Comfy Closets - Chapter 19: Chapter 19

Nothing could make your heart drop faster than a bullet but dread. The all-consuming virus eats away at your nerves like a buffet feast laid out in the open. It pecks and pecks until your body starts squirming, then pecks some more.
Apprehension was one word that comes close to summing up my mood. My jittery hands always had to be occupied by something; if not, I would routinely feel like there was something wrong, but I would never be able to identify the cause. My body needed to react, it needed an outlet, and most often it was my frayed jumper sleeves that took the beating of my constant fiddling.
The events of yesterday had left an unbearably itchy stamp on me. Even as I walked up the front steps to school, the thought stuck to me as if superglue was involved. I didn’t want to tell Leah how much Riley possibly knowing bothered me. What would be the point of saying it if Riley already knew?
Taking in a deep breath that did nothing to calm my heart rate, I walked to my locker to gather my things and continued walking down the corridor until I saw any of my friends.
Gia was the first one that came into view, animated and all. Then I saw Zach's spiky, sandy hair that stuck out, briefly wondering how those two were doing after what had happened. But that thought was quickly swept away by the presence that stood next to Ash, openly cuddling into his side.
My steps stuttered with hesitation, the cause of my apprehension now only a few metres away. What the heck do I do now?
Before I could retreat the way I came like a spineless coward, Ashton was able to spot my rigid form and happily greeted me from afar. “Yo, Aly!”
I joined them with reluctance, choosing to stand between Gia and Zach as a strained smile was all I could manage. “Hey, guys...”
“Al, we have a question for you,” Ash stated. “Do you, or do you not like-,” he raised his hands for dramatic effect, “my baking because my cookies are bomb-tastic, if I do say so myself.”
The tension in my chest deflated with relief as soon as I realised this wasn’t about Leah. With Riley right there, my paranoia was working overtime to provide me with mini heart attacks, like insistent grocery workers giving out free samples.
“Oh! Um- yeah, I guess. It’s alright,” I said, trying to calm myself by avoiding eye contact with her.
Ashton gasped in offence. “You would say that about my cookies, Al? ‘Alright'? The betrayal.”
Zach patted his shoulder in sympathy. “It's okay. I like your cookies, man.”
“Am I the only one who’s going to point out that he just said ‘bomb-tastic’?” Gia remarked.
Her comment went ignored as the boys continued talking about their baking skills, getting rowdier and more competitive as they went. Apparently, a bake-off was now due to happen soon.
As I was being entertained by the battling of their male egos, I felt the prickly feeling of someone’s gaze on the side of my face. My attention drifted to the one person I was trying to avoid, the dread from before doubling in its intensity.
The ebony-haired girl did nothing but stare intently at me. Her eyes were unwavering, calculating, but also unreadable at the same time. The thing that scared me the most was the uncertainty of what she would do with this knowledge if she already had it. I didn’t know her well. She would probably tell the whole school for all I know.
“You alright there, Alyssa? You seem rather pale.”
Surprisingly, it was Riley herself who asked, a curious expression with a quirked brow in place. I wonder if it was fake though, considering the look she was just giving me...
“Yeah, girl. What’s up with you? You’re a little jumpy today. Got scared by a spider again this morning?” Gia kidded, but a hint of concern was present in her tone.
“No, it’s just-,” my eyes unconsciously drifted to Riley before darting away, “I didn’t sleep all that well. I’m just a little tired.”
She didn’t really buy my excuse, but let it go anyway. “I still think it was a spider.”
“Leah!” Ash suddenly exclaimed. I looked at him, startled, as he waved to someone behind me. A second later, I felt a hand on my right shoulder as the said person appeared on my left. It was only for a moment, but the gesture that could’ve been interpreted as friendly to others was more than that to me.
Her hand slipped from my shoulder smoothly, the lingering warmth offering the touch of intimacy I always crave for from her. I appreciated how she listened to what I said yesterday and was keeping her gestures subtle. She greeted everyone. “Hey, guys! What is it, Ashton?”
“You know the thing you shared with Aly yesterday? Was it a lava cake? I bet I can make that and succeed on the first try,” he boasted as he crossed his arms, giving Zach a smug look.
Leah quirked her brow. “Are you challenging me? Is this going to be a bake-off?”
“Well, it was just going to be between me and Zach, but if you want, you can join. I doubt you can beat us though.”
Leah’s eyes fired up at the assumption. “Don’t be so cocky, boys. I’m gonna whoop your asses like pancakes.”
