Chapter Text
The remaining months of senior year seemed to slip away like the shoreline being washed away by the tide. Kelly couldn’t genuinely believe how fast graduation had snuck up on them until it was the day of their graduation ceremony. Nor could she believe her relationship with Nicole would last as long as it had so far. Not that she was complaining! If anything, she was over the moon happy with how long the two had been together. There was a lot of doubt when the duo made it publicly known that they were dating. Ari and Jecka both had worries and doubts given Nicole’s tendencies. Emily was supportive, though Kelly thought it was because Nicole was “finally getting some,” as the blonde phrased it. Megan didn’t say anything, but Kelly could tell Megan likely felt pity for her since she had to “Now put up with Nicole’s bullshit.” And truthfully? Kelly wouldn’t have it any other way. Yes, there were days when things were a little hard. She knew those days would come and go. But when things were good, it made Kelly feel so full of happiness that she was a balloon ready to pop into gay confetti. The thought alone made her giggle as she stood in front of the full-length mirror in her room, adjusting her graduation gown. The fabric symbolized that she was now done with high school and ready to move on into the adult world. To her, it was just a piece of clothing, no different from anything else hanging in her closet. The long, yellow dress she wore underneath peeked out from the hem of the gown, her blonde hair pulled into loose curls that she spent painstaking hours curling. She loved to dress up, but why was there so much work into it!!??
She heard the sound of her front door opening and then closing, a casual “Hey” to her parents, and then footsteps coming up the stairs to the second floor. Footfalls getting heavier and then her bedroom door opening, Nicole standing in the doorway. “Why do we have to go to this stupid ceremony again? All it is is them just handing us a piece of paper with our name on it, saying we graduated, but we won’t even be getting our actual diplomas for two more months. And we have to wear these annoying ass caps and gowns.”
“Because! It’s important to some people. It’s like, the same as getting your license or getting to buy your first pack of cigarettes legally,” Kelly responded and turned, facing Nicole. The brunette wasn’t anywhere close to being ready. Still wearing skinny jeans, her blue shirt, and her hoodie that went over her shoulders. Along with the bright blue and purple shoes that only Crispin seemed to know what brand they were. “It’s one of those little milestone things that a lot of people look forward to in life.”
“What even makes it so great?” Nicole asked as she set the bag she was carrying down next to the door and made her way further into the room, sitting on the edge of Kelly’s bed. “It just gives everyone an excuse to give fake goodbyes and ‘Oh my god I’ll miss you so much, keep in touch!’” Nicole made her voice high-pitched for the last half. She then rolled her eyes and lay back, staring at the ceiling of Kelly’s room. “On top of that, it gives all the teachers a chance to stare at any girl who decided to dress up and mentally undress them, and then they can make the argument that it’s ‘legal’ because she’s now eighteen, even though her birthday was literally two days before graduation.”
Kelly hummed as she moved through her room, the gown ruffling around her as if she were wearing a cape in a softly blowing wind, and picked up Nicole’s bag. “But it won’t entirely be like that. Just some of it. And think about it! Even though there’s going to be some of that there, we’re also going to get to see Jecka and Ari. Think of all the parties we can go to and celebrate graduating.” She mentioned as she carried the bag over to her bed, placing it down next to Nicole and opening it. She pulled out Nicole’s gown, carrying it over to her dresser. “Plus, it’ll only take an hour. You can handle an hour of annoyance to be free of it or the rest of your life, can’t you?”
“I feel like I’ve heard that before from a guy asking me out on a date,” Nicole retorted and rolled her eyes. “Why do you seem so excited about it? It’s not like you’re getting anything special anyway. Jeffery was valedictorian, and Megan was Salutatorian. You didn’t do any community service, so you’re not even getting one of those dumb cords. Why be so excited over nothing?”
Kelly paused in thought as she was in the process of trying to smooth out some of the wrinkles from Nicole’s gown. Nicole wasn’t wrong; Kelly wasn’t getting anything besides her diploma. She didn’t do community service or sports because she had always been preoccupied with working outside of school. She wasn’t a straight-A student, so it’s not like she got anything for grades. But still… There was excitement to it for her! She was finishing another chapter in life. She was moving on from one page to the next, multiple doors opening up for new opportunities as she graduated from high school, the last remnant of teenage years, into what would feel like full adult-hood. There was something exciting about the prospects to come rather than the things she was likely leaving behind. “I guess because I’m excited for what comes next.” Kelly turned her head and smiled at Nicole, who had her own head turned and was making eye contact with Kelly. “I’m excited for all the possibilities of the things I can do. I can go into working full-time, I could start college, I can go look for an apartment, buy a car, whatever I want to do. The options are up to me, not someone else giving me a list of decisions and then having to pick from what I’ve been given.”
Nicole stayed quiet and then returned her eyes to the ceiling, though she was fighting back a slight smile. “You’re too optimistic for your own good, Kelly. One day, someone’s going to tell you no or that you can’t do the things you want, or reality and life are going to give you some cold-shoulder wake-up that you’re not ready for.” She reached down toward her bag and pulled free a pack of cigarettes and a yellow lighter. “I hope you’re ready for that.”
“If I’m not now, I will be when that time comes.” And if I’m still not ready by the time life decides to throw something like that at me, then I’ll do what I’ve always done,” Kelly reached out, grabbing the ashtray off her desk and carrying it to Nicole. “I deal with it until I’m ok and then I move on with the new experience.”
Nicole rolled her eyes once more and slipped a cigarette free from the box, lighting it and then putting both the pack and the lighter into her bag as she took a slow drag, exhaling the smoke through her nose. “If you say so.” She turned her head once more and waved with her hand toward the gown. “I’m only wearing that shit long enough for the ceremony and nothing more, got it?”
“That’s fine. I wouldn’t expect you to wear it any longer than that anyway!” Kelly smiled as she finished flattening it out as best as she could. “Though I know mom wants a picture of us together before we go to the ceremony, so you have to put it on before we get there and not in the car on the way,” Kelly added, moving through her room once again to grab the iron she had been using on her robe earlier and plugging it back in.
“Fuck, seriously?” Nicole groaned as she tapped her cig on the ashtray. “Why does your mom feel the need to take pictures of us together constantly? Don’t you find it at least a little weird?”
“No? Why would I?” Kelly asked, looking over and raising an eyebrow. “She’s my mom. These are things she was looking forward to, probably when I was a little kid, and now they're happening! She’s probably excited about it. I can’t blame her for wanting to take a picture and cherish the moment.” Kelly hesitated for a moment and then asked, “Does your mom not normally want to take pictures or like… Celebrate things with you?”
