be happy (A Lachlan Power Fanfiction)

by KaliDiaz

Lachlan moved to Orlando, Florida from Australia, and no one is too sure why. He is a happy, career driven Youtuber, but there is a secret darkness that he keeps to himself. That is, until he meets Kali. Kali watches Lachlan on a regular basis. In fact, Lachlan saved her life and he doesn't even know it. Read as two unlikely strangers join together on their quest for happiness.

6. Chapter Six: Disney Confessional

Lachlan

I heard soft music playing in the background, a Secondhand Serenade kind of song. I looked around the white, empty room, almost blinded by the blank space. I looked around, confused as to where I was. There were no doors, no escape anywhere. I felt my chest getting tight. Where the fuck was I? Just as I could feel the onset of a panic attack, I felt someone grab my shoulder.

"It's ok, Lachlan," I heard Kali say softly. I turned and looked at her. She was wearing a white bohemian looking dress, exposing her beautifully tanned shoulders and her long, thin arms. Her dark gray hair cascaded into long, loose curls down her back. She had these white flowers placed throughout her hair, creating this halo above her. She looked like an angel. "I'm here to protect you. You don't need to worry anymore."

She slid her arms around my neck, her light brown eyes peering into my very being. I looked at the freckles that were sprinkled across her face and saw her dimples appear as my eyes made their way to her plump lips.

I looked back into her eyes, placing my arms around her waist. "Kal, where are we?"

She propped herself onto her toes and whispered gently into my ear, sending shivers down my spine. "We're wherever you want us to be."

Just then, little snowflakes started falling from the ceiling, one perfectly landing on the tip of her nose. I leaned forward and gave her a soft kiss on it, melting it away. "I think I like it right here," I said, watching a pink blush cross her cheeks.

"I think I do to," she said, her words beginning to trail off. She closed her eyes and slowly leaned into me. I did the same, my stomach fluttering as the thought of our lips touching finally felt like a reality.

Suddenly, I no longer felt her in my arms. The once blinding white room was turning into a dark, stormy gray. "Kali!" I screamed, urging her to come back. "Kali!" I yelled, sitting up in my bed, sweat dripping down my neck. Was that really a dream? I let out a deep sigh. I hadn't been able to stop thinking about the almost kiss Kali and I had on Thursday. I was crazy for telling her I liked her. I had known her for literally 24 hours and of course I scared her off. I came off way too strong. I mean, she did say she liked me too, but what if she was just saying it because I did?

"Fuck this, man," I said aloud, groggily getting up from bed. I hadn't seen her since then, but we did talk all day yesterday. We didn't discuss anything important really, just banter, but today is the day we go to Downtown Disney. I was hit with an uneasy feeling. Is this a date or are we actually going as friends? I know when she first mentioned it, she said it was a date, but I know that's not what she meant, but do the circumstances of two days ago change things up?

I made my way into the kitchen and made a quick breakfast, or I guess it was technically lunch. It was about one in the afternoon and I didn't have anything to do until I had to pick up my car around six. I brought the bowl of cereal I had prepared into my office and ate while I finished editing a video I had recorded yesterday and waited for it to export. I was getting ready to record a challenge video for my main channel when I got a random Skype message.

MITCH: Oh, is it Saturday already? Do we all know what this means?

ROB: *begins to slow chant* date night. Date Night. Date Night! DATE NIGHT!

VIKK: I reckon it's date night, Mitch. Isn't that right, Lachlan?

PRESTON: You ready, man?

JEROME: Is the boy to shy to kiss the girl?

ROB: Jesus, did you really just make a Disney reference? How tacky.

I rolled my eyes at the screen. I had made the very bad decision of telling my friends about what happened last time I saw Kali, and they literally will not get off my back about it.

MITCH: Do you guys think she's ready for the Big L?

JEROME: Of course she is. She's probably peeved that this dickhead didn't try to kiss her again that night

PRESTON: Kali? More like Kal-iss me already, Lachlan. Am I right?

