Mack walked alongside Brady and Devon in the hallway. Devon seemed to be enthralled over a huge wave her surfed over the weekend. "It almost flipped me over. My life was flashing right before my eyes bro." he claimed. Dude, that's wicked!" Brady laughed.
"I know bro!" Brady and Devon exchanged high fives erupting with laughter. Mack giggled a bit shaking her head. The two boys acted like idiots at times, but she loved them anyway.
"What about you little beach bunny? How was your weekend?" Devon asked looking over at Mack. Mack laughed finally accepting the fact that regardless of how many time she told him to stop calling her that, that he never would. "Netflix" She simply stated, causing them both to erupt with laugher.
"Funny as always." Brady says giving her a soft but brief side hug. "So, are you guys up for a Drive-in movie this weekend? I hear they're screening The Shadow Man!" Mack is about to speak when she notices a familiar face in the distance.
Mack couldn't take her eyes off of her. She was completely in a daze. Mack couldn't help but gaze into her ocean blue eyes. Her porcelain skin gave her a beautiful glow. Her raven black hair hung down passed her shoulders. Mack could feel her heart beating rapidly in her chest.
Their eyes locked for a few seconds and Mack suddenly began to feel light headed. "I think I'm going to faint." She thought to herself. "Mack? Earth to Mack?" When Mack finally snapped out of it, she realized that Lela and her friends were gone and she had stopped in the middle of the hallway.
"Where were you just now? Brady asked tilting his head in confusion. Mack laughed trying to play it off. "Nowhere. I was just thinking about…some chemistry project I have. So stressful!" "Ahh, bummer! Chemistry sucks! So, are you in for the Drive-in this weekend?"
She looked at the anxious looks on both Devon and Brady's faces. She couldn't resist. They were her best friends. "Yeah!" She nodded getting high fives from both of them at the same time. "The Shadow Man..it's going to be sick you guys!" Devon cheered.
Mack flashed them a friendly smile. Mack hated lying to them. They were her best friends. She hated lying to Brady the most. But she wasn't ready to come out. She had just recently started having these feelings.
What scared her the most was the fact that she wasn't having these same feelings for boys that she once had. She felt as if she was a completely different person. She didn't understand. What made her feel this way about this one girl? Why was Lela so special to her? These were two questions that haunted every part of her mind.
She quickly pushed these thoughts away trying to focus on the rest of her day and the weekend ahead.
That weekend…
The Drive-in line was packed with cars. Devon and Brady sat in the front jamming out to "Holiday" by Greenday. Mack sat in the backseat watching them. She found this quite amusing. After the song ended she finally spoke.
"Brady's going to grow a beard by the time we get up there!" She cried. Brady pretended to be stroking a beard. "Dude, we should grow beards!" Devon suggested. "Yeah, man! Then I'm going to dye it blue!" Brady went on. "Blue beard!" They both shouted at the same time. Mack rolled her eyes, trying to hold back a laugh.
After they got in, they eventually settled for a mediocre parking spot. "I guess everyone had the same idea in mind this weekend." Mack said looking at the sea of cars. A few minutes later, the movie started.
The movie wasn't like the average horror film. It was a bit more complex. This is what freaked Mack out the most. In need of a bathroom break and some fresh air, Mack excused herself from the car.
She walked over toward the bathrooms noticing a couple of people from her school. She gave them a wave and walked inside. While in the stall she began looking through her phone and noticed that she had gotten a message from her grandpa. "Stay safe tonight. I'm hoping that you're making wise decisions." She quickly replied with "Of course Grandpa." and hit send.
She suddenly heard the sound of soft crying. This startled her at first. It sounded like it was coming from outside of the stalls. She opened her door and saw someone she least expected to see.
Her pulse quickened. It was as if time itself had stopped. Lela looked directly at her through the mirror. It hurt Mack seeing her like this. The idea of someone hurting her angered her. Mack couldn't help but think to herself that even though Lela was crying she still looked absolutely beautiful.
"Why are you crying?" Mack asked taking a step toward her. Her ocean blue eyes were filled with sadness. "I'm sorry. It's nothing. I'll leave." Lela says starting to walk toward the door. Mack stops her. "No, don't leave. You can tell me. I promise."
