KARMA
Karma had a date.
Karma had a date?
After putting down the phone, she took three even breaths and tried to stop her head from collapsing on itself. Her heart was pounding and she listened to it beat because she didn't have anything else to do and the puzzlement had yet to sink it. Date. She had a date. A date with Amy Raudenfeld.
"Holy shit," she finally said, clutching her phone as if it was a lifeline. "Holy shit." She closed her eyes and felt her smile grow. Thank God for Shane Harvey. She sat down on her bed and gazed at the wall opposite her, trying to imagine a perfect date. What should I wear? She asked herself. What should we do? The possibilities sent her head reeling. She never realized that the fantasy she had been trying to push away would become real. She never realized that Amy could possibly like her back.
And yet…doubt lingered in her thoughts. What did Amy think of her? What if this was just a big joke Shane had made, a big joke that would completely break her heart if it turned out to be true. Maybe Amy was laughing her socks off right now because the girl who wrote songs and spent her money on the same drink actually thought that she might have a chance.
"No," she told herself fiercely, squeezing her eyes shut and trying to unclench her heart, "Amy wouldn't do that."
But she didn't know Amy. That was the problem.
AMY
"You're thinking too much," Shane said as Amy tried to grasp the perfect outfit.
"Of course I am!" she hissed, "I mean, this is the girl whom I've been secretly crushing on for a while. Like, do you have any idea how many scenarios I've made up inside my head because of her?"
Her friend laughed. They were in her room, finding an outfit that didn't make Amy look like a girl who was trying too hard to get somebody to look at her. This won't do, she thought for the hundredth time as she flung another food themed shirt from her sights. Shane was sitting on her bed, skimming through a novel and being no help whatsoever. Amy hid the fact that she was slowly panicking inside. What if Karma didn't like her dress? What if she looked up at her at the date and suddenly decided that no, she didn't like Amy?
"Fuck it," she said after a while, dropping her clothes and collapsing on the bed next to Shane. "I can't go. I feel like I'm going to puke."
"Amy!" Shane said, sounding exasperated, "You can't just blow her off. That'll ruin her self-esteem and make her think like she's one of the girls whom nobody likes. Think about it; if you don't go, she might as well end up being a lady who owns ten cats!"
Amy's heart twisted with guilt. She checked the clock and realized that she only had an hour left before their appointed time at the cinemas. She wondered if Karma was feeling the same thing as she was. She wondered if the other girl had the same butterflies in her stomach, the same twisted agony in her chest, the same yawning void of self-loathing. She looked up at Shane who was looking at her expectantly, urging her to go along with this meeting, to put her heart in the line.
"Okay," she said, defeated, "but you better help me out with these clothes. If I do this by myself, I might end up going in my pajamas."
KARMA
Karma was twenty minutes early.
She closed her eyes and pressed her fingers against her lips. God, she looked desperate, walking back and forth in front of the building without any friends along. It was 5:41 pm. Nineteen minutes left until their appointed time. She opened her eyes and looked down at her dress. She looked casual, not overly sexual or overly saint like. She highly doubted that Amy would care about her clothes. She seemed like the type of girl who cared more about personality then appearance. Shut up, Karma thought angrily, you don't even know her. You aren't in the position to make assumptions. What time was it already? Did Amy forget all about her? She wished she would hurry up. No, wait, scratch that. She wished she wouldn't hurry up. Karma didn't want her to come when she was still trying to gather her nerves.
Nope. No. No. Apparently, some higher force slapped her wish away. Amy was here. Amy, wearing a white sweater with black jeans and dark boots. A messenger bag was slung over her shoulder and Karma's chest tightened once more. She looked simple, as if she just thought that this date was something to check off her bucket list. Shut up, shut up, Karma kept telling herself, biting her tongue so that nonsense wouldn't suddenly spew out. Amy approached tentatively, hands clasped in front of her and Karma's heart kept hammering inside her chest. She suddenly had the urge to puke.
"Hi," Amy said, smiling shyly.
Karma forgot to breathe. She returned the smile, even though it still hurt somehow.
"Glad you're here," she said.
"Yeah, we're both early though," Amy murmured softly.
"Sixteen minutes early, yeah." Judging by the look of surprise on Amy's face, Karma concluded that she did not know that. Crap. Did she have to sound like such a stalker? She shook her head and forced a smile, avoiding the other girl's green gaze. "Sorry. I just like to take note of the time. It keeps me occupied."
Amy laughed softly. "It's okay. I think it's cute."