PRESTON: *crickets*

ROB: JFC Preston please, I beg, quit while you're behind

VIKK: Lachlan, I know you're reading this, you ass. Get in here!

I sighed and finally gave in.

LACHLAN: Have I told you lately how much I hate you all?

ROB: Not today, but thanks for the gentle reminder, man

MITCH: Dude, are you ready for tonight? Do we need to give you the talk?

JEROME: When a girl and a boy like each other very much…

LACHLAN: Please, shut the actual fuck up, Jerome

PRESTON: Someone's grumpy. What crawled up your ass?

VIKK: Lachlan, are you really that nervous for tonight? I'm being forreal

LACHLAN: ….

ROB: Holy shit you are. Guys, this is a code red! The ladies man, Lachlan Power himself, is nervous for a date

LACHLAN: Oh fuck off Rob. We all know I don't do dates. This is weird as shit for me.

LACHLAN: Like how does one conduct himself on a date? Teach me to be datable by 8 PM

I immediately regretted sending that last message. I literally received their responses simultaneously.

PRESTON: Be yourself, man. She obviously likes you so just keep rolling with it

JEROME: Buy her flowers or something, girls like shit like that I think

ROB: SHOW HER YOUR DICK

MITCH: How should we fuckin know? Those of us in relationships literally fumbled the whole way though and ended up with girls crazy enough to to say yea

VIKK: Do the opposite of whatever Rob says

VIKK: How did I call that without knowing what you were going to say? You fuckin creep.

LACHLAN: Thanks for the advice guys, really, but I think you all just made me very aware that I'm on my own on this

PRESTON: HEY I ACTUALLY GAVE YOU GOOD ADVICE

PRESTON: Screw you man

VIKK: These Aussies ain't loyal

JEROME: Please roll into a hole, Vikk

LACHLAN: Yea, I'm gonna ignore you guys now. I'll fill you in tomorrow

I logged off before they could keep harassing me and tried to focus on my video, finding myself just going through the motions. About an hour after recording, I attempted to edit it and got frustrated, unable to focus on the task at hand. I looked at the clock on my computer and saw that it was 3:30. I had to go get my car in a couple of hours so I decided I may as well start getting ready.

I walked back to my room and went to my closet, trying to figure out what to wear for tonight. We hadn't really spoken about what we were going to do aside from walk around, but I figured we could probably grab dinner too, right? I sent her a quick text telling her to hold off on eating before I picked her up so that I could treat her to a dinner while we were out. Whether this is a real date or not, I want it to be amazing.

I looked around at the button up shirts I had, knowing good and well it was going to be cold as hell tonight. I decided on a blue, long sleeve printed shirt with khaki skinny jeans and some low, brown boots, hoping it would be nice enough for whatever restaurant she chooses but casual enough to stroll around in. I let out a sigh and walked into the shower, trying to wash away my nerves and the uneasy anxious feeling building in my stomach.

I drove directly from the dealership to Kali's place, slowly becoming more and more nauseated the closer I got. My nerves were clearly getting the best of me, but I refused to let them ruin tonight. It took about 45 minutes to get there, giving me enough time to think through possible scenarios of how the night would play out, funny things I could say if it got awkward, literally anything just so I felt a little more prepared.

That all went out the window, however, when I pulled to Kai's apartment building. I sat in my car, wondering what I should do. It was around 7:30, so I was definitely early. I toyed with the idea of texting her and letting her know I was here or taking an old school approach and meeting her at her door. I decided that if I wanted this to be a real date, I had to treat it like one. I got out of the car and locked it behind me, regrettably leaving my pea coat behind. The butterflies churned in my stomach as I made the slow ascent to Kali's door. After a minute of hesitation, I rang the doorbell, knowing there was no way I could turn back now.

