AN: So here's the third part of the third chapter! I hope you guys enjoy it and leave me a review! I so appreciate you guys for reading this story, I love sharing it with you. There are a few surprise appearances by alumni in this chapter, let me know in a review if you found them all (they're kind of subtle). And let me know who you guys ships (especially crackships, that would be fun!)
Song list:
Made in the USA - Demi Lovato
When the Stars go blue - Tyler Hilton and Bethany Joy Lenz
Enjoy guys!
Franklin T. Foster Sr. and Franklin T. Foster Jr. walking through Foster's hotel in Lima was a common, yet unendingly fascinating sight. Where Franklin Sr. strutted around like he owned the place, which he did, Franklin "Frank" Jr. acted more like a bellboy than the heir apparent. Franklin was confidently giving orders as he walked by his employees, while his son dragged his feet and looked apologetic.
"Now, Frank," Franklin looked over his shoulder at his son and beckoned him to catch up. Even while talking to Frank, Franklin kept giving orders by snapping and pointing, and he never let his "movie star"-smile leave his face. "I'm going to need you to keep the Hastings-twins happy. If they're happy they'll tell their father that all the kids enjoyed homecoming here, and that means he'll want to host more events here. Events that'll bring in happy guests, and what do we say, Frank?"
"Happy guests foster a happy hotel, a happy hotel fosters happy Fosters," Frank recited, earning himself a pat on the back from his father.
"That's my boy," Franklin smiled a smaller, less bright smile just for Frank. Then he quickly shifted back into business-mode. "So you will entertain Savannah and Reuben, and I will take care of their father. That means, son, that whatever Reuben or Savannah want, they get, understand?"
"Yes, but-"
"No buts," Franklin grabbed his son by the shoulders and stopped walking. Frank found he couldn't avoid meeting his father's eyes and shoved his hands further into the pockets of his hoodie instead. "If Savannah, or Reuben, wants something from the regular menu instead of the snacks, you will get them what they want. If Savannah wants to dance, you will-"
"But, dad, I don't dance," Frank tried to protest, but was stopped by his father raising a finger.
"You will do whatever it takes to keep them happy," Franklin gently repeated, but Frank got the feeling he didn't have any say in the matter. Franklin picked a single hair off Frank's shoulder and straightened the shoulders of his hoodie. "So if Savannah wants to dance, you will dance."
With that Franklin T. Foster Sr. and his son resumed their inspection of the hotel.
"Look, Simba," Jessica Phan put a hand on her daughter's shoulder and reaching out her other arm, dramatically surveyed the hotel lobby. "Everything the light touches is our kingdom."
"Mom, stop fooling around-" Iris hissed to her mother, trying to get back to placing the itinerary for the night on one of the many tables set up in the hotel lobby. The hotel always looked for some extra hands when hosting bigger events, and after years of accompanying her mother and correcting everything her mother did, Iris had become one of the first people to be called.
"One day, Simba, the sun will set on my time here, and will rise with you as the new king," Jessica clutched her daughter to her breast and wheezed out the line. Iris couldn't help but laugh at her mother's antics, but quickly stifled her own laughter and put on a strict face as she wrenched herself free from her mother's grasp.
"Mom, we don't have time for you to quote the entire movie," Iris chastised Jessica and went back to placing itineraries. Jessica rolled her eyes, but continued placing the cards on the other side of the table. Iris noted that she would need to go back over those when her mother was done.
"If Chloe is going to watch it four times a day for another month," Jessica turned to Iris. "I'll be ready to play every single part in that musical without any rehearsal."
Jessica dramatically lifted the macaron stand while chanting the opening to "The Circle of Life" to demonstrate.
"Put the macarons down, Mom!" Iris hissed and grabbed the macarons from out of her mother's hands. "They're not for you!"
"But they're delicious," the maid smiled at her daughter and popped a macaron in her mouth. Iris rolled her eyes, but she had to admit that the macarons did look tempting. She promised herself she could have as many as she wanted when the actual dance began. "Speaking of musicals, how is Wicked?"