Karma basically died. Her eyes widened and she squeaked a 'thanks.' She turned her face away, wondering if Amy knew the effect she was getting, wondering if the other girl knew about the butterflies in Karma's stomach and the fingers slowly unwrapping the strings in her heart. Damn this girl, Karma thought as she willed her fingers to stop shaking. Why did I have to fall for her?
AMY
Why did I say that? Amy was rooted to her spot, watching as Karma looked away pointedly. Fear and panic clutched at her throat but she couldn't say anything, not while sounding like a jackass. So she swallowed down her words, her cheeks flaming red. It was the truth though; she thought it was cute that Karma took notice of the time, the minutes. So why did she feel like dying right there?
Karma looked up at her shyly. Amy's blush deepened.
"Which movie do you want to watch?" she asked.
Amy looked at the list. There was a horror movie, two love stories and a comedy. She imagined a scenario where they watched the love story. Could she ever look at Karma while some guy and girl made out in front of them? No. Not a chance. Strike that option out of the table please. Her eyes flicked to the horror. Images of guys taking advantage of girl during a movie where a mass murderer escaped flashed through her head. No. That wouldn't do as well. The comedy was the safest choice. She just hoped Karma would agree.
Karma's eyes showed relief when Amy told her. The other girl must've been thinking through the same lines.
"Great," Karma said, smiling so brightly that Amy had to look away. "I'll get the tickets."
As she sauntered off, Amy allowed herself a moment to take a deep breath. Her nerves were racked to the point that she couldn't stop analyzing everything. What did Karma think of her outfit? Was it too simple? Was it too butch? She watched as the other girl approached the ticket center. Reluctantly, Amy allowed her eyes to roam down her body. Her dress suited her nicely. It wasn't too loose or too tight. She focused on the back of Karma's legs and a warm feeling erupted inside her stomach. She looked away just in time. Karma bounced towards her, basically vibrating with excitement. Amy had to admit that her excitement was contagious.
"Ready?" Karma asked.
"As ready as I'll ever be," Amy said, grinning.
KARMA
Okay. A comedy. Good choice, Amy. Karma was terrified about the idea of cowering in front of Amy if they had chosen a horror but then again, if she had chosen the love story, it would've been worse. Sitting in a cinema full of couples would've been horrifying. Comedy was brilliant; comedy was genius, in fact. She couldn't help but praise Amy Raudenfeld.
Amy bought two popcorns. Karma bought the drinks. They walked into the theatre side by side, the darkness swallowing both of them whole. Amy's arm brushed against hers occasionally and it made the pain inside Karma's chest flare up once more. They settled into their seats, in the back row. Amy glanced around and she caught Karma's eye, making the other girl blush.
"Don't run out of popcorn," the blonde said.
"Don't count on it," Karma replied cheekily.
The movie hadn't started yet. Karma leaned back against her seat, painfully aware of Amy. She hadn't been able to be this close to her since for the past few weeks, they only had fleeting conversations, lasting only about a minute. It felt strange, not seeing her in Starbucks and seeing her now in normal everyday clothes instead of her uniform. She smelled of coffee, which was obvious and made her more attractive. Karma stared at her while she wasn't looking. Amy's hair looked richer up close and she noticed that her eyes were greener than she thought, greener without it being yellow. The darkness gave her an eerie glow but she still looked incredibly beautiful.
Crap. Karma looked away. Hold yourself, Ashcroft.
"Do you go to college?" she asked, in hopes of passing the time.
"Dropped out," Amy told her, propping her chin against her knuckles. "I decided to get a job at Starbucks so that I could move out of here and get areal job."
"Oh." Her shoulders dropped. She's planning to get out of here? The thought saddened her. "Well, I go to the local university. It's nothing special."
"What are you studying?"
"Accountancy," Karma answered. She realized now that it sounded boring even to her own ears but Amy just smiled.
"You don't look much like a math geek," she said.
"I'm not," Karma agreed, "but I didn't know what else to pick. I'm scared that I made the wrong choice or something."
"Well, if you did, you can always join me at Starbucks."
Karma laughed. God, when was the last time somebody made her laugh besides Shane? It felt good actually. It made her remember good old days in high school where laughter was everywhere. Ever since college, her laughing days had been minimized. There was just so much work to do and she missed her weird organic parents who always managed to bring a smile to her face. And now it was Amy. Amy, the Starbucks barista whom she'd been crushing on for two weeks. Amy, the girl with blonde hair and green eyes. Amy, who supposedly liked her back.
