Hey there all! I decided to try out this story idea. Fluffy, because that's the best kind. Typical Carlos hilarity + new pretty girl = fic. If I don't get feedback, I won't update again. So if you like it, review! Don't just put it on faves or alert. I need to know, in writing, what you thought of it. :) Also, suggestions on the story's direction would be cool too. I mean, it doesn't HAVE to have a lot of plot, but some would be nice. XD OK, I'm done running my mouth. Carry on.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything BTR. Except their album.
Carlos was bumming out about James and his new Palm Woods girlfriend. She was pretty and smart and totally not James' type. So how come James was the one to score the new girl, AGAIN?
He was just sitting on a bench in the Palm Woods park, moping and sulking, rolling his helmet around in his hands. He was humming a nameless tune, like we all do at some point in our lives, and thinking about how much he really would like a sweet, nice girlfriend. He surveyed all the girls walking past, and threw them all devilishly suave looks, in hopes that they would stop or at least blush and smile. But they looked at him like he was nothing more than a cracked nut, and huddled closer together with their gal pals. They and every other girl on the face of the planet kept on ignoring him and his miserable existence. He let out a high pitched, self pitying whine as he buried his head in his hands.
"Hey, being single isn't so bad," the little angel on his right shoulder told him.
He wiped away the tears that were beginning to prick his eyes. "It's not?" he asked his sweet, little, angel, that could never lie to him.
"No, it sucks," his angel told him sadly.
"He's right you know," the demon-on-the-left piped up.
"Since when do you guys actually AGREE?"
But he was alone again, and people were beginning to stare at him. He realized that he had probably scolded his conscience out loud, and decided to get out of there as painlessly as possible. He got up and walked away as diginified as he could, considering he was a romance deprived hot mess.
He walked into 2J even more down, because James and his super cute new girlfriend were cuddling on the couch over The Last Song. But Carlos knew that James was just super crazy about Miley and couldn't care less what kind of movie it was. Which took away a considerable amount of his cuddle-terminating ammunition.
He grabbed some soda or such from the fridge and went to his room without saying a word. Logan was sprawled out on the floor with some AP Calculus homework. Carlos went straight to his bed and threw himself onto it with gusto. Logan looked up only half paying attention.
"Hey bro," he said, bending even lower over his book.
Carlos didn't respond. Just looked at his hand-me-down bunkbed and all the little hearts and Alejandro + so-and-so = LOVE that his brother had inked in so many years before. He sighed. Then sighed again.
And again and again and again and again, until he was feeling really oxygen deprived.
"It's not OK for guys to cry, right Logan?"
Logan actually gave him his attention this time. "What's wrong buddy?"
"James and his new GIRLFRIEND!"
Logan practically jumped out of his skin at the sudden increased volume of his Carlos's voice.
"Woah woah! Calm it down a little, dude!"
Carlos practically dissolved into a puddle of woe and misery. He couldn't help it, it was just too much for his fragile, soft little heart. No love in his life took a hard toll.
"Hey, Carlos, it's OK man, it'll be fine..." Logan's words were in vain as Carlos continued to let loose the water works.
"Carlos, it's fine. Dont' cry anymore." Logan handed him a tissue. "Buck up, dude! You think you're gonna get a girl by acting like one?"
He let out a tremendous sniffle, before blowing his nose. It sounded like a horn, like in the cartoons.
Logan face-palmed. "Look, Carlitos, you can't be like this. You can't keep moping about how upset you are. It doesn't give you a good image."
"It doesn't?"
"You knew that, though."
"Yes," Carlos admitted ashamedly.
"So get over James new girlfriend, and before you know it, there'll be a pretty girl who'll be interested in you. Just be patient, and wait it out."
"Woah! Deja VU!"
"That's because we had the same conversation this morning."
"Oh."
Logan got up. Then he punched Carlos to his feet.
"OUCHIE!" Carlos squealed deafeningly, rubbing his arms, which were red with the imprint of Logan's hands.
"Get a grip!" Logan roared. Then more softly, "Look, I hear from Camille that a room has been bought on our floor. The resident is supposed to move in sometime this week. Maybe it'll be a girl, and now that only you and me know that, you can get a good start on her."
"OK!" Carlos said happily. "Good idea! Thanks brother!"
"Anytime, man." They fist-bumped, and Logan walked out, his book under his arm.
Carlos danced over to the shower, and sang a special song he had written for getting clean.
"Clean, clean, I love getting clean..." he sang.
