11
‘Accidentally In Love’
—Counting Crows
Lara
I decided I want to go to the bookstore.
I have enough money to buy a new book. I need the last book in the series.
Scotty is driving his car, holding the wheel with one hand like he’s too cool for both.
Every time I look at him, I feel his eyes on me.
It’s weird. I've been hanging out with Scott Delgado, my sworn enemy, since I was nine. He hates me, I hate him.
The last time I went to the bookstore with Scotty, my parents made him take me.
He complained the whole time, messed with me the whole time, and was just mean.
This time, though, he’s surprisingly nice.
And kind of flirting with me, in some weird, awkward way.
I ignore the texts from Isaac telling me good morning.
I don’t feel like talking to him, considering the reason Scotty got drunk was because of him.
“We’re here,” Scotty announces as we pull into the parking lot of my favorite bookstore. I get out of the car and follow him inside. Immediately, I head for the adult section. Sue me, I like spicy books.
“Why are we in the smut section?” I laugh when I see him pick up a book with a shirtless man on the cover. He reads the back, and his eyes go wide.
“Mafia boss kidnaps maid—Do you actually read these?” he asks. I shake my head and point to a lighter one.
“I don't read dark romance, that's for sure,” I say. I pick up a book with a pink cover and open a random page. There’s a scene… Well, they’re having sex in it. Scotty leans over my shoulder and reads the scene from behind me.
“What the fudge.” He mutters, and I laugh. Who says, “What the fudge” He grabs the book from my hands to get a closer look. His facial expressions make me laugh. Scotty Delgado makes me laugh. That’s new.
“He flips me over onto my stomach and…” I shut the book before he could finish. I do not want to hear my enemy talk about that stuff.
“Finding everything okay?” A worker asks, looking between us. We both jump at the sound of her voice and turn around slowly. I nod, looking down at her uniform. Her badge says “Abby.” I haven’t seen her here before, so I’m guessing she’s a new worker.
“You’re a cute couple,” she says. I start to deny it, but Scotty just blurts out, “Thank you.” Wait, is he not going to deny it? Weird. I elbow him in the side.
Scotty accepted the fact that a worker called us a couple, making my stomach feel heavy. Part of me wants to slap the living shit out of him, but another part of me wants to be a couple. I don’t know what I should say.
“What was that?” I ask, very confused.
“Just letting them believe whatever they want, Butterfly,” he says with a grin, the cutest, sexiest grin ever.
“You’re such a dork,” I tell him. He laughs and shrugs. I look for the cheapest book that I can afford. I’ve read mostly everything, but when I spot my favorite author wrote a new book, I rush over to the pop-up display.
“Oh, my god.” I pick up the book, examining the cover, then read the back.
“What is it?” Scotty asks from behind me. He picks up another copy.
“It’s 30 dollars…” I mutter to myself.
“What’s wrong with that?” Of course, he doesn’t know my family is in financial trouble; my mom had to get a job as a substitute for God’s sake. I only have $16 I’ve been saving; my parents can’t keep funding my book addiction.
“It’s too much,” I say, longing in my voice. My favorite author takes years to write a book, same as me. Once I get the hang of it, I’ll be a bestselling author one day. Hopefully.
“I’ll buy it,” he offers.
“No, I can't ask you to do that.”
“You’re not asking, I’m offering.” Scott is going to buy me a book. This is so unlike him. My house may be big, but it was cheap when they bought it; we can barely afford it.
He buys the book. I don’t even know what to say. This is the nicest thing he’s ever done for me. I hold the book in my hands, staring at it.
“How about a ‘thank you’ or a ‘you’re amazing, Scott’?” he says out of nowhere. We are walking out of the store over to his car.
“Thank you, Scotty. You’re amazing.” I say, grinning.
“You’re welcome, Butterfly,” he says softly.
I hold the bag with the book in it, and for a moment, I smile softly to myself.
I’m starting to see Scotty in a different light.
Not just because he bought me a book, but I see a whole new side of him.
Maybe I was too stubborn to notice, or maybe something between us is changing.
I don’t know if it’s love or a friendship, but I really want to find out.
We get back in the car. Scotty drives, and I just stare at the book in awe. I finally pull out my phone and start responding to Isaac’s texts.
Isaac: Good morning, sunshine.
Isaac: Is Scott okay?
Isaac: Respond when you can
He adds a heart emoji to the last text, making me smile. I want to ask Scotty why he hates Isaac so much again, but I know it will just ruin his mood.
