《Abby and Violet (Yuri Light Novel)》


 Two Strangers

    Once again, I was woken up by drops of sweat tickling my face and body. It was the middle of July, and the summer heat had yet to reach its peak. A time when people my age, now free from school, were enjoying by hanging out with their friends around town. Mostly the pool, our recently build mall, and camping. We were a relatively small town, and the closest city was an hour away by train, double that by bus, so that was basically it for us. And by ¡°us,¡± I mean ¡°them¡±. I wasn¡¯t the social type. This year would most likely be like the previous. The sky would always be clear of clouds with the sun mercilessly shining and battering anyone who ventures outside with his overwhelming heat. Even during the night and early hours of the morning that heat was felt.


    ¡°Only thirty minutes,¡± I grumbled as I squinted at my alarm clock, not wanting to leave bed. It appeared to show five twenty.


    Toss and toil, fall asleep, wake up a while after, repeat. It always happened whenever I was worried about something. While all my classmates were having fun close to a month now, I had to study for an exam during that time. Maybe I should say ¡°previous classmates¡±? Doesn¡¯t matter. I wanted to sleep, but today¡¯s exam was freaking me out. If I were to fall asleep, I could maybe, and just maybe, catch a couple of hours of rest before heading to school.


    Now, it was undeniable that my situation sucked, and yet, if I forced myself to try and have a positive outlook, I could say I was somehow lucky.


    If you have exams during the holiday, you screwed up somewhere.


    That¡¯d be partially correct.


    My grandma passed away at a time of the school calendar that ended up ruining my¡ªalready measly¡ªgrades. We weren¡¯t close, but it came unexpectedly, and she did take care of me until I could do it myself, so maybe that is why it hit me so hard?


    ¡°Why did I have to fail Math? That¡¯s my worst subject¡­¡±


    I had to pass it if I wanted to graduate to high school. To make things worse, I had to studyeverythingthat was taught during that year. Yup, I was screwed.


    Even so, why was I lucky? I¡ªalong with some other students¡ªcould take this exam so we could attend high school at the same place we did junior high. Not that I ever had any plans to go to a different place. The other places were farther away than this already was. I already had to wake up an hour before the bus, make the twenty minutes trip, all so I wouldn¡¯t arrive at school after eight thirty. I really didn¡¯t want to double that.


    ¡°¡­Ugh¡­ Might as well just get up and study some more.¡±


    ???


    As soon as I opened my eyes, I sat up on my bed. It was barely past six in the morning. it was now a matter of choosing what to do with my free time until I had to go to school. I only had to be there at nine o¡¯clock. I could have studied, but that just wasn¡¯t my style and I had tutoring everyday ever since I started going to school at the age of six. Twice a day after mum discovered I had missed the test. If I closed my eyes, I could see numbers and equations dancing in front of me, and I just wasn¡¯t in the mood for any more of it. Going for a run would be nice¡­ then a bath, breakfast and after that, off to the exam. Yeah, that sounded like a plan.


    ???


    Somehow, I made it in time. Still, I couldn¡¯t believe I had fallen asleep while I was trying to have a last-minute study session. I was always like that. I couldn¡¯t sleep when I wanted, but as soon as I actually wanted to stay awake, I¡¯d wake up some time later with no idea how long I was out. Now my head was hurting something fierce, and my eyes were burning. I didn¡¯t look at the mirror, but my guess was that I looked worse than normal.


    Always the screw up, huh?


    Trying to get my mind out of those thoughts, I looked around to see if I recognised anyone.


    We were six in total in the classroom and, as I had already guessed, I knew no one. Even so, one girl in particular caught my attention. She was shorter than me, with shoulder length and seemingly a bit damp golden-brown hair. What made me stare at her was her clothes and the way she was jittering around.


    I could see she was wearing running shorts under some denim shorts and a yellow shirt with some kind of animal printed on it. Was it supposed to be the face of a lion? Also, I noticed her shoes seemed very worn out. Wasn¡¯t it for her chest, I¡¯d say she was a sixth grader that came to the wrong classroom. And the way she didn¡¯t seem to stand still¡­ Was she that nervous? True, everyone was showing signs of being anxious, but she was something else. That, somehow, made me feel better about myself. Unfortunately, I stared for too long and she noticed me too.


    For a moment we just stared at each other, until she looked around and back to me, as if making sure she was the target of my attention. I noticed that, despite all her jittering, her face seemed perfectly neutral; or rather, bored. That was, until a little smile came as she stood up and walked towards me.


    ¡°You look terrible.¡±


    That came so out of the blue, I didn¡¯t know how to react. I was¡­ dumbfounded? Yes, I think that¡¯s the word.That¡¯s a weird way to say hi,was the only thing that came to my mind.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t get any sleep, huh?¡± she continued.


    ¡°Not really,¡± I stammered.


    ¡°Hmm. What¡¯s your current score?¡±


    ¡°Nine.¡±


    ¡°Oh, same as me,¡± she said, putting a hand on her chin while looking up.


    I was answering mechanically. I always did so when talking to someone I didn¡¯t know. I feel like if someone asked me something I wouldn¡¯t ever tell anyone at one of those moments, I would answer another three or four truthfully before realizing what was going on.


    Anyway, while we were having this discussion, I noticed she didn¡¯t stand still, rubbing her knees on one another, even though she sounded calm enough. I on the other hand, was having a bit of a hard time talking coherently and was completely frozen on my seat. And yes, I do realise that my answers weren¡¯t complex or anything.


    ¡°So, did miss sleepy head study anything for today?¡±


    Her casual way of talking irked me and made me wonder if we actually knew each other. That was almost impossible, though. I would have remembered her face if we were in the same class, but this was my first time seeing her. There was also the fact I talked to others only if I had to.


    Thinking that, I asked anyway.


    ¡°Do I know you?¡±


    ¡°Nope. First time I¡¯veeverseen you. Or talked. Anyway, did you?¡± she said cheerfully.


    Weird girl.


    ¡°Well, yes¡­ since I saw my test score,¡± I said, sounding more sheepish than I¡¯d like.


    She didn¡¯t seem to notice or care as she stared at me with her brown eyes. I felt like she was trying to see if I was lying or something.


    I was starting to feel my face grow warm, so I was going to avert my eyes, but she spoke again.


    ¡°Just short of a month, huh? In that case you will be fine. You look smart to me!¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ Erm¡­ t-thanks,¡± I said as I looked away, now feeling like my face was set ablaze.


    Because of my glasses, right?


    And that was basically it for our conversation. I had to admit, she was such a distraction that I, for a moment, forgot about the exam. Thanks to that girl, I was now feeling a bit less anxious. My head also felt like it was banging a little less. Or at the very least, I didn¡¯t notice it as much. Maybe I should have introduced myself, but the thought never occurred to me then. Not that I believed we would meet again anyway.


    A week went by, and it was the day our scores were due. I was back to school, looking at the school board in search of the exam results. I once again hadn¡¯t had a wink of sleep, so even with my glasses, I was having a bit of a hard time finding them.


    ¡°We were only six taking the exam, so couldn¡¯t they have used a bigger font?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s miss sleepyhead! Hi there!¡±


    Was this how she greeted everyone, regardless of her knowing them or not? I wasn¡¯t annoyed or anything yet, at least not more than with the board. I just found it weird.


    To my right, slightly behind me was now standing the girl from the other day. She looked the same, except her shoes seemed even more worn out and her shirt was now a light blue with the word ¡°FUN¡± printed in white letters.


    ¡°Hello,¡± I greeted back, my voice sounding coarse and tired. I hadn¡¯t talked with anyone up until then, so even I was surprised by the way I sounded.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ not a morning person, are you? Or did you not sleep again?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d say both.¡±


    I contemplated commenting on the fact that she appeared to be quite the opposite, but in the end decided otherwise. I was in a bit of a bad mood, so I wasn¡¯t willing to have a conversation. I just wanted to go home and take a nap. Or cry. It depended on the result of the exam. Now that I think about it, even if it was a good score, I might have ended up crying all the same. The reason why would be the only difference.


    ¡°So? How did you do?¡± she asked excitedly as she hopped on the tips of her toes.


    I went back to searching my name in the schoolboard. When I finally found it, I was met with a pleasant surprise. I had actually done better than I had anticipated.


    ¡°Oh! I got a fourteen,¡± I said a bit incredulous.


    ¡°See? I told you you¡¯d be fine,¡± she spoke, shifting her gaze to were mine was, ¡°fourteen, fourteen¡­ so, your name is Violet. I¡¯m Abby by the way. Nice meeting ya, hehe.¡±


    I was going to say something of the sorts of ¡°nice meeting you,¡± but she cut me off before I could.


    ¡°Well, be seeing you.¡±


    And with that, she turned around and scampered off her merry way without me being able to say anything.


    What a weird girl.


    I looked back to the board.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Fourteen, huh?


    Kinda made me feel stupid for having worried so much during the past week.


    Abby, she said?


    I wondered what grade she had gotten.


    My eyes went wide as I saw it.


    ¡°Nineteen!¡±


    Almost a perfect score. I didn¡¯t mean to be rude, but I had thought she would, at most, do as well as me.


    ¡°Wait¡­ did she even see her grade while she talked to me?¡±


    I could just let it go. She would eventually realize it and come back.


    But what if she lives far?


    There was also the fact she had helped me. Although that might just have been her being¡­ her. I didn¡¯t really know her, so it could be just that. But people do say ¡®a good action, regardless of motive, is still a good action¡¯. She walked off in a fast pace, so there was a chance I wouldn¡¯t be able to catch her.


    ¡°What if I rush to the school gate and if I don¡¯t catch her, I give up?¡±


    I could live with that.


    I rushed down the corridor headed towards the school gate.


    Suffice it to say, I wasn¡¯t particularly athletic, if at all. That and the summer heat meant that as I got to the school gate, I was very much winded. Just as I had predicted, I wasn¡¯t able to catch up with her.


    ¡°Are you ok?¡± a worried voice called.


    I turned my head just to see her behind me, looking concerned.


    ¡°I saw you running as I was leaving the bathroom. Is something the matter?¡±


    ¡°Did¡­did you see your score?¡± I wheezed as I struggled to regain my breath while clutching my knees.


    ¡°Ah! I forgot abo¡ª Wait! You came running all this way just for that!?¡±


    ¡°I thought¡­ you might¡­ live far.¡±


    ¡°I can come and go in a three-minute walk though.¡±


    She said that as if it was common knowledge.


    How was I supposed to know?


    I felt really annoyed by her statement.


    ¡°Oh, but thanks. That was nice of you. Since we don¡¯t really know each other and all.¡±


    If she recognised that we didn¡¯t really know each other, why was she acting in a way suggesting otherwise? That was a question I couldn¡¯t figure out a response.


    She pointed to a bench under the shade before continuing.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you sit over there while I go check it? It will only take a minute.¡±


    ¡°Nine¡­teen,¡± I wheezed.


    ¡°Sorry, what?¡±


    ¡°You had¡­ nineteen.¡±


    ¡°Oh, just about what I had guessed,¡± she said unimpressed. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s just go sit over there. Before you cough out a lung or something.¡±


    The last part just added fuel to my bad humour, earning her ashut upto which she just laughed as I sat on the bench while she fiddled with the soda machine.


    ¡°Still, you really aren¡¯t that athletic, huh?¡±


    ¡°Gee, what gave it away?¡± I grumbled.


    ¡°Are you one of those kids who smoke when nobody is watching?¡±


    ¡°Are you an idiot!? I just don¡¯t do sports, ok?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha! Come on, don¡¯t be like that!¡± she said in a whiny voice but still showing a wide smile. ¡°Here, I even got a soda for you.¡±


    She handed me one of the cans she had just bought. Now I was feeling like a jerk. No, I was being a jerk. True, she was very blunt in her statements, but they weren¡¯t really something to get mad about. Not in the way she said them, at least. Even more so, people had told me worst stuff, and I simply ignored it most of the time. I took a deep breath to try and calm down.


    ¡°¡­Sorry,¡± I muttered.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok. I know that sometimes I can be pretty annoying.¡±


    A dark expression came to her face as she looked into the can. Then, she shook her head and went back to her annoying smile.


    ¡°But if it makes you feel any better, I used to be way worse.¡±


    ¡°How is that supposed to make me feel better?¡± I chuckled.


    ¡°Don¡¯t know, but at least it removed the frown you had.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Sorry,¡± I said, rubbing my forehead as I noticed how the muscles were complaining about having been tense for a while.


    ¡°Again, it¡¯s fine,¡± she said with a certain cheer and sadness mixed in her voice.


    Silence fell between us again. Well, not total silence. She was constantly making some kind of noise, either with her feet, hands or clicking her tongue. I came to think she didn¡¯t act like that out of nervousness. She was just the kind of person who can¡¯t stay put.


    Something occurred to me as I watched her.


    ¡°Hey, do you mind me asking you something?¡±


    ¡°You already did. But I will allow it. And another one too.¡±


    She said that in a way I considered it meaning pride in her¡­ could that even be called a joke?


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s just that in this exam you almost got a perfect score. How come you had to take it if you could have a score like that to begin with?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that?¡±


    She looked around before gesturing me to come closer. We were the only ones there, so that wasn¡¯t necessary. I thought that but I did so anyway. She cupped her hand to my ear and whispered.


    ¡°You see, I completely forgot we had an exam that day and skipped class to go fishing.¡±


    I backed away to face her. Was she messing with me again? She had to, right? And yet, her face told me otherwise.


    ¡°I¡¯m not messing with you. Well, not about skipping class. The fishing part was a lie. I find it really boring.¡±


    ¡°How can someone forget about something like that!?¡± I asked, too stunned to pay attention to the last part.


    ¡°Oh, come on! As if you¡¯ve never forgotten something important,¡± she argued back in fake annoyance.


    ¡°Well, yeah, like where I placed my house keys, but not an exam!¡±


    ¡°You forgot your house keys? Want to use my phone to call someone?¡±


    ¡°No, you idiot, I didn¡¯t!¡±


    To this, she just laughed. She really was enjoying being annoying, wasn¡¯t she?


    ¡°Anyway, I should be going. Hope to see ya around,¡± she said as she stood up and went away almost skipping, still laughing. People would think she was some kind of a nutter, laughing like that by her lonesome. Not that they would be wrong, in my opinion.


    Anyway, I decided I too should do the same. Go home, I mean. I was all sweaty from my previous run and the heat was getting intense, even under the shade. A bath and getting myself in my room with the fan on were beckoning me.


    When I finally arrived home, after a twenty-minute bus ride, I reached into my pocket. And then the other. Both empty.


    ¡°Seriously?! Not only the house keys, but my phone too?¡±


    Had I known, I would have accepted that girl¡¯s offer to use her phone and would have called dad. Assuming I could face the embarrassment of admitting I had forgotten them, that is. Hmm. I wouldn¡¯t admit it, no. Anyway, it seemed I¡¯d have to stay there for about two hours, waiting for dad to come home.


    ???


    After my short walk back home, I was greeted at the door by my father. By the way he was adjusting his tie, he was about to leave.


    ¡°Hey there sweety. Did you remember to check your results?¡±


    ¡°Gee dad, how about having a bit of faith in me? Sure did,¡± I lied. It wasn¡¯t a big lie, so it should be fine, right?


    ¡°Is that so?¡± he said, as if not convinced. ¡°In that case, let¡¯s hear it.¡±


    ¡°Will I get my allowance back if it is any good?¡±


    ¡°First the results, then we talk about it. And honestly, why are you being so persistent about that?¡±


    ¡°I need a new pair of running shoes.¡±


    ¡°A new pair? What happened to your current ones?¡± he asked surprised.


    I pointed towards one of my raised feet as I wiggled it, causing the sole to flap causing the shoe to look like it had a mouth.


    ¡°Their soles are peeling off! I can¡¯t run like this!¡±


    ¡°If you took better care of them, you wouldn¡¯t need new ones,¡± he said as he rubbed his forehead.


    ¡°Idotake good care of them. They are just cheap ones. If I had my allowance,then¡­¡±


    ¡°Then the expense would be greater. Seriously, you go through shoes almost like they were candy,¡± he said as he shook his head. ¡°How about I just reglue them? I have a very strong glue. That should do it if the sole is the only problem.¡±


    ¡°Oh, in that case never mind the allowance. Thanks dad, I¡¯ll just leave them on your worktable,¡± I said satisfied, as I passed by him towards my room, patting his arm.


    ¡°I appreciate it, but you still haven¡¯t told me your score, missy.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right. It was nineteen.¡±


    ¡°Good for you. But next time don¡¯t go skipping exams, ok?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± I retorted slightly annoyed by him.


    ¡°Just one more thing, Abbigail.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± I said already guessing what was coming.


    ¡°We will be having guests in an hour and your mum wants you here.¡±


    ¡°Oh, dad! Do I really have to?¡± I pleaded. It really was what I had feared. Another one of those social meetings with a business associate or a client. Either way, it was beyond annoying and just about the only thing that gave me anxiety attacks.


    ¡°You know you do, otherwise your mother will get mad.¡±


    ¡°Humph. I suppose I¡¯ll have to wear that stupid dress,¡± I grumbled.


    ¡°Yes, Abbigail. I know you hate it, but you will have to wear it,¡± he said in an annoyed tone.


    ¡°But dad, I¡ª¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough. You aren¡¯t the only one she chews when you get her in a bad mood, so just¡­¡± he said with a tired look. In retrospect I think there was also some pain in there too.Please, it won¡¯t be for longhe added with a sigh.


    ¡°Ugh. Fine!¡± I grumbled as I entered the room.


    I went straight to the closet and took the dress out to put it on. If mum arrived in the meantime and I wasn¡¯t wearing it, I¡¯d have her breathing on my neck for the rest of the day. Not that I¡¯d expect she wouldn¡¯t anyway.


    Better put on some make-up too, just to be safe.


    As I changed clothes, I was thinking about how I expected today to be a good day when I woke up.


    ¡°Stupid of me to have thought that,¡± I grumbled.


    I just hoped meeting that girl again wasn¡¯t the only thing worth mentioning by the end of it. Good thing she didn¡¯t accept my offer of me lending my phone. That would have been embarrassing since I only now noticed it was still on the bedside table. She seemed overly serious. The type that makes you want to mess with them. Well, that was probably just a ¡°me¡± thing. I just hoped I wasn¡¯t too annoying.


    She seemed nice.


    Now that I was¡­ ¡°properly¡± dressed, I gave a little whirl in front of the mirror to make sure there wasn¡¯t anything mum could complain about.


    I really disliked that stupid dress. I mean, the colour and style were fine. Green kinda suited me. Just, why was it that, even though it was made according to my measures, had mum made them sew the skirt in a way I couldn¡¯t even walk normally? I mean, I know why.


    ¡°Because that way you walk more elegantly,¡±she said at the time.


    Just what was wrong with the way I normally walked anyway? Was I her doll or something?


    The door clicked and mum barged in. I was a bit startled by that.


    Don¡¯t you ever knock?


    ¡°Ah! I see you are starting to get ready,¡± she said dryly. ¡°Don¡¯t forget the shoes and make-up.¡±


    ¡°Yes, mum,¡± I said meekly.


    ¡°What are you thinking doing about the make-up?¡±


    ¡°Erm¡­ just¡­ some pencil around the eyes,¡± I said hopeful it would be enough to appease her.


    I wasn¡¯t a fan of using make-up. Mainly because even when using the waterproof kind, I would ruin it as soon as I started to sweat a little from any exercise.


    ¡°Humph. You could put in some more effort you know? One of the guests is a boy about your age and his father is one of our best clients,¡± she said in an even drier tone.


    I really should have known better.


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t really¡­¡±


    ¡°Put the dark red lipstick and some blush,¡± she commanded.


    ¡°B-but mum I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Lipstick and blush, Abbigail,¡± she repeated as she left the room and shut the door behind her.


    ¡°¡­Yes, mother,¡± I spoke while holding my urge to tell her off.

 Diverging Paths Meet Again

    I was woken up by my phone ringing the next morning.


    ¡°Did I really forget to turn off my alarm now that I was officially on holiday?¡±


    After yesterday I just wanted to stay in bed for the day.


    Standing up, I headed to where the ringing was coming from. To my surprise, when I grabbed it, I saw my friend¡¯s name flashing on the screen.


    Looking at the clock, it wasn¡¯t even eight in the morning. Was something wrong?


    ¡°Hello, Paul? Is everything ok?¡± I asked fearfully.


    ¡°Where are you?¡± he simply answered.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ in my room. Why?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± he asked back, clearly annoyed. ¡°Didn¡¯t we agree we were going fishing today?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that!¡± I laughed, relieved. ¡°Sorry, I forgot.¡±


    ¡°And that is funny, how?¡±


    ¡°Oh no, that¡¯s not why I¡¯m laughing. I thought something had happened to you.¡±


    ¡°Well, you could say that. Anyway, are you coming or what?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, well, I¡¯m already awake. Might as well.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, get yourself over here already,¡± he said before hanging up.


    Like I¡¯ve said to that girl, I found fishing pretty boring. Anything requiring me to stay put was. That was why I skipped classes whenever I could. Still, this was better than me sulking in my room all day because I had my mum scolding me for two hours since I apparently wasn¡¯t that good of a host to the guests. How was I supposed to not look bored if I was painfully so? And why did I have to be nice to a guy who couldn¡¯t keep his hands to himself? Even dad was glaring at him, and he was always very composed in those events. Receiving guests, I mean. Anyway, enough about that. I was getting bored of just sitting there while holding the fishing rod, so I decided to start a conversation with Paul.


    ¡°So, what have you been up to lately?¡±


    ¡°Not much. And please, don¡¯t talk so loudly. You will scare the fish,¡± he said without so much as moving a muscle. Wasn¡¯t it for the fact he was breathing, you could mistake him for a statue of a fisherman.


    ¡°Rude. If I¡¯m so much of a bother, why do you even bring me?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ force of habit? I could ask you the same about you coming.¡±


    ¡°As if you could survive the boredom without me,¡± I joked.


    ¡°Shh! Not so loud.¡±


    Not knowing what to talk about next, I looked around.


    The fishing pond was a really nice place to be, I noticed. There were some picnic benches surrounding the water with trees providing shade and there was also the sound of birds and cicadas. It all felt very¡­ summery if that¡¯s a word. I thought it would be nice to gather my friends around here. If I still had any, that was. I still greeted them in the street, but apart from Paul, I hadn¡¯t spent time with any of them for a long time. They didn¡¯t even come to my birthdays anymore.


    Damn it, I¡¯m getting myself depressed again.


    ¡°Are those tables a new addition?¡± I asked, this time whispering.


    ¡°What are you talking about? When we were kids, we would eat while sitting there.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°A-yep.¡±


    He had better memory of those days than I did, so I suppose that really was how it went.


    It wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t treasure those times, it¡¯s just that I was always rushing around. Everything about those memories was a blur to me. It could be argued I was very much the same today, but I liked to think I had gotten better. Even if just a little.


    Although, If I had to say, I feel like I was a lot happier back in my childhood. Maybe because things at home weren¡¯t so complicated and what were now acquaintances were at the time close friends? Save for Paul, but he was like a cousin or something, and he used to babysit me, despite being just three years older.


    Ah! I¡¯m doing it again.


    ¡°Anyway,¡± I continued. ¡°What is it that happened to you?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± he asked, raising an eyebrow as he finally looked in my direction since we arrived. If he reacted, I had struck something worthwhile.


    ¡°On the phone. You said something had happened. Well, what was it?¡±


    He fell silent for a moment and went back to looking towards the water. By the way he shifted his body, I knew it was something embarrassing. At least I hoped so. I needed a bit of a laugh at that moment.


    ¡°Well,¡± he stuttered. ¡°That is why I asked you to come. I need your help with something.¡±


    ¡°My help? This must be good!¡± I said, getting giddy.


    ¡°Well¡­ you¡¯re a girl, right?¡±


    ¡°Took you long enough to notice,¡± I retorted, laughing.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make me whack you.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, sorry,¡± I said, covering my head with my free hand. ¡°Please continue.¡±


    ¡°Well, the thing is¡­ I need your help choosing a gift.¡±


    These words got my gears turning. Even with my bad memory, I knew Paul long enough to know some things about him as facts.


    First, he was an only child. Second, his parents celebrated their birthdays in the same month, and those were still far away¡­ At least I thought so¡­ No, it was definitely sometime in November or October. Finally, it couldn¡¯t be my birthday. I, at the very least, knew when my birthday was. With all that excluded, it had to be some girl he didn¡¯t know very well. A classmate or a crush perhaps?


    Interesting.


    ¡°For a female friend of yours?¡±


    ¡°Not quite¡­ Not a friend. My girlfriend.¡±


    ¡°Your what!?¡± I shouted.


    In a blink of an eye, I received a proper whack to the back of my head, where I wasn¡¯t covering. The funny part¡­ ¡°funny¡±, was that the not so loud he shouted, was made whispering. That¡¯s a pro fisherman for you. Even when screaming, he did so in a hushed tone.


    ¡°Gee! You didn¡¯t have to hit me so hard,¡± I whined.


    ¡°Sorry, sorry. I¡¯ll buy you some ice cream later,¡± he said regretfully.


    ¡°Make it two,¡± I retorted.


    ¡°Don¡¯t push it.¡±


    ¡°One for the whack, the other for my help, you jerk.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ ok¡­ thanks,¡± he said, sheepishly.


    He went back to looking forward and I kept rubbing where I was hit. It wasn¡¯t hurting that bad, I just had enough slaps on the head on the previous day.


    ¡°Still, I might not be your best choice. I mean, I don¡¯t even know her. Or do I?¡±


    ¡°No, probably not. Does Claire ring any bell?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, can¡¯t say it does, but it¡¯s a nice name.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°How is she?¡±


    ¡°How is she?¡± he echoed.


    ¡°Yeah, how is she?¡± I echoed back. ¡°You know, is she nice? Is she pretty? How old is she? That kind of stuff.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m not going to talk about that,¡± he said, looking away.


    ¡°Oh, come on! Don¡¯t be shy now! You brough it up, now tell me everything there is to know!¡±


    ¡°Shut up. I¡¯ll introduce you to her someday, so just wait until then. And for god¡¯s sake, don¡¯t be so noisy,¡± he said annoyed.


    ¡°Well, should I shut up, or should I be quieter? Which one is it?¡±


    A sigh left his mouth.


    ¡°Do as you like, just¡­ stop scaring the fish,¡± he grumbled in defeat.


    ???


    The day after confirming I had graduated to high school officially marked the beginning of my summer holidays. So, what were my plans? Besides my new part-time job, I would just laze around like I did every summer break. Since I¡¯m always worrying about something, whenever I could, I liked to just do nothing and enjoy a little peace of mind before I started to fret about something new. Or old, really. The difference between this summer and all other fifteen was that, starting that year, I got to make some money. I was finally old enough for a proper part-time. In the previous years I tried my hand at babysitting, but I soon found out I sucked at taking care of kids. Kids were too full of energy and talkative for me. Maybe if my neighbours had the shy type of kids, I could have managed it, but I had no such luck. I had also tried lawn mowing and newspaper delivery. I could do without the sun and heat battering me, so that was also short lived.


    This year I¡¯d be working in a restaurant, as a waitress. The pay wasn¡¯t very promising, but at least I could keep the tips. Now, why did I want to be working instead of having fun? Well, I just knew that, since I didn¡¯t have any friends¡ªor the skills to make them¡ªI would just stay at home doing nothing all day besides the chores. This way at least I could save up some money for the uniform the school decided to implement the usage starting next year without my father having to pay up for everything I¡¯d need. Who knew? I could make a friend at work or meet some nice guy.


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    As if, right?


    To be honest, I was more interested in the part where I had to talk with other people. Since I always got super nervous when talking with someone, this job could help me with that. I really hated that side of me that didn¡¯t want to deal with others. I was sick of always being and feeling alone and still keeping my distance from people. I wanted to change. As far as I knew, the restaurant didn¡¯t really have much of a clientele, so it wouldn¡¯t be so much of a shock to suddenly having to socialize. At least I hoped so.


    Was this a good idea after all?


    ¡°Click¡­ clack¡±.


    The sound of the front door opening and shutting snapped me out of my spiral of self-doubt. Getting out of my room, I went to meet my dad who had gone straight to the kitchen.


    ¡°Hi dad.¡±


    ¡°Hey there. Oh!¡± he exclaimed as he noticed me. ¡°Is that your uniform? It looks good on you!¡±


    ¡°Oh erm¡­ yeah, thanks,¡± I stuttered.


    For the latter half of the day, I had been wearing it. The uniform for my job was a simple white shirt and black dress pants and waistcoat. Since I was a girl, I didn¡¯t have to wear a bow tie, but depending on how my female co-workers were dressed, I¡¯d decide if I wore it or not. The restaurant prided itself for being more on the fancy side. Unfortunately for them, only old people, or some guy trying to impress a girl would go there, so it was more appearance than substance. But that is something you wouldn¡¯t hear me say out loud, and one of the reasons I chose to apply to work there, so that¡¯s that. Anyway, this uniform made it obvious how curveless I was.


    ¡°I still think I look weird,¡± I muttered.


    ¡°Nonsense. It makes you look very elegant. And mature.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, a bit too elegant if you ask me,¡± I said waving my hands parallel to my body.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about it. Your mother was also like that at your age. You will see that by the end of high school, you will be just like her.¡±


    ¡°I wonder about that¡­¡±


    For a moment, silence fell between us. It happened every time mum came up in conversations. My father always got sad when I asked about her, and so I never really voiced my curiosities. And believe me, I had many, since she passed away when I was five. Besides him, the only source of information I had was my grandma, but she had passed away only a few months and even when she talked about her daughter, it was always in a critical way.


    ¡°Anyway,¡± he said, breaking the silence. ¡°When is it that you start today?¡±


    ¡°I have to be there at seven.¡±


    ¡°Seven? What about your dinner?¡±


    ¡°They say I¡¯m free to go home after ten thirty. I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°But it takes half an hour to get there and another to come back!¡± he said worried. ¡°Won¡¯t you at least eat something before going?¡±


    That¡¯s how dad was. I¡¯m just speculating, but since he was a single father, he took upon himself to be a whole parenting unit. He was caring to the point of being super annoying. This, to me, was one of those times. And like any of those times, I just decided to go with the flow. It was less bothersome.


    ¡°Oh, alright,¡± I sighed. ¡°Just don¡¯t make it too heavy. I don¡¯t want to fall asleep on my way there.¡±


    I¡¯m ashamed to say that all my dad¡¯s worries ended up being justified. Just not in the way he had feared.


    Unfortunately, I ended up throwing up the food he so caringly prepared for me. I messed up some orders, got a bit yelled at by the manager and having to kinda interrupt our clients¡¯ conversations to take their orders was very awkward. It was bad. I kept telling myself it would be ok. That it would be easier down the line. Honestly, I didn¡¯t really believe that. By the end of my shift the same manager who yelled at me said I didn¡¯t do so bad for someone with no experience, but even that had a caveat. My mind was too much of a mess at that moment, but it was something in line with me either not messing up so much by the end of the week, or simply quitting. I just didn¡¯t know what to do. Would I be able to even make it to the end of the week? And if I did it, would I be able to do it until the end of summer?


    Should I just give up?


    I was realizing that night was one I wouldn¡¯t get any sleep. I arrived home, went straight to bed without bothering to even change out of my uniform. I was tearing up, I was hungry and tired and also, I needed a bath.


    I looked at the clock. A quarter to midnight. Maybe dad had left some leftovers in the fridge, I hoped. Would me taking a bath wake him up though? I really didn¡¯t want to be explaining myself to him. I guessed I would just have to make do with feeling icky with sweat.


    I had just closed the fridge, disappointed to find no food ready to just be heated and eaten, when I heard his steps down the stairs. Soon enough, there he was, rubbing his eyes.


    ¡°Hey. Had a rough first day?¡±


    ¡°Dad, please¡­ I really don¡¯t want to talk about it,¡± I whimpered, tears ready to start flowing again.


    ¡°Ok,¡± he simply said.


    He walked by me, towards the fridge.


    ¡°I¡¯m making me a sandwich. Should I also make one for you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯d like that.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± he stated with a slight smile. ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a shower in the meantime? You are still in your work clothes after all.¡±


    I just nodded and left the kitchen, straight to the bathroom. I had to admit, he could be overbearing sometimes, but in times like this he actually knew how to deal with me.


    After the bath and putting on my pyjama, I went back to the kitchen, only to find a plate with two sandwiches. I looked into the sink. Empty, just like I had thought. Had he eaten, there would be one empty there. He really had only left the bed because he was worried about me.


    I smiled slightly.


    ¡°Thanks dad.¡±


    ???


    Once again, I was making my way to school. It was hard to believe my summer holiday was already over. Most of it went like a blur to me. One moment I was at the pool or taking a stroll through the woods, the other, I was shutting up my alarm clock by the third time this morning. And then being yelled out of bed by mum. It was funny how hard it was to get up for school compared to any other day. To me, it really was a waste of time to be shut inside a building in such a beautiful day. Yup, such a waste.


    To my surprise, arriving to the classroom was more entertaining than I thought it would. The reason it was so was because the person with whom I would be sharing my desk that day was, apparently, fast asleep while everyone else was talking and introducing to each other making a ruckus. It was a girl, very slim, very pale¡ªsomething I found very odd after seeing everyone at least slightly sun-kissed¡ªand with long black hair. I couldn¡¯t tell for sure due to how hunched over she was, but I thought she was taller than me. She also wore glasses, but right now she was holding them precariously on her hand, since she had her face resting on her folded arms. As I leaned towards her to see if she was just faking it, I could hear a light snoring sound. I kinda wanted to immediately mess with her somehow but found it would be better not to. It was my first day, so I should stay in my best behaviour. Key word was ¡°should¡±.


    ¡°Alright, class settle down. Settle down, I said!¡± shouted the teacher as he came in. ¡°This is high school! Start to behave like it!¡±


    Five seconds in, and I already knew he would be a stick in the mud. And our math teacher to boot. He was grey haired, tall, and slim. Kinda reminded me of Mr. Scrooge from the Christmas movies. Only, the one from the movies ended up being nice and I seriously doubted we would see that transformation from this one.


    ¡°Oh well, who cares?¡± I said to myself as I turned my eyes to my desk mate. Should I wake her? I questioned myself.


    I knew that just a while ago I wanted to prank her but, seeing how she was sleeping made me feel a bit bad. Just a tiny bit, though. And at least I would do it gently. That teacher on the other hand would probably just whack her awake.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I whispered as I shook her shoulder. ¡°Sorry but you need to wake up.¡±


    Even though I did it gently, she still jolted awake. She looked around as she put her glasses on and looked at me. Her face was something between sleepy and stunned. That is, it was until she took a good look at me. It slowly became one that someone would make when trying to remember something. I was probably doing the same face because I was getting a d¨¦j¨¤ vu. Her face was vaguely familiar.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t we meet at the math exam this summer?¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, that¡¯s why you look familiar!¡±


    ¡°Ms Abigail Gardener? Is there an Abigail Gardener?¡±


    This last voice belonged to our teacher.


    ¡°Yes, yes!¡± I answered cheerfully, as usual. ¡°That is me!¡±


    ¡°Pay attention when people call your name, miss Gardener!¡±


    What was his problem? Was it really necessary to be like that? On the first day no less?


    ¡°S-sorry,¡± I whimpered, my voice starting to choke.


    ¡°Humph! And why are you wearing a blue cardigan instead of tan?¡±


    Because the blue cardigans were the only one that fit me, those being for the junior high students. I couldn¡¯t be blamed for the school not having prepared tan cardigans for shortcakes such as myself, could I?


    I really disliked this old geezer. ¡°Anyway,¡± I thought to shake my mind out of trepidations, before turning back to my previous conversation.


    She now was wide awake, but then again, who wouldn¡¯t be after all that shouting.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what were we talking about?¡± I whispered.


    ¡°Can¡¯t this wait?¡± she said, her eyes to the front. ¡°I¡¯d really like to not get shouted at.¡±


    That was a reasonable request. Unfortunately for her¡ªor us, really¡ªI wasn¡¯t a reasonable person.


    ¡°Sorry, sorry. I just find it funny how we ended up in the same class. Even funnier the fact we now share the desk.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that is me,¡± she said raising her arm.


    That made me remember something. Or rather; realise that I didn¡¯t. Her name. And because I couldn¡¯t be quiet for a second, I had just missed hearing it during roll call.


    ¡°Well, as I was saying¡ª¡±


    ¡°Please Abigail, be quiet! You will get us in trouble!¡±


    ¡°Will you talk to me after?¡± I whispered in an almost begging tone.


    ¡°¡­ Yeah, ok. Sure. Just¡­ be quiet for now, ok?¡±


    After the longest twenty minutes, which fell way worse than all those hours I spent fishing with Paul, we were finally allowed to leave class. Not before getting our ears chewed off by the teacher because no one came prepared to start the classes immediately. Well, no one except perhaps her. As we were walking around the corridor, she was shouldering a heavy bag in which I could see some notebooks with their covers peeking. I quickly formed the image she was very hardworking and responsible. Kinda made me wonder why she had to take the exam if that was the case. Was she perhaps a bit dumb despite her looks?


    Oh, and she was actually a lot taller than me. My head was just about her shoulder height. Not that she was unusually tall. I was the one who was shorter than average. And no, I didn¡¯t have a complex about it.


    ¡°So,¡± she began, sounding a tad annoyed. ¡°What was it you wanted to talk about Abbigail?¡±


    ¡°Well, for starters¡­ what¡¯s your name?¡±


    She stopped walking and turned to me.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear it in the classroom just now? Also, I distinctively remember you saying you wouldn¡¯t forget it when we were checking our scores,¡± she said now sounding irritated.


    ¡°Did I? I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    I truly didn¡¯t remember saying that, but it was definitely something I would say.


    The face I was making must have been enough to prove my feelings of guilt, as she simply shrugged before resuming our walk with a sigh.


    ¡°It¡¯s Violet.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you again Violet. You can just call me Abby.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Not much of a talker, are you?


    Regardless of that, I pressed on.


    ¡°So¡­ what did you do during summer?¡±


    ¡°Worked.¡±


    ¡°Worked? Didn¡¯t you go out with your friends?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t have any.¡±


    All her answers were said in a very dry manner. It was as if she wanted to get done with our conversation as quickly as possible. She definitely did.


    ¡°How about I become your friend?¡± I gleefully suggested.


    Again, we stopped as she faced me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know you,¡± she said in a mix of confusion and annoyance.


    ¡°That¡¯s ok! It will come with time!¡±


    She was now just confused. It was as if she was listening to something completely alien. Truth be told, I almost burst some ribs trying not to laugh due to the face she was making. I did realize how childish and cringe my talk was, which made me a bit embarrassed, but her face was what really was getting to me. Still, I held it in. I felt that if I did so, all I had said would be in vain. That, and the fact she would probably come to hate me. I was fine with people finding me annoying, but the same didn¡¯t apply to being hated. Although I was aware it was impossible to be liked by everyone.


    ¡°Do people really say such cliched things?¡± she grumbled as she resumed walking.


    I dashed after her. As I took a peek at her face to see if she was mad, I had the surprise of seeing her glowing red and clearly trying to hide a smile. I couldn¡¯t help but giggle. Hearing me, she turned her head to the opposite direction I was.


    ¡°What is it now?¡±


    She sounded annoyed, but to me it sounded as embarrassment in disguise.


    ¡°Oh, nothing,¡± I replied amidst giggles.


    Until the time for us to go home, we spent between classes and me nagging her during break times. Turns out the day was actually pretty good.

 Closing the Gap

    A week went by, and so it was back to being a Monday. Class had just started, and I was already restless. Who thought starting the week with math was a good idea anyway?


    I peeked at Violet. She had her elbow resting on the table, and the chin supported on her hand as she stared blankly to the blackboard. She looked tired to the point where she only had small slits for eyes. Even so, she was, somehow, taking notes. If she was actually listening, that was a whole other thing.


    Remembering who the teacher was, I decided to make some doodles instead of trying a conversation with Violet. I was going to put into paper some caricature of our¡­ ¡°dear¡± teacher when I remembered that during the presentation, he told us he would check our notebooks to see if we did our homework. I think he also said how well kept our notes were also counted in our evaluations.


    Violet moved, and I looked to see what she was doing. Apparently, she was trying to yawn and stretch as discreetly as possible. She wasn¡¯t being very successful in that, I must say. Her sides were now asking me to poke them.


    Should I?


    I wondered, but before I could reach a decision, she was already back to her previous position, now seeming a bit more awake.


    Well, you snooze, you lose.


    I looked to see what was being taught to us today. I looked, but I didn¡¯t really saw or heard anything. I wasn¡¯t curious enough. I had read through some pages and exercises. I honestly didn¡¯t find them that hard. Just more of the same I had previously done with the tutor my mum hired to keep me from being anything less than the best in class. In the whole school even.


    I took another peek at Violet. Since today she had her hair on a ponytail, I could better see her features. She had a very well-made face. Beautiful, really. I wondered what her reaction would be if I said that to her.


    She must have noticed my staring, because she looked at me, her chin still on her hand, and nodded her head as if asking what is it?


    I wrote on my notebook I¡¯m bored and nudged it towards her. She read it and looked back at me with an expression that clearly said and what am I supposed to say to that?


    ¡°Wanna play a game?¡±


    She briefly shifted her gaze between me and the notebook before putting her pen to use.


    ¡°No¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m tired and I can¡¯t understand what is on the board.¡±


    ¡°Tired? Were you unable to sleep?¡±


    At this point I could see she was getting annoyed with our back and forth. Even so, she answered.


    ¡°I just had a rough night at work.¡±


    So, she¡¯s still working?


    Was she hard for cash or something? Her clothes weren¡¯t any of those high brands, but they weren¡¯t shabby either. A bit plain, but that had nothing to do with it.


    Her finances apart, I was curious about her job.


    ¡°What is it that you do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a waitress.¡±


    ¡°At a caf¨¦?¡±


    ¡°Restaurant.¡±


    ¡°Which one?¡±


    ¡°Not telling.¡±


    ¡°What? Why?¡±


    ¡°I have the feeling you would go there to annoy me.¡±


    I looked at her while pouting. She wasn¡¯t one to pull any punches, was she? My reaction to her answer made the corners of her mouth twitch slightly up.


    So now I¡¯m the one being teased?


    ¡°Anyway, please let me pay attention to class,¡± she whispered instead of writing.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t understand something, I can give you a hand,¡± I hushed back.


    She looked back to me, showing no signs of believing my words.


    ¡°It¡¯s true!¡± I insisted while still pouting. ¡°Remember the exam? And if you don¡¯t believe me, try me.¡±


    She stared at me for a couple of seconds before writing something in my notebook.


    ¡°7.c.¡±


    Looking to said exercised, I saw it as one of those equations which were big, but if you were aware of the basis, they weren¡¯t hard. It was just the size of it made it look worse than it really was. And no, I¡¯m not saying that just because I was smart. It really was a kitty pretending to be a lion.


    When I had it solved in a matter of seconds, I nudged the notebook back to her.


    It was funny to see her reaction after she confirmed it was the right answer. It was always funny to see that reaction on people who thought I might not be that bright just because I couldn¡¯t stay put in class.


    ¡°What game?¡± she wrote.


    We spent the rest of the class and the next one between playing what games we could play on paper with the occasional notes-taking. Only in the end did I recall I would need to get rid of those pages if I were to give it for evaluation. But since I had fun, I didn¡¯t care one bit.


    ¡°Hey Violet, what were you planning to do about lunch?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to eat in the cafeteria.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a pity,¡± I lamented. ¡°Well, I¡¯m eating at home, but I¡¯ll be alone. That¡¯s why I thought about inviting you over.¡±


    After that, we got quiet. Seeing her not budging, and me having nothing else to say, I decided to make my way.


    ¡°Well, erm, see ya in a while,¡± I said with a hand wave.


    ¡°Wait Abby,¡± she blurted.


    ¡°What is it, Violet?¡± I asked slightly startled.


    ¡°I still haven¡¯t bought my meal ticket¡­¡± she stuttered. ¡°So, I¡­ could make you company, if you¡­ want¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh! You do care!¡± I said jokingly.


    ¡°I¡¯m just being polite!¡± she retorted.


    ¡°My, such a nice girl,¡± I giggled. ¡°Anyway, shall we go? It¡¯s meat and potatoes we are having.¡±


    We ended up eating in complete silence. Initially I had thought about chatting and laughing the whole time, but I somehow was able to restrain myself. Just having her with me was making me plenty happy.


    Violet on the other hand was so nervous, she moved like an automaton. That made me think this was the first time she ever went to someone¡¯s house.


    I also came to know that she was a very light eater. That, in this occasion, came as a blessing. She ate just enough for the food to last for the both of us, with me having another half a plate for seconds. Pried as hard as I did, she kept claiming the amount she had eaten was her normal. That she wasn¡¯t eating such a small amount just because she was anxious or that she didn¡¯t want me thinking she was a glutton. In other words, the two of us ate the amount for two people, with her eating half a dose and I eating the rest.


    Still, it seemed too few of a quantity for someone to eat. Was that why she was so thin?


    ¡°Oh, right,¡± she spoke. ¡°I forgot to thank you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± I replied. ¡°I really appreciate the company. And besides, you even came out of your comfort zone.¡±


    She shifted on her chair, trying to loosen up her body.


    ¡°¡­Actually, this isn¡¯t so bad,¡± she mumbled.


    ¡°Eh? So, do you think you would have preferred to eat at the cafeteria?¡± I jokingly prodded.


    To my surprise she didn¡¯t retort. Instead, she actually took it seriously and appeared to be giving it some serious thought.


    A few moments later, she showed a surprised face before shaking her head side to side.


    ¡°No,¡± she said softly. ¡°If I ate there, I would either be sitting alone, or would have to sit with people I don¡¯t know. Either one would suck.¡±


    I felt a bit touched by her words. They rang very sincere and¡­ lonely, was it? Something like that, I thought. She didn¡¯t come across to me as someone who would be bothered with being alone. Quite the opposite, actually.


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    ¡°You don¡¯t like being alone?¡± I asked inquisitively.


    She looked at me in thought. For a second it looked like she was going to say something, but her face just went a slight pink.


    ¡°What? What is it?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing!¡± she said quickly.


    I stood up and was now holding her face with my hands.


    ¡°That so, huh? So why are you blushing?¡±


    ¡°Let me go, Abby!¡± she squirmed as her eyes darted in their sockets.


    ¡°Not if you don¡¯t fess up,¡± I laughed.


    ¡°No way!¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon! I promise to let go and not laugh at what you have to say.¡±


    She squirmed a little more. Then looked slightly down. Had I gone too far?


    ¡°I just thought¡­¡± she mumbled. ¡°Being in school alone would be¡­ a bit boring.¡±


    Those words were spoken in the same tone before. She was actually a lonely person who tried to act tough, wasn¡¯t she?


    ¡°Are you saying you would miss me?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± she said while shaking her head. ¡°I¡¯m just saying¡­ you know¡­¡±


    I actually didn¡¯t know what she meant. And I was very sure she didn¡¯t know either. What I knew was, she was making a sad face and that made me feel like giving her a hug.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Violet,¡± I said dead serious. ¡°I won¡¯t be able to keep part of my promise.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare laugh!¡± she yelled.


    I pressed her head against my chest. Surprisingly enough, she just sat there as I hugged her and patted her head. She was being unexpectedly docile, considering her previous reaction. I half expected her to start hitting me at any second.


    As I finally let her head free, the reason why she was so still became clear. She looked like she was in a daze.


    ¡°Anyway,¡± I started. ¡°What should we do for the next hour?¡±


    She looked at the clock, and back at me.


    ¡°Well¡­ could you explain me how are those equations solved? I¡¯ve got work almost the whole week, so¡­ could you help me with it?¡± she requested in a bit of a monotone.


    ¡°That?¡± I stammered. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t mind, but¡­ why not leave the homework for the weekend? We could even meet up for that if you need help.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to relax if I leave all the homework for the weekend. Also¡­¡± she muttered. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t feel right to take your free time just to help me out.¡±


    She is a really nice person, huh?


    ¡°So, in other words,¡± I started while giving her a slight smile. ¡°You are fine with us hanging out during the weekend?¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­ yeah, I guess so. But why?¡±


    ¡°I find your reactions very entertaining,¡± I remarked.


    For a while we got silent. She didn¡¯t seem satisfied with my answer, but that wasn¡¯t my point to begin with.


    ¡°I have a suggestion!¡± I said triumphantly.


    ¡°A suggestion? About what?¡±


    She sounded a bit fearful. Regardless, I started explaining.


    ¡°How about we have lunch here every day of this week? We can use the free time to do as much homework as we can. That way, we will have the weekend to do as we please.¡±


    ¡°And you are fine with that? Won¡¯t you be bored?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine! I¡¯ll be having an hour and a half in which I can tease and annoy you after all!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather you didn¡¯t,¡± she grumbled. ¡°And won¡¯t your parents be bothered with having to cook for me too?¡±


    ¡°It will be fine! I mean, they aren¡¯t the ones cooking. Besides, you saw how much food there was today. That¡¯s always the amount they have for me. It¡¯s always too much, but they still nag me for leaving leftovers. It¡¯s as if they are trying to fatten me.¡±


    That was another lie. They weren¡¯t cooking and it was too much, but they never told me anything about how much I ate. I just wanted to have someone other than my parents with me for a bit. Violet, in particular.


    ¡°If you say so¡­ thanks.¡±


    She said this and stared at me. At my belly to be exact. I was now getting a bit self-aware. Did she actually find that I was a bit fat? I even had pressed her against me just now.


    ¡°W-what?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t think you are fat,¡± she stammered.


    Well, yeah. I even do a lot of exercise. Why was I even worrying?


    Still, this presented another opportunity to tease her.


    ¡°Well, thanks. But still, I wouldn¡¯t mind being as slim as you.¡±


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t! I¡¯m too thin. Compared to you I¡­¡±


    She didn¡¯t finish her sentence. She just looked down to her knees where she was clutching her hands.


    This wasn¡¯t what I had expected. I had apparently struck a nerve. How was I going to salvage this? Was I even able to salvage it? True, she was thin, but I didn¡¯t think she was too thin. I had seen her change in the locker room for PE, so I wasn¡¯t just basing this on my imagination. Maybe it was because she was¡­ featureless? Just what could I do? Or say? She was looking worse each second that went by. Finally, it hit me.


    ¡°Violet, come with me for a second,¡± I said as I grabbed her by the hand.


    I basically dragged her inside my room. She was so shocked with my abrupt actions, she hadn¡¯t even reacted. I began going through my wardrobe, and not finding what I was looking for, proceeded to look inside my drawers.


    ¡°Do you need help?¡± she asked.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. You can just start undressing.¡±


    It took me way too much time to realize what I had said. I looked at her and, to the surprise of no one, it was impossible for her face to be any redder than it already was. I almost laughed at the thought that, had the sun disappeared suddenly, we wouldn¡¯t notice it until she calmed down. It was that bright.


    Trying to keep my cool, I offered an explanation.


    ¡°Actually, I¡¯m looking for a dress that I think would be perfect for you. If it is to your liking, I¡¯ll even give it to you.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, but you really don¡¯t have¡ª¡±


    ¡°Here it is!¡± I said while raising it towards her. ¡°Here, put it on!¡±


    She shyly took it, her gaze shifting between me and the dress.


    ¡°It¡¯s very¡­ pretty.¡±


    She was completely lost about how to react or speak. It was clear to me I would need to give her a little push¡­ or a full-blown tackle.


    ¡°Won¡¯t you try it on? Please?¡± I pleaded in my best whiny voice.


    ¡°I¡­ I erm¡­ Ok¡­ if you insist,¡± she mumbled incoherently.


    ¡°I do! So¡­ please,¡± I told her in a tone that was both a request and a demand.


    ¡°Ok, but¡­ can you¡­ turn around?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Sure, but¡­why?¡±


    ¡°¡­You¡¯re¡­ staring.¡±


    ¡°Oh, ok. If that makes you feel better.¡±


    Now, I¡¯ll admit. I took some peeks at her since she also had turned her backs to me for some reason. Watching her change was something more entertaining than what I had expected. And I hadn¡¯t expected for it to be, so there was that. I especially liked the parts where she seemed to be dancing the robot but without any grace, and also, when she forgot to take off her shoes before her skirt, causing her to almost go face first with a gasp when they caught the fabric by the strap. I shouldn¡¯t laugh, but she wasn¡¯t making it easy.


    She was now only in her underwear, her backs still facing me. Now that I didn¡¯t have to also be changing, as it was the case for PE, I got myself a good look of her figure. I found it hard not to. Like I had thought, she was slim, but not in a sickly way. Sure, she could do with some extra weight, but she didn¡¯t have bones jutting out of her skin like some of our schoolmates did. She was just, for better or for worse a bit of a board. Nevertheless, I still found her¡­charming? Elegant? Yeah, those would be the words I¡¯d use. Specially if we were talking about her legs.


    ¡°Does it really look good on me?¡± she asked when she was finally dressed.


    ¡°Does it really look good on me?¡± I repeated in my mind. Not something like ¡®It looks weird, doesn¡¯t it?¡¯ or ¡®it really doesn¡¯t suit me¡¯. Was she hopeful that it looked good on her because of all my insistence? Because of what I had told her? Perhaps it was something in my expression as I looked at her? Or maybe¡ªand this was something I was hoping for¡ªshe had already peeked at the mirror and was just awaiting my confirmation of her own thoughts.


    It really was a sight to behold. The dress was strapless, of a pearly white colour with a blue flower pattern close to the seam around the legs and had some frills around the chest area, which helped a bit to hide her flat chest, and the waist was made in a way to hug the wearer¡¯s physique. It didn¡¯t have buttons or a zip, so that was how it held itself up. It also showed her very pretty legs, the seam flowing slightly above her knees.


    I had bought it impulsively during the summer. The reason why was that I was hopeful mum would find it an acceptable alternative to the other dress I had. And of course, it wasn¡¯t. I intended to now gift it to her because it didn¡¯t serve its intended purpose and the fact it was too small in some areas. It also covered my knees, but with me being shorter than her, it was not surprising. Still, with it squeezing my chest uncomfortably, I still felt more comfortable in it than in the other one. I still preferred my shorts and t-shirts, though.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t just look good. It looks fantastic on you.¡±


    ¡°Really? Thanks Abby!¡± she proclaimed while hugging me.


    That was unexpected.


    ¡°Are you that happy just because of a dress?¡± I asked as I hugged her back.


    ¡°Well, it looks just like the one I saw in a shop close to where I work, but when I finally convinced myself to buy it, it was already sold.¡±


    I squeezed her a bit tighter. I didn¡¯t want to risk her letting go and see my face. I was having a needle pricking my conscience right now because the one I had was the last one available at the store. Could it really be the same one?


    ¡°Then it¡¯s more than decided it is now yours! I mean, I don¡¯t even fit in it,¡± I then quickly added not in these past two years anyway.


    ¡°You had it for two years? Why didn¡¯t you just give it to someone you knew?¡±


    ¡°Well, I liked it a lot, and I always thought it wouldn¡¯t suit any of my friends. Until you came along, that is.¡±


    That was all a lie, but it wasn¡¯t a big one and it was to make her happy, so it was fine, right?


    ¡°Thanks Abby. I¡¯ll take really good care of it. I mean it.¡±


    ¡°You are more than welcome, Violet.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really thankful but¡­¡± she said, starting to jumble a bit her words, her hands now on my shoulders, trembling slightly. ¡°Could you now please let me go?¡±


    ¡°But you were the one that hugged me!¡± I teased in a whiny voice.


    ¡°I know, but that was in the spur of the moment,¡± she said rapidly. ¡°And right now, it¡¯s getting very awkward for me.¡±


    ¡°But you smell nice.¡±


    ¡°Stop it! It¡¯s hot and I¡¯m sweaty!¡±


    ¡°I run every day. Sweat and the heat doesn¡¯t bother me at all.¡±


    At this point we were almost wrestling.


    ¡°Please Abby! You said you were going to help me with homework!¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right!¡± I said, releasing her from my hug. ¡°We were having so much fun that I forgot!¡±


    ¡°You were having fun! Not me!¡± she growled.


    The way she looked at me made it very clear I had crossed a line. She was glaring at me with her face completely red.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Violet. I didn¡¯t mean to make you mad.¡±


    ¡°Well, you just did,¡± she said frowning.


    ¡°In that case, just give me a hit on the head if you think I¡¯m going overboard.¡±


    ¡°You say it like that¡¯s a valid solution.¡±


    ¡°Well, my mum sometimes does it when I really go overboard. I¡¯d rather having you do that than souring the mood like I did just now.¡±


    Her eyes were still on me. Her expression has now become one of sadness and worry. She seemed to be thinking about what I had just said.


    ¡°She¡­ I won¡¯t be doing that to you¡­ but please¡­ try to be a bit more aware of what you do, ok?¡±


    I simply nodded a yes. She was still looking at me with the same expression.


    ¡°Are you¡­ like this with all your friends?¡±


    That was a good question. Thinking about it I had to say no. The friends I now had were more acquaintances than proper friends. I acted like this when we were younger, but at those ages, it was normal. There was also the fact they all seemed like they had little to no patience for me. I really was childish, wasn¡¯t I?


    ¡°No, I guess I¡¯m not. We used to, but we grew distant and now barely even talk. Except perhaps for my friend Paul, but he is more of a cousin. And a guy. Also, he got himself a girlfriend, so this type of goofing around would be unacceptable.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ I guess I was wrong¡­¡±


    ¡°Wrong? About what?¡±


    ¡°Oh, nothing. Just¡­ some nonsense.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­If you say so.¡±


    An awkward silence now formed between us. She was looking down and to the side, with the occasional peek at me. Not being able to take it, I ended up blurting the first thing that came up to my mind.


    ¡°I¡¯m dead serious when I say the dress looks good on you.¡±


    She lightened a little, showing a bit of a smile while grabbing one of the frills.


    ¡°Thanks¡­ again. But¡­ I feel bad to just take it.¡±


    ¡°Really? That¡¯s just what gifts are though.¡±


    ¡°I know, but¡­ you invited me here, shared your food, agreed to help me with homework for the whole week, and now the dress? I really feel like I¡¯m taking advantage.¡±


    She was now with her backs turned to me again and was staring into the mirror longingly.


    ¡°In that case, I want you go to the next two classes in that dress.¡±


    ¡°What?! I-I can¡¯t! The uniform!¡± she gasped.


    ¡°Also, if we do meet up on a weekend, I want you to go wearing it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Abby please! I¡¯ll be attracting way too much attention! Can¡¯t I just do something else? Can¡¯t I just give you the money for it?¡± she pleaded as she went redder.


    ¡°That¡¯s not how gifts work! Besides, I gave you the dress because I like to see you in it. So, of course I would want to see you showing it around.¡±


    ¡°But Abby, this is a strapless dress!¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ so?¡± I asked in genuine confusion.


    ¡°It¡¯s embarrassing that people can see the straps of my bra! And am I not supposed to not wear one with this?¡±


    ¡°Why do you even bother with wearing a bra?¡± was something I barely averted saying. I had the feeling that if it had escaped my mouth, I¡¯d be on the news as a murder victim. Seriously, I¡¯m annoying, but she was also a handful in her own way, wasn¡¯t she?

 Sincerity and Making Plans

    When I realized it, the month of September and first two weeks of October had gone by. Between classes, work and dealing with Abby¡¯s shenanigans, there wasn¡¯t a single day I hadn¡¯t felt tired. Abby, I felt, was the biggest contributor.


