"How do you know? Maybe, just maybe, she feels the same way about you, but is also too scared to say anything. After all, it takes two people to make a good kiss," Shane reasoned. Amy was completely unconvinced and simply nodded. "You'll never figure this out by hiding from her." Shane grabbed his coat and smiled. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a date with that cute barista." Amy's phone rang again as Shane made his way out, giving one last look back at his struggling friend. "Answer that before she spontaneously combusts. And good luck." Amy took a deep breath and picked up her phone.
"Hey Karma."
"Hey! Look, I'm so so so sorry for everything. I don't know what I was thinking. You were completely right about Liam and I was being stupid."
"Hey, cut it out. It was my fault. I've been acting crazy about that whole thing," Amy sighed.
"What do you mean?" Karma asked.
Taking a deep breath, Amy decided to take Shane's advice. After all, she had been best friends with Karma since kindergarten. She owed her honesty, even if it meant making things awkward. Deep down, Amy suspected that no matter what Karma's reaction would be, it wouldn't entirely ruin their friendship. It was too important to both of them to just throw it away.
"Can I come over right now?" Amy asked.
"Yes! After 15 hours and 26 minutes of silence, I need some Karmy time," Karma pouted.
Amy smiled. She loved Karma's adoption of their suddenly popular name for their fake relationship. Truth be told, Amy suspected that Karma had secretly started that trend. "I'll be right over," she said.
Karma sat on her bed looking at old photos of Amy and herself through the years, relieved that things were seemingly going back to normal. They had shared so much over the years that she couldn't even begin to think what life would be like if they weren't speaking permanently. Lost in her thoughts, Karma didn't notice when her best friend opened her door and slipped inside.
"That was a fun Halloween," Amy said as she noticed the picture Karma was studying. Karma jumped at the sudden sound and smiled.
"Yeah, it was great. We got a boat load of candy that year. I remember that the straw from the Scarecrow costume gave me a rash, so you let me be the Cowardly Lion at the last minute."
Amy smiled, but there was something pained in the expression. "Yeah, well…. I'd do just about anything for you. You know that."
Karma immediately noticed the weird way that her best friend was holding herself, seemingly uncomfortable in her bedroom for the first time in their lives. "Come here," the brunette said, laying down and patting the bed. Amy hesitated for just a moment, before climbing onto the bed and snuggling up to her friend. They lay in silence for a few minutes, happy to be spending time together after too long apart. Finally, Karma broke the silence. "What's been up with you lately? And what did you mean about 'acting crazy' about Liam?"
This is it, Amy thought. Just say it! Amy moved her head from Karma's shoulder and looked her straight in the eye. Took a deep breath. Opened her mouth. Nothing came out. Karma giggled. "You look like a fish. What are you trying to say?"
Amy just couldn't find the words. What if Karma didn't understand? What if she thought Amy was just expressing her love of their friendship? Karma looked at her with a confused cocked eyebrow and an amused smile. She has the cutest expression on her face right now, Amy thought. Why am I just now noticing how pretty her eyes are? Or how soft her lips look? Why did it take a fake kiss to…? And suddenly she was kissing Karma. It was gentle and innocent at first, but as Amy confined herself to the fact that this was actually happening, far away from the students of Hester High, she moved her hand to the back of Karma's head, pulling her in gently. Karma was responding, giving her a newfound confidence. Amy scooted a little closer, leaving almost no space at all between them, and ran her tongue softly across the girl's bottom lip. Karma gave her entrance, and for just a moment their tongues danced gently. Suddenly, Karma sat up.
"Wait… what's going on? There's no one here to be faking it for." Karma looked back at Amy with a look of confusion and apprehension. Amy sighed and sat up, too.
"There are lots of reasons I got so worked up about the situation with Liam. I really was trying to save you from a douchebag who thinks it's okay to fool around with a taken girl, but never wants to get into a relationship himself. I didn't want you to get your sights set on a guy who was just going to disappoint you in the end." Amy paused for a long moment, trying to work up the courage to admit the other major reason for having hated Liam. After a deep breath, she rushed on. "Plus, I know that we were both faking it at first, but I don't think I am anymore."
Karma's jaw dropped and mixed emotions seemed to crowd her face all at once. Silence carried on for just a few seconds, but to Amy it seemed as though they might break their new no communication record right away. "Now you look like a fish! Say something!"
"How long have you been fake faking it… or whatever?"
"Since we kissed at the Homecoming assembly," Amy admitted.
"So basically from the beginning!" Karma yelled, jumping up from the bed and turning towards her.
Amy crossed her arms, suddenly defensive. "Well… I wasn't sure at first. But now I am. At first I thought that maybe I was just realizing that I'm gay for the first time. I still don't know what's going on with that, but I do know one thing for sure. I really want to be with you. Like, for real."
Karma's shoulders dropped and she sat down again. "I can't believe you've been keeping this from me this whole time. I thought we were friends."
"Well that's the problem," Amy said. "We're just friends."
Karma sighed, the true weight of what her best friend had just admitted finally hitting home. She took her hands. "I love you, Amy. You know that. But I'm not in love with you. You don't have to worry, though. Our friendship isn't going to change…"
"I call bullshit," Amy interrupted. Karma flinched, shocked. Panic had given way to anger, and Amy wasn't going to take this sitting down. "That is bullshit. You can't tell me you didn't feel anything when we kissed at the assembly. Or when we kissed just now. It takes two people to make a good kiss. And you said yourself that it was good."
"Well, yeah, but I just meant…" Karma paused and all thought left her as her friend scooted closer, bringing her fingers up to stroke the side of the brunette's face. Amy traced her jawline slowly, finally bringing her thumb to rest on the bottom of her lips. Fear darted across Karma's face, but she couldn't bring herself to pull away. Amy was calm and comfortable for the first time since the assembly as she looked her best friend, her crush, straight in the eye.
"Tell me you don't feel anything," she whispered. Amy moved in slowly and met Karma's lips with her own. She kissed her gently, tracing her fingertips back along her jawline. Amy pulled away and Karma followed for just a moment before breaking contact.
Karma gulped, glancing at the blonde's lips. "I don't…"
Amy pulled Karma in gently, a calm but defiant look on her face. Karma's breath hitched and then suddenly she was initiating the kiss, starting in their usual and tender way. Soon, Amy began kissing her more feverishly, pulling her in more intently and placing a still hand on her thigh. Karma shivered at the touch, even with her jeans in the way, and intertwined their fingers. Soon Amy's tongue was eliciting sounds she had never heard before from her best friend... Karma was moaning. Deep sounds of longing erupted whenever their tongues met. When Amy pulled back just a little for air, Karma seemed to whine, following her movement to ensure they didn't break.
Amy just couldn't help it anymore… she smiled into the kiss. In a moment, she felt Karma smiling, too. With a few more pecks, they reluctantly broke contact, breathing heavily and glancing warmly at each other.
Amy moved her hand down Karma's thigh, eliciting a jump, and Amy laughed.
"Don't laugh at me, Buttface! I'm worked up!" Karma pouted.
"See? Told you." Amy smiled, truly and undeniably happy for the first time in weeks.
