Charlotte's POV
"I'm open!" I exclaimed, waving my mitt vigorously as my dad cocked his arm, preparing to throw. My hair was in pigtails and I was wearing the yellow flower dress my mom had bought me for my 8th birthday. As I ran back and forth, I could feel the spring breeze hit my face. If I closed my eyes, for a moment it felt like I was flying.
"You're a funny girl Char!" my dad called back. "Who else would I throw to?" he asked as he gave me a soft, under-hand pass that landed directly into my mitt. Dad never threw the ball hard. He didn't want to risk hurting me. "Nice catch!" he shouted, causing me to smile with pride. When I was with my dad I felt mature, like an adult. Unlike my mother, he always treated me like one of his friends, an equal.
After a few more throws, my dad held the ball in his hands. "I think it's time for dinner Char," he suggested. "We don't want to make 'the Moms' angry," he added with a wink.
"Awww," I said sadly, finally caving-in to follow him towards our house.
We walked quietly down the gravel path that led from the park to our street. "I have a feeling great things are coming for you," my dad stated suddenly, breaking the comfortable silence between us. "You're a trooper, Char. And good things come for people who never give up." He began to playfully rub my head.
"Stop Dad," I protested, laughing as he proceeded to mess up the hair my mom had spent hours doing that morning.
Lemon's POV
I was awoken by a quiet sound next to me. I accepted that I wasn't going to get much sleep that night. The floor was not the most ideal location for resting, but there was no way I was going to sleep in my soft bed while Charlotte spent the night on my bedroom floor.
The noise persisted. Listening, I realized Charlotte had begun talking in her sleep. I sat up, turning to see Charlotte huddled in my bed, clutching my pillow fiercely to her chest.
"Dad..." she whispered. At that moment, my heart broke a little for her. I couldn't imagine what she was going through with her mom's surgery and her dad's sudden return home. Charlotte continued to toss and turn in her sleep.
Quietly, I got up and made my way to the bed, sitting on the edge beside her. I brushed a couple dark strands of hair from her face. As I did it, I realized her face was wet with tears. Her expression was slightly contorted in a look of distress that I interpreted as heartache.
What I was about to do next was a bit crazy, but it just seemed to feel right at the moment. Slowly, I got underneath the bed covers and curled up beside her. She immediately stopped squirming, and was soon sleeping peacefully. Charlotte had gotten used to sleeping next to Will. Despite how small my bed was and how close Charlotte and I were to each other, I was instantly overcome by fatigue, and drifted off next to the love of my life.
Charlotte's POV
I was immediately awoken by the sound of voices downstairs. I was surprised to see Lemon sleeping beside me. I smiled to myself. She looked so peaceful when she slept.
Suddenly to my horror, I heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Shit. I scanned Lemon's room, desperately searching for a means of escape. The window caught my eye. No way I'm doing that again.
"Lu Lu Lemon! Wake up, or I'm coming to wake you up myself!" Lemon's dad shouted from not far away, surprising me so much that I slipped of the bed and fell on my butt, waking Lemon up in the process. Her expression changed from disorientation to alarm.
"Oh my gosh! Charlotte hide!" Lemon exclaimed with a panicked whisper. I ran to the closet, closing it seconds before Lemon's father entered the bedroom.
"I'm up!" Lemon announced to him, sitting up quickly. "No need to come wake me up yourself," she laughed nervously.
"Well, okay," Lemon's dad replied with a hint of confusion in his voice. "You good Lemon? You're acting strange."
"Me? No!" she responded frantically. "But actually, yes. You're right, I am acting weird. You know why? Because I am sick, so sick..." Lemon paused, searching for words. "With the flu! I think I have influenza!"
"Okay then sweetheart," her father replied doubtfully. "I'll be up in a few minutes with a thermometer. You sure you're not just trying to get out of going to school today?"
"No, not at all! I love school," Lemon said, nearly choking over her words.
"Sure you do," he answered suspiciously. "I'll be back in a bit," he promised, walking out of the room finally.