“We’ll see about that, class president,” Ash taunted with an arrogant grin.
“Oh, it’s on.”
“Wait, like… pancakes?” Gia muttered confusedly, scratching her head as she tried to comprehend.
Once again, her comment went ignored as the others continued their smack-talk. I patted Gia’s head in sympathy, bordering on condescending. “Just let it go, G. Let them be weird.”
The warning bell sounded then, prompting us to head to our classes. I shouldered my bag and headed off with Leah, walking with her to her class like I have done the past week. It was on my way to my class too, so it wouldn’t seem suspicious if anyone thought further. One person was though, her narrowed glances enough proof before she turned to walk the other way.
“Have you noticed the way Riley has been looking at us,” I whispered to Leah as I walked by her.
“I’ve noticed. I think it was because of yesterday,” she sighed, tucking a dirty blonde strand behind her ear. “I can talk to her – see where her head’s at. But I don’t think she’d do anything rash if she does know.”
“I hope so. I guess I’m just nervous.”
“I know. And the thing is, is that she’ll also be finding out about me. I haven’t even told her that I’m bi. She might just be processing,” Leah pointed out.
I didn’t say anything to that as we stopped in front of her classroom door. By now, most of our peers were already in their respective classrooms. She looked around cautiously before she took my hand in hers, squeezing it briefly. “Babe, it’s gonna be fine. I’ll talk to her later,” She murmured reassuringly.
I mustered up a smile, comforted by her gesture. “Okay.”
Her comforting words only lasted me until the third period, where my thoughts were again consumed with anxiety.
Sitting in class, my leg bounced up and down uncontrollably. Gia was sitting beside me, doodling on the corner of her page and pretending to take notes as the teacher droned on. In my periphery, I saw her glance over, frowning when she noticed that something was off. “You alright?” she whispered.
I pursed my lips and nodded, stopping my bouncing leg for a few seconds before continuing again. Gia opened her mouth to say something but stopped herself when the teacher started calling students out to answer questions.
We were soon let out for lunch and Gia quickly took the opportunity to question me. “Girl, I know something is up. What happened?” she asked with insistence.
“It’s nothing,” I brushed off.
“Is this about Riley?” My eyes focused on her immediately, a little baffled she guessed correctly. “I saw how you were looking at her this morning. Did something happen between you two?”
“Sort of?”
“Did she hurt you? I will pound her face in if –”
“Lyssa!”
Only one person I knew called me that, so I was expecting to see Leah, only to be startled to see none other than Riley standing there behind us.
She had her hands casually tucked in her pockets, her stance intimidating as she stood tall, especially with the heels on her feet. Who wore heels to school?
“I need to talk to you,” was her simple request.
A fear I didn’t register until now sprung up into my throat. This reminded me too much of something else. Something bad.
I could sense that Gia was about ready to explode, ready to confront Riley even if she didn’t know what had happened between us. “Hell no, you b–”
“Gia!” I interrupted before she could continue, “Stop. Let me handle this.” Even as I presented a stoic expression for them to see, my insides were running around in a panic, not knowing what to expect.
“But–”
“I’ll see you inside,” I said, motioning my head towards the cafeteria. Her light-blue eyes showed hesitance, but she chose to go with a nod.
I watched her walk away, internally debating whether I shouldn’t have asked to face her alone. A clearing of a throat drew my attention away. Riley approached me with confidence, her long slender legs allowing her to tower over my five-foot-six height. Her deadpan expression gave nothing away as she went to cross her arms.
“What is it?” I asked straight out, a little tremor in my tone. As my heart shook with shivers, my hands outwardly trembled as this encounter was so alike another, and I genuinely had no idea where this will go.
“Alyssa, why are you shaking so much?”
“I just-, I-I don’t know what you–”
“Geez, girl. I’m not going to hit you or anything!” Riley exclaimed, coming close to hug me.
The contact surprised me so much that I stopped moving altogether. The shivers went away, the fear disappeared. I was just shocked.
Riley pulled away with a sense of reassurance in her gaze. “I just noticed the thing between you and Leah yesterday, and I just wanted to confirm it for myself.”
I couldn't even begin to describe how relieved I felt when I saw the look in her eyes. She just wanted to know, and that was it. No malice could be seen in her features, only curiosity.
“Riley, you scared the crap out of me,” I bluntly let out.
“You seriously think I was about to pound your face for no reason?” she asked, humour in her voice.
