIS.

I've got to keep trying.

Balloons pov

That was SUCH a good ending. I scroll through the last chapter one more time, taking in all of the amazing writing. When a pop-up interrupts my reading.

-10% battery remaining-

OH MY- SINCE WHEN? I quickly stand up, shaking my legs around to get rid of the pins and needles. I quickly dash into the hotel and run upstairs to our room. I open the door to find nickel laying on his bed, staring at the ceiling.

"Balloon, I have to tell you something, I really-"

"Yeah?" I ask out of reflex. Oh my gosh balloon, he was still talking!

"Wha-HUH?" Nickel says, sitting up and looking at me with wide eyes. He also looks very red?

"I'm so sorry I accidentally interrupted you there nickel, what were you saying?" I ask.

"No-NOTHING IT WAS NOTHING" Nickel says, shaking his head slightly.

"You can tell me anything nickel" I say, smiling in a comforting way

"Heh-no it's- it's fine, really, it was nothing-" he stutters, looking everywhere nervously.

"Oh..ok?" I say confused. I make my way to my charger and plug in my phone. I look out the window and notice that it is already night time. 

"We should go down and get dinner" I say. Nickel follows me out the door and we make our way down.

Nickels pov

It smells alot different in the kitchen today. Is that, lasagne? Pasta bake?

"Pizza?!" Yang shouts happily. OJ and Paper are putting the pizza on paper plates and handing them out to everyone along with leftover lemonade.

"You guys can eat this in your rooms if you want, since it's only pizza" OJ says. I grab a plate and cup and wait for balloon to get his. We walk back up the stairs laughing about an old memory, making sure the pizza didn't fall off the plates. Once we enter our room, I sit on my bed and he sits next to me, eating his only cheese pizza. Mine is covered in toppings.

"Are you really eating a plain pizza?" I ask.

"It's not plain, it's got cheese on it" he replies smirking.

"I know that I mean- where's all the flavour?" I say.

"Righttt here" he says, pointing at the cheese.

"Uh-BALLOON, you know what I'm talking about!"

"Hehe, I do, I just don't like toppings"

"That's so boring" I say

"Well look at yours, the toppings are practically falling off! THEY CANT EVEN STAY ON THE PIZZA!"

"So..?"

"How do you enjoy ten different flavours at the same time?"

"Make that eleven" I say, taking a sip of lemonade while chewing on my pizza.

"Wha- EW NICKEL!" Balloon shouts, as I keep chewing while smiling menacingly and staring into his soul. I swallow and giggle.

"Hehe, look at you" i say, looking at balloons disgusted face. He shuffles all the way back to the bedpost.

"It's worse than pineapple on pizza" he shudders.

"Pineapple on pizza is good!" i say. I genuinely don't know what the hate on it is about. (A/n: I agree with him)

"You're a menace to society!" balloon shouts playfully.

"It won't stop you from liking me though, right?" I say laughing. Until I realise what I said. 

I meant 'like' as FRIENDS. 

WHAT HAVE I DONE.

Balloon stops smiling for a split second before looking at me, slightly surprised. Before he quickly smiles again.

"Yeah, I guess..." he says, continuing his laughter. Ok good, I think he understood that I meant friends.

Only... I kinda wish he didn't. 

We finish the pizza talking about crazy food combinations and other stuff on the side. Eventually the paper plates end up in the bins and we are sitting on my bed, talking.

"...hehe yeah, I completely agree with that" balloon says, replying to a certain theory I had. I get an idea, and I smile while wondering about how balloon would react. I turn around and lie my head down on his lap, while looking up at his face. He looks down at me, with a slightly surprised look.

"Hi" I say smiling, blushing a little.

"Hello" he says back smiling, and he places a hand on my forehead. I giggle a little at the gesture and we start another conversation. He starts caressing the top of my head and I feel my face heat up even more, and I smile uncontrollably.

About half an hour later I start feeling really tired. I get off balloons lap and lie down on my bed.

"Aw, where are you going?" He asks, sounding a little sad.

"To bed" I say, pulling the sheets over me. 

"Oh... ok" he says, getting up.

"Wait," I say, not knowing what came over me.

"I don't want you to go," I say.

"But I also have to sleep" balloon says. To respond to that I move over and flip over the blanket, signalling balloon to come in. His eyes widen and he smiles, and I blush at how seriously cute he's being. He climbs in and I immediately come closer and snuggle into him. I don't know what I was thinking, but this feels so good that I'm not stopping myself. He hugs me slightly and I bury my face into his chest.

He starts caressing my head again and I smile.

"Goodnight" he says, his voice cracking because of how tired he is. I think about what I'm going to do tomorrow and now I'm almost certain it'll work.

"G'night" 

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