I quickly stumbled out of the closet. Lemon's panicked expression suddenly turned sly. "I see you've finally decided to come out of the closet."
"Ha ha," I replied sarcastically, throwing a pillow at her. How could he not notice the makeshift bed right in front of him?
As if she could read my mind, she responded, "My dad has a way of noticing everything but also nothing at the same time. It's kind of like a superpower." I laughed.
"What are you going to do, are you actually sick?"
"No!" Lemon said laughing. "Now get out of the way so I can pour hot water on my face!" As she ran to the bathroom, I could hear Lemon's dad approaching for the second time. I sought refuge in the closet once again.
"Your mom just left for work. You sure you're sick?" her dad asked again, as Lemon stumbled out of the bathroom.
"100%," she replied. "Now give me that thermometer." A few moments later, the device beeped loudly.
"Holy cow, 103.4 Lemon. Maybe you really do have the flu," her dad said, stunned. "Should I take the day off to make sure you're okay?"
"No!" Lemon blurted loudly. "I mean no thank you, I think I'll be okay. I can take care of myself now," she added with feigned innocence.
"Alright fine," Lemon's dad finally gave in. "I'll be back in 12 hours. Call me if anything changes, promise?"
"Of course!" Lemon replied, coughing uncontrollably as he exited the room and out the door.
I cautiously walked out of the closet. "Wow, you're really good at this," I said with genuine amazement.
"It's from years of practice," Lemon responded, grinning. "Have you never skipped school just for the sake of it before?"
"No," I answered truthfully. Any school I missed, I'd have to make up later instead of taking care of Will or working.
Lemon looked at me incredulously, "Well buckle up Charlotte Black, because today we are going to skip school for the first time in your life!"
I looked at her doubtfully. "You sure this a good idea?"
"Definitely, have you seen 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off?' It'll be exactly like that!" she announced excitedly. "I'll be Ferris and you can be his buddy Cameron!"
"Doesn't Cameron get caught in the end?" I asked.
Lemon ignored me. "Now where's a good place to ditch school in the state of Washington?" she inquired thoughtfully. Lemon's eyes suddenly widened. "The Space Needle!" she stated. "I am taking you to the Space Needle."
"Okay?" I said, still unsure. "Isn't that like 2 hours away from here?"
"That's why we have to go now!" she exclaimed. "We'll take your Range Rover. Come on Charlotte, let's have fun for the first time in your life!"
"I am fun," I muttered under my breath as Lemon practically skipped down the stairs with grand exuberance. Seeing how happy she was, I just couldn't bring myself to say no.
...
As we drove through the Washington countryside, I failed to suppress my growing regret for my confrontation with my father earlier. I had let my anger and hurt from years of abandonment get the best of me. I had even yelled at my mother, something I never did. I could feel my mom's disappointment as I was running away. She'd always taught me never to run from my problems. But as I stared out the dusty window to the grassy fields beyond, I realized I was actually doing my family a favor by not being there right now. My mom didn't need anymore stress in her life.
Lemon, who was driving, must have noticed my expression. "You okay Charlotte?"
"Yeah," I said, trying to fake a smile. "All good." In response, Lemon casually put her hand on my thigh, making my heart stop for a second. I cleared my throat awkwardly. "So what exactly do you have planned for our day-cation?" I asked.
"I was thinking we'd first go to my favorite place in the entire world, MoPOP."
"What?"
...
Despite my constant inquiries, Lemon refused to answer me, stating it was going to be "a surprise." But as we approached the strange structure, my original prediction that Lemon's favorite destination was a popcorn store was immediately blown to dust. I stared in amazement at the building before me, my mouth ajar in utter shock.
Lemon laughed at my reaction. "Welcome to the Museum of Pop Culture, my favorite place in the whole world."
As we explored the impressive exhibits, I quickly realized why this was Lemon's favorite destination. There were exhibitions on music, video games, horror movies, science fiction, and tattoos. Tattoos!
