"Kissing him reminded me of eating ice cream for the first time. It was cold, sweet, and it gave me a headache…"

COLD

Everyone has this preconceived idea of who I am, even him. The idea that pretty and dumb go hand in hand is insulting, to say the least. Crossing each other's paths was inevitable, considering we both took upper-level classes. I'm surprised we hadn't spoken to each other since the Isle. He's so quiet, it was almost impossible to get him to speak to me. But when I did, I couldn't let him stop. His voice reminded me of home. (Crazy, I know right?) His words came out in waves, some soft and slow, others loud and quickly. The boy was like a deer in the headlights, despite the black and white hair. (A skunk, maybe?) Freckles were spread across his face, near his nose, and on his cheeks. He resembled a dalmatian. It was kind of adorable. The more I spoke to him, I began to realize how out of touch I truly was with other kids my age. Being castle schooled definitely didn't help me at all. He told me his name is Carlos and that he already knew who I was, which didn't come as a shock. Almost everyone knows who the new girl is, but this was Auradon. We were all new.

SWEET

Ever since introducing himself to me, Carlos started to sit next to me in most of our classes together. I didn't mind it. It's not like I have a million friends. For a smart guy, Carlos is very forgetful. I think I've lent him my entire pencil pouch and haven't received a single one back. I caught myself staring at him a little too often during our advanced science in magic lecture, which made me question something: Do I have a crush on him? My first crush on a boy who isn't a prince? Shrugging it off, I began to pack up my things before class ended.

"Hey, Evie?" He said, reaching for something.

Carlos pulls out a brand new pack of pencils. They are fancy and mechanical, too. My cheeks turn rosier than the blush I put on this morning. It's a sweet gesture and I wasn't expecting it. I tell him it's not a big deal, even though it really is. He insists, sticking them further out for me to grab. I reach for them and for a moment our hands touch. Electricity zips through my entire body. I really do like this kid.

Months go by and liking Carlos gets harder. Mal and Jay always make slick comments about it but he's so buried in his tech work, he doesn't even realize what they're saying. We actually got paired together for a project, which made things even more difficult for me. He came over to Mal and I's dorm so we could finish it. Luckily, she wasn't there to make fun of me or drop hints. We had to come up with our own renewable magic resource to help reduce Auradon's carbon footprint. I hadn't realized how much time had passed. When I had finished the lab report, I asked Carlos if he wanted to go to the dining hall with me. I waited for a reply. I turned around to find him slouched over on my bed with his head buried in a book. I smiled to myself before placing my blanket over him. Our door opened and Mal entered just as I finished covering Carlos.

"Aw, your boyfriend is out like a light." She giggled.

"Maaal, he's had a long day. We both have." I tell her.

"Ugh, I know. I'm just kidding but seriously, when are you gonna let him know?"

"I don't know, okay?" My tone gets sharp. "I don't wanna ru—

"Ruin the friendship. I know, Evie. But sooner or later, he's gonna find out or it'll be too late."

Mal had a point. I really did have feelings for Carlos and none if matters if I don't act on them. I made a mental note that day. The next time Carlos and I were together, I would just tell him. I had to or let my feelings eat away at me.

HEADACHE

Yeah, so the whole 'next time' thing terrified me. I had ample opportunities to tell Carlos how I feel about him but every single time, I wimped out. It got to the point where I had begun to avoid him. I moved seats in the class. I left my locker quickly, and almost always passed up opportunities to sit with him for meals. Everyone knows the friend zone is a scary place to be. The only thing popping into my head was: What if he doesn't like me back? I would ruin our entire friendship and we have such good thing going.

My dorm felt like the only place I could go without feeling like exploding. I flung the door open to find Jay and Mal waiting for me. Ignoring the both of them, I threw myself onto my bed and let out a loud sigh.

A short "Ugh," comes out of my mouth after sitting up to look at them.

"Evie, what did you do to Carlos?" Mal asks.

"He thinks you hate him!" Jay chimes in.

"I had to avoid him, guys. My little heart feels like it's gonna explode every time I get near him."

Jay laughs and I throw a pillow right at his stomach. He doubles over, flipping his middle finger up at me. My heart sinks. I didn't expect for this to happen. I definitely don't want Carlos to think I hate him.

"So, what do I do?" I asked, leaning back onto my mattress. My eyes were locked on the ceiling.

"You have to tell him. Ghosting him is just making things worse." Mal told me.

After going back and forth, I finally came to my senses. I went to Carlos' dorm to see if he was there. To my surprise, he was working on something. I knocked on the already open door. He turned back before completely turning around looking astonished. I shut the door behind myself.

"Evie, hey?" Carlos' faced turned pale, almost illuminating the freckles around his eyes.

I took a few steps forward, awkwardly sitting next to his desk. My palms began sweating profusely. He was stationed at his desk, typing something. I started to fumble with my skirt, not sure of what to say.

"I'm sorry for avoiding you, 'Los."

"Yeah, I noticed that. Is everything okay with us?" He asked, reaching a stopping point with his work.

"Mhm. Everything is good." I said, through gritted teeth. "I just need you to know something."

"Okay?" Carlos sits next to me on his bed, taking my hand into his.

My heart begins to beat a mile a minute. I know he feels every ounce of sweat on my hands right now. Looking up at him, I see the sheer terror in his eyes. He looks ready for just about the worst news ever. God, I didn't even realize how close we were until I looked up. There was maybe an inch of space between us. Awkwardly tilting my head to the side, I gave him another look before doing the unthinkable. I kissed him.

To my amazement, he kissed me back. My heart began to flutter. Feeling more relaxed, I wrapped my arms around his neck and he circled my waist, closing the gap between us. His lips were cold and sweet, the opposite of my sticky gloss covered lips. My hands wandered up to his hair, quickly running a hand through before pulling away. I felt a little bit light headed.

A very confused Carlos managed to utter an "Um, what?"

"I like you, 'Los." I finally confessed. A weight nearly lifted itself off my chest.

Carlos didn't say anything. For a moment he just looked at me. I've ruined it, oh my god. This is it. He beings to speak and I tense up at the thought of him friend-zoning me.

"Evie, do you know how long I've been waiting for you to admit that?" He says, finally.

All I can do is laugh. I've stressed myself out about this boy and he already knew I had a crush on him. Carlos suggests we go get ice cream from the dining hall and I agree. On our way there, he takes a hold of my hand. I don't ask him anything else. He kisses my cheek, and I know other people see him do it. He doesn't care and I love it.

"I never thought I'd get to date a princess."

"Date? We haven't even been on one?" I say, chuckling.

"Let me take you on one. We can go to the planetarium. It'll be cool." He says, twirling me around.

I know for a fact people are looking at us now. I don't even care. I kiss Carlos right on the lips in the corridors of Auradon Prep. He doesn't question it either. When we get to the dining hall, he gets plain vanilla ice cream and I get the swirled kind. After two bites, I get a brain freeze. While rubbing my thumb on the roof of my mouth, I can't help but lock eyes with 'Los. I don't know what I was so scared of. He's the sweetest thing for me.