Starstruck

by Yuriko Hime

  Glace’s illusion stopped moving. She stared at me with wide eyes. I continued speaking. “I have this huge crush on you. I’m secretly hoping that you’d get over your first love and go for me.” I cleared my painful throat. “No, it’s not simply a crush. I’m falling for you, and I hate how vulnerable I feel because of that. You’re beautiful, amazing, and all the great adjectives in dictionary. But I also hate how you never notice my feelings for you. You’re a very stupid girl Glace McKenzie, but I still like you no matter what.”

  My eyes closed on its own accord. It was morning when I woke up for real. Someone breathed beside me, making me freeze in place. What the? The image of Jason from Friday the 13th flashed in my head. Oh God. As I turned my head slowly, I expected to see a creature there. I was wrong. Glace was sleeping soundly on my left. I relaxed immediately. When did she get here? I glanced around the room and noticed a black duffel bag sitting on the floor. Whose bag was that? A scan on my body revealed that I was wearing different set of clothes from what I had the other day.

  Let me rephrase that. A glance downward revealed that I was wearing a different shirt but no jeans or shorts whatsoever. She changed me. Again. I groaned to myself. How many times would she have to see me in my underwear? It was really getting out of hand. My dignity went out the window. I fell back on the bed and stayed there until she stirred awake.

  "You’re up already,” she murmured before sitting up and sliding out of the bed. Her absence made me cold. I shivered. She noticed me trembling and covered my body with the comforter. “Want me to increase the temperature from the heater?”

  I shook my head. “When did you get here?”

  “Last night. You were absent in school so I asked the teacher why. When he told me that you were sick, I came here.” She shrugged and reached for a hair tie that was placed on my table to the right.

  “How did you get in?” I asked suspiciously.

  She smiled, brushing a stray hair away from her face. “I asked the neighbor nicely if she knew where the key was.”

  I rolled my eyes. Of course the neighbor would tell her. She was freaking Frio the celebrity. “You’re in your underwear again,” I said sourly.

  “I told you that I sleep in the nude. I did you a favor by not removing everything.” She smirked, leaning over me. I noticed her cleavage and looked away shyly. “You don’t remember saying anything last night?”

  “What are you talking about?” I replied indignantly. I’d save my pride thank you very much. What little was left of it.

  “Nothing,” she mumbled as she straightened. “What do you want for breakfast Dulce? Soup? Chowder? I’ll try to make anything for you.”

  I scanned her body. “You’re going to cook in that black skimpy lace?” Amidst everything, butterflies still fluttered in my stomach. Annoying as she was for entering my room without permission, she still looked sexy.

  “Judging from your sassy mouth, you’re already getting well,” she said with satisfaction. Glace tried to feel my forehead with the back of her hand. “But you still have a fever so let’s work on getting that down.” She went for the duffel bag and rummaged through its contents. When she finally found what she was looking for, she smiled to herself, quickly wearing the blue silk bathrobe. “Tell you what,” she said. “If you still have fever by the end of the day, I’ll sleep beside you completely nude and embrace you while we sleep.”

  “What does that have to do with anything?” I protested.

  “Don’t you know that sharing body heat can be good for you?” She chuckled. “Besides, I hate the whole look but no touch thing.” She winked.

  “You’re a pervert,” I said with a small smile. I couldn’t help it. She was too charming for her own good.

  “Only with you,” she murmured before disappearing behind the door. Was she pulling my leg? When she reappeared after a while, Glace had two steaming bowls of soup on her hands. She set it carefully on the bedside table to help me up. The gesture was eerily familiar, but I dismissed it. “I’ll feed you first before I eat,” she said.

  “I can do it for myself.” I pushed her hand away stubbornly.

  Glace didn’t listen. She took the bowl and stirred its contents. She then brought the spoon to her lips so she could blow gently on the soup. “This is chicken soup. Not only is it good for the soul, it will make you feel great too.” She laughed softly as she offered the spoon, holding the bowl underneath my chin to catch whatever spills.