"Wicked is a process," Iris sighed, arranging the itineraries more aggressively.
"Okay," Jessica said, nodding to herself.
"We're just having some trouble casting it," Iris elaborated as she placed the last of her cards. "We know who we want for Elphaba and Glinda, but the guys just aren't stepping up. Coach Elliott and I have been asking the guys in Glee to join, but none of them want to play Fiyero."
"Cute guy with the tight pants?"
"Yes, the cute guy with the tight pants," Iris nodded, glad her mother remembered. "That needs to be an inch to the left." Iris corrected the placement of the macarons after stepping back to get a better look at the table. "And it's not like we can do it without the male lead."
Waving Jessica's hands away Iris took over her mother's side of the table.
"And you can't do it?"
"Do what?"
"Play the cute guy with the tight pants?"
"You're kidding? No!" Iris stopped working to stare at Jessica, who shrugged and made a face. "I can't play Fiyero! I'm a girl, and I don't think McKinley is ready for a musical led exclusively by lesbian characters. If it were I would've suggested Heathers."
"The one with Mean Power Puff Girls?"
"Yes," Iris confirmed. "Besides, I'm directing, that's enough work."
"I'm sure you'll find someone," Jessica said. "What about that cute cheerleading coach? He's directing with you, right?"
"Yes, but he can't be in it, that's creepy," Iris replied. "Fiyero makes out with both Elphaba and Glinda. Pretty sure a teacher kissing students breaks about a million school regulations. Especially if they cast themselves in a show to do it."
"Okay, fine, I see your point," Jessica admitted. "I wouldn't sweat it though. If you just chill for a minute, I think you'll find someone to play the cute guy with the tight pants."
"I hope you're right," Iris sighed, and headed to the next table.
"Wow, this looks amazing!" A petite brunette exclaimed as she strolled into the ballroom at Foster's hotel and resort in Lima with two exceptionally well-dressed men in tow. The room was usually reserved for conferences and weddings, and the grand room was usually rather plainly decorated to be easily transformed for events. For McKinley High's Homecoming dance the room was decorated with red banners, with tables with refreshments lining the sides and a stage at the back of the room. Everything was quite pristine and surprisingly beautiful for a school dance. It was clear someone wanted to make an impression.
"Oh, looks like the show is about to start," the man with perfectly coiffed hair said, looking excitedly towards the stage. The short woman wrapped her arm around his and he grabbed the other man's hand as they hurried over to the stage.
The glee girls stood on stage in two lines, one in front of the other. The guys in the club stood near the front of the stage to show their support, but everyone else in the hotel ballroom looked uninterested. A blonde in the first line nodded to the band before turning quickly and starting the song. She confidently grabbed the microphone and smiled to the crowd.
Stella:
Our love runs deep like a chevy
If you fall I'll fall with you baby
'Cause that's the way we like to do it
That's the way we like
Brielle strutted over to Stella and sang into the microphone to her left. The two girls shared a smile when they first sang together before they were joined by Arcelia and Emilia who twirled over to the microphones beside Stella and Brielle. Brielle did her best to keep her smile plastered on her face even when Emilia came up beside her.
Brielle:
You run around open doors like a gentleman
Tell me girl every day you're my everything
Stella and Brielle:
'Cause that's the way you like to do it
That's the way you like
Arcelia and Emilia:
Just a little West Coast, and a bit of sunshine
Hair blowing in the wind, losing track of time
Just you and I, just you and I
Woah, woah
"Dance with me," Savannah held her hand out to Frank, looking expectantly at him. Frank looked over at the other guys in glee club for help, but the four of them seemed preoccupied with watching the girls perform.
"Uhm, I don't really dance," Frank mumbled, looking around for another excuse to avoid the brunette. She had been demanding his attention since the minute she got to the hotel, but he had avoided being alone with her by dragging her brother around with them and always trying to find new things to see or do. Unfortunately he was running out of sights and activities and the music had just started. "I don't think you want to dance with me."
