Straight-Faced

bliss

"What time did you tell the girls that you were picking them up at again?"

"I don't know, like, fifteen minutes ago?"

Luke put a hand in front of my face when I tried to lean in for another kiss. "Wait, did I hear that right?"

"That we were supposed to pick up Anna Lee and Sage fifteen minutes ago? Sure."

Luke shoved me. "Cameron! We have to go pick them up for our group date." He sat up and pulled me up with him. "C'mon, you volunteered to drive all of us. You're the one who actually knows where we're going."

"Actually, you all volunteered me to drive."

"Well, then, I guess it sucks to be you."

"I can't catch a break with you kids," I grumbled as I got out of my bed. I grabbed my phone from my bedside table and used the camera as a mirror to fix my hair. Luke looked over my shoulder and ran his hands through his own hair.

"You look fine, babe," he assured me.

I waved him off. "Shush, let me be insecure for a second."

Before Luke could respond to that and spew some bullshit about how I always looked perfect, my phone buzzed with a text from Anna Lee.

From: Darling Girlfriend
Next time you want to cancel a date, please just tell us outright instead of letting us know by banging your boyfriend right before you're supposed to pick us up.

From: Cameron
For your information, our pants are on. Interpret that how you will. We'll be at your house in ten.

"You can't send her that," Luke said.

I shrugged. "Too late. We should probably go before we make them wait any longer."

"But you just—Never mind."

I grabbed my car keys, and we left my room. I drove us to Anna Lee's house, and when we got there, she and Sage were already standing on the driveway.

"You're half an hour late," Anna Lee informed me, "and you're the one who planned this date in the first place."

"Was I? Get in the car," I said pleasantly.

Anna Lee muttered something under her breath, but she listened. Sage smiled at us apologetically and followed her.

The drive was quiet. None of us talked, mostly because Anna Lee and Sage were one of those weird couples who preferred communicating with soaking up each other's presence over speaking words. They still weren't officially together yet, but it had to happen any day now. Luke and I had done our unnecessary jobs to speed up the process, but now, if they wanted to be in a relationship with each other, it was all on them.

Once we were out of the city, and there were no other cars on the road with us, Luke let me hold his hand. We drove through a small suburb and turned onto a narrow road that was only wide enough for a car and a half.

About a quarter mile away from our destination, I pulled over and parked on the side of the road. I let go of Luke's hand, and we all got out of my car.

I led everyone away from the road and through a group of trees. We reached a clearing, and all the details were exactly how I remembered them. It seemed like each leaf on each tree was in the exact same place.

My heart started pounding.

Four years ago, I had my first kiss with a girl here. Seeing this place brought back so many memories. I clearly remembered wanting to kiss cute sound kid here. I couldn't believe that the thought was actually possible now.

I was barely aware of what I was saying as I grabbed Luke's hand again and tried to organize my thoughts into coherent sentences.

"This is where we filmed the final scene of that show. I remember, there was a camera here, another one there... Oh, and this was the place where I had to kiss the girl. We sat right there—I can't believe the fake log they built us is still here."

The log was the only place to sit, so we all squeezed onto it. Anna Lee and Sage sat next to each other, and I sat next to Luke.

Luke and I knew how much the girls appreciated calm and quiet, so we tried our best to refrain from saying too much. Eventually, I got bored, so I turned Luke's face towards me and started kissing him.

After a few minutes, I heard Anna Lee ask, "Should we stop them?"

Sage laughed. "Nah, leave them alone. It's kind of hot."

And then, a few minutes after that, "Hey, Anna? Can I... Can I hold your hand?"

They could take their time as long as they were happy with what they were. It wasn't Luke and I's business anymore; we were done interfering. What mattered now was that I was happy with my boyfriend, and I really hoped that he was just as happy. I didn't know it was possible to love someone like—

Love. Was that the right word?

I froze, and Luke backed away.

"Are you okay?" he asked quietly. "Did I hurt you?"

"I—"

—love you, I love you, I love you.

Yeah, it felt like the right word.

I shook my head. "I'm fine."

"You sure? We don't have to make out if you don't want to."

I blushed furiously and glanced behind me to see if Anna Lee and Sage were listening. They weren't; they were in their own world.

"I want to," I said, somehow managing to blush harder.

"You're cute," Luke told me.

I rolled my eyes. "I know."

"Did you just 'Hans Solo' me?"

I decided to test the waters. "In that case, you got your line wrong."

"Can I say it?"

He understood.

I pursed my lips. Of course I wanted to hear him say it, but I wasn't sure if I'd be able to say it back.

"Is that a 'not yet'?" Luke asked gently.

"I don't know," I said.

"Can I kiss you?"

"Yeah."

For the first time in my life, there were words that I couldn't bring myself to say. I just kissed him and hoped that my actions were enough to get the message across.