Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Chapter Seven
A few weeks later, me and my inseparable substitute best friend were at The Dot waging a late-night onion ring war.
"Hey!" I plucked an onion ring out of my hair. "Are you trying to play dirty with me?" I looked at him with an exaggerated look of surprise plastered across my face. He answered my question by throwing a perfectly-aimed onion ring straight into my wide-open mouth.
I chewed thoughtfully. "Eh...not their best work. I'll give it a 7."
"What? Okay, c'mon, let me try." He opened his mouth and I tossed one inside. "What are you? Crazy? That's freaking delicious! 10!"
"No, they were so much better last time. 7." I grinned.
"Are you kidding me? 10!" Then he started tickling me. As if that would sway my totally impartial vote.
I am a super ticklish person, it's my one kryptonite. (Okay, one of my many kryptonites.) But Craig's tickling felt different from most tickling. It sent chills up my spine and made my face go hot at the same time.
I pushed his hands away, feeling a bit overwhelmed. "Tickling? Really?" He grinned at me and reached his hands back over to begin tickling me again.
Then we heard thunder crack outside.
"Oh crap." We looked at eachother. I bolted towards the windows. Yup. There's a thunderstorm a-brewing. Thick, dark grey clouds crowded the sky, lightning striking a couple miles away.
Craig grabbed my hand. "Well, come on, Ellie! What are you waiting for?"
"Um, should we wait until it clears up a bit? Hang out here and continue our onion ring war?" I gestured towards the mess we left at our table.
"C'mon, El!" He dragged me out the door and into the street.
"So what lovely vehicle did you procure to get here?"
"Actually, I walked today." Craig turned his head shot a huge smile at me.
"I hate you." I smiled back and he squeezed my hand.
Within seconds, a light drizzle formed, spritzing us with a warning signal of what was sure to come soon.
"Craig! Come on! Let's just jump inside this café until the rain stops!" I would've gestured to the little café at the corner, but my hand couldn't let go of his.
"And miss this? Come on, Ellie! Grow some!" He laughed and broke away from my hand. Craig tilted his head back, stuck his tongue and arms out, and span in circles. Right there, in the middle of the street.
I started laughing. I couldn't help it. Now, if anybody else would've been doing it, I would've said they looked stupid. But Craig...that was a different matter entirely. I ran up to him and jumped on his back just as the rain really starting falling. He caught me just in time and I kissed him on the cheek. He ran over to the street corner where a lamp post covered a small area with yellowish light.
Here he put me down, put my face in his hands, and kissed me. Deliberately, unmistakably, perfectly. And I kissed him back. Then I pushed away, just for a second.
"Friends?" I asked him.
"Substitute best friends forever." He said, then leaned in for another kiss.
