Phoenix: The Risen ✔️

G r e e n h o u s e

"So, we just have to make the PowerPoint and we're done, right?" Fiona asked as she plopped down on her bed.

Penelope hummed in agreement and opened up her laptop to join the curly-haired girl on the soft duvet.

"Yep, we already wrote our individual parts, so we're almost done."

"Sweet" Fiona grinned. 

She shuffled closer to the smaller blonde and rested her face in her hands while lying on her stomach.

"Did Olivia tell you about her and August? They've spent more time fucking than doing the actual project."

Penelope giggled but couldn't hold back a blush when thinking about her friend in that manner. She was glad that Olivia was having fun with this guy but she couldn't pretend that she wasn't concerned. She's only known this guy for all of 2 weeks, and they were completely inseparable—in the entire sense of the word. Granted, she couldn't really be one to talk...but still, Penelope couldn't help but let her mind drift to worry.

"I'm happy for her." Penelope said finally. "Let's just hope they get the project done before tomorrow." She teased with a small laugh.

Fiona chuckled and stretched her arms over to pull the laptop in front of her.

"I hope we finish too. If it wasn't for someone avoiding me, we probably would've been done a few days sooner."

That got Penelope amusingly quiet and her cheeks heated in embarrassment. She wasn't avoiding Fiona, or she didn't realize that she was.

After finding out that they were partners for the History assignment, she did put off contacting her to meet; she did find any excuse to run into the bathroom whenever she saw her approaching in the hallway and she did always happen to leave her text messages on read when she received them.

But that wasn't avoiding; no, she was simply...evading an unpredictable situation.

Eventually, though, Fiona caught her on her way out of class and there was no running away then. They spent some time in the library splitting up the tasks amongst themselves before agreeing to meet at Fiona's house when they got that all done.

Penelope bit her tongue as she thought back to this; she felt guilty for her juvenile actions and felt just as bad for not knowing how to respond.

Although her shoulders sagged in relief when laughter broke the silence.

"Oh my god, Penelope I'm just playing with you."

The brunette laughed along hesitantly but focused her eyes on her fingers.

"Look, I know that I can come off a little strong sometimes and I've probably said and done things that you're not comfortable with. I get it."

Fiona shifted on the bed and propped herself up on her elbows so that she was facing Penelope.

"It's just...I've never been good at communicating my feelings..."

"Your...feelings..." Penelope repeated unsurely.

Fiona nodded in response.

"I'm not sure if you know—I mean, you probably don't, not many people do—but I came out as pan about a year ago."

Penelope's eyes widened slightly but she hoped that it wasn't noticeable, she didn't want to offend her, she was just surprised.

"I know that I've crossed the line sometimes when it came to your relationship but that's just because I've had a...a dumb school-girl crush on you. And Phoenix."