"Oh, I do," Savannah grinned at him with too many teeth and much too close. Frank's heartbeat sped up and he could feel sweat gathering on his forehead. Savannah was standing awfully close and her floral perfume polluted the air.
"I'm just going to get some drinks first," Frank excused himself and scurried away.
"He's so cute," Savannah turned to her brother who shrugged.
Stella, Brielle, Arcelia and Emilia:
No matter how far we go, I want the whole world to know
I want you bad, and I wont have it any other way
No matter what the people say,
I know that we'll never break
'Cause our love was made, made in the USA
Made in the USA, yeah
Iris:
You always reading my mind like a letter
When I'm cold, you're there like a sweater
Katrina:
'Cause that's the way we like to do it
That's the way we like
A crowd had gathered around the stage and more people seemed to be paying attention. A blonde man with large lips was mouthing the words and rolling his body next to a laughing African American woman in a purple dress. A boy in a leather jacket was watching a younger boy who was looking at the ground and bobbing his head to the beat.
Hazel:
And never ever let the world get the best of you
Kalyani:
Every night we're apart, I'm still next to you
Hazel and Kalyani:
'Cause that's the way I like to do it
That's the way I like
We touch down on the east coast
Dinner in the sky rise, winter is the best time for walking in the city lights
You and I, you and I
Woah woah
For their verses Iris, Katrina, Hazel and Kalyani repeated the choreography the other four girls had done, replacing the first girls as they get ready to sing their parts. For the second chorus the girls paired up to share the microphones.
All girls:
No matter how far we go, I want the whole world to know
I want you bad, and I wont have it any other way
No matter what the people say,
I know that we'll never break
'Cause our love was made, made in the USA
Stella:
'Cause baby I'll break the bullet
And take the blow for love
Katrina:
Woah, our love was made in the USA
Emilia:
Made in the USA,
Arcelia and Iris:
Made in the USA
Bobbing his head along with the beat and smiling, Dakota turned to share his enthusiasm with Tobias when he saw Todd standing off to the side and whispering something to Abel. Abel grinned and nodded, gesturing for one of the new guys on the football team to come over. Dakota kept forgetting the guy's name, but he had done well at the try-outs and had been at Abel's heels ever since. When the new kid made it over to them Abel whispered something to him and the new kid nodded like a bubble headed president. The new guy asked Todd something and Todd pointed in Dakota's direction with his chin. Abel looked over at Dakota as well and grinned. Dakota felt an unsettled feeling in his stomach and turned back to watch the girls, looking less at ease than before.
All girls:
No matter how far we go, I want the whole world to know
I want you bad, and I wont have it any other way
No matter what the people say,
I know that we'll never break
'Cause our love was made, made in the USA
Made in the USA, yeah
Made in the U.S.
Made in the U.S.
Made in the U.S.A.
Katrina was pretty good at getting things no one else knew how to get. In her group of friends she was the go-to girl for getting your hands on anything that might require some sneaking around or possibly unlawful behaviour. Even though she had only been at McKinley for about a month she had already snuck into three different teachers' offices to steal a look at tests before they were given. She had yet to be caught. So when her friends decided to ditch the dance and grab some liquor from the hotel before they left, Katrina was the obvious choice for thief.
Her plan was working out smoothly, she had managed to slip past the staff and got to the kitchen without anyone noticing anything suspicious. She was grateful she had picked out a loose t-shirt dress to wear, so it wouldn't be too obvious when she walked out with a bottle pressed between her thighs. Having finally gotten to the kitchen Katrina looked around trying to find the bottles of alcohol, but even after trying four fridges she still hadn't found anything stronger than pear punch.
"Are you looking for something?" Katrina jumped at the sound and turned to find a boy sitting on the floor next to the door. Katrina wondered how she had missed him when she walked in and looked around, but he was hidden well between the door and the trashcan. It took her a second to recognise him as one of the new guys in glee club. He was the quiet one who had auditioned with Dakota.
