“I’ll get up,” her voice ached.
"Okay," I said, leaving finally.
I passed closed doors and stopped in the quiet hall before going into the bathroom. I used the toilet first and then brushed my teeth, returning to find her up and sitting on the bed.
"Did you sleep well?" I asked
“Way better than I usually do, yeah.” She scoffed a tired laugh. In my absence she’d quickly changed clothes and tied her hair up in a messy bun. She had her phone in her hand and she was staring down on it, scrolling through things. “Vic is pissed,” she laughed. “Guess she thought I died or something.”
"Hmm, did she expect you to call?"
I changed into black skinny jeans, tossing my joggers on the combined beds and then found a clean bra and a slim white tee.
"Uh, I think she thought I was joking when I said I was too tired to go out yesterday." She texted something quickly. "We always go out."
There wasn't regret or remorse in her but perhaps some heaviness.
"I can be your witness. You passed out after one episode," I said.
Laura laughed and smiled. "Sorry," she said, a little stressed. "It was comfy." She got up and gripped her bathroom bag. "I'll be back," she said, leaving to use the restroom for a bit.
I sat on the bed and put my worn, black Chuck's on. I'd take them off once we got to the beach. The feeling of sand on my bare feet would be welcome. I loved that movement and softness mixed with grit.
When Laura came back I'd brushed my hair and let it hang loose. I kept it up a lot during class and practice.
She smirked a little and blushed when she saw me. "Okay I think I'm together enough," she teased, throwing a few things into her bag. Together enough was an understatement. I tried not to stare.
"Nice. We can walk out toward the front gate and catch the bus down the street. It's not due for fifteen minutes so we've got time.”
I grabbed a ball cap and put it on. My beach bag was already by the door. I went to grab it and opened the door. The bus was always how I usually got to the beach because I kinda liked the ride. It didn’t run all the time though. Sometimes I had to uber there or to the store. Today I wanted to give Laura the full experience.
"You ready for an adventure?" I asked, grinning.
"With you? Definitely," Laura said.
On her way out she grabbed us both waters, then she walked in front of me and waited for me to lock the door. "If I don't call Vic soon she's gonna murder me. She's all upset about so many things. You’d think we’d been apart a year or something."
She dug her sunglasses out of her bag and put them on.
"Call her while we walk to the bus," I suggested.
I locked up and we walked down the hall. By now Serena was up and policing the front door.
"Morning ladies. Where are you off to?" Serena asked.
"Oh, just the beach," I said.
"Laura, I promised your parents I wouldn't allow you to go off campus until I was sure you settled in," Serena said.
"I swear we're just going to the beach for a few hours and coming back. Just like usual," I said.
"Uh huh, I know you're responsible, Charlotte. I'm just-"
"Please," I begged.
Serena frowned and looked toward the door, considering.
"Alright, but you better be back by curfew or I'll be sending you to detention," she threatened.
"We will. I swear," I said.
I took Laura's hand and rushed past Serena before she changed her mind. I pushed open the front door and held it open, letting go of Laura's hand.
After it closed, I turned to walk towards the entrance to campus.
"That was close. I was going to riot if she didn't let us go," I sighed.
Laura laughed. "Yeah, I highly doubt that. That's weird though. My parents never said they asked for that. They even pretended I could come home on the weekends if I wanted to." She seemed bummed. "Maybe they just knew I'd say no."
We'd only been outside for a few seconds and the world had already shit on her.
"Serena probably offered it. She's like that," I said.
"Why would she offer that," Laura asked, bruised.
"Because she's a suck up and she thinks she knows what's best for everyone," I said. Laura didn't say anything, she walked along beside me and kept quiet.
"You okay?" I asked.
"Not really," she said. "Let's just get out of here."
"You got it," I said, taking her hand.
The bus came a few minutes later and we boarded, finding a seat in the back where we could sit close.
Laura kept her hand in mine but she stared listlessly outside of the window. I watched her for a second and then squeezed her hand.