Kelly could see Nicole stiffen for a moment and tense. Then the other girl took a deep drag off her cigarette and ashed it once more. She knew it was probably too personal a question for Nicole, but she couldn’t help asking. If she never attempted to get to know Nicole better, then Nicole wouldn’t let Kelly past the walls the girl had built up. That didn’t make having any personal conversations easier, but it at least showed Kelly was being genuine and trying. “No. Not really.” Nicole finally spoke, her voice sounding slightly strained. “I’m pretty sure the only thing my mom will celebrate is the day I move out of the house so it’s one less thing that she has to deal with.”
Kelly nodded. She thought about the questions she wanted to ask, chewed on the words, and watched as Nicole lay there, likely starting to dissociate. “Was she always so stand-offish with you?” She asked, pressing just a little further.
“No, not always. At one point, she was a caring mom who actually gave a fuck about her kids.” Nicole sighed, sitting up and bringing one knee up to her chest, wrapping an arm around it. “Pretty much up until she and dad got divorced, she was a normal person who cared. After they got divorced and mom started to remarry over and over, she just became a bigger bitch with each failed marriage. Then there was my stupid brother forcing us to have to move and dad offing himself like he was doing everyone a favor.” She stared down at the bed as she spoke, clearly not enjoying the conversation. “Then there was everything that happened over the course of this year: between her trying to tell me the coach wasn’t a sexual predator, that our counselor wasn’t a pedophile that was trying to push his idea onto minors, and saying that Ms. Lynn was a good person who stood up for her students despite Lynn literally telling me and Jecka that she had slept with over half of the staff before now fucking my mom. If there was any care there, it’s long gone now.”
Kelly nodded and moved to the edge of her bed, sitting down next to Nicole and holding her hands in her lap. She bit down on her lip and thought carefully, choosing each word with total care. “I’m sorry she’s like that. I know that you’re not trying to look for pity and you don’t care about an apology, but. Still.” She reached out and gently put her hand on top of the one that was keeping Nicole supported. “My mom is really happy for us both. She and my dad both really like you, Nicole. She is super supportive of you, even if you don’t know it. I know that doesn’t replace your mom or the things that she did or does, but it is an adult who believes in you and supports you that isn’t paid to do so, like our old teachers.”
Nicole nodded and sucked down the remainder of her cigarette, blowing the smoke out slowly down into her knee. She reached out, snubbing the butt into the ashtray. “Don’t tell me that. Then I’m just going to do everything I can to piss them off.” She mentioned sarcastically with a slight smirk. “What else do you have to do to get ready?”
“Iron out your robe and make sure it’s clean. I’m already good to go because I wasn’t dreading today like a little kid going to the dentist with a cavity.” She teased Nicole in return, leaning in and placing a soft peck on Nicole’s cheek. “You’re not going to do any make-up, are you?”
“Fuck no. What I already put on is more than enough. Any more and I’ll look like a painted whore trying to earn a paycheck on the corner,” Nicole rolled her eyes. “The only person I care about looking good for is myself and the person sitting next to me. Everyone else can fuck off.”
— — — —
The graduation ceremony, overall, was a lot less painful than Kelly thought it would be. Either they had practiced a million times, or they were beyond ready to push everyone through so that everyone could start their summers. The longest part was Jeffery’s long-winded speech, which had everyone about to fall asleep. Megan didn’t even give a speech, which had her fuming since she had apparently spent weeks writing one. Principal Lynn was extremely quick at handing out diplomas, so before everyone knew it, the ceremony was over. Students threw their caps into the air, some hugged and signed yearbooks, and others left as soon as humanly possible. The whole process took maybe an hour. Kelly was able to get Nicole to hold still long enough for her mom to take a few photos of them at her own house, and then again at the ceremony itself (much to Nicole’s dismay. It took Kelly bribing Nicole with Red Lobster afterwards to get the brunette to take a few more pictures.) Now, after finally being done with the graduation itself, stomach full of seafood and cheesy biscuits, Nicole was lounging on Kelly’s couch while the blonde was busy hanging decorations around her living room. “Why are you decorating like you’re throwing a nine-year-old’s birthday party?” She asked as she watched Kelly blow up another balloon using the small helium tank she had acquired. “And why fill it with Helium? You know Emily is just going to take them and huff them.”
“Because! It basically is a birthday in a way. Except it’s a once-in-a-lifetime birthday, so I want to make sure it’s nice.” Kelly mentioned that she tied off the balloon and then taped it to the wall, along with another balloon. She then started inflating another as she looked over at Nicole. “Plus, I like balloons. I think they’re pretty and they help give a more proper party atmosphere.” She pulled the next balloon off and tied it off with a ribbon, letting it float away. It floated slowly up to the ceiling with a soft thump. “If Emily wants to huff them, she can. But I’m pretty sure Megan will likely beat her ass for it. We’re now no longer held by the rules of being in school, and Megan will likely be drunk, so! It’ll be entertainment for the night if they get into an argument.”
“God, I’m not sure I want to deal with the teacher's pet, tantrum kid being intoxicated. I think I’d rather have Kylar hit on me.” Nicole stopped, stared at Kelly, who was staring right back at her, and shook her head. “Never mind, I’d much rather deal with Megan scolding me at a party over something she thinks she’s the boss of than a rapist hitting on me. I can ignore Megan. I’m pretty sure if I ignored Kylar, he’d crash the entire party in jockhead roid rage.”
“Well, if he does anything to try to crash this party, I have it covered. It was bad enough the first time when he broke the keg and it sprayed all of the beer into my pool!” Kelly thought back to that night, how blackout drunk everyone had been and how pissed her parents were when they came home that next day. It cost them so much money to drain the pool and have it refilled and treated. After that, Kelly had to basically beg them for permission to keep throwing parties at her house again.
“Oh yeah? And what do you have in place, princess?” Nicole asked as she raised an eyebrow. “Going to tase him? Pepperspray? Armed bodyguards?”
“Emily with a taser.”
Nicole stared at Kelly. “I think you might as well hand her a loaded gun if you’re going to do that. You know she’ll be looking for every reason in the world to tase anyone. Why would you give her something like that?”
“Because I promised her an expensive bottle of vodka and some pills I came across if she stayed sober enough to be security for the night, basically. And a place to take said pills and to drink said alcohol since she has that weird situation going on at home right now.”
“That might be the worst idea you’ve ever had, but. I also can't say I’m not excited to see how it would play out.” Nicole mentioned with a bit of a grin. “So we’re going to get in-party entertainment regardless of what happens tonight, then.” She rubbed her hands together, and Kelly recognized that look of Nicole planning something.
