KINDA CLICHÉ - teo briones

𖤐 15.

☆彡

The day estella and payton were dreading had
finally arrived. They were leaving. They were
only supposed to go for a week because they were performing together in front of a live audience. kenzie had been down the whole day and estella was still thinking about what teo had said earlier. His words echoed in her brain endlessly. "It's not a thing, it never will be." repeating in her head.

estella and payton were packing up their things,
already cringing when they thought about all
the attention they'd get at home. "Oh, god, a
bunch of girls are gonna ask me for his
number!"

"I know, and they're just gonna ask if they
can come to set or something," payton added, her
tone bitter. "All these fake people."

Just then, a knock sounded at the door, and
into the room stepped kenzie. She was biting her
lip, a method she used to prevent her from
crying. okay estella and payton immediately stood up, hugging her. estella wrapped her arms around her left side and payton around her right. kenzies's arms were around both of them, a long overdue group hug between the three. The two heard a sniffle, looking up to find that kenzie was crying.

"I'm sorry, it's just - you're leaving me."
kenzie managed to speak, her voice breaking.
"We're not even going to college yet," estella
joked, "but I'll miss you too."
"Aw, who knew estella had a heart?" payton
teased, a mocking expression on her face.
"Just saying, don't say I didn't warn you when you find a honey badger in your room,"
estella threatened, making kenzie laugh and payton whine.

"Okay, um, I was going to tell you,"
" kenzie
said to estella, "teo's here. He told me he
wanted to tell you something before you left."
"Oh." was all estella could say at the moment.
It was a while before she continued.

"Bring him up, then." "Alright, be right back." kenzie wiped her tears off her face, knowing more would come when her two best friends would actually leave.

payton disappeared along with her, and moments
later, teo appeared in the doorway.
estella was zipping up her suitcase when she
heard,

"Hey, stel."
She really didn't mean to sound so bitter,
but she did. "Hi."
It didn't take an expert to know something
was wrong.

"I just wanted to say goodbye, since
you're leaving and I probably won't see you
until october. Hopefully, not that I want you to
come. I mean, I do, but you don't have to come
because I told you. I just wanted to say bye, why am I still talking?"

estella laughed softly, her eyes meeting his.
"It's fine." She paused, a smirk tugging at her
lips.
"Cute, actually.'
His cheeks heated up, turning a light shade
of pink. "Oh, uh, this is new."
"What is?"
"Usually, I'm saying something like that,
but now it's you," teo explained, sitting
down on the couch in the room, "you're pretty
good, stella." "Thanks." estella sat down beside him, the small space making them closer than normal.

They were like sardines, close enough to feel the
rapid heartbeat of the other. A short silence
followed, in which estella mustered up the courage to ask the one thing she'd been pondering the past week. "Did you really mean it when you said we could never become a thing?"

This had taken teo back, his head
snapped to look at her, but she was looking
down at her hands. "What?"
estella's head turned upward, their faces inches away from each other. "Do you really
think we could never be a thing?"
"What do you mean, thing?" He asked, his
voice low. "A thing as in..." his eyes widened
when he realized what she meant. "I don't
know.. what do you think?"

"I feel a certain way about you."
estella adams had never in her life been
that brave. Sure, she'd carried a raccoon before,
and eaten whatever it was that payton called soup when she was sick with the flu. But she'd never done anything make that, express herself the way she wanted to. It was hard for her since the only thing she felt most of the time was anger.

Anger for not being good enough and anger that
she couldn't do things right.
teo smiled at her, gazing at her
admiringly. "I do, too."

estella was quiet, a silent celebration going
through her. That was another thing that had
never happened to her, expressing herself and
getting a positive response back. estella broke out
into a smile, one that just wouldn't go away
Then, teo was suddenly getting closer to
her, a flash of nervousness in his eyes.

She couldn't stand the anticipation of what
could be anymore, so she did the dumbest thing
she'd ever done. estella grabbed his face in her hands, her heart beating rapidly.

"What are you-
estella leaned in, cutting him off. Her lips
were pressed onto his in an instant. At first,
teo's eyes were wide with surprise, but after
realizing that it was actually happening, his eyes
fluttered shut. estella's hands moved to the back of
his neck, feeling his on her cheeks. Fireworks were going off inside them both. The moments
leading up to this one finally paying off.

They pulled away, large grins on both their
faces. they stood up. estella was
suddenly nervous. "So, this thing between
us..you wanna give it a try?"
teo grinned down at her, planting a
peck on her lips.'
"What do you think?"

estella sighed happily, taking his hand.
"wow,
briones, never took you for a lady's man."
"This?" He gestured toward himself.
"no,
I'm estella's man."

estella laughed, picking up her suitcase as
they made their way out. "If whatever this is
goes alright, then you are."
"A guy can dream."

The two made their way downstairs, where
their friends were waiting for them. They'd
agreed to keep things secret, just in case
anything between them went wrong. But they
were something at least, and that was enough
for them.

☆彡

yay happy ending

jk 😆
small little bug on the wall
ting ting