"What are you doing here?" Katrina asked, trying to come up with a good cover for herself. He had obviously seen her looking through all the fridges, so saying she was looking the bathroom probably wasn't the most believable story.
"Oh, uhm, I'm hiding," Frank said, awkwardly getting up from behind the trashcan and walking over to Katrina. "Savannah Hastings wants to dance with me."
"Gotcha," Katrina nodded. She might not have been at McKinley very long, but she already knew the Hastings twins were to be avoided at all costs.
"Were you looking for something?" Frank asked, gesturing towards the fridges. He looked very different outside of school. She hadn't really taken notice of him before, but even she could tell he was out of his comfort zone in his nice shirt and tie. He looked very different from the guys she hung out with, who had all decided that shirts and ties were too much for homecoming.
"Maybe," Katrina said, looking Frank up and down. He didn't really seem like he would rat her out, but he also didn't seem like he was the under-age drinking type. "Maybe not. What's it to you?"
"I just thought I could help you find it," Frank shrugged and put his hands in his pockets. "I'm probably going to stay here for a while anyway."
"Okay," Katrina said, giving Frank one long look. "I was looking for booze."
"Oh," Frank's eyebrows shot up and his face went blank for a second. Katrina braced herself for a lecture. "We keep all the alcohol by itself."
Without explaining further he went into an adjoining room, unlocking a door behind Katrina. Katrina half-expected him to return with the police, but Frank returned alone a few minutes later with a bottle in his hand.
"I don't think they'll notice if this goes missing," he handed her the bottle, and she took it.
"Thank you," she said, and he looked away and shrugged again. They stood in silence for a few moments, Katrina noticed how Frank avoided eye-contact with her and how he leaned back and forth on his feet a little bit. "You wanna come with us?"
"I don't think I can," Frank scrunched up his face. "I should probably get back out there, or my dad will have my head."
"Okay, well, I'll see you in glee club," Katrina shot him a quick smile before turning around to put the bottle between her legs. When she turned back around he looked utterly scandalised. She couldn't help but laugh, which relaxed him. "It's just in case people see me. It doesn't look so obvious."
"Oh, right," Frank said, smiling crookedly. "Well, uhm, after you."
He held the door open for her and followed her out of the kitchen. Even knowing she had a bottle pressed between her thighs, he couldn't tell anything was up from her walk.
"Brielle, can I talk to you?" Dakota said when Brielle came over after the girls' performance. The African American girl was a little out of breath and her cheeks were rosy, but she was smiling and had clearly had a blast on stage. Dakota felt the knot in his stomach tighten. "I don't think I can sing with you."
"Why not?" Brielle's face fell.
"I just, I can't," Dakota glanced over to where Todd, Abel and the new kid had been standing, but he didn't see them. "I'm sorry."
"Dakota, we're supposed to go on in two minutes," Brielle said, anger seeping into her words. "What am I supposed to do? Sing it alone?"
"You could, I mean, you don't need me," Dakota tried not see the disappointment on Brielle's face, but even just seeing her hands balling into fists at her sides got the message across.
"What is your deal? You keep telling us to be proud to perform, but you won't?" Brielle looked insistently at Dakota, but he looked at the ground and wouldn't meet her eye.
"What's going on?" Everett came up to them, and looked from Dakota to Brielle and back.
"Dakota won't sing with me," Brielle said, cocking her head to the side and crossing her arms.
"Is that true, Dakota?" Everett turned to the blond boy, who shrugged, still avoiding looking at the girl.
"So I'm going on alone," Brielle said, staring at Dakota. "Some of us have some dignity."
With that Brielle turned dramatically and headed back toward the stage.
"Koda, are you okay? Why aren't you singing with her?" Tobias turned to his friend in confusion. Dakota shrugged and told him that he didn't know, but followed Brielle to the stage with his eyes.
Standing alone on-stage Brielle felt naked. Dakota might be too much of a coward to sing in front of the entire school, but Brielle would be damned if she let one boy get in the way of her performance. She had worked hard and was not going to let it go to waste.