“Don’t purposefully do anything to get him all worked up just because you want to see Emily taze him! I want this to go as smoothly as possible, and I am not above telling my girlfriend she’s not allowed to come to the party if she wants to stir things up and make it a bigger problem than it needs to be, Nicole!” Kelly shot over to her as she finished placing several balloons along the entryway, now starting to pull out long strands of streamers. “Also, if you’re going to just sit there and scheme ways to piss off Kylar, the least you could do is help me finish decorating so we can be done with this early and then spend a little time together.”
“No one said anything about scheming. I’m not much of a schemer. I’m a planner. Very big difference.” She returned as she finally stood from her spot on the couch and moved forward, taking the roll of streamer from Kelly. “Where am I hanging this up at?”
“Just run it along here, from the entryway to the kitchen,” Kelly pointed with one hand, moving her ladder slowly along where she was and placing tape every few feet to help keep the streamers in place while Nicole walked slowly next to her. “What’s the difference between scheming and planning? Because I am almost absolutely certain that there’s no difference between them.”
“You’re going to doubt your girlfriend, just like that?” Nicole raised an eyebrow as she looked at Kelly, pretending as if she had just been hurt beyond prepared. “I didn’t think the day would ever come.” She raised her tone as if the mild inconvenience fatally wounded her.
“Oh, shut up.” Kelly was smiling. “I mean it, what’s the difference between them? Because they’re at the very least synonyms of one another.”
“Scheming is something that someone does when they’re too scared to commit to doing something but still want to feel like they’re being petty or that they have a spine. Planning is what someone does when they have full intentions of doing something and aren’t scared of the repercussions that might happen. Very big difference.”
“That… doesn’t really seem different? Because at some point, wouldn’t you go from scheming to planning?” Kelly asked as she raised an eyebrow. “At what point does it transition from one to the other?”
“It doesn’t. It’s just one or the other.” Nicole shrugged. “I don’t make the rules on how it works. I just know it's either one or the other, and that’s it.” She finished walking to the end of the entryway and held the streamer in place as Kelly finished taping the remainder. “But, fine. I won’t set him off, only because you asked me to. But. If he decides to piss me off, then I will do as I please.”
“I mean, at that point, he’d probably likely deserve it, so that’s fine.” Kelly climbed down from the step ladder and took a few steps back, looking at all the decorations she had finished putting up. “There! I think that’s about as much as I want to do for it. Everything else has already been set up, so. Now we just wait for everyone to start coming over.” She glanced back at the remainder of what was in the open. Balloons littered the living room and kitchen areas. Streamers hung from several places where Kelly could have done it all herself and didn’t need any help. The sliding door that led to the backyard and the pool was open with several streamers hanging in the doorway. A folding table was set up outside with tons of plastic cups on it, and there were equally as many cups situated on the kitchen counter.
“Good. I was really starting to think you were going to spend your entire time decorating before the party started.” Nicole waved a hand as she made her way into the kitchen and opened the fridge. “I can’t believe we were able to get as much alcohol as we did, and no one asked any questions. Seriously, they had to have known that you were using a fake and just didn’t care.” She mentioned as she dug through the fridge, several glass bottles clinking together as the brunette dug out a bottle of water. “The perks of being a hot bitch helped you out, apparently.”
“I wouldn’t say it was all me. You’re much faster at thinking on your feet than I am. I would have frozen up the second they started asking questions! Instead, I had my amazing and smart girlfriend there to help bail me out, so I didn’t get caught.” Kelly grinned as she walked over and swiped the water bottle from Nicole’s hand. She opened it, taking a small sip and then holding the open bottle out to Nicole. “Were you always able to think so quickly like that?”
“Not always, no. It took time to learn how to react quickly like that. And unfortunately some trauma to go with it.” Nicole took the bottle back and took her own sip before screwing the cap back on. “It’s mainly just how I keep myself alive, now. At least, it was before I actually started meeting people who have this weird desire to continue to be in my life for some reason.” The brunette stared at Kelly.
“Huh, wonder who would ever do something like that. Must be a pretty good and unique person who loves you tremendously and would do anything to see you be happy,” Kelly grinned further as she watched Nicole roll her eyes. “Did you want to do anything before everyone starts showing up for the party?” She asked. “I mean, it doesn’t have to be much. I know we already ate a lot of food today. I’m not sure I could eat anything else, honestly… except maybe a scoop from Stone Cold Creamery. Their ice cream is heaven on Earth.”
“I can’t even think about food,” Nicole sighed and ran a hand lazily through her hair. “I could go for a nap, maybe. Or some oxy. But I’m out of pills and I don’t feel like going anywhere else to get any. I want to be high but I’m not desperate to be high.”
“I would let you raid my mom’s pill cabinet but I don’t feel like having to answer any questions.” Kelly leaned against the island counter behind her and looked at Nicole. “We can take a nap. I wouldn’t argue against getting a little rest before we’re up late drinking. Plus the food coma I’m going to be in will have to be dealt with, sooner or later! Might as well deal with it now while it’s just us here and not fall asleep during the party.”
“Bed or couch?”
“The couch is comfortable, and we could fall asleep watching TV. But… I also don’t feel like dragging my giant, cozy blanket down here. Not when it weighs forty pounds.” She slowly leaned back against the counter until she had her back flat against it, staring up at the ceiling, standing on her tiptoes. “I could also really use a back massage from a pretty girl after spending all that time setting up the party…”
“It would probably cost you a lot. Besides, I'm pretty sure you need to see a chiropractor, not a masseuse.” Nicole smirked as she watched Kelly deflate slightly against the counter.
“You really wouldn’t give me a massage? Not even a small one?” Kelly whined in a pouty tone. “I can’t believe you wouldn’t spoil me with such a simple request after we did so much today!”
Nicole moved forward, grabbing Kelly her arm and slowly hoisting the other girl back into a standing position. She leaned forward, planting the slightest hint of a kiss against Kelly’s cheek. “If you stop complaining and I have a good nap, then I might give you one. Might.”
Kelly’s cheeks turned a soft, dusted pink and she nodded. “I could live with that.” She mentioned and leaned forward, pecking Nicole on the lips. She moved from between Nicole and the counter, pulling Nicole along by the hand back through the living room and up a slowly turning open stairway to the second floor, down the hallway and opening the door to her room. Sun poured in through the window, her room a mix of whites, creams, and blues. The white carpet would nearly blind Nicole if it wasn’t for the blue shag throw-rug that sat in the middle of the room. A black desk was tucked nearly into the corner with a laptop sitting upon it and several picture frames of various moments in Kelly’s life. A cream dresser with a vanity mirror was tucked opposite of the bed, where numerous pieces of jewelry and clean clothes laid. Posters of various artists hung on the wall, ranging from Fergie and Ke$ha to a newly hung My Chemical Romance poster. Kelly led Nicole to the massive king sized bed, a navy blue comforter neatly made on it and a folded skyblue weighted blanket sat at the foot of the bed. “I have some spare sweats you could sleep in if you want- Oh.”