    Every week she asked me to hangout during the weekend, but since we were still in a bit of a high season, I also worked both shifts on Saturdays and lunch time on Sundays, so that wasn¡¯t possible. It was a pain seeing her so excited when asking only to see her deflate every time I told her I couldn¡¯t.


    Still, even if she was a pain, I couldn¡¯t help but feel some gratitude towards her. Were it not for her help with homework, I would be buried in it on every weekend. What little homework I had left, I was able to do it in an hour or so. Also, as time went by, I came to appreciate her company. Although I appreciated the peace and quiet, I began to miss her whenever she skipped class and I had to endure the boredom and sleepiness alone. Not that I would ever admit it to her.


    I looked fearfully to my alarm clock. I was relieved to see there were still three hours until I was supposed to meet with Abby at the park. I still didn¡¯t want to leave my bed. I really didn¡¯t, but shouldn¡¯t I get up? I would feel terrible were I to end up oversleeping, leaving her hanging. But if I got up, then what? It would only take me thirty minutes for breakfast and a shower. I didn¡¯t even have to go through the agonizing process of deciding what to wear. It had already been decided way before, as I would be wearing the dress she gave me.


    Thinking back to that day, I thought I really had overreacted, hadn¡¯t I? Ok, she did not let me go when I asked her to, but was it really ok for me to blow up on her? No, of course not. She had been super nice to me ever since she told me she¡¯d be my friend. And even afterwards she stayed like that. There was also the fact I was the one who hugged first. Was I really that happy just because of a dress?


    Am I just one of those girls?


    What was I thinking? Of course not! That dress just reminded me so much of the one I didn¡¯t get to buy. Yeah, that was it.


    I really should try to be nicer to her.


    Blood was rushing to my cheeks as I thought that. It made me feel awake and the bed uncomfortably warm.


    ¡°Ugh¡­ Guess I¡¯ll just get up.¡±


    After taking care of my bath and eaten, I ended up facing myself with the dress, feeling overly self-conscious. I liked seeing it but while wearing it, my arms always ended up covering my chest. There really wasn¡¯t a reason for it. It¡¯s not like it was see-through. What caused my embarrassment was me not wearing a bra with it. I felt naked. I could say I even felt a little dirty. For that, I could thank my grandma. As soon as I had my first period, she made me wear one. You are a lady now! Propper ladies don¡¯t go around without their underwear! is what she would tell me. Why did I even bother though? It¡¯s not like I had need for one.


    ¡°Ah! I went and got myself depressed,¡± I whined.


    I was standing there, arms still crossed in front of me, head hanging down, when something snapped me out of that slump. My phone was ringing. I was a bit surprised when I saw it was Abby calling me. We exchanged numbers the next day after we became classmates, but this would be our first conversation on the phone. And my first call with anyone that wasn¡¯t my dad.


    ¡°He-hello?¡± I said nervously while trying not to sound depressed.


    ¡°Hey Violet! What¡¯s up?¡± she called back, cheerful as always.


    ¡°What¡¯s up? Erm¡­ Nothing much¡­ just getting ready I suppose,¡± I mumbled, forgetting it was still two and a half hours until our meeting.


    ¡°My, my. Are you that excited to hang out?¡±


    I was going to refute her, but I stopped myself. I decided to try a different approach.


    ¡°Well¡­I suppose I¡¯m a little¡­ yeah,¡± I stumbled.


    The last part sounded to me like garbled whispers. Even so, she seemed to make sense of them just fine.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting that,¡± she said, a bit lost for words. ¡°Hmm¡­ thanks Violet. I¡¯m happy to hear that.¡±


    I didn¡¯t answer, I just stood there like a statue, my head steaming of embarrassment. I didn¡¯t think saying something so simple would be so hard on me.


    ¡°Anyway, what are you wearing? No, wait. That¡¯s not it. What I mean is, what are you going to wear?¡±


    She said her final words in a way which seemed like she was flustered. Why was that?


    I remembered her looking for this dress and simply blurting for me to undress. That had been a really mortifying moment.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to wear the dress as we had agreed upon,¡± I said after collecting myself.


    ¡°Oh, that? You don¡¯t have to if you don¡¯t want to,¡± she said in a reassuring voice.


    ¡°No! A deal is a deal. I¡¯m wearing it,¡± I argued back.


    ¡°That so? Then, I can¡¯t wait to¡ªAh, sorry Violet. My dad wants to talk to me, so I¡¯ll have to hang up.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ erm, it¡¯s ok¡­ thanks for calling me.¡±


    I sounded a bit disappointed as I said it. Probably because I didn¡¯t get to hear what she was going to say.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. Oh, and Violet?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes?¡±


    ¡°Please wear a bra if that makes you feel comfortable, ok? Otherwise, you will be stressing out and making a face I won¡¯t be able to resist teasing until you get mad at me, ok? Bye,¡± she blurted before she hanged-up.


    ¡°What the hell? Is she always going to drop bombshells like it¡¯s nothing?¡±


    I got to our meeting spot too early and so, I sat under the shade as I waited. To stall the time, I was letting my imagination run wild about what was it that Abby had planned. I had about three ideas, and they all ended with her laughing at me. Was I just being mean?


    I was feeling sleepy and, as I was starting to stretch, something jabbed my sides. To my shame, I squeaked as I wrapped my arms around my ribs.


    ¡°Hi there! My, that was a funny, no wait¡­ cute sound you just made,¡± Abby said, laughing loudly as she sat by me.


    ¡°Abby! You scared me half to death,¡± I reprimanded, feeling my heartbeat ringing in my ears.


    ¡°Sorry, sorry. I just couldn¡¯t let this opportunity go by again.¡±


    ¡°Again? What do you mean?¡± I asked confused.


    ¡°Every day during class, you¡¯ve been teasing me by doing that. Today was payback!¡± she proclaimed victoriously.


    ¡°Well, thanks for not doing it in class, I suppose,¡± I mumbled back.


    ¡°Thanks. It wasn¡¯t easy but I did my best!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still a bit mad for your scare though.¡±


    ¡°If I say, ¡®you look good today¡¯, will you forgive me?¡±


    Her face showed no signs of having understood I was joking.


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to,¡± I stumbled. ¡°I¡¯m not really mad. I was just trying to be funny.¡±


    ¡°That so?¡± she said inquisitively. ¡°Hmm, can I ask you why you are being so nice today?¡± and before I could really register her words, she added nice-er. I meant that you are being nicer today.


    Choosing to ignore her absent minded sly, I pondered how I would explain my thoughts of that morning. I didn¡¯t even bother thinking how to dodge her question. Her eyes told me she wouldn¡¯t let it slide even if I tried. Filling my chest with air, I started my confession.


    ¡°Well, you are always acting so cheerful around me, but I¡¯m always getting mad at you. I¡­ I want to be a better¡­ friend. I¡¯m¡­ sorry for getting so mad at you the day you gave me this dress¡­¡±


    Her only reaction was rocking her body side to side with her eyes shut and a smile. For a moment I wondered if she was listening to music as I spoke my mind. She calmly hopped towards me, practically reducing the gap between us to zero, and wrapped her hands around my neck, her arms slightly stretched. I stiffened a bit as I expected another hug.


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    ¡°Relax, I¡¯m not going to hug you,¡± she told me reassuringly.


    ¡°Then¡­ what is this?¡± I asked even more confused.


    ¡°Since you get so embarrassed when I hug you, I decided to try this.¡±


    ¡°No, no. I think this is way worse.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. If you get used to this, imagine the possibilities!¡± she said as she put her arms down.


    ¡°How can you even say those things?¡± I asked, feeling more impressed than anything.


    ¡°Simple! I¡¯m a happy-go-lucky girl with no filter between her mind and mouth! Still,¡± she paused to give me an impish smile. ¡°Did I just hear you say that I¡¯m your friend?¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah, I¡­ guess so¡­¡± I mumbled while averting my eyes.


    ¡°I was going to ask you that by the end of our meet up, but having you say it by your own will is way better. Thank you, Violet¡± She then added, while giving me another impish smile, do you think you¡¯ll ever call me your best friend?


    I was now feeling my face so warm I had no doubt I was as red as I could possibly be. Even my ears were burning. I felt like just taking off running, but my legs were frozen in place.


    ¡°Just say something you idiot,¡± I yelled to myself in my mind. ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to change? Well, now is the time.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, should we get going? There is this place close by where they sell a lot of different flavours of ice cream. All of them good!¡± she said as she got up.


    My opportunity had passed. Relief and frustration were being mixed in my mind.


    ¡°You are my only friend, so¡­¡± I muttered under my breath.


    ¡°Violet?¡±


    I looked at her, with a jolt. She was smiling at me from ear to ear. Did she perhaps hear me? Did I actually say it louder than I thought? She rocked her body side to side again before opening her mouth.


    ¡°Are you coming? Or is it that you don¡¯t like ice cream?¡±


    ¡°I-I do¡­¡± I said, ejecting myself from the bench.


    ¡°Good. That might help you cool down a little.¡±


    ¡°Stop making fun of me!¡± I spat.


    ¡°Nope. I won¡¯t make that promise, ever.¡±


    Walking side by side, we went down the path she indicated. I noticed her pace matched mine. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was due to my stride matching her walking speed or if she was adjusting for me. Either way, it felt kinda nice this sort of arrangement. At school there were always too many people walking around for us to walk like this. Short as she was, she was forced to walk behind me to avoid people bumping into her constantly. This allowed me to peek at her face. I did so because she was weirdly quiet all of a sudden. That had never happened before, so the fear that she was now bored started to creep in. Wanting to find out, I looked directly at her this time. She didn¡¯t look bored; rather, she looked lost in thought. That was¡­ good? I got curious what was it that made her so quiet. Suddenly, she rotated her head towards me, and our eyes met.


    ¡°Sorry, did you say something?¡±


    ¡°N-no, nothing at all.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ is there something more you want to tell me?¡±


    ¡°No, I was just wondering what had gotten you so quiet.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that? I¡¯m just having a hard time deciding which flavour I should pick. Do you have any favourite?¡± she said as she looked to the sky, still with the same expression.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ If I had to choose, I think it would be coffee.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ yeah, that actually suits you, I¡¯d say,¡± she nodded. ¡°Hey, which one do you think suits me?¡±


    Now it was my turn to look up. Rummaging through my brain, at the start I thought I wouldn¡¯t be able to come up with any answer. I really didn¡¯t know her. And for all intents and purposes, it was a weird kind of question, no doubt about it. But surprisingly enough, it came to me, clear as the day we were having.


    ¡°Caramel and pecan nuts,¡± I said, sounding something satisfied with my answer. I probably was. It really wasn¡¯t something I would ever think about but was able to come up with.


    ¡°Oh! That¡¯s pretty good!¡± she clapped. ¡°Yup, yup. Because I¡¯m a sweety, clingy and nutty girl, right?¡±


    ¡°Ah, sorry! I didn¡¯t mean anything bad by it¡­¡± I urgently pleaded.


    ¡°Oh, ahaha. I didn¡¯t take offence. Actually, I liked it a lot. In fact, I might write it down to make sure I won¡¯t forget.¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯d rather you didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°So that I won¡¯t bring it up in the future?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯d be mortified if you started to take notes of this kind of stuff.¡±


    ¡°All the more reason to do it.¡±


    ¡°Why!?¡±


    ¡°Why you ask? Hmm¡­ wouldn¡¯t you like to, in a year time, have a list of stuff we did together?¡±


    That¡­ didn¡¯t sound bad. If we were to stay friends for that long, it could be fun to do as she said, even if embarrassing. Saying that to her was another thing though.


    ¡°Well, regardless of your answer, I might still do it. When the time comes, I¡¯ll let you decide if you read it or not.¡±


    ¡°There really isn¡¯t any arguing with you, is there?¡±


    ¡°You are starting to understand me, huh?¡±


    Was I really? I always felt like she was dragging me while I simply let it happen. Not that it was a bad thing. Were I left on my own, I would still be doing nothing in my life besides going to school, work and stay at home. I¡¯d still be the same person I wanted to change. I might not be actually starting to understand her, but I felt like if I were to keep trying to keep-up with her, I would eventually get to that point.


    ¡°Hold on a sec Violet,¡± she told me, halting our walk.


    She was shifting her gaze between the shop we were now in front of and myself. She was holding her fist against her lips and had again a face of someone in deep thought.


    ¡°Yeah, I should¡­¡± she muttered as she began to point to my bare shoulders. ¡°There are a lot of people inside. Are you really ok with going in there like that?¡±


    Truth be told, I had been so busy with her, I had completely forgotten to fuss about my clothes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± I assured her while pointing to my handbag. ¡°I brought a¡­ one in case I couldn¡¯t handle it.¡±


    ¡°As to be expected from you. If that¡¯s the case¡­ actually no, never mind.¡±


    ¡°What? What were you going to say?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, really. I¡¯m just curious about something, but now is not the time.¡±


    ¡°So now you worry about that?¡± I asked a bit irked for some reason. ¡°Well, just say it. I promise I will try not to get mad.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ ok¡­¡± she gave in with a sigh. ¡°I wanted to ask you why you have so much trouble about¡­ that.¡±


    Today was being a day where I was going to tell her a lot of stuff that bothered me, wasn¡¯t it? She was acting in such a way that, if I didn¡¯t give her a proper answer, I¡¯d feel bad because she would be thinking another line was crossed. When my options were weighted, her feelings on this subject somehow outweighed mine. Was that what it was like being friends with others? It felt like a pain in the ass, but I had accepted her offer of friendship so that was it.


    No, that¡¯s not right.


    I was going to tell her because I wanted to confide her, as a friend.


    ¡°It¡¯s because of my grandma. Ever since I was thirteen, she would get really mad if she noticed I wasn¡¯t wearing one.¡±


    ¡°Since you were thirteen? Why? You don¡¯t even¡­¡±


    Even though she stopped midsentence, I knew very well what she meant. And her face, like that of a child¡ªeven more so than usual¡ªthat was caught doing something she shouldn¡¯t be doing, sucked my will to get mad.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok. It really bothers me that I¡¯m flat as a board, but there really isn¡¯t anything I can do right?¡± I told her as I patted my chest. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s because according to her, a lady should never be without proper clothing. Only loose women would do so.¡±


    She gave me a couple of nods while looking confused.


    ¡°Ok, I get it. She¡¯s one of those really old-fashioned ladies. But still, at thirteen? Wouldn¡¯t it make more sense now that you are a high schooler?¡±


    ¡°Now would be a bit hard¡­ she passed away on the twelfth of June,¡± I said, trying not to sound too down by it. ¡°And it was at thirteen that I¡­ had my¡­ first¡­ m-menst¡­ you know.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Ooh. Sorry that I asked¡­¡± she said awkwardly. I found it cute, she doing so. Maybe that was why she did it so many times to me? Not that I considered myself cute like her. It also made this conversation a bit more awkward.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. To tell you the truth, I feel like a weight was lifted off my chest.¡±


    ¡°Ok, but¡­ ever since I got here, I¡¯ve just been bringing the mood down, right? And I had planned for us to have fun,¡± she whined.


    Seeing her like that was tugging my heartstrings.


    ¡°But we still have time, right? What time is it?¡± I said looking to my phone clock. ¡°Almost ten. We practically have three whole hours, so we can just make up for the lost time.¡±


    My attempts of cheer were met with her shaking her head side to side.


    ¡°My parents want me back home before midday. We are going to a business lunch at an associate¡¯s place,¡± she said completely disheartened.


    Well, that was a bust. Now what?


    Looking for answers in my mind, again none were coming up. Nothing except one thing.


    Hug her.


    Certainly, I could come up with something else.


    Hug her!


    The something else was refusing to come up and the voice in my head was now more of a shout.


    Without really knowing what I was doing, I approached her and wrapped an arm around her neck and the other around her right arm and back. After a couple of seconds, I had her arms around my torso.


    ¡°To cheer me up?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Ye-yeah. I¡¯m not¡­ doing it too hard¡­ am I?¡±


    ¡°Hehe, thanks. Ease up just a bit around my neck, please.¡±


    While she sounded like she was having a merry time, I was looking around to make sure there wasn¡¯t anyone who could see us. Fortunately for my mental health, that side of the park was completely vacant.


    ¡°Just tell me when you want to stop,¡± she instructed me.


    Right about now it was getting stuffy, and we were starting to stick where our skins touched. The fact we had so much skin contact was also bothering me a lot.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok¡­ I¡¯ll leave it up to you,¡± I told her, while trying to put those feelings aside. Or at the very least, under control.


    ¡°Really? That¡¯s so nice of you,¡± she said while tightening her grip and, without missing a beat, she added just like your smell.


    ¡°OK, never mind. I¡¯m calling it off!¡±


    ¡°Please Violet! Just five more minutes,¡± she whined.


    ¡°Minutes?! What do you think I am? An alarm clock?¡±


    She pulled some distance between us while still having me wrapped in her arms. She got on the tips of her toes, our faces now standing a palm¡¯s length away from each other. I had her wide-open eyes meeting mine. I noticed her brown eyes were sprinkled a shade of moss-green here and there. They truly were lovely.


    Still, I wished she would just let go.


    ¡°I have an idea to make up for today! Do you work tonight?¡± she asked excitedly.


    ¡°Huh? No, I¡­ don¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°In that case, let¡¯s do a sleep over at your house!¡±


    ¡°A-a sleep over? At my house?¡±


    ¡°Well, if you think I¡¯m a bother, wait until you meet my parents. My mum specially. She is a¡­ bit hard to deal with.¡±


    That did sound like a real pain in the ass.


    Still, a sleep over?


    I really didn¡¯t have a reason to say no, besides me feeling awkward.


    Her eyes now reminded me of a small animal begging for treats.


    ¡°Well, can we? I¡¯ll bring some movies for us to watch.¡±


    ¡°I-I suppose¡­ yeah,¡± I said, not resisting those puppy eyes. That, I believed, was something I should start to be wary about.


    ¡°Yay!¡± she shouted as she went back to hugging. So excitable this girl.


    ¡°Abby, c¡¯mon! I¡¯m all sweaty!¡± I welled.


    ¡°No problem. I don¡¯t really care abo¡ª Ah!¡± she said as she let my body go. ¡°D¨¦j¨¤ vu, right? Should I say sorry?¡±


    ¡°No need,¡± I sighed. ¡°I just have to accept that I will sometimes get squeezed without me wanting to, ri¡ª¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s no good! If I¡¯m doing something you don¡¯t want me to, you should tell me right away. Otherwise, we will just repeat what happened the other day, right?¡±


    I gave her a slight nod. For some reason I found myself thinking I¡¯d rather feel comfortable with her antics than telling her off all the time. Probably because it would be less bothersome. Despite all her faults, she let me be myself around her, so maybe that was why I wanted to let her be herself around me too? It was still a huge bother though.


    ¡°Should we get inside now? I should be ok for an hour more before they start calling me. We can use that time to plan what we will be doing at your place.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Good, good,¡± she said nodding expectantly. ¡°Our previous talk gave me a hankering for caramel and pekan nuts ice cream.¡±


    After we parted ways after our planning session, I went back home in such a speedy pace, I was almost running. I had to make my lunch, thoroughly clean the house, buy groceries, and prepare the dinner. There was so much to do until her arrival, it got my head spinning.

 Good Times, Obligations and Consequences

    Now that we were having fun was when I had to go home. So frustrating. It wasn¡¯t even a quarter past eleven and I already had my mum calling.


    ¡°Abbigail, dear, where are you now? You haven¡¯t forgotten, have you?¡± she asked. We hadn¡¯t met the whole day and she didn¡¯t even start the conversation with a hello.


    ¡°Hi mum. No, I haven¡¯t,¡± I said, annoyance thick in my voice. ¡°You and dad nagged me for two hours before I left, so it would be hard to.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± she retorted as if I didn¡¯t make any remark. ¡°Are you on your way back?¡±


    ¡°Yes, mum! But why do I have to cut my time short with Violet? That lunch is only at a half past one.¡±


    ¡°Now listen here missy!¡± she argued with her ¡®starting to get pissed off¡¯ voice. ¡°Your father might put up with your attitude, but I sure am not! I told you to come early because I want to make sure you look presentable. And I want you at the lunch table so that you start to get a feeling of what you will be doing career-wise. You are in high school now! It¡¯s more than time for you to start thinking about it.¡±


    ¡°I get it! I get it! I¡¯ll be there in ten minutes.¡±


    ¡°Humph. Good girl.¡±


    The way she told me that was more like an insult than a compliment to my ears. Had she ever considered I might not want to follow her footsteps?


    No, of course not.


    Since she was a kid, her parents educated her to manage a company, so she is just doing to me, and my big sis for that matter, what they did to her. It was the only way of parenting she knew. At least, that was what dad told me. I still hated it though. I didn¡¯t want her to be all kisses and cuddles with me. Just some kindness every now and then would suffice.


    The company of web design she ran wasn¡¯t a big one, but she was clawing her way up. That was admirable, I had no doubts about it. I just couldn¡¯t see myself working in that type of environment. It felt so¡­ claustrophobic to my mind. There was also the fact she was always working. No time to enjoy life. Well, not in a way I felt was to my liking.


    My father fortunately was a bit more lenient. He also didn¡¯t work as much¡ªeven though he worked as my mum¡¯s business partner¡ªwhich meant he spent more time with me; or rather, he spent time with me, period. I honestly believed he would be a lot more carefree about me, was it not for mum.


    My level of annoyance went soaring through the sky as we parked in front of the house we were invited to. I had been there a couple of times during summer and came to loath this one the most. We were greeted at the door by their business partner¡¯s son, Marcus Dwayne.


    Marcus was¡­ how should I put it? Oh, who cares. He made me sick. He wasn¡¯t ugly or anything, by the contrary. He would be what someone would call ¡®hot¡¯. He knew it and was also smart and had rich parents. So, what was the problem? He had these weasel eyes and smile and was very handsy with me. Not a groper, mind you. Had it been the case, I¡¯d have punched him regardless of what mum said. Or did. Anyway, he didn¡¯t hide his intentions regarding me, and they weren¡¯t the romantic type, that¡¯s to be sure. I¡¯d just be another notch on his list. And he had quite the reputation for precisely that in school.


    ¡°Welcome! Welcome! Oh, Abby! Nice of you to join us. You look lovely in that dress,¡± he said with his usual smile.


    ¡°Thanks, Marcus,¡± left my mouth with a tinge of bitterness mixed in it.


    ¡°She does, doesn¡¯t she?¡± my mum giggled as she painfully dug her thumbnail in my nape, just under my hair. That was her way of telling me to behave as she wanted.


    The rest of the lunch, which for some reason took more than three hours to wrap up, were mind numbingly boring. Looking back, maybe it wasn¡¯t three hours, but it sure felt like it. Worst part was, I had to act interested and occasionally say something or my mum would present her high heel to my shin. Couldn¡¯t at least do it in a way it wouldn¡¯t bruise? I had my legs showing from the knee down and I was still wearing shorts at school. I didn¡¯t want to be showing the purple marks.


    There was also Marcus trying, once again, to put his moves on me, but I was so bored I actually forgot he was there a couple of times. That could be considered mean of me, but since it was him, I couldn¡¯t care less.


    ¡°I brought your coffees,¡± said Marcus as he waltzed in the living room.


    ¡°Thank you, Marcus. Just leave them on the table.¡±


    ¡°Your son is such a gentleman. I hope my daughters get someone like him,¡± my mum jested.


    ¡°Gee mum! Can¡¯t you be a bit more obvious?¡± is what I wanted to shout. ¡°Why, just hand them over the wedding papers with your permission already signed, won¡¯t you?¡±


    I felt a hand touching my back. This time, it was dad¡¯s. The look on his face was as if he was saying sorry. I gave him a little bump with my shoulder as a thanks and went back to looking down.


    When we were finally at home, I was still being chewed on by my mum¡¯s remarks. Apparently, I hadn¡¯t been nice enough to our host or something. At that point I was starting to tear up out of frustration.


    ¡°And you, dear,¡± she said to dad, not changing her tone. ¡°Are you coming with me to the office? We still have that contract to plan.¡±


    ¡°You go on ahead. I¡¯ll meet you in the car in a minute.¡±


    She gave us one of her looks of suspicion. With a shrug, she turned around and left us alone. When she was out of the door, dad faced me.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for today. I tried to convince her to leave you be, but¡­ well, you know her.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s ok dad¡­¡± I said in half a voice.


    I just wanted to put the day behind. As soon as he said his piece, I would just go to my room, take off the stupid dress and cry in bed. That was, until I remembered Violet.


    ¡°Hey, dad?¡±


    ¡°What is it sweety?¡±


    ¡°Can I stay over at my friend¡¯s place tonight?¡±


    ¡°That Violet girl? Sure,¡± he allowed before adding if your mum asks, I¡¯ll say it¡¯s for a school assignment.


    ¡°Thanks dad¡­¡±


    ¡°After today, you more than deserve it,¡± he said as he attempted a smile. ¡°Do you need a ride?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll¡­ just walk. I kinda want to work some stuff out of my system before I meet her.¡±


    ???


    As I passed by my father for the millionth time, he finally lost his patience and threw a comment about the floor being clean enough.


    ¡°I know that! I¡¯m just trying not to freak out,¡± I replied, trying my best to ignore the fact I was already in full panic mode.


    ¡°I get that, but you are starting to form a trench on the floor.¡±


    We¡¯ve been basically having the same conversation with pretty much anything that was housekeeping. Even though you could eat out of the floor with no worries, no dust existing on the furniture, and even the sheets from my bed having been changed, I was still fretting over them. Now, I like to keep things tidy, so the house was already clean when I had begun my bustle and toil. There wasn¡¯t any real reason for me to be that stressed. Convincing me, that was a whole other story.


    The doorbell rang and I froze. Could it be her? It had to be. At this hour it couldn¡¯t be anyone else.


    Walking to the door, I was re-rehearsing the way I¡¯d greet her as I opened the door.


    As I grabbed the doorknob, I froze again. What if it was the mail carrier who came a bit late today to deliver a parcel for dad? It would be mortifying if I greeted him like I had pictured in my mind.


    ¡°C¡¯mon Violet! Don¡¯t leave her hanging,¡± my dad instructed like he was trying to whisper a yell.


    Hesitating no longer, I opened the door.


    ¡°Hello Abby! Welcome!¡±


    It wasn¡¯t the mail carrier, but I still felt the urge to dig a whole and burry myself in it. My voice cracked in a way it made it sound like it was my first attempt ever at human speech.


    ¡°Hello again, Violet.¡±


    That¡¯s odd.


    She said those words with a smile, but her eyes and voice didn¡¯t carry the same emotion. I, somehow, could tell something was off.


    That¡¯s not the Abby I know.


    ¡°Is something the matter?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just a little tired.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± I asked, not feeling convinced.


    I gestured her to come in, not knowing how to proceed from that point in the conversation.


    ¡°Hello Abby. I¡¯m Violet¡¯s father, Stanley Miller,¡± my dad said as he offered a handshake that was met with Abby¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Nice to make your acquaintance, Mr. Miller,¡± she said in a very polite and, I confess, totally unexpected tone. I¡¯m Abbigail Gardener, she added.


    ¡°Oh, you can just call me Stan. I mean, I¡¯m already calling you Abby, right? Besides, you are a friend of my daughter.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d dare say I¡¯m her best and only friend, Mr. Stan,¡± she said giving me a look. I was now totally convinced something was up. She was acting normal, but I could tell it was a forced normal.


    ¡°Hahaha. True. She isn¡¯t much of a people¡¯s person.¡±


    Not you too dad.


    I was now staring at the floor, red all over my face due to this conversation and the sudden realisation she had heard me in the park. Well, maybe. It was Abby, so it could just be her usual banter.


    ¡°Wait¡­ Your last name is Gardener? As in, William and Elisa Gardener?¡± my dad asked, astounded.


    ¡°Oh, are you acquainted to my parents?¡±


    ¡°Well, not exactly. I work for them.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure they are thankful for your contributions to the workplace.¡±


    Her words sounded¡­ weird? Almost as if she was reading a text that was all too familiar to her. I was feeling weirded out by it. Looking at dad, I saw he was too.


    ¡°Yeah, thanks. Anyway, you girls enjoy yourselves. If you need anything, I¡¯ll be working until late, so you can knock on my door, ok?¡±


    ¡°Thanks dad. Just don¡¯t overdo it, ok?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t,¡± he said as he disappeared up the stairs.


    He is totally going to overdo it.


    ¡°He won¡¯t be eating with us?¡±


    I felt a bit relived as Abby asked me this sounding more like her usual self. There was still that nagging feeling something was wrong. Still, I felt like I shouldn¡¯t let it slide just because she was acting more like her normal.


    ¡°He already ate. More importantly¡­¡± I paused to gather my courage to press on. ¡°What¡¯s bothering you?¡±


    She looked downwards, in complete silence. She then, unexpectedly, came to rest her head on my shoulder.


    ¡°Was I too formal while talking with your father?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ you were¡­ formal¡­ yeah.¡±


    ¡°I knew it¡­ Do you remember the lunch I had to go today?¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah, I do.¡±


    ¡°I had to act and talk like that for almost four hours. And even after that, I was yelled at by my mum because I didn¡¯t perform.¡±


    ¡°Perform?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, didn¡¯t act accordingly to her expectations¡­ You know Marcus Dwayne from second year?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, isn¡¯t he one of the popular rich kids?¡±


    ¡°That one. I really hate that weaselly smile of his. And he is always hitting on me.¡±


    ¡°Maybe he is just trying to be nice?¡±


    She lifted her head, showing me a bitter expression all over her face, her eyes wet with tears she was fighting back.


    ¡°And do you think a guy is just being nice if he is always complementing your appearance and being constantly trying to be handsy with you?¡± she asked in a bitter tone.


    Now, I was aware of his reputation. I hadn¡¯t mentioned it before because I thought those two might be friends, and I didn¡¯t want to risk making her mad at me.


    Thinking how she was a bit like that to me, it wasn¡¯t hard for me to imagine how it would feel if I were in her place. Even if it was him being playful, it would feel wrong compared with Abby doing the exact same thing.


    ¡°Sorry, no. That definitely isn¡¯t just being nice.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she mumbled as she rested her head on my shoulder one more time.


    I placed one of my hands on her back, awkwardly giving them light taps. She stayed like that for a little more time, before straightening up.


    ¡°Thanks, Violet. I feel a lot better now that I actually told it to someone.¡±


    I noticed I gave her a little smile in response to her quick one. She still didn¡¯t sound the same Abby I had come to know, but I seemed to have heard relief in her voice. That was enough for now.


    ¡°So, are we actually going inside?¡± she asked while looking around me.


    ¡°Right,¡± I stated as I guided her to the living room. ¡°Right, we talked about seeing a movie, having dinner, watch another movie and play some games before bed, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, I can¡¯t remember that in such detail,¡± she said laughing. ¡°We don¡¯t have to follow it step by step too.¡±


    ¡°I guess. So, what do you want to do?¡±


    ¡°Pick one without peeking! I wasn¡¯t in the right mind to choose, so I just brought a bunch,¡± she declared as she shoved in my direction her bag.


    Her bag, I now noticed, was chock full of DVDs. I hadn¡¯t seen a car outside when I answered the door, so I was wondering if she had carried that all the way on foot.


    Putting my hand inside, I grabbed the first one that met it. As I pulled it, something I assumed being her sleeping shorts came along. At least I hoped it was that.


    ¡°Oh my, Violet!¡± she said with a cheeky smile. ¡°That¡¯s for the bedroom, you naughty girl.¡±


    I didn¡¯t really react to her comment. My mind was too busy with the realisation that today she had, kinda, complemented my apparel, but I hadn¡¯t even noticed hers. Now I was thinking if I should do it now. But then again, what should I even say? She was wearing some brown shorts, a white t-shirt with black sleeves and dark canvas shoes. I guess it kinda fit her personality, but would that be enough?


    ¡°Why are you staring at me instead of the cover?¡±


    ¡°That outfit fits your personality,¡± I blurted without realising it.


    ¡°What, this?¡± she said looking herself up and down. ¡°I meant to wear something cuter or prettier but ended up wearing whatever. Anyway, the movie? What do you think?¡±


    I looked at the cover, while feeling disappointed I wasn¡¯t able to convey my message. It showed whom I presumed was the main character standing in front of a cabin in the woods. He had a hand as a chainsaw, for some reason. After flipping it over and read the synopsis, I got the idea it was a horror movie with some comedy elements.


    A dark comedy?


    ¡°I¡¯m not really sure what to make of it, but it has piqued my curiosity.¡±


    ¡°I see. I had hoped you¡¯d say another thing,¡± she commented fidgetily. Do you like horror? she added.


    ¡°I can pick another one, if you want,¡± I offered.


    ¡°No, no! Fate has chosen. We can always watch a comedy or something afterwards.¡±


    As I had suspected, the movie was silly. Very entertaining, but silly. There were some scenes which I¡¯d call creepy, but not much nor many. Abby on the other hand had wrapped herself around my arm, her eyes staring unblinkingly towards the screen. That was leagues more entertaining than the movie.


    There were three reasons why I didn¡¯t shoo her away. First, since she was only holding my arm, I guess I was fine with her being so clingy, even though it was a bit too stuffy. Secondly, like I said, I was taking a cruel pleasure on her suffering. Let¡¯s call it payback. Lastly, I feared that if I touched or talked to her, she would jump so high I would have to scrape her off the ceiling.


    ¡°It¡¯s not fair,¡± she meekly whined after it had ended.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You react to stuff all the time. Why were you so calm?¡±


    ¡°Like I said, we could have watched something else.¡±


    ¡°No way! If we did that, you¡¯d win!¡±


    And since when was it a competition?


    ¡°I like your meat stew,¡± she said as we finished eating. She still sounded a bit shook up from the film. Now that we had the lights on, I noticed she was a bit pale and shaky.


    ¡°Thanks. Although it¡¯s nothing special compared to what we eat at your place.¡±


    ¡°Nah, that is restaurant made food. This is way better,¡± she said as she shook her head. I¡¯m not sure if it was to reinforce her statement or if it was still her shaking. I like how this tastes so homey, she added with an attempted smile.


    With today¡¯s events I came to realize that she was, despite all appearances, a very lonely person.


    The same as me.


    Maybe that was why, despite us being so different, we were getting along so well.


    Wait, getting along so well?


    I blushed at that thought.


    ¡°Are you that happy about me complementing your cooking?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not why I¡¯m blushing.¡±


    Ah! I didn¡¯t mean to say the last part!


    ¡°That so? Then, will you tell me why, Violet dear?¡± she said grinning from ear to ear. She was already back to normal, huh?


    ¡°Nope, not happening.¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon! You meanie!¡± she stated with her whiny voice.


    ¡°Nope, not happening.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, can I choose the game we are playing next?¡±


    ¡°And what game is it that you are thinking?¡± I said, feeling great suspicion in how she was now guiding our talk.


    ¡°Strip Poker!¡± she proclaimed.


    ¡°I¡¯m not getting undressed.¡±


    ¡°Oh really?¡± she said as she pointed a finger at me. ¡°Are you planning on sleeping in that then?¡±


    I looked down. It was that dress.


    ¡°Oh no! I forgot about it! I even wore it as I cleaned the house!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha. Don¡¯t worry Violet. Even if it got dirty, you could always clean it,¡± she reassured me.


    ¡°That¡¯s not the problem! Do you see any rip? Did I tear it somewhere?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, it¡¯s a bit hard to see with you sitting.¡±


    Realizing the stupidity of my question, I stood up and spun around so she could see if there was any tear where my eyes could not reach.


    ¡°Well? Did you see any?¡± I asked while having a small panic attack.


    ¡°Yup! You look super-duper cute,¡± she said nonchalantly.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I wanted to know!¡± I reprimanded. She just laughed at my outburst, as was usual.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it is fine. But that reaction was priceless.¡±


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t you have told me that in the first place?¡± I sighted.


    ¡°So, you aren¡¯t opposed to the compliment? Anyway, mind if we go to your room?¡±


    ¡°My room? Why?¡± I asked a bit stunned by her second change of subject.


    ¡°Three reasons really. Number one is that I ate too much and I¡¯m starting to feel really sleepy. Number two, my day was actually quite demanding.¡±


    She paused. Was she waiting for me to ask her what the third reason was? It felt like a trap.


    ¡°And the third?¡±


    ¡°I can see steam coming out of your ears. If this keeps up, I fear for your health.¡±


    And just who do you think is responsible for that?


    When in the room, it came the time to change into our PJ¡¯s. When I had started to pull the dress down, I felt suddenly very self-conscious. I was also starting to wonder if Abby too, was having the same thoughts.


    Of course not.


    I looked back towards her.


    It was at the worst possible timing. It was right in the moment she had removed her shorts and our eyes met as she had nothing from the waist up. I immediately averted my eyes and covered my face in utter shame.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± I squeaked.


    ¡°Gee Violet. It¡¯s fine. We are both girls, and we are friends. Besides, I¡¯ve already seen you naked before,¡± she said reassuringly.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± I repeated.


    ¡°Violet, please look at me. You are kinda hurting my feelings right now,¡± she pleaded.


    Was I really? I slowly uncovered my face and restarted looking in her direction.


    My eyes eventually met her face, which showed a little rush of pink, and then, without my input, I started to look her from head to toes. Specially her chest. I had imagined it being bigger. Not that it was non-existent. Let¡¯s go with that it was reasonably big sized. I also noticed she was quite fit. She clearly did workout. I could feel pricks of jealousy in my chest.


    ¡°See? There really isn¡¯t a reason to be so embarrassed, is there?¡± she asked as she went a bit redder.


    ¡°Y-you say that b-b-but you are blushing too.¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah. I mean, you could say something instead of just staring.¡±


    ¡°Th-they are very¡­ well shaped.¡±


    She blinked a couple of times, her face expressionless. She then looked to where I was staring before looking back to my face.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s not what I meant,¡± she said covering herself, before putting her hands back down. ¡°But thanks. First time I got a compliment about that.¡±


    ¡°Sorry. It was the first thing that came to mind,¡± I excused myself, looking now to her feet.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, although¡­¡± she paused to laugh nervously. ¡°Although I wasn¡¯t expecting your first complement to be about my breasts.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t my first complement to her, but I was in such a state that thought didn¡¯t occur. Her words made me feel a wave of embarrassment, but also of relieve.


    Thank goodness. I didn¡¯t weird her out.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to pressure you Violet, but now should be your turn.¡±


    ¡°My turn?¡± I asked despite knowing what she meant.


    ¡°It would be fair, but I won¡¯t pressure you. I¡¯ll turn around if you want me to.¡±


    I didn¡¯t give her a reply. I just contemplated over all that was happening. A question formed in my mind.


    ¡°Abby, can I ask you something first?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Sure Violet. I doubt anything you ask will be more embarrassing than this.¡±


    ¡°Why are you so insistent on this kind of stuff? Or anything about us, really. I don¡¯t get it why you try so hard.¡±


    ¡°Why, you ask? Well, It¡¯s because we are friends? No, wait. That¡¯s not quite it. Hmm¡­ It¡¯s because¡­ I want us to be the kind of friends that are very close? Yeah, that might be it. I never really thought about it, so I can¡¯t give a real answer. Also, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m trying hard. I¡¯m just going with the flow.¡±


    That was¡­ more honest than expected.


    I now took her answer to analyse my feelings towards her.


    She says she wants us to be closer¡­ ok.


    That sounded like it could get really complicated. But was it that bad? Hmm, I didn¡¯t think so. Also, she just said she just went with the flow. That sounded very¡­ Abby-like. Would I be able to do so? No, but¡­ I would like that. I was always overthinking every little aspect of my life.


    Trying that philosophy of life, I lowered the dress to the floor. I stepped out one trembling foot. Then the other. Now I had to decide what to do with my twitching arms. Not wanting to cover my chest since she hadn¡¯t done that for more than a second, I clasped my hands behind my back. That actually made me feel even more exposed.


    Looking at Abby, she was again getting a bit blushed.


    ¡°Wow, you actually did it,¡± she said as she gave me a look from up to down.


    Was this a good idea?


    Even if I asked myself that, it was already done.


    ¡°I just realized why you think you are too thin.¡±


    ¡°And why is that?¡± my curiosity now piqued.


    ¡°Your legs. They are quite long, so that might be what makes you think you are thinner than what you actually are.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ they look weird?¡±


    ¡°By the contrary. They are beautiful. In fact, I¡¯m getting a bit jealous.¡±


    I¡¯d have grown even more embarrassed by that comment were it not for the part she admitted her jealousy. That sounded very strange to me.


    ¡°Jealous? Why? I think you are very pretty. Prettier than me!¡± I admitted.


    ¡°That¡¯s funny hearing you say that. I think that you are actually the prettier one.¡±


    ¡°Again, why? I¡¯m so plain compared to you!¡±


    ¡°No, you just don¡¯t see your own charm. You aren¡¯t plain in the slightest. And no arguing back! If I hear you say anything else self-deprecating, I¡¯ll be mad at you!¡± she told me, in a more playful way than anything else. Still, I dared not disobey her order. Despite all her silliness, I had come to think of her as a very honest person, so, despite me disagreeing with her, I believed that she really meant it.


    ¡°Ok, but can we put on some clothes now?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we should. Although I would like to make a request before that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not¡­ something unreasonable again¡­ is it?¡±


    ¡°Please Violet, have a bit more faith in me. I just wanted to choose your PJ¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Nuh-huh. Sorry, that¡¯s not happening.¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon Violet. I promise I¡¯ll behave for the rest of the night! And tomorrow! I¡¯ll even add tomorrow too.¡±


    ¡°Just why?¡± I asked feeling exasperated.


    ¡°Why? Because it might be fun?¡± she said it as if she herself wasn¡¯t convinced of her answer. That made me sight.


    ¡°Ok. But please make it quick,¡± I said as I pointed towards the drawer where she could find them. I¡¯ve never been this exposed in front of anyone I quickly added.


    ¡°Liar,¡± she said as she looked through the drawers. I should have asked her to at least put on a shirt first. ¡°What about in the school showers?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s different. When I¡¯m there I don¡¯t have people staring at me,¡± I mumbled.


    ¡°That¡¯s because you aren¡¯t paying attention.¡±


    What?


    That statement would now haunt me every time I¡¯m in the locker room. Why did she had to say that?


    ¡°Anyway, here you go,¡± she said in triumph as she handed me a sleeveless shirt that I had for so long, it barely reached my bellybutton. Just that. A shirt.


    ¡°You forgot the bottom and the bra.¡±


    As she heard this, she rubbed her temples. Despite all the excitement, I noticed she was starting to look tired. Or maybe she was getting tired because of all the excitement? I don¡¯t know. At that point, I was beginning to feel tired too.


    ¡°Ok, Violet, just answer me this. Do you usually wear so many layers of clothes with this heat? Is it something that maniac of a grandmother taught you?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    I lied. I was actually fine with sleeping only in my underwear. It was just me stupidly not wanting to be like that while sharing a bed with her.


    ¡°Ok,¡± she grabbed the same shorts I accidently took from her bag and handed them to me. ¡°Please wear these ones so that you don¡¯t get cooked alive in your sleep. All I saw in there were knee length shorts and pants.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, but don¡¯t you need them?¡±


    ¡°Not with this heat, no. And Violet¡­¡±


    As she finished that, she grabbed my face between her hands gently. Was she getting short on patience with me?


    ¡°I¡¯m going to say something that you will want to contest, but please understand that it is honestly because I worry about you. Unless it is a bra specifically made for sleep, it isn¡¯t good for your health to wear one to bed,¡± she said in a very gentle way.


    ¡°So¡­You are saying that I¡¯ll have to sleep without one?¡± I muttered a bit incredulous.


    ¡°Yes, Violet. It¡¯s exactly that. I suppose my sport bra might be okay, but it is needing a wash. If you really need one to feel comfortable, we can go buy some tomorrow.¡±


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s ok. I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll do it the proper way today.¡±


    ¡°Ok, then. That¡¯s¡­that¡¯s very Violet of you to say.¡±


    She let go off my face and went to sit on the bed, rubbing her eyes.


    She really was tired, was what I concluded as I put on the clothes I was handed. The shorts she gave me barely covered anything and were wide enough to just hang around my butt. That last bit made me again have a pang of jealousy in my chest.


    ¡°There is a string on the inside for you to tighten them.¡±


    ¡°Oh, erm¡­ thank you.¡±


    When I was finally clothed, I sat by her side.


    ¡°Sorry that I got you mad.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? I wasn¡¯t mad. I just talked like that so that we could get a move on. Otherwise, it would be morning and we would still be discussing it,¡± she said giving me a tired smile.


    I looked to my knees wondering if she ever got mad. Today I had seen her sad, scared and all the other times she was either bored or acting excited. More often than not, the latter.


    ¡°Do you prefer the left side or the right side?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it makes any difference.¡±


    ¡°Then, do you usually have to go to the bathroom during the night?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ No, I sleep the whole night.¡±


    ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll stay on the right. I tend to wake up really early, so I don¡¯t want to disturb you if I have to get up.¡±


    She proceeded to get inside the bed still only in her nickers. I¡¯d also have to pass over her to get to my side. I was too drained to even bother to complain, so I just followed suit and turned off the light. Now that we were side by side I wondered when it was ever discussed the fact we would share my bed. There was no need for that as we had a spare mattress for guests. Guest which we never got, in retrospect.


    We were now sharing a space where our shoulders lightly touched each other as we laid belly up.


    She suddenly giggled.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked, curious to hear what was making her laugh.


    ¡°Today was quite the day, wasn¡¯t it? Not a single thing went according to what we had planned.¡±


    True, that day had been chaos. Remembering it, despite all its ups and downs, it somehow felt satisfying. I think it was because I felt we two got closer to each other. Not that I would tell her that. Still, there was something I felt I should tell her.


    ¡°Yeah, but¡­ I had fun,¡± I told her softly.


    ¡°Did you really?¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah.¡±


    ¡°I see. I¡¯m glad that you did. I had fun too,¡± she said in a meek but satisfied voice. She then added specially in this last part.


    ¡°You thought that was funny?¡± I asked genuinely confused.


    ¡°In its own twisted and embarrassing way, yes.¡±


    ¡°I guess¡­ I guess I can agree with that.¡±


    It was embarrassing now, but I could see me finding it somewhat funny in the future. At least, I hoped I would. And looking back to it, it really was.


    Our voices were starting to drag with each word. I felt my body and mind heavy with sleep.


    ¡°Good night, Violet. Sweet dreams,¡± she said as she shifted her body to lay on her side, facing me.


    ¡°You too,¡± I said as I too rotated towards her side.


    I¡¯m blaming that night¡¯s events for the dreams I had. That and puberty. They consisted of Abby and me, back to that awkward situation, but now we were hugging each other. She would kiss me in the neck, and I would wake up. I even woke up a few times in a daze, wondering if we did any of that, but knowing myself, I shook that fear away and went back to sleep.


    The morning came, and I was feeling a bit sweatier than I¡¯d like. As I came to my senses, I realized that someone was petting my head and that I was holding them. Opening my eyes, I saw a pair of legs under my head. Abby was the one patting me as she sat in bed with her backs resting on the headboard. I was hugging her waist and using her lap as a pillow. Remembering the dreams, I froze up and went red first thing in the morning.


    ¡°You¡¯re finally awake. Morning, sleepy head,¡± she chimed.


    ¡°G-good morning. Erm¡­ Abby? How long have we been like this?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ for about an hour? I was going to the bathroom before you grabbed me.¡±


    ¡°Oh, sorry about that.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it was a funny reaction. But do you think you can let me go now? My bladder is almost at its limit.¡±


    ¡°Oh, sorry,¡± I said as I let her go. She was walking a bit cross legged. It¡¯s at the end of the corridor I added.


    ¡°Thanks. I¡¯ll be back in a minute,¡± she told me with her teeth gritted as she grabbed the doorknob.


    ¡°Abby, wait!¡± I shouted as I saw her bare backs and panties.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Violet. We can go back to me petting your head when I¡¯m¡ª¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not it, you idiot!¡± I cut her off as I raised my body. ¡°Put on some clothes! My dad might be awake!¡±


    When she realized what she had almost done, her face went a colour of red I never imagined she could produce. I did see her blush yesterday, but this was worlds beyond. I couldn¡¯t help but laugh as she stumbled to wear her clothes and leave the room. It felt very refreshing to see the tables turned.


    Now that she left, I looked at the clock. It appeared to be a quarter past seven to my blurry vision.


    ¡°Guess I¡¯ll just snooze a bit longer.¡±


    I was woken up some time later. I felt like some mere seconds had passed since I had shut my eyes. I woke up because I felt the bed shift under Abby¡¯s weight. Although I hadn¡¯t opened my eyes, I knew she was sitting on it. What felt strange was that she stayed there immobile.


    I opened my eyes, curious. She was sitting with her arms across her body, each hand grabbing the bottom of her shirt. She was looking at me with a slight blush. Was she now embarrassed to take it off after our first exchange in the morning?


    ¡°It¡¯s ok,¡± I said, more worried about her comfort than mine.


    ¡°T-then I¡¯ll take you up on that.¡±


    With that, she took it off and got herself under the sheet in a quick motion, her face towards mine. Yup, she was feeling embarrassed.


    ¡°It would have been bad if your parents saw me like that.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t know how dad would have reacted.¡±


    ¡°Probably would think I¡¯m some perverted girl trying to seduce him,¡± she joked. ¡°And your mum?¡±


    ¡°¡­She passed away when I was five.¡±


    She got a sorrowful face as I spoke.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s ok.¡±


    ¡°¡­Could that be why you hugged me when I tried to leave the bed?¡± she said, a note of mischievous intent on her voice.


    Memories of my dream assaulted my head, making me blush violently. Were they the reason why I grabbed her? Some questions started popping up in my mind. A question in particular was bothering me. I was afraid of making it, but even more so of not knowing the answer.


    ¡°Maybe. Say, Abby?¡± I started, fearful of asking.


    ¡°Yes Violet?¡±


    ¡°Did I¡­ Did I do anything¡­ weird during¡­ the¡­ the night?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a heavy sleeper so I can¡¯t tell. Although, judging by that hour you were curled up on me, I¡¯d say you are a very peaceful sleeper.¡±


    ¡°I-I see,¡± I said relieved.


    ¡°Wanna go back to it?¡± she suggested, jokingly.


    ¡°Not with you topless,¡± I quipped to her bashfully.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, you put a shirt on too.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± I shouted.


    I hid my head under the sheet as I realized that sometime during the night, I must have had removed my top without noticing and that just a while ago, I had again exposed my bare chest to her.


    ¡°Are we going to have a repeat of yesterday¡¯s discussion?¡±


    ¡°That was different,¡± I meekly answered.


    ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°We were going to get dressed afterwards, that¡¯s how!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I suppose you are right.¡±


    We stayed quiet for some time. Having calmed down during it, I pulled my head out.


    ¡°Is this really normal for friends to do?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I haven¡¯t had a real friend for a while, but even so, I can¡¯t say that it is, but each relationship has its own ways of working. It really depends on how people feel comfortable to act around others. I don¡¯t think I could act like this with anyone but you, for example. Besides, I wouldn¡¯t call a socially awkward, self-conscious worrywart and a bubbly, happy go lucky who sees everything as a joke, normal,¡± she said in a very matter of fact manner. ¡°At least, these are my thoughts on the matter.¡±


    ¡°I guess you are right. So¡­ should we¡­ do it?¡± I said a bit confused.


    She blushed when I asked her that. She now seemed a bit conflicted. It was as if she was having an argument with herself.


    ¡°Another time, perhaps,¡± she finally spoke.


    ???


    When we finally got out of bed, it was already past eight. I was left alone in her room as she went ahead for a shower. Still sitting on the bed, I decided to take that time to try and calm down. Was it because I hadn¡¯t done a sleep over since sixth grade that I was that nervous? Yeah, perhaps it was that. What I had dreamt about also didn¡¯t help. I felt dirty dreaming about doing that to my new friend. Seriously, what would she say if she knew? She would be mad, right? Would I even blame her if she started hating me?


    No¡­ it would be justified¡­


    Looking to the side of the bed where she had slept, I recalled earlier this morning. When she asked me if she did something weird during her sleep, I lied. She didn¡¯t do anything that weird, mind you. When I was going to leave the bed to go to the toilet, she opened her eyes slightly, put her arm around my waist and gave me a kiss on the navel. I almost shouted at her but seeing that she rested her head on my lap and went to sleep again, I chucked that up as something that wasn¡¯t conscious. Did she perhaps had the same type of dream I had? No, of course not. She was, as her grandmother would say, a proper lady. I was the one with the dirty mind. Not that I would mind if she had.


    Wait, wouldn¡¯t I? Hmm¡­ I guess I wouldn¡¯t. I mean, it¡¯s not like we can decide what we dream about, right?


    But if so, would she really be mad if she knew about my dream? I wasn¡¯t going to tell her anyway, so there was no point worrying about it.


    Is this how her mind works every day?


    I now had a different appreciation of her attitude towards life. Getting tired of all that, I shifted my attention to her room.


    It was tiny. I imagined I couldn¡¯t take more than four steps before hitting a wall. It also didn¡¯t have that much furniture. The bed was on the far right corner of the room with a desk and chair on the opposite side. At the foot of the bed, there were the drawers which I had a look-see yesterday. Thinking about it, all the clothes it had, from some shirts to underwear were all¡­ I¡¯ll not call them plain, so I¡¯ll just call them normal. But what about the closet that stood on the left side of the desk?


    Standing up, I went to have a look.


    What? It¡¯s just this?


    Hanging inside were all her clothes. And I mean all of them. Just about a dozen. From left to right there were summer, winter, and midseason clothes. Again, all very normal looking. Nothing a bit flashy or girly.


    ¡°As soon as we are done eating, I¡¯m taking that girl shopping.¡±


    She came back a couple of minutes later, her hair still a bit wet and with a towel wrapped around her. Very erotic, I should say.


    So, she is fine with that?


    The way she was flushed proved otherwise.


    ¡°I forgot some clothes,¡± she mumbled.


    She had forgotten all the clothes. But I wasn¡¯t going to tell her that. At least not now. Instead, I approached her. Since she had just got out of the shower, it was more intense than when she arrived in school. I didn¡¯t know what it was exactly, but it was a nice smell. It was very soothing.


    ¡°Abby, please¡­ not right now,¡± she pleaded as she pulled her body away.


    Not right now, huh?


    Did that mean she was getting used to hugging? Perhaps even starting to like it? Those possibilities made me feel a bit giddy.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t. I¡¯m just smelling you.¡±


    ¡°Wha¡ª Why!?¡± she asked, blushing slightly more.


    ¡°Why? Because you smell nice.¡±


    Something came to my mind as I finished my sentence.


    ¡°Can I use your shampoo today?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I guess. Did you forget yours?¡±


    ¡°Nope, they are right there,¡± I said pointing at them on top of the drawers.


    ¡°Then¡­ why?¡±


    Why?


    I pondered about how to answer. Simply saying it was because I liked the smell would feel like we were talking in circles. So, why was it? Because it was her smell? While that would be a good answer, it wouldn¡¯t satisfy her, and her head could explode. Mine too for that matter. Even I had stuff I couldn¡¯t say out loud. Anyway, it wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t like the smell of mine. It had a nice scent.


    I then remembered something. I used the same stuff my mum did. Was that it? Was it that, somewhere in my subconscious, smelling like her made me remember how she made me feel inadequate? Was it because Violet¡¯s smell I associated with fun times? That didn¡¯t feel like it was actually it, but that was what I¡¯d tell her.


    ¡°I use the same products than my mum. Now, I still love her, but we aren¡¯t that close. I think I like your smell better because I have fun with you.¡±


    I sounded a bit sad as I said it. I tried not to, but I did anyway.


    Also, I like your smell better!?


    What the hell was I saying?


    ¡°¡­I see¡­¡± she said softly. It almost sounded a bit pained. ¡°Ok. You can use mine.¡±


    I felt like an idiot. She had just told me an hour or so before that she had lost her mother, and here I was making complaints about mine.


    ¡°Could you leave?¡± she spoke meekly. ¡°I want to get dressed and I don¡¯t think I can do it with you here.¡±


    ¡°Right, be seeing you,¡± I said, not sure why I said it as if I was going home or something.


    ¡°There¡¯s a towel for you close to the shower,¡± she shouted down the corridor.


    Now that I was showering, it came the time to apply the shampoo and shower gel. I picked the bottle that seemed to have been used most recently and gave it a whiff.


    Yup, it¡¯s hers.


    Almond and honey, I learned. I couldn¡¯t tell why I was doing it, but I just hoped she couldn¡¯t hear me giggle over the sound of running water.


    While sitting at the dining table, I briefed Violet on my plans for the rest of the day. It was mainly shopping for sleeping underwear and some clothes, but I took care to add other activities I thought she would be more at home with.


    ¡°Sure, we can do that,¡± Violet said as she washed the dishes.


    ¡°Just like that? No resistance?¡± I asked, finding weird how she was acting so calm.


    ¡°I had figured you would say something like that, so I had time to ready myself,¡± she said, now shifting her body a bit.


    ¡°I see. You are starting to know me very well in a very short amount of time, aren¡¯t you?¡± I said giving her a smile she wasn¡¯t able to see.


    She turned around, holding a dripping plate, and looked at me. She seemed half embarrassed, half happy.


    ¡°Y-you think so?¡±


    She sounded very excited.


    ¡°If you are starting to predict what I¡¯m going to do or say, then yes.¡±


    She turned back to the dishes, giggling to herself.


    What¡¯s with the cute reaction?


    ¡°Is that a reason to be so happy about?¡±


    ¡°It is!¡± she countered firmly. ¡°I¡¯ve always had difficulties understanding other people. So¡­ yeah.¡±


    I considered making a joke, but I kinda didn¡¯t want to interrupt her self-satisfied state.


    I¡¯ll just let her be for now.


    ¡°Morning, girls.¡±


    Her dad had just come in without us realising, giving us a bit of a startle. Regardless, we greeted him back.


    ¡°Did you just wake up now?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Daddy worked till late after all.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to overdo it?¡± she spoke irritated.


    ¡°You did,¡± he said apologetically. ¡°And before you start grinding me; because I worked so much tonight, I¡¯ll be able to take it easy the next couple of days.¡±


    ¡°So why not leave some work for the other days instead of doing it all in a single go?¡±


    ¡°Look who¡¯s talking. And Violet, tell me something; Is it better that I work a lot every day or that I work a heck of a lot in one to have more time to rest in the remainder?¡±


    ¡°You say that, but you still work at least ten hours regardless.¡±


    ¡°And six of those is at home, so it¡¯s fine, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Sorry to interrupt but, are my parents paying you all right Mr. Stan?¡±


    I didn¡¯t really think before asking. I just had the impression that they weren¡¯t people of many means. Not that they were dirty poor, mind you. It sounded weird to me the idea of her father working so much, and yet them seeming to not have much in terms of luxuries. For example, Violet didn¡¯t have an AC in her room, even though it got super hot in there. Were we to have shared the bed the previous month, we would have been boiled alive. Embarrassing stuff notwithstanding.


    Her father looked at me surprised. For a moment, I feared I would have to apologise. That was until he gave me a warm smile I wasn¡¯t all that used to getting after screwing up.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about that kind of thing. It¡¯s true that we aren¡¯t rich, but we also don¡¯t go wanting for anything. Besides, for the past ten years they have allowed me to work mostly at home so that I could take care of her.¡±


    He was looking at Violet when he finished talking. I didn¡¯t know him, but I confess that I was already starting to like him a lot. He was completely different from the majority of the adults I knew. I could even feel a bit of envy surfacing.


