"Bro, that's so cool," said Chelsea excitedly.
Liam had just finished telling her about the founding of the IVG—or the New Incineroars, or whatever it was called. Taylor, Vasilio, and Sylvia had restarted the argument that day at lunch.
"Not so loud," said Liam. "This is like an actual secret, not a 'secret that everybody knows' secret."
"I get it,' said Chelsea. "I promise I won't tell anyone, and—."
"Especially not Marsha."
"—and especially not Marsha," repeated Chelsea.
She closed her locker and clumsily reattached the combination lock.
"I'm gonna tell the others about the notes in your locker, by the way," Liam continued. "I feel like that's something we need to take into account."
"Okay," said Chelsea. "That makes sense."
Liam closed his locker, but before he could reach for it, he heard his combination lock click shut.
"Cool, huh?" said Chelsea, tapping the side of her head. "I've been practicing."
Liam was impressed. He was no expert, but he felt certain Chelsea was progressing unusually well with her psychic powers.
"Who have you told?" asked Liam as they began walking down the hall together.
"Just Marsha," said Chelsea. "And if you think I'm nosy, you should hear the things she wants me to do with it."
Liam chuckled. He was proud of Chelsea for not using mind-reading as a tool in her and Marsha's insatiable quest for teenage drama.
"Are you gonna keep it a secret much longer?"
"I dunno," said Chelsea with a shrug. "It's hard to know how to tell people, you know? Hey, what class are you going to, anyways?"
Liam stopped in his tracks. He had been walking next to Chelsea without thinking about where he was going—and nearly followed her all the way to Professor Shrike's classroom when he was supposed to be in the chemistry lab at the other end of the atrium.
"Crap," said Liam. "I wasn't paying attention. I should—."
Liam glanced around. There was no one else within earshot. He remembered his promise to Cass. He needed to tell Chelsea. At least ask her to the Spring Banquet. He sensed that if he didn't say it now, he could never trust himself to go through with it.
"Chez," said Liam. "There's something I need to… ask you."
Liam bit his tongue. He was locked into it now, but he couldn't find the words.
"Spit it out, bro," said Chelsea.
Liam felt his face going red. The words weren't coming to him. He shifted from one foot to the other.
"I was… well, I thought… can't you just read my mind so I don't have to say it?"
Chelsea shook her head.
"Okay," said Liam, taking a breath. "Chelsea, I want…"
He shook himself. This was it.
"Chez, I like you a lot and I want you to go to Spring Banquet with me."
Liam hadn't meant to include the first part, and he immediately regretted it as he saw Chelsea's face turning a deep red.
"Sorry," he said with a wince. "Sorry, I…"
His phrasing had been terrible—he hadn't even managed to structure his invitation to Spring Banquet as a question. It was the nightmare scenario that always held him back come to life. But then—.
"Okay" said Chelsea, "I will."
Liam's heart leapt, but being jerked from mortification to elation in the space of a moment didn't do much to stop the trembling in his hands and voice.
"Good," he stammered, "That's… I'm really…"
"Let's talk about it after school," said Chelsea, glancing over her shoulder, "Or we're both gonna be late to class."
"Oh," said Liam. "Yeah. Good idea. See you then."
"See you then," repeated Chelsea, and she turned in the direction of Shrike's history classroom. But before she took a step, she looked back at Liam. She didn't say anything, but Liam heard her voice in his mind.
"I like you too."
Chelsea's eyes went wide, as if she had been astounded by her own daring, and she immediately took off down the hall at a run. Liam stood dumbstruck for a moment. He didn't know what he was feeling—relief, embarrassment, ecstasy—but he liked how it felt. As he took his seat next to Mori in Pokemon Chemistry, she raised her eyebrows in surprise at the glowing expression on his face.
"What's up with you?" she asked.
"Nothing," said Liam.
"Okay, you're a super bad liar," said Mori, fixing him with her intense stare. "What color dress is Chelsea wearing?"
Liam smiled wide despite himself.
"She hasn't decided yet."
Liam stood beside the guard shack, cracking his knuckles in agitation as he waited for his afterschool rendevouz with Chelsea. He had carefully avoided meeting her in the hallways, feeling like this would have been too awkward. Vasilio and Mori had teased him with knowing looks all the way through Pokemon Chemistry, and the way Liam bolted from the room the second the final bell rang seemed like the most magnificent joke of all. Skipping his locker, he had mae straight for the school gate—becoming an awkward third sentry along with the gate guard and his shaggy Mightyena. Most of the students walking out the gate paid no attention to Liam, but Robert—I Am Munclax's tousle-haired freshman drummer—approached Liam with a wide, winning grin and gave him a first-bump.
"Nice," he said simply.
It felt like forever before Chelsea, flanked by Marsha, finally made her way to where Liam was waiting. Marsha walked up to Liam with a very serious expression.
"If you ravish her, I will decapitate you!" said Marsha, pointing a finger threateningly at him.
"Okay…" said Liam.
He wondered whether Chelsea's friend had any further multi-syllabic threats to his life, but Marsha seemed satisfied. She nodded to Chelsea in a businesslike manner and left. Chelsea smiled apologetically.