What does she see in me? Karma found herself asking. She couldn't think of any reason for anybody to find her attractive, much less desirable. She was just a normal girl who dreamed of becoming at least a known singer, who tried to find a legacy back in high school and who was currently drowning in college. She was just a girl who watched movies in Netflix when she didn't have anything else to do, a girl who never did anything out of the line, well maybe except ask Amy Raudenfeld out on a date.
She looked at Amy once more, with thousands of questions on the tip of her tongue.
"You're staring," Amy said, her lips twitching at the corners.
Karma blushed. She hoped that Amy couldn't see the red tinge on her cheeks.
"Sorry," she said, "I'm just thinking."
"Really?" Amy's smile widened. "What were you thinking about?"
They were still for a moment but then Karma leaned forward, suddenly feeling bold. She looked into Amy's green eyes, trying to hide the fact that her heart was hammering loudly inside her chest. She noticed that Amy's breath hitched and after trying to squash the pride that swelled, Karma allowed herself a sly smirk.
"I'm just wondering why you accepted this little date," she murmured.
"Maybe it's because I wanted to," Amy said and Karma was positive that this was what it was like to be flirting with someone who made your chest hurt and your toes curl. It felt exciting and exhilarating at the same time. It reminded Karma of bungee jumping, the wind on your face and the entire world at your feet. She had only tried it once but suddenly, she felt as if she was doing it all over again.
She just hoped that she wouldn't fall.
AMY
Amy seemed painfully aware of everything that was Karma. Her heart was no longer a steady flow but a rather unhealthy irregular beating; it would always double up in beats whenever Karma accidentally brushed her shoulder or something and would slow down when Karma looked away. She feared that she wouldn't be able to concentrate on the movie much and she was right.
By the time all available lights had dimmed, Amy was pondering on whether or not she should just go to the bathroom so that she could get a breather and stop her nerves from getting all racked but that was stupid. She couldn't bear to leave Karma, even if she wanted to. The opening credits began and Amy wondered if she should reach out and take Karma's hand. No. That would be like trying to cop a feel. Besides, if she did take Karma's hand, the other girl would notice right away that Amy's was sweaty.
The characters were promptly introduced and even though Amy tried to focus on the movie, on the burst of stupidity from the idiots, on the brightness of the film and sheer will of it all, she couldn't. Now while Karma was sitting next to her, engrossed in the whole thing. Amy glanced at her every now and then, the same way she used to back in Starbucks. She liked the way Karma's eyes go all crinkly when she smiles. She liked the way little bursts of laughter erupted every now and then. She liked the way she always seemed to be fighting off a smile. Karma Ashcroft was an incredibly smiley person. It made Amy feel things. Made her want to pull her into her lap and kiss her for everybody to see.
Amy looked away, silently horrified at her own thoughts. Damn, she thought glumly, I'm really into this girl.
She turned back to the screen and there was a scene that was so hilarious that it made Amy snort. Karma, however, was laughing so loudly that it made Amy think that she was probably going to choke on her own drink. She smiled, wondering if there was anything in the world less adorable than Karma Ashcroft laughing.
Crap. Karma whipped around to look at her, brown eyes shining and lips all curled into a grin. Amy's smile widened. She didn't even bother trying to hide the fact that she had been staring. She had a feeling that Karma was okay with it.
Amy sighed. Wow. Just wow. She wondered if she had to offer a virgin to the goddess of love for giving her this opportunity, for making her meet Karma. She leaned back, fighting off the love struck smile that was probably plastered on her face. She picked up some popcorn and chewed on it as she watched movie.
Halfway through, Karma said that she had to go to the bathroom. Amy looked up as the other girl clambered to her feet—and accidentally spilled the drink that she had bought all over her pretty dress.
Amy was still for only half a heartbeat before she stood up, grabbed her bag and quietly led Karma away from the prying eyes of passersby around. She could hear Karma stammering behind her, obviously embarrassed and flushed and it made Karma feel honestly embarrassed as well but she didn't say anything. She just needed to get her date out of here.
"Amy?" Karma called as they headed towards the girl's room. Thankfully, nobody was around.
Amy turned around. The stain on Karma's dress was bad. It didn't help with the fact that Karma was wearing white. The other girl was red faced and looked near to tears but Amy just gave her an apologetic grin.
"It's okay," she said, "I've got it covered."
Karma looked confused. She should be.
"Just try to wash it off," Amy told her gently, "I'll help, if you want."
This date wasn't exactly what she had in mind. Karma probably thought so too because she hid her face and sniffed. Amy had to admit that she looked adorable with her pouty face and downcast eyes.
