The Night School [GxG] [First Draft Edition]

Chapter Seventy-Eight: Change

"You're bisexual and I'm still gayer than you." The ex shook her head with an incredulous, amused smirk. "I think they're adorable." But she also have Grace that weird slow-motion gaze with that big something in it. It was sort of the same kind of sad Megan looked at me with. But I didn't trouble myself with figuring it out at that moment.

"Who's adorab-woah..." Grace's red headed friend and her boyfriend made their way into the nook.

"Grace, your girlfriend got a haircut..." The boyfriend gawked. Was it really that big a revelation?

"Gee, I hadn't noticed." Grace snorted, squeezing my leg gently. I have to admit, it made me feel really happy. And it also made me really want to kiss her senseless, but I couldn't do that. "So... You never told me why you were going to chop off all your hair." Grace prodded, and Micha adopted a scowl.

"Yeah, I was wondering about that too. I would think you've been growing it out since the last time it was cut; why go back on that now?" Micha studied me. She was right, as per the norm. And honestly, I had no idea. Maybe it was to make Grace pay attention to me even if we'd decided we'd have space. Maybe I wanted to start over. Maybe I wanted to remember who I had been (for an unknown other reason, seeing as I absolutely hated the person I had been). I don't know. And frankly, I could care less.

"Because I felt like it." I sighed.

"Right." Micha gave me a dubious stare that I ignored.

Suddenly, my phone started vibrating in my pocket, Megan's name buzzing in morse code onto my leg. I took my head off Grace's shoulder and sighed while I pressed my phone to my ear.

"Megan." I answered, glancing up at Micha to find her analytical eye pointed at me, and I was sure she was translating in her head.

"Hey. You busy?" She replied, paper shuffling in the background. You'd always hear moving papers, typing keys, mouse clicking, or coffee brewing when you were on the phone with Megan.

"No. Is this important?"

"Relatively."

"Okay." I sighed again and got to my feet, walking over to the art room and sealing myself inside so I wouldn't be overheard.

"So... Riley wants an update, a report on how your plans for local research, your first assignment started and panned and on her desk by Wednesday, a written note to the Director with feedback and scheduling..." She kept going and I started to lose interest. The art classroom was full of abstract paintings that I guessed were a sign of the unit the class was studying. I didn't understand them. Splashes of primary colors, of mismatched shapes and oddly combined secondary, tertiary, or complex pigments, even some collage work. I was sure Megan would have a field day interpreting their artistic expression and the deep metaphorical meaning of it all, but to me they just looked like stupid colors shoved together in hopes people would take it as art. Art confused me.

"Hazel? You still there?" Megan sighed, taking a long sip of her drink. "This is good coffee..." She muttered under her breath.

"How hard do you think it would be to protect her if we had an open relationship?" I mumbled my unknowingly spawned thoughts aloud. The art did make me think about Grace. She would probably understand it.

"Focus, Hazel-"

"I am! Maybe not on what I should be focused on but I can't help it..." I sighed. I was letting our separation affect me too deeply.

"Zel..." My sister breathed with exasperation and amusement. "I think you'd have to keep an eye on her. I would do what Micha does with Marley. Which would be hard for you to do now because of your hiatus. But when all's said and done, I expect no less."

"Okay... Is that all?" I leaned on the door frame.

"Yeah." She stated and then hung up. I sighed, shoving my phone away and rubbing my face.

Someone knocked on the door, and I was met with my favorite brown eyes when I opened it.

"Hey... You were gone for a while... I just wanted to see if you were okay." She smiled slightly, her cheeks tinted red.

"I'm fine. Just zoned out during my talk with Megan." I breathed, realizing Grace has no idea what I was saying. "Sorry. Yeah, I'm okay." We just stared at each other, neither wanting to leave, both knowing we shouldn't get closer even though we both knew we wanted to. "Do you understand these paintings?" I blurted just to keep her from eventually deserting me. She smiled. So I wanted to smile.

"Kinda. Do you not?"

"Not in the slightest. What is the point?" I scowled confusedly.

"My god, you're so cute..." She mumbled, "I mean, they're visual representations of emotions and stuff. Like you kinda feel the mood from the way they're painted or colored."

"Hm..."

"So..." She scratched her neck when we returned to quiet.

"Do you want to go out sometime this week?" I blabbed. I didn't mean to say it, I'd hardly considered it a viable thought, but now that I had I really, really wanted it.

"Huh?" Grace just gawked at me like I'd suggested casually that I'd become pregnant or something. "Did you just ask me out?"

"I did."

"Like on a date?"

"Sure."

"Outside? With other people around?"

"Unless you'd like to have it elsewhere."

"Not messing with me?"

"No."

"You're sure?"

"For fuck's sake, yes! Would you like to go on a date with me, surrounded by complete strangers who probably couldn't care less about our relationship?!" I rolled my eyes, crossing my arms. The burning on my face was getting annoying.

Grace practically shrieked and tackled me in a hug, her arms on my neck, and legs around my hips. I stood in shocked confusion for a moment before looping my arms around her ass to keep her from falling down.

"Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!" She nuzzled my neck affectionately and I didn't even try to fight the painfully wide smile on my face, nor the frenetic spasms of my heart. She suddenly smashed her lips against mine and pulled my face onto hers. I gasped at the abruptness, but quickly found myself responding with a fire to match.

**yellowwww so good news and bad news. Good news, we're quickly approaching the full fluffiness potential Grazel has (more or less...) bad news 1) I'm quickly running out of ideas 2) and this may be good news too were also approaching the end of the story and I'm uber excited to write the epilogue because well that's a secret. Love you all!