Chapter 15 Her Crush

Wendy straightened out her napkin as she waited for Stormy and Lilac to arrive at the restaurant. Biting the inside of her cheek, she tapped her foot and drummed her fingers on the table. Reaching for the glass of water that had been brought to her by the waiter, she wondered how much longer she had until they came. She wasn't usually one to get impatient, but considering the subject matter she wished to discuss, she just couldn't contain her curiosity and wonder for much longer.

Setting the water down, she looked behind her back toward the entrance. No, no, Stormy and Lilac still weren't here. Oh, why was this taking so long… oh! There they were! They were coming into the restaurant! Stormy had a stunning blue dress on while Lilac wore a magenta shawl that looked smoother and fuzzier than even sheep's wool. It was at this moment that Wendy severely wished she wore clothes too, but… eh, at least she had the wig.

Waving over to her friends, she smiled as Stormy and Lilac came over to the table. Wendy's smile was bigger than usual as the two lovebirds sat down. Seeing them together for the first time since hearing they became a couple was such a surreal experience in a way. They looked so… happy. They looked thrilled to be alive, like they had uncovered an amazing secret that they were now determined to share with the world. How could Wendy not smile at that?

"It's so nice to see you two again."

"You too!" said Stormy. She pointed toward Wendy's head. "Nice wig."

"Thanks." Wendy pushed a strand of hair away from her face. "I, uh…" Oh man, was it hot in here? Her face was certainly warming up. Trying her best to be discreet and not make herself come across as a major weirdo, she decided that she wanted to begin talking. "So… uh…" It was only once she decided to talk that she realized she didn't know how she was going to talk. Should she just get to the point right away? No, no; this lunch may be for a specific purpose, but it also had an enjoyability component to it. She wanted Stormy and Lilac to relax and be comfortable. Not only would that be nice, but it would make talking about Wendy's desired topic much easier.

So, she put on a smile. "So." She scooted closer to the table, smiling as she looked at her friends. "I take it that you've been having a nice time as a couple?"

Stormy giggled as Lilac's face turned pink. "Oh yes, we have." Stormy reached for Lilac's hand, which lay flat on the table. The pink shade of her face instantly faded, and she smiled instead. "It just feels right, you know? Like, I feel like we get along great in so many ways."

Lilac chuckled. "That was the case when we were friends, Stormy."

"I know." Stormy beamed and squeezed her hand. "But I feel as though we were made for each other. Like, we just fit together in ways I never would've imagined." She let out a happy breath. "It's an incredible feeling, one I never in a million years would've thought I'd experience."

Lilac chuckled again, looking noticeably less tense. "I can't help but agree." She turned toward her girlfriend, making direct eye contact with her. Stormy's smile was all at once accompanied by a pink hue not too dissimilar to Lilac's pink hue from earlier. Wendy had to admit that it looked adorable.

"Aww." She laughed. "Man, I hope I find what you guys found." She leaned back. "I want to find a nice guy, a guy who I can love and who loves me." She paused. "I haven't dated anyone, so I can say with full confidence that I have never experienced that before."

Lilac nodded. "Well, there's no need to rush into things with anyone." She chuckled. "I watched this movie from the Real World before. I don't remember the name of it, but there was this princess who met this prince, and he asked her to marry him that same day. It turned out he was a manipulative villain who only wanted her kingdom."

"Oh! I know what movie you're talking about!" Wendy paused before snickering. "Man, the Real World comes up with the strangest stuff, doesn't it? I mean, I'm not surprised." She laughed. "Mario and Luigi are from there, and any world that is home to the two people who my dad can't stand…"

Stormy and Lilac laughed. "Oh, come on now!" Stormy said. "You established that peace treaty; there's no reason to feel salty towards Mario and Luigi!"

"I know. And believe me, I am far from salty towards them." Wendy took another sip of her water. "I would just feel remiss if I didn't express a viewpoint that my dad more than likely has."

The two nodded, and as Wendy put her water back down, a new question popped up in Wendy's head. "Say, how did your families react to you two getting together?"

Stormy and Lilac exchanged a look before Stormy cleared her throat. "Well… my father is cool with it, more or less. My mom is a little weirded out, but she said she's willing to support me in any way she needs me to."

"That's good." Wendy turned to her other friend, who she noticed was a little squirmy. "Lilac?"

Lilac looked like she was sinking into her chair. "My parents… aren't thrilled. They haven't outright yelled at me, but I've noticed things when I walk in the room. Any joy and laughter instantly vanished, replaced with an awkwardness. They are uncomfortable talking to me. I have to walk on eggshells around them. And whenever I leave the house to see Stormy, they give me dirty looks."

Wendy's heart filled with sadness. "Man, I'm so sorry."

Lilac sighed. "It's okay. I'm not going to break up with Stormy just to appease them." She started fidgeting with a loose thread on her shawl. "Honestly, as weird as this may sound, I'd be weirded out if they were supportive of me. Even outside of my dating life, they never really approve of what I choose to do. Like my dream to become a journalist, for example." Lilac picked up a coaster on the table and gripped it in her hands. "While they don't outright bash me for it, they do say they think I should try to aim for something else. They say I don't have the social graces to go for that job." She chuckled. "I think they believe I want to become a news anchor specifically, which isn't exactly my plan." She paused. "But even still, they think my talents would be better used somewhere else."