Kelly stopped as she turned to see Nicole was stripping off her shirt. The brunette looked at Kelly when the blonde stopped speaking. “What?”
“I um… Nothing, nothing!” Kelly giggled nervously and looked away. “Sorry, sometimes I like… forget how pretty you are and then I get hit with gay panic all over again like some virgin.” She laughed, though her face was very much turning more and more pink. “And I also sometimes forget I’m actually dating you, so when you’re half-naked in my room, I don’t know what to say and kinda freeze.”
Nicole rolled her eyes slightly, but there was still the faintest bit of a smirk on her lips. “Quit sounding like Ari or I’m going to go sleep on the couch instead.” She mentioned before slipping off her pants in tandem and climbed under the comforter of the bed. “Don’t stand there staring all day. Either get in with me or find something to do while I nap.”
Kelly mentally was kicking herself but she still pulled her own shirt off as well as her pants and moved, climbing under the comforter with Nicole and then reached down, grabbing the weighted blanket. She spread the blanket out so it was covering mostly her, then reached out and very softly pulled Nicole toward her. Nicole slipped a leg between Kelly’s while Kelly wrapped her arms around Nicole, the brunette laying her head on Kell’s shoulder. “Should I set an alarm?” Kelly asked as she closed her eyes, enjoying the closeness and now being content and warm.
“No, it’ll be fine. You’re a light sleeper, I’m sure you’ll wake up in about twenty minutes anyway,” Nicole mumbled as she closed her own eyes. “And I can't nap for more than an hour at a time if I’m not popping anything before. So.”
Kelly inhaled deeply and then let the breath out slowly, adjusting herself slightly so she was as comfortable as possible. “Alright.” She laid with Nicole in silence for several seconds, then smiled slightly. “I love you, Nicole.”
“That isn’t napping.” Nicole mumbled. Without making a sound, Kelly felt Nicole’s lips move against her shoulder. An unspoken return that made her heart flutter before starting to fall off into dreamland.
— — — —
Kelly absolutely should have set an alarm. She knew she should have, but comfort kept her from wanting to move, and Nicole showing any sort of vulnerability melted away any sense of responsibility the blonde had. That was very much her first mistake. The second mistake was not making sure she had locked the door before they decided to take a nap. The third was… well. She very much underestimated how deeply she’d sleep when cuddling up to Nicole like this. Not like they hadn’t cuddled before! But that was on a couch, watching a movie. It was in semi-private areas where naps could happen but other people could just as easily talk to them and interact with them. In the safety of her own room, warm and content? The world could have been ending outside and she would have likely slept through it. What did wake her up, however, was a hand that was gently shaking her awake, accompanied with the voice of her best friend. “Kelly? Are you dead? Did you guys overdose together or something?”
Kelly reached up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes with one hand, the other still wrapped tightly around Nicole. She looked to see Ari standing beside her bed, a worried look that was slowly dissolving into relief. At the foot of her bed was Jecka, trying to hide a massive smirk behind her hand. Nicole was still asleep next to Kelly, nearly death gripping Kelly’s other arm and snoring quietly. “What time is it?...” She asked, reaching for her phone that sat idly on the nightstand next to her.
“About six thirty. Only, you know, half an hour before the party starts.” Jecka was trying to hold back a giggle but was adamantly failing at doing so. “Who takes a nap with their house unlocked anyway? Isn’t that like, basically asking to be robbed or worse?”
Kelly would have shot out of bed had it not been for the fact she didn’t want to disturb Nicole in the process. She saw several missed calls from Ari, Jecka, and Emily, as well as multiple texts from Jecka and Ari. She did note a text from Emily that was its own separate issue rather than a ‘Where are you? Helloo? Did u fucking die?’ that she was left by the other two. “I forgot about it. Nicole was really tired and wanted to nap then and there! It wasn’t like I left it unlocked on purpose.”
“If anything, she’s lucky she left it unlocked so that we could come in and find them like this and wake them up rather than everyone showing up for the party and the door being locked.” Ari mentioned as she sighed softly and looked at Kelly. “Or worse; Emily lockpicking your door and then everyone seeing you and Nicole half naked in bed together.”
Kelly was giggling at the thought. Yes, she would absolutely be embarrassed, but she knew Nicole’s reaction would be significantly worse, and likely more violent, then her own reaction would be. Emily would have likely been drowned in a pool and half of the guys at the party would have their phones smashed. So there was at least a benefit in the fact Ari was the one who had caught them. “I didn’t know you two had planned on showing up early. How’d that happen?”
“Because I don’t feel like being in the heat and risk ruining my makeup sweating when I could just get here early and do my makeup here instead.” Jecka had chimed in. “It’s almost inhumane how hot it is already and it's not even actually officially summer for another few days.” The blonde set down the bookbag she was carrying at the foot of the bed, glancing at Nicole. “How is she still sleeping? I’ve never seen her sleep this heavily ever in the entire time I knew her. A feather could fall on the floor and it’d make her wake up.”
“She’s that light of a sleeper?” Ari looked over skeptically at Jecka. “I don’t think that’s even humanly possible?”
“Neither did I, but I’ve seen her wake up to the quietest of noises enough times to know she sleeps too lightly for her to be still asleep right now.” Jecka zipped the bag open and pulled out several different items of makeup; foundation, sponges, concealer, eyeshadow, blush, and lipstick. “Kelly, I’m using your mirror.” She motioned as she walked through the room, moving the chair that was at Kelly’s desk to the large dresser, setting the various beauty items along the top and settling herself in front of the large mirror.
Kelly supposed she should get up and get dressed herself. Makeup felt like a step too far today, but she should at least be properly clothed for a party rather than greeting everyone still in her underwear. “Ari, do you need to get ready?” She asked as she started to very slowly and carefully pull her arm from Nicole’s grasp, which caused the brunette to tighten her arms around Kelly’s and make a slight groan of annoyance.
“No, not really. I just need to change clothes, but I don’t plan on doing a bunch of makeup like Jecka is,” Ari mentioned as she sat down on the edge of Kelly’s bed. She took another glance at Nicole, a look on her face that Kelly couldn’t quite make out. It looked like a mix of intrigue, satisfaction, and maybe a little… concerned? Ari’s eyebrows were just slightly furrowed but not enough to show immediate emotion. “Are you going to wake her up soon? She’s likely going to want to get ready as well.”
“I should, but…” Kelly glanced down at Nicole and couldn’t stop the smile that was forming at her lips. “I never really get to see her sleep like this. To be this level of comfortable. It’s different…” She continued to smile for several more seconds before looking at Ari. “Besides, I think if I woke her up and she saw you two in here, she’d like bitch you both out.”
