Comfy Closets - Chapter 15: Chapter 15

The rumbling of the road going by was rhythmic and constant, a soft lull that was unconsciously ignored. A mellow song with acoustic tunes was playing as a part of that background, soothing yet not memorable enough to have any interest to my dazed mind. But there was something else occupying my attention. Someone beautiful, confident, cute and was currently sitting in the passenger seat right by my side.
My eyes gravitated towards her as if the action was uncontrollable, only to have them pulled back to focus ahead with the thought of safety in mind. But from time to time, in my periphery, I noticed I wasn't the only one sneaking glances. Every time I looked, my eyes would focus on something different: her hazel eyes, her luscious hair, her kissable pink lips. There was always something new to discover and admire.
After meeting her gaze for the fourth time, I decided to say something. "You know, it's not fair."
"What's not fair?"
The fact that I can't properly admire you while driving, I thought to myself. Glad I didn't say that out loud...
"I wish this day could last longer," I muttered wistfully.
"Well, there's gonna be more days like these," she assured. I glanced her way to see a soft expression take over, her eyes holding a promise within.
We soon arrived at her house and I got out of the car with her to walk her to her door. As I rounded the car, I saw her standing by waiting for me, her hands warmly tucked into her coat pockets. "What a gentlewoman," she remarked with a playful smirk.
I didn't respond as a blush coloured my cheeks, something I could've easily blamed on the cold, but she would've seen through it anyway.
We started our walk up the path, our sleeves brushing against each other. Stopping in front of the door, I noticed that the living room lights were still on, and for a second I thought I saw the silhouette of a person by the window, but it was gone the next.
Paying it no mind, I turned to Leah with a smile, feeling genuinely happy about tonight. "Thank you for deciding to come hang with us. I had a really great time with you."
A grin split her features then, one filled with satisfaction and contentment. "I'm glad I decided to come. I mean, it wasn't that hard of a choice to make," she said, canting her head slightly as her playful gaze flickered down to my lips before resting on mine.
My feet shuffled nervously at the gesture, but it was overpowered by a feeling of want that coursed through my being. I took a small, hesitant, almost imperceptible step forward. "Well, I guess I should head off. Goodnight, then."
She followed suit with a step slightly bigger than mine, our movements slowly closing the distance previously left between us. "Hmm, before you go, I just wanna do one more thing..."
Her hands reached to cup my jaws, and just like that, she pulled me in for a kiss.
It held none of the softness from before, replaced by a firmness that bordered on urgent. Our lips moved in sync as our hungry mouths satisfied a need that was not fulfilled the first time. My arms went to pull her impossibly closer by the waist, and I felt one of her hands grab a handful of my brunette waves as a way to assist.
We only pulled apart when our bodies required us to fill it with air. Our short breaths were coming in and out only centimetres from each other, grins on both of our faces.
"You know," Leah breathed out, "you have the most gorgeous eyes I've ever seen," she mumbled, staring intently into my blue orbs as she let her arms rest on my shoulders.
"You should look at yourself in the mirror," I quipped, but I honestly meant it. Those warm hazel eyes could make anyone fawn over her instantly.
She giggled lightly, the feeling of flattery colouring her cheeks a light pink. As she went to say something, we heard the sound of a lock clicking open. We sprang apart just as the front door to her house opened.
"Hello, girls. Why are you just standing out here in the cold?" Leah's mom asked confusedly as she looked between the two of us all bright red and embarrassed.
"Uh, um. I-I was just about to head off. I'll get going," I stuttered out, starting to walk back to my parked car.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Lys," Leah said, flashing me an unabashed smile. Her mother now held a skeptical look as she gazed at her daughter then at me.
"Bye," I waved sheepishly as I walked back down the path. As I reached my car, I glanced back one more time to see the blonde by the half-opened front door, sending me a flirtatious wink before heading in.
Damn, how was I able to get a kiss from her?
_______________
"Morning everyone!" I greeted cheerfully as I entered the kitchen and neared the island.
"Morning? What's got you all chipper so early? This is certainly not normal," Mom commented as she sipped from her cup of coffee.
