Lyra
"What else do you think we could add?" I asked, turning my laptop to Sasha.
She slid it across the blanket, placing it on her lap as she quickly scrolled through the page.
"I think that's enough," She laughed. "Save some for prom."
I took my laptop back before putting the file on a usb drive and pulling it out of my laptop. "Can you give this to West when you see him in Psych?"
Sasha nodded, slipping it into her bag. "He's doing the music?"
I nodded. "Hopefully he doesn't completely ruin it and add sports videos to the entire thing."
"Dick move. Dick moves call for action. If he does, we can fill his car with sweaty socks or something."
I laughed, "The boys can fill his car."
"Our boyfriends have been basically useless up until this very point."
The dance was only a week away, and we were slowly preparing. The next week, the gym would turn into a spring wonderland.
Charlotte convinced both of us to help with set up the dance, Sasha had no problem helping set up. She was more than happy to paint a few things and make the gym look far better than ever imagined.
She was able to make and decorate anything she wanted, while I was helping with the set up and making a slideshow of some of the year so far.
The year only had a few short weeks until we would graduate from high school. Until we would be able to officially start our lives. We officially were able to move to our own place, with our boyfriends. And we were crafting a plan to get a kitten.
Not that that would take much for either of them to be convinced.
Men were easy to convince.
If they weren't, you just had to get them in bed.
"What are we naming her?"
"We're going to have to get two. They're not going to be able to share a cat once they get used to her."
"True." I grinned. "Names?"
"I want a ragdoll. I'd probably name her Lily."
"I want any of them."
"You don't have a specific kind?"
"We could get sisters."
"They'd be hot cat dads."
"We could take them to the pet store first. They can't say no to us if we're there."
Genius.
Sasha was absolutely genius.
River wasn't going to say no anyway, if he did, I would just ask Miranda- who would most definitely say yes to me us getting twin rescues.
Well, we hoped they'd be rescues.
"Baby?" I said making River's head snap over to me.
We were helping Sasha make decorations for the dance in our kitchen, while I was also baking for us.
"Yeah?"
"Can I get a kitten when we move?"
"You're asking me if you can get a kitten?" He raised a brow at me. "Is Sasha in on it? Is that why they've been getting more supplies for so long?"
"No." I shook my head, trying to hide my smile. "If that were the case-"
"As long as it's a boy."
"God, no. We're getting sisters."
"Knew it. You two are always planning and scheming together."
"Please?" I batted my long lashes at him.
"I'm not taking care of her."
"You don't have to, but I know you will. She'll be ours."
He held my hips as he smiled. "Ours?"
I nodded. "It'll be our kitten."
"What names do you have in mind for our kitten?"
It soundly godly leaving his lips. The way our kitten rolled off his tongue made me weak. It was so normal, and mundane, yet it made my heart feel so lively.
"I haven't decided yet."
"I suppose we have to get the kitten first."
"You'd be a really hot cat dad," I told him, as the timer for the cookies rang through the kitchen abruptly.
I slipped from him arms and grabbed the pan from the oven, letting the cookies cool on the top of the oven.
"We could get a dog. I'd be a hot dog dad."
I scrunched up my nose. "No. Every boy has a dog. They're hotter with cats."
"My girl has spoken. Cats only."
"You're being trained well."
"You're far better than my coaches, Ly." He turned around the flower he was painting. "Is that suitable for Princess Sasha?"
I couldn't help but laugh. "That's how she showed you."
Sasha was particular. She didn't want River and Teddy to do a shit job or slack off on the decorations.
She had already made a number of threats, showing River exactly how the flowers were supposed to look like once they were painted.
It wasn't much, he just had to paint the centre pink, following the lines sketched out on the decoration.
"Careful, she'll put you on glitter duty."
Kol was on glitter duty. Charlotte put him in charge of all things glitter. He had pissed her off earlier this week, which was rare, but it was enough for her to stick him with everything that had to do with glitter.
Becoming friends with Charlotte had been a pleasant surprise for both Sasha and I. The only downside was Kol was around far more than he was before. But now he was at least tolerable - majority of the time at the very least.
Everytime I saw Kol this week, he had glitter stuck to his face or hands, or clothes. Somehow getting on his hockey uniform as well.
"You're not letting her put me with glitter. I've watched Kol scrub his hands, that shit doesn't come off, Baby."
"You better home my dresses aren't covered in glitter."
"I didn't say that." He put his hands up. "I'll gladly spend seven weeks trying to get glitter off me and all my stuff because of you."
"Good. I'll think about adding glitter."
"Use my card for the alterations, or whatever it's called to get that shit on it."
One of his absolute favourite phrases was 'use my card'.
"You know Sasha and I are using your card to furnish the apartment, right?"
"I'd hope. If you use Teddy's I'll be pissed."
"Let's go, River!" I screamed as Sasha and I jumped up and down on the side lines.
River stopped just after mid court, looking for an opening as a boy slightly shorter than River guarded him.
He spotted Teddy unguarded and threw it to him.
Teddy caught it as the other team all tried to get it. Teddy immediately took his shot, the ball rolling around the rim for a couple seconds until it fell in, bouncing against the gym floor before half of the crowd erupted in cheers and clapping.
