Laughter Lines

2.9 | the greatest relief

the greatest relief

as told by char

"Okay, who the hell is that?"

I turned to my left and saw my friend Madeline approaching me. She had blonde hair like mine and freckles that dotted across her face and glasses that she wore on the bridge of her nose. She was around the same height as me, which was fairly short compared to the majority of the girls at my school, and we met at some concert that was being held in the city square earlier this summer. I don't even remember what the band was called, but she saw me standing alone and invited me to come dance with her and her friends.

I glared at her. She had seen me walk out of the library with you and, of course, witnessed the two of us sitting together on the bus. I was kind of stuck as Madeline and I walked through the halls; no matter what I could say, she would think that I liked you, or that we were dating.

"My friend Everest," I said, hugging my books tighter against my chest.

Madeline looked at me, raising her eyebrows. "Your friend?"

I told you.

"Yes, my friend. You have guy friends, so do I."

Madeline had about a zillion of them, though, unlike me. It seemed as if she was always texting a boy or heading out to go meet with a boy or getting ready because a boy was coming over to hang out. Maybe they were doing more than hanging out. I guess I wouldn't know, because I was never invited to come along.

I shouldn't complain about it though, because I was always so awkward around guys.

And girls.

Just people in general.

Although, that didn't apply when I was around you. I was comfortable and felt like I could be myself and didn't have to worry about judgement. That is the greatest relief a human could experience, I think.

"Okay," said Madeline, "but I have my eyes on you two. A guy and a girl don't sneak into the library during lunch period when they're 'just friends'." She made quotation marks with her fingers as she said the last two words.

I rolled my eyes. "Sure, whatever."

As we approached the classroom she was due in and she left my side, I felt myself smile. If what she says is true, maybe we are approaching a more serious relationship.