  I rolled my eyes but sipped on it nonetheless. She was too cute for words. I didn’t have the right to refuse her. Not when she was taking care of me like this. I secretly hated her for it. Because of her sweetness, I was beginning to like her more. I knew I shouldn’t though, but could I help it? When both of us finished eating, she took a shower and dressed in shorts and a red tank top.

  “I don’t think we can wash you yet.” There was a glimmer in her eyes. “I’ll just wipe your body with a wet cloth and help you brush your teeth. How does that sound?”

  Blush crept on my face. “I can do that.”

  She shook her head. “Don’t argue with me Dulce. Or I’m going to call your mom and tell her that you’ve been a bad girl. She knows I’m here. I spoke to her on the phone while preparing the soup.”

  “Does she know that you’re harassing me right now?” I arched my eyebrow.

  “I haven’t even started yet.” She sat on the bed. “Look, you’ll feel so much better once we’re finished. I won’t peek. I promise. Scout’s honor.” She raised her three fingers and nodded solemnly at me.

  “No way. You were a scout?” I asked curiously.

  She lowered her hands. “No. But I saw it in movies and I’ve always wanted to do it.” She smiled sheepishly.

  That made me laugh. “You’re such a dork Glace. I bet your thousands of fans don’t know that.”

  “It’s millions of fans,” she corrected, wriggling her eyebrows. “And who said I was cool anyway?” She touched my arm. “I’m going to get a basin now so I can wipe you. I’m not taking no for an answer.” She was out of the room before I could object. When she returned, she brought the basin as promised and a blue hand towel. The basin was filled with tap water and ice. I shivered just from looking at it. Glace placed everything on the bedside table. “Let’s remove that shirt.”

  Knowing that I couldn’t do anything about it, I raised my arms and turned my head away while she removed my grey tee. I felt like a kid. A kid who had a drop-dead gorgeous celebrity staring at her while she was sick and in her underwear. I didn’t know what was worse, the fact that I haven’t taken a bath yet, or Glace seeing me like this. I decided that both merit an embarrassing award.

  She tossed the shirt in the hamper next to the door and dipped the hand towel in the basin. After she squeezed it tightly, Glace sat in front of me on the bed, proceeding to wipe me. Her strokes were gentle. Both of us were quiet while she cleaned my body. The entire time, my heart threatened to jump out of my chest because of its furious beating.

  “Glace,” I murmured.

  “Hmmm?” She wiped my neck.

  I searched her eyes. “Why are you taking care of me?”

  She stopped what she was doing momentarily but continued after a few seconds. “I don’t need a reason to do it,” she said, poker faced.

  I swallowed hard. “Is there a chance that you’ll stop loving your childhood sweetheart and fall for another person?” A girl could try right? Even if I had no chance with her.

  A frown crossed her face. She dipped the hand towel on the basin and squeezed it again. “No Dulce.” My heart exploded to tiny shards. “I don’t think that will ever happen. I’ll always be in love with her. She’s the reason for everything I do.”

  I bit my bottom lip before staring at the window on my left. “If that’s the case then please stop being nice to me.”

  “Why?”

  I shrugged. “I have my reasons.” Mainly, I was hurt because I couldn’t amount to her dream girl, even in a million
years. I took a big gulp of air and forced a smile on my face before looking at her. “Let’s play a game.”

  She soaked the hand towel. “What kind?”

  “You choose.” She went lower to my legs and started wiping there. It tickled a little but I held it in. There was no reason to embarrass myself further by looking like an idiot in front of her.

  “Let’s exchange facts about each other,” she said. “For every information that I tell you about me, you need to give me one about you. The fact should only be known by you and no one else. Kind of like trading a secret. Cool?”

  “Sure,” I agreed, thinking that there was no harm in that. “You first.”

  A pause. “There are three reasons why I became a celebrity.”

  For my turn I said, “I secretly like Disney movies. Especially the one called Brave.”

  She smiled. “I liked that too. The girl kicked ass.” She reached for my foot and started wiping it. “Okay, the next fact about me is that my first reason for being a celebrity was because of my mom. She was a star too, and I wanted to follow her footsteps when she died.”

