You know, I've been taking some time

And I've been keeping to myself (self)

I had my eyes up on the prize

Ain't watching anybody else

But your love, it hit me hard, girl

Yeah, you're bad for my health

I love the cards, that I've been dealt

Do you feel the same as well?

-- Liam Payne, Strip That Down

Autumn

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A PERFECT BOYFRIEND, and you can't expect someone to be perfect when you're not.

That was what I concluded after waiting for an hour and a half for Ashton to show up and pick me up from school.

My phone blinked. I glanced at the screen to realize it was from the group chat of the four of us: Jess, Mey, Norma, and me.

We made this group chat ages ago and it changed its name multiple times if not dozens. It went from The Chamber of Secrets to The Game of Phones, but currently, it's A Gaggle of Giggles, courtesy of Norma.

Despite being popular and all, we are still girls and human beings so all of us were a part of at least one fandom. Looking at our username, you could probably guess which fandom.

Speaking of Norma, she was the one texting just now.

CupBTargaryen (Norma): Is he there yet?

17yearsOfSummers (me): Nope 😕

1DNarry4ever (Jess): Imma smack his fucking head and shove it into the nearest toilet 😡

AsianPotterhead (Mey): Did you give him a call?

17yearsOfSummers: I did 10 mins ago. He said he's on his way. Don't worry, baes 😚

1DNarry4ever: He better be 😒

CupBTargaryen: Ditch him! Come with us, we just bought the tickets!

17yearsOfSummers: Tempting 🤔

They were going to watch the new Kingsman movie, and I was very tempted to ditch Ashton for Taron Egerton, but I've promised him to stay, and he texted me ten minutes ago that he was already on his way and "almost getting here".

CupBTargaryen: Then get your pretty ass here, girl! 😂

17yearsOfSummers: Naw, bae. It's ok. Y'all enjoy tho! XO 😘

1DNARRY4EVER: If u say so. Just holler if u change ur mind n I'll be there asap 😉

I glanced at the clock on my screen before putting my phone back in my front pocket.

Ten more minutes passed and still no Ashton. Totally annoyed, I went back inside the school and walked in the hallway. To cool myself down, I took out my earphone and played my favorite song at the moment: Strip that Down by Liam Payne. I wasn't a Directioner, that's Jess' thing, but that song stuck in my head longer than I would've imagined could be possible.

I passed several empty classes and when it hit the chorus, my body swayed into the beat. I was totally zoned out until a voice disrupted my inner peace. "Enjoying yourself, huh?" I was not the type to be easily affected by something or someone, but the way he carried his question caused a stir in my heart and a shiver from the top of my head to the tip of my toes.

I knew that voice so well. Not because "I've known him my entire life" like those clichés movies, but because that's the voice of a certain someone, who turned me into a total klutz a few nights ago in a certain alley behind a club.

When I turned around, his eyes held a hint of humor as they penetrated me with such intensity. It made me feel like I was busted for doing something wrong when I was clearly innocent. Well, I'm not that innocent; I think that fact is well established. But for this matter alone, I am.

"Why? You like what you see?" I knew people usually blurted this line accompanied with raising their eyebrows or forming a sexy smile to challenge their opponent. Not in this case. The words rolled off my tongue followed by an eye roll. Unlike those other occasions, he was not someone I wanted to impress.

If anything, I was not only vexed about the stolen kiss; I was fuming.

"What if I say I do?" He licked his lower lip and the sight of his tongue reminded me of that damn kiss again.

When I didn't answer, he let out a deep chuckle and smiled. "Don't worry, you're not my type."

He deserved another eye roll. "Praise the Lord, the nerd said I'm not his type! Finally my life won't be a teenage drama movie bullshit." I turned around and plugged my earphones again. He made me miss Liam's amazingly sexy voice. Geez.

I turned to the right and entered a random empty class. I went to the back row and dragged a chair away from the table. As I sat, I put my legs up on the table and leaned against the back of the chair, finally able to build my inner peace once more.

Shawn Mendes' beautiful voice was able to make me relax. I closed my eyes and let myself be seduced by the words he sang about begging for mercy. If only there was such a guy. Not even Ashton is that romantic. We've been dating for two years now, but the only romantic thing he had done was buying a bucket of roses on our anniversary.

What did I expect? Perfect boyfriends only existed in Nicholas Sparks' books and Titanic.

Shame cos I have a romantic soul.

The song ended and another one about treating her better because she deserved a gentleman, followed. I smiled and wished Shawn didn't live in Canada. Chances are small, but it would surely be refreshing to know he lived in the same country as I do.

I blamed myself for being too engrossed in thinking about how Shawn Mendes would be a perfect boyfriend that I didn't notice I was no longer alone in the room. A figure stood right behind me, and by the time I realized the presence of another being, a hand covered my mouth.

"Ssshh. It's gonna be okay, sweetheart." That was the last thing I heard.