Teddy just got them into the final three play off games before the championship.
They were so close to not getting it, the game being in over time while the score was tied.
As soon as they shook hands with the other team, I bolted for River. Searching for him among the floor of tall basketball players.
I found his grey eyes and they lit up.
I ran over to him, throwing my arms around him.
River's arms wrapped tightly around my body, lifting me off the ground. "Hey, Baby."
"I'm so proud of you. I'm so so proud of you."
He grinned before he pressed his lips against mine. "Thank you for coming."
I squeezed him tightly, nuzzling my face into his neck. "You guys did it."
"You're my good luck charm. I wouldn't win without you being around, Baby."
Being his girlfriend and watching him play each game with such passion and drive made me more in love with him. The way he looked for me after each game made the butterflies in my stomach act up.
I was so proud of him, I always was. He always made me proud of him.
River's fingers intertwined with mine as he brought my hand up to his lips, kissing the back of my hand.
"No party announcement?"
"You're my party. My alcohol. My drug. A night with you is far better than another night drinking. Do you really want to clear out my house at two in the morning?"
"I figured we'd use Teddy's house."
"That way we can just go home. My girl's smart." He grinned. "Do you want a party?"
"Do you?"
"Not tonight," he shook his head. "I just want to be with you."
"Do you remember the gap year we were talking about?" Sasha asked me when both Teddy and River left the kitchen.
After the game, we picked up pizza and came back to Teddy's house. The boys were headed for the showers though, giving Sasha a chance to bring this up.
It was something we haven't talked about since Christmas break. Neither of us had brought it up again, instead planning our year much differently.
"I do."
"I still want to travel." She confessed. "I don't want to go to school in the city next year. I'd rather travel and make art."
I let out a small sigh of relief. "As much as I want to live with the boys, I want that gap year too."
Sasha and I both stared at each other.
"Lyra." She whispered. "They're going to hate us."
"Don't say that." I shook my head. "They're not going to be mad."
"What if we spend the summer travelling? Decide from there. We'll still enroll, and if we decide to go, we go. If not, we will travel."
"We're going to have to talk to them."
I nodded. I was worried what River would say, how he would feel towards the idea or situation. Maybe this would cause him to hate me again.
That made my heart ache. I didn't want him to think I was taking his friends away from him again.
Part of me thought he may dump me if I was going to travel. It would be long distance, something I don't know we were capable of.
I wouldn't want anyone else, but it's hard to say for River. And that was fair. It wasn't fair of me to act as if I should expect him to want anything to do with me or wait for me if I up and left for a year to travel with Sasha.
I would never ask him to come with me. He was going to get a full ride, he would have a professional career in basketball or football. That wouldn't last forever, and the window would dwindle.
Sasha was safe, Teddy was absolutely devoted to her. He would wait a million years for her. He would fly across the world just to surprise her.
Guilt started to consume me.
I was wasting River's time. I was a selfish girlfriend. I was a selfish person.
"Everything okay?" Sasha asked, squeezing my hand gently.
"Perfectly." I gave her a small smile.
"What's wrong?"
"I don't think River and I could do long distance."
Her brows creased together before her eyes widened in surprise. "You are literally the first person he looks for in a crowded room, Lyra. River physically needs to be around you daily, he has to be touching you whenever he's near you. It is impossible for him to not touch you when you're in the small room."
"Sasha, I'm serious."
"As am I. Your relationship is built the way mine is. He loves you far more than I could imagine him loving someone. You don't have to talk to him alone."
"He just agreed to a kitten, Sash."
"You can get the kitten when we return, if we decide to travel. Do not revolve your life around a man, no matter who that man is or how much he means to you."
"I guess we don't have to do it alone."
"Do you think Teddy will be mad?" Her question surprised me.
Sasha and Teddy didn't get mad at each very often, especially not over matters like that. I couldn't image Teddy being upset with her.
"No," I told her. "Defenity not. I think he'd pick up and leave with you."
Which wasn't something she wanted.
"I don't think River's going to be mad at you, if it matters. He worships the ground you walk on. You don't see the way he looks at you. If anything, he'd have his ticket booked ten minutes after the conversation." She passed. "Actually, I'd give it less than four."
Her words brought a smile to my lips. "Not something I'd want. He has his own dreams."
When the boys found us, Sasha and I were cuddled up next to each other on the couch in the basement. We had one of her fluffy blankets wrapped around us.
We were watching a random comedy we have seen multiple times as River sat next to me.
He moved close against me. "You look comfy."
"You're intruding."
"My bad." He chuckled.
I pulled away from Sasha as she moved to cuddle with Teddy, her head on his chest, his arm wrapped around her.
I cleaned back to him and his arms snuck around me. "I brought you a snack." He pull out a package of gummies from his front pocket in his hoodie.
"I love you." I pecked his cheek before taking the foil packaging from him, and tearing it open. As the overly sweet, fruity scent filled my nostrils.
"Enough to share?"
"You didn't grab your own?" I held the package out to him.
"I suppose not."
I rolled my eyes. "Take one."
"I love you too," he grinned and took a gummy.
"I have little doubt you didn't."