Chapter Two:

"Uh, it's cool."

He seemed calm, collected, as if nothing had happened, running his fingers through his mass of dark curls. I knew that voice anywhere, and swallowed back my shock, rubbing my right foot against my left as my ankle bracelet scratched my skin. I could feel his trademark smile radiating on his face, lingering on his soft lips, a little more nervously placed than usual; it was a rare thing but I was lucky to see it first time round. He bowed his head ever so slightly to see my eyes as he spoke to me, call it a quirk.

"Um…" I replied, and for a second, I lost my train of thought, hypnotised by those deep, brown eyes – we were the only two people in the world, alive, ever. "I think I owe you an ice cream?" I said, and blurted out a quick, nervous laugh to break my silence. I could feel myself burning up; my cheeks were scarlet and my black curls were sticking to my nape as I struggled to engage in conversation with my hero.

"It's my fault." He tried to reassure me, "I was texting." He held up his iPhone for a second then shoved it into his back pocket, grinning sheepishly. I had already seen his wallpaper, the moment was enough and the paparazzi were ruthless sometimes; a picture of the "it-girl" with soft honey curls and everything good, pouting smugly. How he saw her as beautiful, I would never know. Although I knew her face and nothing else, she didn't deserve him; I felt it in my bones, she wasn't right for him. The tips of his ears went red, and he looked away at the sun for a second before returning his gaze to me as he spoke. So, he was dating her. Figures. "I'm Nick."

"I know." I answered, catching him on the end syllable of his word, almost breathlessly, and he laughed, easing the tension. "I'm Sel."

"Well," Nick paused, almost biting his lip, looking for something to say. I wondered if he had forgotten my name, but he proved me wrong in a second – he wasn't that kind of guy, I had gathered that in the minutes that ticked by. "Sel, I'll pay for your ice cream." Before I could butt in, he insisted on it. He was that kind of guy, the kind that knew.

We wandered about twenty yards back to the hut, and the boy behind the shack looked surprised to see me with someone – probably especially someone like Nick, and had a anxious expression scribbled across his tanned face. I was feeling a little weak in the knees, but all the little things Nick did, they made me smile. The way he leant on the side of the wall when he was talking to the boy, speaking slowly and carefully in Spanish. I didn't want to step in and speak, but he seemed okay at it. I was feeling proud to be with him, even though it didn't seem real, even though I had only met him a couple of minutes ago, I felt like I had known him all of my life.

"Here you go." Nick smiled at me, the smile that melted millions of girl's hearts in the world, handing me the ice cream. His smile just so happened to be melting my ice cream too, so I licked the white trail. Nick was watching me again, and I wished I had put on more than just my bikini, Nick was fully dressed; his famous plaid shirt, three-quarter lengths and a pair of battered black converse. As he handed me my ice cream, my grasp brushed his wrist, and I almost got an electric shock, moving away quickly.

"Thanks," I said quickly, biting the flake as it sweltered under the hot sun, melting around the top of the cone. "I promise I'll pay you back." I smiled. My mom told me it was my best feature, my smile, the thing that could stop traffic, one of the many things I had inherited from my mom.

"I guess I'll see you around?" Nick said. In my head, I was screaming no, but I knew I couldn't change his mind. Like me, he was a stubborn kid.

"Will you be here tomorrow?" I said, and my desperate thoughts started to seep into my voice, but I tried to hold it back a little.

"Sure."

And without another word, he walked into the sunrise and away. Even the way he walked was perfect. Dude, I was losing it over someone I hardly knew, I think I know him, but I've got no clue.

I didn't spend a lot more time at the beach and got home at about eleven, earlier than usual since all I wanted to do was see Nick again, but I couldn't speed up time. I was still not quite over meeting him, I loved his music and he was one of the most talented people in the world – not to mention, he was gorgeous, there was no denying it. I half-ran, half-skipped home, feeling like I was untouchable, I was free. It was rare feeling and usually came before a fall, but I was ready for the fall, in whatever form it would come in. Tracing the sidewalk with my soft white shoes, his pointed teeth smile echoed in my mind. There was no doubt for tomorrow; I was going to the beach. A couple of minutes knowing him, and he was a drug; he knew my name, he was addictive, he had bought me an ice cream.

But, I couldn't help another picture interrupt my thoughts, that girl on Nick's iPhone. It was his girlfriend, obviously, with her famous family and her famous name, she was going to be big and there was nothing I could do to stop it. I couldn't stop her hurting him, even though everyone, maybe even Nick, knew it was going to happen. I wanted to protect Nick against her; I felt a strange, quick aversion to her. I was jealous, jealous over someone I didn't know.

My mom was there to greet me when I got home, with a wide smile on her lips and her long waves in a

messy ponytail. She saw me through the glass walls before I got in, and gave me a clean glass of water.

"I thought you'd be thirsty."

She was a mind reader, my mom, although she said that anyone could read me like a book. It was a bit of a curse sometimes, but it meant I would be a good actress, even if I doubted I would ever go down that path. I just nodded my way through lunch, with my thoughts on that one guy.

'Cause I just can't seem to get you off my mind.

So, I'm done. Another, late update; how coooooool :] I just need some good, long reviews to help me write a little better and maybe a little quicker? At least five would be awesome. Thumbs up to all you guys out there. (Y)