Brielle:
Dancin' where the stars go blue
Dancin' where the evening fell
Dancin' in your wooden shoes
In a wedding gown
Brielle was about to start on the second verse herself, when a deeper voice cut in. Turning to her right she found Tobias standing at the second mic stand. She couldn't hide the surprise and confusion on her face and almost forgot to start singing when it was her turn again. Looking to the side of the stage where a few of the other glee members were gathered she saw they were as confused as she was.
Tobias:
Dancin' out on 7th Street
Dancin' through the underground
Dancin' little marionette
Are you happy now?
Where do you go when you're lonely
Brielle:
Where do you go when you're blue
Both:
Where do you go when you're lonely
I'll follow you
When the stars go blue
Tobias:
When the stars go blue
Brielle couldn't help but seek out Emilia in the crowd. She found her dancing with Todd next to an Asian couple and a very uncomfortable-looking Frank dancing with an enamoured Savannah Hastings. Emilia looked especially pretty in her dusty rose dress. She was dancing closely with Todd, but her face was always turned toward the stage, watching the performance. Brielle couldn't stand seeing Todd holding Emilia close like that and turned to look at Tobias instead. To her surprise they sounded pretty good together.
Tobias (Brielle):
Laughing with your pretty mouth (Laughing with your pretty mouth)
Laughing with your broken eyes (Laughing with your broken eyes)
Laughing with your lover's song
Both:
In a lullaby
To the left of the stage Iris caught Everett's eye and saw that he was having the same idea she was. Feeling relieved Iris smiled and looked back at Tobias and Brielle.
Where do you go when you're lonely
Where do you go when you're blue
Where do you go when you're lonely, I'll follow you
"Hey, Vasko," Abel grabbed Dakota from the crowd and pulled him over to the right side of the stage. "If you're still with us, I want you to prove it."
"What do you mean?"
"Pull the rope," Abel said, smirking and handing Dakota one of two ropes that hung from something far above them that Dakota couldn't see.
"What does it do?"
"Nevermind what it does, it's gonna be funny," Abel playfully pushed Dakota's shoulder with his fist. "Or are you scared?"
With a growing sense of dread Dakota took the rope from Abel. Keeping eye contact with Abel Dakota waited bated breath.
Where do you go when you're lonely
Where do you go where you're blue
Where do you go when you're lonely I'll follow you
Follow you
Yeah yeah, when the stars go blue
When the stars go blue
When the stars go blue
When the stars go blue
Where do you go when you're lonely
Where do you go when the stars go blue
As the song ended Abel signalled for Dakota to pull. Dakota pulled on his rope and Abel pulled the other one. Dakota didn't see exactly what happened, but he heard a gasp from the audience and he heard something wet hit the floor. Looking over at the stage he found Tobias and Brielle covered in red slushie.
"Are you all right? Do you need any help?" Stella asked as she rushed into the bathroom after Brielle. The African American girl was calmly leaning her head into the sink and letting the water wash the slushie away. Stella had expected the other girl to be a lot more upset than she seemed to be. Brielle held her head away from the water to look up at Stella, but her face fell when she got a better look. Stella couldn't help the way her stomach knotted at Brielle's expression.
"Yeah, could you hand me some paper towels?" Brielle asked, putting her head under the stream again. Elegantly twisting Brielle turned her body so her shoulders were resting on the sink while her head was under the faucet and she looked up at the ceiling. It was a very impressive feat in three inch heels. When she saw Stella look surprised to find her in such an odd position she explained that she had been taking ballet lessons since she was a child. "So I'm pretty flexible."
"I can see that," Stella said, handing Brielle the paper towels. Brielle turned the faucet off and straightened up. Her curls were wetly clinging to her back and shoulders, and her deep blue dress was stained darker on top, either by water or slushie, Stella couldn't tell. "Is that from Alice and Olivia?"
