Compliments Are The Best Way To A Girl's Heart... Right?

“When was the last time you talked to her?” Nate asked as he peaked into the gift shop to watch the brunette at the counter.

“Don’t look!” Oriel swatted him and he backed away, averting his eyes as he was told. “Last week,” She answered, “she told me where she was working for the summer. Which is here.”

“And when did you two become friends, exactly? I thought she was prone to ignoring you?”

She seemed more reluctant to answer this. “Last week?” She said timidly. “When she told me about her job?”

Nate sighed and rubbed his forehead. “This isn’t going to work out well at all…”

She glared at him. “You don’t know that.”

He peeked through the cracks of his fingers before dropping his hand, raising an eyebrow incredulously. “You have a hopeless crush on the most popular girl in our year, who has ignored you since middle school and you only just happened to strike up a conversation with her lost week. Oh, not to mention she’s always one of the straightest people on the planet.” He offered a mocking smile, “Do tell, how is this plan going to work at all?

Oriel’s nose scrunched. “Whatever. Just- you stay out here, and I’ll go in.”She glanced through the window, then back at Nate. “Alright. I can do this.”

He rolled her eyes, but gave her a thumbs up. “I believe in you, baby.” They exchanged a high five and she entered the gift shop. Though one she stepped through the doorway, it was like she’d forgotten how to walk like a normal person. Her stride to the counter was awkward, like her legs weren’t moving right and her ass felt weird. She practically collapsed onto the register in relief when she finally reached her destination and no longer had to walk.

Paige- the object of her affection for God knows how many years -was tending to another customer and hadn’t noticed her yet. Which gave her just enough time to panic. ‘What if’s’ swarmed her mind; what if Paige didn’t remember her? What if Paige got weirded out that she was coming to visit her at work? What if Oriel suddenly lost her voice and was left to stand there looking like a complete idiot? What if everything worked out smoothly, but some wanker burst in and interrupted them at the worst possible moment?! Oriel sucked in a breath. “I can’t do this.” But as she was about to turn to flee, Paige’s attention was on her. The brunette’s face lit up in a perfect white smile, that made her a thousand times more beautiful. Oriel soaked in that smile, grinning as she stared, admiring just how pretty-

“Hello?” Paige’s voice jerked her from her reverie.

Oriel blinked rapidly. “Oh, sorry. Hi.”

Paige leaned on the counter and tilted her head, biting her lip to suppress an amused giggle. “Hi…” She paused, “Um. Oral?”

“Oriel.”

“Right!” That smile was intoxicating. “Did you need help with anything?”

Oriel scratched her arm. ’You can do it!’ was being chanted in her head, in Nate’s ever motivating tone. She turned on her Ultimate Confidence And Charm switch. ’I can do this.’ She agreed with Mental Nate. She propped her elbow on the counter, resting her chin in her hand and grinning toothily, “I just thought I’d swing by and tell you how beautiful you are.”

Paige didn’t seem to have any negative reaction to the comment, in fact, her smile grew and she laughed, “Oh my God, that’s so sweet of you.” She tapped the tip of Oriel’s nose and stood up straight, “That just made my day- which has been really rough, mind you. Thank you so much, Oriel. You’re an angel.”

Oriel’s cheeks puffed in an awkward expression. “Actually-”

“You’re looking pretty cute today yourself.”

Her puffed cheeks turned scarlet at that. “I don’t- I don’t think you’re really grasping what I’m trying to say.”

Paige’s smile dropped, along with Oriel’s heart. Her brows furrowed in a confused expression. “What do you mean?”

‘Shitshitshit. Fix it, fix it now. Make her smile again.’ “I can’t- there aren’t any words that I can use to describe how… nice you look. Today. And all the time.”

The smile returned. Success. Paige covered her mouth and giggled, “You’re too sweet, Oriel. Stop it.”

Oriel forced a smile, masking her utter disappointment. “I couldn’t do that even if I wanted to.” They just smiled at each other, Paige’s amazing, bright, beautiful smile compared to Oriel’s weird-ass, awkward-as-fuck grimace.

“Excuse me,” Another customer interrupted, and Paige turned away to assist them, not bothering to say another word to Oriel. If she were completely honest with herself, she was actually glad. Her Ultimate Confidence And Charm switch had broke when she opened her mouth. She took advantage of her opportunity for escape, and did just that.

Bursting out of the gift shop, Oriel fell into Nate’s arms with a melodramatic fake sob. “It didn’t work!” She wailed.

“Told you.”

“Shut up and comfort me.”

He scoffed and patted her back. “Maybe next time, sweetheart.”