Chapter 11
Surprise
Galleria lay in her bed staring up at the ceiling. She and Derrick had been dating for two weeks now and Galleria had rarely seen any of her girls let alone Chanel.
She'd been dating Derrick using him as the distraction he was meant to be, but to her surprise Derrick wasn't so bad to be around.
Galleria enjoyed the insightful conversations they now had. She was starting to really liked Derrick, but more than that she missed Chanel.
Galleria missed the long conversations, the jokes, and even the smell of the other girl. She missed the sarcastic looks she would receive from her and she missed her laugh. 'When Chanel laughs the whole world wants to laugh.' Galleria thought with a sad smile. She knew this was all for the best though; plus Chanel still wasn't talking to her.
Galleria had called her numerous times after the restaurant incident but Chanel wasn't answering her calls and sometime during that last past week Galleria had given up on calling.
She also missed the other cheetahs. She missed the company of her girls. She missed singing with them and joking around with them. She knew she had been neglecting the group, but was afraid to be around them and afraid they'd found out about her feelings for Chanel.
Galleria's phone began to ring. She picked it up knowing more than likely it was Derrick. She looked down at the called ID and a huge smile worked it's way across her face. It was Chanel. Galleria felt bad for hurting her best friend. Her heart did a back flip insider her chest when she'd realized after all the calls she made to Chanel she didn't' know what to say to the girl.
'C'mon Galleria just let the voicemail get her,' Galleria painfully coaxed herself. Then she thought of Chanel sitting on her bed innocently calling to talk to her "best friend" and how she was pushing her aside like yesterday's trash. Galleria stared at the phone, took a deep breath and opened it.
"Hey Chu Chi!" she said with not so faux excitement. "Hey Stranger!" Chanel replied in the same tone of voice. 'Ouch! Stranger? Well I guess I deserved that.'
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you I was dating Derrick." Galleria blurted eager to get the guilt off of her chest. She waited patiently for the other girl's reply and was surprised when Chanel said, "That's alright. I forgive you; I just needed some time to think."
Galleria smiled into the phone happy that she had been forgiven. "Oh. Thanks for forgiving me." She said. "Of course I was gonna forgive you!" Chanel laughed. "You're my best friend!" she said.
There was another brief moment of silence. "I'm sorry we haven't hung out in while." Galleria offered. "Yeah I feel like I we haven't talked in forever!" Chanel exclaimed. There was a second of silence on the other end of the phone. "I really have missed you Chanel." Galleria said softly into the phone. "And I've missed you too Bubbles." Chanel replied. There was another moment of silence as the two thought, each wondering what the other was thinking.
"The girls were talking about calling a practice before our studio date." Chanel suddenly spoke interrupting the silence. "Really! That's a great idea!" Galleria exclaimed excited at the opportunity to hang out with her girls.
"Yeah!" Chanel confirmed. "How about tomorrow morning?" she asked. Galleria sighed. "That's not good. Have a breakfast date with Derrick." She replied.
"Oh" Chanel said. 'Why did she sound so upset? Maybe she really does miss me. Galleria thought as yet another silence took over. "But I'm free tomorrow evening if that's good for ya'll!" Galleria blurted in efforts to cheer up the seemingly disappointed Chanel.
"Tomorrow evening?...Yeah that works!" Chanel exclaimed happily. "Yay!" Galleria sang into the phone. "And we can have it at your place, and I can come over early so we can hang out! Galleria suggested. 'Hey I'm pretty good at this cheering up stuff!!' she thought to herself. "Yeah! That sounds great!" Chanel said. Galleria smiled hearing the happiness in Chanel's voice.
"Ohay! So at six?" Galleria asked. "Yeah!" Chanel replied smiling. "Well I'll see you then! Love you girl!" Galleria said into the phone. "Love you too! Bye!" Chanel said as they both hung up with huge smiles on their faces. Galleria sighed happily looking forward to the next day as she turned on her side for some much needed rest.
The next afternoon Galleria closed her front door leaning on it wistfully; thinking about the breakfast she'd just had with Derrick.
