*I stay up, talkin' to the moon
Been feelin' so alone in every crowded room
Can't help but feel like something's wrong, yeah
'Cause the place I'm livin' in just doesn't feel like home*  

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"This is all your fault!" I yelled at Lana at lunch. My one chance at getting to know Travis was blown because she made me sit next to him and I couldn't stop staring at him. 

"You're overreacting," Lana said reassuringly but nothing was going to assure me in that moment when he had caught me staring at him. "I am sure he gets stared at a lot and he will forget which one of the girls were you who did."

"Gee. Thanks, Lana," I muttered, munching on my tuna sandwich. "Besides, he always keeps his hood on. I don't think anyone stares at him."

"Girl, have you seen his face?" Lana chuckled and then stopped when she saw me frowning. "Ofcourse you have. But come on, atleast now he knows you exist."

"Ugh," I groaned. "What if I didn't want him to? I am okay with crushing on him from afar."

"You need to live a little Azari."

I shrugged and just quietly munched on my sandwich till Lana broke the silence between us. 

She grimaced and scoffed looking at someone behind me. Turning around, my eyes landed on the most popular couple in our school eating away each other's face. "They disgust me."

"Tell me about it," I added. I watched as everyone around them hooted and cheered them on. "Well, they seem happy though."

"Oh please," Lana shook her head as I turned back to her. "Mark my words, they will be broken up this year before the Winter Formal dance."

"How would you know?"

"I know stuff you don't," she winked at me and continued to look in their direction. Who were they, you must be wondering. Jenny Malone and Jay Parker, the high school "IT''  couple. You know, the cliche. He was captain of the soccer team, and she was cheer captain with her pretty blonde hair and pretty face. 

Jay Parker was the hottest guy in school and ofcourse, the most popular. Every girl wanted him and every guy wanted to be him. Not me and Lana ofcourse. They were just too mainstream for the both of us. Jenny was friends with Lana, sort of, since they both were cheerleaders but I was completely non existent to that part of the world. Sometimes I even wondered myself, why was Lana even friends with me. 

Jenny's voice knocked me out of my daze and I hadn't even realized she had made her way to our lunch table with Jay behind her. "Hey Lana, we have a cheer meet up after school. See you there?"

Lana saluted, "Aye yai captain." She looked at Jay next, "Parker."

"Lana," he replied in his low, but husky voice. I felt awkward between the whole scene, it was as if I was invisible. 

Jenny giggled and grabbed Jay's hand. "Also, Jay's throwing a welcome back party this weekened, you should come."

Lana forcefully smiled and nodded as Jenny suddenly started walking off, dragging Jay with her. Oh well, this wasn't new. It wasn't the first time I wasn't invited to a party. 

"What a Bi..." Lana was cut off by Jay darting to our table. 

"Hey Lana," he said huffing and I was lowkey glad he didn't have Jenny with him this time. "Bring your pretty friend too."

I flushed as he said that and turned towards me, winking. Jay flashed his immaculate smile and I just gawked at his face like an eagle. Did eagles even gawk ?

"Sure, Parker," Lana said with a hint of annoyance in her voice turning his attention towards her. "You can go back to Jenny now."

Thankfully he didn't say anything or stayed any longer, because my heart was beating so fast I would have passed out. He chuckled shaking his head and trotted away from his to catch up wherever his girlfriend was. 

"He just w-winked," I stammered, my face feeling hot. 

"He does that with every girl," Lana rolled her eyes and she got up as soon as the school bell rang. "Don't fall for that act."

"Oh."

That was fun while it lasted. Maybe I was fine being invisible afterall. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I was glad the first day of school had finally come to an end and even more glad that I hadn't seen Travis for rest of the day. Only I know how embarrassed I was and hoped he just moved away or something, kind of. Okay, maybe not. 

Unlocking the car, I first looked around to spot any familiar face before getting in.  Specifically, Travis's. Heaving a sigh of relief I climbed into the car behind the driving wheel and texted my brother if he was getting a ride with me. 

I waited five minutes for his reply, and when I got no response I started the car. I wasn't waiting around for him to make up his mind. He could come home with Connor anyway.