“I wouldn’t bitch them both out. Just Ari.”
All three of them stopped what they were doing and looked at Nicole. The brunette was still laying there, deathgripping Kelly’s arm, face half buried into the sheets. Only Kelly could see an open eye that was staring back at her. There was the slightest hint of pink at her cheeks, but Nicole was very much trying to hide it. It made Kelly want to lean down and kiss her softly and remind her how much she loved Nicole…
“Why would I be the one getting bitched out? I didn’t even do anything wrong!” Ari protested as she shifted her gaze from Nicole, to Kelly, to Jecka, then back to Nicole.
“Because I have best friend privileges and Kelly has girlfriend privileges. You’re the odd girl out.” Jecka pointed out as she turned her attention back to the mirror, putting the finishing touches on her eyeshadow.
“But I’m also your girlfriend!" Ari retorted. “That has to count for something, doesn’t it?!”
“Nope.” Nicole moved slowly, her grip on Kelly’s arm loosening until she was no longer holding onto the blonde. She turned and slowly sat up, pulling the comforter up with her. “And I wouldn’t say that just because you’re my best friend and Kelly’s my girlfriend means you two are immune to being bitched out.”
Kelly swung her legs out from the bed now and stood, stretching her arms above her head. “I never said I wasn’t! Jecka did!” Kelly reminded the brunette before stepping toward her dresser. “I know you can be mad at me at any given point! I just do my best not to give you a reason to be mad at me! That’s all!”
“And yet every time she does get mad at me, she still hasn’t tossed me aside yet for someone else…” Jecka mumbled. “So I would say I have some kind of immunity to it, even if it’s because I get you pills half the time. Or when you steal my last cigarette without asking. Or take my favorite ice cream pints for yourself when you’re having a shit day and you don’t have Kelly to-”
“Enough!” Nicole yelled, cutting Jecka off. “Both you and Ari can get out so I can get dressed. Go finish putting on your whore paint in the bathroom, it’s literally as big as Kelly’s room.”
Jecka scoffed and glared over in Nicole’s direction. “Bitch, you wear makeup too! Don;t act like I’m the only one doing it!” She turned back to the mirror and continued applying the last few fine details. “Besides, I’ve seen your tits before, why does it matter if I’m in here or not?”
“Maybe I don’t want you looking at my girlfriend's tits instead?”
Kelly giggled slightly. “It’s fine, Nicole. She’s nearly done anyway, I don’t mind waiting a few minutes if you’re that worried about it.” Kelly did move some of Jecka’s makeup products out of the way so she could get access to some of her clothes. “Hmm, what to wear… Nicole, should I wear a dress? Or should I wear a cute top and shorts?”
“Why are you asking me?” Nicole shifted her gaze from Jecka to Kelly, raising an eyebrow. “You’ve never asked me what you should wear, basically, ever.”
“Are you really saying you’re going to turn down the chance the first time she asks you?” Ari chimed in, a look of slight surprise on her face. “I thought you liked getting the final say in like, basically every situation ever?”
“If you don’t want to pick, you don’t have to! I just thought I’d ask since it is the first time we’re throwing a party together and-”
“I didn't say I wasn’t going to pick. What dress were you going to pick?”
— — — —
The living room was packed with people, everyone either holding cups filled with alcohol, cans of beer, or various other drinks like soda. The smell of weed, cigarette smoke, booze, and a few different people who reeked of body odor filled Kelly’s sinuses like an invasive pest. The sliding door in the kitchen was open, as were various windows, letting in fresh air as best as it could while also having just enough closed that Kelly’s neighbours wouldn’t make any noise complaints. Not that they ever had before,but Kelly still tried to be somewhat courteous to the Smiths on one side and Mrs. Aberdale on the other. Kelly weaved her way through her guests, the ruffles on her black dress moving in the soft breeze from the outside air. It wasn’t an overly tight dress, but it wasn’t exactly bulky either. Nicole’s words were “it fits your figure best” when the brunette had glanced through the various options. She just wished it was a little longer than mid thigh, but it’d be fine! She just likely couldn’t sit down. Not that she would anyway since she was, you know, the host. But still! She had to be mindful. The blonde made her way into the kitchen, seeing Megan had taken up resort at the booze table with Karen standing next to her. She smiled, reaching past Megan to grab one of the random solo cups. “I didn’t think you two were going to come! What made you change your mind?”
“Well, Megan said she wouldn’t let me go throughout all of high school without going to at least one party…” Karen mentioned as she sheepishly smiled. “Even though we’re technically no longer in high school, I still had to go to one.”
“I tried convincing you to come sooner!” Megan rolled her eyes as she watched Kelly slowly fill her cup with the jungle juice that was prepared right before everyone arrived. “How could you possibly drink that? It’s one of the most foul smelling things on this table. I bet the boys locker room smelled better than whatever that is.”
“It’s really not bad once you’re drunk. And it gets you there really quickly, so you’re only miserable drinking it for more or less the first cup. After that, it doesn’t even have a flavor anymore and you don’t really notice what you’re drinking until you’re teetering on blackout drunk.” Kelly explained as she lifted the cup to her lips. The smell of all the alcohol and juice hit her like a freight train, making her stomach do several flips. She mentally had to steady herself before taking the largest sip she could bear at once, rubbing her lips with the back of her hand once she swallowed down the drink. “See, no big deal!”
“I watched your face turn several shades paler from just the smell, Kelly.” Megan retorted. “I’ll keep drinking what I’m drinking so that I can actually enjoy the process of getting drunk.”
“Didn’t someone also just make fun of you a few minutes ago for drinking Mikes Hard?” Karen asked, looking at Megan questioningly.
“That was also Kylar and his idiot jock friends! They think unless you’re drinking something horrible like Bud Light or hard liquor that you’re a pussy anyway.” Megan rolled her eyes. “It’s a wonder how they even managed to graduate! They had to of drank away every brain cell they had!”
Kelly started giggling, earning Megan’s stare. “What, what did I say? I’m not lying! It would be the truth!” Megan tried arguing, which just made Kelly giggle harder.
“No, no! I’m not saying you’re lying!” Kelly said through the giggles, biting her lip for a second to stop fully, then smiling. “I’ve just never heard you curse before. Not on your own, anyway. Not without someone like Emily or Nicole making you mad enough that you do.”
Karen and Megan both stared at Kelly for several seconds, then Karen started giggling as well, smiling and trying to hide her mouth with the sleeve of her sweater. The sight caused Kelly to start laughing, which served to only make Megan look more confused, then confusion melting to what was likely her finding the situation funny but trying to prove something.