They both took individual tissues and started wiping at the dress. Amy was feeling a bit flushed as she reached out to wipe at the drops of cold Coca Cola on Karma's shoulders. A warm sensation was spreading from her stomach and towards the tips of her fingers. She wondered if Karma could feel the heat of it, especially since she was brushing them against her very skin. Karma was looking down, wiping at her stomach vigorously and obviously trying hard to avoid Amy's gaze. The moment felt fragile somehow. Amy found herself wanting to remember it, to carve the memory into her brain. She took notice of the way Karma sniffed every now and them and of the smell of the drink on the fabric of her dress. Now that she was standing this close to her, Amy realized that she was a few inches taller than the other girl. She smelled different as well. Most girls smelled of expensive perfume but Karma smelled of organic tea.
Amy stepped back once her work was done. The dress was practically ruined now but at least it wasn't soaking wet. Karma threw all the tissues away.
"Well, this was a disaster," she murmured, sounding defeated.
Amy's heart cracked into two. She shook her head. "No, it isn't."
Karma looked up at her, eyes full of confusion. Amy reached into her messenger bag. She wasn't going to admit that she had spent countless hours coming up with ways on how this date could be ruined and another countless hours making sure that she got everything that would fix it. Inside her bag, there were plenty of mints, extra tampons, deodorant, even a freaking condom but at least Amy had the idea to bring along a trench coat.
KARMA
Karma hated herself.
Since she was too embarrassed to even look at Amy in the eye, she found herself counting the cracks on the cement. She was near to tears. It didn't even matter that the dress she had picked for this special occasion was ruined; what mattered was that Amy was probably looking at her with pity in those pale green eyes. It made Karma want to scream at herself; why did she have to spill that drink?
But then Amy assured her that all was not lost. Karma had looked at her then, hope mingling with the self-loathing in her stomach as the other girl pulled out a trench coat out of her bag. Karma was stunned speechless.
"What?" Amy said, smirking, "I always come prepared."
As Karma pulled on the trench coat and tied it near her waist, she thought of Amy's response. She liked to think that the blonde had spent hours trying to make sure that this date wouldn't go to hell but that would've been too cocky for Karma's taste. Besides, Amy Raudenfeld looked like the type of person who'd come to anything prepared. Karma was too grateful to properly say a thank you.
Amy laughed. "It's okay," she said. She was saying that a lot.
By the time they returned to the theatre (they moved to another row) the movie was nearly done. Karma was a tad bit disappointed. She would've liked to laugh more, make Amy see that she was fun to hang around with. It didn't help with the fact that Amy had only smiled at the appropriate moments. She didn't even seem to be enjoying it as much Karma pretended that she was. Karma didn't want to admit that she wasn't even paying attention to the plot; she was too absorbed with the fact that Amy was sitting next to her, smelling of coffee and looking beautiful with the way the lights shone in her eyes.
Amy suddenly touched her arm. Karma nearly jumped out of her skin.
"Want to get out of here?" the blonde asked.
Karma glanced at the screen. The ending was predictable. Just ten more minutes until the credits rolled in. And she was basically dying of boredom. She didn't even have to think about it. She just smiled and nodded.
"Yeah, let's go," she said.
But where would they go? The question slammed into her as they walked out of the theatre. Amy was walking by her side, obviously trying to not to walk ahead with her long gait. Karma found herself thanking her for being so tactful. It was getting harder to walk with the trench coat, especially since it ended right at the back of her legs. Karma was used to dresses that reached her knees and made it easier to twirl around and walk as freely as she could. Trench coats? Not so much. But she didn't tell Amy. She didn't want the other girl to think that she was an ungrateful person.
"That was…" Amy started to say as they headed into the streets. It was eight o'clock already. The stars were brilliant in the sky. Karma found herself thinking about her dear old mother who always told her that stars led the way to the future. But this was the present now. And Amy was talking to her.
"Not much of a good first date," Karma supplied.
Amy gave her an apologetic smile. "The movie sucked."
"No, it wasn't." Karma licked her lips, found herself tasting her own minty lip gloss. "It wasn't Game of Thrones standards but it was okay, I guess."
Amy nearly stumbled on the flat sidewalk. Karma reached out to steady her, confusion clouding her thoughts once more.
"What is it?" she asked.
"You watch Game of Thrones?" the other girl asked, incredulous.
"Well, yeah. I watch a lot of shows. Like Orphan Black. Hannibal. Supernatural." Karma shrugged, as if it was no big deal. "I have a lot of free time in my hands."
Amy was looking at her as if she was the most beautiful person in the planet. Karma blushed under the intensity of her green gaze. It made her nervous and jittery. It made her happy and warm. It made her feel a lot of things all at once. Amy always seemed to have that effect on her.
