And I know now, that I'm so down…
The next night Lydia texted me at 9:00 PM to ask if she could bring over my stuff she'd borrowed. I said yes, obviously, and within twenty minutes I heard her car pull up in the driveway. Dad wasn't home so I ran downstairs to get the door. I opened it up to see Lydia in a form fitting black dress that she hadn't been wearing at school. She had a bag that had more of her own clothes in it looped over one wrist, and my clothes were neatly folded in her arms. "I thought maybe I could sleepover again? If you needed another late night study session?"
"Uh… Okay? I don't think we talked about studying again…"
"Oh, I know. I just figured you might want to," she eyed the room behind me, "So, can I come in?"
"Uh yeah, yeah. Come in," I told her, stepping out of the way. She bounced inside like she owned the place and headed straight upstairs to my room. Then, she plopped down on the bed and kicked her shoes off.
"Uh, Lydia?"
"Yeah?"
"Is… Jackson okay with this? With you staying over? Are your parents okay with this? Are you okay, with this?"
She looked at me and sighed, "Stiles, I'm a grown woman. I don't need other people's approval of what I do."
"So… You are okay with this?"
"I like you, Stiles. We're friends, I can have a sleepover with my friends."
I let my brain try to figure this all out, but it wasn't happening. "Yeah, but you… You've never really liked me, before this. Like, even in a friend way…"
"I can't change my mind?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No, no. Of course you can, I just… This is really awkward, because I've liked you since the third grade so… I mean, I just… Is this solely a friend thing?"
"We'll see," she replied curtly, "I haven't decided."
My stomach twirled, what exactly did that mean? Was there a chance she liked me as more than a friend?
"So, studying? Yes?"
I pushed my own web of thoughts aside and nodded, "Yeah, sure."
An hour later we were side-by-side on the couch downstairs watching a movie. We'd given up studying once Lydia had decided I was ready for the test, and didn't want me to 'over study'.
"You still owe me ice cream," I blurted as the TV flicked to commercial. We were watching one of those 'made-for-TV' films where the family is feuding but everything is fine by the end.
"I know," Lydia says matter-of-factly, "Tomorrow?"
"Yeah, sounds good."
We turn our attention back to the TV and then I feel her hand rest on my thigh. I don't think anything of it but then I feel her lean her head against me. Moments later she has her arm around me and her head on my shoulder.
"Comfortable?" I ask quietly.
She nods and smiles, "Mhmm."
"Okay," I reply, unsure if I'm supposed to engage in contact too.
"You know," she says softly, "Jackson dumped me."
No I didn't know that, why does no one tell me anything?! "He did?"
"Yeah, two weeks ago…"
"You never said anything…"
"I know," she sighs, "I didn't want anyone to know. I told Allison eventually… But I was embarrassed."
"You shouldn't be," I say, "He doesn't deserve you, if he thinks he has the right to just let you go…" I notice my tone is suddenly angry.
"Stiles," she mumbles sleepily, "I will never understand why you like me so much."
"You're beautiful," I tell her, "You're the most beautiful girl I know, I've never seen you do anything that wasn't beautiful. I mean you even look pretty when you cry, how is that possible? And you have a pretty brain too, so it's even better -"
She's beaming up at me now, her eyes are starry… "Stiles…" she breathes.
Dammit I want to kiss you… "Yeah?"
"I think I like you," she whispers.
"Yeah?"
"And if you want to date me, I'm so down for that."
"Are you… Are you serious?"
"Yeah," she says almost inaudibly, "I am. You're all the things a girl looks for… I just, wasn't looking I guess."
"What?"
"I wasn't looking in the right places. I didn't know I was looking for you."
I can't stop myself, and suddenly my mouth is pressed firmly against hers. Hot damn…
"Stiles," she squeaks in between biting my lip and kissing me, "Upstairs, now."
Your lipstick stain is a work of art; I got your name tattooed in an arrow heart. And I know now, that I'm so down…
I wake up with a thin arm attached to a slender hand with perfectly manicured nails draped over me. I'm not wearing any clothes, I notice. And a perfectly toned leg connected to a well moisturized knee is currently being pressed into my stomach. Lydia has a happy sleepy smile plastered on her face, her hair is covering one eye just so, and she's got a smear of lipstick on her cheek. It's all over my sheets too, not that I care, it looks like it belongs there. I consider buying new sheets so I never have to wash these, so our moment together can be memorialized by Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butter in "Raspberry Pie". But I decide that's too creepy, even for me, and by then I notice her eyes are starting to flutter open.
"Good morning," she says sweetly, green eyes blinking at me warmly.
"Morning," I say back.
She leans over and gives me Eskimo kisses, "Last night was fun, sorry about the sheets."
"I agree," I reply, "And don't worry, it looks like art work."
"If you say so," she giggles. She's in my bed, and giggling. I'm dead, I've gone to Heaven.
I kiss her nose, "So are we done pretending these are just sleepovers?"
"Mmm… I'd say so," she replies, "Because usually sleepovers between friends don't wind up in excellent sex."
"No, probably not," I agree, "I don't think friends do that on a regular basis. I mean, Scott and I definitely do not do that on a regular -"
"Stiles," she says to shut me up, "You're rambling again."
"Sorry, I'm still having a hard time normalizing this in my head. I ramble when I'm nervous, and I'm still nervous. Like, should I get today's date tattooed on me in a heart with your name or something to commemorate it? Is that a thing?"
"No," she laughs, "While that's endearing, I don't think that's a good idea. Or a thing."
"Too bad," I say kissing her tenderly, "I don't think people will believe me that we slept together."
"They will if we tell them together," she says, returning the kiss, "And besides, who cares if they believe you? I'll believe you."
"Duly noted," I say, "Are you still down with this?"
"So down," Lydia giggles, "I am so, totally, down."