    ¡°I see¡­ Sorry that I asked.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Abby. It¡¯s nice to see someone your age showing that they know money doesn¡¯t grow on trees.¡±


    He sat on the chair opposite to mine, looking sideways to the television. I found it funny that when he turned it on, he changed the channel from the news to some cartoons. Any of my parents would have done the opposite.


    ¡°Also, it¡¯s really nice to have you here. I¡¯ve never seen my daughter in such a good mood. In fact, it might feel a bit lonely being just the two of us again. You two were having a blast yesterday, weren¡¯t you? I could hear you upstairs.¡±


    I heard the sound of a loud clack coming from the sink. Looking in that direction, I saw Violet, having turned sideways to better catch the light, completely red in the process of inspecting a small plate for cracks. Judging by the warmth I was feeling in my face, I was bright red too due to her.


    Looking back to Mr. Stan, he was looking at us with a somewhat troubled face. Was he thinking we did something weird? Was he going to ask? What would I¡ªwe tell him if he did?


    He stood up and handed me the remote.


    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll be going on my way.¡±


    ¡°Wait, dad! What about your breakfast?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m meeting up with a friend and his son to do some fishing. They said they would have food were I to join them.¡±


    I did some thinking on what he said.


    ¡°Could you tell Paul I said hi?¡±


    ¡°How do you know I¡¯m meeting someone named Paul?¡± he asked in utter surprise.


    ¡°I go fishing with him from time to time. There really aren¡¯t that many people that fish in this town, so it wasn¡¯t a hard guess.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Ok, I will. Bye, Violet. Until another time, Abby.¡±


    With us now alone again, I looked at Violet, expecting to see her still flushed. She was facing my direction, but she was making a face I had never seen her do before and I didn¡¯t know what it was.


    ¡°Violet? What is it?¡±


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, no. Your face is like an open book. What is it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just¡­ I¡¯m surprised that you are friends with a boy.¡±


    Is she jealous?


    Maybe she got the wrong idea, but still, jealous?


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m friends with Paul since I was a toddler. Oh, but we really are just friends. He¡¯s got a girlfriend and all.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    Yup, she was jealous. That made me feel weird on the inside. Not in a bad way though? It also worried me a little. Would she be like that were we to come across someone I knew?


    I stood up and went to her side. I was going to try and prevent future hassles. I felt like I knew what was going on her mind in that moment.


    I grabbed her face so she wouldn¡¯t avert her gaze and began my preaching.


    ¡°Alright, miss Violet, listen up. True, I have other friends, or rather, acquaintances. But there is no way that I¡¯ll stop being your friend and hang out with you if I made a new one. Or even if I get a boyfriend. So, don¡¯t go getting jealous on me, ok?¡±


    She blushed and gave me a nod with a little smile that got twisted as she tried to hide it. It made me want to give her a hug. The question was, would she let me?


    I released her head and placed myself in front of her, my arms open invitingly. To my surprise, after just a second of hesitation, she stepped into them. Her arms were still hanging by her side though.


    ¡°Feeling better?¡± I asked as I gave her little taps on the back.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ Sorry for acting stupid,¡± she said, finally putting her arms around me. That felt better.


    ¡°I got a hug from you, so it¡¯s fine. Just don¡¯t go thinking I¡¯ll forgive you every time by doing this,¡± I teased.


    ¡°You really like hugs, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Well, they are comforting. Don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    ¡°I still find them a bit nerve wracking.¡±


    ¡°A bit, huh? Should I stop it now?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes please.¡±


    Why the pause?


    I let her go and stole a look at her face. She still had the same face from before she hugged me.


    ¡°Should we go?¡± she asked. Shopping, that is, she added nervously.


    ¡°Yeah, lets. I want to see you buy something super sexy.¡±


    ¡°What!? Why?¡±


    ¡°See it as an investment for when you get a boyfriend.¡±


    ¡°As if I could get one!¡±


    ¡°Then, buy it for me!¡±


    ¡°If you want some, buy it yourself!¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t know your size.¡±


    ¡°Wait, I¡¯m still the one wearing it!? No way!¡±


    ¡°What if I buy the same for me?¡±


    ¡°¡­No!¡±


    ¡°Again with the pause?¡± I spoke unintentionally.


    ¡°What? What pause?¡±


    When we went inside the store, I was afraid Violet would end up having a meltdown. Surprisingly though, Violet now seemed to be mostly enjoying herself. While we walked around the isles, I noticed her fearfully stealing glances at some of the risqu¨¦ models and me. Why I say that she was enjoying herself is because she would stifle a laugh as I waved my eyebrows like a cartoon that saw a sexy lady. I wasn¡¯t actually planning in making her buy any of them. Or even making her try them on. Mostly because we would attract too much attention in the store because of her.


    ¡°Abbigail? What are you doing here?¡±


    That voice, severe and commanding, made my blood freeze. I turned around and, sure enough, it was mum. And once again, there was no greeting from her.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be working on an assignment? Why are you shopping?¡±


    ¡°Hello mum. We are just taking a break,¡± I said, my voice coming weak and rough.


    ¡°A break? And you went shopping? I just hope that you made good progress, missy. I hear about your grades going down, you can say goodbye to your allowance for good.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to intrude, but we are here because of me.¡±


    I looked at Violet. Her face was stiff in a way I didn¡¯t believe to be humanly possible. How did she even speak was a mystery to me.


    ¡°Hmm? And you are? Hold on¡­ I¡¯ve seen your face before.¡±


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am. I sometimes wait your table in my workplace. The Le Perrot?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes. You are that waitress. And you are a classmate of my daughter?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s my friend!¡± I intervened. The way she referred to Violet somewhat disdainfully made me angry enough to restore some of my spirit.


    ¡°Ok, friend¡­ Regardless, are you doing the assignment with my daughter?¡±


    ¡°Ye-yes.¡±


    ¡°I see. I hope she isn¡¯t being too much of a nuisance. Or that you¡¯re holding her back.¡±


    ¡°Not at all. She¡­ she is smarter than me so, I¡¯d say I¡¯m the one being the nuisance.¡±


    ¡°Well, well. You¡¯re not that good at your job, but at least you are modest.¡±


    That was mum at her nicest. If she wasn¡¯t talking with someone, she deemed important, a compliment¡ªif she did offer one¡ªwas always coming with a jab. Violet didn¡¯t seem to pay attention to that. Truth be told, she was so stiff, perhaps it just wasn¡¯t showing.


    ¡°So, how close are you from finishing it? I was told it was due for this week, so I¡¯m hoping you¡¯ve made good progress.¡±


    ¡°We did! It will be ready by then,¡± I spoke, not wanting to put Violet in an even tougher spot than she already was.


    ¡°I¡¯m talking to your class¡ª Urgh, your friend.¡±


    ¡°About that¡­¡± Violet staggered. Was she going to break?


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Could¡­ could Abby stay at my place tonight too?¡± she spoke, trying to sound calm. ¡°I¡¯ll be working the whole week, so we won¡¯t have much time to meet.¡±


    Mum looked at us, one at the time. I was once again feeling my blood run cold under her gaze. Peeking at Violet, she looked like a statue.


    ¡°You could learn a bit from this girl¡¯s attitude. Sure, if it means it gets done.¡±


    ¡°Thanks mum.¡±


    ¡°Now hurry up with¡­ whatever it is that you are doing here and get to it.¡±


    She went away without so much as a goodbye. I dreaded the possibility of her discovering the truth.


    ¡°We should do as she says, Abby.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°If we have that assignment to do, we don¡¯t have much time now, right?¡±


    I bursted laughing. I know I shouldn¡¯t have, but I did. Violet in the meantime was with her hands on my back asking if I was alright, worried, and utterly confused. After I finally calmed down, I explained everything about what had come about.


    ¡°You should have told me that yesterday!¡± she scolded with a frown.


    ¡°Sorry, sorry! It wasn¡¯t a pleasurable subject matter, so I didn¡¯t want to dwell on it and ruin the mood.¡±


    ¡°Even so, you should have told me about that!¡±


    ¡°¡­You look radiant today,¡± I said, trying to appease her.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t you go trying to bribe me into a good mood!¡±


    ¡°You are right. I¡¯m sorry. Please forgive me,¡± I pleaded, while looking down.


    Of her, I could only see her tapping foot. At each tap I felt like something was squeezing my chest.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like I don¡¯t understand why you did it¡­ I mean, I¡¯ve served your mother before. And now that I¡¯ve seen how she is with you¡­ yeah.¡±


    I started tearing up. I don¡¯t know why, I just did. And because I didn¡¯t want her to see me like this, I bent my back and placed my head between her belly and chest. I wasn¡¯t looking to be hugged, so the fact that position didn¡¯t allow it didn¡¯t bother me.


    ¡°Abby! Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I just don¡¯t want to show my face for now.¡±


    ¡°Should I¡­ do something?¡±


    ¡°Nah, you just stay there talking to me casually.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a bit hard in this situation.¡±


    ¡°Sorry. I just need a minute.¡±


    I¡¯d like to say I cheered up afterwards, but I really didn¡¯t. Violet clearly noticed this, as I could see her face tinged with worry. I hated seeing her like that, but I was really having a hard time perking up.


    I felt her pull my sleeve after some time. Looking at her, I saw that she was a bit red on the cheeks. She pointed towards a set of underwear. It was more on the plain side, but it had some lace pattern on the sides of both pieces and contouring the seams of the legs. It was cuter than anything she had in her drawers.


    ¡°Do you¡­ do you think that would¡­¡± her words drifted. Her intent on the other hand, didn¡¯t.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that to cheer me.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ I like it¡­¡±


    Seeing her face and hearing her words, I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. I realized how silly I was being. There I was, worrying about my mother instead of enjoying my limited time with my best friend. And now that she was giving me a meek smile in response to my chuckle, I settled my mind.


    ¡°Yeah, I think that would suit you. It¡¯s not too bold, so you should be fine wearing it.¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah. It¡­ It won¡¯t look weird on me¡­ will it?¡±


    ¡°It will look perfect. Question is, which colour should we pick?¡± I said as I pointed.


    To that, she made turns looking at the shelfs and me, forgetting to react to my compliment. Had she not realized there was that model in a variety of colours?


    ¡°What¡¯s your favourite colour?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, I like¡­ white.¡±


    ¡°You are saying that because white is your favourite colour or is it because that¡¯s the colour all your other underwear is?¡±


    ¡°¡­So¡­ what colour should I choose?¡±


    Wait, you don¡¯t have one?


    She must have had one, right? I was going to ask her again about it when I had an idea.


    ¡°Violet.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes?¡±


    Yup, nailed it.


    As I had expected, I had her confused. Just to be clear, I didn¡¯t say that just to confuse her. I also liked that colour and thought it would suit her best as it was also her name.


    ¡°Not ¡®violet¡¯ you, ¡®violet¡¯ the colour.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ right. I should have seen that coming,¡± she said with a little laugh.


    ¡°I¡¯m dead serious by the way.¡±


    ¡°I realise that¡­¡±


    She stood there, anxiously looking at one of that colour, as if she was afraid it would jump on her. Seeing that she didn¡¯t move, I decided to give her a little push.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s go find one your size.¡±


    When we got back at her house, she almost sprinted to her room with her bags. There were quite a few, since she got excited after our first purchase and went on a small shopping spree. I asked her if it was fine for her to buy that much in one go, and she replied that she hadn¡¯t spent any of her pays, so she had plenty of her own money. Also, since I was with her, she felt brave enough to shop in stores she couldn¡¯t before. I don¡¯t think she meant for me to hear that last part, but I had a good ear. It felt great feeling that relied upon, but I also worried about how she would be if, for some reason, we couldn¡¯t be together.


    I should try to make her socialize with other people.


    Hopefully, since she started interacting with me, that would be easier since I was kinda popular in class. Hopefully.


    Entering the room, I must admit I was a bit hopeful she was trying them on. I didn¡¯t get to see her in that many of them. Instead, I saw Violet glaring at the clothes she bought, now scattered on her bed. It looked like she was trying to lift them with her mind. I was afraid she was getting buyer¡¯s remorse.


    ¡°Is something the matter?¡±


    ¡°Just thinking what I¡¯ll wear tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Why not do it in the morning?¡±


    ¡°No way. You saw how hard it is for me to get out of the bed.¡±


    ¡°So what? I¡¯ll be with you, so if it comes to it, I¡¯ll just drag you out of it. Or I can pick your clothes so you can doze off for longer.¡±


    She glared at me. Had I said something wrong?


    ¡°What will you wear tomorrow?¡± she instead asked in a calm voice, not matching her current face at all. That was a relief. And a good question. ¡°I guess you can use one of my spare uniforms, but the underwear¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry. I think I have a spare set of underwear in my bag.¡±


    ¡°You think?¡±


    ¡°Ok, let me check.¡±


    I sat on the floor and spilled my bag contents on it. Sifting through the mess, I was able to find, in a usable state, two pairs of socks, one pair of nylon running shorts, and a track jacket I used when I run in cold mornings.


    ¡°Should we go back to your place, or buy some for you at the mall?¡±


    ¡°Nah. This is more than enough.¡±


    ¡°What!?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll use the nylon shorts as underwear. It might get a bit hot, but that won¡¯t be a problem.¡±


    ¡°B-but Abby¡­¡±


    I leaned back, resting my head on her knees, and looked up. I had intended to look her in the face, but since she was wearing that one dress, it wasn¡¯t just her face I got to see. Apparently, she wore nylon shorts under it despite the weather we were having. She wore them under her uniform skirt, but short as it was, that was somewhat reasonable, but in this case¡­ Just how self-conscious was that girl?


    ¡°Not every girl is a proper lady. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡± she repeated with a worried face.


    ¡°By the way, Violet?¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°I can see your panties.¡±


    She leapt back, making me almost hit my head on the floor. She was back to her lovely red face.


    ¡°W-wait a minute! That¡¯s not possible! I¡¯m wearing shorts under the dress!¡±


    ¡°Indeed. What¡¯s up with that?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­erm¡­ just a habit.¡±


    ¡°Violet, your face is like an open book. Just tell me already.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ y-you know I take the bus to school, right?¡±


    ¡°You fell asleep and made a show out of it?¡±


    I was on the money, judging by the way she averted her eyes and went completely red when I said it.


    ¡°Were there a lot of people?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I was woken up two stops after mine by an old lady, so¡­ maybe?¡±


    I stood up and went to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. I wasn¡¯t expecting something that bad was behind it, so I took upon myself to make her feel better.


    ¡°Thanks for telling me that. It means a lot to me.¡±


    ¡°Wha¡ª why?¡±


    ¡°Why? I mean, if you are telling me such an embarrassing story, doesn¡¯t it mean you trust me somewhat?¡±


    She looked to me, the corners of her mouth twitching up. It was like there were so many emotions trying to be expressed, her brain and body didn¡¯t know how to do that.


    ¡°Now, how about I help you choose tomorrow¡¯s outfit?¡±


    ¡°Y-you will? Thank you!¡±


    Turns out, she wasn¡¯t having difficulties choosing what to wear with what. Apparently, she had done so while we were coming back to her place. What I had to help her with was choose one from all the combinations she had figured out. Her mind really worked in a way I couldn¡¯t completely figure out. At least yet.


    While we were doing that, I realised we had forgotten to buy.


    ¡°We did?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. We were supposed to buy you sleeping bras.¡±


    She began jittering, as she went back to red.


    ¡°Should we go back for it?¡±


    ¡°N-no. It¡¯s not like¡­ like I need them.¡±


    ¡°¡­If you say so.¡±


    Watching her jittering fully blushed made me really want to mess with her. Even so, I didn¡¯t. I was finding her reaction so endearing, I didn¡¯t want to risk making her run away. Still, there was something we needed to take care of.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s go back to the mall anyway.¡±


    ¡°No¡­ I don¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°You might not need it, but I need some for tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ we are actually going back for you?¡±


    ¡°What, you thought I was being serious before?¡±


    ¡°N-no! Of course not!¡±


    She totally did. I might not be the most reasonable person, but I still had some common sense. And we didn¡¯t have much to do in her house besides sitting around watching TV or movies, so going out a second time was better for the restless me.


    It also allowed me to see her make a jealous face after we left the store. This time, I chose to stay quiet about it. It was a sensitive subject for her, so I pretended like I hadn¡¯t seen it.


    When night-time came, I was sitting on the bed waiting for Violet to come back so that I could use the bathroom. As I was sitting there, I heard the front door shutting.


    Her father?


    I stood up, decided to go greet him. But not before making sure I was¡­ presentable.


    Yup, still in my PJ¡¯s.


    ¡°Good night, Mr. Stan,¡± I said as I met him before he went up the stairs.


    ¡°Oh, Abby! Good night,¡± he greeted back with a smile. ¡°Are you staying tonight too?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Sorry for the intrusion, Mr. Stan.¡±


    ¡°Not at all. I like having you here. The house feels a lot livelier with you around.¡±


    ¡°I see. Thank you, Mr. Stan.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ Anyway, you two have a good night.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. A good night to you too.¡±


    He started going up the stairs, tottering a little.


    Had Paul¡¯s dad dragged him for a drinking marathon?


    It looked like it. It certainly explained why he looked so flushed.


    ¡°Also¡­¡± he said as he turned his face towards me, having an awkward smile on display. ¡°I¡¯m fine about you two.¡±


    ¡°Erm¡­ Thanks,¡± I told him, equally awkwardly. I had the feeling there was a big misunderstanding, but I was too afraid to ask him to specify what he meant.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ good night.¡±


    As he went and disappeared up the stairs, and I was still trying to figure out what he meant. Probably the ramblings of someone who drank too much.


    Hmm, should I tell Violet about that? Probably not.


    ¡°Abby? What are you doing here?¡± Violet asked.


    Looking at her with this light, I noticed she didn¡¯t have her glasses on. It felt a bit strange. I liked it, but I think I liked it more seeing her with them.


    ¡°I was just greeting your dad. He seemed to be in a good mood.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good,¡± she said giving a brief look upwards, before returning her gaze to me. ¡°Anyway, hurry up so we can go to bed.¡±


    ¡°Oh my! Aren¡¯t you a naughty girl,¡± I teased as I covered my chest, as if it were bare. I went completely red as a suspicion crept to my mind. Did her father hear us talking this nonsense and got the wrong idea? It wasn¡¯t like that. I mean, true I did dream about kissing Violet¡­ and some other stuff¡­ but it wasn¡¯t like that.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that! We have classes tomorrow,¡± she chided.


    As I got back in the room, I found her already in bed, looking at the door. Seeing her slightly nervous face peeking at me made me feel butterflies in my stomach. Was I actually like that?


    No, no. It¡¯s just because of her reaction.


    Telling myself that, I went and got myself under the sheet too. I hadn¡¯t taken any of my clothes and I was already feeling stuffy.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you hot?¡± she asked as she noticed my discomfort.


    ¡°It¡¯s not so bad. Besides, I don¡¯t want to make you feel too awkward today.¡±


    I was lying about it not being so bad. I felt like going to break in a sweat at any minute. If it was because of the nerves or because of the actual heat, I didn¡¯t know. Was I becoming like Violet?


    ¡°It¡¯s ok. If it gets too much, I¡¯ll take my top off.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ ok.¡±


    I could see an argument forming as she made that pause, but what it was, I wouldn¡¯t get to hear. Good night she added as she turned off the lamp.


    ¡°Good night, Violet.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t the end of it. I was feeling hotter each passing minute. I tried not to toss in bed too much, but that eventually made Violet react.


    ¡°You can¡­ take it off,¡± she said softly.


    ¡°Sorry. Did I wake you?¡±


    ¡°No, I also can¡¯t sleep because of the heat.¡±


    ¡°I know, right? Doesn¡¯t feel like autumn at all,¡± I said trying to sound casual.


    ¡°¡­Yeah¡­¡±


    She shifted in the bed and sat up. She then proceeded to remove her top almost shakingly and threw it towards her feet before lying down again. That was her way of saying she was fine with that, although it clearly was taking a toll on her.


    Her action made me remove my top, all right. Also, my denim shorts since they were uncomfortable to sleep in. At that point you could say I was steaming. It also had the effect of making my heart throb at full capacity as I had an argument in my head.


    I wasn¡¯t like that! I really wasn¡¯t. But if that was the case, why was I feeling the way I was? Also, would it really be that bad if I was? I even got her father¡¯s blessing.


    At least I think I have.


    But what about the rest of the people? What about Violet? Would she accept me?


    No, I don¡¯t think she would.


    She wasn¡¯t like me. Not that I was like that, mind you. But she did cuddle with me that morning and kissed my navel.


    Nah, she was just acting out a dream.


    But what kind of dream would make her do that? Was I the subject of the dream? No, of course not. She was a proper lady, I was the dirty minded one. Anyway, she wouldn¡¯t like me back that way. Would we even stay friends if I were? If she knew? Maybe, but we wouldn¡¯t be the same around each other like we were now. Our dynamic would be ruined, and I¡¯d hate that. But¡­ let¡¯s suppose that I was actually like that and that she was too. Not that that was the case, it was just a thought exercise. What then? Would things be different? We already did weird things together, so¡­would we do even weirder things? That would be¡­ that wouldn¡¯t feel bad, right? No, no, of course it would. What would people think? Well, her father seemed ok, assuming that was what he was talking about¡­ but what about my parents? My father, I had no idea what to expect. My mum though, she would go nuclear. She didn¡¯t seem to like Violet even before they met earlier that day, let alone she being a girl and not rich. I could see her putting me in a psychiatric ward or kick me out of the house. And those were the best-case scenarios. And if she discovered Violet¡¯s dad worked for her¡­ yeah, it would be really bad.


    Yeah, I should keep all of that to myself. Not that there really was anything to talk about.


    The butterflies I had until that point died down and gave place to a pit in my chest.


    ¡°Violet,¡± I whispered in a cracked voice.


    I had started to cry without realising.


    Almost immediately she rotated so that she was facing me.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong Abby? Why are you crying?¡±


    ¡°Sorry. It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    ¡°Please, Abby. Tell me. Is it because of your mum?¡± she said, growing more worried.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think she will let us see each other,¡± I blurted.


    I curled into a ball and tears were now pouring out of the eyes as I told her that. It wasn¡¯t the full reason I was crying, but it was the only one I could say out loud.


    She didn¡¯t say a word. She just came enveloped her arms around me. We were both sticky and it was too hot for that, but it felt so¡­ reassuring. I could feel a wave of calmness starting to wash away my worries and fears as she came to rest her chin on my head and pated it gently with a shaky hand, her scent filling my head.


    ¡°Is it bad that we are friends?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± I cried. ¡°Even if she tells me to, I won¡¯t let us be apart because of her! Even if she beats me up¡­ that¡¯s the one thing I¡¯ll never do no matter what she does!¡±


    ¡°But¡­ am I not being a problem to¡ª¡±


    ¡°No!¡± I cut her words as I now also wrapped my arms around her. ¡°If anyone is a problem, it¡¯s her! You are one of the few things that makes me happy! How could you say that?¡±


    ¡°Sorry¡­ I¡¯m just¡­ I¡¯m worried about you.¡±


    ¡°Please, promise me¡­ promise me that you will always be with me,¡± I begged desperately as I dug myself deeper in her hold.


    ¡°I promise¡­¡± she said meekly. I thought I heard her add under her breath I also don¡¯t want that to happen.


    I must have spent an hour, maybe even close to two crying out my frustrations. I knew I had a lot of stuff buried in my chest, but I had never known I held so much emotional baggage. Having her holding me made me finally be able to put them all out at once. It¡¯s like my being had run out of space from having her enter my life and forced everything else out.


    Having now calmed down, I grew aware of what we were doing.


    ¡°Sorry. This must be very uncomfortable to you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I was¡­ I was so worried I didn¡¯t think about it.¡±


    She now sounded embarrassed. Even so, I decided to be a bit selfish.


    ¡°Can we stay like this for just a bit longer?¡± I asked quietly.


    ¡°¡­Hmm.¡±


    She shyly giggled a bit.


    ¡°Just five more minutes?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ Something like that,¡± I answered while remembering what she was referring.


    She just gave me a tug towards her. Feeling my knees pressing on her belly, I unfurled so she could be a bit more comfortable, and I could get just a bit closer to her. Unfortunately, all that crying exhausted me, and I fell asleep almost immediately and didn¡¯t get to savour that proximity for long.


    I woke up with a ringing and a gruntle. Fuzzy with sleep, I opened my eyes, and they were met with two pink circles. Hearing a gasp from the top of my head, I looked up, and was met with a slightly startled, fully blushed Violet face, her nose almost touching mine. We were still in the same position as when I had my breakdown. That made me blush too, and I was now trying not to look happy about it. I wasn¡¯t even sure why I was that happy to begin with.


    ¡°Morning, Violet,¡± I mumbled in a trembling voice.


    She didn¡¯t answer to that. She just lifted slightly the sheet, peeked under, and proceeded to look back at me.


    ¡°Did we¡­¡± she drifted.


    ¡°Yeah, it appears we fell asleep after all my crying.¡±


    While saying that made me feel even more embarrassed, she on the other hand sighed in a way that sounded like she was relieved before breaking away our entanglement and sitting up on the bed. She did so holding the sheet to cover herself, exposing me in the process. The air felt cold on my skin. Let¡¯s get ready for school she said.


    Despite all that happened during the weekend, we acted pretty much the same during the whole day. Not that I expected for us to suddenly walk around, arms linked as we skipped and sang together merrily. This was fine. I was still the silly me and she was still the serious girl that blushed and put up with me. Only thing different was that she seemed a bit more lenient.


    All of those nice feelings were taken away from me as soon as I arrived home. I had just shut the door behind me when I heard my mum calling me to meet her at the office.


    ¡°Hi mum,¡± I said as I walked into the room.


    ¡°Have a sit,¡± she ordered.


    She stood up and sat directly in front of me, her legs crossed. That was a sign I was about to be scolded. The reason why was quite obvious to me too.


    ¡°Mind telling me why you two were at that store?¡±


    ¡°Why? I mean¡­ Violet needed to buy some stuff there, so I went with her.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so she took you along so you would buy her something.¡±


    I looked at her amazed. Just how in the world could she think such a thing knowing nothing about Violet?


    ¡°No! I just went to give her an opinion!¡±


    ¡°Is that really it?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Why would you think that about her?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? If a girl her age is working as a waitress, her family must be dirty poor, right? I¡¯d even say she is only working at the Le Perrot to find some idiot she can seduce to¡ª¡±


    ¡°V-Violet isn¡¯t like that! She is¡ª¡±


    ¡°Slam!¡±


    My mum slapped the arm of her chair. She was still with a stern face, but her eyes were burning with anger. She uncrossed her legs and tapped her lap.


    ¡°Pull your shorts down to your ankles and rest your belly on my legs.¡±


    ¡°Mum please! I have PE tomorrow,¡± I pleaded.


    ¡°Now, Abbigail Gardener.¡±


    Shaking violently, with my sobs making it hard to breath, I did as she commanded.


    ¡°Which hand does mummy write with?¡±


    ¡°T-t-the r-r-right¡­¡±


    ¡°If you know that, why is your butt to my left?¡±


    ¡°S-s-sorry,¡± I pleaded as I changed my position. As soon as I did so, she grabbed me by the neck and started dishing out her punishment as I covered my mouth. I didn¡¯t beg for her to stop. I knew it was pointless.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to spend any more time with that Violet girl. Do you understand?¡± she demanded after she stopped.


    ¡°I-I-I won¡¯t do it.¡±


    ¡°Good girl.¡±


    ¡°She is my friend so¡­ I-I-I won¡¯t do it!¡±


    ¡°What?! Why you little¡­¡± she yelled as she began her second dose.


    That one was even harder and longer. It reached to a point I wasn¡¯t even completely feeling the blows. Either that, or she was getting tired.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you to stop meeting her for your own good,¡± she said, panting. I have no doubts she believed that, in her own twisted way, it was the truth. Unfortunately for her, I didn¡¯t hold the same belief.


    ¡°She is my only friend in years¡­ I just won¡¯t¡­¡± I mumbled between sobs.


    ¡°I¡¯m cutting off your allowance permanently. Also, if you aren¡¯t back home fifteen minutes after the classes have ended, you better have a good excuse to not be home by then.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m only allowing you three hours of free time during the weekend.¡±


    ¡°Are we done?¡± I asked in a gesture of defiance. I was still feeling terrified, but I was also tired of that. For some reason, that day was the first I ever stood up to her.


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky that I¡¯m tired. Yes, we are done here. I¡¯ve wasted enough time with your stupidity,¡± she said as she pinched me before standing up without giving me time to do so myself.


    She was looking down at me, as I laid on the floor while trying to pull up my shorts, still crying and in pain. I felt like an ant looking up to a mountain.


    ¡°You used to be so well behaved,¡± she said before leaving.


    The night of that same day, I was sitting at the dining table, a bit sideways, when my father came home.


    We looked at each other without talking at first. He was with a worried face that grew even more worried as he saw my clearly red, swollen eyes. I averted my gaze back to the¡ªfor a long time now¡ªcompletely full and untouched plate I had in front of me.


    ¡°I heard you and your mother had an argument,¡± he began with a coarse voice.


    ¡°Y-yeah,¡± I weakly responded.


    ¡°What was it about?¡±


    ¡°It was nothing¡­ really.¡±


    ¡°Look Abbigail, I¡¯m not here to yell at you. I just need to know what happened,¡± he said as he sat down by my side, placing one of his huge hands over mine. The way he did it so gently gave me some courage to speak.


    ¡°She¡­she doesn¡¯t like¡­ Violet.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, erm, Violet?¡± he asked confused.


    ¡°Violet¡­ my friend¡­¡±


    ¡°What?! She told you not to be friends with her?!¡± he spoke flabbergasted.


    I didn¡¯t answer. I didn¡¯t have to. He knew mum for longer than I did, so he already knew that was entirely possible. Since he went quiet for a while, I stood up and started to take my plate to the kitchen counter when I heard the sound of a chair scrapping the floor.


    ¡°Why are you limping?¡± he asked in a thundering voice.


    ¡°I-I fell,¡± I said without looking at him. My body was starting to shake again and my eyes welling.


    ¡°She told me she gave you a punishment¡­Is that¡­ Is that why?¡±


    I turned my body slightly to him. My body was now in a state it would be more accurate to describe as convulsing. So much so, I dropped the plate on the floor.


    ¡°N-no! Mum will¡­¡± I panicked as I couched down and started trying desperately to pick up the pieces and food from the floor.


    My dad¡¯s face went from worry to completely horrified as he saw my reaction. He walked towards me and gave me a hug as I started to cry all over again.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to talk to her. I swear, she will never lay a hand on you again. I swear.¡±


    My phone rang for the third time that day. I hadn¡¯t gone to school, so there was only one person it could be.


    I picked it up and confirmed that it was indeed Violet calling me again. I had previously sent her a message saying I had caught a flu, so I was going to skip classes some days. That was a lie. I just couldn¡¯t face her. Not just yet. I wanted so much to be with her right now. To confide with her. To have her comforting me. But I couldn¡¯t. I was still grounded, and I¡¯d just make her worried sick. And I just couldn¡¯t do it.

 Glimpsing Into You

    Now that it was December, it had gotten chilly. Fortunately, the classroom had AC, so it felt cosy. I was thankful for that because I felt like I¡¯d freeze on my way to school. It was at times like this I envied Abby for living so close by while I had to take the bus.


    As I sat on my chair, I looked at the empty chair that stood by my side. Today was the first time I had arrived before her. Assuming she wasn¡¯t skipping again. Surprisingly, she was doing that less often. It was probably nothing but still, I worried a little. Taking my phone out of my pocket, I started to think if I should text her.


    ¡°Good morning, Violet.¡±


    I lifted my eyes to see who greeted me. I felt a bit disappointed as it wasn¡¯t who I was hoping. It was just one of my classmates. This one belonged to the relatively small group I still hadn¡¯t had the chance to talk before.


    Ever since I became friends with Abby, I¡¯d sometimes get dragged into conversations people had with her, forcing me to interact like never before. Abby was, after all, kind of the class mascot due to her cuteness, personality, and grades.


    ¡°Oh¡­ good morning, Mathilda. Erm¡­ Abby hasn¡¯t arrived yet.¡±


    ¡°No prob. I wanted to talk with you two, but you can tell her about it after she arrives.¡±


    ¡°Ok¡­ what is it that you want to talk about?¡±


    ¡°You see, we¡¯re planning on having a class Christmas dinner the weekend our holidays begin. Would you like to come?¡±


    That was a somewhat loaded question. To me anyway. It sounded like a pain having to deal with so many people. I wasn¡¯t sure I could deal with that. One on one conversations? Sure, I could handle that now. I mean, I was just having one. Social events, however? Most likely not. But on the other hand, I wanted to go. It sounded like a good experience to me. And most likely, Abby would be there too, so I wouldn¡¯t have to deal with all the anxiety alone. Yeah, it wouldn¡¯t be too bad.


    ¡°To tell you the truth, I might be working then, but I think I¡¯d like to go.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you work?¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah, I¡¯m a part time waitress in a restaurant.¡±


    ¡°Wow, I didn¡¯t expect that! Do you like it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ ok, I guess.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well, you can tell me if you are available or not next Monday. Class is about to start, so I¡¯m going back to my seat. See ya.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ bye.¡±


    As she walked away, I sighed in relieve. Now I was realising how stiff I had been as I spoke with that girl. I even felt a bit tired. Would I really be okay if I went to that dinner?


    A pair of small hands gently pulling me by the shoulders making my head landing on something soft snapped me out of those thoughts.


    ¡°Mumma Abby is very proud of Violet,¡± Abby chirped.


    ¡°Hi, Abby. Why do you say that?¡± I asked looking up confused.


    ¡°I heard all your conversation. You did well, holding a conversation with Mathilda without me around,¡± she said with a very pleased smile. ¡°Did you two ever talked before?¡±


    ¡°Nope. First time.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really?¡± she said, now applying a bit more force on her squeeze as she gave me a wry smile. ¡°Now I¡¯m a bit jealous.¡±


    ¡°What!? Why?¡±


    ¡°I mean, it took me weeks for you to talk to me like that. How am I to feel seeing you talking so easily with some other girl?¡±


    I realise that she was joking¡ªwell, about eighty percent joking¡ªbut that comment made me feel a little bad for her.


    Maybe I should tell her it¡¯s thanks to her that I could do that now?


    Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t tell her in the middle of the classroom. Thinking that only made me flush as we stared at each other.


    She seemed to catch my train of thought though, as her smile went back to a gentle, warm one.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, but it¡¯s also thanks to your efforts.¡±


    I went full red. I was amazed how she could read me so well. I was now going to ask her to sit down as we were probably calling the attention of the whole class with us talking like that and me glowing red. I didn¡¯t have to.


    ¡°Girls, I understand you might be having a nice moment between friends, but could you please keep it outside my classroom and settle down already?¡± said our annoyed math teacher. Rather, the same as always.


    ¡°Not wanting to rain on your parade Violet but are you really alright with that Christmas dinner?¡± she asked as she gulped her lunch.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I think so¡­¡± I said in a coy way. ¡°I mean, you will be there¡­ right?¡±


    ¡°Well, maybe. I have to check it out with my parents first. But we can¡¯t just chat with each other all the time. We will at some point have to talk with other people.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s ok. It¡¯s enough for me to know that you¡¯re¡­¡±


    I didn¡¯t finish my sentence. Peeking at Abby, she was now leaning on the table, giving me a teasing smile.


    ¡°Come on, Violet, you can¡¯t just tease me like that!¡±


    ¡°You already know what I meant!¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t! You didn¡¯t finish what you were saying.¡±


    ¡°Yes, you do!¡±


    ¡°Tell me or I¡¯ll strip and latch on to you!¡±


    ¡°Pease don¡¯t! You might catch a cold.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Violet! My health is what worries you in that situation?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the main one!¡±


    ¡°Hehe. I have such a nice friend.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t come up with something, so we just sat there staring at each other. Me beet red and she with a blissful expression of amusement.


    She really likes putting me in this state, huh?


    ¡°Still,¡± she said going back to a more normal posture and face. ¡°I¡¯m still worried.¡±


    ¡°Why? I want to go, you will be there, so what¡¯s to worry about?¡±


    ¡°For starters, I can totally see you forcing yourself to endure it and end up wrecked.¡±


    She had me there. It was something I would totally do. Even more so with her there. That could really become a problem.


    ¡°So, I want you to promise me something.¡±


    ¡°Ok¡­ what is it?¡±


    ¡°If things start to be too much for you, we¡¯re to get out of there. And just to be clear, I¡¯ll drag you out if I see that you are reaching a breaking point. I just don¡¯t want to force you.¡±


    ¡°Ok, I can agree to that.¡±


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    It really was the best solution after all. She would have some peace of mind, and so would I.


    ¡°Now, to the other issue,¡± she continued in a serious tone which was disconcerting to me. It was just too weird seeing her like that. Kinda remembers me when she held my face on our first sleepover. ¡°It might end up late in the night. When is the last bus you can catch?¡±


    ¡°Well, now that it¡¯s winter, the last one is at nine thirty.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s early.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but there aren¡¯t that many people outside at that hour, so there really isn¡¯t any need for buses at later hours.¡±


    ¡°So, wait, how are you going home after work?¡±


    ¡°I just walk. They now let me leave before ten, so I get home no later than a quarter to eleven.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s so late! Why didn¡¯t you tell me before?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no big deal, Abby.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is! You¡¯ve been walking home alone at night! If you had told me about that, I would let you sleep here.¡±


    ¡°In that case I¡¯d practically be living here during the week.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind. No, wait¡­ I actually would.¡±


    I didn¡¯t ask what she meant by that. It was obvious by her troubled face as she spoke. She was thinking about her mother. I¡¯ve only had a small glimpse how the two interacted that one time, and I had a good idea she would make Abby¡¯s life difficult just because I was there. Or maybe I should say even more?


    ¡°No need to feel down Violet,¡± she spoke with a hand wave. ¡°If pushes come to shoves, I¡¯ll just deal with that woman.¡±


    ¡°That woman?¡± I repeated in my mind. She didn¡¯t use a particularly cold tone but even so, it felt strangely harsh.


    ¡°Has she¡­ commented about us?¡±


    ¡°Recently I just zone out whenever she goes on one of her tirades, so yeah, likely. But again, don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but¡­¡±


    ¡°No buts. I might not remember all our talks, but I hold dear to our promise.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± I said as I went red once again as I remembered that night.


    ¡°Anyway, if it ends after that hour, let¡¯s sleep here. You can go home in the morning.¡±


    ¡°But what about¡ª¡±


    ¡°Again, I¡¯ll deal with her if she starts splitting hairs.¡±


    Is this what they call a ¡°rebellious phase¡±?


    There really seemed like there was no arguing with her, so I nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Good,¡± she said as she went back to her usual self. ¡°Let¡¯s finish eating so that we can have some fun.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of which, have you started studying?¡±


    ¡°Studying? We still have two weeks until the season for that and you¡¯re already worrying over it?¡±


    ¡°Not everyone can study three days before a test and still get an almost perfect score.¡±


    ¡°You say that, but aren¡¯t your grades the third best of the class?¡±


    ¡°They are? Well, if that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s because I study like crazy.¡±


    ¡°I know. You make me study too.¡±


    ¡°Right, well, I think we should study after we are done eating.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you just say that you want me to help you study?¡±


    ¡°¡­Please help me study,¡± I sheepishly asked.


    ¡°Hehe, sure. But I have some conditions.¡±


    ¡°Whatever they are, please be reasonable.¡±


    ¡°During breaks, I want to use your lap as a chair.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°But Violet! We only do a ten-minute break every time. So, pretty please.¡±


    ¡°¡­Oh, ok,¡± I said, not resisting her begging voice and puppy eyes. It¡¯s at times like this, when she looked like a tiny animal begging treats that I found it the hardest to keep my resolve. Even if it led to my embarrassment.


    ¡°Yay! Will I also get it with your arms around me?¡±


    ¡°¡­Maybe. If you behave.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll also be having a hug now.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because you¡ª¡±


    ¡°Smell nice, yeah, yeah,¡± I interrupted. Not sure why I always asked when I already knew the answer. Maybe I was just fishing for compliments? No, I wasn¡¯t that kind of shallow girl. At least I hoped I wasn¡¯t. Seeing that she was still with that face, I waved at her to come. ¡°Fine, but I want you clothed. Fully clothed.¡±


    ¡°Gee Violet. You make me sound like I¡¯m promiscuous.¡± She snarked as she snuggled in my arms.


    ¡°Now, why would I think that?¡±


    ¡°¡­You smell nice.¡±


    ¡°Right, right.¡±


    Despite me acting bashful, I was starting to get very fond of these types of interactions with Abby. It was as she said once; it was comforting. I¡ªwho was constantly worrying about something, sometimes something really silly¡ªfelt that when we were embracing each other. Her cheerfulness and kindness filled me with a warmth that made me feel calmer. A bit nervous too, but calmer in the head, nonetheless.


    ¡°Violet?¡± she spoke hesitantly.


    ¡°Yes? You want me to hold you tighter?¡±


    ¡°Yes please!¡± she said with a cheer, before resuming her previous tone. ¡°But also, try not to freak out.¡±


    ¡°¡­Why?¡± I asked, applying more force not because she asked, but because I was anticipating something bad.


    ¡°Again, there is no reason to freak out but¡­ my father has been looking at us quite amused for a while.¡±


    I didn¡¯t react at the beginning. I had to apply some effort to rotate my body and head to look at the same direction as Abby.


    By the doorframe of the dining room, I saw a tall middle-aged man wearing a suit and tie. Despite his amused smile, he looked like he would normally have a stern face. I also recognised him as being one of the restaurant¡¯s regulars.


    ¡°So, you are Violet? It¡¯s nice to meet you. And please, don¡¯t mind me. I only came for some papers.¡±


    ¡°Ah, no. Sorry that you saw us like this. I¡¯m Violet Evergreen,¡± I stuttered as I stood up and tried to push Abby away, to no avail. I should exercise just for this kind of situations.


    ¡°Ahaha. Abbigail, let your friend go,¡± he told her, which made the trick. ¡°As she told you, I¡¯m her father, William Gardener.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you. And¡­ sorry for seeing that.¡±


    ¡°No need to be shy. It¡¯s rare to see Abbigail so happy in the house, so I should be thanking you.¡±


    ¡°He is the total opposite of his wife,¡± was what I thought. I felt some relieve knowing Abby had someone that seemed that gentle in her family and not just her mother.


    ¡°Do you two have time to be frolicking?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry dad. We still have an hour before class.¡±


    ¡°Well, ok. You two behave now. I¡¯ll go grab my papers and be off before Elisa starts calling me. See you at dinner.¡±


    ¡°We will. Bye dad.¡±


    ¡°Have a good day Mr. Gardener.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± he said as he turned back to me. ¡°You are that waitress from Le Perrot, aren¡¯t you? I almost didn¡¯t recognise you in that uniform and with loose hair.¡±


    ¡°Y-yes, it¡¯s me,¡± I said a bit startled by him recognising me. ¡°Erm¡­ thank you for all of your generous tips¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the least I can do after all you have to deal with. Sorry for my wife¡¯s behaviour.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right. She just wants the service that is to be expected from me after all.¡±


    He didn¡¯t say a thing. He just stood there with a stern expression. When he finally moved, it was to talk to Abby.


    ¡°Abbigail, sweety? If your mum gives you another hard time because of this girl and I¡¯m not present, you come and tell me immediately.¡±


    Abby just looked surprised and gave him a nod. Apparently, we had her father¡¯s blessing to keep our friendship. That gave me another wave of relief. Not just because we had someone giving us support, but because Abby had that support close by.


    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m off. Bye.¡±


    He left us in a hurry. It only took a few minutes to see him dashing down the corridor and us hearing the door shutting.


    ¡°Violet?¡±


    I looked at Abby. She was a bit pale. That scared me as I thought she wasn¡¯t feeling well.


    ¡°Are you all right?¡± I asked as I held her by the shoulders.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she said tearing up. ¡°I¡¯m just so¡­ relieved.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ me too.¡±


    ¡°Can we¡­ cuddle before studying? I don¡¯t think I can focus right now.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± I spoke softly as I pulled her in. ¡°I think I would like that too.¡±


    We didn¡¯t study much that afternoon. We just sat on the sofa, me letting Abby use my lap as a pillow as she cried quietly. I on the other hand was worrying. Was her family fine? I didn¡¯t know enough, but I had the feeling it wasn¡¯t. If it all came tumbling down, would I be able to help her? Would I even be able to stay by her side? I didn¡¯t know and that terrified me.


    The next two weeks, we spent our free time studying. She even came to help me in my studies during the weekend for a couple of hours, although, to tell you the truth, she spent a good part of that time playing games and chatting with my father. Don¡¯t get me wrong, I wasn¡¯t bothered by it much. She helped me every time I asked, and it was nice seeing them both getting along so well. Were we to leave it up to him, she would have stayed overnight every time she came visiting. She never did, though. One thing I found weird was the fact she had an alarm set and, as soon as it rang, she¡¯d dart off saying she had to go back. She never explained why, though. My guess was, it had to do with her tyrannical mother, but I was both too scared to ask her and ruining what I believed were the few moments of freedom she got to enjoy.


    With those two weeks over and the tests done, the day I was going to that class Christmas dinner arrived. As I stood in front of the mirror, agonizing over how adequate was my outfit, I received a call.


    ¡°Hi, Abby.¡±


    ¡°Let me guess, you are tearing yourself apart over your clothes. Also, hi.¡±


    ¡°How did you know that!?¡±


    ¡°Violet will be Violet,¡± she said giggling. ¡°It¡¯s one of your endearing traits.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­Thanks?¡±


    ¡°Hehe, you¡¯re welcome. Anyway, how about I give you my opinion?¡± and trying to mimic one of those sexy radio man voices, she added what are you going to wear?


    I took me some time to be able to answer. What she said and the way she did made me laugh for a good bit.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m already wearing it. It¡¯s some ankle-length boots, black stockings, a floral skirt, and a green V-neck with a tan coat.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Abby? Are you there?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I was drooling a bit.¡±


    ¡°Pfft. What? What does that even mean?¡±


    ¡°It means I liked what I heard.¡±


    ¡°Then, why didn¡¯t you say so?¡±


    ¡°Hehe. And where is the fun in that?¡±


    Again, me asking what I already know.


    ¡°Just one more thing, Violet.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Yes?¡±


    ¡°What are you wearing under all that?¡±


    ¡°¡­See you at the restaurant, Miss Abbigail.¡±


    Always fooling around.


    Despite that, I peeked under the shoulder of my shirt.


    ¡°Maybe I should change that¡­ Wait, why? It¡¯s not like anyone will see it,¡± I spoke out loud. ¡°Well, maybe Abby will, but¡­ Why am I worrying about that!?¡±


    I walked over to my drawers. Opening one of them, I immediately found what I was looking for. That violet set I bought that time I went shopping with Abby stuck out aggressively amidst the all-white underwear I had, even though their tone was on the softer side. I had only worn them once, thinking about showing them to Abby while in the locker room at school, but ended up so embarrassed about what others would think, I ended up changing clothes in a toilet cubicle. Not sure why I was so embarrassed. In hindsight, they were very tame compared to some of my classmates. Anyway, I was now facing a dilemma.


    ¡°What would Abby say?¡±


    That I already knew.


    Just put them on.


    It wouldn¡¯t be so simple to convince myself, so¡­ how about leaving it to chance? Flip a coin. Heads, they¡¯d go, tails they¡¯d stay. Yeah, that sounded like a good idea.


    ¡°Heads, I wear them. Tails, I don¡¯t,¡± I kept repeating to myself as I rested a coin on my thumb.


    With a bit more force than necessary, the coin spun in the air, hitting the ceiling before rolling on the floor and stopping at my feet. Tails side up.


    ¡°¡­Screw it! I¡¯m wearing them.¡±

 Realisations

    I stomped my feet for a bit as I waited in front of the restaurant, the clatter and noise of teens my age clearly audible. I did it not because I was cold. It was cold, just not so much cold that I¡¯d be bothered. No, I did it because I was just a tad impatient.


    Is she still stressing because of her clothes after my call?


    I looked down the street again. It was still bright enough that you could see a fair distance away despite the lights that were hitting my eyes, so it was easy to spot her as she turned the corner. I immediately started jumping and waving my arms above my head. She in response just removed one of her hands from under her armpits and returned my greeting with a quick hand wave before ducking the hand back.


    ¡°It¡¯s rare to see you arriving late.¡±


    ¡°Sorry. I had to change clothes,¡± she said as she seemed a bit redder around the cheeks.


    Isn¡¯t she wearing the same clothes she told me before?


    ¡°Yup, you look great.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± she said shivering slightly. ¡°You look good too.¡±


    I looked at myself. Some lightly worn-out jeans, camping boots and a black parka covering a pearly pink mascot t-shirt. Yeah, she is just trying to be nice.


    ¡°Thanks, but you don¡¯t have to say that just to please me.¡±


    ¡°No, I mean it!¡± she said anxiously. ¡°It¡¯s very¡­ you know¡­ it¡¯s like¡­ hmm, It¡¯s¡­ Abby¡­like?¡±


    Seeing her fretting over that convinced me she was being honest. It also made me smile, as it all presented myself an opportunity to tease her a little.


    ¡°Ok, ok, I believe you. Still, the first time you complimented me was about something way more embarrassing and you did fine.¡±


    She went so red, steam could be seen around her. Yup, that was the reaction I had expected.


    ¡°That was¡­ Please don¡¯t talk about that in public!¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Sure, but we are the only ones in this street right now,¡± I told her before snatching one of her hands and starting to drag her into the building. ¡°Now let¡¯s get inside before you run off or turn into a popsicle.¡±


    Dinner was as to be expected. We were a class of twenty-five kids excited about now being on holidays until January after a whole week of tests. It was noisy, even for me. Violet, sitting to my immediate right, seemed even more bothered by all the excitement around us. Even so, she endured it very well. She was even able to hold conversations with other girls. They would mostly talk about hobbies and, since she barely had any besides putting up with me, her part-time job. They also tried to know if she had a crush, but that was quickly shot down. It had never occurred to me asking her that, so I was surprised to know she apparently didn¡¯t have any interest in that kind of stuff. And she was being honest, despite what the others teased her about. This of course was with the girls.


    When some guys came to talk with us, I suddenly felt someone¡¯s hand scurrying all over my leg. Well, not really scurrying. More like groping. In any other situation, I¡¯d have introduced my fist to the perpetrator¡¯s face, but since it was Violet who was doing that without looking, I instead grabbed it. After that, she looked at me as if saying ¡®thanks¡¯ and ¡®sorry¡¯. Had she read my face she would have read it saying, ¡®don¡¯t worry, you will pay for this later¡¯. What I would do, or even if I was going to do anything, that was still a mystery.


    The rest of the night, we held hands without her realising it. Even as we stood outside, she didn¡¯t let go. I wasn¡¯t going to let her go either. I was enjoying it and she seemed calmer that way, so it was fine, right?


    With everyone now going home, we were left alone in front of the restaurant. I was very pleased with how the night had gone by. Violet had been able to stay relatively calm and seemed to have even been able to enjoy herself. Yup, it had been a good night.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± she said. ¡°I ended up clinging myself to you all night.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you noticed it?¡± I asked surprised.


    ¡°¡­Yeah. I just couldn¡¯t let go of your hand,¡± she said mournfully.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind, my dear Violet,¡± I said with a mischievous smile on my face. ¡°But while you were looking for my hand, you touched me in some places.¡±


    She snapped her head in my direction, her face horrified. Had I gone a bit too far? Yeah, I did.


    ¡°Not that I mind you doing that either. Wait, no! What I meant was that I didn¡¯t mind because you didn¡¯t do it on purpose.¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m really sorry,¡± she said as her grip in my hand became limp.


    ¡°In that case, let¡¯s walk like this until we get to my house,¡± I said, almost desperate to salvage the situation.


    ¡°That hardly seems fair.¡±


    ¡°Well, since it¡¯s so late, you will be staying over. We might come up with something until we part ways in the morning.¡±


    I felt her disposition lightning as she changed her grip from the side to entangling her fingers with mine before giving me a little nod. This all gave me a shiver down my spine and a tightening in my stomach.


    It was hard to open the front door single-handedly, but for some reason I refused to leave her hand out of my grip. I only released her after we got into my bedroom so we could change.


    Knowing how she was, as soon as I had my PJ¡¯s ready, I turned my back to give her privacy. I was just finished putting it on when, it seemed to me, she called. Turning around, I was met with a sight to behold.


    The room was only lit by my bedside lamp, but I could see it like it was in the daylight. In front of me was Violet, completely flushed, as she held her hands behind her back and rubbing her knees on each other. She was only wearing violet underwear, which I recognised as being the ones we bought together. I could feel my mind melting with all that.


    ¡°F-for the¡­ touching y-you,¡± she mumbled almost incoherently.


    When she got too uncomfortable with my staring, she quicky put on the pyjama I lent her and sat on the bed.


    ¡°A-are we¡­ even?¡±


    I just gave her a nod. It was all I could do as I was barely containing myself. I didn¡¯t know what else to do. I just wanted to jump on her. But I wouldn¡¯t do it. I had to get a grip on myself fast.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to brush my teeth. You can settle down in the meantime,¡± I blurted, trying not to leave the room looking too shaken up.


    When I came back, she was still sitting.


    ¡°Is something the matter?¡±


    ¡°Nope, I was just waiting for my turn to go brush mine,¡± she said as she stood up and left, toothbrush in hand.


    Now that I was alone in the room, and having calmed down quite a lot, it was time for me to come to terms about certain things.


    There was no doubt that I was like that. Since when or why? I didn¡¯t know. How did I feel about it? Honestly, I didn¡¯t know. I had toyed with the idea before, but now that I had come to terms, it felt a bit different. Was it a bad thing? Hmm, I wouldn¡¯t say so. There really was no one I could hurt because of that.


    I mean, yeah, my parents might oppose that, but still¡­


    There were worse things I could be. Would I be a worse person? No, I still would be me. Just because I liked other girls didn¡¯t make me bad, right? But what about Violet? Was I just attracted to her physically, or was there something else? Was I like this because of her? Hmm, no, she wasn¡¯t why I was like this. I was already like this when we met. I just hadn¡¯t realised it at the time. Regarding my feelings for her¡­ would I want her as more than just a friend? Maybe. That sounded kinda nice.


    Wait, if I truly had more feelings than friendship and she accepted them, couldn¡¯t it be said I groomed her all this time?


    Even though I was just being me? I hoped not. I was just being me. That¡¯d be horrible. And we already had a very nice friendship. Would it all crumble down, were I to talk with her about this? Maybe not, but we just wouldn¡¯t be the same. That sounded like hell. Besides, I wasn¡¯t really sure if I felt like that about Violet. And why Violet? There were other, more approachable girls than her, so why her?


    The door opened, and Violet came inside. We looked at each other as she came closer to bed before stopping in front of me.


    ¡°Sorry, were you waiting for me?¡± she asked softly.


    ¡°Yeah, I guess I was,¡± I said with a soft giggle, realising how that answered many of my questions.


    Now, having come to terms about my¡­ preferences? Whatever you may call it, it didn¡¯t help me sleep that night. It was already morning and I had yet to fall asleep. Well, that¡¯s not totally true. I did fall asleep a couple of times. It¡¯s just that having Violet sleeping by my side was very¡­ stimulating to my dreams. I would then jolt awake right as it was getting to the good part. It¡¯s not like I wanted to dream about my friend. I just wanted to sleep, that¡¯s all.


    As I laid there, staring at the ceiling, I passed the time thinking about all the things we did together until that point as I listened to her breathing. It all felt so nostalgic, even though it had been only four months. It was also amazing how we grew so close in such a short amount of time. Maybe because we needed each other? Although, now there was this situation of me potentially needing her more than she needed me. But I didn¡¯t want to keep worrying about that, so I went back to my sweet memories.


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    Violet moaned and shifted herself to my direction. She was with a slightly troubled face. I thought she might have been having a nightmare. With another moan, she started to open her eyes. She proceeded to lift her body, putting it to rest on her arm while she rubbed her eyes with the other.


    ¡°Morin Abby,¡± she slurred in a half-awake state.


    ¡°Morning, sleepy head. It¡¯s still too early for you to wake up.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I was having the weirdest dream. What time is it?¡± she asked as she squinted towards the clock display.


    ¡°It¡¯s about six in the morning.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s way too early.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s why I told you to go back to sleep.¡±


    She went back to lay her head on the pillow.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going for one of your morning runs?¡±


    ¡°Nah. I would feel bad leaving you here alone. Also, I¡¯m too tired for that.¡±


    ¡°You? Tired? Didn¡¯t you sleep?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, It¡¯s one of those nights.¡±


    ¡°Is it because I¡¯m here?¡±


    When she asked me that, in my sleep deprived state, I thought she meant something else. When I looked at her worried dimly lit face, I knew what she actually meant. She was thinking I was worried about mum.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You being here doesn¡¯t worry me one bit.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± she said as she shut her eyes. ¡°You should try to sleep, even if just for a bit.¡±


    ¡°I will. Although, if I stay awake, I can watch you sleep.¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s a creepy thing to say.¡±


    ¡°Hehe. Sorry. I¡¯m just kidding.¡±


    ¡°¡­Would it help if we snuggle?¡±


    That would make it worse.


    Of course, that¡¯s something I wouldn¡¯t say to her face.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Just go to sleep already.¡±


    ¡°¡­Hmm. I think I¡¯ll just keep talking to you.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll be working, so we won¡¯t be able to talk much during the holidays.¡±


    ¡°True, but we can always give each other a call.¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s not¡­the same.¡±


    ¡°¡­ I changed my mind. I want that cuddle,¡± I said as I heard a switch flipping in my mind.


    ¡°Sure¡­ I was feeling a bit cold.¡±


    That didn¡¯t feel like an excuse. I could feel her cold hands through my clothes. Without even thinking about it, I grabbed her hands, placed one under my arm and the other between my face and pillow.


    ¡°Thanks, but¡­ isn¡¯t it uncomfortable?¡±


    ¡°You will be warm in an instant so, don¡¯t bother with it.¡±


    ¡°Fufu, thanks,¡± she said with a pleased look. ¡°You are always so warm.¡±


    It was true. I wasn¡¯t someone that suffered from the winter cold. But in this situation, I felt that my normally high body temperature wasn¡¯t the only cause for my warmness.


    ¡°What have you been doing all this time?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Just going through my memories of us in these last few months.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± she hummed. ¡°Anything good?¡±


    ¡°Do you even have to ask?¡± I teased. ¡°Actually¡­ I wanted to ask you something.¡±


    ¡°Is it something embarrassing?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe. Remember that time you said you were wrong about me? What was that about?¡±


    She opened her eyes and gave me a regretful expression.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Abby¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s ok,¡± I reassured her. ¡°You don¡¯t have to answer if you don¡¯t want to.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not it,¡± she mumbled. ¡°Since you are always teasing me, at the time I thought you were mocking me and talking about it to your friends behind my back¡­ I¡¯m so sorry for that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s ok. If I look it from your perspective, I can see why you¡¯d think that.¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m still sorry.¡±


    I inched closer to her. I was going to try something that would be a nice way to make her feel like she paid back her¡­ ¡°offence¡±, and I¡¯d get some fun out of it.


