Chapter 7

Cheetah Chatter

"Hello?" said the questioning voice of Dorinda Rogers. It was seven o'clock a.m. and Dorinda was wondering who would be calling her house so early.

"Hey Doe. It's me." Chanel replied.

"What's up ya'll?" Aquanette Walker asked. They were all on three-way.

"Hey Aqua." The other girls both said in unison.

"So what's up Chanel? WE still meeting over there at ten right?" Dorinda asked.

"Yeah of course." Chanel replied distractedly.

"Then what's up with the Cheetah SOS?!" Aqua asked ready to get to the bottom of things.

"What? I can't just call my girls?!" Chanel stalled starting to have second thoughts about the call.

"Not at seven in the morning you can't!" Aqua deadpanned.

Chanel didn't know what to do. On one hand she really needed to talk to someone about the way Galleria was acting, but on the other hand she was afraid she might say something that would give away her feelings for the other girl.

"Well……it's about Bubbles." Chanel finally admitted with a sigh.

"What about Galleria?" Dorinda spoke up.

"Well she's been acting kinda weird lately." Chanel stated feeling bad for going behind the other girls back, but she had to know what was going on.

"How so?" Aqua asked.

"Well she's been kinda down in the dumps ever since after the movie last night and this morning she was even crying." Chanel explained.

"She was crying?!" Dorinda asked in disbelief starting to get worried. "Yeah" Chanel replied.

"Well didn't you ask what was wrong?!" Aqua pressed surprised that her friend had been crying and going into protective mode.

"Of course I did!" Chanel exclaimed thrown off by the accusing tone of Aqua's voice. "She won't talk to me! It's like she's avoiding me." Chanel defended.

"Oh" Aqua said. "Sorry for attacking you like that. I'm just worried." Aqua explained. "It's alright." Chanel replied.

"We're all worried." Dorinda interjected. "So tell us everything that happened after the movie." Dorinda pressed.

Chanel told them all the events that had taken place leaving out the kiss on the forehead, the intimate looks, and the spooning that had taken place that morning.

"Wow." Aqua said in awe after the story was over.

"It sounds like she's really sad. I've never seen Galleria like really really sad. I wonder what's wrong with her." Aqua finished.

"Yeah. Where is she now? Are her parents there?" Dorinda asked.

"No there not here. Her dad's at some kind of convention and her mom's at a fashion show." Chanel told her. "And after she walked out of the room I heard the front door open and shut so I'm assuming she's outside." Chanel replied.

"Wow. She went outside in her PJ's?!" Aqua asked in disbelief.

"Gosh she must've really wanted to get away from you!" Aqua exclaimed.

"Shut up Aqua!" Dorinda snapped. "She already feels bad enough." She scolded.

"Don't worry Chanel. We'll come by an hour early so we can inspect the situation." Dorinda comforted.

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone as Chanel took in Aqua's previous words and wondered why Galleria had to her away from her so badly.

"Chanel?" Dorinda questioned on the other end wondering why Chanel wasn't responding.

"Okay." Chanel said snapping out of her thoughts. "Thanks." She said.

"No prob girl." Do said. "Yeah girl. We're the Cheetahs and we'll get through this just like we did everything else." Aqua encouraged.

Chanel heard the front door open and shut again.

"I've gotta go you guys." Chanel hurriedly said. "Galleria just came back inside!" she rushed.

"Okay. Hang in there girl!" Aqua told her.

"I will." Chanel replied. "Bye!" they all exclaimed in unison as Chanel closed her phone and hurriedly hooked it back up to her charger just before Galleria re-entered the room.

"Hey" Galleria said softly as she walked towards her bed. While outside Galleria decided that if she didn't change her attitude she was going to loose Galleria altogether.

She felt really bad for snapping at the other girl. She knew now that she had to make things normal again; it would be hard but she was determined to do so.

"Hey" Chanel echoed.

"I'm sorry about that. The snapping that is." Galleria said softly looking into Chanel's eyes. "I didn't mean to blow up like that." Galleria said still looking the other girl square in the eyes hoping she would know how sincerely sorry she really was. Galleria would never want to hurt Chanel in any way.

"I had a bad dream and I was kind of on edge." Galleria further explained. Chanel looked back into the hazel eyes which were looking so intently at her. She looked into them and saw all that was good in the world in them. She could tell that Galleria was generally sorry and was pleading for her forgiveness.

"You feel better now?" Chanel asked softly.

"Yeah" Galleria replied a smile beginning to work its way up on her face.

"But I'll be even better if you forgive me and give me a hug." Galleria said playfully batting her eyelashes at the other girl.

Chanel got a warm feeling inside. It felt good to see the other girl smile again; especially at her. Chanel felt a smile of her own start to work its way up on her face. "Of course I forgive you!" she exclaimed laughing happily as she hugged her friend. All was right with the world again. Her Bubbles was happy again and this hug was feeling like paradise.

"Oh by the way…….." Chanel started after they parted.

"Aqua and Doe are coming over an hour early." She said avoiding Galleria's questioning look. "And why are they coming early?" Galleria asked slowly as she locked eyes with a very guilty looking Chanel. Galleria's eyes got big in realization. "Chu Chi!"