The door opened and all I could do was stare in awe. Kali appeared before me, an angelic glow surrounding her. "I wasn't expecting to see you just yet. Come in, it's freezing outside!" She gently grabbed my hand and guided me inside, closing the door behind me. I couldn't help but stare at her. She looked gorgeous. She was wearing a white dress that was fitting on her bust but then fanned out at her waist and little black booties, bringing her height a little closer to my chin. Her hair reminded me of how she looked in the dream, only instead of flowers, there was an intricate braid design weaved around. This was the first time I had ever seen her in makeup, though it was very minimal with the exception of a really deep, rosy red color covering her already kissable lips. As per usual, my gaze probably lingered there a little too long, but she didn't seem to notice.

"Yea, um," I mumbled, snapping myself back to reality, "the car pick up was faster than I anticipated and it just made sense to come straight here. Sorry if I'm interrupting." I said awkwardly, sliding into one of the dining room chairs.

"Nonsense," she said, turning around and exposing her bare, tanned back. I gulped at the sight of her soft skin. "I've just finished getting ready. Plus, I like people that arrive on time to places. Punctuality and timeliness are always pros in my book." She turned and gave me a playful wink as walked toward her room. "Let me just grab my coat."

I waited in silence, quietly thinking about how I was hoping this was a real date. She walked back towards me with a smile, buttoning up her jacket before extending her hand out to help me up. I grabbed it and intertwined our fingers as we walked out the door.

"So, I was thinking we could try Bongos? It's Cuban food and they have live music, too. It's a pretty fun time even if you don't like to dance." Kali rambled. We had just arrived and this place was literally packed with people.

"Who said I didn't like to dance?" I asked mischievously. She cocked her eyebrow at me, challenging me. "Oh so you think I can't dance?"

She burst out in laughter. "I never said that. You did," she said, sticking out her at me.

"Fine. We're going."

"I'm glad you feel that way, because I made reservations when you texted me earlier," she said, guiding me towards the restaurant.

The smell of the food instantly filled my nostrils and the sound of the music vibrated through me. Kali swayed next to me to the music as we waited in the line to speak to the hostess. I put my arm around her, gently swaying to the rhythm with her. I could see her blushing from the corner of my eye, causing me to smile.

We were lead to a table right in the mix of things. We ordered quickly and had casual conversation about the different food items and everything you could do here. She mentioned the hot air balloon and I quickly made a mental note. Perhaps that's where our new moment can be? I smiled at the thought, getting a weird look from Kali. I brushed it off and changed the subject. "So, when does the Poke hunting start?"

"Oh shit, I completely forgot." She pulled out her phone and opened the app, opting me to do the same.

There were Pokestops everywhere and I couldn't help but think this would be a great place to vlog. I bit my lip at the thought. When should I tell her? Should I even tell her? I sighed and decided now just wasn't the time. "It seems lit. Hopefully we get something good!"

"Yea, with the update of the second generation, there's so many new ones, yet I still don't have a Tauros." She shook her head in disappointment.

"Jesus, you're bad at this game," I said with a smile as the food arrived at the table. It looked delicious and smelled even better. We both got the skirt steak and it really was to die for. We remained relatively quiet while we were eating, enjoying the food and each other's company while the music continued to play in the background.

Some song in Spanish came on and Kali's face lit up. She looked at me with a childlike smile on her face. "This is one of my favorite songs!" She said, dancing in her seat. Some of the staff saw her and began pulling people from their seats, inviting them onto the dance floor. Our waiter looked at her expectantly with his hand out. She looked at me with a smile and shook her head, getting up and extending her own hand out to me. "Ready to show me those dance moves, Power?"

I felt my face redden. Truthfully, I wasn't much of a dancer. I kind of lacked rhythm and this music has a lot more rhythm than I'm used to. I nervously shook my head but she refused to take no for an answer. Her and the waiter pulled me from my seat and onto the dance floor.