    ¡°In that case,¡± I whispered as I planted a kiss on her forehead, ¡°I¡¯ll be having this as your punishment.¡±


    At first, she went wide eyed and, even if I couldn¡¯t see it clearly, fully flushed. But when she went and rested her head against my chest sobbing, my heart gave an audible crack.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Violet! I didn¡¯t mean to go too far!¡± I excused in a panic.


    She moved her head side to side, giving little sobs as she tried to form words.


    ¡°I-t¡¯s like¡­like mum¡­ like she used¡­¡±


    She couldn¡¯t finish her sentence, but I understood immediately. I made a memory of her mum surface. A gesture of kindness and love she probably had forgotten until that moment. Were we, mum and I, ever like that?


    I just held her tighter as I patted her on the head for an hour or so.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± she murmured.


    ¡°Thank you? For what?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have many memories of my mum. So¡­¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ How was she?¡± I asked, a bit afraid I might make her start crying all over again.


    ¡°I¡¯m told she was a very kind, warm person,¡± she spoke weakly.


    Seeing that she seemed willing to talk, and having my curiosity peaking, I carried on with the inquiry.


    ¡°Was she pretty? What was her name?¡±


    ¡°I only saw a couple of pictures of her, but she was beautiful. Way more than I¡¯ll ever be. And her name was Charlotte.¡±


    I was going to say something about Violet probably being as beautiful as her mum, but I took too long.


    ¡°I have her last name, you know?¡±


    ¡°Hers? Not your father¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°They never married. Dad always wanted to give her a proper marriage, but they never had the money for it. And dad says Evergreen suits me more than Miller.¡±


    ¡°Violet Miller¡­ Violet Evergreen¡­ Yeah, Evergreen suits you way better.¡±


    She lifted her face to look into my eyes.


    ¡°Why?¡± she asked.


    ¡°You are always trying your best, no matter how hard it is for you. It also has a nice ring to it.¡±


    ¡°¡­Thanks,¡± she spoke as she went back to resting her head on my chest.


    ¡°That¡¯s it? No arguing back?¡± I said jovially, trying to lighten the mood.


    ¡°You¡¯d just make a counterargument I couldn¡¯t refute, so¡­¡±


    ¡°Hehe. You are starting to know me well, huh?¡±


    ¡°I guess I am,¡± she said with a soft giggle.


    We laid there for a long while. I didn¡¯t think she had fallen asleep, but it was a bit strange for us to stay wrapped in each other like that without her trying to pry away. I considered calling her a couple of times, but if she had indeed fallen asleep, I¡¯d feel bad to wake her.


    ¡°Are you free today, Abby?¡±


    ¡°Ye-yeah,¡± I replied, a bit startled by her sudden words.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but could you come with me somewhere?¡±


    This was the first time she had ever asked me out. Up until that moment, it had always been me. That got me extremely happy, way more than what I¡¯d have guessed. That was tempered with the fact she was saying sorry. That was weird.


    ¡°Sure, Violet. I¡¯d like that very much.¡±


    ¡°¡­Thanks,¡± she simply said.


    ¡°So¡­ where are you taking me?¡± I asked a bit anxious.


    ¡°It might be weird, but I¡¯d like to introduce you to my mum,¡± she said solemnly. ¡°If you are ok with that, that is.¡±


    We were walking side by side, Violet just slightly ahead of me. We didn¡¯t talk all the way to the cemetery. She had her head hanging slightly and seemed to be in deep thought. I was doing the same. Since this was the first time I had ever been in such a place, I had no idea how to behave or what to do, so I was following her example. Just what should I do after we got to her mother¡¯s grave? Should I knee? Should I pray? Or was it like the movies and I should just say something to the picture in the gravestone? Should I put my hand on Violet¡¯s shoulder? That didn¡¯t seem appropriate for some reason, although I¡¯d be just giving her some comfort. Should I just give her some privacy? No, she said she wanted to introduce me, so I should stay close, right? But if so¡ª


    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived,¡± she said as she stopped while facing a grave.


    It was a simple grave. The stone had Charlotte Evergreen written in white letters, contrasting the dark stone. Above the name was a picture of her face. It was a little bit bleached by the sun, but I still could see she was like Violet; or rather, Violet was just like her, only younger. Doing a little math, she had almost twenty-five when she passed away¡­ so young. Just what had happened? I wanted to know, but I didn¡¯t want to bring up such a sad subject and upset Violet.


    If she ever tells me, that will be it.


    ¡°Hello mum,¡± Violet started. ¡°I¡¯ve brought someone with me.¡±


    She made me a sign to come closer and, surprising me a little, grabbed my hand gently.


    ¡°Her name is Abbigail Gardener, but I just call her Abby. She¡¯s my¡­ best friend.¡±


    She was now starting to sound emotional. I gave her hand a soft squeeze.


    ¡°I have a friend now so¡­erm¡­ you don¡¯t have to worry¡­ erm¡­¡±


    Her eyes started watering. It was clear to me that there were things she wanted to say, that she planned to say, but now¡­ now she just couldn¡¯t. Those words wouldn¡¯t come up.


    ¡°Miss Charlotte,¡± I started a bit awkwardly. ¡°Like Violet said, I¡¯m Abby. Your daughter is a very nice person. Erm¡­ Every day is a lot of fun with her. Even when I go a bit overboard, she is still patient with me. She is also a bit of a pain to deal with at times, but even so, we have fun together. She was very supportive when I needed it the most, even though we don¡¯t know each other for that long. Erm¡­ I really l-like her.¡±


    We didn¡¯t say anything for a while. After my speech, Violet¡¯s expression lightened up. I¡¯d like to think I was able to say some of the stuff she had intended.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Abby,¡± she said with a soft tug on my hand. ¡°Goodbye mum. Until next time.¡±


    ¡°Goodbye Miss Charlotte,¡± I said. Please, watch over us was a prayer that formed in my mind before I turned and followed Violet.


    We were now walking with no defined destination. Even if cold, it was a beautiful morning. We still hadn¡¯t spoken a word since we left Charlotte¡¯s grave, but I could see Violet was satisfied with the results. She was also slightly flushed. If it was the cold or the fact we were still holding hands, I don¡¯t know. The hand I was holding had its fingers a bit cold. They felt so delicate like that. It was as if I was holding strands of crystal.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you are still holding my hand,¡± I stated. ¡°Is it because it is cold, or are you actually enjoying it?¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s because it¡¯s cold,¡± she said as she gained a bit more colour on the face. Mostly I seemed to read as she moved her lips without a sound.


    ¡°Should I also hold the other one?¡± I joked.


    ¡°How are we supposed to walk if we do that?¡± she asked with a laugh.


    ¡°We could invert the grips and one would walk facing forward with the other following.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s just silly!¡±


    ¡°Speaking of walking, we¡¯ve been doing that for a while, but I have no idea where to. Have you planned something?¡±


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Should we stop somewhere? Aren¡¯t you getting tired?¡±


    ¡°I might not exercise like you, but my part time demands me to stand and walk for long periods of time, don¡¯t you know?¡± she said as she tried to sound annoyed. It was a good effort.


    ¡°And when will you let me visit you at your workplace?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s never going to happen.¡±


    ¡°Why not? I promise I¡¯ll let you be,¡± I whined.


    ¡°I have no doubts you would. Still, I¡¯d be too distracted with you there.¡±


    ¡°Aww. Are you that self-conscious with me around?¡±


    ¡°No! I¡¯d just be even more worried about messing up and look like an idiot in front of you!¡±


    I laughed for a good bit due to her outburst. She also accompanied me with her own laughter. It was a soft laugh. It was also the most I¡¯ve ever heard her doing so. It gave me a fluffy, warm feeling in my chest.


    ¡°How about we keep doing this until lunch time?¡± I suggested.


    ¡°Sure. Today, I only have to work at night, so I¡¯m free until then.¡±


    ¡°Oh, but I won¡¯t be able to have lunch with you. Another one of those stupid business visits I must attend for some reason.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a shame,¡± she said a bit sorrowfully. ¡°But why can¡¯t you just not go?¡±


    ¡°My mum told me way more times than I can keep count that it¡¯s so I have an idea of what I¡¯ll be doing career-wise.¡±


    ¡°You want to be a businesswoman?¡± she asked flabbergasted.


    ¡°You know me well enough that your own reaction serves as my answer.¡±


    ¡°Erm¡­ what is it that you want to do when you grow up?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea. Anything but that, that¡¯s to be sure. How about you, Violet?¡±


    ¡°Hmm. I¡¯ve thought I might try and go full time where I¡¯m already working, but I don¡¯t really know if that¡¯s something I want to do professionally since I can get really exhausted emotionally with dealing with people. The place also doesn¡¯t look like it¡¯s doing all that well either.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I see what you mean. Well, you might get better at it, but still¡ª¡±


    She suddenly stopped, causing me to be yanked in a way that made me almost fall.¡±


    ¡°A PE teacher!¡± she exclaimed enthusiastically.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, but that might be a bit too much for you,¡± I said trying not to sound too much of a downer.


    ¡°Oh no! Not me! You!¡±


    ¡°Me?!¡±


    She nodded vigorously. So much so, I pictured her glasses come flying out of her face. The way she looked at me was so earnest.


    A PE teacher?


    Well, I was good at sports and my scores were high. I also would get to do something more physically active. I was aware it wouldn¡¯t be just fun and games. There would be times where I had to take care of evaluations, school meetings, dealing with parents and all that jazz. But honestly, I didn¡¯t think I would mind that. In fact, the more I thought about it, the giddier I got with the idea. Yeah, that sounded awesome to me.


    I stepped forward and wrapped my free arm around Violet.


    ¡°You know what? You are right! That does sound like something I can do and like. Thank you! Thank you!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m happy that I was useful but Abby please! You are hurting me!¡± she squealed.


    ¡°Sorry, sorry,¡± I said as I released her. Not her hand though. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    ¡°Gee, Abby. You¡¯re always so excitable,¡± she said as she tried a stern voice, but the smile she had ruined the illusion.


    I made a decision in that instant. As soon as I got home, I would talk with my parents. I¡¯ve done what they wanted for my whole life, it was only fair they now at least listened to my request. I hoped I would also make it so my mum would mellow about me, and we could get along better. Yes, that was my hope as I stood there with Violet.

 Coming to a Head

    *I should have known better.*


    ¡°Are you out of your mind, Abbigail Gardener!?¡± my mum shouted. ¡°Of all the ridiculous things you could waste our time, you chose that!?¡±


    Despite the heating, the living room suddenly felt like a freezer. All of my previous hopes were now wrecked on the floor. Even so, I still wanted to fight.


    ¡°I-it¡¯s not ridiculous! It¡¯s what I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shut up, missy! I haven¡¯t finished yet,¡± she argued back. ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll let you throw away all the hard work, all the effort I put into raising you?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve never asked me if that was anything I wanted! You always expected me to play along like a good girl!¡±


    ¡°How dare you talk back?! Is this because of that girl¡¯s influence?¡±


    ¡°Her name is Violet, mum! Violet Evergreen! And no! She did nothing wrong, so don¡¯t you dare bring her into this discussion!¡±


    ¡°Why, you! I ought to¡ª¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Elisa!¡± my dad shouted as he hit the coffee table with his fist when he saw mum raise her hand, making me flinch in fear.


    The room fell dead quiet. Mum and I, who at that point had anger all over our faces now expressed indignation and a deep fear, respectively. Dad was now who was steaming.


    ¡°Excuse me!?¡± mum began.


    ¡°You heard me! I¡¯m sick and tired of this crap. I watched in silence as you belittled our daughters and treated them like you would incompetent employees.¡±


    ¡°I do no such thing!¡±


    ¡°Oh, really? If that¡¯s the case, when was it the last time you said something nice to any of the two, huh? Can you remember?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m their mother!¡± my mum said red with anger.


    ¡°Let me tell you that you suck at that!¡±


    ¡°Oh? Are you now telling me you are a better parent than me? Is that it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯ve been a terrible father that I¡¯m digging my heels now. Enough is enough!¡±


    Once again, the room fell silent. I was petrified in my seat while my parents stared at each other with pure spite. It felt like the time had stopped, but the clicking I could hear from the grandpa clock told me it was just ticking away slowly.


    ¡°I suppose you are going to tell me next you want the divorce,¡± mum said bitterly.


    He looked at me, his face grievous with regret. It got even worse when he saw my tears, which felt like acid as they burned my face where they streamed.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said as he came back to facing mum. ¡°I think that would be for the best of us all.¡±


    ¡°You will be hearing from our lawyer,¡± mum said as she stormed out of the room.


    ¡°Abby, sweety¡­?¡± dad spoke worryingly as he faced me again.


    My crying became even worse, my breathing¡ªwhich I came to realize, had stopped in the middle of the argument¡ªresumed in an almost asthmatic way. I tried to form words, but I was only able to choke on them as my breathing became even more erratic. Dad was now looking at me with a mix of worry and terror as he held my shoulders and tried to calm me down with words, I could barely hear over the ringing in my ears.


    ¡°M-m-my¡­ult¡­m-m-m¡­ f-f-fa¡­¡±


    ¡°No, sweety! No! It¡¯s not your fault. It¡¯s ours,¡± said dad as he now was also crying. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Abby. I¡¯m so sorry! It¡¯s your mother¡¯s and mine. I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    ???


    I looked at my cellphone for what felt like the hundredth time today. One more day had passed, and I still hadn¡¯t been able to talk with Abby on the phone. Tomorrow would be the New Year and would also mark the second week I hadn¡¯t heard from her.


    ¡°Had I done something wrong?¡± and ¡°did something happen to her?¡± were thoughts that assaulted me every waking hour. Sometimes, something even worse came to mind.


    ¡°Still no news from her?¡± dad asked as he placed a hand on my shoulder.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ She isn¡¯t picking up,¡± I said, feeling disheartened.


    ¡°And were things alright the last time you two were toge¡ª¡±


    ¡°Yes, dad! We had a great time,¡± I told him exasperated. ¡°I just¡­ What if something happened to her?¡±


    ¡°Hey, hey, calm down,¡± he said as he tried to calm me. ¡°For all we know she travelled somewhere for the holidays and forgot her phone.¡±


    ¡°But didn¡¯t you tell me her parents are still going to work?¡±


    ¡°Maybe she is with other relatives? You said it yourself. She didn¡¯t tell you much about her family.¡±


    I didn¡¯t answer. I just went back into my mind. There was a way I could discover what was going on. That was going to her place. I had struggled with that idea, always coming up with excuses not to go. Either because I could bother her, come face to face with her mother, all of it just excuses so that I didn¡¯t have to admit I was scared of her telling me to go away or discover that something really had happened. Only, this time I was tired of making excuses.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to her place!¡± I told dad as I pushed him out of my room so I could change. I was now going to face my fears.


    Standing now in front of the door, my finger hovering above the bell, was when I finally started second guessing myself. That took me longer than I thought, but it still wasn¡¯t something to be proud about. I just had to move my finger just a smidge. Why was that so hard all of a second?


    I shook my hand, took a breath and, with all the resolve I had gathered, pressed the button. As soon as I did so, the door opened, and I came face to face with none other than Abby. That was my first impression at least. It was actually her mother. It was just by pure wishful thinking that I saw her. Even though they had some similarities, her mother was about my height, and there was an even bigger, enormous even, difference between the two. Abby¡¯s face always carried warmness in it.


    ¡°You,¡± she spoke, barely moving her mouth, her expression so bitter, I shrivelled under it.


    ¡°G-good morning. Is¡­ is Abby home?¡±


    ¡°Have you come to gloat?¡± she spat, her face twisted.


    ¡°W-what? No, I just¡ª¡±


    I bit my tongue as she slapped me across the face with such force, my glasses flew out of my face.


    ¡°Just get out of my face!¡± she shrieked as she shut the door.


    Trembling, I picked up my glasses and left crying. Not because of the pain, or the cracks in the lenses, but because I was terrified. Just what had happened?


    ¡°Oh my god! What happened?¡± my father demanded to know as soon as he saw me enter home.


    I explained the best I could what had happened. Now that I slightly calmer from being home and with him, I noticed the taste of metal in my mouth and, while I was talking, I noticed my speech was slurred.


    He made a face I had never seen him make. It was pure, unadulterated anger. I saw his fists tightening.


    ¡°Daddy will be back in a minute. Stay here,¡± he growled as he went straight to the door.


    After half an hour that felt like an eternity, he was back, a dark aura still surrounding him, and he had someone with him that looked exhausted. It was Mr. Gardener. Abby¡¯s father, for some reason came to my house, and his expression made me tear up as I started to fear the worse.


    ¡°Hello, Violet. I¡¯m¡ª¡±


    ¡°Is Abby ok?¡± I interrupted, not caring for politeness at that point.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry she is¡­ well, sit down. I have some explaining to do.¡±


    We sat down and he gave me an account of what had transpired on the day we had gone to visit my mum. I also got to know he and Abby were staying at a hotel until the divorce was settled and he found a place to live. Apparently, Abby would be left in his care as her mother wanted to settle the matter as quickly as possible, afraid of domestic violence charges and so, did not put up a fight for her custody.


    ¡°Oh my god. It¡¯s my fault, isn¡¯t it?¡± I cried.


    ¡°No, Violet. It¡¯s mine,¡± Mr. Gardener said. ¡°For far too long I let Elisa belittle and terrorize Abbigail and her sister. That day was just when I couldn¡¯t stand for it any longer. Had I been a better parent, that would never have happened.¡±


    ¡°B-but¡ª¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know the details, but it¡¯s like Mr. Will said. It really isn¡¯t your fault,¡± my dad added, his voice coarse.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to give you more time to process all this, but I need your help Violet,¡± Mr. Gardener said.


    ¡°M-my¡­ help?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± he concurred as he rubbed his eyes. ¡°Abbigail¡­ Abby needs you. She hasn¡¯t spoken a word since, barely eats and doesn¡¯t leave the bed. It¡¯s what worries me the most in all this.¡±


    ¡°Is she in such a bad state?¡± I asked terrified.


    He nodded.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s too much to ask, but will you please try and at least get her to eat something?¡±


    It was all too sudden. It was all very scary. Now, I also felt an enormous weight on my shoulders. Even so, I felt no hesitation this time. If I was going to be of any use, I didn¡¯t know. Honestly, I didn¡¯t believe I could.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try¡ª¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all well and good Mr. Will but,¡± my dad spoke gruffly. ¡°You can clearly see what happened to my daughter¡¯s face and glasses. What about that?¡±


    As they started to discuss it, I touched the left side of my face. It felt like it was on fire and swollen. I decided to use my phone camera as a mirror. It was indeed swollen, and it was already starting to go purple, probably looking worse than it was since my skin was so pale. My lip also had a small gash with dried blood over it all the way down to the chin. Looking down, there was a small pool of dried blood on my clothes from it.


    ¡°Did Elisa really hit you like that when you went there to ask about Abbigail?¡±


    ¡°Yes but¡­ I don¡¯t think she knew I wasn¡¯t aware of what is going on.¡±


    ¡°Even so, that¡¯s going too far¡­ By the looks of it, I¡¯d say she punched you instead of giving you a slap.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t see how that makes any difference,¡± my dad interjected.


    ¡°Sorry, Stanley. I¡¯m tired so I¡¯m just thinking out loud. I¡¯ll make her pay for the glasses, that I guarantee. Her face on the other hand¡ª¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about my face,¡± I said impatiently as I stood up. ¡°Just take me to Abby!¡±


    ¡°You mean¡­right now?¡± they asked in unison.


    ¡°Yes, right now!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to take care of¡ª¡±


    ¡°Like I said, I don¡¯t care about it!¡± I practically yelled. ¡°Even if it leaves a scar, it¡¯s not like I¡¯ll be worse for wear!¡±


    I saw my dad form a protest in his mouth, but almost immediately he closed it under my glare. The two exchanged a look to which my dad nodded.


    ¡°I have no words for how thankful I am,¡± Mr. gardener said solemnly. ¡°Your Violet really is something else.¡±


    I was standing in front of her room, key in the lock. During the trip there, I thought what to say, but nothing that came to mind seemed any good. Were the roles reversed, I believed Abby would know what to do. Or at least she would find out what to do as she went. But that wasn¡¯t how it was going to happen. It was I who had to do the lifting.


    Sighing, I walked inside the room.


    It was a simple room. A corridor led to the bedchamber and had a door to the right giving access to the bathroom. The bedchamber had an enormous window from which you could see the townscape. In the middle of the right wall was the single bed where I found Abby completely hidden under the covers, just having the tip of her head peeking.


    Coming closer to the bed, I could hear a soft breathing. Gently, I sat by her, making it so that, were she to wake up, she wouldn¡¯t see the bruised side of my face. It had brought a lot of attention from people, but hers is the one I didn¡¯t want to attract. I was scared it would only worsen her state. I sat there for some time, looking at that figure all curled up. She didn¡¯t seem to be waking up anytime soon, so I gently gave her a shake as I called out her name.


    She shook a bit, uncovered her head, and looked towards the window. She must have seen my reflexion in the glass, as she jumped in the bed to look at me, her face, now extremely pale and sunken, showing a startled expression. I felt like I was hit in the chest with a mallet as I saw that.


    ¡°Hello, Abby,¡± I spoke quietly, as if she was still asleep.


    ¡°V-Violet?¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s me. I¡¯m here.¡±


    She looked at me, perplexed. She was probably coming to terms with me actually being there.


    ¡°Why?¡± she asked, tears forming in her somewhat lifeless eyes.


    ¡°I was worried about you. We all are.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± she said, now starting to cry.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok,¡± I told her as I pulled her head towards my chest, patting her head as I did so.


    ¡°Do you¡­know?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Mr. Gar¡ª Your father told me what happened.¡±


    She started wailing as I said that. She was babbling something incoherently. It took me a while to finally understand what she was trying to say.


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    I pulled her away from me and did to her what she had done to me when it was I who was babbling. I gently held her face in my hands and looked as straight into her eyes as I could.


    ¡°If that is so, then I¡¯m the one who is the guiltiest.¡±


    She didn¡¯t utter a word. She just kept opening and closing her mouth, clearly wanting to ask why I was saying that.


    ¡°If I had kept to myself the idea of you becoming a teacher you wouldn¡¯t have had that argument, right? So, I¡¯m the one who is guilty of it all.¡±


    ¡°H-how can you say that!?¡± she yelled from the top of her lungs. ¡°Why would you think such a thing!?¡±


    ¡°So, don¡¯t you also think you aren¡¯t responsible for your parents break up? Don¡¯t you think they would do it any other time? That it just happened to be that day, and that it could have been any other day for some other reason?¡±


    Her only answer was an expression torn by pain, and her face crashing down on my lap as she went back to wailing, her cries muffled by my legs.


    When she was finally done with it, she laid on her side, curling herself, and kept her face rested on my lap. She was still very emotional, but I could see she had calmed down. I had a strong suspicion she had kept all those emotions piled up inside and now that they all exploded, she could finally start processing everything which was happening around her.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± she said in a somewhat hollow voice.


    ¡°Feeling better?¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know¡­I feel numb.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s ok. Let¡¯s take baby steps.¡±


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    Seeing her so docile right now gave me an ok signal to press on to other subject matters.


    ¡°Is it true you haven¡¯t been eating?¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry¡­ I haven¡¯t been hungry¡­¡± she meekly spoke.


    ¡°Nope, that won¡¯t do,¡± I told her as I started to force her to stand. ¡°Come on! Off to the shower with you.¡±


    ¡°What?! Why? Just leave me alone!¡± she protested as I pushed her towards the bathroom.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you like my cooking? I refuse to have you at my table reeking.¡±


    ¡°But I told you I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Abby!¡± I cut her. ¡°I¡¯ve been worried sick about you for days. Won¡¯t you please come to my place and try to eat a little? I¡¯ll do anything you want so, please? For me?¡±


    She hung her head. Was she going to throw a fit or start wailing all over again?


    ¡°Could you¡­ could you make¡­ meat stew?¡±


    I gave her a little giggle to which she lifted her head.


    ¡°The one you said it tasted homey? Sure thing.¡±


    ¡°¡­Thanks.¡±


    ¡°No problem. Now please, go take a shower. I¡¯ll prepare you a change of clothes.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± she said with a nod, setting her hands free from mine and started shambling to the bathroom.


    I was going through the drawers when I heard her calling for me.


    Lifting my eyes, I saw her leaning her head out of the door.


    ¡°What happened to your face?¡± she asked, her voice now sounding worried instead of weak and hollow.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you about it another time. Just hurry up and get ready.¡±


    ¡°Ok,¡± she said. I¡¯m not forgetting that she added as she went back inside.


    Well, duh.


    It wasn¡¯t as if it was something anyone would forget when it could be so clearly seen.


    While Abby was showering and getting dressed, I called dad so he and Mr. Gardener would be informed of the current situation. I also asked dad to invite Mr. Gardener for dinner. After having seen him so mad today, I was a bit fearful of his reaction but, surprisingly enough, he offered no resistance.


    ¡°All set?¡± I asked Abby when she came into the bedroom, now washed and clothed.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she spoke in a bit of a monotone.


    ¡°Ok, let¡¯s go,¡± I said as I grabbed her hand, intending to give her support. She instead pulled her hand away and clinged herself to that arm. I looked at her a bit surprised, but she just gave me a begging look.


    Well, whatever.


    Don¡¯t get me wrong, I was fine with that kind of behaviour when in private. In private. When we were in public however, and we were soon going to be, it was too much for me that kind of stuff. To make things worse, people would be seeing a teary-eyed girl clinging to another with a bruised face and bloodied clothes. The fact two adults accompanied us¡­ I¡¯m not sure if it helped or not, but I don¡¯t care how you want to paint it, it didn¡¯t look good. But even after taking all of that in consideration, at that moment I didn¡¯t care for any of it. I just wanted to make Abby feel better and make her have a good meal.


    We had to make a quick stop to buy some meat, since we didn¡¯t really have time to let what we had to defrost. Now that the four of us were at my house, I was to go to the kitchen. There was just one problem I had to solve first.


    ¡°Sorry, but I need you to leave my arm,¡± I spoke softly to Abby.


    She gave me one of her looks, but seeing me not budging under it, she released it.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go play something with our parents in the meantime? I think your father would be happy with that.¡±


    She exchanged a look with her father, who was unaware of our conversation, before giving me a nod in agreement and walking over them.


    Now, stew isn¡¯t a particularly complicated thing to prepare and cook, even when you want it to be tasty. Even so, I must confess. This time I put a lot more care than I usually did without noticing it. The only reason why I realised that was the fact it took me almost double of the time it usually takes me to get to the step of just letting it simmer.


    ¡°How are things?¡± my dad asked as I sat with them at the table. He was now more like his usual self despite looking very tired.


    ¡°We just have to wait for it to simmer and we can eat,¡± I answered, also feeling a bit tired myself.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± said Abby meekly. ¡°I should have helped¡­¡±


    ¡°No way!¡± I told her as cheerful as I could without sounding forced. ¡°That kitchen barely has enough space for my dad to work in there, let alone you and me.¡±


    Even with that said, she looked a bit gloomier.


    What a pain.


    ¡°If you want to help me that much, can I count on you to help me do the dishes?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± she said sounding a bit more enthusiastic. That made me think that, instead of just trying to treat her with all the care in the world, I should act in a way more like our normal. That would certainly make things easier for me.


    ¡°So,¡± I spoke to all of them. ¡°Who¡¯s winning?¡±


    ¡°They are!¡± my dad proclaimed, not too bothered. ¡°Mr. Will is first, Abby with half of his score and me at last.¡±


    ¡°I told you to drop the ¡®Mister¡¯¡± Abby¡¯s dad spoke.


    ¡°I know, sorry. It¡¯s just a bit weird calling my boss so casually,¡± my dad said apologetically.


    ¡°In that case, call me ¡®Mister¡¯ only when we are at the office. Otherwise, it¡¯s just Will for you. And that goes for you too Violet.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh, erm¡­ ok,¡± I stumbled. It felt weird to call someone who was more than twice my age just by their name, but it really wasn¡¯t something I could argue.


    After that point, I zoned out of the conversation. I had a set of eyes transfixed on me across the table. Probably because of my bruises. I felt like picking up my chair and go sit by her side, but I had to get up and serve the stew in a bit, so it wouldn¡¯t be worth it.


    Maybe I should ask if she could stay over?


    She certainly seemed like she would want to, but judging by our conversation about her wanting to help me cook, that would be something she would be troubled asking.


    Guess I¡¯ll wait and see.


    Dinner went mostly quiet. Looking around the table, I could see everyone showed different levels of tiredness. Mr. Gardener looked¡ªquite frankly¡ªlike a dead man, my father also looked like someone needing to lay down, and Abby¡­ well, she wasn¡¯t like her dad, but¡­


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°This is good,¡± she said when she noticed me looking at her.


    I gave her a smile. Seeing her eat with some semblance of an appetite gave me relief for the first time today. If she was eating like that, she would be alright, right?


    ¡°Violet?¡± Abby called nervously.


    ¡°Yes, Abby?¡±


    ¡°¡­Erm¡­ never mind,¡± she said after glancing to our dads. It was that wasn¡¯t it?


    ¡°Mr. Gard¡­ no, that¡¯s not it. Erm¡­ William,¡± I compromised. Just calling him Will was a bit too much. ¡°Could Abby stay over? In fact, you should too.¡±


    ¡°Abby? Sure. But I¡ª¡±


    ¡°You stay too,¡± my dad cut him off. ¡°I mean, I just want to get myself some sleep. I can¡¯t even imagine how tired you must be.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t I be a bother?¡± Abby¡¯s dad asked.


    ¡°None at all. We just have to take out the spare mattress for that.¡±


    ¡°Oh, the sofa is fine. I¡¯m quite used to it.¡±


    Having said that, he gave a nervous look at Abby.


    By the way she looked back, she hadn¡¯t heard him. I wasn¡¯t dumb enough not to understand what was behind his words and reaction.


    After the dishes and giving our goodnights, the two of us went to my room. Since no one had planned Abby staying over, I lent her one of my PJ¡¯s. The ones I wore during the winter were all more on the baggy side, so it was no problem finding one that fit her. Come to think of it, if it were any other season, it still wouldn¡¯t have been a problem by our experience.


    Anyway, we were now in bed, me on the wall side, belly up and Abby on the other side, curled with her back towards me. I found myself thinking she might want to cuddle but was too reluctant to ask as she usually did, so I¡¯d have to be the one to take the first step. The question was how? I had an idea and with that, I touched my face.


    Yep, cold enough.


    I scooted over to her and placed one of my hands under her arm pit.


    ¡°Eek! Violet!?¡± she squeaked.


    ¡°Sorry. I was just feeling cold. Should I take it off?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I was just caught off guard.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t see her face, but I¡¯d like to believe she was with a tiny smile as she said that.


    ¡°Hey, Violet¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, Abby?¡±


    ¡°¡­Actually, let¡¯s not,¡± she said, shaking her head slightly.


    ¡°No, please. Tell me,¡± I said curious.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you some other time,¡± she said gradually quieter. ¡°I still have to think a bit more.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ok,¡± I said a bit disappointed for not getting my curiosity satisfied.


    She took my hand off from under her arm to turn herself towards me and getting my hand back in her armpit and grabbing the other and placing it under her head, even though that hand was warm. She proceeded to gently caress my face and lower lip. Normally I¡¯d turn violently red, but this time I just gave a tiny wince as that part of my face was where I was hit.


    ¡°It looks so painful,¡± she murmured.


    ¡°I-it¡¯s not so bad,¡± I said, trying to hide the pain I felt, to no avail.


    ¡°Are you going to tell me what happened now?¡±


    ¡°Now is not the¡ª¡±


    ¡°Please, Violet. Tell me,¡± she said, now sounding worried. ¡°If it was¡­ if it was your dad¡­¡±


    ¡°No, no, no!¡± I said hurriedly. ¡°It wasn¡¯t him who did this.¡±


    ¡°Then who?¡± she demanded.


    ¡°¡­It was¡­ your mother.¡±


    ¡°¡­Mum did this?¡± she asked incredulous.


    ¡°Yes¡­ I went to your place this afternoon looking for you. That¡¯s when it happened.¡±


    She stared at me for a while, as if processing what I had told her. Gently, she pulled my head to her chest as she came to rest her chin on the top of it.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Violet. I should have told you.¡±


    It was now I who was also getting emotional. I grabbed her shirt as my eyes flooded with tears and a sensation of having something choking me came about.


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked in tears. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Violet,¡± she said crying too. ¡°I wanted to. I wanted to call you so much. But¡­ I just couldn¡¯t. I don¡¯t know why¡­ I just¡­¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we friends?¡± I practically yelled. ¡°Isn¡¯t that what friends are for? Aren¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°Maybe that¡¯s why! I didn¡¯t want you to¡ª¡±


    ¡°I was worried sick! At times I thought¡­ I even thought¡­ you¡­ like mum¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡± Abby babbled.


    We laid there, hanging to each other as we cried our eyes out. When we finally calmed down, I was feeling completely exhausted by it all. Now that we were quiet, I realised I somewhat missed being like this with her. Was I all right in the head?


    ¡°Violet?¡± Abby called, softly.


    ¡°Yes, Abby?¡± I answered back in the same tone.


    ¡°Sorry, you were so quiet I thought you were sleeping.¡±


    I was going to say something, but instead I started to pay attention to the sounds coming from outside. I could distinctively hear people cheering and loud pops. Only after hearing that did I remember it was the beginning of the new year. I lifted my head towards the window. It was glowing alternatingly between red, blue, green, and yellow. I could also feel the cold air of my room stinging the side of my face that wasn¡¯t resting on the pillow anymore.


    ¡°Wanna go check it?¡± Abby asked, her eyes on the window too.


    ¡°Nah,¡± I said as I put my head back down. ¡°It¡¯s too cold outside of the blankets.¡±


    ¡°Hehe. Because I¡¯m warm, right?¡±


    I lifted my head coming to face Abby¡¯s.


    ¡°W-what?¡± she asked a bit flustered.


    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ I wasn¡¯t expecting to hear you laugh today.¡±


    ¡°Sorry¡­ I made you go through a lot, haven¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but please, let¡¯s not go there again for today. I just got you in a better mood.¡±


    ¡°Ok, but¡­there is just one thing I want to tell you,¡± she said in a serious tone.


    ¡°Ok¡­ what is it?¡± I said a bit nervous.


    ¡°I want to promise you that next time I¡¯m hurting about something, I¡¯ll share it with you.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­Ok, thanks. Please do,¡± I answered a bit flustered.


    ¡°Will you do the same?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Well, yeah¡­sure. I promise you that too.¡±


    ¡°Hehe. Thanks Violet. Oh, right! Happy New Year, Miss Evergreen,¡± she said sounding almost as cheerful as usual.


    ¡°Happy New Year, Abby,¡± I said smiling. If she was able to see it, I don¡¯t know.


    ¡°So, what are your New Year resolutions?¡±


    ¡°Resolutions? Hmm. Can¡¯t say I have any. For me, each year is always the same as before so¡­I never bothered with it. How about you?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, let¡¯s see¡­ I want to get closer with Violet, I want to have lots more sleepovers with Violet, travel somewhere with Violet, go to the pool with Violet, see Violet in a swimsuit, get Violet to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Why do they all involve me?!¡±


    ¡°Why? Because I have the most fun with you!¡±


    ¡°Figures.¡±


    ¡°Are you blushing?¡±


    ¡°¡­No, I¡¯m not.¡±


    ¡°In that case, can you turn on the light?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Please, just do it.¡±


    ¡°¡­Well, ok,¡± I answered bashfully.


    I flipped the switch and squinted my eyes as the light hit me. Abby didn¡¯t seem too bothered by it, as she just stared at my face. Despite it looking sunken, her smile and eyes were mostly back to their usual warm, kind state. I couldn¡¯t help but smile back at her as seeing life again in her gave me a warm feeling in the stomach.


    ¡°Ok, you can turn it off now, if you want.¡±


    ¡°So, what was this about?¡± I asked as I flipped the switch.


    ¡°I just wanted to see that face clearly before going to sleep.¡±


    ¡°Why?!¡± I asked as I hit it under the sheet.


    ¡°Why? Because it¡¯s beautiful and I really like it!¡± she said, her voice trembling slightly.


    ¡°But why? There is nothing special about¡ª¡±


    ¡°Let me ask you something. Do you think your mother was pretty?¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah. Of course, I do! She really was a beauty.¡±


    ¡°And are you aware you look just like her?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ yeah, but¡­¡±


    ¡°So why do you insist on the fact you are plain when you clearly aren¡¯t?¡±


    She had me there. I truly believed my mother was beautiful. And even I couldn¡¯t deny we were very similar aspect wise by the few pictures I saw of her. So why was I so pessimistic about it? Nobody ever called me ugly, or at least I couldn¡¯t remember anyone doing such a thing. In fact, because I was calling myself plain, wasn¡¯t I by proxy saying my mother was plain? I felt so bad for being so disrespectful towards her. I mean, sure, I wasn¡¯t the most beautiful person in the world, but not recognising I had some beauty of my own was doing a disservice to mum, wasn¡¯t it?


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± I said to her as I came out of the covers. ¡°I¡¯ll tell mum I¡¯m sorry for all of this.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ as long as you understand,¡± she said, clearly not knowing what else to say to that. ¡°Now, can we go back to cuddling?¡±


    ¡°Can we leave that for tomorrow?¡± I whined. ¡°I¡¯m too embarrassed right now.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t we do it in the nude before?¡±


    ¡°We were just bare from the waist up that time,¡± I scolded. ¡°And bringing that up isn¡¯t helping!¡±


    ¡°Come on dear Violet. Don¡¯t you want to make up for the lost time?¡±


    I chewed on those words. I would never admit it, but I would also be lying if I said I didn¡¯t want that. But it was just as I had said. Right now, I was too embarrassed to have her so close to me. I mean, close-er. Anyway, I thought the only option I had was to compromise.


    ¡°Can you give me a minute?¡±


    ¡°Yay!¡± she cheered quietly.


    When the morning came, I felt like I hadn¡¯t had a wink of sleep. Don¡¯t get me wrong, I liked a lot our time together during sleepovers, but due to our conversations before we fell asleep, I was getting some really¡­weird dreams with Abby. Well, our conversations and puberty. I¡¯m eighty percent sure it was puberty the main reason. Anyway, I woke up feeling pretty warm. When I realised that, not only we had cuddled the whole night again, but also that I had now half of my body resting on top of Abby¡¯s¡­ that made me sit up very awake, patting myself all over to make sure I still had my clothes on. Yup, all pieces were still there this time. I squinted at the clock, but my poor, drowsy eyesight couldn¡¯t determine at that distance if it was five-thirty, six-thirty, or eight-thirty of the morning.


    Abby sat up as well, probably jolted awake by me, and looked at the clock before looking at me. She proceeded to gently grab my head from the back and giving me a smooch on the forehead.


    ¡°W-w-what was that for?¡± I jumbled as a question.


    ¡°As a¡­ thank you for everything?¡± she said, not seeming too sure on her answer.


    ¡°C-c-couldn¡¯t you simply have said it?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Erm¡­ you¡¯re welcome.¡±


    ¡°¡­Nope, this feels more genuine,¡± she said as she proceeded to do the same before dragging my body down to bed.


    ¡°Abby?! What do you think you¡¯re doing!?¡± I scolded her.


    ¡°Relax, I¡¯ll keep that for special occasions,¡± she said appearing not too bothered by my squirming and protests. ¡°And also, It¡¯s five-thirty in the morning. Let¡¯s just cuddle and sleep.¡±


    ¡°No Abby! Let me go! I think I need to use the bathroom!¡± I pleaded.


    ¡°You think?¡± she asked jokingly.


    ¡°I need to! I definitely need to!¡± I argued back.


    ¡°Well, ok,¡± she said as she let go of me and I vaulted over her. ¡°But I¡¯ll be waiting for my cuddles.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. Just calm down a bit or I¡¯ll get mad at you!¡±


    When I told her, I needed to use the bathroom, I was lying. Even so, now that I was there, I took a good look into my reflexion. Seeing clearly now the purple circle on the left side and that burst lip made me feel¡­sad. After what Abby had told me yesterday¡ªor rather, today, I now felt like the precious face mum gave me was damaged.


    Not wanting to dwell more on that, I washed my face and left the bathroom. In the corridor, close to my room, was Abby¡¯s father.


    ¡°Good morning, Mr. Gardener,¡± I whispered, having forgotten about the whole thing about calling him by the first name.


    ¡°Morning Violet,¡± he whispered back. ¡°How is she?¡±


    ¡°She seems to be feeling better.¡±


    ¡°I see, I see. Again, thank you so much for your help.¡±


    ¡°No, no, it was nothing.¡±


    ¡°No, it really was. Erm¡­ Can I just have a word with you?¡±


    ¡°Sure Mr. Gard¡ª William.¡±


    ¡°Well, erm¡­ I don¡¯t really know how to put it¡­Erm¡­ I¡­ I still find it weird but¡­ erm¡­ thanks for making my daughter happy¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Erm¡­thank¡­you?¡± I said completely unable to understand why he worded his gratitude towards me being friends with Abby in such a weird way. It was also really weird seeing someone his age acting so flustered.


    ¡°Also¡­erm¡­ the walls are thin, so¡­¡± he added.


    ¡°Oh, sorry! I¡¯ll tell Abby to quiet down,¡± I said as I covered my mouth with a hand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Well¡­ I¡¯ll excuse myself,¡± he said as he turned around and went back to the living room couch. I don¡¯t think he slept that much, but I thought he looked a bit better than the previous day.


    ¡°Violet? Who were you talking to?¡± Abby asked.


    She was peeking from the slip she had opened.


    ¡°I was talking with your father,¡± I explained as I went inside. ¡°It seems like we woke him up.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Was he mad?¡±


    ¡°Mad? No¡­ he was¡­ grateful.¡±


    ¡°Grateful? For waking him up?¡± Abby asked, not hiding her confusion.


    ¡°No, for me being your friend.¡±


    ¡°Best friend,¡± Abby corrected as she let me get in bed first. ¡°Still, is that reason enough for you to be like that?¡±


    ¡°No, he just did it in a weird way,¡± I told her as I curled myself towards the wall.


    ¡°Weird? How so?¡±


    ¡°He was all flustered and¡ª Wait!¡± I practically shouted. ¡°We are doing it like this?¡±


    I was so distracted with talking about that conversation and making sense of it, I hadn¡¯t realised she had spooned me in the meantime. She was even holding my hand close to my chest.


    ¡°Shh! Not so loud!¡± she whispered harshly.


    I covered my mouth in response to that.


    She squeezed me tighter, and I felt her leaning her forehead on my nape.


    ¡°Abby?¡± I called.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± she muttered. ¡°Let¡¯s just go back to sleep.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± I was feeling cold when I got into bed and she was very warm and sounded satisfied, so I decided to leave it at that. Although, it still felt a little bit weird.


    ???


    A ringing sound made itself heard sometime later. That wasn¡¯t what woke me up though. It was Violet pushing me to the side, rolling over, her body on top of me with her nose almost touching mine, and rolling over again to get out of bed. She turned off the alarm clock and looked to me still half awake. I on the other hand had gotten very awake by what she had done.


    ¡°Sorry. Did that wake you?¡± she asked a bit dazed.


    ¡°Y-yeah. What time is it?¡±


    My voice was cracking a bit.


    ¡°Time for me to start getting ready to go to work,¡± she said as she hunched a bit, hands rubbing her arms, as she went to her closet. ¡°I have to prepare breakfast, take a bath, and catch the bus. You can stay there if you want. I¡¯ll leave you something you can eat any time.¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t going to work! Not like that!¡± I told her off.


    ¡°Wha¡ª why?¡± she asked confused before realising what I meant. Oh, right she added as she placed a hand on her cheek. She started to look sad, which prompted me to get up and go to her. The room was colder than I thought it would.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you call them and explain you can¡¯t go for a few days?¡± I suggested.


    ¡°But¡­ they already let me stay home for Christmas and New Year¡¯s dinner¡­¡± she said sorrowfully.


    ¡°Come on Violet! Don¡¯t feel down because of that. It¡¯s not your fault that happened,¡± I said consolingly.


    ¡°Well¡­ yeah but¡ª¡±


    ¡°No buts,¡± I interrupted her.


    I grabbed her phone and placed it in one of her hands while grabbing the other.


    ¡°Just be frank with them. I mean, even if you were to appear there, they would probably send you back, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. Thanks,¡± she said with a small smile.


    I stood by her side, holding her hand despite her meek attempts at setting it free. She probably thought I was distracting her, but since she was sounding nervous from the beginning, I doubt the person she was talking to paid it any mind. It took a while for her to finish the call because she said sorry a lot of times.


    ¡°So, what are we¡ª¡±


    My words were interrupted by a knock on the door. Violet opened her mouth, only to close it and giving me a look from head to toe. Knowing what she was worried about I gave her an ¡®are you serious?¡¯ look to which she gave a ¡®sorry¡¯ look of her own. With that¡­ non-conversation out of the way, she finally answered back the knock.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    ¡°Sorry to barge in, I just wanted to tell you girls something before I go,¡± her dad told us as he came in.


    ¡°Go? Go where?¡± Violet asked.


    ¡°Apparently there is going to be a meeting between Abby¡¯s parents and their lawyers, and he asked me to go with him,¡± he explained before adding info he knew was going to be asked as Violet was already opening her mouth. ¡°Probably because of yesterday. He asked for you to come too, but I thought you¡¯d rather stay here and keep Abby company.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ thanks dad,¡± she said in a sad tone.


    ¡°How are you feeling Abby?¡± he asked.


    In the past few hours, I¡¯ve been distracted with Violet, so I hadn¡¯t given it much thought. Now that I had to give an answer, how was I feeling?


    Truth be told, I¡¯d rather have my parents together, but looking back, there were plenty of signs things weren¡¯t well between the two. So, was this for the best? I¡¯d have to say, yes. I still felt sad for all that, but if they were to stay together, they would end up tearing each other apart. I would start living with just dad, so I wouldn¡¯t have my mum controlling and terrorising me all the time, and I was still very mad about her hurting Violet, but¡­ she was still my mother. Would I still be able to see her? Would she want to? Would I? I didn¡¯t think I could forgive her yet or ever, but¡­


    Something gently squeezed my hand. She was looking at me with a warm but worried expression as she gently held me.


    ¡°I just have to come to terms, right? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll eventually be fine¡­ even if now I don¡¯t feel like it will,¡± I said as firmly as I could.


    ¡°Well, you certainly look better than yesterday,¡± Mr. Stan tried as a joke.


    ¡°Sorry for all that,¡± I said apologetically.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to,¡± he said.


    He was waving his hands in front of me while looking at Violet. She was probably giving him one of her angered looks.


    ¡°Just, erm¡­ give your father a hug when he gets back, ok?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I will,¡± I said sounding a bit sad, although I really wasn¡¯t at that point.


    ¡°Dad, shouldn¡¯t you be going?¡± Violet said, a bit annoyed.


    ¡°Right, yes. I¡¯ll see you later,¡± he said as he left the room.


    ¡°With that out of the way, what am I to do for breakfast?¡±


    ¡°Oh, anything is fine,¡± I told her honestly.


    ¡°Yeah, no. I can¡¯t work with that.¡±


    ¡°What is it that you usually eat?¡±


    ¡°Me? Two pieces of toast and tea.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great! That will do just fine,¡± I said enthusiastically.


    ¡°Come on Abby,¡± she said annoyed. ¡°I¡¯ve seen you eat plenty of times. There is no way that is enough for you.¡±


    ¡°How rude!¡±


    I said that in fake anger. Well, mostly fake.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you know, dear Violet, I don¡¯t eat much in the morning because of my habit of running early.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay. I¡¯m sorry. Two pieces of toast it is.¡±


    ¡°Yay!¡± I proclaimed. ¡°Also, just to be clear, I wasn¡¯t really mad.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± she said sighing. ¡°You are just being a bit too energic for me.¡±


    ¡°You really aren¡¯t a morning person, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. As if you didn¡¯t already know.¡±


    We ate breakfast quietly. I made the choice of letting Violet fully wake up before annoying her more. By the time we were doing the dishes¡ªwhich were only two, but I begged to help anyway¡ªshe seemed to be practically awake. Just to be clear, I wanted to help because I didn¡¯t want to leave her do all the work while I just watched. Anyway, seeing her more awake was the signal for me to go back to messing with her.


    ¡°I¡¯m calling dibs on the first hug!¡± I proclaimed.


    ¡°Huh? Where did that come from?¡± she asked confused.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to shower now?¡±


    ¡°I thought about it, but now it¡¯s too cold.¡±


    ¡°Aww. I like how you smell when you shower,¡± I whined.


    ¡°Sorry to disappoint, but you will just have to wait for another time,¡± she said in a very matter of fact.


    ¡°Even if I give you my puppy eyes?¡±


    ¡°Yep. Even with your puppy eyes.¡±


    ¡°Tsk, meanie.¡±


    She didn¡¯t comment back. She just went back to scrubbing the silverware before handing me them for drying and storing.


    ¡°Wait! Do I smell?¡± she asked alarmed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t know. Let me check,¡± I told her as I saw an opening to tease her more.


    That was my intention, but somehow, when I realised it, I had my arms around her waist as I pressed myself against her back.


    ¡°Abby, stop! Your hands are freezing!¡± she yelled.


    ¡°Ah! Sorry!¡± I too yelled.


    I let her go as I realised what I was doing.


    She just gave me an irritated look.


    This isn¡¯t good.


    Thinking quicky, I found something that could work.


    ¡°Are you done with your part of the dishes?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said a bit coldly.


    ¡°In that case,¡± I said as I grabbed her hands and shoved them directly on the sides of my belly.


    They were cold enough to make me shrivel a bit. Even my hands felt warm compared to hers.


    ¡°How about this as a punishment?¡±


    ¡°¡­You didn¡¯t have to put them under your shirt. A simple sorry was enough¡­¡± she said in a more mellow tone.


    ¡°How am I supposed to warm them up otherwise?¡± I offered as an explanation, even though I hadn¡¯t thought that deeply.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine now. You can let go,¡± she said.


    She gave her hands a slight tug, but I resisted.


    ¡°No way. Only when I feel they are warm,¡± I said, starting to rub my thumbs on the back of her hands. I must confess, I was starting to enjoy it despite her hands feeling like ice. They were a bit rough, most likely due to the cleaning products she handled on a daily basis, but they had a softness too. I¡¯d have taken more enjoyment out was it not for the sad face she was now putting.


    ¡°What is it now?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You are so thin now,¡± she said feebly as she gently pinched my sides with scissoring movements from her fingers.


    It wasn¡¯t out of jealousy she said that. I had looked at myself in the mirror yesterday after the shower and saw how thin I was. Some girls would be jealous if they saw me, but I hated how flimsy I now looked compared to before. Not that I was ever fat or chubby. I always had the right weight for my build.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t be neglecting my meals anymore,¡± I told her softly. ¡°I¡¯ll be like I was in no time. You¡¯ll see.¡±


    She gave me a nod. Even so, her face remained the same.


    Not enough, huh?


    ¡°Hehe. Remember that day I gave you the dress? I kinda feel stupid for having said I wanted to be slimmer.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I told you, if anyone had to say she wanted to have the same weight, it should be me,¡± she said with a nostalgic look.


    ¡°Oh, just to be clear, you aren¡¯t too thin, ok?¡± I said hurriedly, fearing another drop in her mood.


    ¡°I know,¡± she said with a nod. ¡°Or at least I¡¯m starting to think so. I¡¯m trying to have a different outlook of myself.¡±


    ¡°That so? I¡¯m happy to hear that!¡± I told her with a wide smile.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to put a damper in our conversation but aren¡¯t my hands warm enough for you yet?¡± she said with a smile of her own.


    ¡°Well¡­ok,¡± I grumbled as I released her. ¡°But I really didn¡¯t mind staying like that for a bit longer.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, were I to let you do as you please, you¡¯d be permanently attached to me,¡± she scolded still with a smile. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m going to take a shower. You can watch a movie I recorded in the meantime.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ you don¡¯t smell,¡± I argued.


    ¡°Yeah, I figured that by your reaction,¡± she told me bluntly. ¡°Just¡­ sit down. It¡¯ll only take fifteen minutes or so.¡±


    ¡°I want to help!¡± I toyed.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t getting in the shower with me.¡±


    ¡°If that is the case, will there ever be a time we do so?¡±


    ¡°¡­no!¡± she said as she turned while flushing. ¡°Just wait for a bit, ok!?¡±


    Feeling satisfied with the results, I went and sat down on the sofa. As I was snickering to myself, I started to reflect on the pause she made in her last answer. I came to believe she did that when she gave some thought to whatever shenanigan had left my mouth. I really liked seeing that red Violet. Were there even red violets? That one certainly was a lot of times. I really missed it for these past two weeks.


    I was completely lost in these thoughts when Violet came back.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t turn on the tv?¡± she asked as she sat by me.


    ¡°Hmm? Oh, I was waiting to watch it with you.¡±


    I lied. My mind was so full of her that I didn¡¯t notice time going by.


    ¡°You really didn¡¯t have to, but thanks,¡± she said.


    She turned the tv on and put the movie on play. Right from the beginning I could tell what kind of movie it was.


    ¡°A Christmas movie?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah. I¡­¡± she paused while blushing slightly. ¡°I intended to watch it with you if you spent a night here during the holidays.¡±


    ¡°Please stop. My heart can¡¯t take it,¡± I said half-jokingly.


    It was beating like a jackhammer in my chest.


    She blushed even more and went quiet.


    Sometime later she stood up to sit down halfway from the tv, putting her glasses on a side table and leaning on an armchair. They were now showing a scene in which the family was doing an exchange of presents.


    ¡°That would be nice for us to do,¡± I commented.


    ¡°I guess but¡­I don¡¯t think I¡¯d know what to give you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m easy to please! A hug or letting me use your lap for as long as I wanted for the day would be more than enough.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be a cheap trick?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I don¡¯t think so. I always have to ask you for that kind of stuff, so you offering and me not having to worry about overstaying would feel pretty great,¡± I said sincerely.


    ¡°¡­That so?¡±


    ¡°Yep, that so.¡±


    We went back to watching the movie in silence. For about another ten minutes, that is.


    ¡°Abby?¡± Violet called with a trembling voice.


    I returned the call, a bit worried by her manners.


    She opened her legs slightly and tapped the empty space between them without giving me a look. Not that she had to for me to know what her face was. I could see the tips of her ears through her hair, and they were glowing red. My mind went blank for what felt like an eternity before I could form any semblance of discourse.


    ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± I asked, my voice also trembling slightly.


    She nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask dad to cook or order something so you can stay longer.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ if you say so,¡± I said as I scooted over her, sitting where she had told me to.


    For a while I sat there with my knees close to the chest, facing forward. I was thinking if I should just call it off. That would be a relief for her, right? Or would it actually hurt her feelings? Probably both, right? I¡¯d also be denying me a golden opportunity¡­ no. I had to think of Violet first. What should I do so I wouldn¡¯t hurt her but also not stress her out?


    I felt a pair of trembling hands wrap themselves around my belly and pulling me behind. Soon enough I had my head resting on Violet¡¯s chest. Now that we were like that, I could also sense her freshly-out-of-the-shower smell. I couldn¡¯t help but grin from ear to ear with my eyes closed as I regaled in her warmth and perfume. And when I say warmth, I mean her kindness. That girl was cold to the touch. Was she even alive?


    When I opened my eyes, they were met with Violet¡¯s.


    ¡°Ah! Sorry! It¡¯s just¡­ this feels so nice,¡± I said as I now went full red.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± she said softly.


    ¡°Is it? I can get out if you want.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, really,¡± she said reassuringly. ¡°It doesn¡¯t bother me now.¡±


    ¡°Now? Why?¡± I asked confused.


    ¡°Well¡­erm¡­ you¡¯re warm and erm¡­ look so¡­happy¡­¡± she staggered as she averted her eyes.


    ¡°Hmm. I understand. Thanks, Violet,¡± I cheered.


    ¡°Hmm.¡±


    ¡°Could you just hold me tighter?¡±


    ¡°¡­Like this?¡± she asked as she did as I had requested.


    ¡°Yep. Just like that,¡± I said blissfully as I finally let my body completely relax. ¡°Thanks again, Violet. This is the best Christmas present ever.¡±


    ¡°Is it?¡± she asked coyly as she finally looked back to me.


    ¡°Yep, yep. Nothing can beat this,¡± I proclaimed.


    ¡°Thanks¡­I¡¯m happy to hear that,¡± she stammered.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to think of something really good if I want to compete with this. Can we do this next time I come over?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to. And no, we can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°What if we do this on special occasions?¡±


    ¡°Special occasions? Like what?¡± she asked confused.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ let¡¯s see¡­ Well, Christmas for starters. Oh, how about on our birthdays?¡±


    ¡°¡­When is your birthday? I don¡¯t think we ever talked about that.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ You are right, we didn¡¯t. It¡¯s always me nagging you or confessing our sins, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ not that I¡­ mind,¡± she said flustered.


    ¡°I think that¡¯s called Stockholm Syndrome,¡± I joked. ¡°Anyway, mine is on the twelfth of March. You?¡±


    ¡°April fourteenth.¡±


    ¡°Huh!? I¡¯m older than you?¡±


    ¡°¡­Why don¡¯t you act like it?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha. That sounds boring. Would you like that?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ it would be weird if you did,¡± she told me with a nod.


    ¡°Yay!¡± I cheered before remembering the first topic of our conversation. ¡°So, do we have a deal?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°About us sitting like this on special occasions. Do we?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going back to that?¡± she said as she once again looked away.


    ¡°Violet, please look at me,¡± I implored.


    ¡°Nuh-uh. You are just going to ask me again with your puppy eyes.¡±


    ¡°Tsk. I guess you knowing me so well has its disadvantages too,¡± I grumbled jokingly.


    Somehow, after that conversation, we managed to fall asleep. Well, Violet did. I was dozing off when I heard the door click and, looking towards the living room door, I saw our fathers giving us an awkward look. I knew perfectly well what they were thinking, but I didn¡¯t tell them it wasn¡¯t that. Were I to start explaining what was going on, they wouldn¡¯t believe me, and Violet would die of embarrassment. I was already dying of it, so I could do without having to deal with her. I gestured them to be quiet and to go back. My father just looked confused but fortunately, Violet¡¯s understood what I meant and¡ªgiving me a thumbs up¡ªdragged him back to the door while shushing him. I just had to wake her up and think of something that would keep her from understanding what was going on. I would also have to deal with the misunderstanding sometime later.


    ¡°Violet? Wake up,¡± I called while giving her pats on the side of the thigh.


    ¡°Mmh¡­ What is it?¡± she mumbled as she squeezed me tighter and rested her head on my shoulder.


    ¡°We need to get ready. They must be arriving at any time.¡±


    ¡°Wake me up then,¡± she mumbled back. ¡°Mmh, you¡¯re so warm to hold.¡±


    Why did she have to be so hard to wake up? And acting so cutely too.


    ¡°Won¡¯t you be embarrassed if they saw us like this?¡± I urged her, trying to keep the conversation to just the two of us.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Yeah, I guess,¡± she said while lightening her grip.


    ¡°All right, miss sleepy head.¡±


    I undid the rest of her hold and pulled her up with me. That actually felt painful, just not in a physical way.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go wash that face. I refuse to let my dad see you like this.¡±


    She grumbled something I couldn¡¯t understand as I dragged her towards the bathroom by the hand, both because it was incoherent and because I was having chills on my back. If it was due to the cold because I wasn¡¯t nested on her or because both our dads had their eyes on our backs I don¡¯t know. What I do know is that I too needed to wash my face to cool down.