“Uh, maybe?”
“You didn’t answer my question though.”
Sighing, I leant against the lockers beside me and mustered a faint smile. “Yes, we are together. Was it that obvious?”
“If you count going to the bathroom together and coming back out all flustered, out of breath and with plump lips, obvious? Then yeah, it was obvious,” she flatly stated. “And besides, the pink lipstick on your jaw was a dead giveaway.”
My hand unconsciously went up to feel the said area, even if she was referring to something that had happened hours ago. My cheeks flushed pink as the memories of last night and the boldness of our actions was reminded to me.
“So… you’re not against it?”
“Why would I be against it? And even if I was, it’s not my business nor do I have a right to disagree,” she said matter-of-factly. “Although, my best friend telling me herself about that would’ve been nice,” Riley huffed with mock annoyance.
“Wait, so she hasn’t talked to you yet?” I asked, surprised.
“No. Was she going to?” I nodded as a response. “Well, I’m gonna go find her then. I’ll see you later.”
“See you.”
Before she turned to leave, she paused and open and closed her mouth, as if contemplating whether to say something, before turning back. “I just wanted to say that when I first met you, I actually had a girl crush on you,” she confessed. “You’re a good catch. And I’ve seen the way Leah has been since she first started hanging out with you. She’s lucky to have you.”
I smiled genuinely, flattered by the confession. But I honestly thought otherwise. I was lucky to have her.
______________
As I promised before, I was going to run lines with Leah. We’ve been busy all week but have decided on Friday to get together, and it was also a chance for us to just hang out in each other’s company.
I’ve just finished my after-school soccer training, still in my sports kit as I walked out of the locker room with my bags in hand. The weather was getting colder by the day, but all I threw on over my kit was an oversized hoodie that managed to deter the winds just a bit.
Leah was waiting outside on the grass near the parking lot as she also just came from a drama rehearsal she had with her group. She saw me approaching and stood up with her bag and books, all wrapped up in her white scarf and a cute beanie.
“Have you been waiting long?”
“No, I just got here. Let’s go, though,” Leah said, her words muffled by the scarf.
We got into my car and I turned up the heat, sighing as hot air started to blow out and defrost our bodies. Leah put her hands in front of the heater, and I took this opportunity to take her hands in mine, placing one in between hers and rubbing them together to create more warmth. Her giggles filled the car as I continued to do this with conviction, with myself laughing along.
The blonde pulled our hands closer to her and kissed the back of mine as a way of thanks, causing my heart to flutter like a hummingbird’s.
“Okay, let’s go now,” she said, releasing my hands and putting on her seatbelt.
The drive to my house was quick and filled with light chatter. No sooner did I park in my spot in the driveway, did I realise my mom was home earlier than usual from work. I ran a hand through my tied-up hair, hoping this interaction would be shorter than most. “Okay…”
We got out and walked to the front door. I unlocked it and softly pushed it open, not wanting to announce our presence if it wasn’t necessary. “Come on, let’s head upstairs to my room.”
As we took off our shoes and took the first few steps up the stairs, my mom somehow was able to hear and called out for me. “Alyssa? Is that you?”
My head dropped with failure. Goodbye, my ninja career, I thought sadly. “Yes, mom. I’m here with a friend,” I announced reluctantly.
She came out of the living room to see us coming down the few stairs we took, a friendly smile on her face. Whenever any mention of my friends coming over was heard, she became this all-smiles, welcoming momma bear that loved to fuss over them whenever she could. It was adorable sometimes, but also a little… intrusive.
“Oh! I didn’t know Alyssa was bringing over any friends today. What’s your name, dear?”
“I’m Leah. Nice to meet you, Mrs Woods,” my girlfriend said politely with a smile. I could tell she was a little nervous though, with the way her fingers tapped on the bannister.
“None of that ‘Mrs Woods’ nonsense! You can call me Rebecca,” Mom playfully admonished.
I knew she was about to drag her off soon to talk more, so I chose now to speak up. “Mom, I was just going to help Leah with some homework and... stuff. Can we head up to my room? Please?” I added as an afterthought, giving her a look that said I knew what she was up to.
She rolled her eyes and lightly swatted my shoulder. “Alright, you girls head up. I’m guessing Leah will be staying for dinner?”
“Um…” Leah trailed off, looking at me unsurely. I responded with a curt nod. “Sure, Mrs- Rebecca. I’d love to stay for dinner.”
