"What is that on your neck?!"
"What's that on yours?!" Marley and I greeted each other later that morning at my front door.
Apparently, I wasn't the only one whose girlfriend had left a -probably permanent- hickey -or twelve- on their neck -and shoulders, and jaw-, seeing as Marley was covered in purplish marks too.
"Wait. Grace." Marley smirked, took a step back, put her arms up to point at my neck, and nearly screamed "what are those?!" With a long 'O'. And then burst out laughing.
"You complete morin! What did Micha do to you?! Wait- just tell me if you're still a virgin- if you aren't do not tell me what happened and do not under any circumstances imitate any noises that you made!"
"Still virgin, woman, calm your tities!" Marley put her hands above her head. "So can I imitate those noises?" She grinned. I was about to get my megaphone and no-button her to death, but she cut me off. "Ah-ba-ba-ba! Did Hazel lay you? Pfft, if she did she must've been pretty bad in bed, seeing as you're still a stressed lune- but then again, sex or not, Hazel's Hazel." I lifted an eyebrow.
"You done?"
"Nope!" She popped the 'p'.
"Sucks to suck." Pause for effect, "no, I didn't sleep with her, you psycho!"
"Then give me details!"
"We just kissed!-... A lot... Fully clothed!" I blushed. Pull off the band-aid, Grace... "And I might have also become her girlfriend...?" Marley squealed and hugged me.
"Matza Toes, you idiot! You got a girlfriend outa her!"
"You. Are. Insane!" I was turning redder by the second. "And it's mazal tov, weirdo!"
"Grace has a girlfriend, Grace has a girlfriend!" Marley cheered.
"Okay- yes, but not publicly. Apparently it's against some N.S. Code."
"Bull. Micha is my girlfriend wherever I am!"
"Well, Micha's sister didn't stalk me." I rolled my eyes. I had Hazel explain it more to me on the phone while she went to some mission that had interrupted our- er- heated make out session. "How about you two? How far did you take it?" It was Marley's turn to turn beet red.
"Uh... We had pants on?" She tried to look chill, but her voice had gone up at least an octave.
"Between having pants on and doing the dirty, you get... Oh dear lord, ah! Bad mental images!" I shook my head. I did not need to imagine my best friend moaning as my other friend went down on her bare chest. Maybe it's hot to you, but gah! It burns my brain! Eww! Gross, gross, nasty, gross!
"And from the look on your face, I think you got it! Yay?" She wilted with embarrassment. Ugh, my poor Mar was too innocent for this- wait who am I kidding? As long as both give consent and don't give sperm, I honestly wouldn't be surprised or negative about them having sex. I'd just made fun of them and try to avoid all the nasty imagery. Gross.
"So... How was your time with Satin?" Marley redirected. And the blush was returned to me.
"Um... Good..."
"Oh! Right, speaking of things that will probably kill us- Tatiana is taking us out. We're going to go storm the mall." Marley smirked. "If I didn't get irked by your girlfriend I'd tell you to invite her. There are going to be changing rooms." She winked. I shivered at the mention of my girlfriend. I had a girlfriend now. And she was Hazel. My Hazel. Why did that feel so perfectly, wonderfully, addictively, and oh-so utterly wrong? Oh, it was. But was I going to end it? No. I craved her affections now more than ever.
"Woah, Gracie. Stop daydreaming. Your arousal is suffocating me." She pretended to be choking. I blushed.
"Oh shut up, Marley."
"Never!" She paused. "Hey, wanna put on real person clothes? I don't think your girlfriend would approve of you going into public without a bra." Marley poked one of my boobs. I swatted her away.
"Don't poke it!" I folded my arms over my chest to keep the Marleys away.
"I'd totally grope you right now if I didn't think Hazel would actually drown me in acid." She mused. "'Et's'a go!" She pulled me up to my room. I started looking through my clothes. Marley stole a white silky scarf to hide her Micha-marks, and complement her maroon knee-length dress. I went with a black tank and shorts, with my favorite rainbow scarf. I know Hazel said she liked my hickeys, but I really didn't want any more questions asked than the bare necessity.
"Cheese-its!" Marley shrieked when the doorbell went of as she was checking herself out in the mirror. "Ugh. I'm'a kill the woman for this!" Marley grumbled, going down to answer the door while I finished up.
"Hey, Ace! I'm coming in unless you're lacking clothing!" Ana shouted at me as she bounded up the stairs. "Holy shit- Grace, did you get laid?!" Oh, oops, I guess I forgot to put my scarf on yet.
"Wh-no!"
"Then the frickidy frackedy frick are those?!" She was poking my neck before I even saw her move.
"Don't poke them!" I snapped. Tatiana ignored me. "No poking me!"
"She got a girlfriend." Marley smirked, leaning in the doorway.
"Clearly a fan of marking her territory. Damn, girl." Tatiana was still gawking at the Hazel-prints on my neck.
I kinda realized that Hazel wanted people to know that anyone flirting with me would answer to a very possessive, very grumpy, and very dangerous girlfriend. The problem was that she simply wasn't allowed to say it bluntly. And if Hazel is anything like she's ever been, linguistic subtlety is far from her forte. And I'd be willing to bet she'll get pissed when anyone -hell, even Cael, Marley, or Robyn- talks to me. Tatiana, I swear, will probably end up the color of an eggplant by the end of the week. Hazel has shown particular loathing towards my ex.
"Imagine Hazel catches you making eye contact with Grace- or worse- talking to her! You'd be neck deep in shit before it even hit the fan." Marley voiced my thoughts.
"That's funny. Almost as funny as the fact that Grace will henceforth have a bubble that no one will enter in fear of her demonic girlfriend." Tatiana rolled her eyes. "The others are in the car. Prepare a soliloquy over how you ended up as Hazel's polka-dot chew toy." I snorted. As Marley snickered, Ana uttered "you too, MichaMeal." Before she strut out the door.