    ¡°Erm¡­ what do you¡­ erm¡­ what do you think me and Violet¡­ are?¡± I asked in a hushed tone.


    I had left Violet go first, so I decided to take the time to clear things up. Sluggish as she was when woken up, I knew I had lots of time.


    ¡°Erm¡­ aren¡¯t you two¡­ dating?¡± Violet¡¯s dad asked.


    Dad awkwardly nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Ah, no. We aren¡¯t like that. We are¡­ just friends,¡± I told them.


    ¡°Really? But we both heard¡­ erm¡­ well¡­ noises,¡± my dad said.


    ¡°No, no! That¡¯s a misunderstanding!¡± I whispered loudly. ¡°Violet would never do such a thing. Ah!¡±


    The way I worded it betrayed some of my inner thoughts and fears.


    Violet wouldn¡¯t. But what about me?


    Perhaps that wasn¡¯t enough for them to catch on to it, but the face I reflexively made was. It was now obvious they realised it.


    ¡°So¡­ is it one sided?¡± Stan asked.


    He did so surprisingly bluntly.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that¡­ I mean¡­ I¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ maybe?¡±


    I confessed. I was afraid of what they would say next, but I told them anyway.


    ¡°Well, whatever it is, I think I speak for the both of us that we won¡¯t oppose. Right?¡± Violet¡¯s dad said.


    ¡°Erm, y-yes. I admit, I¡¯m still getting used to it, but it¡¯s like Stan told me yesterday. If you are happy, that should be enough.¡±


    I was being accepted? After all my fears and worries, just like that, I was accepted for being like that?


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for being like this,¡± I said as I embraced my dad with tears forming in my eyes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be, sweety. I should be the one saying sorry for having been such a poor father,¡± he said as he patted my head.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right dad. I know why you did all that. I know¡­¡±


    I couldn¡¯t finish my sentence as I started to choke on my words. By the way my dad¡¯s chest shook, I could tell he was having the same reaction.


    ¡°Oh, erm¡­ sorry,¡± a voice stammered.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok, Violet. I think we are done talking.¡±


    ¡°Also, your dad is right over there.¡±


    I was pointing to a corner of the room after having wiped my tears.


    Violet peered around the doorframe to where I was pointing, looking confused.


    ¡°Hello there,¡± her father said cheerfully while waving.


    Violet gave him a single hand wave as a response, looking to all of us even more confused. I now was just laughing. She really did make the funniest faces.


    After having pizza for lunch, it came the time for me to go home. Well, back to the hotel. Anyway, my dad was in the car waiting for me to finish my farewells with Violet, which to be frank, were feeling more painful than ever. If I had to choose the reason between the time we spent apart and having to go our separate ways again, I¡¯d say it was due to both.


    ¡°So, erm¡­ I guess we will see each other at school,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah, although¡­ I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be going during the first week,¡± she said, pointing to her face.


    ¡°That¡¯s probably for the best,¡± I concurred. ¡°I could see them calling the police on your father if you did.¡±


    ¡°I hadn¡¯t thought that far, but yeah.¡±


    ¡°¡­Want me to give you a call every day?¡± I said jokingly.


    ¡°¡­You don¡¯t have to do it every day.¡±


    That little pause that always betrayed her inner thoughts, how I¡¯ll be missing it.


    ¡°Hehe. Around ten o¡¯clock before you go to bed?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ ok with that.¡±


    ¡°Ok, in that case, talk with you later?¡±


    ¡°We are doing it today?¡±


    ¡°Could you not¡­¡±


    I started to point out the way she phrased it but stopped myself. Dad was waiting for me and that could take some time.


    ¡°Actually, never mind. I¡¯m going now so, bye.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Ok. Bye,¡± she said, confused.


    Getting into the car, I was met with my dad making a funny expression. That got me curious.


    ¡°What¡¯s up with that face?¡± I asked as he started driving off.


    ¡°Sorry. I was watching you talk with Violet and saw the faces she was making,¡± he explained. ¡°Is she always like that?¡±


    ¡°Yup. It¡¯s one of her best traits.¡±


    ¡°Is that what made you interested in her?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Maybe at the beginning, but after dealing with her for some time, I came to like her personality the most.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± he said with a nod.


    ¡°Is this about what I told you guys before?¡±


    ¡°No. I was just curious how you two became friends. We never talked about it at home.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±


    I looked back to all the times I wanted to talk about Violet, but dad was always in a hurry to go back to the office, and when he wasn¡¯t, mum was nearby.


    ¡°Will you be going back to work?¡±


    ¡°I will, but not right now. I¡¯ll be having a week of leave.¡±


    ¡°Erm¡­ can I stay with you during that week?¡± I asked meekly.


    ¡°You mean¡­ you don¡¯t want to go to school?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I don¡¯t feal ready to face people yet, and¡­ I think¡­ we could use that time¡­ to catch on.¡±


    My dad thought about my request for a while.


    ¡°Ok, Abbigail. I would like that very much.¡±


    My phone started ringing. I pulled it off wondering who might be calling. To my astonishment, it was Violet.


    ¡°Are you missing me that much already?¡± I said as I answered the phone.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that! I just wanted to ask you if you saw where I placed my glasses.¡±


    ¡°Have you looked on the side table by the armchair? I think you placed it there when we were seating together.¡±


    I could hear her rushing around before coming to a stop followed by a sigh.


    ¡°Found them. Thanks.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. Is that all?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Ok, then. Bye.¡±


    ¡°Bye. Oh, wait!¡±


    I stayed silent for a second to tease her a bit.


    ¡°Abby? Abby? Are you there?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m still here. What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°I just wanted to tell you¡­ have a safe trip.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. Talk with you later,¡± I said as I hung up.


    My dad was back to having an amused expression. That felt very refreshing.


    ¡°So, what are we doing today?¡± I now asked my dad.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to check some places for us to live. Do you want to come along?¡±


    ¡°Sure. Sounds like it might be fun.¡±


    ¡°Fun? Are you planning on harassing me like you do to Violet?¡± my dad said with a grin.


    ¡°Gee dad,¡± I said in fake annoyance. ¡°How about having some faith in me.¡±

 Not an actual chapter, but please read! Its important.

    After some thought, I decided to re-write the 1st volume.


    The story will be exactly the same, only the way I wrote it will be different.


    It has been 3 or 4 years since I first wrote it, and I feel like my skills have improved a lot in the meantime. As such, I made this decision, along with a few other.


    Firstly, since I''m re-writing it, I''ll advise you to not buy anything with a publishing date previous to this.


    secondly, I''ll be leaving kindle select so that I can publish on other platforms. Currently, I have plans to put it on Google Play, Kobo, Apple Books, B&N Nook, and of course, still on kindle, just not as an exclusive. Some might contest this, but I don''t think it is at all worth for me to tie myself up exclusively to amazon. Some people don''t support that company, aren''t interested in creating an account there, or might have other reasons not to engage with them, but I also understand that some of you might have kindle unlimited as it is, for the subscribers, a great way to read a lot of books, but for an author, not so much. I''m trying to do this professionally, so please, try and see this from my point of view: people pay 11,99$ for their subscription. That could get you two books priced like mine, and you''d still have some money to spare. It''s undeniable, it''s a great deal for you to pay that and be free to read up to 20 books. However, here comes my issue with it. I can''t get my book out anywhere else, and I''m being paid something like 0.003$ per page. For those that aren''t aware, no, it''s not a typo, it really is less than a cent per page. That''s about 0,76$ per 252 pages read, which is what kindle considers the 1st volume to be. A sale, at the reduced price of 3,35$ nets me 2,35$ at a 70% royalty rate and 1,17$ at a 35% rate.


    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    Thirdly, and finally, since I''m re-writing it, I''ll upload here the current edition on the 1st of September. To reiterate, that will be the version I wrote 4 years ago while the re-written will be the one on sale in a near future.


    Here''s the link for the eBook. Paperback is also available. I repeat, I DO NOT recommend you buying it now. A better product will be out soon. If you wish to support me, you can donate or simply follow me here.


    https://www.royalroad.com/amazon/B0C6QZP211</a>


    It''s at a reduced price of 3,35$ instead of 4,5$ (both base prices, depending on your region it might vary) for the duration of the pre-sale (1 month) + the first week of the 2nd volume coming live. After that, it will go back to being 4,5$. I''ll try to get the re-write out by that date, but I make no promises.


    Thank you for reading, and sorry for the long text. I want to be as transparent as possible with you, and I tend to ramble, so please, bear with me.

 Reunion and a Challenge (2nd Vol. 1st chapter)

    I never much cared about the sun before. Not even during winter, and I specially never much cared about it during the summer. Now, I was finding it surprisingly pleasant while I sat on the table in the diminutive backward my house had. You couldn¡¯t stretch your arms width wise, and you could also not take more than perhaps ten steps before reaching a wall when walking its length, but it was still very useful for hanging clothes to dry. That was the task I had completed, the final one I had until dinner, the lunch being the leftovers from the previous day.


    ¡°Haah, this sucks.¡±


    The sun felt warm and nice on my face as I leaned my head back with my eyes closed, but I still felt unsatisfied. Today marked a week since I was forced into seclusion inside my house. The left side of my cheek was still bruised and there was a huge scab on my lip, so I suspected it¡¯d be another week until I was free to leave the house without people calling the police on my innocent dad. And I was sick and tired of it. I wanted to go for a walk.


    ¡°¡­I wonder what she¡¯s doing right now¡­¡±


    My dear friend, Abby, was most likely checking out an apartment with her father. Apparently, the old lady renting the place took pity on them when her dad gave her a brief explanation about their situation and she¡¯d let them stay immediately at the place even before signing any contract. It sounded like a nice place too, although she didn¡¯t give me much details about it. It almost felt like she was trying to keep secrets from me.


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s whatever¡­¡±


    It wasn¡¯t. I was extremely bothered by all that secrecy. Whether it was because of the huge mess that came out of her doing the same last time, or me just being petty, I don¡¯t know. Either way, I hated feeling like that.


    ¡°What should I do for dinner?¡± I asked myself to push those feelings aside.


    The air was cool, but the clothes I was wearing, the scent of fresh laundry, and the sunlight were making me cozy enough that I started to feel drowsy and closed my eyes, feeling as if my mind and body were both getting heavier and drifting away.


    Some time later, amidst me half dreaming about roasted meat and some nice, hot vegetable soup, I seemed to feel my right leg extra heavy, like there was now a weight on my thigh. It could be just my leg getting numb from the hard edge of the table, or me starting to really falling asleep, or something, so I didn¡¯t pay it any mind, but then I also noticed a new scent. It seemed to be shampoo, perhaps. It was nice smelling, although perhaps a bit too sweet for my taste. And last I checked, dreams don¡¯t come with smells.


    That¡¯s weird.


    I squinted a single eye. Then, I opened both, puzzled at what I was seeing.


    Sitting by me, on an empty gas bottle we still had around, was Abby. She had come, walked in front of me and sat down with me only noticing her when she planted her chin on my leg. Assuming I wasn¡¯t having a very vivid dreaming, of course.


    ¡°Meow.¡±


    ¡°Erm¡­ hi?¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you perhaps thinking that you¡¯re imagining things?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s crossing my mind, yes.¡±


    She took one of my hands and separated the index from the rest. She then gave it a tiny bite, not strong enough to hurt, but enough to confirm I wasn¡¯t seeing things after all.


    ¡°I missed you so much,¡± she told me with glittering eyes as she played with my hand.


    I stood up and squeezed her head against my stomach.


    ¡°You smell so nice,¡± she hummed.


    I chuckled and put a bit of distance between our bodies but still holding her by the shoulders.


    ¡°How did you even get inside?¡±


    ¡°Papa Stan let me in.¡±


    ¡°Oh, he¡¯s home? Wait¡­ ¡®Papa Stan¡¯? What?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not going to steal him from you. I just really like your dad, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­ erm, ok.¡±


    Was it really? I mean, the two were close and he treated her the same way he treated me, but¡­ calling him that wasn¡¯t going a tad too far? It sounded¡­ dirty? It most definitely was weird to call a friend¡¯s dad that.


    ¡°And he let me in because I called him asking if he was home.¡±


    That confused me deeply. Why call him and ask if he was home? What about me?


    ¡°¡­Hehe. Are you getting jelly?¡±


    ¡°¡­No.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, yes you are. I called him because I wanted to surprise you.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ I see¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Surprise!¡± she quietly cheered.


    I was feeling so stupid for not having seen right through her. It was so obvious now that she had told me. And why she told me in that particular way. Still, she was taking too much delight from her teasing.


    ¡°Ah! Before I forget, he told me to warn you that it will probably rain this afternoon, so you shouldn¡¯t leave the clothes hanging outside.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    I blinked at her before looking behind me. What a huge pain to be told that after already having gone through all that work.


    ¡°I¡¯ll help!¡± she said, getting up and walking over to the hanging clothes.


    My first thought was telling her not to since some of the clothes were my dad¡¯s underwear, but that proved unnecessary. Instead, I watched deeply amused, and admittedly a bit vengefully from her previous teasing, while she tried her best to reach out to the springs holding the clothes in place.


    Seeing how futile it was to stretch her whole body and getting on the very tips of her toes like some sort of ballerina housemaid, she turned, planted her hands on the hips, stuck her chest out proudly and made a proclamation with an unwavering smile.


    ¡°I¡¯ll hold the basket!¡±


    As it most likely was her intention, I started laughing at such unmoving positivity. Only she could make me laugh like that while I was feeling so annoyed.


    Once we had collected everything at the sound of her merry humming, we took them inside to the living room. There, she asked what followed.


    I took out a rope from a drawer and tied one end to a hooked nail on one side of the room and connected it to the opposite nail, all so I could leave everything hanging a second time.


    ¡°Could you open that window?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Won¡¯t the cold get inside?¡± she asked while moving to do as I asked her.


    ¡°The draft will help them dry faster,¡± I explained. ¡°Besides, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s colder in here than outside?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡±


    She didn¡¯t say it, but I knew she agreed with me. There was no denying it. If you were to leave a glass of water on the living room table and another one on the table I was sitting outside, the first would freeze sooner than the latter. I¡¯m exaggerating of course, the house wasn¡¯t that much of a freezer, but you get the idea.


    ¡°What¡¯s next?¡± she asked while looking around, once I came from getting the back door open for an improved air circulation.


    ¡°Now it¡¯s all done.¡±


    ¡°Oh, ok. Nice.¡±


    She looked around, taking in the sight that it was the fruit of our labour. It¡¯d be nice if we had a drier, but those were expensive and a bit of rope, sun and wind were practically free, so we had to make do. I was just glad she didn¡¯t crack any jokes about my underwear in exposition to anyone coming in. I mean, not that it ultimately mattered. She was the only person that¡¯d come around anyway.


    Still, things were feeling a bit awkward now. Not for her, she was enjoying the mood. The way she was so intensely staring at me after she was done looking around was leading me to believe she was expecting something.


    ¡°You know, I really, really, missed you.¡±


    So, that¡¯s what she was going for? Truth be told, I felt a bit bad for not having told her I had missed her too on the first time she said it. Not that I couldn¡¯t do anything about it now.


    ¡°I¡­ I missed you too,¡± I stammered. A lot I then added, somehow.


    ¡°Really?¡± she teased, rotating her body and leaning one side one me, giving me a look full of mischief. ¡°Somehow, I find it hard to believe.¡±


    ¡°W-what!? Why!?¡± I asked, completely falling into her trap, and knowing full well it was what she was aiming for.


    ¡°You¡¯re not blushing nearly as much as you should.¡±


    She wanted me even more embarrassed? Somehow that was¡­ well, super embarrassing.


    ¡°Hehe, there it is,¡± she giggled, poking my face on the safe side. ¡°Now, say it again.¡±


    ¡°¡­I missed you too¡­¡±


    She arched an eyebrow, still not happy with my words.


    ¡°¡­A lot¡­ I, erm¡­ missed you a lot.¡±


    She was happy now, hugging me in the process. I hugged her back, tightening my hold until she let out one of her ¡°happy Abby¡± noises. It was a moany squeaky, so to speak.


    ¡°Your heart is making such a nice sound,¡± she hummed, adjusting her head so she could hear it even if just a tiny bit better. That was completely unnecessary if you¡¯d ask me. My heart was feeling like a jackhammer at that point.


    ¡°A-Abby,¡± I pleaded.


    She took a deep breath and let out a long sigh.


    ¡°Sorry for being so sudden, but can I stay over tonight? I haven¡¯t been sleeping that well lately.¡±


    I had noticed dark circles under her eyes. They were hard to miss as she looked like a panda.


    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    And even if she didn¡¯t have any of that, I still wouldn¡¯t refuse her after being apart for so long.


    ¡°Thanks, you¡¯re the best. I just hope I won¡¯t wake you up.¡±


    ¡°Are you having that many nightmares?¡± I asked, reminding myself of our talks over the phone during the past week.


    ¡°Mmh-hmm. Dad says I should go to therapy.¡±


    ¡°¡­What do you think?¡±


    ¡°I was going to ask you the same thing.¡±


    We broke apart our hold and stared at each other¡¯s eyes while I thought things over.


    ¡°I think it might be a good idea, but¡­ I¡¯d like to hear your thoughts on the matter first.¡±


    She looked at her feet for a few moments before looking up again.


    ¡°I don¡¯t wanna. I¡¯d have to go rummage through bad memories if I did, and I don¡¯t want that. I only want to forget any of that happening, move on with my life and fill my head with good memories of us together. With everyone.¡±


    After hearing that, my heart and mind were pulling me towards opposing directions. My heart told me to go with her opinion and let her try and forget all the bad stuff and be happy with her newfound freedom. My mind however told me it was a short-sighted idea and that doing so would bring more pain in the long run.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she suddenly said, looking down again.


    ¡°What for?¡±


    ¡°For burdening you with my problems again.¡±


    ¡°¡­Didn¡¯t we promise we¡¯d tell when something is bothering us?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ yeah, but¡­¡±


    I reached out to one of her hands, startling her a bit and causing her to look up.


    ¡°Let¡¯s try your way for a while. If it doesn¡¯t work, you can always try therapy, right? And¡­ I¡¯m here too, so¡­¡±


    Her face twitched as her eyes welled up with tears. When she dove back into my arms, I held and patted her gently as she sobbed. I might have a visible scar for my whole life from her mother, but she had so many more invisible ones that I¡¯d be sure to do my best to help heal. She deserved that, and a lot more, after all she¡¯d been through.


    ???


    Waking up, all huddled up in her embrace, with her breathing hitting my forehead was one of the nicest things I had ever experienced. I smiled from ear to ear and snuggled more into her embrace. She let out a moan and pulled me closer too, seemingly mumbling something in the process.


    ¡°Are you awake?¡±


    She gave me no answer, meaning she had done her previous actions still in her deep sleep.


    I wasn¡¯t too bothered by not being able to chat with her right then. We could do that after breakfast. For now, I¡¯d enjoy my time until the alarm began ringing.


    ¡°Beep! Beep! Beep!¡±


    And of course, my luck being always a cruel mistress, the alarm started ringing right away.


    She was the one reaching out, since it was her phone, and my back was turned to the bedside table. She turned it off, but she went back to holding me dearly, resolute in going back to sleep with me warming her up.


    ¡°Violet,¡± I hushed, almost singing, ¡°I need to get up to go to school.¡±


    She moaned a protest and tightened her grip on me even more.


    I pushed my head out of the covers, our faces now levelled.


    ¡°I need to go to school so we can have material for you to study, remember?¡±


    ¡°¡­Mmh-hmm.¡±


    ¡°¡­Can I go now? We can cuddle all you want after I come back.¡±


    Her arms grew slightly limp after a few moments, and I managed to slip out of her hold.


    Brr! Why¡¯s her room so cold!?


    I was thinking that while I was changing. Maybe the fact I stripped first and began putting on my school uniform later wasn¡¯t that good of an idea. Even more so due to what happened next.


    ¡°V-Violet!?¡±


    When I was just about to button up my shirt, she came up from behind and hugged me, her hands having grown cold in the short time that had passed, and now were on my bare skin.


    ¡°Mmh, so warm,¡± she mumbled as she rested her head on top of mine.


    ¡°Haah, gee. I¡¯m almost naked, don¡¯t you see?¡± I patiently scolded her while I took her hands to guide her back to bed. ¡°Stay in bed¡ªWoah!¡±


    I dropped her, but she dragged me along. I think she got startled when her calves hit the side of the bed, so she lost her balance and grabbed me once she fell. Now, I was on top of her, scantily clad, and with one of her hands firmly¡­ lower than where my waist was. There was a bounce when we dropped, and I was pushed forward and slightly to the side, so, perhaps in a panic of me slipping and falling, she instinctively grabbed me, her hands ending up lower than where they initially were as a result. Not only that, she also looked me up and down.


    At least she was now fully awake. And as red as she possibly could. So was I, as a matter of fact.


    ¡°S-sorry!¡± she stammered.


    ¡°I-It¡¯s fine¡­ erm¡­ just take me out for a coffee later.¡±


    ¡°Erm, w-what? What does that mean?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s a joke. As in¡­ take me on a date before¡­ never mind.¡±


    ¡°R-right¡­ I got it¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Your hand¡­ please?¡±


    Seriously, my luck. I wasn¡¯t against her touching me like that. I was cursing my luck because that was nowhere near to how I¡¯d have wanted it to happen. That joke I made? I was only half joking. It¡¯d be nice if she came and invited me out someday.


    Pfft, yeah. Once Hell freezes over.


    Shy as she was, that would never happen, even if she ever came to be interested in me in that way by some sort of miracle.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go get breakfast ready,¡± she said rapidly as she got up and left.


    Being left alone was both relieving and annoying. I wasn¡¯t sure what I wanted her to say or do if she stayed, but her leaving irked me, nonetheless.


    ¡°Are you mad?¡± she asked once I sat at the table where she had placed my food once I walked in.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡±


    ¡°Really? Because, if you are¡­ I¡¯m very sorry.¡±


    ¡°What? Are you two arguing as soon as you wake up?¡±


    And because one bad thing usually comes followed by another, Stan also came to have breakfast, making this ¡°argument¡± even more unnecessarily complicated.


    ¡°We aren¡¯t arguing,¡± I contested. ¡°We are just¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ being awkward?¡±


    I direct my stare to her. She twisted a bit of her apron between her hands.


    ¡°I guess¡­¡± her voice drifted.


    ¡°¡­Look, it was an accident and I know how bad you are at waking up. Seriously, I¡¯ll be over it as soon as you stop looking so guilty.¡±


    ¡°¡­Ok. I¡¯m over it now.¡±


    She didn¡¯t seem to, but oh well.


    ¡°Why are you even having that conversation?¡±


    ¡°For reasons,¡± she said, shooting a glare at him.


    He rose his hands in surrender, but with a smile of satisfaction for having annoyed his daughter. He then asked if he could now use the kitchen. She reached out and grabbed a plate with another two slices of toast and sat in front of me.


    Briefly, our eyes met, and I offered her a smile. She answered back with a flustered one.


    Despite all the hassle we had, waking up to her was still the highest point of my day.


    Monday, eight-thirty. Math class.


    While I was, quite unexpectedly, received with clamour from my classmates, things soured when I had to explain what had happened to us and when would Violet come back.


    ¡°I got sick, and Violet is out of town.¡±


    I messed up, of course. It was supposed to be the other way around. Was there anyone in class whose parent¡¯s worked at the same place as Stan? That could be a huge problem.


    ¡°Violet is?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. She¡¯s at a relative¡¯s place.¡±


    Hopefully that salvaged the situation. I¡¯d have to remember and tell Violet of the change in our fib. And her house was actually her dad¡¯s house, so I wasn¡¯t exactly lying, was I?


    ¡°What are you all congregating there for!? Go back to your seats!¡±


    Ah yes. Mr. ¡°I-can¡¯t-retire-soon-enough¡±. How dearly I had not missed you.


    Those still standing hurried back to their seats, the human curtain that hid me from our teacher dissolving in a scurrying mass of teenagers.


    ¡°Ah! Miss Gardener. I¡¯m so glad that you finally decided to join us,¡± the old crone croaked with a wry smile. ¡°And what about that friend of yours?¡±


    I had no doubt in my mind he took some sort of pleasure from his nastiness. That much was clear by his expression and mannerism as he pointed to the empty seat by my side with his wrinkled, bony finger.


    ¡°It will take her some more time to get back, sir.¡±


    ¡°Humph. Tell her not to bother. A girl like her and skipping classes like this¡­ She¡¯ll clearly have to repeat the year.¡±


    I wondered, briefly, if my dad still had enough money to get me out of trouble from caving in his skull with my chair, but decided not to.


    Let¡¯s not stoop down to that woman¡¯s level¡­


    ¡°Are you willing to make a bet?¡±


    ¡°A bet?¡± he asked, intrigued by my snarky attitude. ¡°What sort of bet?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s say she can get an eighteen next test. How about you apologise to her for having said that?¡±


    He scoffed and shook his shoulders. Surprisingly, no rattling sound came from his bones.


    ¡°As if she could. Don¡¯t bother me with your childish antics.¡±


    ¡°Scared?¡±


    He stared at me, almost livid. I wasn¡¯t particularly scared. I¡¯ve had way worse and from someone who¡¯d have beaten me up as soon as I had opened my mouth. Besides, I was beyond mad at him for dicing my best friend and the girl I liked.


    He threatened me with disciplinary action, something I¡¯d love to see once I explained my dad why he had been called to school, but not rocking the boat any further was the wiser choice.


    After that, the day was normal. So mind-numbingly normal.


    As I boarded the bus to go back to her place, I wondered how I had managed to endure it during all those years before I met Violet.


    Oh, right.


    I skipped class any chance I got.


    ¡°Ah, welcome back! How was¡ª¡±


    ¡°Boot camp time!¡± I cut her off as I dragged her deeper inside, after she opened the door for me.


    ¡°W-wait! Hold on! What happened?¡±


    I told her what had happened at school while I prepared her desk for an intense study session. I hated studying, but this time, it was personal.


    I sat her down once everything was ready, and sat on her lap, placing one arm around me, the other ready for writing.


    ¡°But Abby, that¡¯s impossible for me!¡± she cried out.


    ¡°That¡¯s what he thinks! Let¡¯s show that dried up husk what we can do together!¡±


    ¡°But Abby, I¡ª¡±


    ¡°No buts! You¡¯ve already got an average of sixteen! If we get you confident enough in your math skills, I¡¯m sure we can get you almost a perfect twenty in our next test!¡±


    ¡°¡­You really think so?¡±


    ¡°Would I have done any of this if I didn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°¡­Thank you.¡±


    ¡°¡­You¡¯re welcome¡­¡±


    It¡¯s fantastic how much I mellowed down once she gave me an appreciative smile. It just wasn¡¯t fair how much she could mess with my head just by being her.


    ¡°¡­Fufu, what?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± I mumbled. ¡°You just looked super cute right now.¡±


    ¡°D-did I?¡±


    ¡°Mmh-hmm¡­ I¡¯m dead serious.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I see¡­ fufu¡­¡±


    Her embarrassed giggles were music to my ears. However¡­


    ¡°Study! We have to study!¡± I said, slapping the materials we had on display.¡±


    ¡°R-right.¡±


    ¡°Be sure to ask many questions!¡±


    ¡°I will!¡±


    ¡°And don¡¯t worry about me repeating the same thing! I¡¯ll say it as many times as you need!¡±


    ¡°Right!¡±


    We both leaned forward, and I had just opened my mouth while pointing at one of the many pages when she cut me off before I could put the first word out.


    ¡°Could I just go use the toilet first?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t it wait?¡±


    ¡°I was about to go when you arrived...¡±


    We got up and she left, along with most of our fiery spirit.


    There were still about two months before any test, so we didn¡¯t need to be so gung-ho, but it was still a bit of a letdown.

 My Safe Place

    I woke up in a cold sweat, staring at each and every shadow in my bedroom.


    I thought I¡¯d be able to sleep properly after spending a couple of nights of heavenly rest in Violet¡¯s embrace, but I was so wrong, I was now heaving with a pillow pressed to my face to muffle the noise and not disturb dad.


    I turned on the light and searched everywhere. It was completely moronic, I was well aware my mum wouldn¡¯t craw under the bed or get inside the closet, but I had to check. It just wasn¡¯t possible for me not to.


    ¡°She¡¯s not here. Not here,¡± I said, taking deep breaths, attempting to get a grip on myself. ¡°She¡¯s not here.¡±


    But she was. Anywhere I went and in every waking second, she was always there, hanging on the back of my mind. Even when I was with Violet, the person who made me feel safe, cared for, and wanting for my company, there was her finger pressing some spot of my mind, otherwise those feelings I felt around her wouldn¡¯t be so noticeable, right?


    ¡°Violet¡­ I should call Violet.¡±


    I reached to my phone, but stopped right before picking it up. It was past two in the dead of the night, so I¡¯d be waking her up and most likely stressing her.


    But she told me to call her if anything happened...


    And she was still not going to school, so she could sleep until later to compensate, I thought.


    ¡°H-Hello? Abby?¡±


    ¡°¡­I had a nightmare¡­¡±


    It was what came out first after every other phrases had gotten stuck in my throat.


    I heard rustling, most likely from her sitting up.


    ¡°Wanna talk about it?¡±


    ¡°¡­No¡­ I just wanted to hear your voice¡­¡±


    ¡°Fufu, I see. Me talking makes you feel better?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yeah¡­ It¡¯s stupid, but¡­ yeah.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I don¡¯t think it¡¯s stupid. I felt like that sometimes during that week we only talked through the phone.¡±


    ¡°You did?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes¡­ I got lonely every now and then.¡±


    That was so heart-warming to hear, even if she didn¡¯t mean anything deeper than missing a friend. Truth be told, I probably needed more her friendship than her love.


    ¡°I¡¯m such a wreck. I feel like I¡¯m only ok when I¡¯m with you.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Sorry. I said something completely unnecessary.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m ok with us spending more time together.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very sweet, but¡­ I¡¯m already too depended on you.¡±


    ¡°You think so?¡±


    ¡°¡­If I¡¯m not, I could become if we did that. I¡¯d rather not risk it.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ sorry, I don¡¯t think I quite get it.¡±


    Right, she had just been woken up. I¡¯d have to either give her some time for her brain to fully boot up, or explain things in more detail.


    ¡°I¡¯m scared that, if I start spending all the time with you, I won¡¯t be able to deal with my issues when being alone.¡±


    ¡°But you don¡¯t need to be alone.¡±


    ¡°I know, but I also can¡¯t be with you all the time. I saw what being together all the time did to my parents.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ none of us is like¡­¡±


    She didn¡¯t finish her sentence, but she didn¡¯t have to anyway.


    ¡°¡­When you come by tomorrow, do you want any snacks in particular?¡±


    ¡°Anything¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°I told you before, I can¡¯t work with that.¡±


    Yeah, we¡¯ve had that conversation before.


    ¡°Erm, anything that goes nicely with a hot drink?¡±


    ¡°Like, butter cookies?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ that sounds nice. Oh! Those coffee ones we had Sunday were very good too!¡±


    ¡°Pfft, fufu. I¡¯m surprised you liked those. They aren¡¯t all that sweet.¡±


    ¡°They aren¡¯t that bitter either.¡±


    We kept talking about snacks and such until both our voices started to drag out. I had almost forgotten about the nightmare I had after our two-hour long call, so sleep came easy and peaceful until it was time for me to wake up.


    I was feeling groggy, but I had to go to class no matter what. I could tutor her without notes, sure, but it was always better to use notes with the way the teachers wanted us to rationalise the subject.


    ¡°Abby? There¡¯s a boy wanting to see you,¡± a classmate told me while I was giving the stuff I wrote down an once over.


    I looked at her, and then at the door.


    Oh! Oh no! Not him!


    Waving and smiling at me like a weasel was Marcus.


    ¡°Sorry Mathilda, but tell him I¡¯m not interested.¡±


    ¡°W-what!? But he¡¯s so handsome!¡±


    ¡°Then you talk to him!¡±


    She finally got the clue and left me alone. I felt bad for being rude to her, but I really wanted nothing to do with him.


    I stopped feeling bad for her once she came back.


    ¡°I told you, I¡¯m¡­¡±


    It wasn¡¯t her who came back. No, that weasel had slithered his way to my table.


    ¡°Hi! Long time no see you!¡±


    ¡°Hi, Marcus,¡± I said, not hiding my displeasure.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± he asked, trying to sit on Violet¡¯s chair.


    ¡°Don¡¯t! That seat is for my friend.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it will be just for a second. If your friend comes back, I¡¯ll just stand up.¡±


    Had I perhaps been a very bad person in my previous life for my karma to be this bad in this?


    ¡°You weren¡¯t with them the last time your parents paid us a visit. When I asked, they got all weird.¡±


    I was shocked by me feeling like I wanted to have been there. Getting to see that woman squirm as she tried to not give away anything that might make her look bad must have been a show I¡¯d pay top money to watch.


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    ¡°Did you go on a diet? You¡¯re looking good.¡±


    I¡¯m sure I was. Nothing is sexier than a girl with dark circles under her eyes and sunken cheeks.


    ¡°Marcus, what do you want?¡± I asked, feeling my patience draining.


    His sickening smile grew, and he moved a hand over mine.


    ¡°I was thinking about us going somewhere? Do some catch up?¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m already taken,¡± I dryly told him, taking my hand away from his.


    His smile vanished quickly. That brought me a level of satisfaction I couldn¡¯t ever had imagined.


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding.¡±


    ¡°I most certainly am not. I¡¯m going to their place after I¡¯m done with school.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s your problem, not mine. Just¡­ go away. Leave me alone.¡±


    ¡°¡­I want to meet him.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to introduce you,¡± I scoffed.


    ¡°Because there really isn¡¯t someone, is there?¡±


    I¡¯ve had enough of his attitude.


    I grabbed all my stuff, not even bothering to store them in my bag, and got up.


    ¡°You make me wanna puke,¡± I hissed as I left.


    I left, but¡­ now what?


    Staying in school would mean we could bump into each other again and my classmates would be wanting to make questions. And the more I thought about him, the more distressed I felt as memories came flashing back. The walls started to feel like they were coming down on me and the air grew thick as mud. I couldn¡¯t take it. I had to escape to somewhere safe. And that place was her.


    ¡°Abby? Did class¡­ something happened, didn¡¯t it?¡±


    That wasn¡¯t a hard guess, since I was staring down and still holding my books close to the chest.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but¡­ can I stay here for a bit?¡±


    ¡°Of course. You can stay here for as long as you want.¡±


    I walked inside past her and stopped once the door closed. She placed a hand over my shoulder, and I turned, pressing myself against her, prompting her arms to wrap around me.


    ¡°Do you want to eat something?¡±


    I shook my head.


    ¡°I just wanna stay like this for a¡ª¡±


    ¡°knock, knock, knock.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, it might be the mailman.¡±


    I was reluctant to let go of her. She saw that, and as a compromise, hugged me sideways so I could still cling to her while she held me at the same time while leaving her with a free hand.


    ¡°Erm¡­ I¡¯m sorry, but you might have the wrong house.¡±


    I glanced up for a fraction of a second before my head shot up and I hid behind her. The weasel had followed me.


    ¡°I knew it. There isn¡¯t someone after all.¡±


    I felt Violet¡¯s upper body shifting, probably checking on me confused and worried.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but who are you and what¡¯s your relationship with her?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my line. That girl there said she was going to her boyfriend¡¯s place after school and so couldn¡¯t go out with me instead.¡±


    Her body shifted again. Then¡­


    ¡°She¡¯s my girlfriend. Got a problem with that?¡±


    I clutched her clothes and glanced at her face.


    She was a bit red, but I very much doubt it was out of embarrassment. She clearly was angry at him for harassing me.


    ¡°Oh, come on! As if.¡±


    ¡°Why? Are you saying two girls can¡¯t date?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m saying that¡¯s impossible because she had been waving around her hips at my place befo¡ªbwargh!¡±


    With a jerk from her putting her weight in the movement followed by a sickening wet crack and some red splashes, he was sent tumbling back and falling on his ass as he held both hands to his face. ¡°Abby¡¯s not like that!¡± she shouted when she slapped him.


    Blood flowed as he squealed about Violet having broken his nose.


    ¡°Violet no!¡± I shouted, shaking her body. ¡°Please, don¡¯t hit him!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m also calling the police!¡± she growled, taking her phone out. ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll love hearing about you harassing a girl who¡¯s not interested in you.¡±


    ¡°W-wait! There¡¯s no need for that! I won¡¯t bother her anymore, I swear!¡±


    ¡°Then¡ª¡± she barked.


    ¡°Enough! Please, no more shouting!¡± I begged. ¡°Marcus, look, all that was my mum¡¯s idea. I never liked you, ok? So please, just leave me be!¡±


    Everyone except me, who was sobbing, fell quiet.


    She shut the door after we watched him hurriedly getting out of our sight and stayed facing the door, shaking.


    ¡°¡­Are you ok?¡± I asked.


    She looked at me, her face with a complicated expression. We held our gaze on each other for what felt like a long time before she smiled at me.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m way more worried about you.¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll be fine¡­¡±


    She pulled me in, gently holding my body that jerked with each and every sob.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll bother you anymore.¡±


    My chest tightened, and I had to put in a lot of effort not to start bawling my eyes out.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I hurt my hand punching him,¡± she commented when she stroke my face.


    I grabbed said hand gently between my hands and began kissing it all over.


    ¡°Erm, what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Trying to make the pain go away?¡±


    She stifled her laughter poorly. I didn¡¯t mind her laughing at my silliness.


    I kept massaging her hand and wrist while we curled together on the couch. It wasn¡¯t broken, she must have just twisted it when she hit him. I asked if she had some bandages at home. After being told where I could find them, I made sure to finish taking care of her before settling down.


    ¡°Who was he anyway?¡± she finally asked, stroking my hair as I used her lap as a pillow.


    ¡°That was Marcus.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so he¡¯s Marcus,¡± she said, sounding oddly relieved. ¡°I guess slapping him wasn¡¯t too much of an over-reaction.¡±


    ¡°¡­I think it kinda was,¡± I said, now that I could think about it more clearly. ¡°He might be a pig who thinks all girls want to sleep with him, but¡­ in this case, he¡¯s as much a victim of my mum¡¯s games as I am. I did have to pretend being interested in him multiple times.¡±


    ¡°¡­Humph, even so, if he stalks a girl back to their partner¡¯s place, I say he deserves being hit.¡±


    ¡°¡­Sorry for the lie too.¡±


    ¡°What lie?¡±


    ¡°¡­The one I told him about being taken and going to my partners place after classes.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Hmm¡­ it¡¯s fine, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ people now might get the wrong idea about us.¡±


    ¡°Did you only tell that to him?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but¡­ others in the classroom might have over-heard. I didn¡¯t say your name, but¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll tell anyone. He¡¯d have to admit he had lost a girl to another girl, so¡­ by what I¡¯ve heard about him¡­ And everyone in class thinks I¡¯m away, so they won¡¯t be thinking it¡¯s me whom you are dating.¡±


    I turned belly up to see what face she was making. More than anything else, she seemed overly worried about me.


    ¡°¡­You know, the person who gets to date you sure is lucky.¡±


    She grew vividly red at that comment.


    ¡°I-It¡¯s still too early for me to think about dating.¡±


    ¡°Not really. We¡¯ll both be sixteen very soon.¡±


    Y-Yeah, but¡­ I still suck at dealing with people.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, but that¡¯s one of the best things about getting to know you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ well, thanks, but that¡¯s a ¡°you¡± thing. Besides, I¡¯m not interested in dating now. I¡¯ve got school, work, and¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­And?¡±


    ¡°¡­And, well¡­ I¡¯d¡­ I¡¯d have¡­ you know¡­¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°¡­Less time to spend with you¡­¡±


    My chest was feeling tight again, making it almost hard to breath. She was too adorable at times like this. I couldn¡¯t resist it, I had to give her a kiss. An innocent one, mind you.


    I gave her cheek a long kiss before putting my head down again, this time with my face pressed against her stomach.


    ¡°Erm¡­ what was that about?¡±


    ¡°You are just too cute at times.¡±


    ¡°C-cute!?¡±


    ¡°Yup¡­ super cute, even.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­You smell nice too.¡±


    ¡°Erm¡­ could you not smell me when your face is so close to my erm¡­¡±


    Right, I haven¡¯t thought about it before speaking.


    ¡°Thanks for having me. I¡¯m going back to school.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you are?¡±


    She sounded a bit sad to hear it. Looking straight to her face, she was.


    ¡°Hehe, are you feeling lonely already?¡±


    She didn¡¯t grow any redder simply because she couldn¡¯t. She wasn¡¯t denying it either.


    I smooched her cheek again as a farewell.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back with all the notes of the day, so don¡¯t be.¡±


    ¡°¡­Ok¡­¡±


    She was holding the spot I had kissed her. That was so adorable.


    Back in school after a very lonely bus ride, right after I sat down, that same classmate that had talked to me came back for more.


    ¡°You said you weren¡¯t interested, but you two left and you¡¯re all smiles.¡±


    ¡°A-am I?¡± I wondered out loud, touching my face. Sure enough, there was a wide smile spread all over it.


    ¡°Did you two go on a quick date?¡±


    ¡°A date with him?¡± I laughed. ¡°Not in a million years.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ why are you so happy?¡±


    ¡°Hehe, not telling.¡±

 The Result and a New Prospect

    Her alarm rang and I turned away from our nest and stretched an arm to shut it off. Her hand followed mine and, after silence was restored, entangled its fingers with mine before retreating them back to under the covers, close to my chest as she pressed her body against mine, her face resting on my nape. Unexpectedly, she was reluctant to get out of bed, making it incredibly hard for me to do so for many reasons.


    ¡°Violet? Remember what I told you yesterday?¡±


    She grumbled something incoherent that I somehow understood.


    ¡°Yeah, we need to go and show that old geezer we haven¡¯t been slaking off in our studies. Come on now!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t wanna,¡± she grumbled, this time being a bit easier to figure out her words.


    ¡°¡­Because I¡¯m warm, soft, smell nice and am a delight to snuggle with?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yeah¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Suddenly, she shot up and loomed over me, red-faced and wide-eyed.


    ¡°¡­W-wait!? What was the question!?¡±


    ¡°Pfft, ah-haha! Good morning, sleepy head.¡±


    I got out of bed and offered her a hand to drag her away from the cosiness we were together until then.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to get out of bed because I¡¯m a nice smelling, soft, warm and great for hugging girl, right?¡±


    ¡°Urgh¡­ why are you teasing me so hard as soon as we wake up?¡± she complained, using her hands to hide her face.


    ¡°Why? Because being with you always gets me in a good mood, silly.¡±


    She uncovered her face, and I took the opportunity to put her glasses on.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s go! I want to make that old geezer eat his words with a sour face once he tells you to go to the blackboard.¡±


    ¡°What makes you so sure he will?¡±


    ¡°Believe me, he will.¡±


    Before that, she¡¯d have to face another some other hurdles.


    ¡°You know,¡± she started saying while stopping our march. ¡°I never got the logic behind leaving the outside wall of the building while rebuilding the inside like a modern one. I get it that it¡¯s supposed to preserve the historical fa?ade, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°Quit stalling,¡± I told her, giving her a small wank to prompt her to move again. ¡°Remember how it was cold before, but isn¡¯t now that each classroom has AC? Let¡¯s get inside before you freeze on me.¡±


    Once we got to class, the people that were already inside swarmed us. Since I walked behind because it was easier to make my way through the crowd with her serving as a path maker, I got stepped on my foot by her before she pulled me between her and them. What logic was there in using a peerie-leggie like me as a shield? None, but she needed all the buffer she could get between them and her.


    I had the creeping feeling that her recent isolation from the world also didn¡¯t help in dealing with her social anxiety too.


    ¡°Guys, guys, calm down! You know Violet is skittish!¡± I called out, trying to curb some of their enthusiasm. ¡°You even got her to step on my foot.¡±


    ¡°Ah! S-sorry,¡± she whimpered from behind me.


    ¡°What happened to your lip?¡± someone asked.


    I looked at what was now an unfortunate familiar sight. That small gash she had on her lower left lip.


    ¡°¡­I got this while helping Abby some time ago.¡±


    My jaw dropped. She said it like it was nothing to worry about while giving me one of her warmest smiles. Wasn¡¯t she bothered by it?


    This girl¡­


    She was amazing, no doubt about it.


    They pressed for more details, but when she gave them a cold stare that I found a bit nostalgic after the second time she deflected the subject, their curiosity died down.


    ¡°Everyone, let¡¯s sit down before he arrives. I¡¯ve got something nice for all to enjoy,¡± I told the group.


    Some did as I asked right away, but most kept close to us, asking what it was. I just told them they¡¯d have to wait but it involved making our teacher eat a healthy dose of humble pie.


    Soon after, he came in. Already he was suspicious of something being afoot.


    Squinting, he looked around the classroom, his gaze settling on Violet.


    ¡°Ah, miss Evergreen! Finally decided to show your face, it seems.¡±


    ¡°Y-yes. I came back this weekend.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you did? Must be nice, not giving a damn about obligations.¡±


    I bit my tongue. How could someone so despicable be allowed to be a teacher?


    ¡°Have you at least tried to keep up with the subjects? Your friend there believes you have.¡±


    ¡°I did, yes.¡±


    ¡°Humph. We shall see.¡±


    He took a wad of paper from his leather suitcase¡ªwhich was as ancient as him, most likely made out of a dinosaur skin, and looked through the pages. When he found what he was looking for, he faced the board with a bit of chalk and paper in hand and began writing an equation. Just as I had predicted.


    ¡°If you did, then this should be easy, hmm?¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡­ I think I can solve it.¡±


    He clicked his tongue and gestured her to come closer. She took her calculator and did the small march of death.


    We all watched her going through it. She was a bit shaky, but she wasn¡¯t making any mistakes. I was solving it at the same time. Well, I was being a bit faster, but I did tell her to never rush, so her speed wasn¡¯t an issue. Slow and steady wins the race, they say.


    ¡°I¡¯m done.¡±


    She said it so softly, I could only figure her words by reading her lips.


    The man¡¯s expression was a delicacy. We all were enjoying it and not making any attempts at hiding it.


    ¡°Is this a trick?¡± he snarled at me.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t. She just worked really hard this past week.¡±


    ¡°Oh please, like a dumb girl like her could ever solve an equation from a higher grade!¡±


    Should he even be admitting he was setting her up for failure? That only made him look even more of an idiot.


    ¡°I bet you found a way to cheat! You and your smartphones and gadgets!¡±


    ¡°No, like I said¡ª¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it! Your friend is a fool and you¡¯re a spoiled rich kid! Of course you cheated! Do you take me for an idiot?¡±


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°If you call Abby a ¡°spoiled kid¡± without knowing anything about her, then yes. You¡¯re a huge, dumb idiot.¡±


    I was so focused on him, I hadn¡¯t noticed her change in demeanour. She now stood completely straight and glaring with such anger in her eyes and aura, it was frightening. Everyone in class, and I do mean everyone, was holding their breath as they watched like statues the two of them. Even the old man seemed a bit hesitant on opening his mouth. I didn¡¯t believe she¡¯d get physical, but I also never would have imagined her slapping anyone until I saw her do exactly that to Marcus.


    After a long stare down, he left the classroom, and she came back to her seat, all eyes on her.


    She opened her mouth, but noticing the stares, she closed it and instead wrote down what she was about to say.


    ¡°Sorry. I lost my temper when he insulted you.¡±


    Despite the dire situation, I couldn¡¯t help but smile a bit. Just knowing she¡¯d get that protective of me was making me all fuzzy on the inside.


    I gave her a shoulder bump as I passed her a note saying I was sorry too and that it was also my fault for having had a stupid plan to begin with.


    ¡°He¡¯d throw a tantrum anyway.¡±


    True, he would.


    At the end of the day, our parents were called to school, and we all met at the small waiting area close to the principal¡¯s office.


    ¡°What happened?¡± my dad asked, looking none too pleased.


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault, Mr. Will,¡± she said before I could offer any explanation. ¡°He called Abby spoiled and I lost my temper¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°Hold on, ¡®spoiled¡¯? And you lost your temper?¡± her dad asked.


    ¡°¡­Yeah¡­¡±


    Our parents exchanged a look before looking back at us. Somehow, they had understood the story was more complicated than that.


    ¡°It¡¯s good that you stood up for your friend, but from here on out, try to avoid conflicts, ok?¡±


    We nodded.


    ¡°Haah, let¡¯s get this over with,¡± my dad grunted.


    He knocked and we were invited in.


    The principal, a middle-aged, balding man sat across a desk. There were some bookshelves, but they were covered with dossiers and other assortment of important paper storages. The deco was all function over appearance and charm. There wasn¡¯t a hint of personality in our current surroundings.


    He explained the teacher¡¯s grievance to our parents. Stan stayed unmoving while my dad bobbed his head up and down, waiting for his chance to speak.


    ¡°Did he mention anything about calling my daughter ¡°spoiled¡±, or is he so old and senile, he forgot?¡±


    Violet and I fixated our gaze on him. He looked and sounded calm, but there was something in the quality of his voice that carried a ¡°be very, very mindful of your choice of words¡± that I had never heard from him, even on the rare occasions he¡¯d scold me.


    ¡°I beg your pardon?¡±


    ¡°You see, Violet called the man an idiot because apparently, he called my daughter ¡®spoiled¡¯. You don¡¯t have a way to know¡ªand I¡¯m not going to share her current family life either, but that¡¯s as far from the truth as it could possibly be. And before you ask or say something unnecessary, if Violet comes to you saying that the sky is green, then believe me, unlikely as it might sound, that the sky is indeed green. I¡¯d go and ask about it to your teacher if I were you.¡±


    I still wasn¡¯t used to seeing my dad being so authoritative, but I guess he had never been allowed to show that side of him when mum was around.


    ¡°¡­Please, excuse me for a moment.¡±


    Violet and I were a bit at a loss. Honestly, I had thought we¡¯d be getting an earful first and be asked about what had happened later, but it seemed like we¡¯d get it the other way around.


    We passed the time with me relaying what had happened from our point of view since I was feeling scared about having disappointed dad and being very sorry for causing trouble to everyone.


    ¡°Abby, sweetie, it¡¯s ok. I¡¯m just tired from work, I¡¯m not mad at you,¡± my dad reassured. ¡°I know you hate causing trouble.¡±


    ¡°Well, trouble that isn¡¯t teasing my daughter,¡± Stan chimed in to lighten the mood.


    ¡°D-dad!¡± Violet cried out. ¡°Now¡¯s not the time for jokes!¡±


    ¡°Still, you managed to solve an eleventh-grade math problem? Impressive,¡± my dad added.


    ¡°¡­I had a good teacher,¡± she said meekly, giving me a glance.


    Our conversation continued in a relatively light tone until a few moments later, when the principal came back looking like he wanted to crawl into a hole.


    ¡°¡­After further questioning, he did admit he might have said some harsh things to them in the heat of the moment.¡±


    ¡°Might have,¡± Stan chuckled dryly.


    ¡°By what my daughter told me, it might be more of a recurring occurrence than anything.¡±


    ¡°Is that true, Miss Abigail?¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah¡­¡±


    ¡°Miss Violet?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes¡­ Ask anyone in class.¡±


    The room got silent as the adults looked at each other until her dad asked if we could be sent our way.


    Before we left, Violet grabbed my hand to stop me from going through the door.


    ¡°Would you like to join us for dinner tonight?¡± she asked my father.


    He turned his head and offered her a polite smile.


    ¡°If I¡¯m not intruding.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine by me,¡± her father interjected. ¡°And if she¡¯s asking, then it¡¯s settled.¡±


    ???


    Abby was awfully quiet ever since we left the principal¡¯s office. Frankly, it was very worrying for me how muted she was while standing by my side peeling and cutting potatoes. It simply wasn¡¯t the same if she wasn¡¯t glowing and pestering me. And I was also worrying about her cutting herself from not paying attention.


    ¡°I¡¯m done. What¡¯s next?¡±


    I pondered if I should pressure her into opening up. Deciding I¡¯d try just a bit, I placed a hand over one of hers.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been very quiet.¡±


    ¡°I guess¡­ are you worried? Why am I asking, of course you are.¡±


    She bumped her hip on me before giving me a slightly impish smile.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back to normal once I stuff myself. Speaking of which, what are we even making?¡±


    ¡°Meat stew.¡±


    ¡°The meat stew?¡±


    ¡°Fufu, yup,¡± I giggled at her hungry face. ¡°Your favourite, right?¡±


    She nodded vigorously, her eyes shining with enthusiasm.


    ¡°I like all your food, but this one is the best.¡±


    I didn¡¯t like nor disliked cooking. That had always been my stance. It was only a task I had to do because I need nutrition and I didn¡¯t have the money to get someone else to do it for me. However, seeing her always so gleeful about eating what I made was changing that.


    ¡°Hehe, meat stew. Gonna eat meat stew,¡± she sang while she took care of the next task I gave her. I think she picked a popular song and was singing her lyrics at the same rhythm, because, while familiar, I was sure it was the first time she ever sang that. Rather, that was the first time I heard her sing at all. I thought her child-like voice would be able to get anyone in a good mood for some reason. It most certainly was bring me out of a slump.


    ¡°Your turn!¡±


    ¡°Huh!? I¡¯m singing too?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not fair if I¡¯m the only one embarrassing myself, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    She was embarrassed?


    I leaned forward and peeked at her face. She had a bit of red around her cheeks. She also stuck out her tongue once she noticed me, grinning mischievously afterwards.


    Embarrassed, and not knowing at all how to, I tried to sing. Fortunately, she was looking at her work instead of me, making it a bit easier.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ could you try singing it like it was a lullaby?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I think it will be easier for you to sing something a bit slower. Your voice, I think, is also better suited for that. It¡¯s not as high pitched as mine, and it has a soothing undertone.¡±


    Was Abby musically trained? I wouldn¡¯t be too surprised if she was. Her mother might have thought it would do her good to train her voice or something.


    I interrupted the concert when she rested her head on my shoulder.


    ¡°You know, I wouldn¡¯t mind hearing you lullabying me to sleep.¡±


    ¡°¡­Pfft, fufu. I¡¯d have to change the lyrics, otherwise I¡¯d just make you hungry.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t make me sound like a glutton!¡± she huffed.


    ¡°But you kinda are.¡±


    ¡°Only because your food is yummy! Humph!¡±


    ¡°Pfft, fufu.¡±


    She was pouting, but it was the good kind of pouting. You know, the type where the person is pretending to be annoyed at you.


    ¡°¡­Hey, Violet?¡± she called, sounding shy all of a sudden.


    ¡°Yes, Abby?¡±


    ¡°¡­Could you teach me how to cook?¡±


    ¡°Erm¡­ why?¡±


    ¡°No reason,¡± she said, shrugging. ¡°I just thought it be nice if I helped you cook when I¡¯m here¡­ And I could also cook for you too every now and then¡­¡±


    This time, it was me bumping hips with her.


    ¡°Sure thing.¡±


    ¡°¡­Thanks¡­¡±


    Eating something she cooked herself just for me¡­ for some reason, I was feeling all fuzzy about that prospect.


    I suppose that¡¯s what dad felt when I first cooked for him.

 No Matter What

    One night, some weeks after I had gone back to classes and work, I woke up in the middle of the night. Unlike any other occasion, this time I was fully awake.


    I grabbed my phone as I had a feeling I¡¯d need it, and stood up, intending on using the bathroom. While there, it flashed for a brief second, before it even buzzed or even vibrated.


    ¡°Haah, I knew it.¡±


    Abby had tried to call me, but the call dropped before I¡¯d be able to notice it. That was my initial theory, but when she didn¡¯t try a second time, I changed it to her cutting off because she didn¡¯t want to disturb me. There¡¯s no way she was calling me at that time of the night to tell me she dreamt of kittens and rainbows.


    Well, tough luck. If she was calling me at two in the morning, and them playing coy, then I¡¯d be the one making the call.


    ¡°H-hey. What¡¯s up?¡±


    Her voice was cracking a lot and I could hear her irregular breathing.


    ¡°I got up to use the toilet and noticed my phone flashing.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ sorry for waking you up.¡±


    ¡°No, I got up, then I saw it flashing¡± I said, giving a lot of emphasis to each word I spoke.


    I waited for some response or come back, but heard nothing of her except quiet sobs for a while.


    ¡°Hold on.¡±


    I heard from the other side the sound of shuffling and of doors being opened and closed.


    ¡°What was that?¡±


    She got quiet again. Then, she began explaining.


    That noise had been her checking every nook and cranny of her bedroom and house before she came back to her room and locking the door. She had a dream where her mother came to take her back to her old house and needed to go through all that to have some peace of mind. That was¡­ well, that was nightmarish for lack of a better word. Torturous, to not sound puny.


    ¡°Sorry¡­ I¡¯m such a mess, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll get better.¡±


    ¡°When!? When will I¡­¡±


    She had begun raising her voice before going silent again. I waited for her to say something since I had no idea what to tell her next.


    ¡°Sorry. I shouldn¡¯t be blowing up on you out of all people.¡±


    I thought she should, though. Maybe her problem was exactly that: not putting out all her pent-up emotions.


    I talked with her more, changing the subject slowly to other matters, getting her mind out of bad things. When the call ended, I sat on my desk and grabbed some paper and a pen.


    ¡°Right, let¡¯s see¡­¡±


    I opened a tab in my web browser and got to researching.


    Abby needed professional help, something that I couldn¡¯t provide her. I¡¯d still do my best to help, anyway.


    And to begin with, I started researching about recuring nightmares.


    I already knew she slept well when with me¡ªat least she hadn¡¯t woken up in a panic, so I now had to figure out what else I could do to help her not have them when sleeping alone.


    After about an hour, I already had some stuff I could use, and the articles were starting to get repetitive, so I decided to go to bed and get some sleep.


    The next morning, as soon as I awoke, I texted her asking for her to stop by. It didn¡¯t take long for her to knock on the front door.


    ¡°Hi there,¡± she greeted once I opened the door. She must have had finished one of her morning runs because she was a bit flushed and some hair was sticking to her forehead while wearing nylon shorts and a hoodie. It would also explain how she got there so fast. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    I invited her in and guided her to my room. Once there, I sat her on the bed and sat right by her, holding her hands.


    ¡°Abby, look, erm¡­ I did some research last night and¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªI¡¯m sorry,¡± she interrupted, looking down and looking dejected from the little glimpse I had of her face. ¡°I keep causing your problems left and right.¡±


    ¡°I want you to tell me about your nightmares,¡± I told her, like she hadn¡¯t interrupted me at all, or said such harsh thing about herself.


    ¡°W-what!? No!¡±


    She immediately got distressed and defensive, but I was ready for that.


    ¡°I thought you¡¯d say that, so I prepared you this,¡± I said, handing her a notebook I had lying around, unused. ¡°If you¡¯re not telling me about them, then at least try writing.¡±


    She held it, staring at it confused.


    ¡°Is writing about my nightmares supposed to help?¡±


    ¡°According to what I read, it might. I don¡¯t think it will hurt to try.¡±


    She stared at the book some more. Then, she held it to her chest, nodding in agreement. That was step one forward.


    ¡°You told me you needed to check all your house because you dreamt your mum was there. Does that happen often?¡±


    She gave me a meek nod.


    ¡°It¡¯s my most recuring one.¡±


    Hmm¡­ is she scared she might have to go back home?