“Great! I’ll call for you girls later.” She then proceeded to leave us be, entering another part of the house.
I waved for Leah to continue up before she comes back with a question or ten. “The furthest door to the right,” I directed.
She glanced back. "Your mom's nice."
"Yeah, wait until the questions start coming in," I quipped.
Leah opened the door to my room and walked a few steps in as I closed it behind me. She looked around the space with curiosity, making her way to the storm of photos that filled up most of one wall.
I let her explore the space as I set my things down in a corner and went to open my closet for fresh clothes. “I’m going to take a bath since I’m still all sweaty. Make yourself comfortable, babe.”
Sending me a cute smile, she went back to looking at the pictures while I entered my bathroom. I took a quick, hot shower and stepped out all relaxed and warm. The best feeling ever.
Pulling on my clothes, I stepped out of the bathroom as I tried to towel my hair dry. Leah was still looking at the wall of pictures, scanning them and touching a few here and there. Throwing the towel to the corner, I walked up from behind and wrapped my arms around her, pulling her close to me. “What are you looking at?”
She leant back into me, welcoming the embrace with a sigh. “Just you, so cute and everything.”
“I’m right here, so I guess you can just look at me instead.”
“Very true,” she hummed. Turning then, she threw her arms around my shoulders, her lopsided grin the only thing I could see. “Much better. And you’re so warm too.”
“There’s a reason for that,” I said seriously, pausing for a second. “I’m a werewolf.”
She laughed. “Then I must be a vampire since you’re looking like a fine snack.”
“Damn, you are too smooth for your own good,” I chuckled. “I can’t beat that.”
“But seriously, with those legs… and that thin shirt… who can resist you,” she huskily whispered, looking me up and down. One of her hands drifted down until it was holding the hem of my shirt teasingly. “I wonder what it feels like under… here.”
With that, she slipped her hand underneath, her fingertips gently touching my toned stomach. Instantly, my muscles tensed as she slowly felt around, her digits tracing the ridges and dips with unexpected tenderness. I felt like I was holding my breath the entire time, pleasure lighting up my insides at the touch.
Leah’s dark hazel eyes drifted up to meet mines. “If I don’t stop now, I don’t know if I would be able to control myself if we continue.” Her hand slipped out then, instead going back around my neck.
I cleared my throat to rid myself of the lump left there. Lust was still rapidly coursing through my body, but I forcibly pushed it aside. “Pr-probably the best idea.”
She played with the wet strands of my hair as she responded. “Cool. Let’s start reading through those lines then.”
I decided to let go of her waist, causing her arms to drop too as I walked to my bed and plopped down. “Let’s start then.”
She got out the sheets of paper and handed me them, settling next to me as she told me what part to read. I found out after reading a couple of lines that it was based off some Shakespeare play, like a continuation of the story.
As we read through the lines, we somehow ended up cuddling, propped up against the head of the bed with my head resting on her shoulder comfortably. I didn’t know if it was because of the play, or how tired I was after practise, or even just the simple rise and fall of her breaths, but I somehow fell into the lull of sleep, escaping into the world of darkness and imagination.
I woke up to the rustling sound of papers. Peeking open my eyes, I realised my head was still resting on Leah’s shoulder, but now our bodies slumped more into the bed. Leah had the sheets in her hand, reading through them on her own.
I sat up, guilty that I fell asleep. “Sorry, babe. I was a little tired,” I mumbled, rubbing my eyes.
“It’s fine. I think I’ve got them down anyway.”
Looking at the clock, I saw an hour had passed since we started. “Do you wanna watch a movie then, until dinner is ready?”
She nodded her head in approval, so I went to get my laptop while she put her stuff away, plopping back down by my side as I set up the laptop in front of us. “Genre?”
“Something funny.”
Browsing through, I found some old comedy movie and clicked on it, settling down with Leah who now put her head on my shoulder, snuggling her body into mine.
We were quarter ways into the movie when we heard a soft knocking on the door. Instantly, we sprang apart as the door slowly opened, only to reveal my little sister, Addison.
“Addy, what is it?” I asked, trying to keep the irritation out of my voice.
“Mom said to call you down for dinner,” she answered. Her eyes drifted to Leah and they widened as they registered the new presence. “Who is that?”
“I’m Leah, Alyssa’s g- friend.”
“Is this–” she looked to me for an answer, “the girl you were talking about? Your new best friend?”
“Yup.” The response I received in return was a high-pitched squeal from the seven-year-old. Leah looked startled as her eyes darted between the two of us.
