The Bloomer Legacy: 9.5 Can’t Be Helped

“Now this is what I call a holiday!” Vito looked around the sandy shore approvingly.

Pauline, Leo, Peyton and Grady have invited the younger crowd to go hiking in the countryside with them, but the teens opted for a day on the beach instead.

“Not too bad of an idea,” Hallie agreed.

“Well, it was Louis who suggested it, I can’t take all the credit.” Vito waved at the blonde boy approaching them with two of his friends.

A smile spread across Carly’s face. Louis. He looked lankier in his swimming trunks than she would have thought, but he was still very handsome… Hopefully she’d be able to talk to him a bit more this time around.

Sera was oblivious to the newcomers. She was busy messaging with Antoine. He added her on Simbook that morning and they’d been chatting since.

“Hey Vito! What do you think of the beach?” Louis asked.

“Pretty sweet! Wish we had one in Newcrest!”

“These are my friends Monica and Tom, by the way,” Louis nodded to the duo to his left.

“Louis! Hi Louis!” Carly jumped in awkwardly. “Err… hi guys.”

“Nice to meet you both,” Hallie came to Carly’s rescue. “Long time no see, Louis!”

“We’re gonna head for a swim, wanna join?” Louis suggested.

“Yes!” Carly said a bit too enthusiastically, following Louis and his two friends into the water.

“What the plum, Sera! You didn’t even say hi to them!” Vito exclaimed as soon as the others were out of earshot.

“What’s the big deal?” Seraphina looked at her brother.

“Nothing, I guess I should be used to you being rude by now,” Vito rolled his eyes. “Go back to your phone! Better make the most of that dude’s attention before he realises what a nasty person you are!”

And with that, Vito went off to join the others in the water.

Seraphina looked at Hallie quizzically: “What’s his problem?”

“I’m not sure.”

“So that wasn’t just me then, right? He was actually being weird!”

“Yeah. But he’s a teenage boy. They tend to be weird,” Hallie let out a laugh. “Speaking of which, are you inviting that Antoine guy to join us then? You have been glued to your phone all morning.”

“Invite him? No! I don’t want to seem needy.”

Hallie raised her eyebrows. “Oh-kay then.”

“You want to see a picture of him?” Seraphina shoved her phone in Hallie’s hand. “Look how handsome he is in this one…”

***

It had been an amazing afternoon. Carly even got some alone time with Louis. It was perfect.

They talked with such ease, he told her all about growing up in Windenburg and his eccentric parents. Carly recounted the many tales of Newcrest, which seemed to fascinate him.

“So cool that your family has such a well-documented history!”

“It’s mainly thanks to aunt Yenn.”

“She sounds like a cool lady!”

“She is! Too bad you’ll never get to meet he, she didn’t come for the holiday with us.”

“I might,” he shrugged. “I’d love to go to Newcrest some time. I want to travel!”

He was so dreamy, Carly sighed.

As they stood up and she wiped the sand off from her legs, Carly made her decision. It was now or never.

“This was nice Louis, we should spend more time together before we go back to Newcrest.”

“Totally,” the boy nodded with a smile.

“So… you wanna go out sometime?” Carly stuttered over her words.

She held her breath. The moment of truth.

“Oh.”

This wasn’t good.

“I’m so sorry Carly!” This wasn’t good at all. “I didn’t want to give you the wrong impression. I mean, you’re really nice, honest, but… you’re not my type. Like, at all. You see…”

“Oh no, you don’t need to explain yourself to me!” Carly stopped him. “I’m the one who’s sorry. It’s my bad…”

“No, Carly wait!”

But she went off anyway.

“Carly!”

Louis was joined by a puzzled Vito and Hallie.

“Where is she going?” Vito seemed baffled.

“I… I’m an idiot. I should have realised…” Louis scratched his head, looking at Vito apologetically.

“Way to let her down gently,” Hallie glared at Louis.

“Wait, what just happened again?” Vito was finally catching on.

“Imma go after her,” Hallie didn’t bother answering his question.

Carly wandered into the nearby woods, barely noticing the tall grass stinging her legs.

Of course she wasn’t his type! What was she thinking? She wasn’t pretty like Seraphina, or cool like Hallie. Why would a guy like Louis ever be interested in her?

“There you are!” Hallie caught up with her.

“Hallie… sorry, I need to be alone now. I can’t possibly show my face in front of anyone…”

“Why, because you got turned down by a boy?”

“Because I was stupid enough to think I might be in his league!”

Hallie didn’t let her wallow. “You, the smart one, being stupid? I don’t think so, the only stupid words that have ever left your mouth was what you said right now!”

“But he said I wasn’t his type…”

“Plum Carly, I thought you were bigger than that. Are you really going to let a thing some boy said affect what you think of yourself?”

“No but…”

“So you’re not his type. Doesn’t mean anything about you. You’re amazing. Some things just can’t be helped.”

Back on the beach, Vito went into full on protective brother mode:

“You know, I thought you were cool, Louis, but plum it! You could do a lot worse than my sister!”

“Carly is great, I know,” Louis said nervously.

“Great? She’s the best person I know! She always looks out for everyone, always nice to people, even a demon spawn like Seraphina! And she’s really clever. And very pretty too!”

“Totally… but she’s really not my type.” Louis sighed.

“Well then you’re stupid,” Vito continued his angry rant. “Carly is amazing. She’s my best friend! If she’s not your type, than who the plum is?”

Louis’ face became a mixture of emotions. His eyes grew soft, and he gave Vito the oddest smile.

Vito suddenly felt like his body was burning, but it wasn’t with anger.

“You wanna know who my type is?” Louis asked calmly. “Well if you have to ask, then it doesn’t matter.”