Me: He’s doing well. I just went to a bookstore with him. I’ll be home later.
I press send, then turn off my phone just as Scotty asks, “Who are you texting with a smile on your face?” He glances at me.
“Isaac,” I say, I look up at him, but he just bites his cheek and stares forward. He doesn’t comment.
“Are you hungry?” he asks a few minutes later.
“Very, I could eat a horse,” I reply, watching the way his features light up in the sun.
He pulls into a diner parking lot and gets out first, opening my door before I even have the chance.
“What a gentleman,” I tease. He nudges my shoulder as we walk into ‘Sally’s Breakfast & Lunch’.
The cold hair hits me as soon as we step inside. The diner is cheap, the floor is checkered, and it smells amazing. Scotty holds the door for me as we enter.
“Scott!” a tall, brown-skinned boy shouts. It’s Danny. He walks over and does a little handshake with Scotty. There’s a huge mustard stain on his apron. “Oh, hey, Lara,” he says, smiling at me.
“Hey, Danny,” I say, my lips curving up into a small smile. He is always so happy for some reason.
“I didn’t know you were working today,” Scotty says.
“I took the day off from school. I need the extra money. It looks like you were skipping.” He turns to me, then whispers something in Scotty’s ear. “Anyways! Let me bring you to your table.” He grabs some menus off the host station, and then we follow him to a booth.
“I’ll be back right back for your drink order.” Then he walks away, I sit across from Scott. This feels like a date.
Scott
I watch her eyes roam over the menu, her beautiful eyes scanning every option like she is picking the perfect treasure.
Lara flips through every page before she finally makes a decision.
I am just going to get whatever she gets.
It makes life easier because she has great taste, except when it comes to men.
Isaac is the worst guy to ever exist. I glance at her texts from the car and see that she is going to hang out with him later.
We all know exactly what he wants. Sex. I do not want sex with her.
I want Lara. I want Lara Mae. Saying it in my head feels strange, but it is true.
“Butterfly,” I say. She looks up from the menu, giving me a confused look. Whenever Isaac calls her Larva, I get jealous. I want to be the only one who has a nickname for her. She loves Isaac's nickname even though she’s a full grown god damn butterfly.
“What, Scotty?” She’s the only person who calls me ‘Scotty’ because she’s the only person I let call me that.
She always said Scott sounds weird, so she called me Scotty.
This day has been amazing. We have basically been on a date all day.
We started at the bookstore. She reads the weirdest books, and it makes me more drawn to her.
Lara is so intricate and different. When the employee thought we were a couple, I felt happy.
I don’t know why. I thought I hated her.
I do not know what changed, but suddenly I’m drawn to her like a magnet.
She is pulling me in, and I can’t get free no matter how hard I try.
“Nothing. Never mind,” I reply. My mind is racing a hundred miles per hour.
Her voice makes my heart race whenever she says my name.
It makes me feel special that she is talking to me and me only.
I stare at her. Even though she is dressed casually, she still looks breathtaking.
Her blonde hair is tied up in a messy bun, and her brown eyes seem to see right through me.
Every insecurity, every flaw, every feeling is laid bare.
“You guys ready?” Danny asks, snapping me out of my thoughts.
I was so lost in them that I did not even see him walk over.
Lara tells him her order, and I get the same thing.
Double cheeseburger. They are delicious here.
I used to come to this diner all the time with my dad when I was younger.
It was always fun. Danny writes our orders down and gives me a cheeky smile before walking away.
“I love this place,” Lara says, looking around at the walls and old-fashioned decorations. The building is obviously outdated, but they still get a decent amount of customers.
“Me too,” I say. She smiles at me. For a moment, everything feels right. Everything is exactly where it is supposed to be. Lara and I together.
“What are you doing for prom?” she asks. The question startles me. Is she going to ask me to go with her? Maybe just as friends, but I do not know if we are there yet.
“If Ashton does not get a date and neither do I, we are going together,” I reply. I think about my bet with Ashton. Ashton is in a complicated situationship, and he won’t tell me anything about it. Just that it’s very, very complicated.
“You should go with Jenna,” she says. My heart drops. I am not ready for that. Jenna is popular, a cheerleader, and a huge pain in the butt. I never see myself with her.
“Prom is not until March,” I say.
“Perfect. You have four months to get to know her,” she says. I do not want to get to know Jenna. I know someone perfect, and she is sitting right in front of me. Even though she hates me, I don’t seem to hate her anymore.
“I don’t like Jenna,” I tell her, giving her a look.
“She’s nice.”