The Lip Locker

The Shitty Excuse Method

•Lauren•

Spencer Hawkins and Eli Moore.

Their story starts five years ago (they met on New Year's Eve) and they fell in love the way only strangers could fall in love. From then on, Eli had tried his best to win Spencer's heart, but to no avail (she had it stuck in her mind that he couldn't possibly like her), she stayed silent about her feelings and they stayed friends for the next two years.

It wasn't until three years ago that Eli moved down to Miami, and it seemed that his life's mission was to make Spencer go out on a date with him.

This is where I step in.

Eli comes to me the second he hears about me and what I do and begs me to set him and Spencer up. I knew there was something different about them then, he begged me, not a lot of people showed me respect while asking me for a request, I usually get the ever present, "Hey, I need you to kiss the guy/girl. Oh, and don't make him/her fall in love with you."

So yadda yadda, I kiss her, she admits her feelings for him, and then they're in a relationship. I've kept close tabs on them and we're close friends.

But now they're fighting.

Why does this make me feel horrible?

I set these people up. I got rid of their skinny love for each other, and they've been openly expressing their feelings for each other for a long time now. I don't believe I can find love, but I know that other people can.

They were meant for love, they were meant for each other. They were so in love, that Eli blurted to me a while ago that he was planning on proposing to her during graduation (Cory and Topanga style, because everybody knows how much she loves that show).

Now they're fighting, about who knows what, and I have this in between feeling of either puking my guts out, or bawling my eyes out. I'm so invested in this relationship, I'm practically in this relationship. I've helped Eli with date ideas and Spencer with sex advice. I've helped them with their family problems and their school life. I've helped them with everything.

But I don't think I can help them now.

░░░

"Lo, what's wrong?"

I snap out of my thoughts when I hear her, my eyes trailing down to the hand she delicately placed on mine. I look back up and see her chocolate brown eyes staring back at me, concern obvious in her features.

She's a good friend.

But something bubbles in my stomach, and I push away from her, trying my best to avoid her gaze. She inches closer to me, and I keep scooting back until I feel a shot of pain shoot through my butt and into my lower back, realizing that I've fallen off of the couch.

She's quick to follow me and she helps me sit up. I watch her look down at me as if I'm fragile glass and maybe that's what makes me cry: the fact that Camila looks at me as if I'm worth being around, and I feel like I don't deserve a friend like her.

In the midst of my crying, I feel Camila cradle me in her arms and shushing me, rocking me side to side while she tries to comfort me; but this only makes me cry harder because her comfort is something I don't deserve.

"Y-you're too g-g-goo-od to m-me." I stutter in between my sobs. Camila lifts my chin and wipes my tears away, and I sniff, keeping my gaze away from her's.

Knowing my out-of-wack emotions, I'll cry when I see the concern in her eyes.

"Lauren, what do you-"

"I don't d-deserve your friendship a loyalt-t-ty! You're so good to me amd I don't deserve you." I mumble, burying my head in her neck. She shakes her head and says something, but I'm too busy drowning in my tears to hear what she's saying.

And when I'm about to stand up and run out of her house, I hear her say, "Shut your eyes and think of somewhere." My sobs cease and I look up at her through my blurry eyes, wondering what she meant. She nods at me, as if telling me to listen to her.

I sigh and close my eyes, waiting for further instruction. "Think of your happy place. Maybe it's a meadow full of flowers, or you're with your friends, or-"

"The library."

"What do you mean?" I hear her say, and I open my eyes.

"I like flowers and all, but that's too much pollen and I don't think my happy place should be where I sneeze my guts out. And I love my friends, but sometimes I just need to be alone and cuddle up with a good book and a hot drink." I tell her. She smiles and says she feels exactly the same. Then she tells me to close my eyes again, and I do.

"Think of the quiet, think of the chair you're sitting in, that it's so comfortable and plush that you could take a nap." I giggle and say those are my exact thoughts.

"Think of the crisp feeling of the pages in between your fingers, the fights and make ups and laughs and tears that are happening within those pages. Think about your warm cup of coffee that you're sipping. Think about the feeling of solitude enveloping you and giving you a warm hug." I feel my lips tug into a small smile and suddenly, I'm at peace.

"Thanks, Camz, that was really-" I open my eyes and become aware of how close our faces are to each other. I feel my breath hitch and I whisper out the next word, "nice."

I feel like a deer caught in headlights, and I don't know if I should politely ask Camila to back up or just cough and make up a shitty excuse and leave.

It isn't until I feel her thumb on my cheek, rubbing away the tear tracks, and feel her cool, minty breath on my lips, that I stand up, quickly gathering my things into my bag.

"Okay, I, uhmm, think we've covered enough today. My brother has a game today, anyway. Err, go over the Zero Product method tonight. I'll see you tomorrow," I bring a hand up to my mouth and cough, "Bye." And then I'm gone.

Cough and make up a shitty excuse and leave it is.

_________________

BRUH, THEY ALMOST KISSED

I'd just like to clear up now that Eli and Spencer will actually be a huge part in this story.

What else..

OOOH I KNOW:

Comment your favorite song from Reflection and why

Mine are Suga Mama (like bruh, I ain't paying for your stuff), Reflection (duhh), We Know (my fav before we heard the album), Top Down (I have a mini party everytime I listen to it), and Brave, Honest, Beautiful (lohanthony said that this song could change a nation, I think, I haven't watched his reaction to this album in a while).

Until next time!

~ InTheseWalls xo