Chapter Text
Tim and Lucy had shared everything- whether it was a snack, a cup, clothes, and even a birthday. Vanessa Chen and Joy Bradford were best friends since highschool. It wasn't a shock that they had their gender reveals together, baby showers, everything. The irony that they shared a hospital room because their water broke on the same day was insane, and to believe that Lucy was only 4 minutes older but they weren't twins was even crazier to them.
6:24 a.m.
An infant cry echoed throughout the room, and a very tired mother lay panting on the hospital bed.
"Beautiful baby girl you have here Mrs. Chen," the doctor called out through the chaos, placing the sweet baby on her chest.
Vanessa looked over at Joy- who was still pushing hard to get that baby out. "You got it Joy," she whispered with what little strength she had as she held the screaming infant on her chest. The baby had to be around 5-6 pounds, tiny, but strong.
6:28 a.m.
Another wail howled through the room as Joy's son came into the world.
"Congratulations, Mrs. Bradford, healthy baby boy," the doctor said to her as she placed the baby on Joy's chest.
Lucille Grace Chen and Timothy Logan Bradford were born only minutes apart, and rested onto inches away. They got taken for their exam, got cleaned up, and placed in the same bassinet, deemed best friends forever.
At the ripe age of 4, there were two things that their entire graduating class knew: one, Lucy Chen and Tim Bradford were attached at the hip, and two, nobody could take that from them.
All throughout elementary school, they were attached at the hip, always had the same teacher, picked each other for group projects, and went to parent teacher conferences together.
In Middle school, Lucy joined the cheer team and Tim joined the football team. Every game that they won, Tim would run to Lucy to celebrate before his own team.
Lucy got done with the final cheer of middle school, the last football game of middle school. Lucy ran to the field, meeting Tim halfway as he scooped her up, lifting her off of the ground and spinning her. Their sweat mixed but at this point, nothing grossed them out. "It's insane that this is it. Then we go to the big school," Lucy whispered against his shoulder. She wasn't going to not admit that she was nervous to go to the bigger school- highschool.
Tim pulled back slightly, just to look at her, "We'll be okay. We have each other, that's what matters."
Lucy nodded in response. The student section ran into the field to celebrate the victory, chaos surrounding them like the plague. Tim and Lucy however walked to the fence where their moms were.
"Aww look at our babies- all grown up," Vanessa squealed quietly as Joy said. "Okay you two know the drill. At least one photo every game."
Tim and Lucy did not mind at all. They stood there, tim's arm wrapped around Lucy's smaller body as Lucy's hand rested on his chest, like usual.
In highschool, Tim and Lucy found a great friend, her name was Angela Lopez. They didn't exactly recall how they met, the three of them just clicked instantly.
It was a Friday, Tim and Lucy shared a homeroom, Angela unfortunately was in a different homeroom.
Lucy walked in and sat down next to Tim with a sigh, "I hate chem," she muttered.
"Mr. Barnes giving you trouble again?" Tim asked in that quiet voice that said "I'm here, I'm listening to you," without really saying it.
She nodded in return, "he expects us to teach ourselves!" Without another word, Tim grabbed her papers, explaining her chemistry in a way that she could comprehend it.
She didn't fight, she didn't argue, she simply listened, watched him demonstrate.
When the bell rung 20 minutes later, Tim helped Lucy pack her chemistry homework up. She felt much better about the topic. "Thanks a lot, seriously," Lucy whispered to Tim as he grabbed both hers and his backpack.
"No problem, I can help you tonight too, I'm coming over for dinner with my mom," he said, she nodded.
They arrived at their lunch table, putting down their lunchboxes and backpacks and beginning to eat. Angela arrived not too soon later, looking at them both with a raised eyebrow, "You guys look like you're plotting something," she muttered, sitting down.
Lucy looked up at her, "What?" she asked.
Angela shot her a look, "You're plotting something and I don't like this one bit," she said.
"No we aren't," Tim interjected. Without another minute, a chorus of music came from the hallway, heading straight towards Angela.
The band continued playing as none other than Wesley Evers rounded the corner with a homecoming proposal sign. Angela had the fattest crush on him, and she turned a dark crimson shade as the whole lunchroom stared at her.
The sign read, "I know I'm not your boyfriend, and I'm willing to wait for it, but first, HOCO?" The band was playing a mixture of hamilton songs as Wesley approached with the sign and flowers, and tickets to the local theatre to see hamilton.
She stood up, "Are you like... serious?" Angela asked hesitantly wondering if this is a joke.
Wesley nodded, "Im serious. Will you go to homecoming with me?" he asked. She nodded and he handed her flowers.
The lunchroom erupted in cheers and a person from yearbook got their photo.
Lucy and Tim had arranged this with Wesley and knew this was going to happen.
Later that day, the bell had just rung and Lucy's boyfriend came up to her, "Hey," he said low, unsteady, in a voice that generally meant bad.
She looked up at him, "Hey, what's up?" She asked as she put her stuff in her bag.
He gave her a look of pity, "I'm so sorry but this isn't working between us. Not when you're that close to another guy, and you refuse to kiss me," he looked at her. He wasn't upset at the fact that he wasn't getting intimacy from her, it was the fact that he felt rejected- like she wasn't fully there with him.
"Oh," she whispered, "It's okay... I understand," but she didn't. She didn't understand why it was such an issue that she was friends with her best friend that she grew up with.
Without another word, he left her, walking away to his other friends. Lucy was left there, trying to hold it back as she violently slammed her locker shut and slung her backpack over her shoulder, walking out of school to her car. She didn't wait for Tim today, which was a shocker. And to be serious, Lucy didn't feel much for her now ex-boyfriend, but it was getting more serious. It was like her brain telling her to not kiss him, to save it for someone else.
Once home, Lucy darted upstairs past her mother. "Lucille," her mom called out, noticing something was wrong. Lucy responded with the slam of her door.
When Lucy got this upset, her mom always called Tim: and he always came.
Upstairs, Lucy sat there, ripping up every single photo or card she'd ever received from Tyler.
The bedroom door swung open and shut as quickly as it opened, big, muscular arms wrapping around her from behind.
"It's going to be okay. That guy was a dick anyways," Tim whispered as Lucy cried into his arms.
He quietly guided her over to her bed so she didn't get dizzy from crying. Soothingly, he stroked her hair.
A whole sobfest later, Tim and Lucy really got to talking.
"He just walked up and said that it isn't working and left as quick as he came. I mean, we've been together for 8 months. He said he can't date me because I won't give him an intimacy, and because my best friend is a male," she whispered, "then he had the audacity to text me this:"
Tyler:
Hey, I'm sorry for ending things but I didn't feel a real
connection anymore. I hope you understand that I saw
love in your eyes for another person, and I hope one day,
he'll make you happier than I ever could've.
Read 3:43 p.m.
"He doesn't deserve you; and you deserve better. Lucy I've seen you get mistreated so many times by that one guy, and you stayed," he whispered into her hair. "You should be happy. Find someone who can give that to you without a price."
Lucy looked up at Tim, "If you and I are still single by the time we are twenty-five, we should get married instead," He replied with a nod
"Okay. So we shall," he was already planning it all.
What a promise to make at the ripe age of 16.