The blonde smiled at her then, making the tightness of Karma's chest to loosen slightly.
AMY
She's perfect, Amy thought helplessly as they continued walking down the pavement.
It was hard to find someone who didn't think of Game of Thrones as some crazy TV show where the plot was just sex, incest and then violence. It was even harder to find someone who actually knew what Orphan Black was. But to Amy's bewilderment, she had found her. Karma Ashcroft. She did not look like the person who spent their Saturday nights watching Netflix. She looked like the person who spent their Saturday nights partying hard at clubs. A lot of surprises today, Amy mused silently.
Amy decided to bring Karma home. Since the other girl's house was miles away from where they were standing, she was suddenly gripped with the idea of being chivalrous. I'm not a gentleman, Amy thought wordlessly, but I can still show her my manners. Besides, the thought of Karma walking alone in the streets with the threat of rapists, murderers and kidnappers around the corner wasn't something Amy would like to think about.
They took a cab and in the silence between them both, Amy found herself staring at the other girl while she wasn't looking. Her hair was a rich auburn, which most people would mistake for a brunette but Amy had watched her back at Starbucks, had seen the way the sunlight made the red more noticeable. Also, Karma's eyes were a brilliant brown, which Amy was always reminded of chocolate. And, while Amy had been wiping at her shoulders, she had noticed that Karma had a bit of freckles on her skin, barely noticeable unless you looked closely. And Amy had looked closely. It was hard not to.
The cab slowed to a stop. Karma had assured her that it was okay not to walk her home but Amy had been relentless, persistent even. She just hoped that Karma didn't think of her as a stalker or something.
"Thanks for the date," Karma said as they walked up to the steps of her apartment.
Amy smiled at her. "It's okay," she said, shrugging, "I had a great time."
Karma rolled her eyes but there was a trace of a smile on her lips. "You don't have to say it was great. It was a disaster. We missed most of the movie."
Damn it, Amy thought as the words rose from her throat. "I wasn't really paying much attention anyway."
The surprise on Karma's face was priceless but Amy's heart was pounding. God, she sounded like a jackass. It made her want to crawl from the sidewalk and just melt to the earth. Her chest twisted in pain and she closed her eyes and tried to clear her head.
"Sorry, that was really insensitive," she muttered.
"You weren't watching?" Karma's tone displayed hurt.
No. No. No. God. Amy had to tell her the truth. She couldn't stand going home now while Karma thought of the date as a whole farce. No. She wouldn't do that.
"It was hard to pay attention when you're there sitting next to me and smelling of organic tea," she blurted out, her cheeks burning. "And to be honest, the guys were stupid anyway. You were more interesting to look at then a bunch of idiots trying to fix their messes."
Karma had grown quiet. Shock was plainly written across her features. Amy squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself for the impact when Karma would reject her and say that she didn't want to see her anymore.
But the impact that came next was a bigger bang than she had expected.
The first thing that had crossed her mind was tea. Somehow, the smell of it had intensified and then she felt something soft press against her lips. Her eyes opened slowly and she was met with the image of Karma leaning forward and kissing her. Her entire body froze but the warmth that had begun in her chest when she first saw the other girl was spreading once more. She closed her eyes shut again. The kiss was chaste and soft and simple. Nothing that came from the movies where guys and girls make out too often. Amy was suddenly overwhelmed with the taste of minty lip gloss. Her heart soared and she found herself thinking that this was not happening. Karma couldn't be kissing her. Especially not on their first date! Her hands felt limp at their sides so she crossed them behind her back, the smell of Karma filling her thoughts.
Amy was the first to pull away. She opened her eyes once more and saw that Karma's were still closed. The other girl leaned forward, as if wanting another kiss but she bit her lip instead and fought back a smile.
"You're going to need more practice," she said, giggling.
Amy let out a ragged breath. She felt as if she had gotten off a rollercoaster ride.
"Why'd you do that?" she asked.
Karma finally opened her eyes. She looked at her intensely.
"I wanted you to have a reason to go on another date with me," she answered.
The tightness in Amy's chest loosened. She grinned. "Maybe it'll be another movie date. But on Netflix instead."
The other girl smiled brightly. "It's a deal then."
Before Amy left to go home with the butterflies in her stomach, Karma had reached out and squeezed her hand, whispering, "To be honest, I wasn't paying much attention to the movie as well."
A/N: Everybody wanted more, I guess. If you wish to give me any ideas about these two then feel free to go to my tumblr and message me! My url is at my profile! Feel free to check it out!