"Show me a picture of Vic," I said.
"Oh, sure," she said, taking a deep breath in. She woke up her phone and found a picture to show me. Tan, bleached blonde, tall, and skinny. Vic was at the beach in a bikini and visibly laughing like she was really really happy. Her arm was slung around a guy, equally pretty and tan. "That's her and Pete," Laura said, handing her phone to me.
"She's pretty," I commented.
"Yeah," Laura laughed. "It's really frustrating."
"Why is it frustrating?" I asked.
"I dunno," Laura shrugged. "It's just hard. Our friendship is weird."
"Like it could be more?" I asked.
"I dunno," Laura dodged it. "I mean, she's obviously my favorite person on the planet but…"
"Friendships are different. Abby and I used to be closer and we would stay over in each other's rooms," I said.
"I've never had anyone I cared about so much," Laura said. "Was it like that with Abby?"
"No, it wasn't. I've never had anyone like that besides my family," I said.
We were two of the few people riding the bus so we had a lot of space. We still sat close, legs touching and hands still clasped.
“I’m a little jealous of your family,” Laura said.
"They're pretty cool. I got lucky. All my friends have always loved my mom and dad. Abby visited me for a week in the summer once and she loved it. Her house is ten times fancier than ours and she has actual servants but she didn't want to leave. We had a good time," I said.
“I didn’t say I was jealous of you,” Laura said. “I said I was jealous of them. You love them so much.” She slipped her hand back into mine and held it with both of her hands from the front and the back. “I envy them.”
"Oh! Well, maybe I'll love you too," I said.
It slipped out before I really knew what I'd said. It wasn't bad, I just didn't know what she would think.
“Yeah,” Laura laughed. “Maybe... Possibly…” She ruminated on that and then let my hand go. “Sorry,” she smiled. “I’m in a really shitty mood and I wish I wasn’t.” She held the back of her neck in her hands and tried to relax. The result was that she leaned forward over her knees in an uncomfortable position just to deeply breathe.
"Don't apologize to me. I'm happy we can get out of there and maybe you'll feel a little better after you eat and we go see the ocean. The ocean always makes me happy."
“Yeah,” Laura said. “Maybe.”
"Hey, can I do anything?" I asked.
“No,” Laura said, feeling sad. “I think I’m at a rock bottom moment or something. It’s not you. You’re wonderful. There’s just so much stuff I don’t want to think about right now.”
"Then, let's think about something else. What's your favorite food?" I asked.
"I dunno," she laughed.
"Well, mine is kind of weird. You have to promise you won't laugh," I said, feigning seriousness.
"I always laugh," she reminded. "Just tell me."
"Ah, I guess I trust you. I am addicted to gummy worms. If I could I'd eat them every day, I would," I confessed.
Laura sat up and stared over at me. "Interesting. Iiiii, really don't think that's a food."
"Oh? What is it then?" I asked, raising my eyebrows.
"Corn s
yrup," she said, raising her eyebrows.
"And gelatin plus blue 1," I teased.
I leaned toward her and pressed our shoulders together.
"Okay fine, chicken nuggets," I said.
"Oh wow. Okay. I get it. You are actually five," she laughed.
"And a half, you can't forget the half. It's important," I said and stuck my tongue out at her.
Soon as I did that her fingers quickly found my sides and she tickled me until we both busted up laughing.
"Oh my god, no!" I was on my side, trying to cover my sides and protect myself. "You found my weakness. Mercy!"
I leaned back up and let my body go a little too far so that I was almost laying in her lap.
"That's just below the belt," I said, still grinning.
"Oh fine," she beamed, stopping it. I felt her arms slip in around my stomach and she hugged me tight. "But you've been warned."
"I'll keep it in mind," I said.
I hugged her back and kept her close, loving the ride and her ways.
"You smell really good," I commented.
"Not as good as you," she said. "Mine's all artificial."
