Dedication to @BadLandsCliffo for their wonderful words I came across in the comments section. I felt like everyone needed to see this!
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chapter twenty six
THE WEEK WENT BY INCREDIBLY SLOW; probably because I haven't seen May since Sunday night. Also, probably because all the talk of me being gay spread around school and no one would leave me alone. It was annoying and unnecessary. Now I just get mad whenever someone comes up to me and asks me about it. Half the time I don't even know their name, so I'm not really sure how they know me.
I sighed as I shoved my hands into my pockets and walked down the street with Julia by my side. No one has really found out that she slept with Mason; she broke up with Chad before things got out of hand. I don't even think Chad knows the real reason she broke it off. She just said that she told him "it's not you, it's me."
It's all a little ridiculous, I know.
"Want to stop in the Starbucks over there?" Julia pointed her finger down the street. I looked at the popular coffee shop and nodded my head.
"Sure." I replied.
When we got inside, the line practically looped around two tables. Who knew that the busiest time to buy coffee was at four in the afternoon? Kind of strange, if you ask me, but I'm one of the people to be contributing to this weird time.
I ordered a vanilla bean frappuccino and Julia ordered a java chip frappuccino. We sat down with our drinks in the corner of the store and just took a few minutes to sip it and look out the window.
We were still a little new at this 'awkward friendship' thing. Some things are the same from before, but it's been so long that I've forgotten how we used to fit. I'm still self cautious around her and I'm afraid that I'll do something stupid again and she'll run away even farther than last time.
I know I won't kiss her again, though. I already have someone else I'm kissing.
"What'd you get on Mr Jacobson's test?" Julia's big eyes peered out from behind her straw. I set my drink down and crossed my right leg over the left.
"An A minus." I answered. Her entire jaw dropped which caused me to chuckle a little. "What?" I smiled, "What'd you get?" I picked up my drink again.
"I got a C!" She erupted loudly. I looked around to see if anyone was bothered by her loud voice, but no one seemed to be glaring in our direction. "What the hell - I thought everyone got a bad grade on that test."
"An A minus is kind of bad..." I trailed off and took a sip of my cold drink.
"Are you kidding me?" She laughed, "An A minus is amazing; I'd even kill to have a B minus." She sat back in her chair and sipped her drink. I smiled at her before I set my phone on the table and saw that I had a few text messages. I set my drink down and picked up my phone.
I responded to my mom to let her know where I was and smiled when I opened up May's texts.
May Parker: 911 my dad is trying to bake a cake!!!!
Ashley James: why a cake?
May Parker: bc our neighbors brought us cookies and he thinks we owe them!! he doesn't know how to cook OH BRB something fell it might've been my dad
I smiled and shook my head before I locked my phone and put it back down on the table. Oh, May Parker. She is something else, but I like it. I like it a lot.
"Who are you texting?"
"Oh, just a friend." I replied and picked up my drink. When I looked up at her, her eyebrows were raised which made me stop in my tracks.
"Just a friend?" She smiled, "That doesn't sound like 'just a friend' to me." She made some kind of face that read I-know-exactly-what-I'm-talking-about and then sat up in her seat. "Care to share?" She smirked.
I smiled and bit my tongue. I really don't know if I can trust Julia with this kind of stuff, but if she came to me and apologized for her behavior during the party, surely she accepts me now, right? I took a deep breath and finally met my eyes with hers.
"It's nothing, really." I shook my head and waved my hand. "It's just this girl named May that I've been talking to."
"Ah." Julia nodded her head. It was silent for a few long seconds before she put her drink down and opened her mouth, "What's it like?" She cleared her throat, "I mean, like, what's it like to like a girl?"
"Um." I gulped. "It's the same way you'd like a boy." I tried to explain. "There's really not that much of a difference." I shrugged and sipped my drink.
"Huh." Julia nodded her head and then went onto her phone. I looked down at mine resting on the table and saw a few more texts from May and my mom.
Mom: *attachment* Do you like this dress?
Ashley James: For what? You? It might be a little short...
Mom: No! For you. For the wedding next weekend. Do you think you'd wear it?
Oh, my God. I completely forgot about my cousins wedding! I was going to invite Mason, but then, well, that didn't work out. Maybe May would want to come? Hopefully she'd be able to on such short notice. It's next week for crying out loud.
"Oh, my God." Julia groaned. I looked up from my phone. "Look at what Kyla sent me." She flipped her phone around and brought it right in front of my face as I squinted my eyes.
It was some kind of weird picture that I couldn't exactly make out. Something crazy was going on - I could only see a few heads in the background because the photo was so dark.
"Isn't it crazy?" Julia chuckled. I raised my eyebrows and nodded my head; pretending that I actually knew what the picture was. Julia retreated her arm and smiled at her phone.
We were quiet for a few more minutes. I was trying to think of something to tell Julia to get me out of Starbucks without it sounding too much like a lie.
