Work Text:
Noelle was stressed.
The date was July 6th, 2009. She'd just finished the coursework for a college level writing course, typing up a research paper that was, to be frank, not her best work. She'd recently been swamped with the work her parents signed her up for (because of course, they just had to sign her up for classes during the summer), having to balance the workload with actively scheduling hangouts considering that school wasn't in session. A few days prior, she'd begged and begged her parents to let her hang out with her friends for Min's birthday, though she had simply told them she wanted to go to a Fourth of July celebration. Thankfully, they let her go, so Noelle had the pleasure of watching Akarsha's dad fire off increasingly loud and sparkly rockets all whilst hanging out with her best friend Diya, Min the birthday girl (perhaps birthday person -- they'd not been clear on their preference just yet and Noelle hardly wished to ask), and Akarsha.
Akarsha.
Noelle recalled the spark she felt when they held hands and danced a few months ago at the assembly. How in-awe she was at the fireworks at Min's birthday, her face lighting up brighter than any explosion of sulfur and metal could even dream of. Noelle thought about the fact that, since meeting her, she's gotten different. Her mannerisms have changed, the way that she thinks and acts and talks all being warped by Akarsha. Noelle recalls when Akarsha called her a robot at the beginning of freshman year. Since then, it's as if Akarsha's ripped open her chassis to tamper with her heart and her mind, altering her very programming that's been rigid since she was a child. Should a computer program be grateful that its code is being altered? Should a robot be happy that its parts are being replaced for better alternatives? Should a machine be scared of change?
The red summer sun beamed through Noelle's window. It was 5 PM, so the massive star was beginning its descent down the sky. Her parents told her they wouldn't be back until 9; probably going out to eat somewhere.
Well, if I really wanted to... Noelle thought to herself, before pulling out her phone to text Diya.
Noelle: Where's Akarsha's house?
Noelle: Relative to yours, I mean.
A response quickly came.
Diya: Cross the street, go three houses to the left. Why?
Noelle didn't text back. Rather, she pocketed her house key, ran down the stairs, and bolted out the door.
This is a bad idea. This is a very bad idea. This is possibly the worst idea I've ever had.
And yet her legs didn't stop.
Some deep well of hidden determination (and seven months of baseball) allowed her to run the entire three mile distance, cutting the time down significantly. She knocked on Akarsha's front door expecting her father, but was greeted by the girl herself. "Woah, frenchie! Did you run here or something?" she playfully asked, a bit of exaggerated awe in her voice.
Noelle was hunched over with her head down, catching her breath.
"... Like, seriously. Are you good?" Worry seeped into Akarsha's voice seeing Noelle in the state she was in.
"Talk. Need to... talk." Noelle breathed out in-between pants.
"I'll give you a second-" Akarsha began before getting cut off. Noelle had made an attempt to lunge at her, but given her physique and exhaustion, it was more of a collapse that just happened to knock Akarsha down as well. A wordless confusion spread through Akarsha as Noelle got on top of her and began to speak.
"Just what the hell have you done to me???" Noelle exclaimed. Akarsha tried to push Noelle off of her, but Noelle grabbed her by the wrists and forced her back down before slouching over and looking Akarsha in the face. Noelle's expression was almost frenzied, her flushed face a look between anger and bewilderment, beads of sweat being visible on her forehead.
Akarsha went to respond before being interrupted again. "Everything was perfectly fine before you came along! I was perfectly fine! Now it feels like I don't know anything!" Noelle yelled, Akarsha's confusion giving way to worry. "I knew what was gonna happen! I was gonna go to college and-and become a doctor or a lawyer! Then I'd settle with a man and we'd... have kids and..." Tears pricked at the corners of Noelle's eyes. She slouched further down, face getting closer to Akarsha's. "I don't know what's going to happen next, Akarsha." she said, lowering her voice to just above a whisper. It began to shake. "I'm not used to feeling things like this. I'm not supposed to feel things like this."
A tear fell onto Akarsha's face.
"I shouldn't be doing this. I shouldn't be acting like this. I shouldn't be feeling like this."
Another tear fell.
"I'm so scared, Akarsha."
Another, and another, and another. Tears dotted Akarsha's face as Noelle cried the hardest she had in years. Her eyes were cinched shut as violent sobs wracked her body.
"I'm so, so scared Akarsha."
The downpour continued.
"Please. Please Akarsha. I need you. I need you to tell me what to do. I don't know what to do."
Noelle opened her wet eyes and stared at Akarsha. She was speechless. Noelle began to shudder as she moved her hands from Akarsha's wrists in order to cup her face. Noelle leaned in close.
"I don't know if you're the worst thing to ever happen to me... or the best thing to ever happen to me." Noelle spoke with shaky breaths. She leaned in the rest of the way.
It was like a head-on collision. Their lips crashed together, the two breathing in each other's breath as if it were the only source of air left in the world. It was sloppy and imperfect, but to the two of them, it was as if lightning struck their nerves and restarted an unbeating heart.
Noelle raised her head back up, a small strand of saliva connecting them. Noelle breathed deep and rhythmically, small quivers occasionally being audible. Her eyes opened and her gaze darted to Akarsha's face. She wore an awestruck expression, her dark eyes staring off into space beyond the ceiling before they suddenly flicked towards Noelle, the two girls meeting eachother's gaze. Noelle's brief tranquil turned into panic as she hastily lifted herself off of Akarsha, standing on unsteady legs.
Noelle took a few steps backwards before she turned around and ran out the door.
"Noelle, wait!"
Noelle stayed deadset on her destination, crossing the street and running three houses to her right.