Under Seven Minutes // Private RP

“I pay for friends, not just dates, you know,” Josh chuckled, “But alright. They’ve got a no-meat burger that supposedly tastes exactly like beef here… think I should try it?”

“Well, I only let dates pay for me,” Laura shrugged, her heart somersaulting in her chest. His laughter. God, his laughter. “Ooh, you should try it. Tell me if it’s good. Just don’t try to trick me into trying it if it’s not good!”

“Alright,” Josh agreed, lips quirking up in a genuine smile. “I’ll try the no-meat burger. I should probably warn you right now, I eat like a horse. Politely and neatly, don’t worry, but a lot.”

Laura grinned back.

“Don’t worry, I like people who eat,” she grinned. “So eat as much as you want.”

They paid, leaving the fast food store with their arms full of brown paper bags. “You wanted to go to the courtyard?” Josh confirmed, peering into one of his portions of French fries.

“I did,” Laura nodded, hugging her bag close to her. “It’s nice outside. We can sit under the umbrella tables. It has a romantic feel to it."

Josh’s face fell for a second. Was she really playing with his feelings, now? To be fair, he had given her permission…

“Sounds good.”

"Are you sure?" Laura cocked her head to the side, missing the way his face fell. "We can sit on the ground, too, if you'd like."

“I don’t really mind where we sit,” he told her, fishing a fry from one of the bags. “Lead the way.”

“All right,” Laura grabbed his arm and lead him off to the tables. She set her food on the table and took a seat, letting go of his arm when she was done.

Josh followed her example, mentally chastising himself for missing the feel of her arm on his. Get your act together, he told himself sharply, reaching for his burger.

“Oh, wait!” Laura looked up at Josh, wanting to cheer up the mood. She didn’t want it to be awkward. She made things plenty awkward. “Yesterday, you wanted to know if I could somersault, right?”

"You mean backflip?" Josh mustered a playful grin, lifting his burger from the back. "You'd do it right here?"

“I would if you want me to,” Laura stood up anyway and walked over to a rather empty part of the courtyard. She looked around to make sure no one was behind her before she looked at Josh. “Ready?”

Josh, who's mouth was already full, gave her the thumbs-up with his free hand. He was slightly concerned—what if she fell? What if she slipped?—but he didn't let it show.

Laura stood up straight before she bent down, making sure her arms were straight before she jumped, using the momentum to push herself backwards as her fingers touched the ground. She didn’t waste a second in jumping back to her feet again, but she didn’t stop there. She had a boy to impress. Plus, she loved the wind falling in her face.

She backflipped again, this time jumping a little higher. When she landed, she performed a split, having worn the perfect pants for it. She loved it—loved her body for what it was capable of doing.

Whipping her hair out of her face, Laura grinned at Josh, her eyes twinkling.

Josh stared at Laura, wide-eyed as he watched her twist her body through the air. She was so graceful, so agile and elegant with each move—it nearly took his breath away.

And when she turned back to him, eyes sparkling, crimson bloomed across his cheeks. “How did you do that??”

Laura scratched her cheek, feeling a little bashful all of a sudden. She offered a shrug, not yet standing up.

“I started learning when I was five,” she explained, looking at him, happy that he liked the trick. “I really liked flexibility. I don’t want to show off, but I can reach back and touch my foot as well. I can also stand on my hands for a considerable amount of time.” As she spoke, Laura lifted her legs up to her front while her hands remained firm on the ground, keeping her in the air. When she realized she was doing it, she set them back on the ground and stood up, dusting herself off.

Josh, who was still stunned, tore his eyes away from her before he could embarrass himself by staring.

"That's really cool," he told her honestly, slightly too earnest for his own good. "I haven't really met many people who can do that, especially not without stretching."

"Now you're giving me too much credit," Laura scratched her cheek in embarrassment, walking back to her seat. "It's not that cool. I'm just really flexible."

"Which is cool," Josh insisted, swallowing nervously when she approached him again. "I mean, I can't even touch my toes."

Laura frowned at her hands, dusting them off on her jeans.

“I should probably wash my hands now,” she pouted. “My stomach is going to explode if I don’t put any food in it.”

Josh leaned over and plucked a pile of paper towels from one of their bags. He pushed it into Laura's hands, heart jumping when their skin made contact. "Use those."

Laura felt a shiver crawl her spine when Josh’s hand made contact with her own, but she pretended it didn’t bother her and instead wet the towel to wipe her hands.

“Thanks, Josh,” she murmured.

"No problem," he hummed lightly, but his voice was slightly strained. "Do you have any other amazing talents that I should know about, Laura?"

Violeta could feel her heart thumping in her chest as she gathered up her binders, the need to see Gray again filling her head until there was barely any space for other thoughts.

Laura put a French fry in her mouth, disappointed at the way he was speaking with her. They said no more awkwardness, but Josh was acting like he wanted to be anywhere but with her. Still, she kept a smile on her features.

“I don’t think there are,” she shrugged. “It’s just me.”

Gray was worried. Terribly so. Usually, he and Laura ate together and though he wanted to eat lunch with his girlfriend, he couldn’t leave his best friend alone. But when he got to the spot she usual waited for him at, Laura wasn’t there. Neither was she in her classroom, nor was she answering her phone.

Worry gnawed at his throat. Where was she? If she was off flirting, she would have told him. She would have at least kept her phone turned on. She didn’t, hence the concern.

The faintest of blushes bloomed across Josh’s cheeks as he spoke his next words. “You’re pretty amazing to be ‘just Laura’.”

“Gray!”

Violeta ran up to her boyfriend from behind, feeling a rush of exhilaration as she jumped up and wrapped her arms around him.

Laura froze at his words. Usually, she’d flirt back. She was a master at flirting, but Josh. Josh rendered her completely and utterly speechless. Laura found her face turning hot at his comment.

“I—thank you…” she whispered quietly, drinking her water to cool herself down. All he said was that she was amazing to be just Laura. Why was her treacherous heart beating so fast?

Gray immediately felt better when his girlfriend hugged him from behind. He nearly stumbled but grinned when he saw her. Gray twisted to face her and wrapped his own arms around her.

“My girlfriend,” he hummed, kissing her on the forehead. “You look so happy. I’m glad.”

Josh's heart was beating faster and faster, spinning out of his control. Had he just rendered Laura Atkinson speechless? Swallowing thickly, he tore his eyes from her flushed face. "Was that the wrong thing to say?"

Violeta's lips curved into an enormous smile as she pressed against Gray, slipping her arms around his waist. But when she peered closely at his expression, she saw traces of concern.

"Gray?" she questioned, "Is something wrong?"

“What? No,” Laura shook her head, trying to get rid of the red on her cheeks. She was a player, for God’s sake. Flirting was her best quality. What was she doing, getting flustered over someone not even flirting with her? “Definitely not. I just didn’t expect you to say that.”

Gray bent down to kiss her, pulling back resting his forehead against hers.

“Uh, I usually have lunch with Laura,” he answered slowly. “But her phone’s off. She’s not at her class, nor at the place we usually meet. She hasn’t told me anything, so I’m… worried.”