    The divorce papers were signed, and with that, her custody was also taken care of.


    I¡¯ll have to talk with her dad.


    I hated the idea of going behind her back, but if I made any suggestion now, I feared she¡¯d start kicking a fuss and cause her to shut me off completely. The same could be said about when she¡¯d find out I talked to her father, but I¡¯d deal with that when the time came.


    Between having her being my friend forever or having her heal without me in her life¡­ It pained me, killed me even, but I¡¯d choose the latter.


    ¡°Wanna take a shower and have breakfast with me before going home?¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll stay just for breakfast. I don¡¯t want to always be borrowing your stuff.¡±


    Overall, I was pleased with the results. I¡¯d rather have had her talking about her night terrors with me, but I¡¯d content myself with the results.


    I gave her some time to settle down her mind before establishing another conversation. I was without topics, but then something crossed my mind while I chewed the piece of toast I had in hand.


    ¡°You know, maybe it¡¯d be a good idea for you to bring some clothes when you come back for our study session.¡±


    ¡°You think so? Wouldn¡¯t I be taking away your space?¡±


    ¡°I mean, you spend a lot of time here and my closet and drawers are mostly empty. If I¡¯ve got anything, it¡¯s storage space.¡±


    ¡°No, I meant¡­ never mind.¡±


    She didn¡¯t elaborate any further, but I kept watching her. I had just noticed how she ate her toasts. Nibble, nibble, chomp. Nibble, nibble, chomp. It reminded me of a hamster.


    I compare her a lot to tiny animals, don¡¯t I?


    ¡°At this rate, it feels like I¡¯m slowly moving in,¡± she said under her breath while absent mindedly staring to the side.


    She then snapped her neck back at me. By the way my face was, she clearly knew without any space for deniability that I had heard her.


    ¡°Forget what I said! I didn¡¯t sleep much, so I¡¯m saying dumb stuff,¡± she hurriedly urged, growing a shade of red I had never seen.


    Still though, Abby and I living together? That didn¡¯t sound all that bad.


    Pfft. And since when have you become so clingy?


    Probably because it was winter and having her in my bed or sharing a blanket on the couch were the cosiest things ever. I felt a bit ashamed by it. Then, I didn¡¯t. This is what I had been wanting for a long time. I now had a friend I absolutely adored to be with.


    I was still reminiscing about all the things that led me to that point when Abby bumped into me while we were walking to her place.


    ¡°Sorry, I kinda tripped.¡±


    Looking at her, I felt the urge of holding her hand. Maybe it was her tired face, me feeling needy after going on a memory trip, or simply how small she looked at the moment from having her shoulders drooping slightly from tiredness.


    It didn¡¯t matter the reason, I was going to interlock my fingers with her.


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    ¡°Gee, Violet! I¡¯m not that tired.¡±


    ¡°No, erm, I¡¯m¡­ in the mood for that kind of stuff.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ ok then.¡±


    Her hand felt so warm and small in mine, almost like I was holding a small bird.


    ¡­Here I go again, comparing her to small animals.


    ¡°Hehe.¡±


    ¡°W-what?¡±


    ¡°Oh, nothing. I was just musing how you¡¯ve become so clingy. It¡¯s so nice.¡±


    ¡°W-what of it?¡±


    She pressed herself on me, hugging my arm with her other hand. As she did, I noticed she was smelling different again. Was this the third or fourth time? Maybe the fourth. Well, how many times it had been didn¡¯t matter, I was just curious to find her changing shampoos so frequently. Maybe it was something she enjoyed doing?


    ¡°It¡¯s nice,¡± she repeated. ¡°Although I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s only temporary.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡± I asked, genuinely confused by her remark.


    ¡°When it starts warming up, I¡¯m guessing you¡¯ll like it less and less for us to get all touchy-feely.¡±


    Yes, once that time came, I wouldn¡¯t be able to use the cold as an excuse anymore.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Wait, hold on!? What do you mean ¡®use the cold as an excuse¡¯?


    Was I being clingy because I mainly liked being exactly that?


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sure I won¡¯t¡­¡±


    I had to be truthful to myself. I knew for a long time that I had changed. I no longer was the same Violet who would bark at Abby just for leaning on me. No, now I was the complete opposite. If she wasn¡¯t leaning on me, I¡¯d be the one doing the leaning. For better or for worse, that was the person I was now. I was now the person who caused that girl to have a giggling fit and who was rubbing her face on my arm out of cheer glee.


    Yup, this is fine.


    Her house took me by surprise. From my front door, when looking to the right when facing it, there was a treeline behind some other houses in my neighbourhood. Peeking over said trees, were some relatively new apartment buildings. Fancy ones, at least to my plebeian eyes. Anyway, imagine my surprise discovering she now lived at a less than ten-minute walk away from my place, and that she could even see my house from her balcony. No wonder she¡¯d go back to her place pretty late without worries and got to mine in a blink of an eye.


    As for the accommodations, well¡­


    The kitchen was double the size of mine, a fact that filled me with a lot of jealousy, not to mention how well, stylish and modern it was equipped. You could probably fit us and our parents in there, all cooking, and we¡¯d only be bumping on purpose.


    The living room was another dreamscape. Large, with two couches that felt like heaven to sit and lay on, a large TV with two sound columns on either side, a very nice bookshelf with some books already on it, others still inside a couple of boxes to the side. Between that and the kitchen was the dining area, with a large wooden-topped table with eight chairs set around it.


    Despite the large size of each division, her room was surprisingly small.


    ¡°This was a storage room, but I had it converted,¡± she explained. ¡°I felt like the bedroom was too big.¡±


    Personally, I¡¯d have picked the larger room, but that most likely was very biased by me having always had a small one. In fact, this room was about the same size as mine, only better furnished. She also had her own TV on a drawer set by the foot of her bed, allowing her to watch movies in its comfort.


    ¡°Ahem.¡±


    I shifted my focus at her, wondering what she wanted to show me next, but she had her eyes on me.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to need that hand,¡± she told me playfully. Unless you wanna go shower with me, she quickly added with a smirk.


    As much as I had gotten clingy, and as much skinship as we had, showering together was still a big no-no.


    ¡°Tsk, aww. And here I was thinking I¡¯d get to rub your back and get mine rubbed in return,¡± she lamented jokingly as she picked her change of clothes.


    ¡°T-that won¡¯t ever happen!¡±


    ¡°What if we are wearing bikinis?¡±


    ¡­Actually¡­ that could work¡­ maybe¡­


    ¡°¡­No!¡±


    She scampered away, almost cackling, while I sat on her bed fanning myself. Why did she have to mess with me that much? And more importantly, why wasn¡¯t I used to it by now? Would I ever?


    ¡°By the way,¡± she said, poking her head over the semi-closed door. ¡°Feel free to snoop around.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t do such thing!¡±


    She shrugged, looking equally as amused as before.


    ¡°Suit yourself. I just thought it¡¯d be better than simply wait. My underwear is all in that drawer, the second from the top.¡±


    ¡°A-Abby!¡±


    She left again, laughing hard at my reaction.


    ¡°Haah, that girl¡­ she¡¯ll be the death of me, I swear.¡±


    I didn¡¯t see the point of snooping around anyway. Her room was kinda arranged like mine.


    Hmm? Actually, isn¡¯t it exactly like mine?


    As an experiment, I opened a random drawer. In it, there were the exact things as in mine. That could just be a coincidence, so I checked another. And another. And another. I was either being very lucky and should buy a lottery ticket, or she arranged her whole room like mine.


    ¡°Now that I think of it¡­ isn¡¯t the drawer she told me where her underwear is the same as mine?¡±


    It was. I shut it right after glancing the design of a tiny cartoony chick staring at me, but that was all I needed. I had seen her wearing them one of the nights she stayed at my place.


    Quite frankly, this was all a bit creepy, but I reassured myself that there was a perfectly logical explanation. I¡¯d just have to ask her once she came back from the bathroom.


    I sat back on her bed again.


    ¡°Oh! This is such a nice mattress!¡±


    If it had springs, I wasn¡¯t noticing any. That was totally unlike mine. Mine creaked at the slightest move and you could feel the springs jab you. If I had a bed like hers, I¡¯d never go sleep in mine again.


    I debated whether or not I should lie down on it to have the full experience before calling myself stupid for even questioning if that was appropriate. She always does whatever she feels like in mine, and I¡¯d eventually sleep in it, so why was I being this polite?


    ¡°¡­Yup, it¡¯s a dream bed.¡±


    It perfectly conformed to the shape of my body, no matter the position I got on.


    ¡°Hmm, it kinda smell like her¡­¡±


    Abby had been trying new shampoos recently, but there was an underlying scent that had to be her natural one coming from her pillow. It was¡­ nice.


    You are starting to sound like her.


    With how much time we spent together, I wasn¡¯t surprised at all.


    The door clicked and she came inside, wrapped in a towel. It wasn¡¯t a first that I saw her like that, but this time I thought she¡¯d look good in a pure white dress similar to the one she gave me.


    But since it was Abby we were talking about, she¡¯d never put on a dress voluntarily.


    ¡°Can I join you?¡± she asked, looking positively mischievous.


    ¡°Do you have anything under that?¡± I asked, knowing full well she had left the change of clothes she had picked on the desk.


    ¡°Yup, my birthday suit.¡±


    ¡°¡­Please, put on some clothes first.¡±


    I rolled to my side, facing the wall while she got dressed. After all that time together and with so many clothes changing in the same space, you¡¯d think I had gotten used to seeing her naked, but no. She had such a nice figure that I never knew where I should look on those occasions.


    ¡°I¡¯d join you, but since we got stuff to do, it¡¯s better that I don¡¯t,¡± she lamented, sitting by me.


    I sat up. As I did it, my nose caught on her smell. She had tried yet another one, but this one wasn¡¯t as good as the previous one. It was nice, don¡¯t get me wrong, but¡­ there was something that didn¡¯t quite fit with her.


    Not commenting on how she was smelling, I asked her what the deal was with the way she had copied my furniture arrangement.


    ¡°Oh¡­ Do you remember how much stuff I had at the other place?¡± she asked as a response to my question. ¡°I got rid of a lot of it, but then I had too much furniture that became unnecessary, so I also threw that away. Since I no longer have a housemaid to take care of my stuff, I decided to go with copying how you do things. I¡¯m guessing I might have creeped you out for going too far with it.¡±


    So, that¡¯s what it was. Yeah, that made perfect sense to me. She had seen me do chores countless times before and had very good memory, so of course she knew how I¡¯d tidy up a place. And a housemaid!? How rich were her parents?


    ¡°You mean, you managed to arrange all of this alone?¡±


    ¡°I watched some videos on the internet on how to fold clothes and stuff. Do you think I did a good job?¡±


    As far as I could tell, I¡¯d say she had, yes. It wasn¡¯t rocket science, and after you got the hang of it, it was easy.


    ¡°That¡¯s a relief. Sometimes I redo the folding two or three times.¡±


    ¡°What about washing?¡±


    ¡°Erm, sometimes my dad takes my clothes to the laundry where he gets his suits clean. I¡¯m not too sure if I¡¯m applying too much detergent and softener when I do it here, but I also don¡¯t want him to go out of his way because of me every time I need my laundry. Ironing is another headache.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ All right, I¡¯ll teach you that too,¡± I told her, getting up and starting to walk.


    ¡°Really?¡± she asked, following me.


    ¡°Yes, really. In fact, you should have told me about it sooner.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to bother you with that.¡±


    We were walking down the corridor to where the place where the washing machine was, but I halted.


    ¡°It bothers me more that you don¡¯t tell me about your problems,¡± I said too bluntly. I regrated it, but I couldn¡¯t put a filter before opening my mouth. I could blame that to being tired from a lack of sleep, but I was also aware that I was a bit tired from her attitude of bottling things up until the last minute.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard for me, ok?¡± she cried out, her voice cracking.


    She began sobbing, looking down at her feet. I messed up really badly this time.


    ¡°I know Abby. I know. I¡¯m sorry,¡± I told her while embracing her body and rubbing her back and hair.


    She sobbed a lot of ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± as I tried to calm her down.


    There was still so much work ahead of us. Would we be ok? Would she? Could I do it?


    Those questions scared me, but that only cemented even more my resolve. Was I ok in the head?


    ¡°I¡¯m ok now. You can let go.¡±


    ¡°¡­No. I think I¡¯ll hold on to you for a bit longer if you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t¡­¡±


    She rubbed her head on my chest, looking for a more comfortable position. It hurt me a little, but I kept it to myself.


    ¡°¡­I can¡¯t get the toaster to not burn my bread,¡± she said, completely out of the blue.


    Before, I thought it was me who had trouble opening up, but now I saw that she was the one most troubled. Even something as insignificant as that sounded like a struggle for her to say out loud. I began wondering where her genuine cheerfulness ended, and an act started. And all because of that horrible woman.


    I kissed the top of her head and made it so we could look at each other.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see if we can figure out how to solve that after the washing machine, hmm?¡±


    She nodded. Then she grew a bit red and her eyes glittered as her mouth opened and closed repeatedly. I waited for her to say what it was, but got a bit disheartened when she apparently gave up. She had placed her forehead on my sternum in defeat, it seemed. However¡­


    ¡°You¡¯re my sunshine,¡± were her final words.


    That sure got my blood pumping all the way to my head. And I was willing to bet she could feel my heartbeat, since it was going so wild.


    I got what she meant, but she was making a huge overstatement.


    ¡°You give me too much credit,¡± I stammered.


    ¡°No, you just don¡¯t notice how much of a great person you are,¡± she grumbled. ¡°I think most people would have already given up on me. Everyone did before¡­¡±


    I held her tightly.


    ¡°I won¡¯t ever let you go. Ever.¡±


    She started crying again, this time I hoped were tears of relief.


    My friend, my dear best friend¡­ how I wished we had met many years before. Maybe then she¡¯d be less wrecked by emotional trauma.

 Not So Easily Broken

    Valentine was just around the corner, and I was fussing about it. I had no plans on trying anything with Violet, not at the moment at least, but I was also wanting to do something special. Again, not in a romantic way. You know, in a ¡°we-are-friends-and-single¡± way.


    Get together, watch a tearjerker, eat a bunch of chocolate, curse the happy couples, etc. That year¡¯s Valentine was on a Sunday, which made it just perfect for that kind of event. I only needed to invite her. I decided my place over hers simply because we could watch the movie in the privacy of my room, comfortably cosying up in my bed. Again, not in that way.


    ¡°Erm, Violet? Do you have a minute?¡±


    ¡°S-sure, I guess¡­ what is it?¡±


    ¡°I was thinking¡­ are you free this Sunday?¡±


    ¡°Sunday? I¡¯ve got work. Why?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you do? Do you think that¡­ I don¡¯t know, maybe we could go out together for a cup of coffee or movie?¡±


    She looked at me, as if asking what to do. Unfortunately for her, I got sour from having a guy asking her out before I could make my move. I gave her a shrug, and that was that.


    ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Then, erm, maybe some other day?¡±


    ¡°No, erm, I mean¡­ sorry, I¡¯m not interested in dating right now. I don¡¯t have time for any of it, you see?¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah¡­ I understand. Sorry to bother you.¡±


    ¡°N-no, it¡¯s fine.¡±


    Despite his attempt at keeping a positive attitude, it was painfully obvious he was feeling dejected.


    Sucks to be you.


    And it sucked to be me because if she had work, I doubted she had time for me either.


    ¡°Haah, that was a pain,¡± she grumbled, crumbling down on our desk.


    ¡°You think so? He¡¯s one of the girls favourite¡¯s in class.¡±


    ¡°Is he?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Stephen is like, in third or second place, or whatever.¡±


    She made a humming sound as she looked up at him.


    ¡°So, he¡¯s name was Stephen¡­¡±


    Poor guy. He was so insignificant to her, she didn¡¯t even know his name.


    ¡°I guess he¡¯s kinda good looking,¡± she said, sounding as excited about it as she¡¯d be talking about her work. That is to say, it sounded like it was a chore.


    ¡°¡­Gee, a hot guy just asked you out, and you¡¯re not interested in him?¡±


    She turned her focus on me and gave me an annoyed look.


    ¡°I¡¯m uninterested in everybody. You know that people are a huge pain in my existence. Well, apart from you and both our dads.¡±


    She¡¯s so sweet around me all the time, I sometimes forgot how much of an antisocial she could be. Or was. How did she manage to keep working as a waitress?


    ¡°Are you really all that busy Sunday?¡± I asked in a hushed tone.


    ¡°Urgh, yes,¡± she grumbled, crumpling on the desk a second time. ¡°Urgh, I¡¯ll have to stand and watch couples exchanging saliva and sucking tongues all day.¡±


    My ear perked up and I opened my mental notepad.


    ¡°You find kissing nasty?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ I guess normal kisses are kinda ok, but those with tongue¡­ and during a meal¡­? At least brush your teeth, gee!¡±


    ¡°Sorry, when you say, ¡®brush your teeth¡¯, is it referring to both types of kisses, or just the normal ones?¡±


    ¡°Why are you asking me that in such detail?¡± she grumbled, showing half of her frowning face.


    ¡°No reason. I was curious, I guess,¡± I said, trying to sound as casual as possible.


    French kissing is out of the table¡­ that¡¯s so disappointing.


    If there was a person whom I¡¯d like to have my first kiss, it¡¯d be her, both normal and with tongue evolved. I¡¯d like to try the latter with her at least once in a situation that wasn¡¯t merely a dream.


    ¡°Could it be that you¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­That I, what?¡±


    She leaned closer to me, keeping our already hushed conversation even more secret.


    ¡°Have¡­ kissed before?¡±


    ¡°No! God, no!¡±


    ¡°Really? Not even with¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, most certainly not with him! I¡¯d take a bath in bleach and swallow a whole bunch to cleanse myself from his touch. Yuck!¡±


    ¡°Ok, ok, I believe you. Erm, Abby? Abby, are you ok?¡±


    I most definitely wasn¡¯t.


    One random memory popped up in my mind, and I was now cold-sweating and trembling, the whole heat from my body having vanished.


    She acted quickly, grabbing my hand and pulling me out of that place and to where we could be alone. That was a stairwell in a part of the building that was mostly unused besides for storage. Somehow, I managed to hold my tears back until she hugged me against the wall.


    I asked her for forgiveness. I told her I just had a very bad memory come to mind out of thin air and it got me very upset. And then, for some reason, I told her a terrible thing that wasn¡¯t even related to the first.


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    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m a virgin.¡±


    Her legs gave up from the shock, and we fell to our knees. I quickly pushed her away to check on her face. As to be expected, she seemed to be barely holding on to her conscience.


    ¡°W-wha¡­?¡± she asked, somehow.


    ¡°I just can¡¯t¡­ every time, I¡­ I keep hurting you more and more¡­ I can¡¯t¡ª¡±


    I didn¡¯t finish because she hugged me so hard, it was hurting me.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. That doesn¡¯t matter,¡± she told me, sobbing.


    I was a little bit relieved by her words, but I still felt a huge despair in my chest.


    ¡°Please, let me go,¡± I begged.


    She pushed my face away again, looking me straight in the eyes.


    ¡°W-what? No!¡±


    ¡°Please Violet, I need you to¡­¡±


    ¡°Abby, I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Please, let me go now! You shouldn¡¯t be touching me!¡±


    ¡°W-what?¡±


    I repeated my words while pushing her away and trying to get up. She was pleading for me to calm down and for us to talk things through, but I refused to listen.


    ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t think we should be friends anymore. Not with me being¡­ this.¡±


    ¡°Abby, please, no!¡± she cried. ¡°Please, talk to me! I¡¯m sure we can¡ª¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t! I can¡¯t keep dragging you down like this! The only thing I¡¯m good for is hurting you! Don¡¯t you see that!?¡±


    I run away. I run and only stopped when I got to my bedroom.


    I locked the door, kicked and screamed until my throat gave out, and then collapsed on my bed, crying until the tears run out. I proceeded to sob for an hour more. After all that, I felt as empty as when I was locked in that hotel room not too long ago.


    That was where I belonged. In a small room, locked with my loneliness and demons, rotting away, as I should. I was so tired of feeling like I was trash. Tired of feeling like everything I touched got spoiled of anything good. Tired of always causing trouble and hurting everyone. Of troubling and hurting the girl I loved, Violet.


    ¡°Violet¡­ Violet,¡± I sobbed, calling out to her, feeling again a wave of despair crashing down on me, hoping in vain that she¡¯d come and save me from myself once more.


    ¡°I¡¯m here,¡± I seemed to hear. Surely, I was delusional. ¡°I¡¯m here, Abby. Like always.¡±


    At the second time of hearing it, I had to be sure. I got up and flung the door open. She was there, sitting across the room entrance, looking terrible, but there she was, in the flesh.


    I recoiled back while she seized the chance to get up and step inside. With her between me and the door, there was nowhere else I could run.


    ¡°W-what¡ªurgh!¡±


    I had really messed up my vocal cords from the screaming I previously did, so anything higher than a whisper was like swallowing molten metal.


    Before I could protest, she was back to holding me, gentle as ever.


    ¡°N-no!¡± I squirmed, trying to set myself free.


    ¡°I know why you told me that. You¡¯re hurting, right? You feel like you¡¯re alone and that nobody loves you. Or that nobody should. Honestly, I don¡¯t really know, but¡­ I think I do. And even if I¡¯m wrong, my decision still remains the same. I¡¯m not going anywhere. You said I was your sunshine. Well, truth be told, and despite all the troubles and worries you put me through, you¡¯re my sunshine too, you know? Were it not for having met you, I¡¯d still be super insecure about myself, isolated from the world, craving for someone who could understand me while pushing everyone away. You brought so much good into my life, won¡¯t you please let me bring some to yours too? I think it would do you good to go through therapy. I¡¯ll go with you, you don¡¯t even need to ask me. In fact, I demand us to go together at least a few times. What you asked was terrible, but I forgive you. I think you should forgive yourself too. Please, forgive yourself. Could you do it for me? If not now, some day in the future?¡±


    I had barged into her life, and now, for at least the second time, she was doing the same to mine. I just couldn¡¯t shake her off, could I? Was she ok in the head?


    I pushed her back, this time gently. Not that I had much strength left in me. I felt dead in every possible way.


    ¡°Erm¡­ could you leave me alone for a bit? I need time to think,¡± I croaked.


    ¡°¡­Sure,¡± she told me before planting a tender kiss on my forehead. She too sounded like she got out of a grave. ¡°What happened to your voice?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I tore it screaming.¡±


    ¡°I see. Can I go to a pharmacy to grab you some medicine for it before I leave you alone?¡±


    I gave her a weak nod after some thought. I had reached the conclusion that letting her nurse me a little would settle her mind more than anything. I¡¯d be showing her I was willing to let her stay in my life.


    ¡°You¡¯re too good for me.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    She picked my chin and lifted it, denying me the ability to avoid eye contact.


    ¡°That¡¯s for me to decide, not you¡± she told me in a stern, but at the same time gentle, voice. ¡°Honestly, you¡¯re plenty good enough already. You can only get better from here on out. If you keep trying.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t form any contradictory argument. She had achieved complete and utter victory over me, so I completely surrendered to her.


    ¡°I will.¡±


    She smiled slightly before giving me another kiss and turning around.


    I threw myself onto the bed, feeling completely numb again while thinking about what she told me.


    ¡°¡­Therapy¡­¡±


    I still hated the idea of going, but not going wasn¡¯t doing me any good either. At least that way Violet could be spared some of the heartache I was putting her through. If I got better, I could enjoy my life more, and in consequence, we could better enjoy our time together. Yes, I¡¯d go ahead and do it. For me, and for her too.


    Once she came back, I tried speaking to her, but she pushed her fingers on my lips.


    ¡°They told me to tell you not to talk at all. If you need to say anything, write.¡±


    That was a pain, but she stopped me on my second attempt while glaring at me for doing so. She was such a stickler to rules.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go to therapy,¡± I wrote on my phone to show her.


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± she said smiling, while preparing a dose of my throat syrup. ¡°Can I go with you?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll hear some bad stuff.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m aware of that. Open up.¡±


    She didn¡¯t have to spoon feed me the medicine, my hands were still functional. She was such a mother.


    ¡°Bitter!¡±


    ¡°Pfft, fufu, I know. I can see it in your face.¡±


    She was too nice. I¡¯d have to put serious work on not unconsciously taking advantage of her. That, and also letting her help me more.


    ¡°Thanks for everything.¡±


    Her smile twitched. Maybe thanking her wasn¡¯t that good of an idea.


    ¡°You should get some rest. You must be feeling exhausted.¡±


    I grabbed her by the uniform. There was still some stuff I wanted to tell her before she left.


    ¡°You can come with me.¡±


    ¡°Thanks. That makes me very happy.¡±


    The second thing I wanted to tell her, I realised, would do more harm than good. I felt terrible for what I had put her through, but apologising again wasn¡¯t a good idea.


    ¡°You look a bit wobbly. Do you wanna stay here and rest a bit before going home?¡±


    ¡°I mean, it¡¯s a short walk, but¡­ ok.¡±


    I only noticed how much I didn¡¯t want her to go once she agreed to my offer and got on one side of the bed, pulling me closer and wrapping an arm under my head and around my shoulders with the other resting on my waist.


    ¡°Your glasses,¡± I croaked, taking them off her face.


    ¡°I forgot I had them on, thanks. And don¡¯t talk.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure how I should proceed now. She was acting normal, so maybe I should too? That didn¡¯t seem right, but she said she forgave me. Wasn¡¯t that too much? Not only that, but she was quickly falling asleep.


    She¡¯s too good for me.


    As a friend, lover, or anything in between, it didn¡¯t matter. That was what she was and there was no denying it. I had so much catch up to make, but at least for once, I was committed to not run away from my problems.

 Comforting and Confiding

    Abby and I decided to go for a picnic at the park since the day was so nice. In our basket we had some tea, some sandwiches, and a bit of cake. Not too much food since we were only two, and we had a good lunch.


    We were under the shade of the tree, conversing about some nonsense, laughing and joking around when we suddenly got very serious, staring at each other.


    ¡°You¡¯re so pretty,¡± she told me, leaning a bit closer.


    I giggled in embarrassment and looked away for a bit before leaning a bit closer too since there was no one around.


    ¡°I still think you¡¯re prettier.¡±


    She giggled cutely and closed her eyes. I leaned closer and closer until our lips met. It was a long, sweet kiss that devolved in me pulling her closer until I was hugging her while she straddled my lap. I began using my tongue in our kiss after we tumbled to the side. I had just unbuttoned her shorts when I jolted awake.


    ¡°Morning, sleepy head,¡± she croaked right to my face.


    I raised my head and inspected our surroundings. We weren¡¯t at a park, but in her bedroom. The position we were in was exactly the same from my dream, but that¡¯s where the similarities ended.


    I can¡¯t wait to finish going through puberty!


    I got on my back and rubbed my face while Abby adjusted her position, so her head was now on my chest, close to my neck.


    That was the second night in a row that we slept together, and we¡¯d most likely sleep together again that night. After the huge argument we had, could anyone blame us? She even wrote and showed me some stuff about her past. Not big stuff, but enough for it to be challenging for her and a show of commitment.


    ¡°Abby, don¡¯t talk,¡± I reminded her while letting out a long sigh.


    The need for her to not talk in the past few days showed me how much I had become used to hearing her talk and pester me. I couldn¡¯t wait for her to be able to talk again so we could have a conversation after we both woke up.


    We still talked though, only she¡¯d have to write somewhere. When we were in bed or on the couch, she¡¯d normally use my belly and her finger as writing material.


    We had a short talk before I dragged my carcass out of the bed.


    While in the middle of changing, I felt like I was being observed. Looking back, I managed to catch a glimpse of her averting her gaze.


    On one hand, I had now changed so many times with her around, I wasn¡¯t too bothered if she saw me naked. Well, at least if I had my panties on, at the very least. On the other, any time after having woken up from that dream, I grew conscious of her all over again.


    I can¡¯t believe I keep having those dreams.


    It was all so stupid. Sure, she was probably the cutest girl I knew, and I had a soft spot for cute stuff, but still¡­


    And to be clear, I didn¡¯t oppose to same sex couples, but me doing it with her was a line I didn¡¯t think about ever crossing because I believed I should have my first with someone I loved, and so should she. I loved her with all my heart, but so far at least, the love I had for her was as a friend, and the same could be said about her towards me, no matter what wild dreams I¡¯d have with her.


    ¡°Abby, it¡¯s ok if you look but don¡¯t stare,¡± I ended up telling her.


    She did the opposite of what I told her by immediately fixating all her attention to my chest.


    ¡°T-they are a bit swollen,¡± I said, trying to hide them.


    She shook her head vehemently and got out of bed, phone in hand.


    ¡°Your period was two weeks ago.¡±


    ¡°H-how do you know that!?¡±


    ¡°I just noticed it one day and kept it in mind. It¡¯s normal between friends.¡±


    ¡°¡­You say that, but I don¡¯t know yours.¡±


    ¡°We are synced now.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ didn¡¯t need to know that¡­¡±


    She looked a bit sad by my words. Was it wrong of me wanting to keep some private things private?


    ¡°Regardless, your boobs got bigger!! Yay!¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t say ¡®boobs¡¯. I don¡¯t have any of that.¡±


    ¡°You do now. Aren¡¯t your bra¡¯s too tight though?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes. Yes, they are.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t going to admit to her there were days when I¡¯d go around without wearing one. It¡¯d squeeze me, chafe, and if the nipples got itchy, they¡¯d drive me insane.


    ¡°Not wearing any, huh?¡±


    ¡°I-I am! Most of the times!¡±


    How was it that she was so perceptive on those occasions? Was I that easy to read, or did she have a sixth sense for stuff that¡¯d leave me mortified?


    ¡°We need to buy you new ones.¡±


    ¡°We?¡±


    ¡°Yup. You¡¯ll need help picking the right size, believe me.¡±


    She looked serious about it. I didn¡¯t know the first thing about bra sizes other than I had been a double A for years.


    ¡°Do you think we can squeeze that between my two shifts?¡±


    She gave me a thumbs up. I guessed we were settled then.


    I was expecting I¡¯d get embarrassed while the two of us looked for underwear for me, but I also thought it¡¯d be better than what I¡¯d be put through at my workplace.


    Four tables, all with couples¡ªthe fullest the house had been for a long time¡ªeach couple representing one type of relationship. There was the calm and collected couple, the one that was still figuring out how to be around the other person, the lovey-dovey couple¡­ and the couple who needed a room.


    ¡°Urgh, the youth these days¡­ No offence, kiddo.¡±


    ¡°None taken.¡±


    The person I was paired with working today, Margaret, was a thirty-something years old woman, I believe. I liked working with her, she understood when she could talk with me, and when to leave me alone.


    ¡°I wonder if I looked like that to the people my current age when I was younger,¡± she thought out loud, before letting out a chuckle. ¡°I might have, now that I think of it. Teenagers and young adults can get a bit lost in their feelings when in a relationship, you know?¡±


    ¡°I, erm¡­¡±


    She gave me a quick glance and got all she needed to know from the brief glimpse of my face. I also liked that about her.


    ¡°How¡¯s school?¡±


    I was surprised by her inquire. My school life had never been brought up, and even if it did, it was so boring that I was sure it¡¯d be a one-time question, never to be asked again.


    Still, it got me distracted from the¡­ slobber exchange from the table at the centre, so I answered honestly. She kept nodding as I spoke, giving me time to keep talking when I made a stop to either think, or make sure the manager wasn¡¯t watching us chatting.


    ¡°And you¡¯re managing doing all of that while also working?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ somehow. A friend is helping me with studying, and with the homework during recess.¡±


    ¡°Your friend does that for you? She¡ªit¡¯s a girl, right? She must really like you to do that every day.¡±


    My face got warm. It wasn¡¯t a lie what she said, though.


    Abby hated studying as much as I hated social events, but she had been putting up with it every day for a month and a half. I felt bad about it. She was doing something she hated for my sake while not getting much in return. And I didn¡¯t think this because I didn¡¯t recognise all the support and care I gave her, but¡­ I wasn¡¯t doing that as frequently as she helped me, only when she was feeling down. I wished there was something more I could do for her, but I never had friends, much less someone who needed me like she did. I couldn¡¯t fathom what more I could do besides thanking her, but I also worried that, by saying ¡°thank you¡± so frequently for the exact same thing, those words would lose all their meaning.


    ¡°¡­How about getting her a present?¡±


    ¡°Erm, I beg your pardon?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re feeling bad about your friend helping you every day, how about getting them something nice?¡±


    Was I that easy to read that even Margaret could see right through me?


    ¡°Something nice¡­? Like what?¡±


    She shrugged and smiled discreetly.


    It looked like I¡¯d have to figure it out by myself. And just as well, I found. If it was to be a present from me, I shouldn¡¯t half-ass it and get her something somebody told me to. Even more so since it¡¯d be my first present to my first friend.


    The doorbell chimed, putting us both back to our professional mannerisms. Mine lasted only until I saw who walked in.


    ¡°You,¡± she growled, standing by her Abby¡¯s dad and now ex-husband. The person who tormented my friend for all of her life, and still managed to do so, despite being away.


    ¡°Let¡¯s all calm down. No need to raise a fuss,¡± Mr. Will intervened, getting in between us two. ¡°We can always go to another place.¡±


    ¡°No we can¡¯t, William,¡± she spat. She said his name with such disdain, I could feel physical pain in sympathy for Abby¡¯s dad. ¡°Our clients are about to get here, we can¡¯t just change plans at the last minute. She¡¯s the one that has to go.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m fine with that.¡±


    Everyone looked at me in a fraction of a second.


    ¡°You are?¡±, Mr. Will asked, dumbfounded.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve got plans with Abby, and I¡¯m working tonight, so we weren¡¯t going to have much time to be together.¡±


    The sour face she was making was such a sweet sight to behold.


    ¡°You¡¯ve made plans with my daughter? Today?¡±


    I stared her dead in the eye before answering ¡°yes¡±.


    She could try and hit me for all I cared. I¡¯d take that if it meant digging and twist an emotional knife in her chest. Abby was free from her authority, and seeing that was driving her insane.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll call the manager,¡± Margaret said, understanding how bad the situation was. It was a good thing she was around too, otherwise I¡¯d have to leave those two alone to tear at each other, Mr. Will would leave me and her alone, or she¡¯d go to the manager, probably managing to get me fired. All were bad, but the middle one would be the worse for me and Abby. I don¡¯t think she¡¯d ever forgive herself for causing me to get hurt a second time ¡°because of her¡±.


    The manager came, I stood on the sideline while the adults talked things through, and once a decision was made, I was approached by the manager and Mr. Will.


    ¡°You¡¯re free for the day, miss Evergreen,¡± my manager said.


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, the whole day?¡±


    ¡°Mr. and Ms. Gardener will be coming back for dinner tonight, so Ms. Gardener¡­ asked that you be dispensed from working tonight too.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    You mean to tell me, I could spend the day away from seeing stupid couples acting stupid because it was this stupid day and have fun with Abby? Great!


    Mr. Will accompanied me outside, his hand over my shoulders, like he wanted to shield me from his ex-wife.


    Before going out through the door, I turned to face him, as he appeared to want to tell me something.


    ¡°Sorry about all this Violet. It seems like you¡¯re always getting dragged into Abby¡¯s family life.¡±


    ¡°N-no! It¡¯s fine, really!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not. You shouldn¡¯t have to always come and get caught in the crossfire, or called to put out fires.¡±


    But wasn¡¯t that what friends were for? Maybe I was getting too involved, but who else would? I couldn¡¯t leave Abby alone to deal with all this.


    I was looking away while thinking this stuff when something caught my eye walking up the street.


    ¡°Abby?¡±


    He followed my gaze, through the window and down the street. She was still a bit too far to see her face, but that way of walking was undeniable.


    ¡°What¡¯s she doing here?¡± he wondered under his breath.


    ¡°She must have had the idea of coming pick me up,¡± I whispered back, shooting a glance at her mother. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I have to go.¡±


    I grabbed my coat and rushed outside. Abby saw me and began waving as she sped up, prompting me to go into a deeper stress. Fortunately, I was born with long legs, so I managed to shorten the distance enough that she couldn¡¯t clearly see who was inside.


    ¡°Hi there!¡± she greeted, cheerful as ever. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting you to leave early today.¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah, I¡­ there¡¯s not many clients, so they sent me home.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you ok?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes. I¡¯m just surprised to see you.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, well¡­ surprise!¡±


    That smile she was showing me¡­ that was why I got so involved.


    ¡°¡­If you stare at me like that, I¡¯ll blush,¡± she said, already getting a bit red around the cheeks.


    ¡°Like that¡±? How exactly am I looking at her?


    ¡°Erm, your smile¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm? What about it? Ah! Do I have something stuck on my teeth?¡±


    ¡°N-no! What I mean is¡­ erm¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s nice?¡±


    ¡°¡­Pretty.¡±


    She went into a giggling fit as she clasped my shirt and rubbed her face on my chest, too embarrassed to show it to me. She wasn¡¯t the only one feeling that way, to be frank, although that¡¯s not surprising.


    ¡°Shall we go?¡± I asked, once she calmed down.


    ¡°We shall.¡±


    She got by my side, still facing the restaurant.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go the other way¡­ through the park.¡±


    ¡°Oh, nice idea!¡±


    Phew. My poor heart.


    Out of instinct, I reached out and entangled my fingers with hers. I only noticed that after she clung to my arm, holding it against her chest with her free hand.


    I looked back, but quickly realised how much I didn¡¯t care if her mother saw us, even if today¡¯s date would give her the wrong idea. In fact¡­ her getting the wrong idea and going absolutely crazy about it made it better. Was I a bad person?


    ¡°Hey! Are you listening?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Sorry, I was thinking about something.¡±


    ¡°And what is that?¡±


    ¡°¡­It doesn¡¯t matter. And don¡¯t talk too much, your throat isn¡¯t fully healed yet.¡±


    ¡°But I miss our talks!¡±


    ¡°By the way, I¡¯m also released from working tonight.¡±


    ¡°Rea¡ªArgh!¡±


    She got too excited and raised her voice, hurting her throat and prompting a coughing fit, much to my consternation. Before anyone getting the wrong idea of us being a couple, maybe they should mistake us for mother and daughter or sisters due to how much I fussed about her.


    She managed to stay relatively quiet until we got to the mall. Unsurprisingly, there were a lot of couples there, making me feel self-conscious about how we were clinging to each other. I also noticed how many couples of our age help hands the same way Abby and I did. Were we doing it wrong this whole time?


    I asked Abby to let my arm go to use my phone. I was so bothered by it, I had to look it up.


    ¡°Interlocking fingers shows a deeper connection, and that you¡¯re more connected emotionally and physically at that moment. It can also mean that you both crave for a deeper connection and intimacy.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Why are you blushing so hard?¡± she asked, trying to take a peek.


    ¡°I-it¡¯s n-nothing!¡± I told her, shoving my phone back in my pocket.


    ¡°You know, if you¡¯re going to get embarrassed, it should only be because of me.¡±


    The reason why I was in such state was because of us, so it was Abby-adjacent.


    We wish for more intimacy?! How!?


    We held hands, clung to each other so tightly it was hard to breath at times, sometimes we exchanged smooches, she played with my hand when we sat together, and speaking of which, we often had her sitting on my lap or between my legs. There wasn¡¯t much more we could do before breaking barriers and crossing lines, right?


    ¡°Hey! Pay attention to me!¡± she demanded.


    ¡°Sorry, were you saying something?¡±


    ¡°¡­Humph!¡±


    She didn¡¯t seem to be playing this time. She was pouting and not looking at my direction, no matter what I did or said.


    ¡°Come on¡­ I¡¯m sorry,¡± I told her, rubbing my thumb on the back of her hand.


    That showed some success, so I kept doing it. Eventually, she began looking towards my side. To our hands, to be exact.


    ¡°I¡¯ll buy you a jelly filled donut.¡±


    ¡°¡­Ok, I forgive you,¡± she moaned, going back to clinging to my arm. ¡°But stop ignoring me.¡±


    If she was going to act this needy, it¡¯d be hard. Whenever she acted needy, she looked extra cute, like, you guessed it, a tiny animal wishing for treats and attention.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Today my head is filled with stuff.¡±


    ¡°When is it not?¡±


    I chuckled and gave her a little bump. I was going to follow it with today they are silly, but that was pointless. Many times, that was exactly what my worries were.


    ¡°¡­Hey, wanna visit some stores since we¡¯ve got the time after all?¡±


    ¡°What about the¡­ you know.¡±


    ¡°That we can do later. We never really did much shopping together, did we?¡±


    ¡°Hehe, ok. Sounds like fun.¡±


    I¡¯d let her lead the way. I was curious to see what stores she was interested in, and what sort of stuff she liked buying.


    At first, we were only window-shopping, but I noticed the cadence of her walk change when we passed in front of a specific one.


    ¡°Do you wanna check it?¡± I asked.


    She acted very reserved, something I found very weird. The way she shook her head told me she was holding back.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s check it.¡±


    She was reluctant, looking down as I pulled her along.


    I wasn¡¯t getting why she was acting that way. The store had a lot of plushies and some more cute items on the shelves. I didn¡¯t pay much attention to them, I was more interested in studying Abby. Every once in a while she¡¯d throw a glance at two shelves in particular.


    One had animal themed caps made of crochet, of many colours. Some had round ears, others pointy, others still, long. Two things they had in common were: they all had eyes and whiskers.


    The other shelf was the one I first noticed when coming inside with the animal plushies.


    ¡°You like them?¡± I asked.


    ¡°¡­Kinda, I guess¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Why was she acting this way? She was fine a minute ago. I asked her exactly that, and after some uncertainty¡­


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this too childish?¡±


    Was that it? What was the problem of her liking plushies and stuff?¡±


    ¡°I like this kind of stuff,¡± I told her.


    ¡°You do?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t think I¡¯d buy it, but they sure are cute. And I like cute stuff.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    She faltered, but finally made up her mind and let me go completely to crouch in front of the shelf, hugging her knees as she looked at the assortment of animal-themed toys.


    I crouched by her, watching what she¡¯d do next.


    She picked a plushie of a blue seal with darker dots on the back and a cream belly.


    ¡°I had to throw away all of my plushies last year,¡± she told me, looking at the toy she held and moving a flipper like it was waving.


    Now that she mentioned it, her room at her old house felt very sterile. If I added stuffed toys here and there, that room would have felt more like¡­ well, ¡°her¡±.


    ¡°Do you like that one?¡±


    ¡°¡­I guess¡­¡±


    I reached out and held the toy with one hand, while the other rested on a shoulder. ¡°May I?¡± I asked.


    She gave me permission, and I held it gently as I got up and walked to the cashier.


    ¡°Violet? What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m buying it for you.¡±


    ¡°Wha¡ª? No! You don¡¯t have to!¡±


    ¡°But I want to. I¡­ I already had made plans to buy you a gift today.¡±


    She looked like she was holding back tears, but she also seemed to be beyond happy.


    We were given a bag, but she walked out of the store holding the thing, moving the flippers around with a complicated face.


    I began wondering if it had been a good idea after all until she touched noses with it, gave it a hug, and latched on me like after putting it carefully in the bag.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take very good care of it.¡±


    She had so many things repressed, it seemed like there was no end to it. But I¡¯d be patient. I¡¯d wait for the day when she could finally smile with no dark clouds hanging over her.


    The store clerk at the store where we¡¯d be getting new bras for me came back with a measuring tape after being told we didn¡¯t know what size I was.


    ¡°Should I measure you, or can your friend do it?¡±


    Abby looked at me, nudging me to answer.


    ¡°Erm¡­ my friend, erm¡­¡± I stammered, barely audibly.


    I still couldn¡¯t take my clothes off in front of other people, only Abby, and even with her, it was a hurdle. But why was I feeling even more self-conscious than normal? She saw me naked countless times these past weeks, months even, so what was the problem?


    For starters, she¡¯ll get to know your size.


    So what? It¡¯s not like she¡¯d remember it next morning, right?


    Actually¡­ yeah, she would.


    ¡°Raise your arms a bit. Now lower them. Breath normally. Ok, now, align the tape with your nipples. Breath normally again. Ok, done.¡±


    She did it so fast, I barely had time to register what was going on, and I didn¡¯t have time to ask her anything either because she just left me alone in the dressing room as soon as the tape unwrapped from my body. I understood she was being conscientious of my feelings, but I¡¯d feel better if she had acted more casually.


    Once I was presentable, I opened the curtain and walked out.


    Abby was standing with her back turned and only gave me a quick glance before looking away again.


    ¡°Sorry for touching them,¡± she said in a low voice.


    ¡°Erm¡­ you touched them?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ when I measured your band size.¡±


    I thought about it, but the only thing that came to mind was the back of her hand slightly brushing my chest when she wrapped the tape around me. Even that didn¡¯t constitute an issue for me, so much so that I didn¡¯t even notice until she called attention to it.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I didn¡¯t expect some touching since you had to measure me. It¡¯s totally fine.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­But?¡±


    ¡°¡­Nothing¡­ You¡¯re right¡­¡±


    It didn¡¯t look like nothing, but I¡¯d let the matter go for now. The day was long and she had shared another traumatic even a few minutes ago.


    ¡°So, erm¡­ what size?¡±


    ¡°¡­You moved one size up.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ nice.¡±


    It was a weird thing to feel proud of, but that¡¯s how I felt anyway. And even if it stopped growing, I¡¯d still be happy with it. Mum didn¡¯t seem to have had a particularly big chest too, so wishing to have a big bust would be naive.


    Fufu. I¡¯m growing to be just like mum.


    ¡°Are you that happy?¡±


    ¡°Huh!? Is it showing?¡±


    ¡°From ear to ear.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ Looking more like mum makes me kinda happy.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see.¡±


    Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have said that to someone with such a bad relationship with her own mother.


    ¡°I wish I could have met her. If she was anything like you, I¡¯m sure we¡¯d get along.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yeah. I¡¯m sure you would.¡±


    It would be another person giving her love and support. But since she wasn¡¯t around, I¡¯d have to work double time.


    ¡°We should visit her again one of these days,¡± she told me while grabbing my hand.


    ¡°You want to come with me next time?¡±


    She nodded.


    Maybe mum would enjoy me bringing my friend when I visited her grave next time. That, and hearing Abby tell her about us having fun.

 Sneaking Suspicion

    Practically a year ago, I was told I was too old for stuffed toys and was made to throw them all away, but now, Violet went out of her way to present me with one of the most adorable I had ever seen.


    Maybe it¡¯s ok for me to be like I am?


    That was a new question I was making myself. What even constituted as ¡°me¡±? I spent so much time under the control of my mother that I now had a hard time understanding how I felt at times, let alone what I liked, disliked or wanted. Those kinds of things only became more predominant on my mind after meeting Violet. Because until that point, I wasn¡¯t allowed to truly be myself. How could I? Any time I voiced a want, it was either disregarded, put down, or I¡¯d be threatened with punishment.


    ¡°Hmm? What is it?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    I loved her so much. Not just because of what she did for me, mostly it was because she understood me, complemented me, saw me for who I was, and didn¡¯t expect anything from me other than be myself around her. And how safe I felt when close to her. It¡¯s a weird thing, right? She was just average height, not particularly athletic, and kinda meek most of the time¡ªwhen she got mad about someone harassing me was another story¡ªand yet, when I was with her, I felt like nothing bad could reach me. Especially when she smiled at me like the way she was. My insides felt melty and fluffy under her gentle, motherly gaze. I couldn¡¯t resist giving her a long kiss on the cheek before nuzzling my forehead where her neck met the shoulder.


    ¡°What was that for?¡± she asked with a nervous laugh.


    ¡°Just felt like it.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you feeling needier than usual?¡±


    ¡°Mmh-hmm.¡±


    I wanted her to pamper me with no end today. Even if just for a day, I wanted to pretend we were something more than friends.


    ¡°At least this time you¡¯re honest,¡± she told me while rubbing my head right behind my ear. If I were a cat I¡¯d be purring at full throttle. ¡°See? If you tell me about what you want, you can get it.¡±


    That comment ticked me off, but at the same time, I understood where she was coming from. Were I less hesitant about sharing how I felt, we could avoid so many problems. I could also probably heal my issues a lot faster.


    ¡°What about you?¡±


    She stopped moving her hand, and I looked up, afraid I had gotten her mad or hurt. Instead, I got her into a deep thought.


    ¡°I think I got better at it. Although, I think that I¡¯m still very indecisive at the worst time.¡±


    She pulled my head back to a resting position and resumed my head scratching. I closed my eyes and took in the feeling of her touch, her smell, the sound of her breathing, how soothing it all was.


    ¡°¡­This is so stupid.¡±


    ¡°What is?¡±


    ¡°How calm and safe I feel around you.¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think that¡¯s stupid.¡±


    ¡°I know, it¡¯s just¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t overthink it,¡± she said softly, kissing my head after her last word. ¡°That¡¯s my job.¡±


    ¡°Pfft, hehe. Maybe I caught it from you.¡±


    ¡°Fufu, oh no. Of all the things, you had to get that.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the thing about yourself you dislike the most?¡±


    She took another pause of all her movements to think. It was surprisingly short.


    ¡°I guess it really is the overthinking part. It causes me to freeze at critical moments¡­ You?¡±


    There were so many things I disliked about myself, I couldn¡¯t even pick one to begin unravelling.


    My childishness, my dependency on being comforted by her, the neediness, being pushy, not being able to sit still, being too scared of messing up¡­ the list went on and on and on.


    ¡°I think¡­ some of those aren¡¯t really a problem¡­ I like your childlike attitude¡­ and I don¡¯t mind you being pushy¡­ it forced me to get out of my shell and grow¡­ and you being needy¡­ I¡¯ve been noticing that¡­ I¡¯ve been getting needy too¡­ the thing about me feeling cold? I¡¯m just too embarrassed to say that I want to cuddle with you¡­¡±


    My heart had so much happiness being poured in, it was starting to overflow to my eyes.


    ¡°Do you remember telling me to not think myself as plain? Well, I think you should do the same about yourself in certain aspects,¡± she told me, tightening her hold on my body. ¡°It¡¯d make me really happy if you did. And those things that are an actual problem? I¡¯m here for you, so¡­ let¡¯s go with baby steps and not rush through things, ok?¡±


    ¡°¡­You¡¯ve changed so much. I envy you.¡±


    She pushed me away, wiped my tears and held my shoulders.


    ¡°No, these things were brough to surface by you. Let me do the same for you too. Please?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t win against her. Violet was a force of nature when it came to taking care of the people she cared about. Fussy, nosy, and persistent. Just what I needed to help me keep my act together.


    ¡°Erm, I¡¯m not running away from the conversation, but¡­ can we watch a movie?¡±


    ¡°¡­Sure. Do you have one in mind?¡±


    I had one before, but I was done with crying for the day, so I changed my choice for a comedy instead.


    ¡°Erm, Violet?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°¡­Here. These are for you.¡±


    I handed her over the box of chocolates I had gotten her on a whim on my way to her workplace.


    She stared very seriously at the box while holding it.


    ¡°They are made with dark chocolate. I know you don¡¯t like things that are too sweet.¡±


    ¡°¡­Thanks¡­¡±


    She seemed a bit put off. Or perhaps that was me projecting my insecurities?


    ¡°How about we share them?¡±


    ¡°Ah, you don¡¯t need to worry about me! I got those for you.¡±


    ¡°Well, yeah, but¡­ I¡¯d feel bad eating all of them while you watch.¡±


    That was what had her face frowning the way it did? That was a relief. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d survive the rejection if she had taken that box as a confession.


    I gave in to her suggestion of sharing. I even got her to feed me two bits, so it turned out way better than I had expected. We didn¡¯t eat the whole box, mind you. Violet was a stickler to good eating habits, so an overabundance of sweets wasn¡¯t something she¡¯d be down with. Not me, I could eat a whole box if I got distracted, but since she was the one in control of the stock, my tummy was spared of a later ache.


    And speaking of tummy, suddenly her arms squeezed me around it. I looked up out of instinct and saw her staring very intently at me with one of the most serious expressions I ever saw her pull off.


    Without uttering a word, she combed my hair away from the forehead to land a kiss that felt similar to the one I gave to her cheek.


    ¡°Thanks for the chocolates.¡±


    ¡°Erm, you¡¯re welcome.¡±


    She was still super serious, making me feel worried.


    ¡°Did you not like them?¡±


    ¡°No, I did like them. They had a nice balance of bitterness and sweetness.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you staring at me so seriously?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just thinking about stuff.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you worried about me?¡±


    ¡°A bit, but that¡¯s not what I was mulling about.¡±


    ¡°Then, what?¡±


    She gave me a warm smile and an equally warm smooch on the top of my head before using it as a chin rest.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just enjoy the movie. Wanna go for a walk later?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I think I¡¯d rather stay here like this.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­?¡±


    She was tapping a finger on my side, tickling me a bit, but I didn¡¯t comment on that. I needed to use the toilet but didn¡¯t want to pause the movie despite the fact we weren¡¯t paying much attention to it anyway, so giving her the idea of tickling me silly was out of the table, unfortunately.


    ¡°I think so too.¡±


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°Hehehe.¡±


    ???


    My friend was something else.


    She was small¡ªonly a metre-thirty-nine ever since she was twelve, according to her. She couldn¡¯t stay still unless we cuddled, then, she was like a lazy cat. She was very curious and observant, always looking at what I was doing. Whenever I was feeling bothered with something, she¡¯d do her best to cheer me up. She was super warm, and her hair was very soft and fluffy. She also smelled nice, always trying new shampoos and shower gels. She was a pain to deal with at times, but I still held her dear to my heart in those moments.


    Still, I whished she¡¯d take better care of herself.


    ¡°Abby, wait,¡± I called out after she popped her head in the living room to tell me she was headed for the gym.


    She took an earphone out to hear me better.


    ¡°Yes, Violet dear?¡± she asked, smiling pleasantly as I approached her.


    ¡°Put on a jacket before you go,¡± I told her, grabbing a jacket that was mine, but that I didn¡¯t mind having her borrow.


    ¡°Gee, it¡¯s already this warm outside and you still want me to wear that?¡±


    ¡°It will be cold when you¡¯re on your way back. Your throat isn¡¯t fully healed yet either.¡±


    There was also the fact she was wearing nylon form fitting clothes that showed her cleavage and bellybutton. A cute girl like her must attract a lot of stares from guys, and I didn¡¯t want people looking at her like that. My jacket, oversized for her, covered most of what would catch the eye.


    ¡°Humph. You¡¯re such a mother.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. Sorry for worrying.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, thanks for worrying.¡±


    She gave me such a cute smile as I made sure the collar covered her neck properly that my heart kinda forgot to beat for a second or two.


    Taking full advantage of how disarmed I was by her, she pulled my head down and stretched her whole body just so she could kiss my cheek before scampering off the door laughing.


    ¡°Honestly, that girl,¡± I grumbled, still rubbing the wet spot she left on me while I slumped back on the couch.


    ¡°She drives circles around you,¡± my dad commented from his seat.


    He had his legs crossed gentlemanly, his back straight and face looking composed. The perfect image some people might have of an adult, only he was reading a comic book instead of the newspaper.


    ¡°Is she the same way when she¡¯s alone with you?¡±


    ¡°More or less. She mostly spends the time mopping around because you¡¯re not here.¡± I figured as much. ¡°Is she going to be on time for dinner?¡±


    ¡°About dinner¡­ I told Mr. Will to come earlier today.¡±


    ¡°You did?¡± he asked, flipping the next page before looking at me.


    ¡°Yes. There¡¯s something I want to talk with you two in private.¡±


    ¡°About Abby?¡±


    I nodded.


    ¡°¡­Must be pretty serious for you to be going behind her back.¡±


    ¡°Please dad, I already feel bad enough about it.¡±


    ¡°Will you tell me what this is all about?¡±


    I shook my head. I¡¯d rather say it only once and never again. He wouldn¡¯t have to wait all that long too. Punctual as Abby¡¯s dad was, he¡¯d be there in about a quarter of an hour.


    ¡°Hello again Stan. Reading comics as usual.¡±


    ¡°Wanna give it a try? It¡¯s a nice change of pace.¡±


    Mr. Will didn¡¯t seem too convinced, but he took the book that was handed to him.


    Dad, only you¡¯d like that sort of stuff.


    That voice in my head was forced to eat her own words as he kept flipping pages and occasionally letting out a chuckle until he finally sat down, comic book in hand.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, this is a nice change in pace.¡±


    Were we¡ªAbby and I, I mean¡ªnot quite right in the head because our own parents weren¡¯t either? One of those ¡°the fruit doesn¡¯t fall far from the tree¡± cases?


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I have some important business to talk to you two,¡± I said, standing halfway between the two.


    ¡°Right,¡± my father said, setting aside his reading. ¡°It¡¯s about Abby, Will.¡±


    Mr. Will immediately put down his book and sat in a manner that left me feeling very pressured.


    ¡°Sorry about that,¡± he said, relaxing his posture a bit. ¡°Old habits.¡±


    Executives were scary when they got serious, I found out.


    I felt like a traitorous scum, but I told them about Abby¡¯s nightmares. What they were about, how she dealt with them, and how frequently she had them. Their faces got progressively more disheartened until I finished.


    ¡°I don¡¯t get it,¡± her father said, placing his elbows on his knees and looking down. ¡°She¡¯s safe now. Why is she having those nightmares?¡±


    ¡°Maybe she¡¯s afraid she has to go back for some reason?¡±


    ¡°Impossible. Her mother signed the papers, I¡¯m her legal guardian until she turns eighteen. The only way for it to happen is if some¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­Does she have someone else besides you?¡±


    ¡°Her sister, but she¡¯s still finishing her degree and still has to find a job. Her grandparents of my side of the family live far away, and the ones from her mother¡¯s side only have the grandmother still alive, but that woman is a wreck.¡±


    ¡°Is she sick?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ Elena and her father aren¡¯t much different...¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what to do or say. I was still a kid. Heck, I wasn¡¯t even at the age where I could make some legal choices without my dad¡¯s approval. What could I do?


    At times like this, I looked at my father for guidance.


    He stared at me and I saw him gulping, his mouth opening up and remaining silent until he uttered words I wasn¡¯t expecting for him to say.


    ¡°What if she stays under my care if something happens?¡±


    Mr. Will looked at him like a man lost in the desert would look at a merciful God that appeared before him with promises of salvation.


    ¡°You¡¯d do that for her?¡±


    My dad nodded.


    Mr. Will looked at his feet again, clasping his hair. The man was clearly barely holding his tears of relief and gratitude.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to call my lawyer,¡± he announced as he got up and left the room.


    Now it was my turn to react.


    I fell on my knees by my father, grabbing hold of the fabric of his pants and cried words of thanks.


    ¡°Did you cry while I was away?¡± she asked when we got in bed, ready for sleep.


    I blamed the onions I chopped for the salad, but she wasn¡¯t convinced.


    ¡°Everyone seemed off at the table.¡±


    I smiled at her, remembering that Mr. Will¡¯s lawyer would look into the possibility of my dad becoming her legal guardian in the horrible case of her dad having some sort of accident, and kissed her forehead.


    ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it.¡±


    ¡°Humph. Funny hearing that coming from you.¡±


    I Pulled her down, making sure she was well covered by the blanket. Once she snuggled her head close to my neck, some of her hair tickled my nose with its fragrance.


    ¡°You changed your shampoo again.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so you did notice.¡±


    It was hard not to when we were this close almost every day.


