Chapter Song: Relief - Medium Build
i am in love
maybe for the first time
maybe for the hundredth"Jesus, were you watching out the peephole or something?"
Billie had knocked on the partition door the next morning, approximately a minute and a half after Max kissed me goodbye and left.
"No," she said, but shifted her gaze away. "Just haven't seen you since last night and wanted to make sure you're okay."
"I'm great!" I said honestly, still feeling the glow from Max's gentle touch in bed that morning. "I had a great night. And morning..."
"Yeah, I heard," Billie muttered, shoving her hands in her pockets. "How do you know her, anyways?"
"They're non-binary, first of all," I corrected immediately. "And I met them at a party."
"Oh, great," Billie shook her head. "You've told me about those parties. Did they bring you any drugs?"
"Wow, I'm done with you already. Where's Lucy?"
"In the shower."
"Is that why you charged over here? Because she's not here to stop you?"
"I didn't charge," she huffed. "I checked on you."
"Well, I'm a big girl, okay?"
"Yeah, I heard," she emphasized, getting closer to me. "I heard all of it last night."
"How about this morning?" I said quietly, taking a step closer as well. "Because this morning might've been even better."
"Not quite as clearly," she growled, so close now that we could've kissed. "Though unfortunately, I still heard it."
"Well, I'll have to try a little harder next time. Or you'll have to press your ear a little tighter to the door."
"Next time? Will there be a next time?"
"Well, Max is a model," I explained, flipping my hair over my shoulder. "Their schedule is very tight."
"Hmm, right," Billie muttered under her breath. "More like Max is a player."
"Try again," I seethed. "They wanna be with me."
Billie seemed to waver at that. "Yeah?"
"Yeah," I said, crossing my arms over my chest.
"Are you... what'd you say to that?"
"None of your business, Billie," I muttered. "None of this is."
She stood there for a long moment, still close to me, hands shoved in her pockets, staring at the floor. Her hair was slightly damp; she'd showered recently, and I could smell the soft scent of her shampoo.
"You're right," she murmured. "I'm not... with you. I'm sorry."
"Thanks for the reminder," I almost whispered.
Then Lucy padded out of the bathroom, and Billie backed up into their room. Her girlfriend joined her in the doorway in nothing but a towel, hair dripping.
"Hey!" She exclaimed, giving me a little wave. "I heard you had a friend over last night. I'm sad I was asleep, Billie said she got to meet them."
"Yeah, she met them," I confirmed half heartedly with a little nod.
"Did they already leave?"
"Yeah."
"Oh, shoot," Lucy said as she dried her long hair with another towel. "Maybe next time."
YOU ARE READING
a work of fiction
Fanfiction"Claire," she murmured. "I have to go back to Lucy. I shouldn't have..." I stared at her. I couldn't handle what she was saying. She was right, I knew, but... This was Billie and me, five years of terrible tension built up into one intense moment of...