Lela let's out a deep sigh. It's just my boyfriend. "What about him?" Mack asked suddenly hating Tanner. "I don't think he loves me." She cried. "What makes you say that?" "Well he always criticizes me. He always tells me that I'm too happy, too strange, I dress funny, or that I attract too much attention. I just feel that I'm not good enough for him." Lela begins to sob.
"No, you're perfect. Don't listen to him." Mack suddenly blurts out. She mentally scolds herself for saying the first part. A small smile creeps up on the corner of her lips, causing Mack's heart to skip a beat. She was so beautiful. "You really think so huh?" Lela asked wiping away her tears.
"Yeah!" Mack laughs nervously. Lela tilts her head as though she were studying Mack. This causes Mack to blush a deep red. "You look familiar…I feel like I've seen you somewhere." Mack was a bit offended due to the fact that they both went to school together, but she shrugged it off. "We go to the same school." Mack chimed in.
"Ahh! Of course. I remember now. I've seen you in the hallway a couple of times with Brady and Devon. I hear they're really funny." Lela laughs. "Yeah I love them." Mack replied. She smiled thinking of them. However, she suddenly remembered the big secret she was keeping from both of them and felt a pang of guilt.
"I guess I should be going now." Lela said sadly. Mack's mood darkened. She didn't want her to leave. It was the first time she ever talked to Lela and she was enjoying it. "You know, if you aren't feeling up to hanging out with your boyfriend tonight, you can watch the movie in Brady's car with us."
Lela's mood lightened up. "Oh I wouldn't want to impose. I mean, I'm sure you guys would—" "It's totally fine. There's room in the back seat." Mack interrupted. Her pulse was quickening again. She couldn't believe she was asking her to sit in their car.
"Alright." Lela agreed. A smile began to form on her lips. Lela followed Mack out to the parking lot. "Hey Lela where are you going?" Tanner shouted out to her. He and a group of guys and girls were camped out on top of the roof and trunk of his car.
Mack could hardly see him or the others. They all looked like silhouettes. "I'm going to watch the movie with Mack and her friends." Lela answered. He was silent for a moment then finally spoke. "Whatever. Just come back to the car when the movie is over. I still have to take you home."
It angered Mack the way he spoke to her. It took everything within her not to tell him off. "Okay!" Lela replied. "Let's go Mack." Mack led Lela over to Brady's car. She opened the door, climbing in.
"Geez Mack! It took you long enou—" Brady said stopping in midsentence when he saw that there were two of them in the backseat. "Woah there are two of you back there. Is that Lela?" He asked confused. Devon turned around to face them as well. "Hey guys!" Lela greeted. "Hey, Lela's here. Wicked!" Devon said as both boys begun to giggle. "I invited her to watch the movie with us." Mack said. She didn't plan on explaining anymore.
During the scary parts of the movie she could feel Lela grab her arm. This made her happy and nervous. She realized that Lela was sitting closer to her than before. The smell of vanilla filled her nostrils. "Thanks for letting me watch it with you guys. This was really fun." Lela whispered to Mack sending shivers down her spine.
Mack turned to face her and realized that their faces were only a few inches apart. "O-of course." Mack stammered. By now Mack thought she would faint. She glanced down at Lela's small but curvaceous lips. She wanted to kiss her so badly.
Lela closed the gap between them with a warm hug. Mack loved the way it felt as their bodies were pressed together. She didn't want to ever let go. She had totally forgotten about Brady and Devon in the front seats. It was as though they were the only two people in the world.
Mack felt as though time had stopped. Mack had begun to wonder if Lela meant to hug her for this long. "I guess this is what makes us girls." Lela whispers in her ear. They slowly broke the hug. "What do you mean?" Mack asked confused. How overly affectionate we are even though we hardly know each other." Lela responds.
Mack laughs nervously. She hadn't expected Lela to notice. She noticed Lela peering into her eyes. She couldn't believe any of this was happening. At the beginning of the week Lela hardly knew she existed and now she was sitting in the back seat with her close enough to smell her scent.
Mack shuddered at how creepy her thoughts sounded. They both glanced down at the other's lips. Mack's heart was about to explode from her chest. Lela smiled biting her lip in a seemingly flirtatious manner.