"It's really easy," she said over the music. She placed my hands on her waist and wrapped her arms around my shoulders. "Ok, this is bachata. The pattern itself is easy, you just need to add rhythm to it if that makes sense. So we're gonna keep it simple and do a four count step to your left, then a four count step to your right, ok?" I looked down at my feet, moving my left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot to the left, then the opposite to the right and looked back at her. "She giggled. Ok, that's it really. But you're stiff. Loosen up a little, let the music take you over your movement." She swayed her hips to the music and popped her foot at the end of the four count. She really was a natural and I was just so out of place. "Don't doubt yourself, you're doing fine. You just need to relax." She moved a little closer to me, pressing her body against mine. I gulped. That's not going to make me relax much. I tried to loosen up a bit and move my hips and my waist a little, attempting to be a little less awkward.

One song quickly flowed into another, and I started to feel a little more comfortable. I looked down at her, the light hitting her eyes in such a way that made them glow. She really was beautiful. "Stop looking at me and focus. We're going to spin now, ok?" I nodded and she pulled away from me, spinning out and then spinning back into my arms. She laughed at my expression while she did it, obviously seeing that I had messed up the rhythm. "You're so adorable," she said with a smile.

"Just adorable?" I asked, a smirk on my lips. Her face went red, obviously not realizing she had said it out loud.

"Um, I think that's enough dancing for right now. We should finish eating, right?" She awkwardly walked back to the table and I followed, the smile not leaving my lips.

The night had been perfect. We casually walked around, phone in one hand, while our hands were intertwined in the other. We decided to put a lure down by a Pokestop in front of the Lego store and just sit and chat for a few minutes.

"Lachlan!" I heard someone scream. I turned around, confused, and then realized what was happening. There was a group of young boys probably around 14 or 15 approaching Kali and I. I felt myself go pale but quickly switched up and smiled as they got closer. "Be right back," I said, turning to Kali and walking over to the boys.

"Hey guys! What're your names?" I asked, giving them a bright smile.

"My name is Jeremy. This is Mark and Dennis. We saw your Vlog on Wednesday saying that you were moving here but I didn't think I would actually get to meet you. This is insane!" Jeremy smiled with excitement.

Dennis nodded his head excitedly. "We saw that a lure was put down here and saw your name. We were scared we were gonna miss you! I wanna make videos like you one day, man!" Of course. It makes sense that they would see that. I probably should have rethought that.

Mark craned his head around, looking at Kali sitting on the bench a few feet from us. "We don't want to interrupt your night. Do you think we could just get a quick picture?" I looked back at Kali and nodded to the boys.

We all grouped together, me standing behind the much shorter boys attempting to take a selfie. "Let me do that for you," Kali said, taking the phone from Mark's hand.

"Thank you," I mouthed to her and she gave me a warm smile in return. She took a group picture of me with them on my phone, as well as a group and individual pictures of me with each boy.

"I could take one of you two?" Mark offered. Kali and I looked at each other, a slight blush coming across her face. I nodded and handed him my phone. He took a few snaps and handed it back. "Hopefully we'll run into you some other time! Enjoy the rest of your night!"

"It was nice meeting you all! I'll definitely tweet some stuff out. Night!" I waved to the boys and they walked away, filled with excitement. "I'm really sorry about that," I said, awkwardly looking back at her. Well, I guess the time to come clean was now. "I guess I should have told you. I'm kind of a Youtuber. It's nothing too crazy, I promise." I felt guilty as I admitted it. Not that I regret my lifestyle, but because I kept it from her when there were definitely opportunities to present it. I liked feeling like a nobody to somebody, if that makes sense.

She let out a soft laugh and smiled at me. "Lachlan, it's ok. It's really cute that they look up to you." I saw her hesitate for a second, thinking about whether she should continue or not. "Actually, I've known who you were since you spoke at our first meeting." Her voice trailed off at the end.

I was hit with confusion. She never lead me on to believe that she knew who I was. What is she talking about? "What do you mean? You acted like a total stranger."

"Well," she hesitated again, biting her lip. My stomach was in knots. I was scared of what I was about to hear. "I didn't want to make you feel uncomfortable. Those meetings are super personal, and the videos and everything, that's your career, you know?" She stopped again, averting my eye contact. Her voice soft before she continued to speak. "Plus, I wasn't quite sure how to react when meeting the guy who saved my life." I saw a single tear fall down her cheek before she quickly wiped it away.

