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Noelle could hardly get herself to sleep. The night was black, cold, and windy, feeling almost wintry despite the otherwise autumnal environment. She could just close her window, but she was so sleepy she couldn't bring herself to get up. Maybe she would just cocoon into her blankets and play dead until it put her to sleep. Her idea almost worked, until a terrible hypnic jerk disturbed her again. She peeked over her blankets towards the clock, and saw it was almost one in the morning. She didn't have school, but her mother would still wake her up, and she would be exhausted in the morning.
Grumpily attempting to sleep again, Noelle stuffed her little red nose into her pillow. She could almost pick out a buzzing serenade, probably from the wind, outside. Slowly lulled into resting, she closed her eyes. She rarely had dreams, and when she did, they were mostly hyper-realistic nightmares, but tonight she faced a pleasant surprise. She opened her eyes again to another lovely Susie dream, without her computer. She was peacefully floating in the lake, staring at the sky, when Susie scooped her up and nuzzled into her. She squealed, flustered, and rubbed her snout. She snorted amusedly and leaned in for a kiss. Noelle’s eyes widened, her whole body shivering. She pursed her lips, tilting her head, and…
“Noelle!” Carol snapped her hoof in Noelle’s face, staring down at her. “It is almost nine in the morning, and you haven't gotten up yet! You're starting to get very lax, young lady.”
“I'm sorry, Mom, I, uhh…I was up late studying! College applications are coming really soon!” Noelle lied, twirling her hair nervously around her hooves to really sell her claim.
“Soon? They're next year…hmm. Better early than late, I suppose. Don't take more than ten minutes to get ready. We have things to do,” Carol huffed, walking out of her room and shutting the door behind her.
Noelle got up from her bed and checked her phone. She had gotten a text from Susie just as she had fallen asleep. She decided to save it for after she had gotten ready. It would add to the suspense. Her heart fluttered as she rushed to the bathroom to brush her teeth. Dess’ toothbrush was still next to hers, gathering dust. The thing was probably a biohazard by now. She finished washing up and got into her clothes, but just as she was about to leave her room she heard something pop through her window. She whipped her head around, surprised to see Kris on her bedroom floor. They looked almost as shocked as her.
“Morning, Kris, why did you sneak into my house?” She asked, holding open her door.
Kris promptly explained that Susie didn't want to anger Carol again because she might be booted from town, but that her messages were “like super urgent” and she needed to come with them.
“Okay,” Noelle squinted, “but my mom is gonna be super upset if I don't come downstairs soon. She really needs me right now.”
Kris rubbed their neck, and inquired why Noelle valued the old prude’s life over her own.
“I…well…you know what? I'll come with you. I just need to do something first.”
Noelle quickly trotted downstairs, almost tripping on the last step. She poked her head into the kitchen, where Carol was sorting papers on the island. Tapping her mother’s shoulder, she cleared her throat. Her mother looked tired but excited that she was finally ready to come and help her. Her face soured, though, once she saw how hyper Noelle looked. She doubted her plan would work. There was some kind of force, whatever it was, that really didn't want her to ever get her way.
“I'm sorry, Mom, Berdly actually just asked me to help him study!” Noelle said in a false-enthused tone, clicking her hooves together.
“Noelle, you can't lie to me. I know what you're trying to do.” Carol said, looking back to her documents.
“What? Oh, Mom, even if I am lying, I'm a kid! Shouldn't I be allowed to do my o–”
“No. You will help me and that's final.”
“Screw you,” she muttered under her breath.
“What was that?” Carol’s expression was both mortified and mortifying.
“Screw you! Do it yourself!” Noelle finally barked at her, rushing upstairs and slamming her door behind her.
Noelle couldn't help but feel guilty, but she needed to take charge for once. She cantered to the back of her room and met with Kris again, who grabbed her hand and led her towards the window. A flimsy-looking red rope ladder was strewn against the house walls. Noelle grimaced, holding the ladder steady as Kris traveled downward. If the ladder didn't kill her, her mom would, she thought. She joined them shortly after, shakily climbing to the bottom until her hooves touched solid ground. She let out a loud sigh as Kris rolled up the ladder.
“So, where are we headed?”
Kris looked unsure, as if they hadn't thought this through.
“Kris! Did you two really not plan where you would take me on a date?”
Kris nodded bashfully, but led Noelle through the woods behind her house as if they had gotten an idea in the minute they had been outside.
Noelle brushed against the bristles, ears satisfyingly scratched as she reached the end of the brush. They itched their arms, sensitive to the plants. She rubbed their shoulders comfortingly, making their face go red. They ran down the street together like kids, Kris still scratching their left arm, until they reached the lake. She almost lost her balance, getting close to faceplanting into the sand, when she saw Susie lying on the ground, drawing patterns with her claws. She steadied herself and plopped down next to her. It was just like her dream last night, she thought. The lake, her and Susie…Kris wasn't there, but they were nice to be around too. She nervously twirled her hair as the girl she loved looked up at her.
“Hey, Noelle! Er, Elly…can I call you Elly?” Susie flashed a toothy grin, something on her lower back wagging.
“You can call me anything! Well, not anything, but…yanno,” Noelle replied, Kris laying down flat next to her.
“Damn, I wanted to call you…Sugarplum.”