"Uhuh." Marley pouted, scratching her face with her middle finger. "Let's go before she has time to wind the others up."
"Others? Who else is coming?"
"Hazel, judging by the amount of action she just got. Enjoy that mental image, Grace." She smirked under her breath. I Gibbs-smacked the back of her head. "Violent. You, me, Ana, Robyn, Cael, and Micha's driving so this biatch is riding shotgun." She gestured to herself.
"If I see one suggestive look between the two of you, I will projectile vomit in your faces. That's a warning, not a threat. If you like vomit, feel free to eye fuck each other." I snorted as we made our way out to the car. Tatiana'd gotten there first, so Robyn and Cael were pretty much falling out the door to greet us.
"Marley! Your girlfriend is covered in hickeys!" "What are those?!" Robyn and her veggie blabbed instantly. Cael made the same reference as Marley had done to me. Go figure.
"Hey everyone! Look at Grace!" Marley shouted as she used the door and hopped into the passenger seat.
"Grace... The actual Fock did Hazel do to you?" Micha stated calmly, looking at me through the rear view mirror. Damn. My scarf must've slipped a little.
"Holy shit, Grace- what happened to your neck?!" "Are those hickeys?!" Cael and his innocent little red head exclaimed.
"I'mstillavirginHazel'smygirlfriend." I blabbed. Great, now I'd have to repeat. But first, I drew my scarf up above the hickeys.
"Grace and her girlfriend had some free time." Marley smirked. Great. My best friend is so very helpful, is she not?
...She's not!
"What?!" The only not gay couple screamed.
"Damn. I owe people money." Micha grumbled. "I thought it would take way longer."
"How long?" Marley giggled.
"Never." She shrugged. "What went down?"
"Stuff that Hazel would probably strangle me if I blabbed." I blushed, but tried to hide it with a shrug. "Honestly, we were just talking and one thing led to another and we got on talking about what we were and now I'm covered in hickeys." I muttered.
"Hard to imagine Hazel doing anything like that- being your girlfriend, I mean." Robyn put in. Micha tossed me a glance, but the two in the front decided better of questioning.
"I guess..." I really needed to defend her, and it killed me to think that I couldn't. I just wasn't able to tell them why she was in such a mood- they just wouldn't get it, and I hated arguing with my friends, let alone keeping secrets about something- someone- like Hazel.
"I don't really understand you two. Hazel seems to piss you off quicker than Marley sometimes, and she sometimes acts like you're all that's wrong with the world. I'm not trying to get in the way, but, being a concerned friend, I have to wonder why you stick around. Do you trust her that much? I don't know, she gives me a weird vibe." Cael voiced cautiously.
"No worries, I understand. You're right, but I figure that if she's willing to try this... She seems like she's been putting in an effort lately, and I want to see how it could turn out." I scratched my neck.
"Guys, let her breathe, I don't remember you interrogating her this badly when I started dating her. Give the girl some time to come to terms with her decision before you all jump on her case." Tatiana asserted while still maintaining some sympathy.
"Sorry, Grace. I'm just curious and honestly, kind of worried about you. I just want to make sure you're not in over your head." Cael gave me his puppy dog eyes. I smiled at him and gave him an affectionate punch.
"It's fine." I added.
"Let's put on music." Marley chirped while turning on the radio.
...
"What's the game plan?" Robyn giggled as she leapt out of Micha's van.
"I figure it's eleven now, so let's go do whatevs and then we meet up at Good Witch Froyo at noon?" Ana answered.
"Why not go as a group?" Cael pouted.
"Sure. I wanted to hit The Grotto-" our favorite tea shop "-Skyline-" our favorite place to browse clothes, "-Grandma's Cookie Hut-" gee I wonder, "-and I'm taking Ace to The Underground." My eyes widened. Uh. No! The Underground was basically a local version of Victoria's Secret that some small town fashion designer from the area owned.
"I'm going to the Underground with Ana! No way am I missing this!" Marley laughed at me.
"Good plan by me." Micha smirked.
"While you four gay and Ana it up in the Underground, Cael and I will hit the couch shop next door." Robyn mused. "I don't care too much for Grace's underwear and I'm not letting this dork loose in there." Micha lifted an eyebrow.
"Last time Marley dragged us there, I thought the lingeries were casual dresses." Cael scratched his neck.
"Let's not even mention the clam incident." Marley gave a demonic grin.
"Never speak of it!" Cael hid behind Robyn. "I'm not a lesbian! The hell would I get the reason why there was a random cat, sitting on an open clam, on a shirt! I thought it was a New England joke!"
"Actually? Damn. Nice catch, Robyn." Micha snorted. I barfed in my mouth. I didn't like the Underground. I mean, the owner was really nice, and a lesbian, but when she offers to help me pick out clothes, even in just a friendly way, it gets awkward.
"I know." Robyn purred. "I got the shirt to tease him. If any of you lesbos want it, I'm never wearing it in public. Now let's get going!"
...
First, we went by the clothes shop- where I'm pretty sure I heard Marley and Micha making out in the changing room - naturally I flung panties at them over the door and told them to keep their pants on.
Then we went to the cookie place and got giant cookies, and now I was making Micha try every tea sample there was in the Grotto.
"What's this?" Micha sniffed the sample cup of spice tea I gave her.
"Really good." I answered when someone caught my attention out of the corner of my eye.
Black hair, familiar figure. The odd thing was, she was being held around the waist by an unfamiliar guy and- to make it weirder- her hair was down and she wasn't wearing any obvious clothing but a pale blue strapless dress that exposed a cream colored -but clear- back.
**DUN DUN DUN. :) love y'all.