Kendall banged on the door telling him to shut-up, but Carlos was much too high-spirited for that.
He put on one of his nicer shirts and decided he would take Katie out for a burger. Because none of the other guys could eat like Katie could. They had contests a lot. Carlos hadn't won even once.
But Katie was busy hiding Tyler from his mother, and none of the other guys were up for eating contests that night. So Carlos went to the nearest burger joint and had a contest with himself. Needless to say, he came home feeling very sick, and puked it all back up in a few hours.
He finally got to bed at around three in the morning, and as a result woke up very late. He was late for rehearsal. But Carlos didn't care. He sang while he dressed, and he sang while he ate, which didn't prove to be a particularly good idea, considering he had to attempt to give himself the Heimlich about a dozen times. So with bruised ribs and no ride, he ran all the way to the studio.
They were in the middle of a song when he entered like a whirlwind. They didn't stop or even make a motion that they noticed he had arrived. Carlos felt a little upset that they hadn't missed him, but he entered the booth and picked up on the song without missing a beat, harmonizing exactly how he was taught. He thought they sounded great. So did Gustavo, which was a rare occurrence indeed. He had very few words of admonition for Carlos, much to the boy's delight, and the rest of the day progressed as usual. Perhaps the boys weren't as spirited as they normally would be, but maybe that was because they hadn't had to cook up a plan for a few days. Carlos decided to cause some trouble to get them back to their regular selves.
He walked into the Palm Woods lobby to pick up a few boxes of staples from behind the front desk, and to get a few cans of flavoring from the slushie stand by the pool, in order to execute his plan. But something made him drop all the staples all over himself, and spill a gallon of blue flavoring down his pants. Twice.
The most beautiful girl in the world. She was perfect. Long, straight, shiny dark brown hair, pretty pale skin, and dark eyes with even darker lashes. He was still marveling over the cute curve up of her sweet little nose, when she passed him a towel.
"You have blue on your shorts," she said matter-of-factly.
"I know..." he said, still caught in his daydream.
"Are you going to clean up those staples?" she asked, beginning to smile.
"Eventually," Carlos said, dazedly.
She laughed. It was the best kind of laugh. She threw her head back and closed her eyes, and let out such a pretty little tinkling chuckle. It made Carlos laugh along with her.
"What's your name?" she asked him.
"My name is Carlos. What's yours?"
"My name is Maristella."
"That's such a beautiful name," he told her. He was beginning to snap out of the first stage of daydream, and to progress into the second stage: bashfulness.
"I like yours too. I have a friend back in Phoenix who's named Carlos."
Carlos nodded. Then he shook his head. "I don't have any friends named Maristella." He shrugged and smiled crookedly at her.
"Well, now you do," she said brightly, winking at him. He just blushed more, and she laughed again.
"Which floor do you live on?" she asked him.
"I live at 2J. Where do you live? I mean what floor are you on?" he said, resisting the urge to cover his face.
"I'm on the second floor too," she replied. "2B."
"Really? That's awesome!" Carlos said, bobbing happily. She bobbed happily with him.
After that, they faded into silence. Carlos just couldn't stop looking at her. She looked so pretty, and Carlos wondered if his luck was finally changing. Here was a sweet girl, who's name he already knew, who hadn't run away at the sight of him with blue slushie flavoring running down his pants and staples stuck in his arms.
When he cared to exit his dreamland, he noticed she had moved closer, and was picking staples off of his shirt and putting them back in the box he was holding. He smiled. Already, he felt so at home around her. He glanced at her face. Her eyes were laughing. He liked that.
"Hey, you wanna grab a smoothie or something? I know a killer joint about a mile from here." She nodded.
"Yup. That sounds very fun."
"Cool!" he replied. Then he started to walk out.
"Buuuut..." she said, plucking him back by his shirt sleeve. "You had probably better change your britches."
Oh. Right. He had forgotten about that.
When he was changed and ready to go, he came back down to the lobby, only to find Maristella talking to another boy who Carlos knew, but couldn't put a name to. He immediately bristled with jealousy.
But she caught his eye, and smiled so sweetly, his anger melted away. She said goodbye to the other guy, who watched her walk away with a rather pathetic look. Carlos grinned. Because she was walking towards him.
"Ready?"
He smiled. "Yup. Shall we?" he offered his arm. She took it.
Carlos imagined them walking away into the setting sun like the end to a movie. This was definitely the best day of his life.
Remember what we talked about? Spin me a review! :D
xoxoxo
~Starbucks