"I think I'm in love," I whispered under my breath, gazing up at a particularly intricate tattoo design.
"Me too," Lemon replied. I felt the heat rise in my face as I realized she was looking at me now. "Come here!" she said suddenly, grabbing my hand enthusiastically which was sweatier than I'd prefer. "I have something I need to show you."
Lemon led me into a smaller room lit by a single bulb. I held in a gasp as I realized we were surrounded by a vast variety of musical instruments, ranging from ukuleles to harps. There were over 200, at least.
"Welcome to the Sound Lab," Lemon stated.
"This is amazing," I exclaimed. "Are we allowed?"
Lemon smiled at me. "Of course," she reassured me, walking to a guitar propped on the wall. She carefully picked it up and began to tune it. Her fingers strummed the steel strings like a professional. It was obvious she had played the guitar many times before. She took a deep breath. Closing her eyes, Lemon began to play the first verse of "Perfect" by Ed Sheeran.
I instantly felt myself get lost within the music. Lemon had the prettiest voice in the world. It was soft and silky, and reminded me of Lana Del Rey. I wanted to join in, but I couldn't sing for the life of me. As Lemon approached the final chorus, I heard her voice catch, realizing she was crying. She strummed the final chord, slowly opening her eyes to look at me. She smiled through her tears.
I exhaled, "Wow. That was truly amazing Lemon. I didn't know you could sing."
Lemon looked down suddenly. "This is the first time I've played the guitar in years. I used to have jam sessions with my sister, Catherine. She played the piano." By the pained look in her eyes, I could tell that something awful must have happened. "She died a few years ago at University. She overdosed."
I walked over to Lemon, taking her hand in mine. "I'm so sorry. She sounds like an extraordinary person. I'm sure you miss her so much."
"I do," Lemon replied sadly. "Sometimes I feel like if she could see me now, she would be disappointed in who I've become. She always told me to be confident and own any room with my presence." Lemon met my eyes. "I'll never be half as good as she was."
"What are you talking about? You're the most impressive person I've ever met," I pulled her into a tight hug. "She would be so proud of the beautiful woman you've become. You know how I know that?"
"How?" Lemon asked, looking up at me.
"Because I love you," I stated finally. "So much."
"Thank you," Lemon whispered in my arms.
We stayed there for a while, holding each other in silence. I wished for this moment to last forever.
...
Lemon's POV
Despite being over 500 feet above the ground, I felt at home with Charlotte sitting across from me.
"Thank God I'm not afraid of heights," she said laughing. "This is by far the craziest restaurant I've ever been to."
Sitting inside the Space Needle at a glass table surrounded by a bird's eye view of Seattle, I had to agree with her. Never in my wildest dreams could I have predicted sharing this experience with Charlotte Black.
As I ate my favorite dish of all time, mac and cheese, I saw something that made my heart stop. My Chemistry teacher, Mrs. Beasley, was sitting at a table a couple feet from me and Charlotte. What was even crazier was the fact that there was a woman sitting across from her. They were holding hands.
"Psst, Charlotte," I whispered, trying to be as discreet as possible. "Look behind you."
As Charlotte turned to look back, her stunned expression said it all. "No way! What is she doing here on a school day? And who the heck is that?"
"Does this mean Mrs. Beasley is..."
"A lesbian?" Charlotte continued my thought. "Never in my wildest dreams could I imagine Mrs. Beasley liking girls. I can't even comprehend that the woman has a life outside of torturing her students."
I laughed in agreement. "What should we do now? Should we run while we can?"
"I think I'm going to go talk to her," Charlotte stated. I laughed, thinking she was joking, but I immediately stopped, realizing she was in fact dead serious.
"You can't do that!" I exclaimed. "We'll get in trouble for ditching school!"
"So will she," Charlotte smirked. "For taking an unauthorized leave of absence to go spend time with her bae."
"You've got to be kidding me," I responded with disbelief. "You can't be serious."
To my horror, Charlotte got up from our table and proceeded to walk towards the teacher and her table mate. I followed awkwardly behind her.