"Hi," she said, "Sorry about that, Marsha…"
"It's okay," said Liam with a smirk. "She's gotta practice those SAT words."
"I guess," said Chelsea.
There was an awkward silence. Liam mentally reminded himself that they were on the same page. This DTR was, in some ways, just a formality. It didn't make him feel any less insecure.
"Should we, uh, sit down?" said Liam, looking at the curb just outside the school gate.
"Okay," said Chelsea, and they settled into another long, awkward silence.
Liam was starting to wonder whether Chelsea had changed her mind after rashly confessing her feelings to him just an hour before. He had to say something.
"So you already knew?" Liam ventured.
"Well, yeah. I can read your mind, bro."
Liam was relieved to see Chelsea smiling. He relaxed a little. Maybe this would turn out okay.
"Uh… how long have you known?"
Chelsea shrugged.
"I dunno. I wasn't really sure of it until you called me over break. I knew you wouldn't have done that unless… but, yeah. Ever since I figured out I could read minds, it's been pretty obvious."
"I guess I… spend a lot of time thinking about you," Liam conceded.
Chelsea giggled.
"I had a bit of a crush on you last year," she confessed. "You know, after the… thing at the Woven Bowl. But I got over it during the summer. Marsha has been shipping us all semester."
"I should've known," said Liam, shaking his head at Marsha's insatiable appetite for relationship drama.
"It was mostly a joke," Chelsea continued. "But… I don't know. When I realized you were interested in me, I was… really flattered. And I got really jealous when Cass came back. That's what made me realize that I actually really, really wanted…"
Chelsea shot a furtive glance at Liam.
"So you gonna kiss me or what?"
Liam wasn't really sure which one of them had leaned in first. But as his mouth pressed against Chelsea's, it didn't matter. He was lost in the taste of her lips and the smell of her hair and clothes. His eyes closed, his hands felt their way to Chelsea's waist. He felt her body trembling, but something—not a voice in his mind, but something nearly as tangible—was telling him not to stop. Not that he wanted to. He had waited for this for too long.
"Oh my gosh," said Chelsea, fanning herself, "I'm gonna need that at least three times a day from now on."
Chelsea took her phone out of her pocket and started composing a text message.
"Uh, Chez," said Liam, looking over her shoulder, "What are you..?"
"I gotta tell Marsha I just had my first kiss with my first boyfriend," she said proudly.
She noticed the uncomfortable look on Liam's face.
"Oh, is that weird?" she said apologetically. "Sorry, I won't—."
"It's fine," said Liam. "Just… not every time."
"Okay," smiled Chelsea.
Liam played with a strand of Chelsea's curly hair as she finished the text to Marsha. Several Zubat flittered overhead, but otherwise the neighborhood was quiet. The afternoon was turning into early evening..
"We should get out of here," said Liam. "Probably better not to get caught hanging around the school this late."
"Yeah, someone might think we're up to something," said Chelsea with a mischievous grin. "You gonna hold my hand, bro?"
Liam snorted.
"You gonna keep calling me 'bro' even though I'm your boyfriend?"
Chelsea frowned thoughtfully.
"Would you prefer an embarrassing nickname? I can come up with a really mushy one."
Liam intertwined his fingers with hers.
"Nah. I'd rather you keep being you."
Chelsea sighed wistfully.
"So far, this is just as good as I imagined."
Liam and Chelsea didn't say much as they walked to the bus stop together. Liam was afraid that whatever he said would be stupid and ruin the bliss of the moment, and besides, Chelsea had unmitigated access to his thoughts without him opening his mouth. So he thought about how incredible Chelsea looked, and how he couldn't wait to taste her lips again, and how he could kiss this beautiful girl whenever he wanted now.
They arrived at the bus stop. There were no afterschool activities on the first Monday back from break, so they were the only students waiting for Bus 77. Liam slid his arms awkwardly around Chelsea's waist, holding her as close as possible without scandalizing the middle-aged Nanzonese woman who was sitting on a bench just a few meters away.
"Rules!" said Chelsea abruptly.
She squirmed her way out of Liam's arms.
"Rules?"
"Yeah," said Chelsea. "Uh, clothes stay on. And keep your hands off here and here."
She pointed to her chest and just below her waist.
"Got it," said Liam.
"And that thing you're thinking right now is definitely not allowed, bro," added Chelsea, nudging him in the ribs.
"Sorry," said Liam. "Dating a girl who can read your mind is complicated."
Chelsea snorted. Bus number 75 pulled up to the stop, dropped off a few passengers, and pulled away.
"Hey," said Chelsea, as if struck by a sudden idea. "Can I try something?"
"Sure," said Liam, and to his surprise, Chelsea wrapped her arms around him and pressed her face against his chest.
"I don't feel like taking the bus," she said. "Let's see if I can make it all the way to New Court."
Liam's heart started to race as he realized what Chelsea was about to try. He closed his eyes and held on to his girlfriend for dear life. He hoped that teleportation was nothing like riding a roller coaster. He hated roller coasters.