A silence hung in the air as Wendy's heart sank. "I'm really sorry, Lilac."

Surprisingly, Lilac smiled. "Wendy, I told you, it's fine." She chuckled. "I always like proving people wrong. Showing my family that I will be a good journalist would be an amazing challenge to take part in."

"As will showing them that you can have a happy relationship with someone they don't approve of," Stormy added.

Lilac beamed. "Yeah." She looked back into Stormy's eyes. "Exactly."

Wendy smiled. This was sweet. Even if Lilac didn't get support from her family, Wendy imagined that the support she got from Stormy helped with that. It might not be enough to truly make up for it, but at the very least, it provided her with comfort. That alone was enough to make Wendy feel that this relationship was going to last a good long while.

"Good." Wendy hesitated. Was it the right time to start talking about Peppy? She supposed it was, that it would be a good thing to switch gears. So, after the waiter came to get their food orders, Wendy scooted closer to the table, not wanting to miss a word when it came to Stormy and Lilac's answer to this question.

"Hey, guys, I was wondering. Has Peppy…" She noticed the two looking a little tense when she said this, which made Wendy back up a little bit. "I was… I was wondering about Peppy, if she told you anything about… who she might have a crush on."

Lilac blinked. "A crush?"

"Why would you be wondering about that?" Stormy asked.

"N… no reason." Wendy had to catch herself before saying that, as she almost opened up and spilled the beans about Peppy being Fiery Tempest. Wendy figured those words would probably be best if they were said by Peppy herself. "I was just curious."

Lilac nodded and put her hand to her chin. "Hmm… does Peppy have a crush on anyone…" she puzzled for a little bit before turning toward Stormy. "Did Peppy say anything to you about that?"

"If she did, it would've been a while ago. She hasn't really talked to me about much of anything recently."

"Me neither," Lilac said with a sigh.

Wendy felt a pang. She probably should've expected a reaction like this, but still. Hearing it didn't feel good. In fact, it made her feel like an idiot, as she had recalled Peppy saying that she felt like an outsider looking in whenever she was around Stormy and Lilac. Of course, she wouldn't reveal things to the two friends she was having some trouble with. Of course, the answers wouldn't be revealed to Wendy so easily.

"I… I see." She raised her water to her mouth and took another sip.

"Actually, wait. I do think that Peppy told me about that."

Wendy's eyes grew wide. Without much thought, she did a spit-take, drenching Lilac and Stormy. "Sorry! Sorry." She handed them some of the extra napkins. "Sorry, I just…" she smiled, her excitement starting to climb. "What did she say about that?"

Lilac smiled as she wiped herself down. "Well, it was a day or two before Stormy and I got together. She and I were talking over the phone, and we started talking about who we would personally like to date if given the opportunity." She chuckled. "That conversation was actually what made me realize I wanted to date Stormy."

"Aww!" Both Stormy and Wendy said in unison. Stormy put her hand to her heart. "That's sweet."

"Yeah." Lilac put the serious face back on. "And, of course, I asked her about who she would want to date. And, she said…" Lilac's eyes widened for a second before her eyes glittered. She gave Wendy a cheeky smile, an expression that was almost the confirmation that Wendy needed.

Almost. "What did she say?"

Lilac laughed. "She said she liked your brother, Larry, actually."

Wendy felt like jumping into the air. Yes yes yes! She had a crush on Larry! She actually had a crush on Larry! Sure, this conversation would've happened six months ago, based on some of the stuff Stormy had said to her over the phone. But still, half a year was less time than a year and a half. And if Peppy had kept holding onto a crush on Larry for the timespan of a year… Well, there was no doubt in Wendy's mind that she might still have those feelings.

"Oh man, that's awesome!" Wendy smiled so wide that her face hurt. "She really said that?"

"She did," Lilac said with a nod. "Believe me, it was a surprise to me." She chuckled. "And I take it that it's a surprise to you too, eh Wendy?"

"Actually, I couldn't be less surprised if I actively tried." Wendy giggled, stomping her feet on the ground. She would've squeed at the top of her voice if it weren't for the fact that the waiter came back, reminding her that she was, in fact, in a restaurant. As she pulled her plate of ziti closer to her, she tried her best to keep her excitement appropriately contained. "I had a feeling. Call it a hunch, but I always had a feeling that that was the case." She stuck a bite of ziti in her mouth. "And it's actually perfect that that's the case!"

"Perfect? How so?" Stormy asked as she spun her fork around her spaghetti.

Wendy immediately seized up. "Um… well, believe it or not, Peppy and Larry have actually been interacting with each other recently."

"Oh! And she hasn't told him that she likes him?" asked Lilac.

"Nope. Not yet." The excitement contained within the female Koopalings resurfaced, causing her to giggle. "However, that's going to change pretty soon." Lilac and Stormy both raised an eyebrow as Wendy got her phone out. She giggled when she found Peppy's contact number. "Oh man, this is so amazing!"