"Hey..." I spoke softly without even knowing what I was going to say next. Julia looked up from her phone. "Um, my mom needs me to... do something." I coughed; trying to cover the lie.
"Oh, okay." She sat back in her chair and smiled.
Wow, she really bought that.
"I'll see you later, yeah?" The smile remained on her face. I smiled and nodded my head as I gathered my stuff and stood up.
"Yeah, definitely." I answered. She stood up as well and hugged me super quick before we bid our goodbyes and I was on my way.
I found myself smiling when I walked out of Starbucks and down the street.
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
I laid my head down on May's lap and cleared my throat as I turned all my attention to the television. We were watching Sixteen Candles because May practically forced it upon me. When I said I had never seen it, she immediately put it on and told me to 'be quiet or else'.
Little tiny butterflies flew around in my stomach as soon as May's fingertips brushed through my hair. I was having a hard time paying attention; her touch was too distracting.
When her fingers lightly brushed the skin below my hairline and on my neck, I practically shivered. I don't know why, but I had to bite my bottom lip from doing something stupid. What would be so stupid; I'm not sure. I guess I'd just have to wait and see.
When the movie finally ended, I turned in my position so I was looking up at her. She smiled down at me and confined to play with my hair.
"Did you like it?" She asked. I hummed in response and closed my eyes. I almost forgot she was asking about the movie - I was too invested in her touch.
"Hey, May?" I whispered.
"Yes, Ashley James?" I could hear the hint of a smile in her voice, which made me smile.
"Do you want to go to a wedding with me?" I opened my eyes and smiled even bigger when I caught a glimpse of her dimple.
"Well," she chuckled, "we're a little young for that."
"No, silly." I shook my head and laughed. She did, too, so I knew she was obviously kidding. "My cousin is having a wedding and I want you to come." I smiled. "It's next weekend."
My cheeks are starting to hurt; I can't stop smiling when I'm around May.
"Sure." May smiled. "I'd love to come."
"Yay." I smiled so big I could barely see out my eyes.
I started to sit up, but May took me by surprise as she wrapped her arms around my stomach and dragged me backwards so I was sitting on her lap. I blushed and took a deep breath before I connected my eyes with hers.
"I have one question, though." She said. I couldn't even open my mouth to say anything, I was so nervous to be so close to her. "Am I going as your friend or as your date?"
I smiled and decided to take an extremely brave move - I moved my right leg in between us and then settled with both of my legs on either side of her body as I wrapped my hands around her neck. My heart was racing and I felt all the blood rush to my cheeks in the matter of seconds.
I cleared my throat and breathed in deeply through my nose.
"As my date." I smiled, which caused her to as well. "If that's okay, I mean-"
"It's perfect." May smiled as she put her hands on both of my thighs and slowly leaned forward. I fluttered my eyes closed and waited for our lips to meet, but instead I felt her kiss at my jawline.
I gasped when she made her way down my neck and then back up as our lips met. I smiled in the kiss and moved my hands up from her neck and into her hair as I tried to deepen it even more.
I have the biggest crush on May Parker. I really, really, really like her. A lot. Maybe a little too much.
She grabbed my waist and slowly moved the both of us to the right as my entire body hit the back of the couch and she hovered above me. We broke apart for a moment to get a breath of air, and that's when I smiled so big I thought I was going to burst. This girl...
We were about to kiss again, but there was a loud bang coming from upstairs.
"What was that?" I smiled; out of breath.
"I think my dad fell again." She laughed. May rolled off of me and grabbed my hand. "Come on! I want you to meet him!" She practically dragged me off of the couch and up the stairs. We stopped halfway through the staircase, which took me by surprise, so I looked up at her with furrowed eyebrows.
"What?" I smiled.
"Can I introduce you as my friend or my girlfriend?" She looked down at me with such happiness that it basically transferred over to me. I was filled with so much happiness right now.
"Girlfriend would be nice." My entire body filled with flutters.
"Okay, good." She smiled and gave me a quick peck on the lips before we rushed back up the stairs.
Oh, my God. May Parker is my girlfriend and I'm hers, too.
No one in the world could ever wipe the smile off my face.
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
AHHHHHHHH!!! MY TWO BABIES ARE OFFICIAL!
Sorry this chapter took so long to put up today - I had to go to someone's house to watch the game but the Seahawks didn't even win (honestly why were we playing so badly??????????) but the Patriots lost so I'm happy.
How is everyone's Winter Break going? Anything special?
I'll see you guys next Sunday! (Also updates may get a little funky because Summer Intensive auditions are coming up (for ballet) and I'm going to be auditioning for places on Saturday's and Sunday's (which are my days to write) so we'll see if I can keep up!)
I'm not sure when this book will be over, but I know it'll be soon (sadly)! I'm going to cry when it's over.
Love you guys!