1996 [harry au]

III. Blush

Alexis

"Alexis! PSSTT!"

Myra was calling me from the open window. I was lying on the couch watching TV with a bowl of Lays. I turned my head at the sound of a voice, noticing she must have been on the tips of her toes, chin raised to look into the window.

I frowned and stood, chuckling at her. Putting down the chips, I approached the window and looked down into it as she rested down her toes and looked up.

"You couldn't knock on the front door like a normal person?" I asked with amusement.

A scoff took over her face. "I don't necessarily like normal. But that's besides the point. I have a birthday party to go to and I'm a huge procrastinator, so..."

"Sooo?"

"I'm buying the birthday boy something today before the party tonight. And I was wondering if you wanted to come?" She continued.

Looking over my shoulder, I saw Nonna at the kitchen. I'm sure she wouldn't mind.

"Yeah, just give me a sec to put my shoes on and warn my grandmother. I'll be right out."

I rushed towards Nonna, picking up my boots from the corner of the living room. My hair fell to my face and I brushed it behind my ear, sighing heavily and opening my mouth to speak with her.

"Nonna, I'm going out with Myra. Says she's getting a birthday present for some guy." I told her briefly, tying the laces on my boots. I adjusted my tucked in, lilac t-shirt and my dark, high waisted shorts along with the leather belt keeping them fitted to my small waist.

She squinted at the screen of her TV. Nonna peered up at me after watching the cooking show in her small TV, the large antennas popping up from the television.

"Don't do drugs." Nonna answered with a smile, then returning to chop up some tomatoes.

I smiled widely and wrapped my arms around her. "Love you."

"Love you, too!" She called after me as I started to rush to the front door and open it.

The gust of hot air hit me as I came face to face with Myra. She grinned and immediately grabbed my arm, pulling me down the front steps and ushering me to follow her down a street.

"C'mon, it closes early today!"

"I hate running in hot weather," I groaned. "No one likes sweaty girls."

"People love sweaty girls!" She argued. I stared at her weirdly before she laughed loudly and shook her head.

When we arrived at the store she wanted, I realized it was based on music -- the present she was looking for. The bell rang a the door, and I was greeted by a very overwhelming surprise.

I felt a heat flush tight against the skin of my face and neck. His pale green eyes were almost drawn to me the second I entered the vintage record store. He hung out with his friends here, joking around and slipping glances at girls that would enter. Or comically insulting someone's taste. I didn't know that at the time.

Shyness -- the one thing that appeared when around someone I had shown interest to -- overcame my demeanor. I turned my gaze from him and pretended to be busy listening to Myra ramble about an album for her friend Bryan.

He was so flawless. I could feel his intense gaze, a smirk smeared on his perfectly plump lips, accompanied by a perfect shade of pink. I inhaled as Myra's eyes scanned the rack. At the time, I only had the nerve to sneak a glance at him through the gaps in the shelves.