"It is," Brielle looked surprised as she used another paper towel to wipe off the mascara that had been smeared around her eyes by the water and the slushie. "I'm surprised, I didn't think anyone would recognise it."
"I recognised it because I might just go on their website daily," Stella admitted, blushing a little and giving a small shrug. The other girl chuckled and shared a smile with Stella. Brielle was wringing the water out of her hair, and surveying the damage done. She still didn't seem as upset as Stella would've imagined she would be. "Are you sure you're all right? You don't need me to get you something? Or someone?"
"No," Brielle said after a brief hesitation. "No, I'm all right. Thank you for checking up on me though. But shouldn't you have checked on Tobias? Aren't you here with him?"
"I am," Stella said, looking away. "But I, uh, figured you could use more help. You have more… Hair."
"Okay," Brielle chuckled, but before she could say anything more another blonde came into the bathroom. Emilia took two quick steps toward Brielle before she saw Stella and immediately froze. Stella saw something change in Emilia's face, but she couldn't quite see what it was.
"Stella, give us a minute?" Emilia said to Stella, in a way that made Stella feel she had no say in the matter.
"Uh, sure, I'll go see if Tobias is all right," Stella said, glancing over at Brielle who looked apologetic, but nodded.
As Kalyani rushed after Tobias and Brielle she was surprised to see Stella follow Brielle into the ladies' room. Instead of joining the other girls she made a split-second decision and went into the men's room after Tobias.
"No one is peeing, right?" Kalyani asked when she opened the door to the bathroom, covering her eyes with one hand. She took no answer as a no, and removed her hand to find Bai hunched over the sink, desperately throwing water in his face and rubbing his eyes. "Are you okay?"
Tobias looked surprised to find her there, and Kalyani realised he probably hadn't heard her come in, or expected her to follow him. Kalyani herself was surprised she had followed him. Despite his best efforts red slushie was still dripping down his face from his hair, and his eyes looked very red. His shirt was also stained red. Kalyani couldn't imagine him getting that shirt back to white again.
"What are you doing here?"
"I came to see if you're all right," Kalyani shrugged. "You helped me when I got slushied, seems fair I'd help you."
"Thank you," he said, but grimaced as some more slushie fell into his eye. He quickly put his face under the faucet again, trying to wash the slushie away. Kalyani grabbed a stool that was conveniently placed by the bathroom door. Apparently a lot of men preferred to sit when waiting to pee. She placed the stool behind Tobias and told him to sit and lean his head into the sink.
"You have to get it out of your hair first, or it'll just keep coming," she explained as she let the water run through his hair. Running her fingers through his hair to work the slushie out of it felt strangely intimate. Standing so close to him she could smell the slushie on his shirt and feel the heat radiating off him. Looking down at him instead of up at him made him seem more vulnerable. "Do you feel okay?"
"Been better," Tobias said, closing his eyes and sighing. "This feels good though."
Kalyani didn't answer, but made sure she had gotten all of the slushie out of Bai's hair. She turned the faucet off and went to grab some paper towels for him, while Tobias sat up and shook his head like a dog to dry his a little.
"Thank you for helping me," Tobias took the paper towels she offered him, but didn't start drying off immediately. Water droplets lingered on his eyelashes and in his hair. Kalyani leaned against the sink and dried her own hands on her blue dress.
"That was a nice thing you did for Brielle, singing the song with her," Kalyani said. "But you do realise that what just happened to you is the same thing you do to other people every day?"
"Yes, I know," Tobias admitted as he finished dabbing his face with the paper towels and stood to throw them away. Looking down at his shirt and sighing he unbuttoned it and threw it in the trash too. Even the white t-shirt he wore underneath looked damp, but at least Kalyani couldn't see any stains on it. Tobias moved to lean against the sink next to her. "I know it doesn't make a difference, but I am sorry about it. All of it."
"Maybe you should say that to someone you've actually slushied," Kalyani said, shrugging. "It doesn't matter if I know you're sorry, my opinion doesn't matter."