    ¡°What¡¯s this one?¡±


    ¡°Erm, sea salt and flowers if I remember correctly. Do you¡­ like it?¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± I said, taking a good whiff. ¡°It fits you perfectly.¡±


    It reminded me of summer despite me not ever having set foot on a beach or anywhere close to the sea, and if there was a season of the year that¡¯d describe her, I thought Summer was a good one.


    ¡°Then¡­ I guess I¡¯ll start using this one,¡± she said, almost in a grumble.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to just because of me. If you want to keep switching it up, you can.¡±


    ¡°No, erm¡­ I was waiting for you to say you liked a particular one¡­ since we spend so much time like this, you know?¡±


    My friend really was something else.


    She was small, fitting perfectly in my hold. She couldn¡¯t stay still unless we cuddled like we were now. She was very curious and observant, always looking for ways to surprise and make me happy. Whenever I was feeling bothered with something, she¡¯d do her best to cheer me up. She was super warm, and her hair was very soft and fluffy. She also smelled nice, always trying new shampoos and shower until she found one that I liked best. She was a pain to deal with at times, but I still held her dear to my heart in those moments. She was absolutely adorable in every way possible. And every single day after Valentine¡¯s, I was more and more convinced she loved me more than just as a friend.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    It didn''t matter to me if she did or not. Abby would still be Abby. The person who brough me so much joy to my everyday life. If she ever came out and confessed, I''d deal with it then. Now, there were far more important things I should worry then something I was probably reading too much into.


    I held her tightly, kissing her hair multiple times under her giggling moans until my embarrassment forced me to stop.


    ¡°I¡¯m turning off the light,¡± I told her, reaching out for the switch.


    ¡°Wait!¡± she told me, popping her head out.


    ¡°What?¡±


    She was staring at me like she wanted to commit some detail to memory.


    ¡°¡­Ok, you can turn it off now,¡± she told me, getting her head under the blankets again.


    ¡°Erm, ok?¡±


    The light got turned off, and we settled down.


    ¡°I just wanted to take a good look of your red face before falling asleep.¡±


    Of course.


    ¡°Haah, you really like to see me blushing, huh?¡±


    ¡°Hehe, of course! You¡¯re adorable when you do.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Hehe¡­¡±


    For good measure, I gave her a few more goodnight kisses. Her liking me in a special way, it was fine if that was the case.


    ¡°Can I sleep with my head on your chest tonight?¡±


    ¡°¡­No.¡±


    ¡°Your chest is sensitive today?¡±


    ¡°¡­No. I¡¯m just too embarrassed.¡±


    My heart also felt like he was trying to break free. It was being so loud, I doubted she¡¯d be able to fall sleep.


    ¡°Tsk. Meanie.¡±


    ¡°¡­Haah, come on.¡±


    ¡°Yay!¡±


    How could I resist her moany voice? Or her puppy eyes. Or begging touch. Or anything about her, really. I had grown too week against her charms. Maybe I too had some feelings for her that I wasn''t aware of?


    ¡°¡­Meh, who cares?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Who cares about what?¡±


    ¡°Just thinking out loud, don¡¯t mind me.¡±


    It didn''t feel particularly important whether I did or not. Worrying about it felt unnecessary, seeing how well we felt together.


    Another goodnight kiss and she was peacefully drooling all over me. It was par for the course, so I wasn¡¯t bothered by the untidiness.


    Only when she fell asleep did I allow myself to do the same. Just in case, you see.

 Surprise After Surprise

    After almost two months of studying, the day before the math exam had arrived.


    As was routine now, I shook Violet awake, calling out to her softly. And as was part of said routine, she reacted very contrarian to being woken up.


    As a way to incentivise her, I threw the covers away, the cold air hitting her bare legs and arms since we had switched to wearing t-shirts and shorts to sleep due to the nights having gotten warmer with the arrival of spring.


    ¡°No!¡± she moaned, sitting up to try and pull the covers back up. I seized the opportunity to grab her outstretched arms, and pull her to the edge of the bed, forcing her to sit up.


    While she lazily rubbed her eyes, I got distracted with her legs. Ever since I got to see more of them exposed, I had a very hard time not ogling them, but they were too pretty for me to resist. That distraction proved troublesome this time because once she noticed my stare, she pulled me down and forced me to sit on her lap, position her arms and chin on my shoulders, ready to go back to sleep.


    ¡°Ah, her skin is so soft!¡± I mused while rubbing my calves on her shins. ¡°Would she be mad if I touched¡ªwait, no! Don¡¯t go that route!¡±


    I called out to her again, gave tiny hops on her lap and even nibble her cheekbone, but she was refusing to come to the land of the awakened. How many hours a day did she have to sleep to be satisfied, I wondered.


    To be fair, she was getting harder and harder to get out of bed, but with how much we studied, her work, house chores and then having to deal with my issues, no one in their right mind would blame her. She needed to lighten up her load or some very well-deserved holidays.


    ¡°Haah, fine. I¡¯ll just carry you to the bathroom.¡±


    I grabbed firmly her arms, got my feet on the floor and hoisted her up.


    ¡°Eek! A-Abby!¡± she squeaked, surprised by suddenly be taken for a walk with her feet dangling. ¡°Hold on! Stop! Put me down!¡±


    I let her down as she asked. She seemed very awake as she fanned herself.


    ¡°Gee, you almost gave me a heart attack.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, sorry about that.¡±


    ¡°Humph, as if you were sorry¡­ and how come you can lift me up so easily?¡±


    ¡°I can squat three sets of twelve with my own weight on my back with no problem.¡±


    ¡°Y-you do?¡±


    I nodded. I might be small, but I wasn¡¯t anything you could sneer at either.


    ¡°¡­Take care not to hurt yourself doing it¡­¡±


    I laughed and leaned on her, rubbing my face on her shoulder.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Marking my territory.¡±


    ¡°Pfft, fufu. Silly as usual, hmm?¡±


    She ruffled my hair and after that, it was business as usual. She asked how I slept, I asked her the same, we took a shower¡ªseparately, unfortunately¡ª and ate breakfast together. Today marked the fourth day in a row that we were doing that, the only difference being the house we slept in.


    ¡°After we are done eating, what¡¯s the plan?¡±


    ¡°Maybe go for a walk?¡±


    ¡°So, we are studying after lunch?¡±


    ¡°Oh, we aren¡¯t studying today.¡±


    We aren¡¯t?¡±


    I shook my head.


    ¡°Today we try to relax and give our brains some rest. We can read some notes, but that¡¯s about it.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ then¡­ wanna go out?¡±


    Was she inviting me on a date? No, of course not. She only sounded uncertain because we weren¡¯t doing anything she thought we were going to. And it was Violet we were talking about. Not in a thousand years would she ask me out, even if she fell for me.


    I guess she doesn¡¯t usually do the inviting, so maybe that¡¯s also why she sounded awkward?


    Most likely, yeah.


    ¡°The park?¡±


    ¡°It rained during the night, so we better not. I don¡¯t have shoes that I wouldn¡¯t mind muddying.¡±


    ¡°It did?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but I¡¯m not surprised you didn¡¯t wake up. You¡¯re quite the heavy sleeper.¡±


    ¡°At least I¡¯m awake when I wake up,¡± I joked, poking the tongue out.


    ¡°Haah, tell me about it,¡± she said, slumping over the table. ¡°I¡¯ve been feeling so tired lately too.¡±


    ¡°Look on the bright side; once we are done with the midterm exams, you can take a break from studying.¡±


    She raised her head and propped it up on both hands.


    ¡°I think the problem is with my work.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you spend most of the time there doing nothing?¡±


    ¡°Well, nothing besides standing around and getting bored to death three or four hours at a time. The manager could at least let us sit away from sight, no? I find that much more tiring than studying.¡±


    ¡°Why not just quit?¡±


    ¡°¡­You think I should?¡± she asked, dropping her hands down and resting her back on the chair.


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know,¡± I said, not feeling comfortable with giving her my real opinion. It didn¡¯t feel right for me to tell her what to do or not.


    She however, insisted, wishing for me to give her my true opinion.


    ¡°Erm¡­ I think you might work too much. Like¡­ you look so tired most of the time. But I also get it that the money might be useful, so¡­ and I also think it¡¯s kinda cool that you work, you know? Makes you look very mature and responsible.¡±


    ¡°¡­Thanks, but you¡¯re rambling.¡±


    ¡°Look, what I mean is, erm¡­ maybe you should quit? I don¡¯t think your health should be left behind the way it is being.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see¡­¡±


    She turned to the side and placed an elbow on the table, using it as a support for her hand, propping her head up.


    ¡°¡­Sorry, that must not have been of great help.¡±


    She quickly turned her head towards me, surprised by my negativism. She reached out and held both my hands.


    ¡°Abby, no! You were of great help, really! I feel like now I can finally look at it objectively.¡±


    ¡°You mean it?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she chuckled. ¡°You know how I overthink everything until I¡¯m driven mad, right? At least now, this isn¡¯t going to be one of the reasons why.¡±


    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    I cheered up under her warm smile and gentle caresses to the back of my hands. I supposed I did help after all.


    ¡°Hold on, I got a text.¡±


    She took her phone out of a pocket, took care of answering back, placed her hands over mine, but abruptly took them back to grab the phone again, her eyes going wide as she looked at the screen.


    ¡°What? What happened?¡± I asked, a bit worried.


    ¡°I erm¡­ say, why don¡¯t we bake a cake?¡±


    ¡°A cake?¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah! We haven¡¯t done that yet, have we?¡±


    Why was she suggesting baking cakes all of a sudden? Wait¡­


    ¡°Ah! Today is my birthday!¡±


    Her face twisted in a mix of regret and sadness.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for forgetting! It¡¯s been so many things lately that I¡­ I¡¯m so sorry!¡±


    My face turned into a huge grin.


    ¡°Hehe. I¡¯ll get to celebrate my birthday this year. And with you, no less,¡± I said, clapping excitedly. ¡°It¡¯s ok Violet, I don¡¯t need cake or presents. I really don¡¯t want them. I just want us to have fun together like always.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you sure?¡±


    I got up from my chair to go and sit on her lap, putting my hands round her neck and touching the tips of our noses.


    ¡°Yup. I haven¡¯t had any of that for years, so it¡¯s fine. Being together with you is all I could ever need to have a happy birthday.¡±


    ¡°If¡­ if you say so,¡± she stammered. She brushed my hair aside and kissed my forehead, leaving the hand to caress my face, the coldness of her touch tickling me pleasantly. ¡°Happy birthday.¡±


    When was the last time I looked forward to my birthday? I¡¯d say it had been at least ten years. The last one I could remember, my mum ended up beating me up twice, the first time because I cut myself trying to slice another piece of cake, and the second because I peed myself for getting the first beating. Today I wouldn¡¯t let those memories pull me down. No tears, no worrying her, just good vibes and memories.


    ¡°So, we really are going to bake a cake anyway?¡± I asked while sifting the flour.


    ¡°Yup. I haven¡¯t baked one in a long time, and we can have slices of it when feeling peckish between meals.¡±


    ¡°What kind of cake?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I was thinking about a simple sponge cake filled with that strawberry jam you like so much.¡±


    That got me drooling. So much so that I just had to go grab the jar and dip my finger in it. It wasn¡¯t very hygienic, but I dipped the same finger a second time and, as a joke, asked her if she was served.


    To my surprise, she turned her head, grabbed my hand and placed my finger in her mouth.


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit too sweet for my taste,¡± she commented before going back to work.


    I was left staring at my finger. The tip was glistening with her saliva, tempting me to put it in my mouth. I was truly considering it.


    For goodness sake, Abbigail Gardener! She¡¯s your friend! Friend!


    That call to Earth from my conscience made me feel disgusted with myself. How could I have had such perverted thought towards my friend, feelings of attraction or not?


    ¡°Abby? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°This finger, erm¡­ I¡¯m sorry Violet, I used this finger to eat jam before I offered you some¡­¡±


    I dared not finish my words. I was sure she¡¯d find it bad enough that she had placed my own spit in her mouth.


    ¡°Abby, look at me,¡± she told me, putting down the bowl she was holding. I didn¡¯t look, though, that getting on her nerves. ¡°Abby, you look at me right now.¡±


    Those final words, she sounded angry speaking them, so I looked up, not wanting to get her even madder with me.


    She pushed her index in my mouth, all the way to the knuckle before stuffing it inside her mouth for a full second.


    ¡°See? There¡¯s no problem,¡± she said, getting a bit red.


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s not the problem,¡± I whimpered.


    ¡°Then, what is?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t speak. I was terrified of what she¡¯d say if I told her what I had wanted to do.


    Still, I reached out to her hand, holding it trembling. I pulled it closer to me, all the while looking at her. I was waiting for her to tell me to stop or pry her hand away from mine as I opened my mouth, but she simply kept watching me. She tensed up a little and grew red the moment her finger got inside it, but she didn¡¯t show any negative reaction. She only kept watching me as I suckled her sweet finger.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go wash my hands,¡± I said as an excuse to get out of there.


    I washed my hand, but most of all, I washed my face with copious amounts of cold water to cool down my head.


    Just what had I done? Would she ever be able to look me in the eye? Would I? What I did was so dirty, so disgusting. How could I?


    Once I¡¯m done here, I¡¯ll beg her to forgive me and to forget what just happened.


    Those were my intentions, but they faltered when I opened the door and saw her on the other side.


    ¡°Erm, I poured the dough, and put it in the oven, so now we have some free time. Wanna watch a movie?¡±


    ¡°Erm, I guess.¡±


    She was still red and acting a bit fidgety, but otherwise she seemed normal. At the very least, she didn¡¯t look angry.


    ¡°Abby, look¡­ about that, I¡­¡±


    She stopped talking and twisted her hands around. Then, catching me completely by surprise, forced a finger in my mouth and one in hers and proceeded to make an exchange of hands.


    ¡°T-The thing is¡­ we brushed our teeth after we ate and¡­ and I know you so¡­ even if we hadn¡¯t¡­ and it was an accident too, so¡­ you know?¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you saying you didn¡¯t mind?¡±


    She seemed irked by me asking that. She was going to pull the same stunt a second time, but this time I saw it coming and stopped her before she could do anything.


    ¡°But on Valentine you said that¡­ you think it¡¯s nasty, isn¡¯t it? Exchanging saliva and stuff.¡±


    ¡°Erm¡­ I still think so but¡­ we brushed our teeth¡­ and I know you¡­¡±


    Is she¡­ is she saying she¡¯d be ok if we kissed for some reason?


    She might have thought the same thing because she got even redder and so embarrassed, it looked like she¡¯d start crying at any second.


    ¡°A-Anyway,¡± she cried out, interlocking fingers with me and pulling me after her. ¡°A movie! Let¡¯s watch a movie!¡±


    It was at times like this that I got my hopes up a little. However, she had always been very awkward, and she¡¯d sometimes say things in a way that could be interpreted in a different light if you didn¡¯t know her. Fortunately for me, I did know her very well to know better than letting my hopes become unrealistic.


    Someone knocked at the door some time before dinner. She was the leading cook, and I was the assistant, so it fell on Stan to answer the door. That never happened, someone knocking that late, but I had a good idea of whom it might be.


    ¡°Hi! Happy birthday, sweety!¡± my father cheered as he walked over towards me for a kiss and a hug.


    ¡°Thanks dad!¡± I cheered back, disappearing in his hold. ¡°Did you come here just for that?¡±


    ¡°No, I came here for the birthday dinner. Violet didn¡¯t tell you?¡±


    ¡°Violet!?¡±


    ¡°Surprise!¡± she said awkwardly.


    I¡¯d hug her, but she was holding a particularly sharp knife and I¡¯d like to keep my internal organs exactly that; internal. That knife already had enough of my blood from martyrised fingertips, thank you very much.


    I had spent the whole day all over her, and I hadn¡¯t noticed anything of her planning behind my back.


    ¡°That¡¯s not all,¡± my father said, pulling out his phone and making a call. All right, it¡¯s calling, he told me as he passed the phone over.


    I looked at the screen, but it didn¡¯t show a name, and the number was one I wasn¡¯t familiar with.


    ¡°Hello? Abby, are you there?¡±


    That voice¡­ Even after all these years I immediately recognised her.


    ¡°Sophie? Is that really you?¡±


    ¡°Fufu, yes, it¡¯s me. Happy sixteenth birthday.¡±


    ¡°¡­I miss you so much.¡±


    ¡°I know¡­ I miss you too, baby sis. Dad told me about what¡¯s been going on. Are you doing ok?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡­ I¡¯ve got a lot of support from people around me, so I¡¯m managing,¡± I said, looking particularly at Violet.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be having some holidays next month, so I was planning on making a visit. Do you think it will be a good time for that, or will it coincide with exams?¡±


    ¡°We are having midterms right now, so next month will be fine, but¡­ what about mum?¡±


    ¡°Mum!? To hell with that hag! What¡¯s she gonna do? Disown me? The only reason why I might try finish the degree is for dad¡¯s sake and the time and effort I put into it¡­ Haah, let¡¯s drop this subject, it¡¯s your birthday after all! Have fun, make a wish when you blow the candles and have a slice of cake for me, deal?¡±


    ¡°Sure thing sis.¡±


    ¡°Fufu, good. Is that friend of yours with you?¡±


    ¡°You mean Violet. And yes, she¡¯s right by me.¡±


    Violet perked up, looking like a deer surprised by an approaching car. My sister hasn¡¯t even finished her request for talking to her and she was already flailing her arms around, desperate for me not to hand her the phone.


    ¡°H-hello? Erm, yes, my name is friend and I¡¯m Abby¡¯s Violet. Ah, no! I¡¯m Abby, and¡ªah that¡¯s not it either!¡±


    It took her a while, but she managed to say that line correctly. I watched her, delighting in her torment. Who¡¯d have guessed she was that bad of a talker over the phone? For all intents and purposes, I thought she¡¯d have an easier time since she didn¡¯t have to be face to face with the other person.


    ¡°She¡­ sounded nice,¡± she said, sounding like she had run a marathon.


    ¡°Hehe, I hope you two get along. No, I¡¯m sure you will.¡±


    That night would be one I¡¯d hold dear for the rest of my life.


    The majority of people I cared about were there, I had a cake, I was sang the birthday song, and even got some presents from papa Stan and dad. I didn¡¯t get one from Violet though, but with everything she gifted me every day we were together, there was no need for that. Not that I wasn¡¯t aware she¡¯d go out of her way to buy me one at the first chance she got.


    ¡°Thanks for everything,¡± I told her with a hug. ¡°Well, try to sleep properly today, ok?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ Right, the math exam is tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Pfft, ah-haha! You forgot?¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah¡­ today was a busy day.¡±


    ¡°¡­Really Violet, I can¡¯t thank you enough.¡±


    ¡°¡­Can we sleep together tonight too?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think we already slept too many nights together in a row?¡±


    ¡°Maybe but¡­ thinking about tomorrow¡¯s exam leaves a bit anxious, but¡­ when I¡¯m with you I¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­You feel calmer?¡±


    She nodded shyly, mercilessly tearing at my heart.


    ¡°¡­Hehe, and since when can you make puppy eyes too?¡± I joked, pulling her along with me. ¡°Bye papa Stan! I¡¯m borrowing your daughter tonight!¡±


    ¡°Make sure that she comes back the way she goes!¡± he shouted back, clearly laughing.


    Was he doing some sort of suggestion with that joke? On the lewd side, I mean.


    Nah, he¡¯s just goofing around. He¡¯s just referring to my teasing of her.

 Therapy

    It was the fourth time I came with her, but I still felt a bit anxious. This time I was told to wait outside of the office, so that feeling was further exacerbated.


    To try and take my mind off of it, since this time I was told to wait outside, I picked up a book from the many of the filled bookshelves. I have the impression it was the kind of book that would me good to read, but I wasn¡¯t able to pay it any attention, so I only have a very, very, shallow idea of what it was about.


    After a long hour had passed, the door for the psychiatrist office opened, and Abby stepped out. She looked a bit down, but not as much as usual.


    ¡°Today we just chatted about how I¡¯ve been doing lately,¡± she told me, answering my questioning look. ¡°Thanks again for coming with me.¡±


    I got up from my seat and placed the book back to its place while she picked our coats and bags. She asked me then what was it that I read during my wait. She chuckled when I told her I had no idea despite having read about thirty pages.


    The air was a bit chilly, so I adjusted my coat collar and checked on Abby¡¯s.


    ¡°Humph, Violet, I¡¯m fine,¡± she grumbled as I did. ¡°Seriously, you¡¯re such a mother.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, I know. Wanna go for donuts?¡±


    ¡°What about dinner?¡± she asked with gluttonous eyes.


    ¡°We can save them for dessert.¡±


    She nodded and took my hand, pulling me along as she made us walk to her favourite pastry shop.


    She seemed happy. Her steps were filled with pep at least.


    I was reassured by that and took to enjoying our walk.


    The sun was still out, if only for just a bit longer as we got to her appointment after a day of classes and got out relatively late. It warmed me up a fair bit, along with her walking so close to me, and draped the surrounding buildings and glasses with a golden-orange hue. Most of the houses were painted white, so those new colours offered a refreshing new look to our surroundings with that warm colour.


    A reflexion of us caught my eye. I couldn¡¯t remember ever seeing, or noticing, us together from an outside perspective. It was both amusing and somewhat endearing. She looked so short standing by me, even if she was the one standing closer to the reflexion.


    I mean, she IS tiny.


    ¡°Oof,¡± I let out.


    ¡°You ok?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Y-yeah. I just felt a jab,¡± I told her as I rubbed my stomach.


    ¡°Cramps?¡±


    I didn¡¯t think so. I never had any of that before.


    I dismissed it as being one of those random pains people sometimes get completely at random, but she told me to keep her updated.


    I hoped I was right, but who knew? I was in the middle of a growth spur, so maybe I¡¯d start having that kind of issues? I¡¯d ask Abby about it, but since we were in public I only did a mental note for a more opportune time.


    With my luck, I¡¯ll be wriggling in bed in pain.


    ¡°Erm, when we get home, do you want to read my sleep diary?¡±


    I looked at her a bit confused about what to answer.


    ¡°You see, he suggested me letting you read it every once in a while. He said it might help me if I have someone I trust go through it and give me feedback if I¡¯m improving overall or not.¡±


    ¡°So that, if you¡¯re in a negative mindset, you don¡¯t fixate on the bad when there has been some improvement?¡±


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    ¡°Yeah, exactly.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Sure. I¡¯ll read whenever you feel like it.¡±


    I¡¯d lie if I said I wasn¡¯t a bit curious about what she dreamt about, but mostly, I felt uneasy. But I¡¯ve been through worse, so I wasn¡¯t fully worried.


    One week later and I was back in that office. This time I was invited into the room where Abby had her sessions.


    The room was¡­ different from what I had imagined. No skulls on shelves, rolls of psychology books, or leather lounge chair. It was your average looking living room. The furniture was nicer than average, but otherwise, it wasn¡¯t all that different than what you¡¯d find in my house or Abby¡¯s.


    As for the good doctor, well, she also wasn¡¯t what your stereotypical psychiatrist might look like. Her hair was dyed a deep red and worn loose, her make-up was flawless and in good taste, her smile, very inviting. I certainly could learn a thing or two from her about the latter for my own work, but the thought of that was a bother, so I gave up on that faster than a blink of an eye. It wasn¡¯t like there were any costumers coming and going to the Le Perot, and the ones that did rarely deserved that level of effort with their self-importance.


    One thing I always found odd was the fact she dressed very casually. Today it was jeans and a t-shirt of the same colour of her hair with white sneakers. Maybe the idea was to make her appointments feel more like a casual conversation? That could help me open up if it was me going to therapy, so maybe I was right in my guess.


    We shared greetings, she asked me how I had been doing since the last time we talked, and then, to my confusion, asked me how Abby had been fairing with her taking a seat right beside me.


    ¡°Erm, better?¡± I answered in my bewilderment.


    ¡°Better, you say? That¡¯s good.¡± Was she asking me that out of the blue to get an honest answer? ¡°Do you agree with her assessment, Abby?¡±


    Abby shifted in her seat, looking momentarily to her knees before answering a ¡°yes¡±.


    ¡°Has she read your sleep diary?¡±


    ¡°Once, last week. I was going to ask her to read it again today.¡±


    The doctor nodded, pulled her legs up and sat sideways. What are your thoughts, she asked me, this time not getting me unprepared.


    ¡°Erm¡­ I think she has been getting better,¡± I stammered, looking at Abby while she completely avoided eye contact.


    ¡°¡­Please, talk freely. I invited you in today so we could all see if there has been any progress in this past month.¡±


    Right, if I wanted to truly be of help to Abby, I had to cast away my shyness and fear of hurting her with my words.


    ¡°She really has gotten better, even if only a bit. She sleeps best with me, but¡­ in those nights, she doesn¡¯t remember what she dreamt about most of the time, but when she does, they are nice dreams. Erm, no, there was a night she had a bit of a bad dream, but it was very mild¡­ When she sleeps alone¡­ I think she¡¯s doing better¡­ her nightmares seem to have calmed down slightly at least¡­ I erm¡­ yeah¡­ she has done some progress¡­¡±


    She smiled and nodded, reminding me of the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland, and making me question how much of an actual help she actually was.


    That was the last of me they heard until it was time for us two to leave.


    Today¡¯s talk was very focused on Abby¡¯s dreams and sleeping habits, so she was feeling downer than usual.


    ¡°Thanks for coming,¡± she told me softly, putting her head against my shoulder.


    As was usual I told her it was nothing.


    Seeing her so droopy was always a sad thing. It sometimes made me question if pushing her into going to therapy had been the right call, but it was too soon to say whether it was or not.


    I¡¯d have to be patient and supportive. And so¡­


    ¡°Wanna stop by somewhere before we go home?¡±


    ¡°¡­Donuts, maybe¡­¡±


    ¡°Fufu, jelly filled ones?¡±


    ¡°Mmh-hmm,¡± she hummed, looking up at me.


    ¡°Ok, let¡¯s go eat some.¡±


    ¡°What about dinner?¡±


    ¡°What about it?¡±


    She showed me a yellow smile and hugged my arm gently.


    Yeah, I¡¯d have to keep it like this for as long as needed.


    ¡°Oof,¡± I let out.


    ¡°Cramps?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ more like stabs, to be honest.¡±


    It was no exaggeration saying it felt like I was churning hot knifes in my belly, and that was with painkillers.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a massage when we get home.¡±


    ¡°That helps?¡±


    ¡°Supposedly.¡±


    I hoped it did. Never had I felt such physical pain, so I¡¯d take any source of reprieve I could get.


    As sharp as the pain was, it wasn¡¯t enough for me to abandon my thoughts of worry over the girl meekly holding on to me.


    One day¡­ one day this will all be worth it.


    Until then, we had to endure.

 Progress is Being made

    When I woke up on the morning of the math test, she was already awake, as usual. What struck me as noteworthy was the fact we were spooning when I distinctively remembered us facing each other when I fell asleep. Not that it was any worse, she still fit perfectly in my hold.


    I gave her my good mornings, but she had an odd reaction.


    ¡°Violet dear, don¡¯t take this the wrong way, but you¡¯re with a bit of a morning breath,¡± she told me, her nose slightly twisted.


    I wondered out loud if it had to do with my mouth being as dry as cork since I had drunk all the water from my bedside bottle the previous night, and hadn¡¯t gotten up so not to disturb her. She got very bothered by it, giving me hers and demanding me to rehydrate myself.


    ¡°Honestly Violet, I¡¯m happy that you¡¯re so considerate, but sometimes you take that to the extreme,¡± she scolded as I chugged the bottle content. ¡°Just use mine if that happens again. I sleep the whole night straight, so I don¡¯t really need it.¡±


    I stretched myself to set the empty bottle on the bedside table, my body forcing hers to lean forward. I was a bit out of balance, so I forced a leg between hers. She immediately wrapped her foot around my shin, denying me from laying completely on my side, my body now slightly pressured against her by gravity.


    ¡°Mine now,¡± she said, rubbing her foot on me.


    I giggled at her mischief and nuzzled close to her small ear. I asked her how she had slept, but she began giggling midway through her retelling of the dream she had of us having a picknick at the park.


    ¡°You¡¯re tickling me,¡± she moaned, putting a hand over the one I had unconsciously running up and down her waist.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I giggled back, profoundly amused by her reaction. She let out another cute laugh though.


    ¡°You talking to my ear like that also tickles.¡±


    I knew she was sensitive around that part form our ear scratching sessions, I just didn¡¯t know she was that sensitive. And that¡¯s something I took note for future reference.


    She squirmed about when I blew on her ear, pulling the hand belonging to the arm that was serving as her pillow to play with its fingers.


    ¡°What time is it?¡± I asked, wondering how long we could stay¡­ I guess the word is ¡°flirting¡±? It was flirting what we were doing, right?


    ¡°We¡¯ve got ten more minutes before the alarm goes off,¡± she informed me after checking my phone.


    ¡°Haah, only ten more minutes?¡± I grumbled, pressing my face on her neck, her reaction being another tiny laugh and pulling her shoulder up.


    ¡°What? Would you prefer to stay in bed with me?¡±


    Her hair tickling my face, her scent filling my nose, her body heat, the softness of holding her close, and the fuzzy feeling in my chest as I experienced all that. In a word¡­


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    She twisted her neck and kissed me on the nose. Her eyes were beaming with happiness, an abundance of affection and something else. Loneliness, I¡¯d say.


    That last feeling was like a knife twisting my heart. It yearned to connect with hers, to take that pain away, but I had no idea how to do that.


    I closed my eyes and pressed our faces together as my hold on her tightened. I noticed how our breathings were at the same rhythm. The hand I had moved to caress her face and neck also informed me that our heartbeats were also matching.


    The alarm rang, and she shut it off.


    ¡°It¡¯s time,¡± she sighed.


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±


    Were it not for the tests we were having that day, I¡¯d have told her right there and then that we¡¯d be staying home, but unfortunately life wasn¡¯t fair, and I wouldn¡¯t be able to enjoy another moment of us deeply connecting until god knows when. The best I could do was letting my lips linger on her face to try and make up for that, and my cowardice.


    ¡°Let¡¯s¡­ let¡¯s continue this after we return¡­¡± I suggested while we were changing.


    ¡°¡­Ok.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t determine what emotion she was feeling when she spoke, so I looked at her. She was bent over, pulling her uniform skirt up, so I looked away instantly. I had grown used to dressing and undressing with her around, but for some reason I was starting to feel conscious of her all over again.


    Arriving at school by car, thanks to her dad giving us a ride, felt like a luxury.


    The bus was ok I guess. The one we usually took wasn¡¯t too run down, but there was a smell of sweat and people there that I could never really get used to.


    Mr. Will¡¯s car had about ten years already, but you couldn¡¯t be able to tell that just by looking at it. Well, perhaps if you were a car enthusiast capable of recognising the model you would, but I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the average person.


    One thing the bus had the car beat was that the seats allowed Abby and I to hold hands with some semblance of secrecy, something I was needing for my nerves but couldn¡¯t because her father had a clear view of us in the backseat.


    ¡°Ready to rock?¡± she asked, bumping her hip on me. The confident smile she was giving me gave me some much-needed assurance, and I tried doing the same playful gesture, but somehow managed to almost trip myself.


    ¡°Pfft, ah-haha! What was that?¡± she asked, holding me up but not caring enough to not laugh at my clumsiness.


    Would I really be ok after all?


    ¡°Miss Evergreen, you¡¯ll be sitting here,¡± the missing link of humanity that we commonly knew as our math teacher told me as me and Abby walked in.


    She gave a squeeze to my pinkie and offered me a wink, still holding a confident smile.


    I sat where he told me and took what I¡¯d need out of my bag, all the while with him looming over, making sure I wasn¡¯t cheating in no way possible. He reminded me of a vulture, acting like that.


    ¡°Your cell phone?¡±


    ¡°I-it¡¯s in the bag in airplane mode.¡±


    ¡°May I?¡± he asked, picking the bag before putting it away from me. I say ¡°asked¡±, but that wasn¡¯t a question as much as it was him exerting dominance over me. He wanted to show me he was in charge, and my goodness, he was succeeding.


    Why can¡¯t I just still be in bed with Abby, cuddling?


    I looked at her again, trying not to attract his attention. Our eyes met briefly, but I seemed to somehow hear her thoughts in my head.


    ¡°Relax, you¡¯ve got this.¡±


    After some of the worst five minutes of my student life, he handed the question sheets and I gave the test an once-over.


    I¡­ I think I can do this¡­


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    Some questions were hard, and at least two were trick questions, but¡­ I had done similar stuff with Abby. And more importantly, I was only making small mistakes last time when I did them.


    ¡°I can do this,¡± I thought once I double checked to see if the first exercise was done correctly. It took me a bit, but I was following Abby¡¯s advice:


    Give an once-over to the whole test, divide the time in minutes by the number of questions and allocate time according to the complexity and value of the question and;


    No rushing. Double checking on complex questions was fine as long as I didn¡¯t overdo it.


    I kept going slow and steady, solving the problems and detecting the traps he had set. Five minutes before the end was when I was confident that I had done everything as correctly as I possibly could, so I handed him the questions and answers sheets, took my back, and left the classroom. Outside, leaning on the wall right next to the door was Abby waiting for me.


    ¡°How did it go?¡± she asked, this time sounding a bit worried.


    ¡°I think I did it.¡±


    ¡°You answered every question?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Double checked everything?¡±


    ¡°Yes, right after doing it and now at the end before giving him the papers.¡±


    ¡°¡­Did you remember to write him a nice message?¡±


    ¡°¡­Pfft, fufu, Abby.¡±


    Hearing her cracking a joke lifted a weight off my chest. We had two more tests that day, but none were as critical for me as the math test, so from that point on, she didn¡¯t have to look after my nerves.


    The week passed by and, during the Sunday, we were lounging around my place. After so much time of us studying every day, we deserved it. I also didn¡¯t have work because her mum was going to eat at the restaurant for both lunch and dinner. Must be nice not having to cook, but instead have someone else do it for you. Ah, the perks of being rich. It made me wonder why the adorable creature that was belly down on the couch and with her chin on my thigh decided she wanted to learn how to cook. I mean, I knew why, but¡­ I guess since the meals she got from me were homemade¡ªthose that weren¡¯t sweets, that is¡ªshe wanted to repay them in kind? Or maybe it was so I¡¯d see her in a better light?


    I could ask her about it, but I was feeling too lazy to strike up a conversation. Burying my fingers in her fluffy hair was all I could muster.


    ¡°Purr,¡± she said.


    I wasn¡¯t looking, but I knew just by the way she made that sound that she was feeling bored.


    I pretended to be asleep. I¡¯m aware it was stupid since I was petting her, but in my tired mind it made sense.


    She purred again, but I still ignored her. Seeing I wasn¡¯t biting, she hoisted her body up and began rubbing her nose close to my ear. Still, I said nothing.


    But then, she gave me a lick on the neck that I had exposed since I had tied my hair into a ponytail.


    ¡°Eek! A-Abby, not my neck!¡±


    ¡°Then pay attention to me!¡±


    ¡°Haah, Abby, I¡¯m tired. Can¡¯t I have a moment of peace and quiet?¡± I told her, feeling exasperated at her persistence. ¡°I¡¯ll play with you later, just let me rest for now.¡±


    ¡°¡­You wouldn¡¯t be so tired if you hadn¡¯t come from work so late yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Was it that late?¡± I asked, pretending not to know when it was that I had arrived.


    ¡°You know very well that it was past midnight. And you also know it was the third night in a row this week. A week during which we had test to boot too.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re so aware of that, then let me rest for goodness sake!¡±


    I hated being mad at her. I specially felt like a jerk because while this argument started from her being needy, it had quickly turned to her being worried about me, and legitimately so.


    ¡°¡­Look Abby, I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Shh!¡±


    Her shushing me was painful, but that pain turned into confusion once she grabbed my shoulders and pulled me down, resting my head on her thighs and taking my glasses off. Rest, she told me, placing a hand over my forehead.


    I think it was a first we were in that position.


    ¡°Erm¡­ sorry for having gotten mad at you,¡± I said, still feeling a bit lost.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I was just being too needy and stupid. And insensitive.¡±


    It occurred to me then that she was too critical of herself. She was needy, there was no denying it, but ¡°too needy¡±? Frankly, I wasn¡¯t sure what quantified as such now. Back before when we had just met I¡¯d call her that, but now?


    ¡°I like you being needy,¡± I told her, rubbing a finger right under an eye that seemed to be holding a tear. ¡°And you weren¡¯t being too needy. Or stupid. Or insensitive. Or whatever else you might think.¡±


    ¡°¡­If only that was true,¡± she lamented, grabbing my hand.


    I pulled them close to my chest before continuing our conversation.


    ¡°Do you think you need to change yourself?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ there are so many things I need to fix about myself that¡­ never mind, I¡¯m just spoiling the mood with things that don¡¯t matter.¡±


    ¡°¡­You know, unlike me, I don¡¯t think you need to change yourself. Only heal some wounds.¡±


    ¡°¡­But you changed, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Well, erm, yes, but¡­ I needed that, otherwise I couldn¡¯t have become this close to you. Unlike how I was a few months ago, you¡¯re fine the way you are.¡±


    ¡°¡­You just say that because¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Nothing. I don¡¯t know what I was even going to say. See?¡±


    What I saw was a stubborn girl that thought about ¡°fixing¡± things that didn¡¯t need fixing to begin with. And that irked me more than anything else she could do.


    ¡°Violet, rest!¡± she demanded as I tried to sit up.


    ¡°I can¡¯t rest like this,¡± I told her, finally getting to sit.


    I hugged her and let my back down on the couch slowly, draping her over me.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t it bother you having me on top like this?¡±


    ¡°It does not. In fact, I like it. I like it just the same way I like your needy side pulling at my heartstrings and making me want to play or pamper you. I¡¯m happy this way, because¡­ you are you. And if you were to stop being like this¡­ well, I¡¯d still like you, but¡­ I¡¯d feel like¡­ like I had lost a precious part of my friend or something¡­¡±


    I started out so strong, but as words went out of my mouth, so did my anger and confidence, the result being a pile of awkwardness left behind.


    ¡°¡­Were you always this unfair?¡±


    ¡°Erm, how¡­ am I being unfair?¡±


    She showed me her face, her eyes gleaming with tears.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t use to be able to say these kinds of things so confidently.¡±


    ¡°I, erm¡­ I just became like this from dealing with you, I guess¡­ Although¡­ I wouldn¡¯t call this ¡®being confident¡¯.¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s way better than the best I can muster right now¡­¡± she moaned as she rested an ear on my chest.


    ¡°¡­Right now, later¡­ later you just might. Give it time.¡±


    ¡°¡­Hmm.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t tell if I had convinced her or not, but I didn¡¯t think that should have been my target. For now, the best I could do was to give her a different perspective for her to be able to think about and reach a conclusion by herself instead of just keep on tearing herself down.


    The classroom grew stale once he walked in that Monday morning. His face told us everything we needed to know; he was very unpleased with our performance. That was a good omen to my side of the story in particular, and to the class in general. The man was the type of teacher who thought that having a high failure rate showed that he was a great teacher for being rigorous and demanding.


    Abby bumped elbows with me, barely holding a cheeky smile, one that was contagious.


    He gave us a small speech, nothing comparable to his previous ones before he started calling our names through alphabetical order according to our last names.


    I was feeling a tad dizzy from all my anxiety and excitement. The way he paused and chewed his tongue before saying my name was like seeing someone trying to get a particularly sticky piece of candy unstuck from the teeth.


    I dared not to look at the result until I was sitting again.


    Abby was all over me, hopping on her chair despite not needing doing any of that to see what score I was given since my arms weighted a ton and I had them resting on the desk.


    Like she had told me countless times, I had done it. I had scored no less than nineteen point three out of a max score of twenty. I was so relieved and happy that, weren¡¯t it for her grabbing me, I¡¯d have tumbled down from my chair to the floor. Instead, I sat, seeing only black and not hearing a thing for a few seconds. Thank goodness we sat at the back as I¡¯d surely have brought a lot of attention and drama towards us.


    She puppeteered my limp body into resting on the desk with my arms folded over it to go grab hers.


    Not good, Violet Evergreen. Not good at all.


    With our study sessions, I¡¯d better get used to getting those kinds of scores, otherwise school could become fatal for me.

 Unexpected Visit and Realisations

    Before I knew it, we were at the verge of her birthday, and not all that far from us celebrating a year of knowing each other. It was hard to believe it, but we were already in April, and there were only three more months before we¡¯d have our first Summer Holiday together.


    ¡°Haah, almost a year and still no progress,¡± I thought as I prepared my breakfast after having taking a shower.


    Maybe I was being too pessimistic, it had been four months, after all, but while Violet and I were more and more touchy-feely with each other, I hardly called that progress. With us being the way we were, how could I tell anyway?


    ¡°Straight people have it easy,¡± I grumbled, after having taken a taste of my drink. ¡°Akh! Bitter!¡±


    Of course it was bitter, I had just brewed coffee.


    ¡°Hi sweety,¡± my father greeted while yawning.


    ¡°Made you coffee,¡± I told him, my face still all twisted.


    ¡°How did you know I was in the mood for one?¡± he asked, looking very happy for having it. I guessed Stan wasn¡¯t the only father who got all sentimental when their daughter does something nice. Although I hadn¡¯t done it for him, I just absent-mindedly brewed coffee like if Violet had stayed the night. ¡°Mmh, it¡¯s perfect, thanks!¡±


    They do say there are mistakes that come as a good thing.


    ¡°What are your plans for the day? Are you going to spend it with Violet?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ maybe not. I¡¯d say it¡¯s a good idea to sometimes have a day spent apart from each other. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°I mean, I don¡¯t see it as a bad thing per se, but I also don¡¯t think it¡¯s a bad idea to take a day to dedicate to yourself.¡±


    ¡°Actually¡­ I was thinking about spending it with you? It¡¯s been a while.¡±


    ¡°Oh sweety, I¡¯d love to, but I¡¯ve got work to do.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see¡­ There¡¯s no helping it them.¡±


    My father scratched his early morning stubble as he frowned.


    ¡°I know!¡± he said, slapping the table. ¡°I¡¯ll take a page from Stan¡¯s book and work from home today.¡±


    ¡°But won¡¯t¡­ she cause you trouble?¡±


    My father thought very carefully about how he¡¯d respond to that.


    ¡°It will be fine as long as I finish all my work of the day.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ hehe, ok. I was always curious to know what exactly you do.¡±


    We sat together, like two peas in a pod, him with a laptop on his lap and me carefully observing him.


    He began by checking his email box, checking a lot of mail and making some sort of schedule as he read them. Once that was taken care of, he started checking what his employees had done and submitted for approval. One of them caught my eye.


    ¡°Is that papa Stan¡¯s work?¡±


    ¡°Mh-hmm¡­ what do you think?¡±


    He let me scroll and explore a website Stan had designed for a restaurant.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s good. Easy to navigate, not too word-dense and with a nice selection of pictures.¡±


    ¡°Then, how about this one?¡±


    It was another one made by Stan, and also a great job. And then another. And another. And an email apologising about not being able to deliver yet another one. All delivered on the same day.


    ¡°Haah, like daughter, like father,¡± I grumbled. ¡°Don¡¯t they know any restrain?¡±


    ¡°What bothers me the most is that he¡¯s forced to work this much because Elena refuses to pay him the same she pays other employees and won¡¯t give him a raise despite him being one of our best workers.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is it because of me?¡±


    He gave me a sympathetic look as he patted my knees.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s because he works from home. According to her, he¡¯s not committed enough to his job. It has been an issue for years.¡±


    ¡°Right, and being so dedicated to it really did her¡­ sorry.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be. In fact, maybe we should talk about it. In fact¡­ yeah, I think today is just as a good time as ever.¡±


    He moved the laptop over the coffee table and left the living room towards the bedrooms and office. A little while later he came back with a bunch of papers.


    ¡°Real talk now. Are you feeling comfortable for it?¡±


    I gave him a not, feeling intimidated by his serious tone.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I think it will be good news for you. So¡­ I¡¯ll start by asking you not to get mad at Violet.¡±


    ¡°H-Huh? What does she have to do with this conversation?¡±


    ¡°Everything since she was the spark that started it all. To put it bluntly, she¡­ she told us about your nightmares.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ she did, huh?¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you all right?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t. I was feeling betrayed as I had believed she was keeping them a secret, but was in fact tattling to our parents.


    ¡°She did it because she was worried.¡±


    ¡°I know that! She still shouldn¡¯t have told you!¡±


    ¡°Did you tell her to keep it secret?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ no, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°She was guilt ridden when she told us about it, but she did it anyway because she believed that would be the best way to help you.¡±


    ¡°By not keeping it a secret!?¡±


    ¡°Abby, what I have here is what we all believe is an answer to one of your deepest fears.¡±


    ¡°¡­Which is?¡±


    ¡°According to this document here¡ªstill to be signed between me and Stan until you give us your opinion¡ªmakes it so that if something happens that makes it impossible for me to look after you, turns Stan into your legal guardian until you¡¯re of legal age, or decide to go live with your sister if you two so choose.¡±


    ¡°¡­W-what?¡±


    ¡°¡­With this document, you¡¯re completely free from your mother ever laying her hands on you again.¡±


    That was¡­ I had never even dared to think about that, but now that I heard it all¡­ my god, I was terrified of the idea without ever realising it. Was that why I¡¯d sometimes have a nightmare of her dragging me back into that house? It made sense now. It made scaringly good sense.


    ¡°So¡­ if you were to die¡­ I¡¯d be living with Stan and Violet?¡±


    ¡°If you so choose that instead of your sister. We figured it was the better choice for you since you have those two here and your sister still needs to figure out her live after university. Other than those two, there are no other good choices.¡±


    I curled up, hugging my knees. It was all so overwhelming, but I was also feeling very¡­ secure. Safe. Almost like when Violet held me.


    ¡°¡­Do I need to sign it too?¡± I asked in half a voice.


    ¡°Since you¡¯re already sixteen, I guess you should. I¡¯ll ask my lawyer to add that line to it.¡±


    ¡°¡­Thanks. And, erm¡­ thanks dad.¡±


    I had never known him as so reliable. He truly was. And he tried to be better each day.


    We were waiting for our lunch to be delivered when there was a knock on the door. Not enough time had passed for it to be our food delivery, so I was thinking it was Violet who had decided to pop up for some reason. It¡¯d completely unannounced and out of character, but she had been acting strangely lately, so it wasn¡¯t all that impossible of an occurrence.


    ¡°Hi there,¡± the young woman at the door greeted.


    ¡°Sis!¡± I shouted, launching on her.


    My sister twirled me in the air as we laughed.


    ¡°My, how much you¡¯ve grown!¡± she said, giving me a good look up and down.


    ¡°Not really. I¡¯m only about two more centimetres taller than when you left,¡± I told her, tapping the top of my head. ¡°You must be misremembering it.¡±


    ¡°I guess that must be it. I was sure you were more of a shortcake.¡±


    ¡°Who are you calling shortcake!?¡±


    ¡°And what¡¯s wrong with that!? Way I see it, it makes all the goodness more concentrated.¡±


    ¡°Pfft, ah-haha! When you put it that way¡­¡±


    ¡°Sophia? I was expecting you arriving tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°You mean you knew she was coming!?¡±


    ¡°Of course I knew. I needed to figure out were she¡¯d be sleeping.¡±


    ¡°With me!¡± I told him before turning to my big sis. ¡°Right? You¡¯ll be sleeping with me for good time¡¯s sake, right?¡±


    ¡°Fufu, I guess I¡¯ll have to. At least tonight I¡¯ll have.¡±


    ¡°Not just tonight, ALL the nights you¡¯re staying!¡±


    ¡°Fufu, as needy as ever, hmm? We¡¯ll see. Now, where¡¯s the food? I¡¯m starving!¡±


    Violet would steal glances on occasion at me, curious as to why I was in such good mood on our way to math class.


    ¡°All right, I¡¯ll bite. What¡¯s going on?¡± she asked when she realised I wasn¡¯t going to tell her until she questioned me.


    ¡°Hehe, you see, my big sis came for a visit.¡±


    ¡°Your big sister? Ah! I remember you talking about her once or twice. She¡¯s in uni, right?¡±


    ¡°Yup! Came to spend the holidays with me. Well, me and dad, but I like to think it¡¯s mostly me.¡±


    She chuckled and shook her head as she took out her books and pencil case.


    ¡°¡­When do I introduce you to her?¡±


    ¡°Huh!?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to?¡±


    Her face twisted and turned as she pondered how to respond.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to¡­ It just leaves me very anxious.¡±


    ¡°Come on,¡± I giggled while rubbing shoulders with her. ¡°She¡¯s just like me, only taller. And curvaceous. A bit more serious too. Anyway, if you can deal with me, you two will get along just fine. In fact, it¡¯s me who should be anxious from introducing you two.¡±


    ¡°That so? Why?¡±


    ¡°You might like her better.¡±


    I was joking, and she knew it, but she still took my words very seriously.


    ¡°Abby¡­ that¡¯s never going to happen.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you the sweet talker.¡±


    ¡°¡­I mean it.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I told her, giving her the best smile I could pull off. ¡°I know.¡±


    I was just depressed her ¡°like¡± would never equate to my ¡°like¡±.


    ???


    Abby was completely crestfallen from me telling her I¡¯d have to work on my birthday. That¡¯d mean we¡¯d have barely any time to do any sort of celebration together. And with her staying at her place to make up from the time she spent apart from her sister, we wouldn¡¯t even have our morning time.


    Haah, I¡¯ll miss our cuddling.


    I¡¯d be a whole week without it. If only I could flip the switch responsible for me liking that sort of thing now.


    ¡°With problems again?¡± Margaret asked me.


    As was to be expected, the dining room of the restaurant had a whole lot of two people filling it up. Me and her.


    ¡°No, just inconveniences.¡±


    ¡°Wanna talk about it?¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m turning sixteen this Wednesday and¡ª¡±


    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re only fifteen!?¡±


    ¡°Erm, yes.¡±


    She hummed and nodded, apparently surprised by that revelation. Then¡­


    ¡°Hold on, if you¡¯re fifteen, then you can¡¯t be working here the way you¡¯ve been this past year! It¡¯s illegal!¡±


    ¡°It is!?¡±


    She nodded and began explaining me how things worked. To sum it up, it was ok for me to work part-time during the summer, but once school started, I shouldn¡¯t have worked at all. Only after turning sixteen could I resume working, and even then, I was working more hours than permitted by law.


    ¡°You should talk with the manager,¡± she concluded.


    ¡°Erm, are you sure it¡¯s how you told me?¡±


    ¡°Yes I am. I read through the code and even went through a friend of my ex-husband who¡¯s a lawyer when my eldest son told me he wanted to work part-time at the place his crush worked.¡±


    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Teens in love are weird. That was the line of thinking in my head as I walked in my manager¡¯s office, fully aware I¡¯d be included in that group by default. And more precisely, I was thinking that maybe Abby would one day suggest that, probably half-jokingly.


    ¡°Ah, miss Evergreen. What can I do for you?¡±


    I explained to him what I had been told in the best way I could. My nervousness was turning into indignation as the realisation that he had been aware of all of that throughout the whole time I had been working there settled in my mind.


    ¡°And how do you think we can resolve this issue?¡± he asked.


    How indeed.


    Three things I was sure of were the fact I was being paid less than I deserved, I had too many work hours that I could have as time off, and that he¡¯d do his best for me to have none of that while trying to sell me the idea he was doing me a favour.


    ¡°Erm¡­ for starters, could I have Wednesday off? It¡¯s my birthday and erm, my friend wants to spend it with me.


    He agreed to my request, luckily.


    For now I¡¯d back down, talk with my dad and Abby before making any decisions.


    When I was done with work, I immediately called Abby with the news.


    ¡°Then, we can spend the afternoon of your birthday together after all?¡±


    ¡°Fufu, yes.¡±


    ¡°Yay!¡±


    Always so excitable, that girl. And I don¡¯t mean it as a complaint, quite the contrary.


    ¡°Would you mind if my sister joined us? At least for introductions?¡±


    That¡­ I¡¯ll be honest and say it curbed my enthusiasm down. If we were to stay friends for the long term, I¡¯d eventually have to meet her, but for now it was a level of stress I wasn¡¯t too keen on. Not that I¡¯d ever tell her that.


    ¡°Violet, if you¡¯re not comfortable with it, you can just say it.¡±


    She could see my trepidation, but that made me feel like I should try a bit harder. Besides, even if she said that I could say no to meeting her sister, her heart would still be hurt. I¡¯d push through it again.


    ¡°Sorry for being so pushy. I know you hate meeting new people, but I really do believe you two will get along. And I¡¯ll make up to you next time.¡±


    ¡°Make up to me?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t know how, but I promise I will! And if you think something up, just say it!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t think of anything to ask her for.


    She helped me with house chores, keeping classmates away, studying and homework, cooking, and warmed me up when it got chilly.


    ¡°Come to think of it¡­ it hasn¡¯t been all that cold lately.¡±


    Quite the opposite in fact. Some of our classmates were already going to the pool.


    ¡°Oh¡­ maybe Abby wants to go there, but won¡¯t because of me¡­¡±


    Her skin was still sun-kissed, but considerably less than at the start of the schoolyear. With each month that passed, her skin was approaching the same colour than her tan lines, and thinking about it made me feel all the more responsible.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll ask her to take me there.¡±


    She had said on the new year that she wanted us to go too, but I had the feeling she wouldn¡¯t come forth with the suggestion due to her reluctance to bother me. I mean, bother me in a way that isn¡¯t teasing, of course. She was a mischievous little imp, after all.


    ¡°Look! There¡¯s my sister!¡±


    She grabbed my hand and pulled me after her, towards the person at the school gate.


    She was taller than me by about half the difference between me and her sister, meaning I reached around her nose hight. Funny how the two sisters diverged so much in that department. Her hair was long and of a slightly darker shade than Abby¡¯s and about half as long as mine, tied into a high ponytail. She clearly was Abby¡¯s elder sister as her face was almost the same, the main two differences being her more serious¡ªbut still friendly¡ªair and her hazel eyes not having the same green specks her sister¡¯s had upon closer inspection. She had achieved a perfect balance of make-up and leaving it as natural as possible.


    What got me the most intimidated in a way was her body. She clearly had a large chest under the white flowing shirt she had that mostly hid her figure unless she raised her arms for some reason, along with shapely legs and hips hugged by tight white jeans. When I saw she was wearing some slightly high-heeled shoes, I didn¡¯t feel any better knowing our height difference was about half of what I originally thought.


    ¡°So you¡¯re Violet,¡± she said, pushing her sister to the side, Abby refusing to let go of her waist. ¡°I¡¯m Sophia, but you can call me Sophie. Nice to meet you in person.¡±


    She smiled just like Abby did. That was such a source of relief.


    I shook the hand she was offering me, noticing how sweaty mine was when we made contact, sending me back to the pit the previous realisation got me out of.


    ¡°V-Violet Evergreen¡­ nice meeting you,¡± I squeaked.


    She wasn¡¯t smiling anymore, but studying my face instead. I squeaked again when I felt her touch my face without notice.


    ¡°Ah! Sorry. I reached out without thinking,¡± she told me, taking her hand back and retreating a step.


    ¡°N-n-no, erm, I¡­¡±


    Abby saw I was barely holding it together and approached me, holding my face between her hands.


    ¡°Calm down, you silly girl. It¡¯s just my sister. She won¡¯t bite.¡±


    I knew that, but I had backed myself into a corner thinking that I had to cause a good impression on her. Since I was failing so spectacularly, you can guess how I was feeling.


    ¡°Humph,¡± she huffed, seeing her words not having any calming effect.


    She turned and pressed her back against me. I didn¡¯t care that people were seeing it¡ªthat also including her sister¡ªand I held Abby like I would if we were behind closed doors.


    ¡°Sorry sis,¡± she said, putting her hands over mine. ¡°She overthought so much about making a good impression on you that she¡¯s now overwhelmed. Could you give us a moment?¡±


    ¡°Erm, sure. I¡¯ll be waiting at that bench over there.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry,¡± I finally said, hiding my face in her hair.


    ¡°Haah, I already expected you¡¯d do something like this. Actually, no. Somehow, you managed to surpass anything I¡¯d come up with.¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Hey, look where my sis sat. Does it ring you any bells?¡±


    I peaked, trying not to be too obvious.


    ¡°Erm¡­ was it at that bench that we had our first proper conversation?¡±


    ¡°Hehe, I wouldn¡¯t call it proper, but yeah. You came running after me because I forgot to check my score on the exam.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±


    ¡°What was your first impression of me, I wonder.¡±


    ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t really like you back then.¡±


    ¡°Pfft, ah-haha! But you like me now, right?¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah.¡±


    ¡°Lots?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, see? First impressions aren¡¯t everything, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­Right.¡±


    I took the chance of having my face obscured the way it was to deliver a smooch to the crown of her head.


    ¡°Ah, I felt that!¡± she said, swaying side to side. ¡°Can I get another one for good luck.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Hehe.¡±


    I¡¯d have given her many more if we weren¡¯t in public.


    Right¡­ we are in public.


    Remembering that, I let her lose, but she refused to let go one of my hands.


    ¡°Wanna hold hands?¡± she asked me, not in a teasing way, but in a concerned way.


    ¡°¡­What about your sister?¡±


    ¡°She won¡¯t mind,¡± she said with a shrug. ¡°We¡¯ll be sleeping together tonight too.¡±


    ¡°¡­Ok.¡±


    ¡°¡­Hehe, someone¡¯s jelly.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡ª¡±


    ¡°I can read you like an open book,¡± she joked, poking my face. ¡°Don¡¯t be. Because¡­¡±


    She glanced at her sister before pulling me down by the tie. With her lips close to my ear she whispered, ¡°she¡¯s not as calming as you, and we can¡¯t cuddle at all because she moves too much.¡±


    I was completely red-faced from that, but also for some reason¡ªmy jealousy¡ªsuper smug towards Sophie.


    ¡°Hehe, that¡¯s more like it!¡± she laughed, seeing my face. ¡°Shall we go then?¡±


    ¡°¡­Hmm¡­ let¡¯s go.¡±


    Talking with Sophie after that was a lot more manageable. She was like her sister described; like her, only more serious, so in other words, a lot easier to handle. I still preferred Abby, for some masochistic reason.


    We got into a caf¨¦ and the elder sister excused herself to go to the bathroom.


    Abby sat by me and placed both elbows on the table, holding her head as she leaned towards me.


    ¡°My sister is super beautiful, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah¡­ she sure is.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, right? I wish one day I can be like her. And she¡¯s super cool too, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Something in what she said didn¡¯t sit well with me at all.


    ¡°¡­I think you¡¯re way cuter, though,¡± I blurted out as soon as I understood what had bothered me.


    She got a blank expression and blinked a few times before having a giggling fit, her face turning completely red as she hid it on my armpit, one of her hands tapping me on the shoulder.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I asked,¡± I think is what she was laughing.


    ¡°Erm, what¡¯s up with her?¡± her sister asked, seeing the show we were presenting to the world once she came back.


    ¡°She, erm¡­ sometimes does this¡­¡±


    And all the times it happened, I was the reason why.


    ¡°Huh¡­ she always had the weirdest quirks.¡±


    Her sister sat down and picked up the menu. After some time, she got fed up with Abby¡¯s antic and called her out on that.


    Abby uncovered her face, making an effort to stop. She also moved a leg over mine, sandwiching it in between mine and placed my arm around her shoulders.


    I was now the one who was going to tell her off, but she had such a gleeful expression, my heart melted in an instant.


