Work Text:
"come on barney."
i'm walking my golden retriever but clearly, he has other plans. barney is currently nose deep in some grass, no clue what he's doing, personally i'd just like to get out of the woods and back inside.
my dad was supposed to take barney, but he had to leave for work early. so here i am, in my pajamas, slippers, and greasy hair walking the dog.
"this is so stupid, barney, can we please go home?"
the dog has no care for the fact i look like a bum right now. he also has no care for the rustle i just heard in the trees. i look over, expecting to see a squirrel, but it's not. it's a person. an extremely hot person. and unfortunately i just stand and stare.
she has long, dark hair and is also walking towards me. i manage to pry my eyes away to look back at my dog who is still very intrigued with the ground.
i feel the girl's presence get closer and i look up as she walks past.
"hey", she mutters in a deep voice.
and like an idiot, i don't respond, i just throw up a hand. barney also chooses that moment that he no longer cares about grass and is instead infatuated with the mysterious woman. me too barney, me too.
he also takes this time to decide he's ready to go home, which is in the direction the girl is walking. i'm not going to say that i'm mad, actually, i'm quite pleased with the dog for his amazing timing.
the girl is wearing a button down shirt completely open with a white tank top underneath, her jeans are bagged which allows me to see that she's wearing boxers. oh my god she's gay. and i chose today to walk my dog without getting dressed.
we weren't too deep into the woods so soon we emerge and my house comes into view. i'm sure this girl thinks that i'm following her, i promise i'm not, but barney is. as i walk into my driveway i see the girl walk across the street... and into her house.
she lives across the street.
lord help me.
i rush barney into the house and watch the girl from the window. this is creepy, i've officially reached a new low. like, lower than still being in love with my ex even though we're just friends. whatever, i have to get over it. barney whines to be let off his leash and it snaps me back into reality.
"sorry barns", i let him free and go to find my phone.
lauri😝
LAUREM‼️‼️‼️
WHAT⁉️
oh my god, i just saw the most beautiful woman alive.
i was walking barney and she walked past and said HEY
...
how old was she pip?
idk she looked about 18-22
WHICH MEANS I USVE A CHANCS
SND SHE'S A MASC
go ask for her number then
do you realize who you're talking to rn?
i'm sighing
BE HAPPY FOR ME.
SHE LIBES ACROSS THE STREET I JUST FOUND THE LIVE OF MY LIFE
ok sweetheart, whatever you say🤍
🙄🙄
-
i'm staring at her house. it's been a full 24 hours since i saw her yesterday and now i'm outside sitting on my porch while josh plays with chalk. i am yet again wearing pajamas with slippers, also still haven't washed my hair. i was up all night reading, so you can't blame me for only wanting to take a quick shower and not wash my hair.
josh is drawing an airport for his planes in the driveway and i'm trying to resist the stabby urges that have arised because of this fly that's been bothering me. the mystery girl's garage door opens and she walks out. why did i not wash my hair?! i track her with my eyes as she crosses to my side of the street and i'm fully expecting her to turn right and go back to the woods but she keeps walking forward... into my driveway.
josh briefly looks up at her, but i can't seem to look away.
"hey", she smiles at me.
today she's wearing another white tank top, nothing covering it, and jeans, but these ones are darker than yesterday's. she also has a backwards hat on her head. i need her to walk away before i say something stupid.
"hi."
"i've seen you walking your dog a lot", she gestures to the front door where barney is on the other side of the glass, sitting patiently.
"yeah, he likes walks", of course he does pippa, he's a dog, dogs like walks.
"i uh, was wondering if i could get your number", she pulls her phone out of her pocket and extends her arm in my direction.
i stare at her... and stare, "my... number?"
"yeah."
"ok", i take the phone and dial in my number, creating a contact and writing my name before handing it back to her.
"thanks... pippa."
"pip's fine."
"pip", she smiles, "i'm cara."
"cara", i smile back.
"let's hang out some time, yeah?"
"sounds good."
cara backs away with a smile on her face before walking off back to her house.
"who's that?", josh asks.
"um, our neighbor."
-
she text me.
she text me!
+1-234-567-8900
hey
you wanna go to the library today @ 1?
what do i say? how do i respond?????
yeah, sounds like fun
read
oh my god. maybe i seemed too disinterested.
[...]
[...]
ok, i'll come by later to get you then
a sigh of relief. i'm so pathetic.
even more pathetically, i call up lauren right away... and then finally wash my hair.
-
"hey you", cara is on my porch, waiting for me. what an incredible feeling.
"hey."
"you ready to go?"
"yeah, yup, let's go."
cara's changed into a nicer outfit - NOT that what she was wearing earlier wasn't nice because it absolutely was probably the hottest i've ever seen a woman look - but now instead of a tank top she's wearing a plain, blue t-shirt with a black zip-up hoodie.
ok, i need to relax before my blood pressure gets too high and i give myself a heart attack. we walk across the street to where her off-white honda sits and like a gentleman (gentlelady??) she opens my door.
