Jenna

Jenna slips onto the bench to wait for Christine. Christine suggested they meet up at the bench to hang out, and they've done it about four times since the first meeting a week ago. Christine's the only fun person to hang out with, although maybe she's just raised the bar for everyone else.

After all, Jeremy is still ignoring Micheal, seeming to not notice or understand the hurt looks Michael sends every time Jeremy sits at their new table. And Jeremy is such a joy kill when all he does is mope over the guy he refuses to talk to.

Here it's just her and Christine. Every time she thinks about it, she gets an onslaught of butterflies in her stomach, and she grins stupidly at nothing at all.

Some guy that looks about three years older strolls up, eyeing Jenna like she's a piece of pink candy. She pulls her jacket a little more closed over her chest. "Um, hi?"

The dude blinks. "Hey gorgeous, what's your name?"

Suddenly, Jenna regrets putting on a little more make-up and wearing more flattering clothes for Christine's sake. "Jenna."She crosses her arms tightly over her chest.

"Gemma, huh?" She doesn't correct him. "Doesn't suit you much. Sounds like a skinny gymnast."

Jenna stands up. "Have a good day," she mutters, not meaning a word.

"Who's he?"

Jenna turns, her body awash with relief when she catches Christine's eyes, smiling at the sound of her voice. "Perv," she mutters, "commented on my weight."

Christine's eyes darken and she glares at the figure crossing the street. "Nothing wrong with your weight."

Jenna just snorts, though she uncrosses her arms. "Uh-huh."

The clip over Christine's left ear flashes darkly in the sunlight. "Really, there isn't. You're a curvy girl. That's fine!"

Jenna watches the leaves rustle in the trees. "Everyone's got an imperfection," she sighs. She exercises all the time, just not in PE because she hates the way people watch her. It's just her body type. She's tried so many things. Just because she finally gave up doesn't mean she'll ever be happy about it.

"Jenna, you're perfect."

Jenna turns to stare at Christine, who's biting her perfect lip and blushing at the ground, looking anxious. Her heart is going crazy, and she actually pinches herself discreetly. She needs a minute to process.

"You can't just go around saying things like that, girl!" She laughs nervously. "You have a boyfriend."

"Actually," Christine tucks a lock of hair behind her perfect little ear. "I was going to break up with him."

Christine

This time, Christine doesn't ask Jenna not to spread it. She knows Jenna won't, because gossiper or not, she doesn't spill her friends' secrets.

"Break up?" Jenna repeats, an odd note in her voice. She seems to recover quickly, though, the curious glint that Christine has come to love flickering in her eyes. "Why?"

Christine watches Jenna, who keeps tugging on her hair and rubbing her glossy lips together as if to make sure the lip gloss is even. When Jenna glances at her, Christine looks away quickly, her cheeks flushing. She's been staring way too much lately, but none of that will matter after this.

"I like someone else," she confesses, watching Jenna's eyes widen out of the corner of her eye.

"Someone else," Jenna repeats, and they both laugh nervously. "Sorry, I sound like an echo machine."

"Yeah. See, there's this girl that I'd kinda be into- well, okay, actually, there's this girl that I'm totally into." She doesn't miss the tiny gasp Jenna lets out at Christine says girl. She better not be reading the signs wrong. Jenna has been flirting with her, right?

She watches Jenna carefully.

"She's got the most perfect body," she begins pointedly, "and she's super nosy but it's really sweet, and she says no one actually hangs out with her except for the gossip but I hang out with her because I really, really like her-" Jenna looks over at her, finally, her eyes wide, and those glossy lips that Christine's been wanting to kiss forever parted just slightly.

Christine continues, breathless, and Jenna steps closer and closer, inch by inch like she's afraid Christine will back away.

"And, um… lately we've been meeting at this bench-"

Jenna leans down and kisses her, one hand finding Christine's hand, and Christine winds their fingers together as Jenna sweeps the world around them away and all that's left is the tiny part between Jenna's lips and the sweet cherry lip gloss slipping against the press of Christine's lips as Christine tilts her head just so and her heart a hummingbird in her chest, ready to fly out into the wide, open world, and-

Jenna pulls away, her breath close enough to dance in short gasps over Christine's lips. "You should break up first," she says breathlessly, and Christine steps away, her head spinning.

She can taste Jenna's sweet gloss on her own lips, she can feel the slip of it now, when she rubs her lips together. She's going to go absolutely insane until they can kiss again, and she'll never want to do anything but kiss Jenna once she's finally got her.

"Right, yeah." They stare at each other for a moment. "Hug?"

Jenna laughs. "Can you even wrap your arms around me?"

Christine grumbles, "shut up, I'm short."

Jenna opens her arms. "You're perfect."