Lainey confronts CB about his recent behavior.
~.~
She makes up her mind. She's going to confront him. No more sulking or worrying about why he's grown distant lately. She's going to come right out and ask him why he hadn't offered her advice when she needed it, when she desperately needed her best friend.
She charges into his classroom before the morning bell. He's writing the agenda for the day on his chalkboard, and she loudly clears her throat to get his attention. He spins around, startled by her sudden appearance.
"Lainey! Holy crap… you almost gave me a heart attack." He holds a hand over his heart and then tosses the weathered piece of chalk onto the tray. "Can I help you with something?"
"Yes, Charlie Brown, you most certainly can." She narrows her eyes at him, snarling.
His smile flips upside down.
"Uh, oh. What have I done now?"
"That's just it." She plants her hands firmly on her hips. "You haven't done anything."
"Then, why do I feel like I'm in trouble?"
"Because you are."
"I'm not following." He looks confused.
"Well, for starters, I came to you for advice yesterday and you totally blew me off, dude." She doesn't dare tell him that she cried afterward, all while holding the Beanie Baby he gave her.
"Oh, Lainey, I'm so sorry about that," he says, placing a hand on her right shoulder. He immediately removes it, realizing he's stained her blazer with chalkdust. "I did leave in quite a hurry, huh?"
He quickly wipes the dust from his hands and pulls out the chair from behind his desk, gesturing for her to sit down.
"Here, sit."
She obliges him, crossing her arms as well as her legs. He sits on the edge of his desk in front of her.
"I'm all ears now."
"Well, I don't need your help anymore. Caroline actually apologized for skipping class and I talked her into staying on with the marching band."
"That's great… see, you didn't need my advice after all." He stands up and pats her on the shoulder, returning back to the chalkboard.
Her eyes bore a hole into the back of his head.
"And you've been ignoring me…"
He freezes at her words, his hand hovering over the chalkboard, and lets out a heavy sigh.
He slowly turns around to face her, and she crooks an eyebrow at him.
"I think I deserve an explanation," she adds when he doesn't answer her.
"I've been seeing someone." He doesn't even meet her eyes.
"Someone… as in, a girl?" She doesn't know why, but the thought of him dating makes her heart hurt. She's afraid he's replacing her.
"Yes."
"What's her name?"
"Paloma."
"Earth Day Paloma?"
Paloma's really pretty, she thinks to herself. Much prettier than me.
He nods.
"But why didn't you tell me?" She asks, possibly already knowing the answer.
"Because…"
"You used to have a crush on me," she says sadly.
"Well, that, yes, and you're my best friend, Lainey." He kneels down in front of her and rests a hand on her knee, looking up at her. "I wanted to tell you about her, but every time I tried, I got all flustered and didn't know what to say. I tried to find any excuse to leave the room, so I wouldn't have to."
"I don't want to lose you," she blurts out before she realizes what she's said. Her vision is blurred by imminent tears.
"You'll never lose me, Lainey." He leans in closer to her, his lips forming a smile. It's that sly little smirk of his she loves so much. "You wanna know why?"
"Why?" A single tear rolls down her cheek, and she's suddenly embarrassed to be so vulnerable in front of him. She's always been the strong one.
"You've got a friend in me," he begins to sing to her, wiping away her tear. "You've got a friend in me ..."
"Are you seriously singing to me right now? While I'm baring my soul to you?" She rolls her eyes and sniffs, but she's loving every second of it. Her CB is back.
"Stop talking and let me do this, okay?" He smiles and grabs her hand, placing it over his heart.
She laughs and feels her cheeks tinge with heat.
"If you've got troubles, I've got 'em too. There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you..." He sways from side to side, exaggerating every note.
"This is from that talking toy movie, isn't it?" She tries to distract herself from the fact that his hand is practically holding hers. And how incredibly adorable he is.
"It's called Toy Story and it's awesome by the way," he says quickly before finishing out the verse.
"We stick together and can see it through… 'cause you've got a friend in me. Yeah, you've got a friend in me."
She places her head affectionately on his shoulder and giggles. It's the sweetest thing he's ever done for her.
"Thanks, CB," she says after several moments.
"No problem. Just wanted to show you what you mean to me… and nothing will ever change that."
She raises her head and looks into his blue eyes. They've never looked more beautiful, and he's never looked more handsome. Her heart races as he stares back at her with a look she can only describe as love. She's always loved the way he looks at her.
Her eyes trail down to his lips, and she realizes he hasn't let go of her hand against his chest. She can feel his heartbeat has sped up too. Something's about to happen between them, almost as if it's been lying dormant for two whole years, just screaming to be brought to life.
"Lainey…"
She slowly leans her head toward his, and he follows suit before their lips finally press together. The kiss is sweet, almost chaste, but then… it becomes more urgent, one of nothing but pure need.
He pulls her to him, taking a seat on the floor, somehow never letting go of her lips. She immediately climbs into his lap, responding to his lips with vigor, tingles shooting through every nerve ending as if she were on fire. Her fingers clutch around his jawline before running up into his hair, and he kisses her so passionately, she has to take a break to breathe or she fears she might lose consciousness. And she doesn't want anything to stop her from kissing him.
The morning bell wakes them from their moment of bliss, and they hurriedly split apart, both standing at the same time, realizing they may get caught by one of his students. They stare at each other for several fleeting seconds as if not fully believing what's just occurred between them.
Her heart is beating faster than it ever has before, and her chest is heaving. She's just made out with her best friend. She's almost certain she's gone crazy.
But damn, did she enjoy it. She enjoyed it a little too much.
"Well, um… I think I should tell Paloma something's come up…" His eyes sparkle, and he smiles coyly at her.
His lips seem fuller from the pressure of their kiss. She finds herself wanting to kiss them again. Desperately.
"Yeah… and I should tell Barry the same." She smoothes her hands down the front of her blazer and nods.
She turns, not wanting to leave, but knows she has to. Her first class is about to start.
He catches her hand, stealing one final kiss before she can get away. The kiss is slow and agonizing, and she feels it all the way to her knees.
"Rain check?" He whispers against her lips, that playful smirk back in its place.
"Yes," she answers breathlessly without a second thought.
She wonders how she'll be able to make it through the day knowing he's just across the hall.
She leaves him for now, the taste of him still fresh on her lips.
~.~
This chapter gave me chills while I was writing and is probably my favorite thing I've written. After all that angst, I just had to make up for it. Hope you enjoyed it 'cause I think they did. 😎 Going to keep adding chapters to this, so I hope you'll stick around. Thank you! ~ Dazzy xxoo