Touch ☞☜ Phan

Chapter Fifteen

Phil's wearing my favorite pair of black jeans, my other pair of black dress shoes, and my crimson-colored shirt with black buttons and mid-length sleeves. The only time I had worn that shirt was a month ago while I was visiting my dad's work.  The top two buttons of the shirt are undone. The shirt draws attention to Phil's arm muscles.  He wears the shirt so much better than I did. I'm in awe.

My dad asked me to wear that shirt on "Kid Day" so I could make a good first impression on the people at his work.  He wanted me to wear color for once.  I was suffering from a panic attack when I wore that shirt last.  I couldn't accept the power that I have now come to accept.  I now also have a boyfriend who accepts my power, and he's standing in front of me in that same shirt, beautiful and kind.

Phil notices my admiration and laughs as he puts one of my belts (that I usually forget to wear) through the loops of my favorite black jeans and buckles it.  He connects our lips.

I smile.  "I never get tired of that," I say.

"And that's why I will always do it," Phil says, "unless you tell me not to."

I kiss Phil as he sprays cologne on us both.

I cough and gag and laugh, swatting the lingering cologne in the air away from Phil and me.

Phil laughs and takes my ringed hand in his.  "Are you ready to party?," he asks.

I nod.  This time, I say, "I'm ready to have fun and remember it."

Phil grins and takes me out to the car.

***

The first thing I notice when Phil and I enter the house is a crystal chandelier that hangs over the entire room. "Imaginary Parties" is playing. The lavender glow illuminating the room hits Phil's face, and I never realized how beautifully lavender and pale blue work together before this moment. Phil's eyes meet mine. He's smiling.

"Wow, you two are even later than we expected you to be," Amelia says, interrupting my appreciation of the beauty in this room.

"Get your mind out of the gutter, Amelia," Lacie chastises. "You're not Asha, who is asexual, I might add. It's always the asexuals who conjure up simultaneously the worst and admittedly best jokes."

"Asexuals also write the worst and admittedly best smut. Have you read Asha's fanfics?," Amelia asks.

"Of course I have. Asha is my best friend. Also, we've heard live readings of Asha's fanfics from her at lunch, remember?  Her story times are mortifying for everybody but her."

"This chandelier is amazing," Phil says, changing the direction of the conversation.

Amelia turns to Phil.  "Yeah, the chandelier is spectacular.  I can't believe Jasper personally invited my sister to this party," she says.

"Speaking of which, where is Starla?," I ask.

Lacie and Amelia look over at Starla, who is chatting with a rich-looking guy with swooped hair and a gold chain around his neck.

"I think they're hitting it off.  I'd love for Jasper to be my bro-in-law," Amelia says. 

Suddenly, Starla's eyes meet mine.  She jumps a bit.  I watch her brush Jasper's arm and whisper something to him.  She approaches Lacie, Amelia, Phil, and me.

"Hey," Starla says. 

"How have you been?," I ask.

"I've been having frequent panic attacks and nightmares, but the police helped me find a good therapist.  Therapy won't solve everything, and I will always be affected by what happened, but I'm less scared now.  I'm also safer now," Starla says.  "Thank you, Dan and Phil."

Starla brings Phil and me into a hug as a tear slips out of my eye.  Time can't heal everything, but I hope that it will heal some things for Starla.

Starla smiles and returns to Jasper, who hands her a drink.

"I have an announcement to make," Jasper says over the music.  "My freshman year of college was a whirlwind of quirky professors, infinite note-taking, over-caffeination, and luxurious parties," he says, earning some laughs.  "However, the best part of it had to be meeting Starla Miller, my best friend."  He turns to Starla.  "I would never want to add to your stress.  You will still be my best friend no matter what you say right now. Starla, will you head with me into our sophomore year of college as my best friend and girlfriend?"

Saying that Starla appears shocked would be an understatement.  She almost spits out her drink and chokes on it.  Starla has a coughing fit for few seconds before she regains her composure and says, "Jasper, I'm not able to put my full self forward in a relationship right now, but...yes.  You build me up as my best friend, and I'm sure that you will build me up even more as my boyfriend to be at my best when I'm with you and others and when I'm by myself.  Please be patient with me."

Jasper nods.  "Let's not rush, okay?"

"Let's not rush," Starla repeats, taking Jasper's hand.  "I'm always more relaxed and content when I'm with you."

Jasper must've been waiting for Starla's boyfriend to be out of the picture for the past year.  I'm glad that Phil and I could help with that.  Everybody in the room cheers. 

"Starla's best friend has become her boyfriend," Phil says.  "Does that sound familiar?"

I shrug.  "That sounds like a cliché love story to me.  It's a familiar idea to anybody."

"But we know it best," Phil says, and I connect our lips.

Author's Note

This is Chapter Fifteen.  Wow.  I love you all.  Thank you for taking the time to read my story.