"Can't I wake up feeling great for once? And it's not like it never happens. Right, Addison?" The girl in question lifted her head, indifferent.
"Eh, rarely," the seven-year-old responded noncommittally as she went back to shovel down her cereal.
I narrowed my eyes at her for the lack of back-up, but admittedly, it was rare that I woke up so upbeat and raring to go. And I haven't even gotten my coffee yet.
Grabbing an apple, I bit into it before responding. "Okay, fine. But I don't know. I'm just happy today, I guess," I shrugged as my mind floated away to yesterday.
"Well, I'm glad you're feeling great, sweetheart," she said as she went to put her finished plate in the sink. "Is it about a boy?"
Her last comment was able to snap me out of my daze, a frown now overtaking my features. "No, mom. It doesn't have to be about a boy to make me happy," I stated drily, a little irritated at that assumption. And besides, it's about a girl.
She raised her hands in a calming manner. "Alright, just asking."
"Did I hear something about a boy?" Dad inquired as he entered the kitchen just then.
"I'm heading out now or I'll be late," I lied, wanting to avoid the subject altogether. Grabbing a granola bar, I finished off my apple and got my stuff together. "Bye Mom and Dad. Have a great day at school, Addy!" I said, leaving the house then before they could say any more.
Letting out a sigh of relief from having avoided that conversation, I got in my car to head off. These days, Ashton drove to school with Zach more often than with me, leaving me to myself on these quiet rides to school. In a way, I liked it more because it allowed me this small space of time to gather myself and my thoughts.
However, right now, I couldn't stop my mind from drifting to the thought of Leah, of last night, of the kiss. Just thinking about it caused the bubbly feeling to return instantly, with a smile so content settling on my lips. There was, nonetheless, a thought that wasn't all that pleasant, that lingered. It was more so a fear that wouldn't bug, but for now, I pushed it deep down and out of sight, wanting to savour this electrifying feeling of excitement and wonder.
Arriving in the school's parking lot, I said goodbye to my baby Logan and made my way to the front doors, almost tempted to skip my way there. I unwrapped my granola bar and ate it quickly, finishing it before I arrived at my locker. As I went to throw the wrapper in a bin, my gaze wandered down the hall to see only a couple of students hanging about, still early in the morning.
Spotting a redhead, I backtracked my gaze to find Gia by her locker talking to someone, a boy, who was currently leaning against the lockers facing away from my view. I decided to get my books first before approaching, partly because I didn't want to intrude, but mostly because my shy ass wanted to avoid talking to a stranger.
Having gotten my books, I mustered up my courage to walk over and greet my friend. "Hey, Gia!" I said, announcing my presence. I stopped by the redhead's side, only noticing then that the guy she was talking to looked familiar to me, like I've talked to him before. "Hi..." I trailed off then.
"Hi, Alyssa," the boy greeted, surprising me as he smiled a friendly smile.
"Hey, babe. You remember Tommy, right? He's in the drama club with me," Gia said, sounding a little nervous as she nudged my shoulder slightly.
"Right! Tommy, how have you been?" I asked conversationally, trying to ignore the fact that I had awkwardly forgotten who he was.
"I've been good. I was just talking about the group project I had with Gia," he commented, fixing his coat as he stood back up.
"Oh, okay." Damn it, Alyssa! Can you be any less awkward, like seriously!
He scratched his sharp jaw absentmindedly. "Well, I have to get going. We'll talk more about the project later, yeah Gia?"
"Alright, see you in class," she said with a dazed smile. When he was gone, she turned to me, amused. "I can't believe you forgot his name."
I brushed it off as I had a more important question to ask. "Never mind that. I saw the look you were giving him before I arrived. Do you like him?" I interrogated, getting straight to the point.
"No! Why would you think that?" I gave her a flat look at that. I knew her better than she knew herself. "Okay, yes, just a bit. He's hot, but I'm not that into him." I could tell that she truthfully meant it.
"Okay, so what about Zach? I saw you with him last night..." I trailed off, hinting at something I suspected between them since yesterday.