I tried to take in what she had said, recalling all of our conversations. Had she asked me questions she already knew the questions to? Was this all some sick, twisted way of some fan trying to get closer to me? I shook my head, I couldn't believe this was happening. "So you knew who I was all along? And never said anything?"

"Well, I didn't really know how to fit that into a casual conversation. Plus I knew you'd freak out. I'm not some crazed fan trying to get your secrets or win some race, ok? I knew who you were, yea, but I still didn't know anything about you. I literally learned your last name when you told me."

"How do you even expect me to trust you?" It suddenly hit me. "You didn't tell anyone that I was in that group, did you?"

"What, no, Lachlan, are you fuckin kidding me? What kind of person do you think I am?" She looked at me with disgust in her eyes for making such an accusation, but I couldn't help it. I was confused and felt lied to. "Did you even stop to think about the implications that would put on me? I don't fuckin broadcast my problems to people, just so you know."

I sighed, realizing I had made a really inconsiderate assumption. "I'm sorry, it's just, I went through a lot of bad stuff back home and I really thought I could trust you completely and I feel like this just made things weird, " I said truthfully, looking away as I finished my sentence.

"You don't think I get that? Do you even realize what I just admitted to you? That's not easy for me, Lachlan. It's not. And it's not like you intended to tell me, so you can't just put this on me," Kali looked at me with pain filled eyes.

I suddenly felt like I had been hit by a ton of bricks when I fully realized what she had said. I moved closer to her, reaching for her hand. She moved away before I could grab it, I sighed. "What do you mean by I saved your life?"

She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Don't worry about it."

"Kal, I-" she cut me off, raising her handing indicating I should stop talking.

"Not now. Can we just go? I'm tired," she lied. I had clearly upset her. Great job, Lachlan.

December 10th

I don't even know how to describe my night to be honest. My date with Kali was perfect, more than perfect even…up until the end. She's just so beautiful and kind hearted and I don't know why things had to come out this way.

I feel like I don't know what her true intentions are now. She's never given me a reason to not trust her, but now she tells me she's known who I was since the meeting. It just makes me feel uneasy. How much can I really say in our group meetings now? What if she exposes my secret because I pushed her away? Even worse, what if she does something to herself because I pushed her away? I can't stop thinking about the fact that she told me I saved her life. I don't even know what she means. What had I done to save her? I mean I've had other fans tell me that, but I've never been told that by someone who knows parts of me that no one else does. I don't know if I can handle that pressure. I don't know how I feel about being the reason the beautiful soul that is Kali is still here today.

There's something else bothering me too, though. I've always said I would never date or get too close to a fan. Well, it's too late now, isn't it? Do I have to leave the support group and find something else? Do I remove Kali from my life? Why did things have to get so fucked up?

Kali

Lachlan texted me this afternoon saying that we should get dinner tonight, and of course, I said yes. I called my favorite restaurant over there, Bongos, and made a reservation for the two of us. I quickly got nervous, really nervous, realizing more and more that this was like a real date. I called my younger sister, Eirene, on FaceTime, needing someone to calm me down and just talk everything out with.

"Sup, sissy!" I exclaimed as her face appeared on my screen.

"Hey, Kal! What's up?" She played with her long, black curls, looking at herself on the screen. We both looked pretty similar except she has a much smaller frame than I do, is just a bit taller, and a better tan in my opinion. She wasn't blessed with the signature Diaz freckles, though, which she likes to complain about every so often.

"Nothing much, man. How's winter break so far? What are you and Alex up to?"

Alex slipped into the screen at the mention of her name, dancing in the background only in a bikini. My sister playfully pushed her and laughed. "It's been great so far! Definitely what we needed after finals. We're doing a couples massage at the resort later which should be nice." They had been dating for about a year now and my sister has never been happier. It definitely helped that my parents were really supportive and basically already suspected they were a couple before my sister came out. The whole situation was pretty funny when we all stopped to think about it.