She pressed her nose to my shirt sleeve and breathed me in.
"Not true. I can smell you. And mine is a mix of detergent and products. After practice I stink."
"No you don't," she said.
"What? I'm all sweaty and gross. Do we need to get your sense of smell tested?" I teased.
"I've never seen you gross," she laughed. "You're like perfect."
"No way, I'm not perfect. I have weird ears, I don't know when to say no to people, and there's a pimple on my nose," I complained.
"Don't know when to say no to people?"
"It's just hard for me to say no when people ask for things," I said.
"Like… Today?" Laura asked.
"Today? When?" I asked.
"The beach," she reminded. "Your secret spot."
"Oh! No, I wanted to show you. I just want to do stuff with you. It makes me happy," I said.
I puzzled over that like a revelation. Something clicked in my head and I forgot to breathe for a second. I pushed it away and focused on holding her and the feeling of her solid breathing body in my arms.
"That's really sweet," she said, leaning back in her chair and absentmindedly rubbing my back.
I shook my head and smiled.
"You're just as sweet. I don't know if you know that. I bet not. You probably think you're a badass bitch," I teased.
"Oh wow," she laughed. "Yeah, you're right, that's all I think all day long," she teased.
"I knew it!" I raised my fist in triumph and laughed. "Little did you know that you're super soft and gooey inside," I pointed out.
"Are you calling me fat," she chuckled. Her hand slipped beneath my shirt and I felt it touching my skin, her nails carefully playing and her palm rubbing methodically.
"You're definitely not fat," I insisted.
Her nails on my skin made me shiver and my breath caught. I tingled all over and closed my eyes. There was no mistaking what was happening to me.
Fuck.
Laura sighed and dazed. "I think you're a miracle," she whispered. "I don't even want to think about how bad this week could've been if I wasn't with you."
"I'm happy I could help," I said.
The bus was getting close to our stop. I'd be able to get a little distance and get control of myself.
"Here we go," I said.
The bus stopped with a soft screech and I released her, scooting away and standing up. Slow to rise, Laura followed me. Fingerbeds touched down on my back as we wove our way through the corridor and made it outside.
The restaurant was visible from the bus stop and once the bus moved on we could cross over to walk down the road toward it.
It was a small place with fresh, modern decor but the prices were really good. I could even afford it with the money my parents sent me every month.
We went in and were greeted by the owner, Alma.
"Nice to see you Charli! Give me a hug," Alma said.
I walked around the host stand and hugged Alma. All three years I'd been here, I'd come in consistently on the weekends and by now the entire staff knew me. The place was family-owned and run so the same people always worked.
"This is my friend Laura. Laura this is Alma," I introduced.
"Nice to meet you Laura," Alma said, opening her arms for a hug.
“Nice to meet you too,” Laura said, buried into Alma’s arms. She hugged her and stepped back to be polite.
Alma was a robust black woman in her fifties with grey wisps of hair escaping from her orderly bun.
A hug from Alma was like warm sunshine. I could never leave here without my mood being high. She and her daughter's ran the restaurant seven days a week and their love for it showed.
"You come sit in your booth and we'll bring out some biscuits," Alma said.
She gave me two menus and went off to get our biscuits. The booth I always sat in was in the back, by the window overlooking the cliffs that led to the ocean.
I slid into one side of the booth and put the menus on the table.
"I found this place freshman year while I was exploring and loved it right away," I said.
“It’s amazing,” Laura said, completely taken by the view. She perched up on the bench cushion, knees elevating her so she could look out. “Wow…”
"Pretty right?" I followed her gaze. "Alma bought it in the late 70’s and her oldest daughter is going to take over someday. I hope you like the food."
Laura turned to gaze down on me and she shook her head. “You know I like food,” she said, adjusting her position until she was perfectly across from me in the booth.
Her eyes wandered, taking in the other people eating out together on a Saturday. She bit her bottom lip and seemed distracted. Her phone buzzed and she grumpily looked down on it and shut it off.