"It does to me," Tobias said simply. There was something very genuine about the say he said it, even if it would have sounded ridiculous coming from anyone else.
"Look, I'm not going to be your prize for being nice, okay?" Kalyani said, but she couldn't find any anger to put behind the words. Instead she turned towards him and looked him in the eye. "So don't expect me to swoon every time you act like a decent human being. It takes more than that."
"Okay," Tobias nodded, still looking at her.
"Okay," Kalyani repeated, feeling some tension ease between them. "I'm going to go back out there, are you coming?"
"In a minute, I'm just going to try get a little dry first," Tobias smiled at her and she smiled back before heading out of the bathroom.
As soon as Stella left, Emilia engulfed Brielle in a tight hug. It took Brielle a moment to hug back.
"You'll ruin your dress," Brielle protested and relaxed her grip around the blonde, but Emilia held tight.
"Fuck my dress," Emilia said, moving to kiss Brielle hard on the mouth. Brielle tasted of strawberry slushie, and her skin was still a little damp. Emilia pushed the other girl against the sink, holding her tight and pressing one leg between Brielle's. She didn't notice Brielle's resistance until Brielle turned her head away and pushed Emilia back by pressing her hands against her waist.
"What's gotten into you?" Brielle asked, leaning back and away from Emilia. She saw the hurt flash in the blonde's brown eyes, but kept her head back. "We haven't talked since Take me or leave me and now you're all over me in a bathroom?"
"I've missed you," Emilia whispered, leaning forward to brush her lips against Brielle's. Instead Brielle turned her head and gave Emilia her cheek. "I'm sorry I came here with Todd, it was stupid. I don't want him, I want you."
"But only in private, right?" Brielle let go of Emilia and crossed her arms over her chest instead, creating a barrier between them. Emilia's head jerked back, a small movement, but painfully telling.
"What do you mean?"
"You know what I mean," Brielle pushed back, her jaw stubbornly set. "You act like you don't know me when there's other people around. You couldn't even talk to me when Stella was here, but you want to pretend that that doesn't matter when we're alone. But it does matter. How it makes me feel, matters."
"I know, Bri, just give me more time," Emilia reached out to stroke Brielle's arm, but Brielle recoiled from her touch. Brielle hadn't meant for the gesture to mean so much, but seeing the tears that suddenly welled up in Emilia's eyes made it clear how significant it was.
"No," Brielle said, locking eyes with the blonde. "I'm sorry, but I can't give you more time. I can't be your part-time girlfriend anymore, I need to know that you're with me all the way."
"I am, I'm with you," Emilia's voice shook. "But it's not fair of you to ask me to-"
"You're not fair!" Brielle exclaimed, more loudly than she had meant. Emilia looked shocked and hurt, but Brielle had kept everything in for so long she didn't know how to stop now that she had started letting it out. "It's not fair for you to ask me to only be your girlfriend when it's convenient for you! It's not fair that you won't let me tell anyone about us, that you hide your feelings for me like I'm something to be ashamed of. None of this is fair!"
"I know it's not, but I need more time, I'm not ready," Emilia's lower lip shook and she was clearly fighting back tears. Her frightened eyes calmed Brielle's anger, but her resolve stayed the same.
"It's okay for you to wait," Brielle said, taking a deep breath. "But I can't put my life on hold to wait with you."
Brielle took a tentative step towards Emilia and took the other girl's hands in her own. Gently stroking the other girl's knuckles with her thumb, Brielle looked down at their interlocked hands instead of at Emilia's face.
"Why don't you call me when you're ready to be with me full-time?" Brielle said, looking up at Emilia again. She immediately wished she hadn't. Tears were streaming down Emilia's face, her eyes were red and some of her mascara was running down her face with the tears. Brielle gently touched Emilia's face to wipe away some of her tears. "You know where to find me."
Emilia tore her eyes away from Brielle and nodded, touching a hand to her nose and taking a deep breath. Trying to hold back her own tears, Brielle let go of Emilia's hands and left.