She shot me a pointed look but confessed, nonetheless. "He's fun to be around. And yes, I've got to say... he's kind of my type."
Her admission caused me to squeal girlishly, something that came very rarely from me, as I nudged her side in excitement. "You gonna tell him soon?"
"I might, but I'll see. I don't know if he likes me, yet. I didn't receive any signals last night."
My usually confident best friend wasn't so confident at this moment. "Don't worry about it, who can stand my best friend's charm, am I right?" I encouraged.
She smiled in appreciation before quickly switching the topic. "Anyway, enough about that. What happened between you and the president of the student council last night?" she asked slyly, wiggling her eyebrows in a suggestive manner.
Instantly, my cheeks flamed pink at the image that popped into my head just then. And let me tell you, it involved a lot of proximity in a certain area. I gulped then, not knowing what to do now with the image that was stuck in my head. Gia, noticing my blush, started to grow more and more excited by the second. "GIRL, I NEED DETAILS!"
Thankfully, before I said anything, Ashton approached us then with Zach by his side. "Hey girls, what are you so excited about?"
I mouthed a 'later' to Gia, not wanting to talk about this in front of Zach when he didn't know about that part of me. She acknowledged it with a small nod, letting it go for now. "Nothing, boys. Girl stuff. We should head off soon. Bell is gonna ring any minute. So, byeee!"
With that, she proceeded to drag me away from the two confused boys, cackling to herself hilariously.
_________________
As third period neared, I grew increasingly nervous with the knowledge that it was Chemistry, where I would see Leah for the first time since yesterday. My fidgeting hands kept clicking my pen as time ticked, excited yet anxious at the same time. The bell rang for us to leave, and it took me the whole way there to calm my overthinking mind, instead just trying to keep my cool.
I entered the classroom to see she hadn't arrived yet. Slightly disappointed, I went to sit in my seat, leaning back as I feigned relaxation. Ashton followed in a couple of seconds later, giving me a pat on the shoulder as he passed by. I waited with tapping feet for a certain girl, and finally, a minute or two later, Leah walked in with a confident stride, her eyes immediately scanning the room as she walked through the door.
As her gaze landed on me, I saw her eyes light up ever so slightly before she made her way up the aisle. She strode to the empty seat by my side, setting her bag down and taking her seat there like it was designated for her.
"Hey," was all she said as she went to take her things out. Meanwhile, all I could do was stare, a little stunned and now not knowing what to do, not expecting this at all.
"Hi?" I quickly chanced a glance back to see Ash looking at her strangely, but I tried to ignore it for now, not wanting to deal with that just yet.
"You good over there?" she teased, her cheeky grin bringing out the dimples in her cheeks.
At that, I was able to gather myself and tried to send an unperturbed stare her way. "Yes, I'm fine." Curiosity then clouded my mind as a question came to the forefront. "Did your mom... see that last night?"
She paused then, her features holding thoughtfulness before she answered. "No, I don't think so. She didn't question me about it, at least."
I let out a small breath of relief, not noticing until now that the thought had been bothering me since last night.
The lesson started just then, as Ms Parry walked in and gathered our attention.
The minutes flew by fast, my attention focused on the girl beside me most of the time. Every once in a while, my eyes would gravitate to the captivating girl, just like last night in the car. It was out of my control. Her hazel orbs would glance my way too, filled with teasing hints and secretive looks I wanted to decipher.
Before I could even realise, the class was over, the fastest it has ever gone for me. I packed my things and stood up with my bag, waiting a couple of seconds for Leah. Ashton walked by me, casting me a puzzled look. I only motioned for him to go ahead. "I'll meet you there."
He nodded, albeit a little confused, but still continued on his way. I looked back at Leah to see her still packing, but now with a slight smile stretching her lips. She soon stood up and headed out the door with me.
"You're so cute, you know?"
Her sudden compliment, although out of nowhere, still made me blush like crazy. "W-why do you say that?"
"You, waiting for me. I find it very cute," she confessed, flashing a smile as she brushed her dirty blonde hair back.
Her bluntness always surprised me, but I was loving it entirely. "You know me, I'm very chivalrous. Very gentlewomanly," I joked.