"Vic?" I asked.
Laura looked up at me, a little confused. "Yeah," she said, softening.
"Do you need to call her?" I asked.
“I dunno,” Laura said. “She’s mad at me and I kinda don’t want to deal with it right now.”
"Then, don't," I smiled.
Alma came up and put a basket of biscuits on the table.
"Here you are girls. Now, do you know what you want to drink?" She asked.
"I'll take coffee and water," I said.
“Um, iced coffee please,” Laura said. Once Alma left, Laura stole a glance at me and smiled. “So, you come here a lot,” she commented.
"Every other weekend at least. I'd love to work here in the summer but there's no way I can stay on campus," I said.
“I thought you missed your family though,” Laura said.
"I do but I really want to pay for college myself so I've been working in the summer and playing club soccer too," I said.
“Wow,” Laura said, dazed.
"I know, I'm boring," I joked.
“You kidding?” Laura asked. “You’re insane. I could never do what you do. That stuff’s all really hard.”
"I'm sure you could. Everyone has strengths. You just have to find yours," I commented.
"That's the kind of thing really talented people say to not so talented people like me," Laura teased. "My parents put all their hopes and efforts into Roger so…" Her words trailed off.
"That's bs, you've got talent. Your parents just don't give you credit.”
Alma came back with our drinks and stood with her order pad ready.
"What are you having today?" Alma asked.
"Sorry, I didn't give you time to look. Did you need more?" I asked Laura.
“I’ll have the peachy-keen daily pancake special,” Laura said, reading the board on the wall.
"I want the everything omelette and a short stack of banana pancakes, please," I added.
"Alright, I'll put these in," Alma said, walking away.
I put cream in my coffee and way too much suga
r from the jar and then stirred it before taking a sip. I was gonna crash later but it tasted so good.
"What are you thinking?" I asked.
“I like being with you,” Laura said.
"That's good cause I like being with you too," I replied.
“You’re really genuine,” Laura said. “I’m not used to it.”
"Thanks. That's probably the best compliment I've gotten. You are too, you know. I like that you talk to me about things.”
“I don’t talk to many people like this,” Laura laughed.
"Why me then?" I wondered.
“Right place, right time,” Laura said. “Plus, you’re like adorable. It’s kind of hard not to talk to you.”
"You think I'm adorable? Hmm...” I contemplated. "I'm happy to be someone you can talk to. I really am," I finished.
"Yeah, you're gonna drive me nuts," Laura laughed and groaned. “I like you too much and I can’t keep secrets from you. That’s a recipe for disaster.”
"Or it's a recipe for amazing things. You should tell me everything. That's what I want to know," I said.
“You say that now,” she joked. Her iced coffee sat before her and she pulled it close to drink from the straw.
"You couldn't have done anything to make me not want to talk to you," I said.
“Yeah but you could not like me,” Laura said. “As a person. And that’d be worse.”
"I don't think so but you could try me," I suggested.
One of the other staff dropped off our food and left us to eat. I still watched Laura though, waiting to dig in.
“I could try to ruin our friendship?” She went on. “Yeah, rather not.” Her hands found her silverware and she placed her napkin on her lap and started to eat. I could tell she loved it. She made a face, rolled her eyes, and pointed at her mouth. “Mm. My god…” She mumbled. “Fuck.”
"Right!" I started on my omelette and I couldn't stop.
There was silence for awhile as we ate. I finished my food first since I always ate too fast. My mom used to yell at me about it but I couldn't help it. Food was so good.
“You're a little animal,” Laura smirked. I’d gotten used to that smirk. She was constantly amused by me.
"At least I'm a cute animal according to you," I said and grinned at her.
"Super true," Laura said. She ate some more and took her time. "I'm not sure I can finish this. Okay, I know I can't. Would it be a pain to carry?"
Love Like Crazy Page 10