"We really - shouldn't - be doing - this," Connor said in between kisses. Celia had him pushed against the wall and was tearing at the top buttons on his shirt after having loosened his tie. Every cell in Connor's body knew how bad of an idea it was to be making out with a student in a hallway at a school function, but Arcelia's little red dress was making an offer that was hard to refuse. "At least not- here."
"Then get us a room," Arcelia whispered, her lips still brushing his. He knew she was joking, but the mischievous gleam in her eye told him not to dismiss the idea.
"Your parents are here," Connor said. "Don't think they'd be okay with you spending the night in a hotel room with some guy."
"You're not some guy, my dad loves you," Arcelia corrected, planting a soft kiss on the corner of Connor's mouth.
"Loved me," Connor said, leaning his head back against the wall. "When he didn't know I'm your teacher."
Before Celia could answer footsteps interrupted them and they jumped apart just as Stella and Tobias turned the corner.
"So I'll have that paper in by Monday, Mr. McDermott," Celia said casually, looking like she would never ever kiss anyone inappropriate. Connor realised that his loose tie and partly unbuttoned shirt did not say the same thing about him.
"Great, but be more careful about deadlines next time," Connor told her, nodded and turned down the hallway. Behind him he heard Arcelia greet the other students like nothing had happened. His own heartbeat told a different story.
Stella hadn't had a boy in her new room before. Not unless Mark counted, and even he had barely set foot in the place. She still wasn't used to it being her room and it still looked like something out of a catalogue, unnaturally neat and organised. It didn't look lived in yet. It didn't help that Stella had opted for a bit of a minimalist look, and decorated in all muted colors. It looked like it belonged on pinterest under "50 cute dorm room ideas". Stella did love her new room, but Tobias looked very out of place on her millennial pink duvet. He looked too big for her bed, too disheveled for the neatness of the room and too real for the freshness of it.
"Your room is nice," he said, looking around. Stella felt suddenly self-conscious about how childish all the pink looked. It wasn't exactly a sexy room.
"Really?" She said, studying his face to see if he was making fun of her. "It's really girly."
"Yeah, but I like that," he smiled to her, a simple, honest smile. Stella was beginning to understand why he came so highly recommended. He was sitting on her bed, but he wasn't being weird about being alone in her room with her. "It suits you."
"Thanks," Stella smiled and felt her cheeks reddening a little. Tobias didn't make any move to come closer to her, he just sat on her bed, looking around her room. Stella wasn't sure of how to move the process along. Did she just take her clothes off? Did she walk over and start kissing him? Was she supposed to kiss him at all? Arcelia had certainly left her with more questions than answers. The thought of asking Tobias seemed silly, and mortifying.
"I have condoms with me, I didn't know if you were on the pill," Tobias said, relieving Stella of her uncertainty. Seeing Stella's suddenly wide eyes, Tobias stopped. "Or did I mess up? Is this not why you asked me out? It's just, usually when girls ask me out this is what they want. But if it's not, that's cool, I just thought-"
"It is," Stella stopped him and he breathed a sigh of relief. The air suddenly seemed easier between them, and Stella felt she could walk over and sit down next to him on the bed. It felt a little strange to be so close to him, but if she went through with her plan they would be a whole lot closer very soon so she might as well get used to it. "It's just new to me, is all."
"That's okay," Bai leaned closer to her and cupped her cheek with one hand. Stella's heart beat faster and harder, and she felt her cheeks glowing. Tobias' hand was warm on her cheek and sitting close to him she could tell the rest of him was warm too. He stayed like that, with his hand on her face, leaning close, like he was waiting for something. It wasn't until the next morning that Stella would realise he had been waiting for her to kiss him. "You know you don't have to do this, right? It's okay if you don't want to. And if you want me to say we did, I can. Or I can say we didn't. It doesn't matter to me."
"I want to," Stella breathed. Tobias closed the distance between them and gently pressed his lips to hers.
AN: I hope you enjoyed that! Leave me a review to let me know what you think!