𝙫𝙞𝙞. 𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙞𝙣 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣

DIFFERENT (REMASTERED) - THE ACADEMIC 

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—THE THOUGHT OF him makes her feel unsteady — caught somewhere between what was, what could've been, and what she still secretly wants.

liz had been replaying saturday in her head all week. the arcade lights, the laughter, that stupid "double date" comment that made her cheeks burn.and then that fan. the photo. the snap thing.

she'd told herself it didn't matter, that it was just part of his life now — but every time she saw his name pop up on her phone, that same weird rush hit her chest again.

they'd started texting again properly — not just short replies, but late-night conversations that dragged on until one of them fell asleep mid-message. it was easy, too easy, like they'd both been waiting for it to feel like this again.

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owen: you ever think about how diff things would've been if we hadn't stopped talking?elizabeth 🤎: sometimesowen: yeah me tooelizabeth 🤎: maybe it was meant to be like that thoughowen: maybe. but i kinda wish it wasn't

she read that one over a few times before replying, trying not to overthink the way her heart jumped.

the next day, his name lit up her screen again.

owen: what are u doing tmr?elizabeth 🤎: nothing planned, y?owen: thought we could go out jst us been a whileelizabeth 🤎: like a date?owen: if you want it to beelizabeth 🤎: yeah alright x

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thursday rolled around quicker than she expected. she met him in town, near the same café they'd all gone to as a group before. the day was warm and clear — that soft kind of sun that made everything look calmer than it felt. he was wearing black tracksuit bottoms with his blue liverpool jersey under his black hoodie.

he waved when he saw her, that crooked smile that still managed to make her stomach flip a little. "hey," he said, shoving his hands into his hoodie pocket. he couldn't help it — he would be lying if he said she didn't look good. liz looked pretty as ever. her hair was pin straight with gold jewellery matched with her dark red bershka tracksuit. "hey." 

they walked for a while without really deciding where to go. they grabbed drinks, wandered through the little shops near the square, and ended up sitting on a bench by the flower stand outside the florist's. she didn't know it, he took little snaps of her, candid photos of her that he was planning to show but no matter the angle, she still looked gorgeous.

"you've been quieter today," he said after a bit."just tired, i think?."he nodded, glancing at the flowers in front of them. "what's your favourite, then?""out of these?""yeah."

she thought for a second. "hmm i like roses. they're a classic but i prefer lilies. it's  nicer. more... quiet, i guess." he smiled faintly. "quiet suits you." she looked at him. "what's that supposed to mean?""nothing bad," he said quickly. "just... you don't need to do much to stand out. you just do."

she turned away, trying not to smile too obviously. "you've been saying stuff like that a lot lately.""is that bad?""no," she said softly. "just... unexpected."

they stayed like that for a while, just talking about random things — music, school, how strange it was seeing posters for adolescence everywhere.he told her he didn't like all the attention. "it's weird," he said. "people you've never met thinking they know you. half of it's not even real."she nodded. "guess it's hard to feel normal.""yeah," he said. "except when i'm with you."

and that was when it hit her — that maybe, just maybe, he meant all of it.

there was a pause after that. one of those pauses that feels heavy but good, like something's about to happen. he shifted slightly closer. her heart stuttered in her chest. his eyes glancing down at her soft lips what felt like every millisecond.

she looked up, and for a split second, it felt like the world went quiet.

and then—

her phone rang. loud and shrill and completely ruining it. she jumped, fumbling for it. "sorry— sorry, that's my mum." he laughed quietly, shaking his head. "brilliant timing.""yeah," she said, rolling her eyes. "she probably wants to know if i'm home yet."

he leaned back, awkwardly looking around as she spoke into the phone.

"hi mum."

"no not yet, i'm still with owen"

"oh okay.."

"i can ask him"

"okay, thanks i'll see you soon"

the moment had passed, but the feeling hadn't. not even close. when she hung up, he was still looking at her — that small, knowing smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "she said she'll pick us up. she's nearby anyway." he raised his brows. "you sure that's okay?"

"yeah. she literally offered. you're not getting out of it now."

he grinned, pretending to sigh. "guess i'm meeting your mum again, then." for some reason they both knew that this was different. he's met her mum multiple times with just a simple hello or small talk but it was gonna be the three of them sitting in the car, hoping it wouldn't be as awkward as they thought. "don't sound so nervous," she teased. "she already likes you more than me."

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the drive back was quiet, comfortable. her mum asked about school, filming, the usual small talk. owen was polite — charming, even and liz couldn't stop noticing how easy he made it seem, how he fit right in.

when they got to her house, her mum offered, "y'can come in for a bit if you want, owen. it's freezing out." he hesitated for a second, glancing at liz. she shrugged slightly. "uh, sure. thank you."

inside, it was warm and homely — the faint smell of something nice cooking. he followed liz into the living room, sitting down carefully on the sofa like he didn't want to mess anything up.

"you can relax, you know," she said, laughing a little."i am relaxed," he said, though his hands were clenched together in his lap. "yeah, you look it," she teased. they talked a bit more — about dance—hobbies, about how filming was done for the season, about how he was trying to keep things "normal." she nodded along, really listening.