"Sigh! That sounds amazing. Well you guys deserve it."

"Yea, well you deserve fun in your life, too! You should go out tonight! Let loose a little." I smiled when she said that and tried to bite my lip to hide it. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know we were keeping stuff from each other. What's the deal?"

It always killed me how in sync we were. We always knew what the other was holding back. "So, I may or may not be going on a date tonight. "

She rolled her eyes. "Well thanks for telling me. What do you mean may or may not though?"

"Well, we were supposed to just walk around Downtown Disney and he just texted me telling me we're gonna have dinner there too."

"I didn't even know you were talking to someone. How dare you."

"Chill, Rene, I literally met him on Wednesday. It wasn't a secret or anything, it's just not serious just yet."

"Have you cyber stalked yet?" I rolled my eyes at her. "I don't know why you refuse to do it. He could be a murderer you know. What's his name?"

I bit my lip before telling her, I knew once she typed in his name, he would be the first person to pop up, and of course there will be a slew of questions to follow. I sighed and just decided to say it. "Lachlan. Lachlan Power. He's Australian."

"Oh! You got yourself a foreign boy. Nice." I heard the audible sound of her typing into the computer and slowly waited for her reaction. "Holy shit. Is he like a tall, scrawny, blonde guy by chance?" She turned her screen so I could see a bunch of different pictures of Lachlan. I blushed and nodded as I looked over his facial expressions in each picture. "Ok, so don't freak out, but he's a Youtuber. He has like over three million subs! I think he's like a gamer or something."

"Oh, that's interesting," I said in a soft voice, my voice trailing off.

"Holy shit, you knew he was and didn't tell me! How dare you call me your sister. This is insane!"

"Calm down, Rene. Look, he doesn't know I know he's a Youtuber, ok? I haven't told him but I've known who he was since I met him. I watch his videos like literally everyday. I don't know how to bring it up. I don't want him to think I'm using him because it's so far off from the truth."

"I mean, he hasn't brought it up, right?" I shook my head. "Then I feel like he's doing that for a reason. He probably doesn't want to ruin anything, like swaying your attention from him to his fame, you know? Kind of how you want him to get to know you as Kali instead of as a fan. It's like the same thing on parallel spectrums. The time will come I'm sure."

I smiled at her gratefully. She always manages to pull me back to reality which is something I really needed. "Ok, just don't mentioned to anyone that I'm going on a date, especially with him. I don't want anyone to know." She nodded, motioning that her lips were sealed. "Ok, so I did want your advice on something now that you know everything."

"Shoot, sissy."

"What should I wear!" I whined into the phone.

I got ready, trying to take my time but knowing my anxiety wouldn't let me. My sister and I decided I should wear this bone white, backless skater dress with these new black booties she got me for my birthday. I let my hair flow free, braiding pieces from the front on both sides and creating a thick loop wrapping around my head. By the time I started doing my makeup, it was only 7. I walked to the bathroom and did really simple makeup, really not liking to over do it too much. I quickly filled in my eyebrows, and put on some eyeliner and mascara. My sister convinced me to use a really deep red, matte lipstick and I must say, it did look nice with my outfit.

I looked at the clock again and realized it had only been ten minutes. I sat down on my couch and began reading a book on my phone, realizing I had about an hour until Lachlan would be arriving. After reading for what seemed like a minute, I was snapped away from the story when I heard the doorbell ring. It was 7:26, literally the happiest time of the week. Certainly it couldn't be him, could it? I walked to the door and looked out the peephole. It was him.

I let out a low gasp. The time had come sooner than I expected and now my nerves were going insane. I quickly collected myself and tried to muster up the most confident smile I could. I opened the door, taking in how handsome he looked before I could speak. "I wasn't expecting to see you just yet. Come in, it's freezing outside!" I grabbed his hand and pulled him inside.