“Come on, come on! Let’s go down for dinner and we can talk about all your favourite things and all my favourite things. Oh! And maybe we can play together after dinner! Come on!” she jumped excitedly on my bed, grabbing Leah’s hand and dragging her off the bed towards the door. My girlfriend looked back at me in alarm and all I could manage was a ‘sorry’ expression.
I trailed after them, arriving at the dinner table to see my mom and dad already seated. Addison took her seat at the end of the table whilst I went to sit across from my parents, with Leah joining me by my side. “Dad, this is Leah. She’s a friend from school.”
“Nice to meet you, Leah. You can call me Arthur,” Dad smiled pleasantly.
Leah nodded as a greeting. “Thank you for having me.”
“No problem. Let’s dig in.”
As we started eating, I knew the questions would be flooding in soon. It was just a matter of time.
“So, Leah, how long have you known Alyssa?” Mom was the first to start.
My girl finished chewing before she answered. “We’ve known each other for a month or two, but we’ve become fast friends since.”
“How are you doing in school? Any extra-curriculars or interests?” Dad was the one who asked.
Leah was quick to reply. “I’m doing good with my grades. Quite happy with it. I’m actually in the drama club and on the student council, but that’s about it.”
“Student council, huh? Must be a lot of work to handle,” Dad mused.
“It’s nothing I can’t manage; I just have to stay organized.”
“She’s being humble,” I spoke up, “she’s senior class president. She basically carries the whole team.” Leah shot me a look, but I returned it with a grin. She deserved the credit.
“Wow! That is impressive. You would be a good influence on Alyssa. She’s always procrastinating until the last day,” Mom shook her head in playful disappointment.
“It still turns out just fine! And it’s my form of motivation,” I defended.
“Whatever you say, dear.”
Crossing my arms, I sulked by myself as they continued with their barrage of questions, with Addison popping in questions like ‘what’s your favourite colour’ and ‘how are you so pretty’ every now and then. I kept silent most of the time, but one question that they asked bothered me.
“So, any boys you have in your life? I can imagine many would be vying for your attention,” Mom mused.
“Mom!” I exclaimed, giving her a look that said this wasn’t appropriate. This was what I meant when I said they could be ‘intrusive’.
“What? I was just asking. She’s such a pretty girl. You are too, honey, but I just don’t understand why you haven’t brought a boy home yet.”
Irritation started to simmer within me as I clenched my fists. I hated these questions with a passion, and now with Leah sitting right there next to me, I couldn’t control the annoyance anymore. Even if they didn’t realise their disrespect to us for asking that question, I knew it needed to stop. “That’s enough.”
I felt Leah grab my hand then from under the table, slowly prying my fingers open and placing her hand there instead. Her thumb rubbed the back of my hand in an attempt to calm me down, the soothing circles gradually bringing me down from my rage. I let out a breath, releasing the anger with it.
“Alyssa, watch your tone,” Mom reprimanded before turning to the girl next to me. “Leah, I’m sorry if that crossed a line. I was just curious.”
Meanwhile, Leah's thigh touched the side of mine, it’s contact cooling me down like an ice pack to a fever. “It’s fine, Mrs Woods. I understand,” she said, giving her a tight smile.
The rest of dinner was less lively, with more chatter now between my parents and Addison. I suffered through the rest of dinner, the only consolation being the contact Leah offered. The reminder of her presence and comfort was enough for me.
“May we be excused?” I asked once everyone had finished their plates. With a nod from my parents, I stood up and left the room with Leah, our feet’s thumping up the stairs as we went, seeking the privacy my room offered.
“I’m sorry about that,” I breathed out as I closed the door after Leah. “It’s just… every time they ask something like that, it just bugs me.” Sitting down beside her on the edge of my bed, I put my head in my hands as my tiredness took over. “I know it’s my fault for not telling them, but that question… every time they mention a boy… I can’t even describe the feeling that comes over me.”
I felt a pressure on my shoulder, and so I let my hands fall to see Leah resting her chin there with her eyes closed. “Well, as your girlfriend, I’m telling you that as long as you remember that, anytime they mention it won’t matter.”
Humming in agreement, we stayed like that for a little longer until a thought came to mind. “Do you want me to drive you home now? Or do you want to finish that movie and stay here for the night?”
She looked like she was contemplating it before she opened her eyes and gave me a peck on the lips. “Stay here, of course. How can I ever turn that down?”