On my drive home, I decided to put some music on. Real friends by Camila Cabello was playing on the radio, making me groove to her voice. For a moment, I forgot all about my embarrassing encounter that day, realizing how I made a big deal out of such things and couldn't stop thinking about it for weeks. So, in order to treat myself, I decided to grab a chocolate milkshake from McDonalds and stopped there. 

When i got inside, the scrumptious smell of the food made my tummy growl. Now I was definitely ordering a lot more than just milkshake. After placing my order, I set myself down on a table and pulled out a book to read. This was definitely my ideal way to spend my afternoon. Although, at this time it was crowded with young people, I didn't mind as long they all left me alone. 

A woman delivered my order to my table which was some fries and milkshake, which I was hoping going to be the only human encounter I was going to have to make for that day. 

My phone pinged and it was a text from Noah.

Where the hell are you?

At Mcdonalds. :)

I didn't even bother waiting for his reply knowing he was home and mom was probably wondering why I never drove him back. But hey, its whatever, I deserved a time out for the entire summer I had spent inside.

I was so immersed into the book I was reading, I jumped when a familiar voice spoke. "Is this seat taken?"

My mouth almost dropped when I looked up to see a set of familiar eyes staring down at me. Oh, no. My heart started racing, face flushed, I was going to pass out as his words replayed in my head Quit staring at me. 

I must have been staring at him for a while again, making him nervously scratch the back of his neck. "I will just assume that means a no."

He sat across from me, just inviting himself without even an approval from me. I was still staring at him like an idiot with my jaw most probably hanging open. This always happened to me. It took me so long to process a situation because of which people thought I was either insane or just stupid. 

Travis looked at me gently, well compared to how he had looked at me in class. "I am sorry about earlier uh.."

Oh, God. He doesn't even know my name. "Azari." I blurted out and immediately regretted even letting out something from my dumb mouth. 

He chuckled and nodded. "I know."

I gulped and chewed on my lower lip. Great, so great. Now my appetite was completely massacred and my reading time had been disrupted. Normally, I would have been overjoyed at the thought of my childhood crush actually even talking to me, but right now was not a great time. Not after I was still not over my moment earlier with him. 

"I feel really bad about saying that to you," he continued pulling his hood on his head, not even acknowledging that I was silently gawking at him. He squinted his eyes, getting annoyed perhaps, and who would blame him. I was stiff and it was probably like talking to a wall for him. 

"I didn't mean to stare," I breathed out, finally managing to say it. I didn't want him thinking I was mute or deaf or both. 

"I didn't mean to snap," he laid back on the chair making himself comfortable. What the hell? Was he planning to spend his afternoon with me? I dont know how I felt about that. Lana would freak if she found out and probably give herself a pat on the back for making this happen. Ofcourse, the credit goes to her. "I am not used to the attention."

Woah, woah. "You get plenty I bet." Fuck. "Attention, I mean. Not the other thing. I didn't mean.."

Travis let out his amazingly cute laugh, making my heart flip. It was better to have kept my mouth shut, cause now I was just going to blabber on nonsense. I flinched at myself, making Travis let out another chuckle. Why was he laughing at me? Ugh, this was a disaster. 

"You're weird, Azari," he grinned and I gulped again, trying to get a hold at my overflowing feelings.

"Thanks." 

"Yeah, it was a compliment. Hey, I don't think I have your number."

"No. Yes. No, I mean yes. I mean you can.." The Travis and Azari ship was going to sink before it even sailed. 

He reached out his hand, and I can swear my heart stopped. Completely. Dead. Gone. His fingers reached the tissue on my tray and pulled it to him. Here I was thinking he was trying to reach for my hand or something.

Travis pulled out a pen from his jeans' pocket and scribbled something on the tissue. Without another word, he got to his feet. "See ya around, Azari." 

I waited for him to completely disappear out of my sight, and out of there before reaching for the tissue. 

340-123-54 text me. :) ♡

I died at that little heart at the end. Wait, did that mean he liked me? Or was he just trying to be nice? I didn't care in that moment cause my mouth was hurting from smiling too much, I guess this wasn't so bad afterall. And I made a mental note to thank Lana after I got home.