"Miss Coyne," Eli said greeting Fiona. "What's with you, you look like you haven't slept in days."
"That's because I haven't," Fiona groaned. "I was up thinking about Imogen all night." Eli furrowed his eyebrows. "But it's not what you think! It's just... I'm worried about her. I feel like she's a little confused."
"Confused? Confused about what?"
"You know—she's always doing the craziest things. Sometimes, I guess I just wonder what goes on in that little head of hers."
"I do too, actually," Eli laughed.
Fiona smiled. Although it had been so long since she and Charlie last dated, she and Imogen had been spending a lot of time together lately. And especially after the kiss, she couldn't stop thinking about her. But she couldn't tell Eli that, he'd think that she liked Imogen—did she like Imogen? "Hey," she began. "Do you think that there would ever be a possibility of you," she paused, "you know... feeling the same way about Imogen?"
Eli sighed. "I've definitely thought about it. It's just that we're friends now—"
"And you wouldn't want to ruin it."
"Exactly." Fiona didn't exactly know what she was getting at, but ever since Imogen kissed her that night, her emotions have been screaming so many different things from all different directions. She didn't know what it meant, but that was just it; she needed time to think about it. But if she did in fact have buried feelings for Imogen, if Eli just so happened to actually like Imogen too, then it would be too late and it would be a missed opportunity.
She looked up at Eli. "But hypothetically, what if you found yourself falling for a friend," she asked. "And I mean, you just couldn't stop thinking about the possibility of it turning into something really amazing? Do you act on it, or just continue to ask 'what if'? Eli nodded, and Fiona looked down at her hands for a moment hoping that Eli wouldn't pick up on what she was referring to.
"Well if you'd ask me, I think you just answered your own question." He stood up and slung his bag around his back to leave. "Nobody wants to go their whole life wondering what if."
The next day when Fiona got to school, she sat on the front steps waiting for Imogen. Maybe there was something there, maybe there wasn't, but she had to find out. She needed to talk to her.
She jolted up off of the steps as soon as the school bus came to a loud halt right in front of her. As the doors swung open, Fiona watched as Eli and Imogen emerged from the bus together behind a string of other students. "Oh hey, Fiona!" Eli called as he and Imogen approached her, hand in hand. "Guess what?"
"What?" Fiona kept her eyes on Eli, trying not to draw attention to the fact that he and Imogen's hands intertwined together was as distracting as she found it to be.
"We took your advice; we're going on a date!"
"Yup!" Imogen chimed as Eli twirled her around three times; she giggled pretending to be dizzy as she playfully clung to him. "Tonight! Isn't that great?"
Fiona forced herself to pull a smile. "Great? That's amazing," she lied trying to do her best to not show her sudden disapproval. "I'm so happy for you both."
"Thanks. We'll see you around," Eli said walking towards the school, still holding Imogen's hand.
And for once, after months of rooting for them to be together, Fiona wished Eli would continue to treat Imogen as if she meant absolutely nothing to him. Jealousy was a horrible, horrible bitch.