“I have too cursed without them around! I don’t need permission from other people to say whatever I want! Nor do I need two different assholes egging me on to make me get pissy!” Megan crossed her arms as she glared back and forth between the two girls. “Seriously!! I don’t need either one of them!”
“No one said you need them, Megan! I’m just saying I’ve never heard you say anything mean unless one of them had started it with you, that’s all!” Kelly sighed slightly as she got her laughing under control. She watched Megan continue to look like she was on the verge of having a full blown argument, but the brunette didn’t immediately say anything else. “As long as you two are having fun, that’s what matters, right?”
“We’re having fun, Kelly. I promise.” Karen smiled once more and nodded slightly. “If we weren’t having fun, we would have probably left by now.”
“You would have left by now. I’d be having whoever was ruining my fun kicked out.” Megan grumbled as she leaned back slightly into the table. “Who even is in charge of, like, kicking people out? Last time, there was no one to do that and Kylar took full advantage to ruin the party for nearly everyone else.”
“Oh, Emily is in charge of it for this party. I got her a taser for it and everything.”
“You gave Emily a fucking taser?” Megan looked at Kelly with abject horror in her eyes. “That’s like handing a psychopath a gun! Why would you do that?!”
“Because we made a deal!” Kelly smiled innocently. “She can’t abuse her power with the taser and has to be somewhat sober so she can act if something happens, and in exchange, she gets to come here one day and get super high on pills that I told her she could have.” She continued smiling as Megan stared in horror.
“What if she doesn’t follow that deal!! What if she randomly decides she wants to use it on someone because they pissed her off or worse, because she’s drunk and doesn’t know any better!?”
“Don’t piss her off and it won't be anything to worry about.” Nicole chimed in as she appeared from somewhere behind Kelly. The girl had moved forward, standing next to Kelly now, wrapping an arm around Kelly’s waist. “That shouldn’t be too hard, will it? Ms. Honor Role?” Nicole asked, the corners of her lips moving into a slight smirk.
Megan’s face scrunched up slightly as Nicole had appeared from thin air. She glanced back and forth between Kelly and Nicole before finally looking over at Karen. “Whatever. I’m going to be the very first person to say I told you so if something happened, though.” She grumbled once more, taking another sip from her drink and backing down from the conversation.
“There won’t need to be a reason to say it!” Kelly smiled and leaned into Nicole’s touch. “I promise, everything will be fine! Just have fun. We graduated after all! Nothing to worry about now for the rest of the summer!” She smiled widely, which caused the three other girls to somewhat relax as the truth washed over them. They were done with high school! And, after tonight, it was likely they wouldn’t have to see most of each other ever again. Not unless they actively wanted to try to see one another.
Nicole was starting to pull Kelly towards the sliding doors, humming slightly. “I’m stealing the host for a while.” She waved off Karen and Megan without even waiting to hear any replies. Not that she needed to, Kelly was her girlfriend after all. And if Nicole was pulling Kelly along, she surely wasn’t going to argue with the brunette. Nicole pulled Kelly outside into the backyard, which was almost as equally packed as it was inside. The difference being that instead of people pressed together, drinking and dancing or on the couch making out, was outside, people were swimming, jumping into the pool, leaning against the fence and making out there, lounging on chairs; the vibe of the party felt less like a graduation party and more like a pool party. If the sun were out, it’d quite literally be the definition of a pool party. Instead, there were several lights set up around the yard, blues and purple and gold shining along the yard and into the pool, painting it like a nightclub dancefloor, but outdoors. The cool air did feel somewhat better than the stuffiness inside, plus it was a little easier to hear since the sound of voices and music wasn’t echoing off the walls back at you.
Nicole led Kelly through several groups of people along the pool's edge until reaching the furthest edges of the yard from the house, where Jecka was lying on one of the few lawn chairs that hadn’t yet been claimed, Ari was sitting on the edge of the chair holding a cup in her hand, and Emily was standing on the side opposite where Ari was sitting. As they got closer, she could hear Ari speaking: “I really don’t think you should, Emily. There haven’t been any issues yet, so why go out of your way to make one?..”
“Because I can’t fucking stand him! And he still owes me money for the last time he bought addy’s from me! I can’t easily threaten him in normal circumstances. But now, I have a taser! Problem solved!” The blonde crossed her arms across her chest as she stared down at the redhead, before glancing over. “Oh? Another set of love birds is showing up. Are you two going to make out in front of everyone since these two won’t?”
“Oh my god, I said we aren’t going to because I’m not making out with my girlfriend for twenty bucks while half of the guys here all start sporting boners,” Jecka groaned as she readjusted herself in the chair, reaching over for her pack of cigarettes that was lying on her bag next to the chair.
“So you’re saying you’d give me a show for free since I’m a girl?” Emily chimed in, smirking, before ducking out of the way of the empty cup Jecka threw her way. “Come on! At least give me something to make this party interesting!”
“I think you’d have better luck hitting on Megan and convincing her to sleep with you before you convince these two to make out in front of you,” Nicole added as she and Kelly finally reached the trio. “Not that that’d be any easier, but I think the bitching she’d do would be way more entertaining than watching Jecka attempt to throw things at you.”
“Fuck you, Nicole!” Jecka shot a glare at the brunette before sliding a cigarette free from the pack, putting the filter between her lips, and using her other hand to light the end using a pink lighter. “You might be a girl, Emily, but you’re just as annoying and persistent as guys who can’t learn to take no as an answer.”
“I mean… It doesn’t help that she just figured out she’s into women as much as she is men…” Ari noted, taking a sip from her cup.
“How did that even happen, anyway?” Nicole asked, raising an eyebrow in the blonde’s direction. “Don’t you like, have a boyfriend? And isn’t he in a gang?”
Jecka sat up in the chair now, adjusting the back of it so she could stay sitting up rather than lounging, staring at Emily. “I have to hear this story.” She took a deep drag from the cigarette, orange embers glowing brightly. She exhaled smoke as everyone’s attention was now fully turned toward Emily.
Emily glanced back and forth between each set of eyes that were staring at her. “Why is this the important thing that you guys want to know?” She asked, then reached out and plucked the cigarette from Jecka’s lips. “You know what, whatever, fine, I’ll tell.” She took a deep drag off the cig and pulled away as Jecka tried to take the item back from Emily.
“Bitch, give that back! I barely have any left!”
“Too bad! This is the cost of wanting to know this story!” Emily blew the smoke out at Jecka before standing out of arm's reach of the blonde. “Anyway, before I was rudely interrupted,” she pointed out and earned a glare from Jecka. “This happened a few days before graduation. I was trying to sell off the last of my addy’s and any other spare pills I had so I could have enough money to throw my own graduation party, since I didn’t think Kelly was going to let me come-”
“Which I told you that you were welcome to come if you just didn’t go out of your way to start anything,” Kelly reminded.