  I touched her leg. “I’m so sorry Glace. She must have been a good mother.”

  “She was.” Something flashed in her eyes. “Anyway, your turn Dulce.”

  “I kissed a boy before, but I didn’t really like it.”

  Glace smirked, looking far too delighted. “Oh really now?” She snickered.

  “Yeah.” I thought back to that time. “His mouth was too big and his body too muscular. It didn’t suit my taste. I prefer a woman’s lips and body.”

  Glace rummaged inside her duffel bag and found another towel- in big size this time. She started wiping me dry. “The second reason why I became a celebrity was so my father would notice me.” I didn’t speak. She continued. “When my mom died, my father totally ignored me. It felt like I lost two parents at the same time. I thought that if I became an actress, he’d finally notice and love me.” She gave a small laugh. “But my dad was a jerk and never wanted to speak to me, so that’s that.”

  “I don’t know what to say,” I murmured. What a horrible father. If my dad was alive, he would probably be sweet like in my mom’s stories. I didn’t know how Glace could take it.

  She wiped my back gently with the towel. “You don’t have to say anything about it. But you do need to tell me the next secret about you." She was so persistent.

  “I hate heights.”

  She leaned back and looked at me. “Why?”

  “You’ll have to tell me your next secret in order to find out.”

  “Fair enough,” she said. “The last and most important reason why I became a celebrity was due to a promise.” I cocked my head to the side and listened. “When I was 7 years old, I was a very ugly and insecure child.” She smiled to herself.

  “I doubt that,” I countered.

  “But I was,” she said, as if it was old news. “And I hated myself for it. Anyway, I met this beautiful kid. I was crying that day because it was my mom’s funeral. The little girl and I talked for a long time. When it was time to go home, we both knew that we’d never see each other again.”

  “What happened?” This was getting interesting.

  Glace’s lips curled upward. “I promised the girl that I’d become a strong woman and find her no matter what. At that time I didn’t know what being in love meant because I was a child. But I still kept my promise because the words she said to me that day made me survive everything that came my way. I did it all so that someday when I confess to her, I could proudly say that I became strong. Nothing would make me happier Dulce.” There was wistfulness in her voice.

  “And did you find her and confessed like promised? Was she everything you dreamed of?”

  “The funny thing was when I decided to drop everything to locate her, she found me instead. I never believed in serendipity, destiny, and all that cliché before. But when she fell right into my lap that day, it felt like the stars aligned for us.” She sighed. “And yes she was everything I dreamed of. No. She was even better.”

  “I can’t believe you waited that long for a girl,” I scoffed. Inside, I was groaning and flailing my hands in surrender. My chances weren’t zero, it was negative. Make that double.

  Glace gave a heartbreaking smile. “What can I say? She was worth the wait. And if I have to patiently wait for her some more, then by all means, I’ll do it.”

  “What if she falls in love with another woman?”

  Glace’s smile was wiped away. “Then that will break me into pieces,” she whispered.

  Chapter 12. So Close

  Thanks to Glace, my fever has finally subsided. Mom was still gone for her job, and the teacher told me to take the rest of the week off to get better. It was a Thursday morning. I woke up to the image of Glace sleeping peacefully beside me. Ever since she arrived on Tuesday night, she wouldn’t leave me alone. Said I was too sick for my own good, so she stayed the night.

  I’d be lying if I say that I wasn’t happy about it. Every time I see her inside my room, small fireworks would explode in my stomach. I also knew that it wasn’t good for me since she was gaga over her mystery girl who I was beginning to hate. My eyes drifted to her sleeping form on my left. A pillow separated us, but I could still feel her warmth. The comforter was draped just below her shoulder, though I could still make out her feminine silhouette. Her full lips were slightly open, hinting that she was in deep sleep.

  Gently, I removed the pillow between us and moved closer to her. She didn’t stir. I went as near to her as possible without waking her up. We were lying on our side, face-to-face. I felt her warm breath on my face. Slowly, I brought my hand up and touched her cheek. She didn’t love me. Not by a long shot. Yet I wanted to enjoy the little time I had with her. Even if it was stolen.