"Yea, um, the car pick up was faster than I anticipated and it just made sense to come straight here. Sorry if I'm interrupting." He sat down and nervously fidgeted with his hands. I couldn't take my eyes off of him. He wore this navy shirt, buttoned to his neck, his Adam's apple bouncing nervously above it. His khaki jeans complemented the shirt well and the boots tied it together. I looked at him, his eyes looking bluer than usual and his blonde quiff shining in the light.

"Nonsense, I've just finished getting ready. Plus, I like people that arrive on time to places. Punctuality and timeliness are always pros in my book." I gave him a playful wink and immediately felt silly afterwards. I turned and quickly walked to my room "Let me just grab my coat." I slipped on my black peacoat and grabbed my purse, returning back to the handsome man sitting in my dining room, not able to hide how excited I was. I helped him from his seat, and he grabbed my hand, holding it until we reached the car. I already knew this night would be memorable.

After dinner, we wandered around the area, exploring the different shops. We walked through the art store, coming across this intricate painting incorporating black and white pencils into a zipper, opening to expose a beautifully drawn eye. "Hey, watch my back, ok?"

Lachlan looked at me confused, and then watched me as I slowly pulled out my phone. He nodded and smiled at me. "Partners in crime, are we? Make it quick."

I smiled and took a couple of shots, hoping to recreate it soon. "I shall keep this as inspiration for the future."

"You're a bit of an artist, Kal?" He asked me, as we casually made our way to the next store.

"Who do you think painted those trees, Power?" I said with a smirk.

"Seriously? I assumed you hired someone. Well, maybe we can paint something for my new place together?"

I nodded. "Of course, just let me know when, where, and what. I think it'd be fun."

"Great," he said with a big smile. "Um, you mentioned it at dinner and I was actually hoping something. Would you like to go on the hot air balloon? I've been thinking about it since you mentioned it."

I saw him nervously bite his lip, my mind drifting back to our almost kiss two days ago. I had to look away before I did something rash. "Of course, follow me," I grabbed his hand, urging him to walk a little faster with me. It took us some time to get there, but seeing his eyes light up as he saw the Disney inspired balloon float into the air before us.

"This looks fuckin amazing," he said breathlessly.

"Well, let's get tickets so we can go on it." He nodded and took my hand in his, making his way to the ticket center. In a matter of minutes, we were in the front of the line, ready to make our entrance to the balloon.

"Wait, we need a picture to commemorate this moment." He pulled out his phone and we both smiled into the screen, our faces both featuring red noses and rosy cheeks from the cold.

I laughed at the picture. "We look like we're freezing."

He scoffed. "We look absolutely adorable." He gave me a sassy glare. "I'll send it to you."

"Ok, you two can go on," the person working the balloon motioned. He quickly let us pass and we entered the balloon. Lachlan slowly isolated us from the rest of the guests, bringing us closer the back of the balloon that gave a perfect view of the area's skyline.

"This is the second most beautiful view I've seen all day," Lachlan said.

"What was the first?"

"You," he said with a smile. "I promise I won't be cheesy for the rest of the night now."

I rolled my eyes at him. "You really are the worst kind of person."

"It made you smile though." I quickly pursed my lips together, completely unaware I had even been smiling. "You really do look beautiful tonight, Kali. I'm unbelievably lucky to be out with someone as amazing as you right now. He moved closer to me, placing his hand on my chin, urging me to look up at him. I froze. I felt myself close my eyes and move closer to him, slowly closing the gap between us.

Suddenly, the balloon pulled in the wind, causing me to fall back a little. Lachlan quickly caught me. Pulling me close to him. "I think that's a sign," I said with a small chuckle.

"I think it is," he said laughing. "I'm ok with just holding you here. The world seems to be ok with that." He wrapped his arms around me and placed his chin on my head as we both peered out at the space spanned before us.

We left the Lego store and walked to a bench placed in front of the Lego dragon in the water. There was a Pokestop close by, so Lachlan put a lure down and we caught some Pokemon while carrying on with casual conversation.

