Flavor of the Week

“Move a little more to the left.” Georgia muttered, looking up at Louis from under her lashes. He smiled before obeying, shifting his body slightly more to one side.

“Is that better?”

“Perfect.” She whispered as she looked up and her eyes caught with his. She felt her cheeks flush as she just looked at him for a moment, sitting out on the grass in the sunlight just a foot away from her. She then quickly looked down, letting her pencil start to move over the large sheet of paper.

“So, this school in Paris, is it a big deal?” He asked, trying his best not to move as her eyes moved back up to look at him.

“Um… kind of.” She whispered. “It’s the Royal Academy; it’s been around for hundreds of years.”

“No shit?” He asked, moving his head to look at her. She looked at him and chuckled, sheepishly reaching out and guiding his head back to the position it’d been in before. “Sorry.” He muttered.

“Don’t move.” She giggled, going back to work. “You’re going to have to stay still.”

“Well, I just really want to get to know you a little better; you seem like an interesting girl.” He whispered the last part, almost as if he hadn’t meant for her to hear it as her cheeks flushed. Her eyes flew up to meet him as he looked at her, smiling.

“T-Thank you.” She stammered. The normal Georgia would have gone in for the kiss, let him lay her down on the warm grass and keep their lips together until the world ended, but she wasn’t her. She was shy Georgia, and shy Georgia just had to mutter and run away. “So how was your date with Juliette?” She asked, her eyes moving back to meet his.

His smile dropped as he chuckled nervously, going to run one of his hands through his hair before he stopped, remembering he had to stay still. “To say it was a complete and utter train wreck would be the understatement of the century.” He said, pressing his lips together.

“That bad?” She asked, starting to worry the kind girl would be kicked off, but at the same time she was glad it hadn’t gone well.

“She started crying when Haz took the last bit of potatoes.” He scoffed slightly, smiling. “I mean, who does that?” The girl who’s supposed to be the Emotional Wreck. Georgia thought, but she simply shrugged.

“Maybe she really likes potatoes.”

“Niall really likes potatoes too, but he didn’t cry, he just punched Haz.” Louis chuckled. Georgia could help but smile at Louis’ chuckle, it was just as perfect as the rest of him.

They stayed like that for a long time, just talking like they’d known each other for years until finally a smile came over Georgia’s face. “Alright, you can move now.” She said simply, Louis grinned before he stood and stretched, exposing his muscled stomach and making Real Georgia and shy Georgia blush that time. He popped his back before plopping down beside her.

“So can I see it?” He asked, trying to peer over her shoulder. She shook her head, her eyes wide as she cradled it to her chest like a child, knowing shy Georgia would want to hide it from him. He leaned over, laughing as he tried to wiggle it out of her hands, neither of them wanting to lose their little tug of war. She flushed at how close his face was to hers and could feel his warm breath on her cheek. He took the distraction to slip the sketchpad out of her arms and looked at it, his jaw dropping.

Louis had seen a lot of people try their hand at drawing him, but Georgia’s recreation was unreal. She had captured him when he was laughing, making his eyes sparkle as his hair sat disheveled on top of his head. It looked more like a photograph then a painting as he ran his fingers gently over it, not quite believing the quiet girl had really created this. “Georgia…” He whispered, his eyes moving over to hers.

“You don’t like it?” She asked, her small smile gone. He just grinned, wrapping his arm around her and giving her a big kiss on the cheek and causing the brunette to turn bright red.

“Like it? I love it! Georgia this is incredible! What are you doing here? Go to Paris!”

“So… you don’t want me here?” She asked, looking at him with sad eyes. He sighed, pressing his lips together.

“I didn’t mean it like that. I meant that I don’t know why you’re here when you’re this talented.” He then licked his lips nervously, his eyes locking on hers and making Georgia’s heart start racing. “But I am glad you’re here, and that I met you.” He looked at her for a long time and Georgia wanted nothing more than to lean over and press her lips to his, but upon seeing the glint of a camera lens she pulled her legs into her chest and blushed, hiding her head behind them.

“Thank you.” She muttered, her face scarlet as she wondered how much the cameraman had caught. He smiled again, scooting closer and obviously not noticing that they were being watched.

“May I keep this?” He asked, looking at her rendering. She nodded, causing him to smile, but it was a sad smile. She could tell he was getting frustrated, but he didn’t understand that she wasn’t the normal Georgia. She was trapped in this character of being shy, and she knew her parents would kill her if she blew this opportunity. “Well, since you’ve given me such a lovely little present, it’s only fair I repay you.” He said finally, pulling the sheet of paper out before returning her sketchpad to her.

“With what?” She asked, her eyes moving up to meet his and he smiled, his cheeks tinted pink.

“Well, how about you sleep with me tonight?” He saw her eyes fly open as she turned so red he thought she might pass out as he quickly clarified. “I… I just mean, you know, in my bed. Completely non sexual. I just… Those cots they give you don’t look very comfortable and my bed is huge, we can make a barrier or…” He stopped when he saw her face buried in her knees again as she shook her head profusely. Finally Louis let out a long sigh. “Georgie.” She looked up and he smiled simply at her, shifting so he sat on his knees. “I think I have another gift then, and this one you’ll like a lot more.”

To be honest Georgia quite liked the first one, the idea of snuggling with Louis making a flurry of butterflies erupt in her stomach, but she knew she could never say yes. Maybe if she’d gotten the part of the slut, or the party girl, but not this sweater wearing Mr. Hyde version of herself. She wished she had never come here. She wished she had just run away to Paris and not even told her parents about being accepted. Remembering the tears in her mother’s eyes, the utter disappointment, was enough to make her curse herself for even trying to make them understand.

“Georgie?” Her eyes snapped back up to his and he chuckled.

“What?”

“I said I have a present for you too, beside the bed thing.” She flushed again as he licked his lips and reached out, cupping her cheek. Her heart started hammering in her chest as her cheeks turned bright red. She felt like she was going to explode as Louis started leaning towards her but when she saw the flash of the light on the camera again she knew she couldn’t do it. She started leaning back as Louis leaned closer and closer, wanting nothing more than to just stop and let this happen, but she knew it might just get her kicked off. And she knew that with the deal she’d made with her parents, losing was not an option.

Finally Louis opened his eyes and, upon seeing the terrified girl before him he sat up straight, flushing. “I… I’m sorry.” He quickly spat out before leaping up and all but running back into the house. Georgia felt tears sting her eyes as she saw the picture he’d left behind and gingerly picked it up in her hands, a tear rolling down her face before she crumpled it up, throwing it as hard as she could before going back inside.