  “What are you doing to me Glace?” I whispered. “Stop running in my mind all the time. If you don’t, I’ll be in freefall but you won’t catch me.”

  She sighed in her sleep. I stopped moving, thinking that she woke up. When I was sure that she didn’t, I continued caressing her smooth cheek. “Dulce,” she murmured under her breath. Goosebumps erupted on my arms. She was calling out my name. Was she dreaming of me? I hoped so.

  The action was totally forbidden, yet I brought the comforter down a little and snuggled near her chest. She snaked her arms around me, tangling her legs with mine. I tried to think of her in a totally non-sexual way. It was no use. Being the teenager that I was, my hormones were up the roof. She was wearing next to nothing too, so it made the whole thing more intense. I blushed furiously as I realized that I was horny for her. I’ve never felt this way before. My only knowledge about it was the one I read in books. Man it was weird. I had this strange urge to do things to her. My eyes squeezed shut. Don’t think about it. Don’t think about it. Don’t think about it, I chanted in my mind. Don’t freaking think about.

  “What shouldn’t you think about Dulce?”

  I opened my eyes. Did I say that out loud? Fudge! “Nothing,” I mumbled and removed my arms from her. Before I could turn away, she touched my back, pushing me toward her body, not allowing me to move from her.

  “Let’s stay like this a little while longer,” she murmured over my hair.

  “Okay." My heartbeat picked up its rhythm. I knew she could feel it too. Glace didn’t ask about it and just held me tightly in her arms.

  “I love feeling you like this," she said. You’re so soft. I love waking up next to you.”

  I wish you loved me too. “Glace."

  “Yeah?”

  “What if I? What if I fall in love with you?” I waited anxiously for her reply.

  She froze. As seconds passed, Glace relaxed and leaned away to look into my eyes. “Are you?” Her voice was husky.

  “No of course not,” I lied. “It was a stupid question. Besides, the probability of that happening is low. So low in fact that I can ask about it. But, uhm, for arguments sake, what will you do?”
/>   “Fall in love with me first before you know the answer.”

  I pouted at her. “That’s not fair.”

  She resumed her warm hug and murmured, “Well what would you have me do?”

  “I don’t know. I have another question for you.”

  She stroked my hair. “Go ahead and ask.”

  “Do friends do this? Do friends hug each other while semi-naked?” Frustration was making itself known in my voice. It was really hard to be lesbian. Because girls were naturally touchy, you wouldn’t know what they wanted from you.

  “Are we even friends?” she countered.

  This time, I was the one who leaned back to look at her. “If we’re not then what are we?”

  She shrugged. “You tell me.” Her tone was edgy. She was getting irritated.

  I rolled my eyes at her. “What kind of reply was that? You’re so confusing.”

  “I’m only doing what you told me.”

  “I never told you to make my head explode,” I remarked. “I never told you to make me horny.” The words slipped out of my mouth before I could stop myself. Oh dear. Kill me now please.

  “You are?”

  “Aren’t you?”

  To my disappointment, she removed her arms from me and rolled out of bed. I thought she was going to walk out, but she stared at me and said, “I don’t always have to act on my desires.” Glace strode to my side of the bed and covered my body with the comforter. “Sometimes what a person needs to do is to wait patiently for the right moment. Love before lust.” She touched my cheek. “True love waits Dulce. You said that yourself.”

  I met her eyes. “When did I say that?”

  She grabbed a blue bathrobe that she used to cover herself. “Your mom said you liked lasagna. I’ll make one for you now.” Glace closed the door behind her as she walked out. Way to change the topic, I thought bitterly. Love before lust huh? So I was the latter? Or was she being mysterious like always? After eating the lasagna that she prepared- which was extremely good- someone knocked on the front door. Its loud sound carried all the way to my bedroom in the second floor. Glace and I stared at each other in wonder. “Are you expecting a visitor?” she asked. I shook my head.