"must be weird," she said softly. "everyone knowing your face now.""yeah," he said. "sometimes i just want to switch it all off, you know?""you kinda do when you're here," she said without really thinking. he looked at her for a long moment. "yeah. i do."

it went quiet again, not uncomfortable, just something else. she could hear the faint sound of her mum in the kitchen, the ticking of the clock, the soft rhythm of her heartbeat picking up when he smiled at her like that.

"this is nice," he said quietly."what is?""dunno? just... being here. with you." her breath caught slightly. she smiled back, small but real. "yeah. it is." her heart skipping a million beats again. before either of them could say anything else, her mum called from the kitchen.

"liz, can you give me a hand for a sec?""yeah!" she called back, standing up quickly. "i'll be right back." when she disappeared into the kitchen, owen leaned back on the sofa, exhaling a breath he didn't realise he'd been holding. he caught himself glancing toward the doorway she'd just walked through  the sound of her voice mixing with her mum's.

and for the first time in a long while, he didn't feel like owen cooper, the actor.he just felt like himself.

when she came back, she smiled, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "sorry. mum emergency.""no worries," he said, smiling up at her. "you've got a nice place.""yeah, well," she said, sitting back down beside him. "you make it look smaller.""that's because i'm tall.""no, that's because you're awkward.""okay, fair."

they both laughed, and the sound filled the whole room. her mum had barely finished offering owen a drink when isabelle appeared in the hallway — all curious eyes and cheeky energy.

still in her pyjamas, holding a packet of crisps. she froze when she saw them. "is that owen cooper?" liz groaned. "izzy, go away." isabelle grinned, whispering loudly, "mum! owen cooper's in the house!"

liz turned bright red. "oh my god, izzy— stop!"owen laughed, trying to hide his smile behind his hand. "it's fine," he said softly. "no it's not," liz muttered.

isabelle gave her sister a knowing look — one of those i see you looks only younger siblings can give  before running off, giggling down the hall. liz sighed, burying her face in her hands. "she's never letting me live that down."

"i think she likes me," owen said, smirking."yeah, and i don't," liz said, though she was smiling. owen scoffing and rolling his eyes with a grin on his face and his cheeks tinted pink. 

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after a bit, they ended up upstairs in her room.it was tidy, cosy — LED lights stuck above the bed and all around her room, a few posters on the wall, and polaroid pictures of liz and her family and friends, the  faint smell of vanilla perfume and fabric softener.

"you can sit y'know," she said, gesturing toward the edge of her bed with sort of teasing smile on her face "thanks," he said, pretending to be casual but clearly nervous.

she turned on her tv picking up the remote and scrolling through netflix until she landed on something.

"how about this one?""a horror movie?" he raised a brow. "yeah. it's meant to be good." she suggested "you sure you can handle it?" he tilts his head. she rolls her eyes "funny. you'll be the one hiding behind a pillow." "we'll see," he said, settling in beside her.

half an hour later, the lights were off, and the glow from the tv flickered across their faces. the room was quiet except for the occasional crunch of popcorn and the sound of the movie's tension building.

then all of a sudden 

a jumpscare. sudden, loud, right in their faces.

liz gasped and instinctively grabbed his arm, half hiding her face against his shoulder. owen froze for a second, then laughed under his breath. "you alright there?""shut up," she mumbled, still clutching him. "that was not funny.""it kind of was.""you're the worst.""but you're still holding on."

she realised she was — her hand gripping his sleeve, her shoulder pressed against him. she let go quickly, her cheeks hot."sorry," she said, trying to laugh it off."don't be," he said softly. "you can hold on if you want."

she glanced up at him, eyes meeting his in the dim light. for a second, neither of them said anything. the air felt thick — warm, charged, like that moment by the bridge all over again.

she could feel her heart thudding, too loud in her chest. he shifted slightly, their knees brushing, his voice low when he said, "are you paying attention to the movie?" he teased. "yeah obviously, i'm the one who picked it" she chuckled under her breath. she looked back at the tv screen but he didn't, his eyes still on her before slowly pulling his eyes away from her and continuing to watch the movie.

the sound of footsteps in the hallway made them both jump. isabelle again, voice muffled through the door. "mum says tea's ready!" liz shot him a look, half mortified. "see what i mean?" he laughed quietly. "yeah. terrifying."

she threw a pillow at him, but she was smiling, cheeks still warm. and when they went downstairs, the air between them was different  lighter, full of that almost feeling neither of them knew how to name yet.

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later, when her mum offered to drop him home, he said goodbye at the door, his hand brushing hers for a split second too long."thanks for today," he said quietly."you too." he smiled. "see you soon?""yeah. soon."

she watched him walk down the drive, the cold air turning his breath into fog, and she realised — she didn't want the night to end.

and when he got home, scrolling through his camera roll before bed, he couldn't stop landing on the photo of her from earlier. the one where she was laughing without realising he was taking it. he saved it. then smiled to himself.

because maybe, just maybe — next time, he'd bring the lilies.

the thought of her made him restless in that good, electric way, like his chest was too small for everything he was feeling.