“Ok, but this was before we made the deal about security.” Emily waved the cigarette around in Kelly’s general direction. “Anyway, I was trying to make money. When, lo and behold, Ms. Temper-Tantrum-Teacher ’ s-Pet comes into the bathroom crying her eyes out. Not even just like, the single tear bullshit. Just full on sobbing.” Emily glanced around, double-checking to make sure no ears had turned their attention to the semi-private conversation. “She comes in, sobbing heavily, mumbling something about how she was never going to get a chance or something like that. See’s I’m standing in the bathroom and immediately ducks into one of the stalls like I was a teacher catching her skipping class or something.”
“I mean. Was she?” Nicole asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Fuck if I know! I wouldn’t have cared, either. It wasn’t fucking up my plans, so I don’t care what she was doing. She could have been skipping to do blow and as long as she didn’t lead any teachers into the bathroom, I couldn’t have given a single fuck.” Emily inhaled sharply off the cig, blowing a large cloud of smoke into the air above her. “So she comes in, bawling, hides in the stall, and tries to pretend that she didn’t see me and I didn’t see her. A few minutes go by, and by that time, it’s getting awkward because all I can hear is just her sniffling over and over, acting like a little kid who's trying to hide they’re upset that they got told no by their parents to a new toy.” Emily motions with the burning end of the cigarette, now almost just a stumble between her fingers. “I get annoyed by that point. How am I supposed to sell pills when there's someone crying in the stall? What if someone thought I did that? Or that she was having a bad reaction to my product? That’d be bad for me!”
“Spoken like a true entrepreneur.” Nicole nodded. “Ow, hey!” She pulled her arm away, overreacting after Kelly reached out and lightly slapped Nicole’s arm. “What was that for?”
“At least be somewhat nice about it!” Kelly scolded, then leaned over and kissed Nicole’s arm where she had slapped it. “Besides, if that hurt, you’re either weaker than I had imagined or I’ve gotten stronger.”
“We could test this theory,” Jecka smirked. “We just see who Kelly can and can’t pick up, starting with Ari since she’s the lightest out of all of us.”
“I’m the lightest because I’m the only one here who has a job that keeps me actively moving.” Ari crossed her arms defensively. “Besides, you’d then have to admit you weigh the most out of us in the process.”
“Hey, that’s not true!” Jecka raised her voice, staring back at the redhead defensively. “I do not!”
“Bitch, one of your tits is the size of my head. You have to be the heaviest out of all of us standing here.” Nicole waved her hand, motioning to Jecka. “You can’t brag about having tits that nice while also simultaneously saying you’re the skinniest bitch out of all of us.”
“I didn’t say I was the skinniest, Nicole!”
“Are you bitches done, or do you not care about this story anymore? Because I can happily stop here if we’re going to be talking about tits instead.” Emily smirked. Jecka was blushing and looking away from everyone else, grabbing one of the towels next to them and covering herself with it as best as she could. Ari was giggling, reaching out and gently rubbing Jecka’s shoulder. Kelly was trying not to smile, hiding it behind her hand. Nicole was smirking at her handiwork, but turned her attention back to Emily.
“Continue, but speed this story up. I don’t want to sit here all night listening to how Megan was crying in a stall.”
“What good is a story without a little bit of context!” Emily smirked. “Besides, I know just how much you guys love hearing the sound of my voice. If anything, I should be getting thanked for telling this story!” She flicked the remnants of the cig off into the yard somewhere. “So, after forever, I finally walk over and open the stall door. Megan doesn’t even bother locking it. Like she was hoping I would open it to talk to her. As soon as I realized that, I should have turned around and walked out and not even bothered saying anything.” She was slowly shifting her weight from one foot to the other, swaying side to side in a steady rhythm. Kelly guessed Emily likely had not bothered taking her adderall at all today. “Megan looks up at me, sniffling, eyes all red, clearly had been crying for a while before she had even bothered coming into the bathroom to try and hide. At this point, I have no choice but to ask her what's wrong.”
Emily stopped swaying, spreading her arms out. “She looks at me, sniffles a few times, and tells me to fuck off! Little Miss Perfect, swearing at me, of all people!”
Kelly giggled once more, crossing her arms across her chest. “That’s not the end of the world, and you know it. She’s sworn before, no one just notices because she doesn’t do it where it would get her in trouble, unlike some people sitting here.”
“You could just say my name.” Nicole glanced over. “I didn’t take you to be the two-faced, back-stabbing type.”
“Don’t forget it either.” Kelly winked.
“But she’s never said ‘Fuck you’ to me! Let alone after I decided to try to be a sincere person and asked her if she was alright!” Emily emphasized. Kelly had a feeling Emily was heavily over exaggerating. “I tell her absolutely not. She was going to fuck over my sales for the day, so if anyone was fucking off, it was her. Either she could tell me what was wrong, or I could pick her up and throw her out of the bathroom myself, her choice. She stares at me for what feels like fucking forever before tearing up and sniffling once again. She goes on this big rant about how ‘time is so short and we’re graduating and I still don’t really know anything about who I am or what I want’, all of that existential shit that people who actually plan on living past the age of twenty-one get into.”
“Those people are the worst. Like, get a grip, you had it easy for like, ninety percent of your life and you’re now crumbling because you’re no longer going to be the queen of high school anymore.” Jecka chimed in, the pink in her cheeks having long dissipated now that she was no longer the center of attention once more.
“Ok, but some people also just don’t do well with change in general. And something like graduating from high school when we’ve been in school for every year of our lives since we were like, five, is kind of a big deal.” Ari pointed out. “Not everyone is suicidal and is anticipating dying before graduating.”
“Again, you guys could just say you’re talking about me.” Nicole mentioned, sighing. “There’s no point in gossiping and trashing someone if you’re going to do it in front of them.”
“You’re not the only bitch who’s suicidal and wants to kill herself, Nicole.” Jecka reminded. “You and Emily literally almost did that suicide pact thing, remember? And then that time that Karen had that big mental breakdown after finding out all the guys were treating ‘dating’ her as some cruel joke?”
“Oh yeah, I completely forgot all about that. Didn’t she spend, like, a week in a mental hospital or something like that?”
“We’re getting off topic again!” Emily reminded them. “So, she spills this big, ‘woe is me, everything’s changing’ bullshit! As if I’m her therapist or something.” Emily looped her right arm around her left side, grinning widely. “So, I ask her what it is that’s bothering her so much! What is it that she hasn’t gotten to do yet that she feels is so, so pressing before we graduate? I ask her if it’s drinking, or getting high, or just taking the stick out of her ass that she keeps up there all the damn time.” Emily starts giggling and laughing now as she reaches what Kelly assumes is the climax of this whole story. “So she fucking… looks at me dead in the eye, as if she has this big, spiritual awakening, and says ‘I’ve never kissed anyone! I’m graduating high school, and I haven’t even kissed a single person!’”