“Fahaha, Susie, you're such a dork!”
“Yeah, yeah. Where do you wanna go, today, anyway?”
“How about we eat at the diner? I'm famished.”
“Sure, you wanna come, Kris?”
Kris nodded their head and rolled over onto their back, sticking up their arms like a dog.
“What the hell are you doing?”
They harshly glared at the couple for judging them, pushing themself off the ground and lumbering away.
Susie hoisted Noelle up, trailing behind Kris as usual, though holding her hand this time. The sounds of the lake were still there, but as they got further away they were replaced by the blood rushing in Noelle’s ears. Just a few weeks before this exact moment could and would only exist in her nighttime fantasies, but now it was very much real. She could feel her nose getting a bit brighter as she stared at Susie’s back.
As the couple and their third wheel (romantically? Platonically? You decide, dear reader!) entered the diner, the already warm atmosphere got ten degrees hotter. QC greeted them jovially, sitting them all down and telling them the specials for the day. Noelle brushed her hand against Susie’s as she ordered. She was still trying to act tough and nonchalant whilst ordering a heaping plate of waffles, which really charmed and amused her. She requested some strawberry pancakes and leaned into Susie as Kris ordered their own.
Kris’ voice still sounded strange, but the garbled effect to it was subsiding a bit. They did seem more like themself lately. QC finished taking their orders and sauntered back to the kitchen. Susie, attempting to reciprocate Noelle’s affection, tilted her head towards her, bumping her snout into her antlers.
“Oof! Damn, those things are sharper than I thought…”
“Oh my gosh!!! Are you okay?” Noelle fussed, attempting to soothe her date by rubbing the spot she'd hit.
“No, no, that was cool. Maybe you could ram into Berdly with those if he’s weird to you again.”
“Susie! I wouldn't do that, Berdly’s a nice guy, I promise!”
“Mmkay, sure.”
Kris abruptly stood up for no discernible reason, looking at the two with their weird dark eyes. Their lips curled into a grin as they sat down next to Susie and cramped their side of the booth. She exasperatedly looked at them, rolling her eyes, and ruffled their hair, pulling them further in. Noelle couldn't help but smile herself, reaching over Susie to mess with them as well. She hadn't gotten to be a normal teenager much, she thought. It was nice to be with people close to her again.
“Hey, sweeties! I've got one hot chocolate for you,” QC said, setting down Kris’ mug in front of them, “and three plates of waffles. Y’all sure you don't want anything to drink?”
Noelle nodded, bumping into Susie again, who was already scarfing down her waffles. QC walked away to greet the next customer who had arrived, and she joined in, though more daintily. Kris, unlike she remembered from when they were younger, ate almost as quickly as her scaled soulmate. She patted the two’s backs as they chewed, affectionately gazing at them. Poking a berry onto her fork, she offered it to Susie.
“Do you want to try some, uhm, Love?...” she said, drawing out the pet name abashedly.
“Oh! Sure, that looks great. You don't have to be shy, you can call me anything too,” Susie said, taking her fork. Just as she was about to bite down, Kris stole a bite of her gift, “Dude! What the hell?” Shrugging, Kris swallowed the strawberry exaggeratedly and offered over a spoonful of their hot chocolate to make up for it.
The clock struck eleven, and exactly then did the whole gang finish their meals. Noelle promised to pay for the whole thing, but Susie insisted that because she had initiated she had to pay. She reminded her that board game dollars were not a valid source of currency in the real world, causing her to burst out laughing. Rummaging in her pockets, Susie pulled out a whopping ten bucks and slammed it on the table. Kris smirked and shoved an additional five dollars towards her, stiffening her up. Noelle couldn't recall the last time she (or at least her family) hadn't been the one paying for everything, so even splitting the cost seemed luxurious.
“Did you two seriously do that for me? Am I the reason you have actual savings?” Noelle stammered, flattered.
“Yeah. I, well, we normally wouldn't try to make any money, but for a cute girl like you–” Susie promptly poked her nose, “–I don't think we'd mind. Right, Kris?”
Kris gave the affirmative, though their face was otherwise blank.
Noelle’s nose became redder as she pulled out her own money, her eyes watering a bit. Ever since her dad had been hospitalized, it was as if no one truly cared. Her mom didn't care, Dess wasn't around, and she had no way of knowing about her teachers. She was in her limelight again. She could get some recognition. As the waterworks finally came, she tackled Kris and Susie into a hug, drawing out a surprised grunt from both of them. QC picked up their dishes and money, not bringing up their strange position, and bid them adieu. They each arose from the hug, embarrassed, and slipped out of the restaurant.
“Sorry about that, you two,” Noelle said shyly, “I just love you two. A lot!”
“I love you too.” Susie parroted, digging her shoe into the grass.
Kris agreed, blushing. They gave up their usual order in front to hold both of the girls’ hands, entirely unclenching their shoulders for once.
The three teens made their way back to the lake, Noelle leading the way for once. Long, plump blades of grass brushed against their legs as the sidewalk ended. It was high noon, the sun making the lake sparkle yet again. They ended up on a rocky side of the beach, perfect for Susie to sun herself and with ideal stones to sit on. It was beautiful, they were beautiful, and Noelle couldn't help but brush her tears away again. Maybe she could get her way.