"after you", she gestures inside with a smile.
"why thank you", i'm surprised my brains functioning enough to get out coherent sentences.
once i'm sitting, she shuts my door for me and walks around to the driver's side. she turns the car on and starts the drive out of our neighborhood.
"so, do you always get into cars with strangers?" cara asks.
"what?"
she laughs, "i'm sorry, you seem nervous, i was just trying to break the ice."
"quite possibly the worst way to break the ice i think", not once did my tiny acorn brain think that maybe the hot girl across the street could be dangerous.
"don't worry, i've lived by you for long enough that if i had any nefarious plans i would have executed them by now, so you're safe with me", she glances at me with a big smile.
"wow, that's so reassuring, thank you."
"of course."
"how long have you lived across the street? i used to know the people who lived there before you."
"my sister and i moved in a couple months ago, i haven't been home that often though."
"its just you two?" i ask.
"yeah, mom died a few years back and... dad's not in the picture. we were living with our grandparents but it wasn't really good for either of us so we saved up to get the house."
"oh, i'm sorry."
cara shrugs, "it's ok, i wouldn't have it any other way. plus, if we never moved in, how else would i take you on a date?"
i think my heart just skipped a beat, "a date?"
"yeah", she pulls into a parking space and looks over to me, "you're ok with this being a date, aren't you?"
she almost looks worried, "yes", is all i manage to say.
"good, that means i can buy you a smoothie from the café. you do like smoothies, don't you, pip?"
"who doesn't?"
cara gives me another one of her lethal smiles before getting out of the car. breathe, pippa, don't fuck this up.
she waits in front of her car for me and takes my hand once i meet up with her. my heart might implode just from the feel of her hand in mine. she opens the glass door before i can.
"ladies first", why is she so hot and so polite.
"you're stacking up some serious brownie points."
"what can i say? i know how to treat a woman right."
the door closes behind her, and i'm glad she let me go first so she can't see the blush i most definitely have on my face.
"ok, smoothies first. do you want food too?" we make our over to the cafe which is decorated with flowers.
"i ate earlier, but thank you."
"what kind of smoothie?"
"uh, the tropical one please."
the smoothies come out fast, we sip and walk our way over to a sitting area incased with bookshelves.
"have you ever been on a date before?" cara asks.
"not really, why?"
"just your demeanor. you can talk to me you know."
"okay, what's your favorite color?" i ask.
she laughs, "orange. yours?"
"green."
"see how easy it is talking to me?"
i smile, "yeah, whatever."
"do you want to look at books? or i was thinking we could rent a movie and go back to my place to watch it."
i sip my smoothie, "both. books first."
cara takes my hand and we wander off to a random section of books. we each end up with two books and empty cups by the time she takes me to look through the dvds.
"do you have a favorite movie?" cara asks.
"the 'hunger games', 1000%. the books, the movies. there's just no other option. what's your favorite?"
"is this a safe space?" cara flicks through a stack of movies.
"of course."
she sighs, making her way through another stack, "frozen 2."
i laugh, "specifically the second one?"
"yes, specifically the second one."
"out of all the movies", i continue laughing while moving to the other side of the aisle.
"hey, it's a great movie with an emotionally depth plot."
"i've never seen it. only the first."
she turns to me, shocked, "are you serious?"
"yeah, we were supposed to go see it but my brother couldn't sit through movies so we never went."
"i feel so sorry for you."
i'm about to respond when i find the perfect movie, "this. this is what we're watching."
cara turns, "what's that?"
"'catherine called birdy' hilarious movie with bella ramesy", i wave the disc at her.
"okay, it better be good."
"it is", i sing.
-
"it was so corny", cara cries."
"that's why it's good" i argue.
"i didn't say it wasn't good, i said it was corny."
"oh shush, your favorite movie is 'frozen 2'."
"i told you that in confidence."
we both laugh.
"pip?" she asks.
"yeah?"
"can i kiss you?"
yes yes yes oh my god yes.
"yeah."
cara smiles and leans in. her lips meet mine and they're so soft and so perfect and everything that i want. her hands cup my face and i dread the moment that she pulls away. i know from this moment that every second i'm with her will be spent staring at her lips and wishing they were on mine and every second i spend without her will be spent thinking of having her this close to me, this connected.
she pulls away but doesn't take her hands from my face, "do you want to go bowling tomorrow?"
"yes."
she kisses me again, disappointingly short, "i'll pick you up at one?"
"i'll be waiting."
i'm already waiting, already anticipating having her eyes meet mine, already shaking with excitement at having a whole day to spend with her.
i'm so fucked.