"Lachlan," I heard someone scream from close by. Lachlan and I turned to the source of the scream, seeing three teenage boys walking towards us. I saw Lachlan go pale, and I immediately knew that time my sister and I were talking about earlier was now.

Lachlan looked at me, a weak smile. "Be right back," he said as he walked towards the young boys enthusiastically. He talked to them for a few minutes, the boys clearly excited to see him. They posed for a picture but seemed to be struggling.

I got up and walked up to them. "Let me do that for you," taking the phone from one of the boys' hand. Lachlan handed me his, giving me a quick thanks. I took a few group pictures of him with all the boys and then one with him and each boy. You could see how grateful they were for that moment.

"I could take one of you two?" the young boy offered. Lachlan blushed and nodded, handing his phone to him. Lachlan wrapped his arms around me, placing his arms around my waist and his face next to mine. The young boy took a few pictures of us and passed the phone back to Lachlan. "Hopefully we'll run into you some other time! Enjoy the rest of your night!"

"It was nice meeting you all! I'll definitely tweet some stuff out. Night!" We both waved to the boys and they walked away, filled with excitement. "I'm really sorry about that." He glanced back as the three young boys as they walked away excitedly. "I guess I should have told you. I'm kind of a Youtuber. It's nothing too crazy, I promise," Lachlan said to me, a tinge of sadness and regret in his eyes.

I laughed and gave him a quick smile. "Lachlan, it's ok. It's really cute that they look up to you." I looked at him, worry still evident in his face. "Actually, I've known who you were since you spoke at our first meeting..." My voice trailed off, wondering if I should tell him the whole truth.

He looked at me, his confusion clear. "What do you mean? You acted like a total stranger."

"Well, I didn't want to make you uncomfortable. Those meetings are super personal, and the videos and everything, that's your career, you know? Plus, I wasn't quite sure how to react when meeting the guy who saved my life." I felt a tear run down my face and quickly wiped it away, hoping he didn't notice.

I could see a mixture of confusion and anger come across his face. "So you knew who I was all along? And never said anything?"

"Well, I didn't really know how to fit that into a casual conversation. Plus I knew you'd freak out. I'm not some crazed fan trying to get your secrets or win some race, ok? I knew who you were, yea, but I still didn't know anything about you. I literally learned your last name when you told me."

"How do you even expect me to trust you?" He paused, his eyes going wide. "You didn't tell anyone that I was in that group, did you?"

Now I was the one getting angry. "What, no, Lachlan, are you fuckin kidding me? What kind of person do you think I am?" I paused, processing what I needed to say before saying something I could potentially regret. "Did you even stop to think about the implications that would put on me? I don't fuckin broadcast my problems to people, just so you know."

His face softened at my response. "I'm sorry, it's just, I went through a lot of bad stuff back home and I really thought I could trust you completely and I feel like this just made things weird, " I could tell he was being genuine.

I understood what he was saying, but that didn't mean I agreed with how he reacted towards me. "You don't think I get that? Do you even realize what I just admitted to you? That's not easy for me, Lachlan. It's not. And it's not like you intended to tell me, so you can't just put this on me."

Realization came across his face, finally analyzing what I had first said. He tried to grab me and I pulled away. "What do you mean by I saved your life?"

I shook my head, fighting the tears from coming from my eyes. "Don't worry about it."

"Kal, I-"

I cut him off, not wanting to continue the night any further "Not now. Can we just go? I'm tired," I said quietly.

It had been two hours since Lachlan dropped me off and all I could do is lay in my bed, frustrated with how the night ended. I looked at the picture he had sent me earlier, realizing this was probably the last time we'd be together like that.

I was at work on Monday, preparing for all of our post graduation meetings. I was preparing the meeting schedule when my phone rang. I looked at the caller ID, surprised at the name on my screen. "Hello?" I answered skeptically.

I could hear him, his breaths coming out shaky. "Kali," he said, unsure of what he was saying. "I need you."