Then You Came Along

Chapter 16

I take an excuse from work, and at this rate, I know I'm just affecting the total amount of money I'm supposed to be expecting at the end of the month, but then I have no choice, and I'll have to make up for my lost hours during the summer.

I stay in the spot and wait for Lana, taking my time to look around. She has little wordings on the tree wall and some pictures and scribbling. It's all adorable. I'm so busy looking around that I don't notice when Lana comes in until she clears her throat, startling five years out of me.

"Jesus, Lana!" I exclaim, looking her over and admiring what she has on. Unlike me, she isn't wearing the clothes she had at school and has on a cute black jacket over a white vest and some black short shorts. She looks so beautiful and cute that I almost forget we're fighting, and I almost hug her.

Lana betrays a small smile but quickly frowns like she didn't expect the smile. "Sorry."

"Hi, you came."

"Yeah, this is my spot, remember? I had to."

"Right," I blush and watch her thinking of where to start from. Then I decide to just go for it, hit the nail on the head, and get it over with. "I miss you, Lana."

"You did?"

I sigh and walk closer to her, gently taking her arms in mine. "I'm sorry. I am sorry I picked Shawn's side and tried to defend him when he was clearly wrong. I am sorry for not realizing sooner what happened. I am sorry for the fight between you and Nelly. I am—" she cuts me off.

"Wait, why are you sorry about the fight with Nelly?"

I shrug, "I feel I caused it. I wasn't there to witness everything or know how it started, but it must be my fault. I haven't done anything right in a while."

"It wasn't your fault. Nelly said trash about me, and you and I hit her." Lana shrugs like it's nothing. "It was nothing."

"Lana!"

"What? The girl had it coming."

"See? I was involved, so it's still kind of my fault you're getting into trouble."

"No," she cups my face. "You didn't tell Nelly to say any of the nonsense she did, so it's not your fault. You also didn't tell me to react the way I did, so I don't see anything that can be your fault."

I exhale deeply. "I am so sorry, Lana. I've done all kinds of wrong this year, and I can't even properly explain half of it, and I even roped you into it."

"What are you talking about?"

I sigh, exasperated, "I've become a different person Lana. I've supported drug use and even justified us sneaking around behind Shawn's back. Even though he didn't outrightly ask me to be his girlfriend, he thinks I am his girlfriend, and so does the whole school. I should have cleared him off and ended things. That's what a good person should have done."

Lana shrugs, "I just want to be with you, Annie, and it was fun for a while."

"Yeah, until I started to feel like total crap," I confess. "My life has been a mess without you in it, Lana. I really like you, and I don't want to hide anymore. I want to break up with Shawn properly, do the right thing and come out as your girlfriend. I'm bi, and the whole world should know."

Lana chuckles but then gets serious the next minute. "Annie, you don't have to come out as anything if you don't want to. I'm happy to wait for you until you're ready, and I really like you too."

I smile and kiss her cheek. "I am ready. I want to hold your hand as we walk the hallway and kiss you by your locker. No more hiding and sneaking around."