Lip Gloss And Leather Jackets || Completed

SEVEN || I Lose A Lot Of Things All At Once

SEVEN || I Lose A Lot Of Things All At Once

It's almost like it used to be.

I'm in the library, explaining some chemistry homework to Maxine. She pretty much gets it already and doesn't need my help anymore, but she says I make it sound clearer every time. Secretly I think she just wants to spend time with me.

My heart's not into it, though, not even enough to make my face turn red or for my head to go up in the clouds, because all day Eden's been ignoring me. He hasn't answered my texts or calls, and I didn't even see him at school outside of classes.

I'll confront him tomorrow. He can't avoid me forever. I'm so caught up in all this that I don't even notice that I've stopped talking, mouth still open, finger hovering over the paper. I blink.

"Christ," Maxine says, "I thought you had an epileptic fit or some shit."

"Aww, you really do care for me." I punch her in the shoulder gently, managing a weak but genuine smile. At least I have something. Someone. "There's just some stuff on my mind right now..."

She raises her eyebrows. "Want to talk about it?" She offers, to my surprise. Maxine's never really been one to talk out emotions. But then again, I've never really been especially sad or angry around her.

"No," I reply instantly, "it'll blow over, don't worry." I squeeze her arm. "How about you? Please tell me you're okay. No more fights?"

Her face turns into an slightly abashed one. "Well..."

"MAXINE!"

She holds her hands out in front of her. "Okay, first of all, he totally deserved it." I laugh at this. "Let me paint you a picture." Chemistry homework forgotten, she scoots closer to me, arm around my shoulder. "You're in the hallway. A guy walks up to you."

I snort out a laugh. She continues, encouraged by my interest in this. "And he walks up to you. What's he going to say?, you ask yourself." She's so witty and funny, it kind of catches me off-guard. "But you already know, don't you?" She jabs a finger into my chest, and I burst into giggles like a child.

"It's coming, you know it. It's coming, and then it comes." Her hand shoots out and she imitates a deep voice. "Hey, girl, can I get your number?"

This is the part where we both laugh, mine noticeably shriller and louder, like she's more self-contained. Or maybe this is just her natural laugh - low and quiet and understated. And kind of hot.

Someone shushes us. This is a library. Whoops.

"It's late," I say, and she calls me a nerd and pokes my cheek. I swat her hand away and she crosses her arms, an amused, lopsided smile on her face. But then the smile disappears.

"Can I sleep over at yours tonight?" She asks, out of the blue, grey eyes peering up at me coolly. This is strange. She never asks. Just says it as an indisputable statement that's always true. I'm not complaining, but this is still unusual.

I tilt my head, eyebrows raised, looking up at her. She shrugs. "There's some stuff happening." When I lean forward, on the edge of my seat (literally), she sighs in exasperation. "You and your nosiness, Gracelynn." As if to make a point, she taps my nose. "Family stuff."

Silence.

"Stop looking at me like that. You're not getting another word out of me."

My mouth creases into a pout. "Awh, okay." I slide my books into my bag, one by one. "You can stay over. Don't worry about it." My face heats up again, as it has been prone to do in the last few months, at the thought of Maxine sleeping over. At my house.