Nicole starts laughing, and Kelly smacks her arm once more. “I swear, Nicole, you’re not staying the night here if you don’t stop being mean!” That seemed to straighten Nicole out immediately. The brunette stopped laughing and tensed slightly, staring at Emily.
“Hurry up and finish this story, Emily. It’s going on for fucking ever.”
Emily rolled her eyes and sighed. “Ruining the most fun part about this!” She unfurled her arm and stuck her hands inside her jeans’ pockets. “She gets all worked up and is crying because she’s never kissed anyone before. So, I decide, fuck it, I’ll take matters into my own hands if she doesn’t stop crying.” Emily started smirking once more, looking around between them. Understanding dawned on Ari’s face first, the redhead's eyes widening. Second is Kelly, but she kept her reaction relatively well under control. Emily didn’t bother waiting for Jecka and Nicole to connect the dots. “I shove the pill bottle I had into my pocket, step into the stall and make sure the doors closed behind me. I reach out and wipe Megan’s face with some toilet paper, because I wasn’t about to dirty my nice hoodie with tantrum girl's snot, then leaned down and gave her what is probably going to be the best kiss in her entire life.”
“There’s no way.” Jecka gasped, staring at Emily. “That’s how you figured out you like girls?!”
“I mean… That’s not exactly the worst way to figure things out.” Ari looked at Jecka. “It could have happened while they were both drunk, or high, or something else. While I’m not exactly excited about Emily doing it for alternative reasons, it’s still her finding out she’s.. Emily, are you like, gay now? Or bi?”
Emily shrugged. “Does it matter?”
“I mean, no? But are you still dating your boyfriend, or?”
“Wait, yeah. Aren’t you worried that he and his gang buddies are like, going to show up and set your car on fire or something?” Nicole asked. “Or that they could show up here and crash the party and execute you in front of us?”
“Wait, that’s not something they’d actually do, is it?” Jecka sat up, panic having started taking over her face. “Emily, that’s not something they’d actually do, is it?”
“Fuck no.” Emily rolled her eyes. “He wouldn’t even bother quitting heroin for me. There’s no way he’d bother showing up to crash a party.” The blonde shrugged. “And like… I guess we’re still together? I mean, I see him. And like, I kiss him occasionally here and there, but it’s not really because, like.. I love him or anything? I get free drugs out of it. And he doesn’t even want to have sex anymore since he’s basically high on the hard shit all the time.” She shrugged as she reached over, plucking the cup out of Ari’s hand and smelling it. “Who mixed up the jungle juice? This smells like pure vodka and nothing else.”
“So you’re like, dating him, but you’re not really… dating him?” Ari asked. “Wouldn’t that like… make someone else not be interested in dating you? Like, if a girl was interested and you just randomly said you had a boyfriend? Wouldn’t that, ya’know, drive her away?”
“What they don’t know doesn’t hurt them! Besides, I’m not really interested in dating anyone. It’s a fucking chore.” Emily took a sip out of the cup, her face scrunching up into a grimace. “That is fucking awful. Who likes this?”
“Emily, you know that if you’d actually do that, it makes you a cheater, right?” Jecka pointed out. “Like, that’s literally a cheater thing to do.”
“It wouldn’t really be cheating if she told them before she did anything with them that she has a boyfriend,” Nicole mentioned. “If everyone knows beforehand, then like, it’s whatever.” Nicole glanced between all of them. “Aren’t there people who literally have multiple boyfriends and girlfriends?”
“Yes, but they all talk about it regularly and make communication their top priority. They don’t hide anything from anyone.” Kelly added. “So, yes, in this case, Emily’s cheating unless like, her boyfriend knew she was sleeping with girls and they knew she had a boyfriend.”
“Can we not focus on the labels and focus on the fact I kissed Megan?” Wasn’t that the entire point of you guys asking me this story to begin with?” Emily interjected. “If you guys wanna debate terms and labels, I can happily go off and find something else to do.”
“Like, be security?” Ari reminded.
“Ok, so what was it like kissing Miss Megan then?” Nicole asked, raising an eyebrow, the corners of her lips curling into a slight smirk.
“What was with her obsession with having us call her that in drama! God, she had never done anything in her life to ever be referred to as that. She’s lucky I even bothered showing up to that class half of the time.” The blonde shook her head. “Kissing her was like kissing anyone else. Nothing magical about it, and it didn’t lead to anything else. There wasn’t a hot, steamy makeout session or anything. A quick kiss on the lips and then I told her to get the fuck out of the bathroom so I could finish selling what I had that day.”
“And she just… left?” Jecka asked. “She didn’t yell at you or try to get you in trouble or anything? Just got kissed and walked out of the bathroom like she hadn’t been sobbing beforehand or anything?”
“Nope! I was expecting her to slap me or something. She didn’t even say anything now that I think about it. She just got up and left. As if she wasn’t there in the first place.”
“Sounds like she hated it, then,” Nicole smirked, earning a glare from Emily.
“Bullshit. If she hated it, she wouldn’t have continued to try to talk to me for the rest of the year despite us having basically nothing in common.” The blonde shot back. “Not all of us leave people disappointed and wanting more.”
“Try again!” Kelly chimed in, giggling. Nicole’s cheeks started turning pink, and both Ari and Jecka were looking at Nicole and Kelly, the redhead giggling while Jecka was smirking.
“Anyway!” Nicole grabbed Kelly’s hand, leading her back towards the house. “We’re done with this conversation! You guys all suck.” Nicole called back as she dragged Kelly behind her, the two maneuvering their way back inside the home and into the heart of the party once more. Once inside, Nicole continued dragging Kelly behind her, through the party and up the stairs towards Kelly’s room. Nicole opened the door, dragging Kelly inside, and closed the door behind them.
“Nicole? What are we doing? Everyone’s still out-” She was cut off as Nicole wrapped her arms tightly around Kelly and leaned against her, Kelly’s back pressing against the door. She opened her mouth but was quickly cut off by Nicole placing her hand over it, the brunette laying her head on Kelly’s shoulder and burying her face into Kelly’s neck.
“I just… need a few minutes of quiet… with you,” Nicole mumbled against Kelly’s skin, closing her eyes.
Kelly stood frozen for a few moments before smiling ever so softly and nodding, wrapping her arms tightly around Nicole. She kissed Nicole’s hand, causing the brunette to pull it away. “We’ll take as long as you need.”