The boy really had changed and Galleria was really starting to develop some strong feelings for him. On one hand she felt happy and relieved that she was finally possibly getting over Chanel, but on the other hand she felt bad; like she was giving up what little hope she and Chanel might have had. She was cheating.
She sighed willing the doubtful thoughts out of her head. She had a rehearsal to get ready for! She thought excitedly as she picked out an outfit out of her closet.
She was finally going to hang out with her girls! It had been too long! And this would be the first time in a while she would hang out with Chanel without any awkward feelings holding her back. She was bouncing like a toddler inside as joy and anticipation overwhelmed her.
She put on a simple white jump suit she had picked out that hit her in all the right places but was none the less casual, and threw on some matching white J's and silver hoop earrings.
"Ready or not Cheetahs here I come!" Galleria said as she headed towards the front door for the short walk to Chanel's house.
Chanel rapped softly on her best friend's front door. It was answered shortly by Chanel. "Miss Me?!" Galleria exclaimed happily as soon as the door was opened. Chanel shrugged her shoulders uninterested. "Not really." She replied with about as much emotion as a stick.
Galleria's face smile fell down into a pout. "Just kidding girl!" Chanel exclaimed laughing at the other girl's reaction. Come here!" she said pulling Galleria into a hug.
'I missed this.' Galleria thought as she held Chanel. 'Not feeling awkward around her. I love this.' She mused as she absentmindedly tightened her grip around the other girl.
They broke apart and went and sat on the couch. "So what have you been up to Missy? Besides dating the hot college guy and all?" Chanel asked mustering up all the niceness she had to keep things form being awkward. Showing her unavoidable jealousy would have definitely put a damper on that.
"Wow. No rude comments? You really have forgiven me!" Galleria said astonished. "Yeah!" Chanel laughed. It was good to hear. "So what HAVE you been up to?" Chanel repeated.
"Well……" Galleria started. "Nothing much besides hanging with Derrick. He's been keeping me pretty busy." Galleria explained. "Oh" Chanel said trying not to sound as disappointed as she felt. 'Well I know if Galleria was mine I'd keep her busy too.' Chanel told herself trying to calm the heartache she was suddenly feeling.
"But I missed my girls." Galleria added trying to lighten the mood. "And we missed you." Chanel chided. "I know you did!" Galleria started feeling a joke coming on. "I don't know what ya'll would do without me!" she exclaimed in faux cockiness. "Ya'll probably sat around bored to death like, 'Galleria's not here; there's no reason to live!'" she said dramatically.
"Whatever!" Chanel laughed as she playfully hit Galleria on the arm. Then an idea struck her. "You know you really shouldn't tease me Galleria." Chanel started with a devious look in her eyes. "Oh yeah?! Why not?" Galleria challenged. "Because, oh best friend of mine, you forget that I'm one of the few people who knows your ticklish!" And with that Chanel started a tickle attack on Galleria's stomach and ribs.
Galleria laughed uncontrollably squirming to get away form her. "Now say you're sorry." Chanel ordered sweetly as she continued her tickling ministrations. 'I kinda like this. Maybe I shouldn't say anything' Galleria mused. 'Crap!' she thought when she realized her sudden change of thoughts. 'Here we go again! Will I ever get over her?! Galleria thought as she let out a breathless Sorry.
Chanel stopped her assault on the other girls stomach. "That'll teach you to tease Chanel Simmons!" she declared. "Actually….." Galleria started. "It only reminded me of something." Galleria replied coolly. "And what's that?" Chanel wondered alound. "That you, little Miss teach a lesson happen to have a tickle spot of your own!" Galleria declared as she raised her hand to begin her own tickle attack.
Just then her cell phone began to ring. She glanced down at the caller ID. "One second. I'll get back to you." Galleria told the other girl as she picked up the phone. Chanel sighed in relief that she wouldn't have to undergo the sweet torture of being ticked by Galleria because she really was very ticklish.
