Chapter 3

"Well Hell Lacey!" Jo played around with Lacey.

"You made me wait out here for like, 2 billion hours!"

Jo was known for being slightly over-dramatic.

"Ha, yeah, sorry.." Lacey nervously answered.

She couldn't shake the feeling of Danny's lips on her ear or his body pressed against hers.

"Hey... are you okay?.."

"Huh... Oh ha, yeah!"

Lacey had zoned off and Jo had started to notice her strange behavior.

"Are you sure? you seem..."

Jo placed her hand on Lacey's shoulder and Lacey jumped.

"A bit jumpy. What happened?"

"Nothing! I'm just stressed... What with my dad's big party and everything."

Lacey started to frantically put on her seat belt and start to put the car in drive.

"Lace, I know somethings wrong. Just tell me."

"Nothings wrong ok? Im just stressed about the party. Drop it."

Lacey snapped at Jo.

"Uhm, alright."

The drive to the Chinese restaurant was tense but only Jo felt the tension.

Lacey was busy going over what happened with Danny in her mind.

He... He was trying to seduce me... Right? Was he just trying to get under my skin? Why would he do this to me...? I thought he just needed to talk about me staying at his place. I thought maybe I left something there or he had lost something and wanted to ask if I had taken it. Or ... I don't know! But he kissed my hand in class... Did he follow me to my locker?

Lacey couldn't put the pieces together.

What the hell did he want so bad that drove him to... touch me like that?

"Lace.. Lace!... LACEY! WATCH OUT FOR THE PEDESTRIANS!"

"Wh-what?! OH MY GOODNESS"

Lacey stomped on the breaks, causing both the girls to jerk forward.

Both of the girls sat there stunned, trying to get their breaths back.

"WHAT THE HELL LACEY?"

Jo turned to Lacey and stared at her with a bewildered expression.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?"

"I-I'm sorry! Im sorry! I was distracted and and.."

Lacey stumbled over her words and suddenly started crying.

"Oh.. Lace, it's okay. We're okay and so are they. Don't cry."

Jo tried to soothe her friend by rubbing her back.

"No! I should have been paying attention and and and I should have seen them, and Im sorry!"

"Lacey, it's okay! There's no need to cry. Why are you reacting like this?"

Lacey didn't want Jo to know that Danny and her encounter with him had been on her mind so she tried to cover it up with something else.

"Uhm, during the summer, something similar happened." Lacey tried to use her accident as a cover up.

She wasn't lying but she wasn't telling the truth either.

"Oh.. What happened?"

Lacey started to cry harder and her words we're almost incomprehensible.

"I-I w-was driving an-and I di-did-didn't see h-him."

The accident might have not been the reason but it did still hurt.

"Oh, sweety. Its okay. You don't have to tell me. I understand."

"No no it's okay. You're my bestfriend. I need to tell you."

"Only if you want to, Lace."

Jo grabbed Lacey's hand and enveloped it in hers, rubbing her hand with the pad of her thumb.. A comforting gesture.

Lacey eyed the way Jo held her hand and stared at her so intently.

Shaking off the strange feeling she suddenly got and finally able to stop crying, she continued her story.

"Uhm, well, It was my... my dog. I r-ran him over an-and..."

She couldn't hold back the sobs that reappeared.

"It's okay, honey. You don't have to finish the story I understand."

Jo stared deep into her eyes and placed a stray stand of hair behind Lacey's ear.

Then placed a small kiss on Lacey's cheek.

Lacey was confused by Jo's sudden actions and pulled away from her friend.

Awkwardly trying to start the car again Lacey tried to make small talk to hide her confusion, unable to make eye contact with Jo.

"Uhm, yeah so how close are we to the uhhh..."

"The Chinese place?" Jo teased

"Yeah..." Lacey answered her awkwardly.

"It's uhm, right up the street on the left."

Jo started to notice Lacey's awkwardness and kicked herself internally.

"Ok."

"Lace... I think I have too much homework to do, maybe you should just... leave me at my house?"

Jo couldn't stand sitting through an hour of awkward tension.

"Sure, I think it's best. My mom needs me. The sooner the better." She forced a small smile.

"Yeah..."