Hey everybody, Paradigm of Writing here with a brand-new story called Almost in Love. It will be a set of 9 humorous one-shots revolving around the theme of love, riddled with moments of drama and laughter. The characters will be Frank and Hazel, Silena and Luke, Leo, Piper, and Katie, Reyna and Octavian, Chris and Clarisse, Nico and Percy, Annabeth and Will, Thalia, Pollux, and Bianca, and finally Rachel and Travis. Each chapter revolves around some romantic setting, so everyone in this play is romantically involved with someone before, during, or after the scene is finished.
This story is heavily, and I mean heavily inspired by a Broadway play I was in October 29th and 30th at my highschool named Almost Maine. But, now, it is We are Almost in Love. Each chapter has a song that goes well with the events happening in it. The song for this chapter is I Choose You by Sara Bareillis. I hope you enjoy the first chapter, Close to One Another.
*Note* This story is all AU, but every character knows one another unless stated otherwise. The setting is New York City, present. Each character is 21 or older.
Hazel Levesque was timid, shy, quiet, conservative, and creative. Frank Zhang was the same way, and it was why both of them made great best friends. They stuck with each other through the thick and thin, and even survived the tortures of college together. Something, but neither of them knew what, was inside them. Whenever they were around each other, their actions suddenly became awkward and sometimes repulsive. Hazel spent a long time trying to configure the reason why she felt so distant around someone who was supposed to be her best friend. The answer hit her as the two of them were sitting together on a bench out in Central Park. Considering the two planned to stay out later than midnight on their little date, Hazel knew she had to say it before her own consciousness ate away at her heart.
Hazel bit her lip, looking over at Frank who was looking up at the night sky with admiration, his glossy oak eyes scanning the dark sky for the constellations he studied day in and day out. Depending on what day it was, would determine what stars Frank saw. If she didn't spill out her emotions in the next few moments, the night would go to hell and the chance of even dating him would never see the light of day again.
"I'm having a nice time." she commented, shuffling her arms inside her winter jacket as a breeze shifted through the couple.
Frank smiled and faced her. "I'm glad Hazel."
"I always have a great time when I'm with you." Hazel added, trying to make the clueless boy get a hint for once.
The smile returned, the same reply echoing inside her ears. "I'm glad." he said.
Hazel looked back up at the sky, her eagerness starting to peak. "I mean, the stars are just so beautiful. I didn't know you knew all that stuff. How'd you learn about them all?"
"Oh, just stuff my dad taught me. Simple really. You just have to master the wonderful concept of coordinates, longitude and latitude. Simple stuff like that." Frank confessed.
"Oh. Great." Hazel said softly.
Silence enveloped them, and the only thing that could be heard was the quiet, but annoying chirping of the crickets that liked to pester the night. Hazel bit her lip again, because Frank was almost clueless as a doorknob. Time to change gears...
Hazel turned back to her crush. "Frank?"
He looked at her with his soft eyes. "Yeah, Hazel?"
She wasted no time. "I love you."
Silence... and all Hazel could think of was cuss words racing through her mind, how she now made herself look like a bumbling idiot. Frank turned away, the color draining from his face. What thoughts running through his mind... Hazel had no idea what he could've been thinking. She prayed. Hopefully it was good, well hopefully.
Frank turned back to her, and held her hands in his. "I love you too."
Relief flowed over Hazel, the feeling of anxiety lifted off her shoulders with one well placed punch. "Oh!" she said happily, a smidge of relaxation slipping through her words.
Frank moved closer to her, his face creasing in worry. "Are you cold? We can go get some hot chocolate if you want?"
"Oh no," Hazel declined quickly, scooting away from him in urgency. "I just want to be close, like this," she scooted closer to him, starting to change her emotions around. "I mean, I always loved being close to you. I can think of other ways we can be close together, but... I mean that's not what I'm tying to get at! I... I'm content," she babbled. She laid her head on Frank's shoulder. "Right now, I'm probably as close to you as I can possibly be."
Frank shook his head, moving himself upward to cause Hazel to lift her head up. "Actually, not really."
Hazel was flustered, the red rising to her cheeks. "What? What do you mean?"
He shrugged. "To be honest, we aren't really close to each other at all. We aren't close in any shape or form whatsoever. The farthest you can be away from someone is actually if you're sitting right next to them," Hazel slid over, her face registering disbelief at the spectacle in front of her. Frank continued on. "If you think about it technically, if the world is round, like a snowball," he picked up a ball of snow and clumped it in his hands. "Then the farthest away you are from a person is truly if you're right next to them," He rounded his finger around the snowball. "Now, if I'm here," indicating the top of the snowball, "And you're here," indicating Hazel as if his finger was sitting right next to him. He motioned his hand around the snowball once, and locked eyes with her. "I mean, that's kinda far."
Hazel stood up, getting the message loud and clear. "Yeah."
Frank smiled. "But, now you're closer," Hazel walked a few steps from the bench. "And closer," she walked some more. "And closer."
Hazel looked at Frank one last time, and felt the tears about to burst. "Yeah..." she said softly. Then, without any heed to Frank, she ran off crying, her wails echoing into the night.
Frank checked his watch, the time reading 10:30 P.M. He had sent Hazel away little than less an hour ago. "Where is she," he thought angrily. Exasperated, he shoved his hands into his jacket, trying to shield himself from the cold front. Looking down both ways of the path that led to the bench, east and west, he was let down to not see a person running towards him. Hazel probably was not returning. Frank sat lower in the bench, shuddering as the wind chill made his body freeze all over. "She'll be back. She always comes running back. Why would this be the exception?"
It was 11:30 P.M. By that time, Frank was overcome with exhaustion, and his breath was less controlled, shaky spasms rocking his chest as the chilling air around him began to deteriorate his warm soul. As he was right about to get up and call quits on Hazel ever returning is when he saw her.
He smiled as Hazel approached, the girl's smile larger than ever before. She motioned her head towards the snowball, and Frank eyed it with uncertainty. He picked it up and circled his finger around the ball of ice once more. He looked back at her, and saw the true gleam of love in Hazel's eyes. Frank smiled, and invited her to sit with him.
Hazel began to move, but Frank had other plans. As she came closer, he stood up. Grabbing her with his hands, he pressed his lips to hers, feeling the warmth that accompanied the kiss. As they broke apart, he leaned into her ear. "Now, we are as close to each other as we can possibly be."
I know you have probably no idea what just happened, so I'll explain it to you as simple as I could. Frank's scenario with the snowball is that Hazel simply put out her love to him without any explanation. They truly weren't close to each other at all, because explaining affection only takes you as far as it can. Hazel had to travel around the 'world' and figure out her feelings before returning. Hazel came back to Frank, but this time she went in a circle, returning to the same person she loves. I hope that makes sense! If it doesn't, I'm at a loss for you then!
More chapters will be coming up. The next chapter is called Her Heart, and it deals with the romantic capacities of how mutual feelings can evolve from just plain strangers. This story, as a whole has elements of fantasy. There will be more coming soon, so I hope you enjoy it!
~Paradigm