"Derrick?" Galleria said into the phone. Chanel frowned and sighed in disappointment at the person who was calling. "What?!...You didn't!...Oh my gosh!" Galleria exclaimed. Chanel wondered what he could possibly be saying to the other girl to make her so happy. "You're so sweet!" Galleria said. 'Sweet?' Chanel thought feeling the sudden need to gag. 'I can think of some things he might be but sweet is definitely not one!' she thought.
"Well I was suppose to hang out with my girls." Galleria said into the phone. 'Suppose? I don't like the way this is going." Chanel thought as she listened to Galleri's end of the converstion. "Well I guess so. I'll see you later." Galleria concluded hanging up the phone. 'Tell me later means tomorrow or never please!' Chanel thought to herself.
"What did he want?" Chanel asked as Galleria closed her phone. "Well………" Galleria started cautiously imitating Samantha's trademark line in "Bewitched". 'Not what I wanted to hear.' Chanel thought already feeling her blood begin to boil in frustration.
This was supposed to be her time to spend with Galleria and he was ruining everything yet another time! And what was worse, Galleria wasn't doing anything to stop him.
"Derrick surprised me with tickets to the Fergie concert tonight!" Galleria exclaimed hoping her excitement might be contagious and cause the other girl to also be excited. It didn't. Chanel stared at her stone faced.
"You're leaving?" She said not really asking a question. "Yeah" Galleria sighed. "This is her last night being here Chanel! And he bought the tickets and all and it would just be wrong -"
"Just Go!" Chanel suddenly exclaimed interrupting her. She stood abruptly and motioning towards the door. "Don't be like that Chanel! I wanted to be here!" Galleria attempted standing and moving closer to Chanel. "No! Stay away from me!" Chanel yelled. All the frustration, pain, and angst of the last weeks coming to surface.
"If you wanted to be here so much you could've just stopped by. or at least called!" she exclaimed. "Don't you think I wanted to!" Galleria yelled back starting to get a little frustrated herself. "No one was stopping you!" Chanel screamed. "You've been avoiding me!" she painfully exclaimed. "Admit it! You've been going out with Derrick and all this stuff to -"
Chanel was interrupted when Galleria fiercely crushed her lips up against Chanel's in a steamy kiss. For the 1st time ever Chanel was stopped mid-rant. She was quickly overwhelmed by the feel of Galleria's soft full lips against hers.
After about five seconds Galleria moved back only to have Chanel quickly re-close the distance between them by repressing her lips to Galleria's in a second kiss. Fireworks went off in both of their heads at the sensation they felt every time their lips touched. It was overwhelming. All the longing, frustration, and lust they had felt over the past month was poured into the heartfelt kiss.
After about 3 seconds Galleria pulled away again. She couldn't believe she had let her emotions get the best of her but more than that she couldn't believe how on edge she was and how hot Chanel was making her. She knew neither Derrick nor any other person for that matter could ever make her feel that way.
Galleria looked at the other girl breathing heavily and chest heaving and gulped. She looked at the exposed smooth caramel skin and longed to taste it. The feelings she was having were overwhelming to say the least.
"I've….I've….I've….gotta be….be somewhere." Galleria stuttered horribly being intoxicated by the sight of Chanel's lips. " Somewhere…not here!" she finally said as she grabbed her purse and ran out of the door. Chanel stood dazed by what had just happened.
She softly touched her lips remembering that Galleria's won lips had just been pressed up to hers. A smile behan to work its way up on her face as she remembered how good it had felt. She remembered the sensations, the electricity it elicited and the softness of Galleria's full lips.
'She does love me!' she thought as she sat down wistfully on the couch.
'After tonight you're not getting my girl!' Chanel thought aiming the thought at Derrick with new fire, determination, and anticipation for the next day. "This is war!" Chanel declared as she hopped off of the sofa in search of a sexy show stopping outfit.
Author's note" Okay ya'll that's chapter 13! Chanel is finally getting some guts! It's war now just like Chanel said! Get ready people! It's on and poppin' in Chapter 14!