As Charlotte approached their table, Mrs. Beasley looked up. She was surprisingly not surprised to see us.
"Hello you two," she said with uncharacteristic friendliness. "Decided to take a day off from the trouble and toils of the classroom?" She pointed at Charlotte good-naturedly. "No offense, but you look like you could use a break. I'm glad your friend got the nerve to finally ask you out."
This was extremely bizarre to watch. Mrs. Beasley seemed like a whole new person. How could she not care that we were skipping school?
Charlotte seemed surprised as well. "First of all, how do you know we're together?" she asked in amazement. "Also, what are you even doing here? I thought you had a class to teach."
Mrs. Beasley remained unperturbed. "I could tell you were together the second you guys walked in this place. The chemistry between you two is undeniable. Also, Lemon you're not the best when it comes to hiding your feelings. You practically drooled all over Charlotte every single day of class last year." I could feel the heat rising in my face. Though she seemed different, Mrs. Beasley's desire to embarrass me still remained. "Just like the both of you, I have my sick days. I just decided to spend mine with this cup of tea," she said, smiling at the woman sitting across from her.
Cup of tea? This day just kept getting crazier and crazier. "How long have you guys been together?" I asked shyly.
"Ten years," Mrs. Beasley announced. "Today is actually our anniversary."
"Congratulations," Charlotte said with genuine admiration. "I never knew..."
"That I was kinda cool," Mrs. Beasley answered, smirking.
Charlotte laughed. "Exactly."
"Well here's something to know about teachers, our personality inside the classroom is nothing like who we actually are. Teachers usually develop a persona of some sort. It helps with dealing with trouble students." She smiled up at us. "Although you two are the exception. I've always liked you guys." Mrs. Beasley turned to me. "On the other hand, that friend of yours..."
"Does this mean you're not going to get us in trouble?" I asked.
"Of course not," the teacher reassured us. "I won't tell if you won't." Mrs. Beasley gave us a mischievous grin. "Now please leave so I can spend time with this stunning specimen."
As Charlotte and I left their table, we exchanged amazed glances. Sometimes people aren't at all what you think they are.
The rest of our lunch proceeded as normal, although I had to contain my slight annoyance when Charlotte stole about a quarter of my mac and cheese. I was very stubborn when it came to sharing food. Charlotte's phone rang suddenly, interrupting our meal.
"I've got to take this Lemon," she said smiling. "Be back in a second."
I assumed it was her parents calling her once again. What was it now? As I watched Charlotte talk in a hushed voice, I saw her smile quickly disappear. I couldn't discern what was being said, but I could tell it was serious.
When she returned to the table, I could sense the tension in her body. "Are you okay? What happened?" I asked with concern.
"I don't know," she answered truthfully. "I think my mom had a complication with her surgery. My dad says she's at the hospital and in a stable condition. But honestly I don't know what to believe anymore."
"Okay, well we're definitely getting you home," I decided. "This was probably not a good idea in the first place. I'm so sorry Charlotte, I just wanted a day to finally hang out, just you and me. Away from all the craziness of our lives."
Despite everything, Charlotte smiled. She leaned forward, pulling me into a deep kiss. I suddenly felt reassured, feeling her warm lips pressed against mine. After a moment, she pulled back finally. "I had so much fun today. I truly did Lemon, and this was a great idea," she said, gesturing around her. Charlotte sighed. "I just wish my world was less... chaotic." She then looked at me with a sly grin. "One more thing before we go."
Charlotte signaled for a waiter to come towards us. "Could you take a picture of the two of us?" she inquired politely. The man nodded. Together, we posed in front of one of the giant windows looking out to the city below.
...
As Charlotte drove home, I felt my phone buzz in my pocket. Pulling it out, I realized I'd been tagged in a post, an extremely rare occurrence. Pressing the notification, I was suddenly face-to-face with a picture of Charlotte and I inside the Space Needle. Below the post was the caption:
I found a love for me.