She let out a short laugh at that, drawing the attention of some people nearby. "Yes, I figured from yesterday," she chuckled.
A thought came up then. I wasn't sure what we were at the moment, but I wanted to have the chance to find out, to be certain of this. "Hey, I have a soccer game on Friday. Do you want to come and watch?"
It didn't take long for her to reply. "Yeah, that sounds fun. I'll come."
Happiness flowed through me at that, a small hint to the question I wanted to be answered.
Soon, we both went our separate ways to our own friends. I walked to my usual table with a tray in hand, a smile unknowingly still on my face. Sitting down, I went to take a bite out of my sandwich, but before I could, Ashton was clearing his throat to grab my attention.
Looking his way, he had his arms crossed on the table with his eyes narrowed, a calculating look present. "What was that with Leah?"
I looked to Zach to see he wasn't paying much attention, deep in a conversation with Gia. Though, unlike the blue-eyed girl, she was keeping half of her focus on the both of us and our interaction, curiosity filling her gaze.
"I... I just wanted to ask something, that's all."
"Hmm," was all he said. He didn't say anything more than that, letting it go, but I knew from the look in his eyes that he wasn't completely over his suspicions. It's not that I didn't want to tell him. It's more like I can't do it here, in this large cafeteria room, with a hundred students around and Zach sitting right across me.
Gia chose to speak up then, her curiosity now too overloaded to be contained. "Aly, you remember how you were going to help me with maths? Can you help me do that now? Like, not here," she said, non-subtly indicating for us to get out of here.
"O-okay."
We stood up and grabbed our trays, saying bye to the boys as she dragged me out of the room. She seemed to be doing that a lot today.
We walked through the school to the front, where there was a grassy area for students to hang about during lunch. There were only a couple of people there right now, each little group sitting far apart, the weather deterring most people from coming out here. The redhead stopped near a tree and put her stuff down, sitting down with a 'humph' and turning to me with an expectant gaze.
"Well, spill."
"Okay, we kissed," my mouth just blurted out, unable to hide it from her any longer.
"You WHAT?!"
"We kissed."
"Yes, I heard. My mind just needed to process that. HOLY HECK!!"
I let her be for now as I set my own things down, plopping onto the grass in front of her. When the shocked expression finally faded, I chose to continue. "It happened after you guys left," I said slowly. "And in front of her house."
"DAMN, THAT'S SO CUTE!"
She was gushing so hard that I wasn't sure if I should continue. Thinking it was better for her health, I decided not to yet.
She calmed down a minute later but still had an excited energy around her. To her, this must be akin to the feeling of seeing her favourite ship sail.
"Okay, okay. I'm calm. But damn, I can't wait to see you guys as a couple!"
"Yeah, the thing is, I don't know about that."
She suddenly stopped her bouncing around, now looking at me with seriousness. "Wait, what? Why?"
I took in a deep, calming breath, readying myself to bring up the thoughts that have been circulating my mind since last night. "I don't know if she sees this like that."
"Come on. I saw how she was looking at you last night. It's not possible she doesn't. Now, I know that isn't the real reason. Tell me," she prompted gently.
I pursed my lips, my head dropping down as I finally spoke of the real fear that has been haunting me for a while. "I'm scared this time will be the same as the last. Like what happened with Isabelle."
Her expression showed that she finally understood my hesitance, my fear to jump right in. Sympathy shone through her eyes as she let a silence envelope us.
"You know," she finally said, her tone soft and gentle, "it wasn't your fault that time. Stop blaming yourself for what happened, because you shouldn't be the one taking it. Isabelle was the one who lost something special, and all you can do now is move on."
She took my hands in hers, her grip providing warmth and a sense of safety, of understanding. "Don't let her stop you from being happy, from having what you want. Because you deserve better than her."
I let her words sink in, the voices of my fears slowly fading into the background like the rumbling of the road under a car. I lifted my head and met her gaze, seeing my friend who held genuine love and support for me; someone who always had the right words to say.
"Maybe... maybe you're right."
"Babe, I'm always right."