    Ah, whatever. This is fine.


    Her sister didn¡¯t share our opinion on the matter though.


    ¡°¡­Aren¡¯t you two too close?¡±


    ¡°Oh, shush sis. This is perfectly normal.¡±


    ¡°No, it is not. Sit properly.¡±


    ¡°Abby, let¡¯s do as she says.¡±


    ¡°¡­Oh, ok.¡±


    I was sneaky when I told her that. There was a hand of mine that might have held her knee in place as I spoke to her. With that bit of trickery I scored a few points in my favour to the eyes of her sister while still allowing Abby some skinship she was craving.


    Using the hand supporting her face as cover, she gave me a quick grin as I crossed my legs over hers.


    I was going to return the smile back involuntarily, but I had a bad feeling then. Her sister was glaring at us, or rather, at me. Were we caught? It didn¡¯t seem like it. She couldn¡¯t see under the table, nobody could. Not where we were sitting in relations to the floorplan and with the way tables were set. It was a dinner-styled caf¨¦, so it had two heavily padded and comfortable red benches with a table in the middle that was covered by a checkered red and white towel.


    I endured her stare for the whole meal, until we got up and Abby grabbed my hand again, walking me around the mall.


    ¡°Wanna go inside?¡± she asked me seemingly at random.


    The store she had in mind was specialised in accessories.


    ¡°Abby, you don¡¯t need to buy me a gift. I still haven¡¯t gotten one for you yet too.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s pick something together and match!¡± she said, looking even more motivated. Come on, she insisted, dragging me inside.


    The store had too much stuff for my overwhelmed brain to process.


    Of note, the only thing it somehow registered were some tiaras and some rings and earrings of outlandish colours and shapes.


    Abby suddenly stopped, and I bumped into her since I was bedazzled by so many shiny things.


    ¡°May I?¡± she asked.


    I nodded, not aware of what it was she was asking permission for.


    She moved her hands around my neck and I felt her fiddle with something before whatever it was tightened around my neck.


    ¡°It¡¯s not too tight, is it?¡±


    ¡°N-no. What is it?¡±


    ¡°Ta-dah,¡± she sang, pointing at a mirror.


    In it, I saw my bewildered face on top of a neck that had something new on it just below my vocal cords.


    She had put on me a black choker, about as wide as my thumb and with a silver heart at the front.


    ¡°Do you like it?¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah.¡±


    I genuinely liked it. I wasn¡¯t sure I¡¯d be bold enough to go around with it on, but I had also though the same about the strapless dress she had given me half a year ago, and I was rocking that dress quite confidently during the weekends as the weather grew warmer.


    I looked around, searching for where the choker had come from. I saw variants of it, with a star, a moon, a teardrop, a skull, and so on, but if we were to truly match, there was only one choice, wasn¡¯t there?


    ¡°Violet, you can pick a different design for me, I was kidding when I said we should match.¡±


    ¡°I know but¡­ this one¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Hehe, ok.¡±


    She was beaming with so much happiness, it was making my heart hurt. It was amazing how she could make me feel that way. I never thought such thing was even possible.


    ¡°Hehe, does it look good on me?¡± she asked, hopping in place after taking a look at her reflexion.


    ¡°Mmh-hmm¡­¡±


    ¡°Hehe, then it¡¯s settled,¡± she chimed, taking mine off. ¡°I¡¯ll go and pay for these.¡±


    ¡°Ah! W-wait!¡±


    ¡°You can settle down the bill afterwards. We need to talk, you and I.¡±


    Her sister¡¯s voice sounded a lot like her mother¡¯s all of a sudden, sending chills down my spine.


    ¡°You two, you¡¯re dating, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°W-wha¡ª? No!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me! I saw how you two look at each other.¡±


    I got what she meant, but we really weren¡¯t like that. But how would I convince her with my poor communication skills?


    I looked at where Abby went. Once I saw her hopping in place as she waited in line with one of the largest smiles I had ever seen, my heart sank.


    ¡°¡­And if we were, would it be that bad?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°If your sister and I were¡­ would it be bad?¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s not normal! You do realise that, don¡¯t you?¡±


    I had served gay couples. As far as I could tell, them liking people of the same sex didn¡¯t make them all that different from ¡°normal¡± people.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it like saying that people who don¡¯t like chocolate aren¡¯t normal?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not the same thing! You can¡¯t compare people liking chocolate with you liking girls! It¡¯s morronic! It¡¯s¡­ nasty.¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s not just me we are talking, it¡¯s your sister we are talking about too.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    I stepped away from her without telling her anything else. I walked up to Abby, and placed a hand over her shoulder.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Abby. Something came up and I need to get going.¡±


    ¡°What? Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°¡­If you say so¡­ will you call me before you go to bed?¡±


    ¡°Sure thing.¡± I leaned down and gave her a very tender kiss on her cheek. ¡°I had fun. And I¡¯ll pay my share of the gifts.¡±


    ¡°Or you can just treat me to some candy later.¡±


    ¡°Fufu, ok.¡± I gave her a second kiss. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to you later.¡±


    I walked away, only exchanging a glare with her sister, leaving the store feeling numb.


    Once I got outside the mall, I took a deep breath before making my walk home. I could have taken the bus, but I was in need of catching some fresh air to clear my head.


    There wasn¡¯t much going on in it though, just three thoughts.


    Her sister turned out to be a real problem, and I was worried she¡¯d make Abby¡¯s life harder than it already was instead of giving her support. There wasn¡¯t much I could do except being present if Abby needed me, like I always did.


    Abby had romantic feelings for me. How could I have not noticed that before? A stupid question with a simple answer. I was na?ve. Ignorant of people¡¯s relationships, so I could never had recognised the signs until Sophia called my attention to the way we looked at each other. And that brought me to the last point on my mind.


    I liked Abby in a romantic way. With that, and only with that point, I was fine. Maybe that was the one that should be weighting more on me, but in fact, it made me feel strangely at peace. Like, maybe it justified the way I was so happy and excited having Abby around? It made me feel like it was ¡°normal¡± for us to be so clingy to each other. Because it was normal.


    Oh¡­ what about our parent?


    With the amount of time Abby and I spent together, surely they might have had suspicions of their own. Unless they excused it all to us being girls and best friends, but that was a bit of a stretch, wasn¡¯t it?


    Haah, things are going to get even more complicated, won¡¯t they?


    My feet guided me to the graveyard where my mum had been put to rest. I didn¡¯t know if I had come to that place seeking guidance and support from a parent that at least couldn¡¯t feel disappointment, or if it was mere happenstance.


    I sat on the cold stone pavement in front of her grave, huddling my knees.


    ¡°Hi mum¡­ can you promise me you won¡¯t get mad if I tell you a secret? I mean¡­ if there¡¯s any sort of afterlife¡­ you might already know¡­ I¡¯m gay¡­ Remember Abby? I like her¡­ I really like her, mum¡­ are you disappointed¡­? I hope not¡­ if you aren¡¯t¡­ I know it¡¯s not your job, but¡­ and even if you are¡­ could you look over her¡­? Please? She¡­ her mother is a cruel woman¡­ her sister might be too¡­ I don¡¯t know if I can help her¡­ how to help her¡­ could you perhaps help her for me? She deserves it, you know? To be happy¡­ to finally be happy¡­¡±


    I didn¡¯t know if my prayers reached her or any higher power. Like so many things in my life, it felt completely out of my reach. Still, I held on to my hopes of it not having all been in vain.


    I stood up, and whipped a spot on the cold gravestone that I kissed.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for visiting after so long with these news¡­ I¡¯ll try coming back with better ones next time¡­ bye, mum. Rest well.¡±


    Nothing more I could do about it except try not to get myself killed from the stress that was about to come. At least there would also be some good moments mixed in, right? I hoped so.

 Tested Sisterhood

    I couldn¡¯t accept it. I just couldn¡¯t. It made my blood boil just thinking about my little sister getting involved with another woman. She was too young to know anything about love! I was also sure it was all misplaced gratitude after all the help that girl, Violet, had provided. Misplaced gratitude and admiration.


    ¡°¡ªso then, Violet said¡ª¡±


    ¡°Could you please stop talking about her?¡±


    I¡¯ve just had it with her talks about her ¡°friend¡± once we got home and sat on the sofa. It was like she was the only thing my sister could talk about.


    ¡°¡­Did something happen between you two?¡±


    ¡°¡­That¡¯s my question. Did something happen between you two?¡±


    ¡°Erm, no? What are you on about?¡±


    ¡°You like her, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°¡­Of course.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mean as friends.¡±


    ¡°¡­I know¡­ I meant it in that way.¡±


    ¡°I saw the way you look at her.¡±


    ¡°No, I meant that I love her¡­ as in¡­ love.¡±


    We stared at each other for what felt like ages, me incredulous and she waiting for my reaction.


    ¡°Love?¡± I scoffed.


    ¡°Sis, have you ever been in love?¡±


    ¡°We aren¡¯t talking about me.¡±


    ¡°No, but could you answer anyway?¡±


    ¡°¡­No Abby, I have not. I had mum breathing down my neck all the time and the people she¡¯d send down to uni to check if I was only there studying and nothing more. I already told you that.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ you never had, huh¡­?¡±


    ¡°What does this have to do with anything?¡±


    ¡°I guess¡­ I won¡¯t be able to make you understand if you can¡¯t sympathise.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to sympathise!? Abby, it¡¯s not normal!¡±


    She cocked her head back, looking hurt.


    ¡°¡­Then¡­ am I a freak?¡±


    I had said the wrong thing. I only wanted her to understand. Why did I have to tell her that in that way?


    ¡°N-no! That¡¯s not¡ª¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m not normal either.¡±


    ¡°Aby, that¡¯s not what I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Do you hate me now?¡±


    ¡°No! Of course not! You¡¯re my baby¡ª¡±


    ¡°Then, do you find me disgusting?¡±


    I chocked, not because I believed she was, but because she thought I¡¯d think such thing.


    ¡°Of course not!¡± I told her, trying to reach out to her, but she pulled away from me. ¡°Abby, please, listen to me! I¡¯m telling you this because I worry about you! About your future!¡±


    ¡°¡­Mum also said horrible things to me because she worried about my future.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­You¡¯re just like her.¡±


    ¡°A-Abby! Please don¡¯t say that!¡±


    Hearing her say such thing, telling me I was just like the person who brought us so much pain, more to her than me, was dilacerating.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    She didn¡¯t say speak else though. She just stood up and walked away from me, towards the front door. ¡°Abby! Where are you going!?¡±


    ¡°To Violet¡¯s. She doesn¡¯t know yet, but I¡¯m sure she¡¯d at least not make me feel like I¡¯m worse than trash if I told her.¡±


    ¡°Abby please! Abby! Don¡¯t go! Abby!¡±


    Cried as I might, she walked away, crying too.


    ???


    Whatever had gone down between the sisters, Abby was being torn apart by it.


    When I arrived home from the cemetery, she was already in my bed, all curled up in the foetal position and holding a pillow to her face.


    It was clear what had happened. Sophia confronted her and they had an argument with Abby being rejected by the person she admired the most in the world. I was just happy this time she came to me instead of completely shutting herself off from the world.


    For the first three days she didn¡¯t leave the bed. She also barely talked and ate, and refused to be touched. On the fourth, she began walking around the house and eating a little bit more. Sunday was the fifth day, and the day her sister came by.


    ¡°Could I talk to her?¡± she asked after a stiff exchange of greetings. While she looked like she was about to cry, all I wanted was slapping that face that was reminding me a lot a certain woman I hated so much.


    ¡°She hasn¡¯t uttered a word since she came here,¡± I growled.


    She bit her lip and stared down to her feet, bobbing her head slightly. Then, she lunged at me. For a moment I thought she¡¯d try to brute-force her way past me, but instead she began shouting.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, baby sis! I¡¯m so sorry! I can¡¯t accept it! I just can¡¯t! But you¡¯re no longer a baby! You¡¯re sixteen! Soon you¡¯ll be an adult! You¡¯ve got to make choices of your own now! Don¡¯t let your horrible sister be a factor in them! I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m so, so sorry and¡­ I love you! I always will! No matter what!¡±


    Once she was done shouting her message¡ªand blasting all my hearing capability from my left ear¡ªshe latched on to me, sobbing ¡°no matter what¡±.


    She had gained some pity from me, so I patted her back with only one hand. Turns out, I was only any good at hugging Abby, and no one else.


    ¡°Please¡­ take care of my sister,¡± she pleaded in a very weak voice, almost imperceptible. Were it not for me having watched her breaking down in excuses, I¡¯d have attributed that to some sort of audio illusion.


    She began walking away and that¡¯s when I noticed the car parked in front of my house. Mr. Will was outside, over the driver¡¯s side, but so too was my dad there, holding a passenger door open for Sophia.


    ¡°Dad? What were you doing with them?¡± I asked when he came inside.


    ¡°¡­You know I love that girl as much as I love you. Seeing her like that breaks my heart.¡±


    ¡°¡­Thanks dad.¡±


    He placed a hand on my shoulder and shook me gently back and forth.


    ¡°I only offered a father¡¯s perspective to her. The rest is up to Sophie.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure¡­ no, I had no idea what he meant. What I knew was, if he wanted to tell me, he¡¯d have done it. I also had something more important to do than chatting with him by the front door.


    ¡°Hey¡­ how are you feeling?¡± I asked in a hushed tone as I sat by her on the couch.


    She looked at me and scooted over very meekly, squatting between my legs and hiding her face between her knees and my chest.


    ¡°¡­Do you think I should forgive her?¡±


    That was such a hard question. I was a single child, I only recently started dealing with people in any deeper way, and I still hadn¡¯t figured out if I should tell her that I knew what the argument had been about or not.


    Fortunately, dad was there and intervened.


    ¡°Abby, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s very hard for you, but please try to understand, it¡¯s not easy at all for your sister to come home and see that her baby sister is no longer that sweet, innocent child and is now making life choices of her own. She has to come to terms with that, and I can tell you as a parent, it¡¯s not easy. Give her time.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure if Abby should be that forgiving, but what my father said had some wisdom, plus I had very painfully heard her sister¡¯s apology, so maybe I was simply being extremely bitter. I didn¡¯t know a thing, at the end.


    ¡°Does Violet know what the argument was about?¡±


    She shook her head with a vigour I hadn¡¯t seen in a while.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Violet¡­ I can¡¯t tell you just yet¡­¡±


    That settled it for me.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok. I can wait until you feel ready. You don¡¯t need to tell me anything until you feel like it,¡± I assured her.


    She began unfurling, putting her arms around my neck and legs around my waist. I had grown very accustomed to our bodies being pressed together, and even with having our dads around, but this position was new and getting me flustered because our groins were touching since I didn¡¯t have the time to close my legs.


    ¡°You really are my sun,¡± she said, taking my mind out of such trivial matter and back to what was important.


    Haah, how am I supposed to answer that!?


    I glanced at my father who seemed amused by what she said to me.


    Haah, really¡­ what a pain this all is.


    ¡°Erm¡­ y-you¡¯re my¡­ my sun¡­ too¡­¡±


    If he was aware of what the sisters¡¯ argument had been all about, he knew full well what she meant. From me telling her the same, he could them either assume I was just being sweet, or that I felt the same way about her.


    If he wasn¡¯t aware¡­ I doubt he¡¯d look so enchanted by our exchange if he was against us dating.


    He chuckled to himself and left us alone.


    Now that she seemed to be settling down¡­


    ¡°Erm, Abby? It¡¯s no big deal, but¡­ could you let me close my legs, please?¡±

 A New Understanding

    It was the first of May, but temperatures were already stifling. If it carried on like that, when Summer came by, I¡¯d have to only put the food outside for it to cook.


    Abby¡¯s flat had an AC in almost every room, so that was mostly were we were hanging out now. Unfortunately, her father started working from home a while ago, so most of our alone time was now one that we had to be careful not to make too much noise. That meant I wasn¡¯t allowed to give her a tickle attack as I usually would when it got too hard not to put my hands on her as payback for her teasing.


    There was also the fact that we had to go back to prepare for exams as classes would end at the end of the second week of June, leaving the last week of May and the first of the following month dedicated to exams and delivering school assignments.


    We were having one such study session in her bedroom. The AC was on, making the air a bit chilly on my exposed arms and legs, but that served me well. That way I could sit with my legs crossed while she sat on the empty space formed between them.


    I had my chin on her shoulder as she checked my work in search of mistakes.


    ¡°Ok, some answers need to be more extensive, otherwise you¡¯re doing great,¡± she said, putting the notebook down. ¡°Wanna do math next?¡±


    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s take a break.¡±


    ¡°Already?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°¡­Ok.¡±


    She grabbed the TV remote and turned it on. She began searching for something to watch, but I wasn¡¯t particularly interested in that.


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m not in the mood for that,¡± she told me quite dryly as I slanted my head to tickle her neck.


    That was another hindrance. It had gotten better recently, but she still didn¡¯t seem to want to get too intimate with me.


    It had been like that after the day her sister apologised. On that day, she was constantly latched on to me. A bit of a pain, but completely understandable. However, after we woke up on the next day, she had completely changed. No good morning kiss or cuddles, no holding hands, nothing. Any time I tried touching her, she¡¯d pull away, always saying ¡°not now¡± or ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood¡±, or the likes. It was super confusing for me, but when I asked her multiple times with no offered clarification, I began worrying I had done something to get her mad instead of her solely feeling depressed from having had an argument with her sister.


    ¡°Abby? Did I do something to make you angry at me?¡± I asked for the third time in a week.


    She smooched my cheek, quite sweetly in contrast to how she sounded ten minutes ago. ¡°I¡¯m just going through some stuff, you did nothing wrong.¡±


    ¡°¡­Ok.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    She turned off the TV and pulled away from me, sitting across me. We were in for a serious conversation, it seemed.


    ¡°Sorry for being so distant lately,¡± she told me after thinking how to begin our talk. ¡°The truth is¡­ the argument I had with my sister made me think about a lot of stuff¡­ including how you and I interact.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see¡­¡±


    If the argument had anything to do with what I thought it did, and I felt very sure it was, then I could finally make sense of her behaviour lately.


    ¡°You think we are too close?¡± I asked to confirm my suspicions.


    ¡°¡­Maybe¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ It¡¯s not that I think we are doing something wrong, but¡­ there are certain things that¡­ muddle the waters.¡±


    ¡°¡­Like what?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    She looked down, seemingly taken by sadness.


    I felt like reaching out to her, but in those conditions I reframed from acting on such impulse.


    ¡°Violet, I¡¯m so sorry. I¡¯m such a mess, and you always have to put up with me,¡± she said, choking slightly on her words.


    ¡°Abby, no matter how much you might cause me trouble, I¡¯m not going anywhere. And most of the time, I enjoy being with you. The other times, I choose to stay by your side. Walking away never ever crossed my mind.¡±


    ¡°¡­Because you¡¯re too nice.¡±


    ¡°Pfft, fufu, maybe, but¡­ I¡¯m quite happy being like this.¡±


    She looked up, surprised by my reaction. Seeing me smile made her smile in turn.


    ¡°Seriously though, you¡¯re too nice,¡± she repeated.


    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m aware of that. I still don¡¯t care.¡±


    I opened my arms as an invitation. She fought against her will to dive in, but it had been a while since we last hugged mutually, so she eventually fell on my trap.


    Grabbing hold of her, I tumbled back, almost hitting my head on the headboard. She struggled a bit, not wanting cuddling to that extent, but once I asked her for us to stay like that just for that one study break, she again gave in.


    Now that she was pacified, I could hold her more gently, my fingers running through her hair and lower back.


    She let out one of her ¡°happy-Abby-noises¡± before planting her chin on my sternum.


    ¡°Yes?¡± I asked with the most inviting smile I could make.


    ¡°¡­What do you feel when we are like this?¡± she asked.


    I don¡¯t think she meant to ask me that out loud as she made the same expression she did whenever she thought she made a blunder.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see,¡± I began, sitting us up.


    My legs were pressed together and extended, giving her enough extra height while she straddled me for her head to be close to my lips without bending my spine too much. How to answer her question without it sounding like a confession?


    ¡°I guess¡­ I erm¡­ feel¡­ happy¡­? Erm, yeah¡­ very happy.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± she asked with a whiny voice.


    Why indeed.


    I did know why, but I had no idea how to say it without being too obvious.


    ¡°Erm¡­ because¡­ you¡¯re nice to cuddle with and, erm¡­ it¡­ it makes you happy too, right?¡±


    I felt her moving her legs, her heels touching my rear as she hugged me with them too.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I should be this happy, though,¡± she said, casting her eyes down.


    The happiness I was feeling holding her like that¡­ yeah, I now understood why she¡¯d look sad completely out of nowhere. Liking someone, a moment with them feeling special, but the knowledge they didn¡¯t feel the same mixed in¡­ it almost felt dirty, didn¡¯t it?


    ¡°¡­Abby, I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind me. I¡¯m just being depressive. I¡¯m sure this will pass, eventually. Just give me some more time, ok?¡±


    ¡°¡­Ok.¡±


    I hated my cowardice. She liked me, I liked her, why was I scared of saying anything?


    ¡°Erm, we should go back to studying, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°¡­I wouldn¡¯t mind staying like this a bit longer.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Violet¡­ Until I figure out how I feel about this, can we keep it to a minimum?¡±


    ¡°¡­But you still like this, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course I do! I just¡­ you know¡­¡±


    I was satisfied with our heart-to-heart. Knowing she still enjoyed it and that I had done nothing wrong was enough for me to be more patient towards her.


    ¡°Can I have just one more thing?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Sure. Whatever you want.¡±


    I lifted her chin and lowered my head. The kiss I gave her, I realised after the fact, was a bit cruel as it was very close to her mouth, so close that I felt her puckering her lips as I made contact. It wasn¡¯t on purpose, but it was a very misleading.


    ¡°You¡¯re so pretty,¡± she said in a daze.


    ¡°Oh¡­ erm¡­ t-thanks¡­¡±


    She turned bright red, and so did I, but she kept staring at me. At my lips, to be exact.


    ¡°Does it bother you?¡± she asked, touching my lower lip.


    Was she talking about my scar or about us sharing a lip-to-lip kiss right there and then?


    Don¡¯t be stupid, it¡¯s the scar she¡¯s talking about.


    ¡°Not at all. It did at first, but now¡­ I kinda see it as a badge of honour.¡±


    ¡°¡­Aren¡¯t you worried it will turn away potential suitors?¡±


    ¡°¡­No. No, it does not,¡± I said, looking her straight in the eye. ¡°Do you?¡±


    She retracted her hand and hid her face on my neck. They¡¯d have to be real idiots, she seemingly muttered.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­We should go back to studying.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ we should¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t feel like moving though.¡±


    ¡°Fufu, yeah. It¡¯s been a while, hasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yeah¡­ too long¡­¡±


    But finally, things were going back to normal. Until two days after, that is.


    ¡°Excuse me but could I ask you a question?¡± a female classmate asked while Abby and I were headed for pancakes after school.


    I looked at Abby, thinking she was the target of the conversation, but the girl was also looking at me.


    It was annoying, but if it was just a single question, then I¡¯d make the effort and put up with it.


    ¡°Is the rumour true?¡± she began.


    ¡°What rumour?¡± Abby asked.


    ¡°That you two¡­ you know¡­¡± she paused and leaned closer, continuing in a hushed tone. ¡°That you two are dating.¡±


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Abby pulled away her hand from mine very forcibly, that hurting me more on an emotional level than anything else. Despite that, the emotion I was feeling more was anger. Why had that huge idiot come and say something like that? I had to endure two weeks of Abby distancing herself from me, with this happening now that she was feeling comfortable with holding hands again, who knew how long it¡¯d take until she came back to normal. Or what I¡¯d have to do to make her comfortable with us touching once more.


    ¡°You got this all wrong, Violet and I are just friends! In fact, best friends, but that¡¯s just it.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ you¡¯re wearing matching chokers with hearts and all.¡±


    ¡°T-that¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve got a problem with that?¡± I asked, having grown tired of the conversation.


    ¡°N-no! I think you make a very nice couple.¡±


    ¡°Why, thank you, but like Abby said, we are just close friends. And us wearing matching chokers with hearts, or holding hands, or whatever is our business. Ours, and ours alone. You got that?¡±


    Finally, the realisation that it had been a bad idea coming to us with such invasive questioning was a huge misstep into that empty head of hers.


    ¡°¡­I was only asking.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯ve got out answer. Anything else?¡±


    She shook her head and I pulled Abby away.


    A few steps back she started wriggling her hand free.


    ¡°Let¡¯s stop doing this kind of thing in public. And we shouldn¡¯t go out with our chokers either.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense,¡± I told her back.


    ¡°But Violet¡­ people are getting the wrong idea.¡±


    ¡°Abby, do you feel bad because of that?¡±


    ¡°Of course I do! I don¡¯t want people talking bad about you behind your back!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very sweet of you, but I don¡¯t care.¡±


    ¡°¡­Violet, please let go of my hand.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Violet!¡± she shouted.


    I was forced to let her hand go.


    People around us were staring and whispering amongst themselves while Abby seemed about to start crying.


    Seriously, it¡¯s a huge pain after the other. Haah¡­


    ¡°¡­Abby? Let¡¯s talk about this at home, ok?¡±


    She gave me no answer.


    ¡°Abby? Do you want to go home now?¡±


    To that she nodded.


    ¡°Please, lets. I can¡¯t¡­¡±


    Her shoulders shook up, cutting her words off.


    ¡°¡­Come on. Let¡¯s go home,¡± I said, trying to put an arm over her shoulders. She received that well, thank goodness. I¡¯d be at a complete loss if she didn¡¯t.


    ¡°Do you want something to drink? To eat?¡± I asked while we took our shoes off once we got to her place. I had no idea where or how we got there, only that it felt like an eternity.


    ¡°¡­No. I just want to have that talk and go cry in my bedroom.¡±


    ¡°¡­Ok.¡±


    Things were bad, but at least she seemed to be honest about how she was feeling.


    We sat on the living room on opposite sides. Since she wasn¡¯t starting any conversation, I stepped up.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make things clear; I don¡¯t care if people get the wrong idea about us.¡±


    ¡°¡­You¡¯re just saying that to make me feel better.¡±


    ¡°Abby, you know that I¡¯m not. Have I ever agreed to something that I wasn¡¯t on board with at least more than against?¡±


    ¡°But when it¡¯s about me, you always choose the thing that favours me the most¡­ even at your own detriment.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is seeing you happy really to my detriment?¡± I grumbled under my breath before continuing the conversation. ¡°Abby, let me tell you something very clearly. I worry about a thousand different things. I worry a lot about what people think of me. But I don¡¯t want to worry and change what comes natural to me, and that makes me happy just because people might think badly of me, whether they are right for thinking that or not. Honestly, I find it a bigger pain to be self-conscious about my actions and constantly walking on eggshells than acting normal and causing bad impressions. What we do, there¡¯s nothing wrong about it. We are very close friends, we might be too clingy, but if we are both ok with it, what does it matter what other people think? Abby, let me ask you this; are you happy that we go walking around holding hands and with these chokers on?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes, but¡ª¡±


    ¡°But what?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Maybe cutting her off was too aggressive, but she was getting on my nerves with how much of a wishy-washy attitude she was having with our relationship, friendship or otherwise. I loved her, but goodness gracious, did she get on my nerves at times like these.


    ¡°¡­Can I go now?¡± she asked meekly.


    ¡°¡­Yes. If you don¡¯t have anything else to say, I guess you can.¡±


    She stood up and headed to the corridor accessing the bedroom. As she passed by me I think I heard her whine a ¡°sorry¡±, but I was too distracted with my own emotions to be sure of it.


    Once I hear her steps fade away in the corridor, I leaned forward, rubbing my face as I barely held my glasses off my face with a single finger.


    ¡°¡­Haah, seriously¡­ it¡¯s one thing after the other.¡±


    It was all so draining.


    In some things, we were doing all right, but in others, it seemed like at each step we¡¯d trip on some new issue, or one would be thrown under our feet.


    I was grumbling to myself, still with my face buried in my hands when a voice snapped me right up.


    ¡°Are you two having problems?¡±


    ¡°Mr- Will!?¡± I gasped as I jumped on my seat. ¡°N-No, erm¡­ yes. Sorry, but¡­ we argued again.¡±


    Admitting that to my future ¡°father-in-law¡± was like admitting I wasn¡¯t fit to be his daughter¡¯s girlfriend. That was, assuming he¡¯d go along with it.


    Haah, great. Another thing for her to stress me about even further.


    Me too, for a matter of fact, but if she was going to be as hard to deal with as she was being at the moment, I¡¯d be screwed.


    He sat down holding a cup of coffee he got from the machine in the kitchen.


    ¡°What is it this time? If I¡¯m not intruding, of course.¡±


    ¡°¡­A classmate got the wrong idea about us¡­¡± I said, almost squeaking.


    ¡°Oh¡­ and Abby was the one that didn¡¯t take it well?¡±


    I tilted my head, confused with the question. But it made sense that he asked that. I was the one who, supposedly, was the fussy one. Maybe I hadn¡¯t been a good influence on her on that aspect.


    ¡°Erm¡­ to be clear¡­ we really are just friends¡­¡±


    ¡°Hmm? I know. Not that I¡¯d mind having you as an in-law.¡±


    It took me a while to react at that statement, that I might add, was done super casually.


    ¡°H-Huh!?¡± I shouted, pushing myself against the backrest of the couch, wide-eyed and with my jaws almost hitting my knees in surprise.


    ¡°What? After all you did for her, and continue doing, who else would be better as a suitor?¡±


    It couldn¡¯t be that easy! Surely I had tripped while going up the stairs and hit my head on every single step until I reached the ground floor and was either seeing what my life would be had I not tripped, or I was delusional as I was rushed to the hospital. If at least he said something in line with ¡°I¡¯d take some time getting used to it.¡± Seriously? Not even anything like that?


    It looked like he was making an impression of my father with how casual he was being.


    Maybe my family isn¡¯t a good influence on anyone.


    ¡°You know better than anyone that she¡¯s going through a lot. Honestly, I can now see that her mother left her with lots of issues about her self-worth. It¡¯s very unfair of me to ask you this, but¡­ can you stay by her side, even if for just a bit longer? I understand that at times you feel like it¡¯s impossible, but¡­ please, she absolutely adores you.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yeah¡­ I won¡¯t be going anywhere. Ever.¡±


    ¡°¡­Thank you.¡±


    He was back to being something I was more familiar with. A man saddened by regret and seeing himself useless and forced to rely on someone who didn¡¯t have to get as involved as I was. Thing is, as painful and troublesome as it could get, I couldn¡¯t see myself walk away.


    The conversation lightened up after that.


    We talked about school and how he spent his time with my father, which was full of surprises. Turns out, my dad had been being a good influence on Mr. Will after all, the latter learning to slow down a bit and enjoy the¡­ sillier hobbies my dad had.


    I was also put in charge of reminding dad about lending Mr. Will the next volumes of a comic book he kept on forgetting. The idea of that man, so stern-looking and proper, sitting down reading one of those books just didn¡¯t compute with me, but to each their own. I¡¯m sure many would find it equally unbelievable seeing me, a cold staring girl who¡¯s hard to approach being an absolute sweetheart to another person like I was with Abby.


    Speaking of which¡­


    ¡°Excuse me, I¡¯ll go check on her in an instant,¡± I told him, having noticed the time that had passed since she went inside.


    She was in her bed, facing the wall.


    I approached the bed as quietly as I could, despite her being a heavy sleeper and every joint in my feet and ankle taking the opportunity to crack with every single move.


    Apparently, she cried herself to sleep while hugging Mr. Sealy, the plushie I gave her on Valentine¡¯s.


    I wrote her a note that I left by her head in a way that it would be the first thing she saw after she woke up, kissed her cheek and was about to get up when she opened her eyes.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I said in a hushed tone.


    ¡°Hi there¡­¡±


    It was awkward, the air between us. We both wanted to say something, but none of us knew what.


    ¡°Violet? Are you still mad?¡±


    ¡°No. I can¡¯t say that I still am.¡±


    ¡°Ok¡­ Still¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s ok. I understand why you were kicking such a fuss.¡±


    She got on her back, still clinging to Mr. Sealy that hid half of her face.


    ¡°Do you really not care what others might think?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Abby,¡± I told her, sitting by her side on the bed. ¡°I do care, but not enough that I¡¯ll go changing my behaviour just to have people accept me, or not getting wrong ideas about me.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ I¡¯ll try and do the same¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Does it mean we can still hold hands and wear these?¡± I asked, touching my neck ornament.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ although¡­ It might be a good idea to reel in some of our clinginess in public. Just to avoid people giving us crap about us being¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­ nasty or something.¡±


    ¡°But we only hold hands.¡±


    ¡°You also sometimes kiss me in the face or hair.¡±


    ¡°I do!?¡±


    ¡°Pfft, hehe! What? You don¡¯t even notice that?¡±


    I didn¡¯t. There were times I did it consciously, and now that I was thinking about it¡­ I had the vague idea I might have done that in class. Many times.


    ¡°Well, now you know.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t see it, but I was certain there was an impish smile behind that seal.


    ¡°¡­I still don¡¯t think I should mind¡­¡± I mumbled.


    She pulled herself up, set the toy aside, showing that her face was at least as flushed as mine, and she placed her chin on my shoulder.


    ¡°You¡¯ve changed so much, I¡¯m kinda jealous.¡±


    That talk of her changing again¡­ when would she learn?


    ¡°Abby¡ª¡±


    ¡°I know, I know. You think I don¡¯t need to change at all, but the truth is¡­ there are at least one or two things you think I should, aren¡¯t there?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t deny that. In fact¡­


    ¡°¡­I wished you were more confident on yourself, and that you were also more honest about your feelings.¡±


    ¡°Pfft, hehe. See?¡± she giggled, having taken my criticism surprisingly well. ¡°I see¡­ so it¡¯s my self-confidence and lack of honesty when it¡¯s about my feelings¡­ ok. I already knew about the first, but the latter is a bit surprising. I guess I need to put in a bit more work. Anything else?¡±


    ¡°¡­No. Just those two.¡±


    She kissed my face and laid on her back again. She began playing with the plushie, seemingly immersed in thoughts.


    ¡°I wanna try sleeping alone tonight. I want to see if I can have a normal night of sleep after we had an argument like today.¡±


    ¡°¡­But we made up.¡±


    ¡°True, but¡­ I¡¯m not a hundred percent satisfied with the results.¡±


    ¡°Huh? How so?¡±


    ¡°¡­There are still things I want to tell you but I am too afraid to say.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ That¡¯s fine. Take your time.¡±


    ¡°Thank you but¡­ the school year is almost ending, you know? Time goes by, and I feel like I¡¯m stuck in place at times. It¡¯s very frustrating.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I get what you mean.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, of course you do. I feel like you¡¯re the only one that can.¡±


    I moved a hand over her belly. She seemed pleased with that bit of touch as her face twitched into a small smile.


    ¡°Is this more like you¡¯d like it?¡± she asked. ¡°Me opening up, that is.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes. I¡¯d love if we had more of these conversations.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I see¡­ Aren¡¯t they a pain for you?¡±


    ¡°Not at all! It¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes?¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s one of the things I want the most¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I just realised something.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°¡­Me being with you, it makes me feel so happy and safe. However¡­ not sitting down and having these conversations with you¡­ If we had more of these earlier, I¡¯d be in a better place mentally and emotionally. You get what I¡¯m saying?¡±


    ¡°¡­You¡¯ve been using how you feel around me to run away from your issues?¡±


    She laughed again, grabbing my hand and bringing it to her lips.


    ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s exactly it.¡±


    That pretty much marked the end of our conversation for the day.


    As I went through the rest of the day, I kept thinking about our conversation, but mostly, that we¡¯d have many more.


    I wanted to help her, but I could only do that if I understood her. I needed those conversation.


    Hopefully, that day marked the beginning of many to come.

 Deepening the Bond

    It was just a few more days until the end of the year exams to start. Just a few more days, then it¡¯d come hard days for us followed by days where it wouldn¡¯t be all that important to keep going to class.


    A year ago, I¡¯d stop going altogether, as long as my grades didn¡¯t go down a certain threshold that would make the school contact my mum and tell her about it. This year, however, with miss fussy and let¡¯s-play-by-the-rules, I could expect for my times of fun to take a while longer to come. Not that it was all bad.


    We were studying at her place for the moment. Well, she was, diligent as ever, while I¡­ admired her legs.


    Her place was like an oven, even with a fan on, so she had most of her legs and arms exposed. And in a way, I was doing it with her permission. She had caught me staring two times but said nothing. She only blushed and crossed them. At the third, she gave me an awkward smile, so instead of pretending I wasn¡¯t looking, I simply stared at them.


    They were so long and slender, and I knew from sitting on them, super soft. I wished I could touch them with my hands, but never in her life would she allow such a thing.


    No, but¡­ she has been a lot more permissive lately.


    Be that as it may, I still wouldn¡¯t ask her. Not with my dirty intentions looming over.


    ¡°Your feet are so small,¡± she suddenly said, sounding like she was thinking out loud.


    She was holding the one foot I had on her lap as I sat across her on the couch. I was so distracted with her legs that I didn¡¯t notice her finishing studying biology. Although, I suppose she was now studying mine.


    ¡°Is there a thing in me that isn¡¯t small?¡± I asked sarcastically.


    ¡°Erm¡­ I can think of a few.¡±


    ¡°¡­Violet, my boobs aren¡¯t that big.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not talking about those. And don¡¯t say ¡°boobs¡±, please.¡±


    ¡°And what¡¯s wrong with calling them boobs? It¡¯s what they are, boobs. Hmm? Boobs? Boobs. Boo¡ª¡±


    ¡°S-stop that!¡± she snickered.


    Don¡¯t tell me¡­ is she still at that mental age?


    Instead of stopping, I doubled down until she began openly laughing. For someone who looked like she was an adult, she sure was being a little kid right now.


    ¡°Who¡¯d have thought?¡±


    ¡°Are you done embarrassing me?¡± she grumbled.


    ¡°Hehe, yeah. So, what¡¯s there about me? That isn¡¯t small, I mean.¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m not sure I should say after that,¡± she grumbled, pinching my pinkie toe.


    I pestered her with my puppy eyes, whiny voice and nuzzles until she gave up. Another win for my adorableness against her resistances.


    ¡°¡­Your IQ is pretty big¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that big, just like my¡­ chest.¡±


    I was going to say ¡°breasts¡±, but maybe that word could also trigger her immature side.


    ¡°I disagree. Anyway, erm¡­ your smile.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? You think my mouth is big?¡±


    ¡°How can you assume that from what I said? No, I meant your smile. It¡¯s big and bright.¡±


    ¡°¡­All thanks to you.¡±


    ¡°¡­T-thanks¡­¡±


    It was so fun toying with her. Tick her off one moment and the next, make her blush. I could do that all day, but then she¡¯d probably get fed up.


    ¡°Erm¡­ your eyes too¡­ they are so¡­ sparkly and pretty¡­ I really like the green in them.¡±


    ¡°Green?¡± I asked, feeling a bit lied to. ¡°My eyes aren¡¯t green!¡±


    ¡°N-no, I know that! Gee, could you stop doing that!?¡±


    ¡°No, this time I¡¯m serious. What¡¯s this talk about my eyes being green?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say they were green, I said they have green in them! As in, they are sparkled with green here and there.¡±


    ¡°They are?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    I had no recollection of that ever being a thing, but I believed in her. I told her so before going to the bathroom to check it in my reflexion. Sure enough, there was green in them, once you looked carefully.


    ¡°You know my body better than I do at this point,¡± I told her when I got back.


    She wasn¡¯t in a good mood after our failed flirting session. I could fix that, but I felt bad for having caused her anger unnecessarily.


    I placed my head on her lap while contouring her jawline.


    Slowly she softened up, and began playing with my hair.


    ¡°It¡¯s gotten long,¡± she said, twisting a few strands between her fingers. ¡°Are you planning on letting it grow?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ maybe. I don¡¯t have mum getting up my business about things like that, so I¡¯ve just let myself go. Do you think I should cut it?¡±


    She rubbed my hair with a very thoughtful face.


    ¡°I think you should¡­ maybe leave it long enough to tie it if you want, but¡­ I liked it more when it was fluffier. I have long hair and it¡¯s a huge bother to keep it looking good.¡±


    I laughed, charmed at her shy sincerity.


    I got what she meant. Ever since it started to grow, it flowed more pressed to my skull and face instead of puffing up. It was a bit of a bother going to the hairdresser, but if that¡¯s how she preferred it, I¡¯d do it with pleasure. I was fine with it being long or short either way. But that was about my hair.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t cut yours short. I love it being long.¡±


    ¡°Y-you do?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s so silky and shiny. I love playing with it while you sleep.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yeah, I¡¯m aware of that.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, and I¡¯m aware that you¡¯re aware. People that are fast asleep don¡¯t blush.¡±


    She looked away, embarrassed by discovering that I knew she was faking it all along, but that embarrassment was forgotten once I showed her the moustache I made for myself with a strand of her hair.


    See, Abby? Aren¡¯t things better this way?


    I had been so stupid trying to act more mature and cool. That wasn¡¯t me at all. And while Violet changed to something akin to her polar opposite, she did so because that made her a better person while staying true to her core. Unlike me, her change was for the better. I¡¯d have damaged our relationship and, probably even worse, myself.


    ¡°Erm, can I see your sleep diary before I go to work?¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you rather read it once you came back?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll probably come late again. That, and I¡¯ll most likely feel drained from putting up with my manager.¡±


    That was the first time I heard about her manager giving her trouble.


    I asked her about it, but she didn¡¯t elaborate. She said she¡¯d tell me all about it on the next day since it was a day off, so I¡¯d simply have to remind her.


    While she read my diary, us sitting on opposite sides of the couch, facing each other with our legs alternated, I played with her foot the same way she played with mine. I also placed mine against it for comparison. Heel to heel, my toes ended where hers started. Kinda like my head almost ended where her began too.


    ¡°They¡¯ve been getting better, haven¡¯t they?¡±


    It felt like it.


    The one that had my mum come and drag me back to my old place was now the rarest instead of being one of the commonest, the one Violet told me she didn¡¯t want to see me again also began to fade too. The only one that remained and that I hadn¡¯t written about was the one where Violet was grossed out by my feelings for her, but even that seemed to not occur as often. At the beginning, at minimum, I could have any of those dreams eight times out of ten when sleeping alone¡ªsometimes having one, waking up, and having another after falling asleep¡ªbut now it was fifty-fifty.


    I had also began dealing better with them. Violet¡¯s sleep cycle certainly got better too.


    ¡°Is it because you have Mr. Sealy to hug with while sleeping?¡± she hypothesised.


    ¡°Erm¡­ I think it might help, but¡­ Mostly, I think I¡¯m just getting better. About time, if you¡¯d ask me.¡±


    ¡°¡­You¡¯re doing great, Abby.¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t want you to go, but you¡¯ll be late if you stay here any longer.¡±


    ¡°Ah! Yeah, I better be going.¡±


    She got up and rushed to the bedroom. I didn¡¯t say anything to her then, but when I saw her rushing to the door, giving me a brief farewell, I called out to her.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you forgetting something?¡±


    She was already flustered from running around in that heat, so I couldn¡¯t see her blush, but I¡¯m sure she¡¯d have if she could.


    You see, we¡¯ve gotten into a certain habit. Whenever one of us left, that person had to give a farewell kiss to the other. When that someone arrived, it was the other¡¯s turn for the gesture.


    ¡°Do it properly!¡± I protested, after being given a quick peck. ¡°It has to be at least half a second, remember.¡±


    ¡°Haah, ok, ok.¡±


    ¡°Hehe.¡±


    She missed the spot on my cheek and kissed me under the ear for a whole second instead, me feeling a jolt through my body.


    Or maybe she did it on purpose because she knew I liked it?


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Nah, Violet isn¡¯t that bold. At least not yet, she isn¡¯t.


    ¡°Is the coast clear?¡± Stan asked, peeking inside the living room.


    I confirmed it was indeed clear and asked him what he meant by that. According to him, we¡¯ve been so flirty lately that he felt like a third wheel and tried to stay away.


    ¡°Come on, it¡¯s not like that!¡± I told him, resting my chest on the back of the couch to face him while he was in the kitchen preparing his dinner. ¡°We are just playing around. You know, banter between friends.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that involved her nibbling your ear.¡±


    ¡°S-she never did that! She just¡­ kisses¡­ my neck¡­¡±


    My voice died down while my face lightened up. Stan¡¯s look of someone who struck the nail on the head wasn¡¯t helping. Poor Violet, having to deal with that level of teasing every day from me.


    ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s not like that!¡± I insisted when he came to join me on the couch with a tray of food.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯ve done some progress?¡±


    ¡°¡­We¡¯ve grown even closer, but¡­ not in that way.¡±


    ¡°¡­Well, before becoming lovers, you need to become friends. At least that¡¯s how it went between me and her mother.¡±


    I stared at him, wondering if it¡¯d be ok to ask him how the two of them got together. It was a very sensitive subject, after all.


    He noticed my curiosity, and after chewing his food and cleaning his mouth with a napkin, he told me about when they first met in class. Like me and Violet, they were classmates, but we differed in the fact that they met in nineth grade and that he approached her first in the first year of high school because she was the only person he knew in class. Like us, she was super shy around him, but unlike Violet, she was the one following him around. He chuckled when telling me about the crush she had over him during nineth grade and that he never even guessed it until the day someone confessed to him as a joke and she pulled him away from the other girl.


    ¡°Aww, that¡¯s so sweet¡­ although, it doesn¡¯t help me much.¡±


    ¡°Is my daughter a jealous person?¡±


    ¡°She is. She tries to keep it under wraps, but I see her fuming when I¡¯m talking to others. Or at least she did, now that I think about it. I guess she got over that bad side of hers too.¡±


    ¡°Oh, really? Is that so?¡± he said, sounding annoyingly amused.


    ¡°What? What¡¯s with that reaction?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. I just find it very, very amusing.¡±


    ¡°¡­Stan, what is it? Please, don¡¯t leave me hanging.¡±


    ¡°Those puppy eyes might work with the heart of butter that is my dear daughter, but they won¡¯t work with me.¡±


    ¡°Tsk. Fine.¡±


    He was eating again while I watched and waited for him to continue, but he didn¡¯t seem to be resuming the tale any time soon, so I asked him what happened next in their story.


    He gave me a smile and told me he¡¯d continue it another time.


    ¡°But I want to know now!¡± I whined.


    ¡°Get my daughter to date you, then I¡¯ll tell you the rest,¡± he chuckled cruelly.


    ¡°What!? But papa Stan, that might not ever happen!¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Might not happen? Don¡¯t you mean, ¡®it won¡¯t ever happen¡¯?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    I had gone and gotten my hopes up again.


    He put down one of the cutlery and held my hand.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine to have hope. If you were to stop trying, do you think you¡¯d be able to look back in the future and feel satisfied?¡±


    ¡°¡­No¡­ but papa Stan, it¡¯s¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s scary?¡±


    I nodded.


    ¡°I was scared too, you know? When I confessed to Charlotte.¡±


    ¡°But, didn¡¯t you know already that she liked you?¡±


    ¡°Come on, give me a break! It was my first love and sometimes girls act super nice to a guy¡ªa boy, I should say, and then the boy gets the idea she likes him when she was just being friendly, or god forbids, just acting polite.¡± That hit home as I remembered Marcus. ¡°I assure you, you might be fully certain that the other person likes you, but you¡¯ll still feel a certain level of fear.¡±


    ¡°I guess, but¡­ I¡¯m also a lesbian. Most girls aren¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°¡­I guess.¡±


    ¡°¡­Doesn¡¯t it bother you the idea of Violet becoming like me?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s a good question. Honestly, it doesn¡¯t. Look¡­ has she ever told you about¡­ her family condition?¡±


    ¡°You mean, the heart problem?¡±


    ¡°So, she did tell you. Well, her mother had it, which means she doesn¡¯t. Her children will, though. Any child that she gives birth to will have a ticking time bomb in their chest with no idea of when it will blow up. With that¡­ tragedy inevitably going to happen, to me, it doesn¡¯t make any difference whom her partner is because the one thing that could justify me being saddened by her being a certain way or other would bring a lot of pain and suffering. I guess she could maybe use somebody else¡¯s eggs, or adopt, but in those cases, does it really matter that she¡¯s with a man? I don¡¯t think so. In both cases she¡¯d be the child¡¯s mother through a bond of love, not biology, so for me, I¡¯m fine if her partner is another woman.¡±


    I hadn¡¯t thought about any of that. Did Violet? Most likely. Did she perhaps feel like she was cursed? About that I could only wonder.


    It was almost one in the morning when she came back. She was coming so late that I called her and only stopped trying once she was right in front of me at the door.


    ¡°Violet, what made you come so late!?¡±


    ¡°Haah, please, let¡¯s just go to bed.¡±


    ¡°But Violet, you¡ª¡±


    She grabbed my waist and face very gently, kissing my head with an exhausted tenderness, shutting me up.


    ¡°Abby, please. I don¡¯t want to go through an argument right now. Can we just¡­ talk about this tomorrow?¡±


    She looked so tired and upset as she asked me that. I let her be until we got in bed.


    Her room had somehow gotten even hotter. My guess was, the walls were now irradiating the heat they absorbed during the day.


    I was already in bed, watching her take off her clothes. I was expecting her to put on a tank top like all other nights we slept at her place, but she got in bed bare chested like it was nothing.


    ¡°Come here,¡± she told me, pulling my shoulder as I pulled towards the opposite direction.


    ¡°But Violet, you¡¯re¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m too tired to care. I just want to fall asleep cuddling you.¡±


    With her saying stuff like that, it was impossible for me to stay away. Still, for safety reasons, I made sure we were lying in a way that it was impossible for my hands to touch her in any weird place. One arm under her head, and the other under the arm she had around my torso.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it too hot for you?¡± I asked, my voice a bit shaky.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ but I really need to cuddle you¡­ my manager was being a huge jerk tonight.¡±


    ¡°¡­I see¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Haah, you smell so nice.¡±


    ¡°Pfft, hehe Violet¡­ I¡¯m kinda sweaty.¡±


    ¡°¡­I like it¡­¡±


    I went wide eyed at her statement.


    ¡°Please, forget that I said that.¡±


    ¡°¡­No¡­ it made me happy, so¡­ I refuse¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­That so?¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah¡­¡±


    She shifted her body while pulling me. We were now as tightly packed as we would if it was winter.


    She asked me what I had done while she was away.


    I mentioned talking with her dad. When she asked me what we had talked about, I told her we talked about ¡°stuff¡±.


    Being reminded of that conversation, a burning question was on my mind.


    ¡°Can I ask you a very personal question?¡±


    ¡°Of course. You don¡¯t even need to ask me that,¡± she told me, nuzzling my hair.


    ¡°Do you¡­ have you¡­ would you like to one day¡­ have kids?¡±


    She didn¡¯t answer me until she turned the table lamp on and could clearly see my face.


    ¡°¡­I shouldn¡¯t have kids. I¡¯d be sentencing them to death if I ever did.¡±


    ¡°¡­But would you like to?¡± I asked, my voice a bit cracking from emotion and trying to keep it quiet.


    ¡°¡­I guess¡­ if it wasn¡¯t for my family¡¯s health condition. Although I think I¡¯d be terrible at it.¡±


    ¡°I disagree. You¡¯re so good at taking care of people. Of me. You¡¯re a great cook, you¡¯re very loving and when I need to be put in order, you¡¯re the right amount of authoritarian.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, but¡­ did I ever tell you that I once tried baby-sitting? I sucked at it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I can see the old Violet being like that, but this new Violet? Not so much.¡±


    She smiled at me while stroking my face. ¡°What about you?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Me? I wonder if I¡¯m even big enough for that.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a problem. There are people even shorter than you that can get pregnant just fine.¡±


    ¡°True¡­ but I¡¯m guessing I¡¯d be too immature to raise a kid.¡±


    ¡°¡­Not really¡­ you¡¯d raise them with lots of love, and you can also be very down to earth when you need to.¡±


    ¡°¡­Do you think I¡¯d be a good mother, unlike the one I had?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure of it,¡± she answered in a heartbeat.


    ¡°¡­What about adopting? Or using some medical procedure?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯d go with adopting.¡±


    ¡°What if you used one of my eggs?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d hate that. We¡¯d have to use the¡­ seed of a man I don¡¯t know. I¡¯d rather adopt altogether than carry a child that doesn¡¯t have anything to do with me, or have you carry¡­ never mind.¡±


    My heart was racing like crazy while I kept telling myself that what she told me wasn¡¯t the same as saying she wanted to have babies with me.


    ¡°Erm¡­ do you still want to become a PE teacher?¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah. Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°¡­Do you have a university in mind?¡±


    ¡°Violet, it¡¯s way too early for me to worry about that.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ yeah¡­ you¡¯re right¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°¡­I was thinking¡­ I still don¡¯t know what I want to do once we finish high school. If I stay like this until then¡­ could we¡­ could I go with you?¡±


    ¡°You want to go to the same university as me despite not knowing what you want to do?¡±


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it¡­ I was thinking¡­ maybe we could¡­ live together?¡±


    My heart was practically jumping out of my chest.


    ¡°I could work somewhere to help pay the bills and¡­ you¡¯d have help around the house. Also¡ª¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d love to!¡± I shouted, getting my torso supported on my elbows as I looked over her. ¡°Let¡¯s do that!¡±


    ¡°Abby, shh! Eek!¡±


    I latched on her, hugging tightly.


    ¡°All I want is to be together with you for as long as possible! Of course I¡¯d want to live with you!¡±


    ¡°¡­I see¡­ fufu.¡±


    ¡°How big?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°How big would you like the place to be? How many rooms? Would you prefer a flat, or a house? Although, maybe we should look for a bedroom. Ah! I mean, bedrooms. What do you¡ªmmh!¡±


    ¡°Abby, calm down. You¡¯re being too noise,¡± she told me, pressing a finger to my lips.


    We kept talking about it until past three. In the end we settle with a tiny flat with a decent bathroom¡ªI wanted it with a bath, but gave up once she said we¡¯d never get in together, even with bikinis on¡ªa nicely sized kitchen where we could cook together without butting elbows. The best part was the bedroom. She was fine with it being only one and sharing the bed! It had to have AC for that though, otherwise we¡¯d have separate beds.


    ¡°Erm, why did you turn the light on?¡± I asked once we had talked about everything we wanted to and she turned the lights off.


    ¡°Erm¡­ I guess I wanted to see your face during the serious talk we had?¡±


    ¡°Serious?¡± I wondered out loud.


    ¡°Y-yeah¡­ It was about the future after all.¡±


    I was feeling elated again.


    ¡°Erm, could I sleep with my head on your chest tonight? I promise I won¡¯t do anything weird.¡±


    She flipped the lights on again.


    ¡°Abby, you don¡¯t have to add that kind of talk after a request. I trust you, I know you wouldn¡¯t do anything that could upset me, so just don¡¯t, ok?¡±


    ¡°¡­Ok. But what if I touch you accidently while sleeping?¡±


    Her face turned red at the suggestion.


    Without uttering a word, she turned the light back off. Then, I felt her grabbing one of my hands and guiding it around. When I felt it land on something soft, I couldn¡¯t believe it.


    ¡°V-Violet? Is¡­ Is this¡ª¡±


    ¡°Ah! D-don¡¯t pinch it!¡± she gasped.


    ¡°S-Sorry! It was a nervous twitch.¡±


    It really was what I thought it was.


    I felt the urge to kiss it, but that would be crossing a line that friends should never cross. Even this was straddling the line, but a girl feeling the chest of her friend was still in the ok.


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked, being unable to reach her reasoning.


    ¡°¡­This way you won¡¯t feel bad if you touch me somewhere, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­I see¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Erm¡­ the, erm¡­ inner leg¡­ that is still off limits.¡±


    ¡°W-well, yeah¡­ I¡¯d have to at least take you out for dinner before any of that¡­ sorry, bad joke.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Won¡¯t you touch me too?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    She was quiet, but I felt a trembling hand making its way to my chest. Her silence was broken by a trembling exhale once she found her mark and gave it a little squeeze.


    And while it was all a very nice moment of us bonding, it took us the whole next day until we could look at each other without turning completely red.

 The Start of Something Incredible (2nd Vol. Final Chapter)

    One of the most fatidic days of my life had come, but unlike so many other days that I felt like it was one such thing, this time I felt readier than ever.


    I had studied tirelessly with the smartest person I knew, I had slept well enough thanks in no small amount to cuddling her to sleep in a bedroom with AC, and I had also woken up with no problems for what felt the first time in my life.


    Of course, it¡¯s still me we are talking about, so all that confidence was wavering as I sat on my chair, waiting for my test papers to be passed over by the person sitting in front.


    She noticed all of this and help my hand under the table, giving me a confident smile that made me feel a little bit better.


    The test came, and I read the front page. Already, I was feeling like something was off.


    ¡°Now that everyone has a copy, begin,¡± the old geezer announced, staring at us like a vulture staring at animals dying in a desert.


    I read the first page again and flipped it, reading the remaining three pages of questions.


    No, this can¡¯t be right!


    I got back to the front page and repeated the process two more times.


    ¡°Is this really it!?¡± I almost shouted.


    It couldn¡¯t be, there had to be a trap somewhere. But where? I was filtering the words with a fine comb, and I wasn¡¯t seeing any. In the meantime, Abby had moved on and was starting to answer the second page.


    ¡°Is anything wrong, miss Evergreen?¡±


    ¡°N-no sir! I¡¯m just finding it¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes?¡± he asked, showing a nasty smile.


    ¡°¡­Never mind,¡± I said, deciding it¡¯d be a terrible idea to give him my thoughts.


    I grabbed my pen and got to it.


    Once I was done, I packed my stuff up, handed over my test and answer sheet, and left. Abby had done it before anybody else and was waiting for me outside.


    ¡°So? How was it?¡± she asked with an impish smile and look all over her face.


    ¡°Erm, was math always this easy?¡± I asked, feeling a bit dazed.


    She laughed pleasantly and acted all fluffy while doing it, leaning forward with her hands behind her back.


    ¡°I made sure the exercises you practiced with me were twice as hard as anything he could throw at us today.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Abby!¡± I clamoured, pulling her into a tight hug. A bit too tight, because she was gasping for air once I let her go.


    ¡°Gee, with a reaction like that, next time I¡¯ll make it ten times harder.¡±


    ¡°Pfft, fufu. Please do.¡±


    Next class was P.E, and I was still daydreaming about what I¡¯d do as a thank you for all her help. I was settling with taking her for ice cream after school when my ear picked up a stray conversation.


    ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s a midget, but damn, she¡¯s a cutie.¡±


    That could only be Abby, I thought.


    I glanced at the person who said that. It was one of the boys from my class. He was sitting with three others, all huddled up and talking in hushed tones. All but him, I mean. I didn¡¯t know him that well¡ªjust as any other classmate to tell you the truth¡ªbut I knew him as a loudmouth.


    Seeing them looking at my friend and girl I liked in that way soured my mood, and when he commented how she jiggled when jumping, I couldn¡¯t help but call them pigs. Even if she wasn¡¯t my girlfriend, it was still morally reprehensible to have such talk so openly. And I¡¯d be dishonest if I didn¡¯t admit that it was also because, to my eyes, I should be the only one allowed to see that.


    They all looked at me, surprised, startled, but most of all, embarrassed for having been caught.


    They moved away, sitting quietly while pretending nothing happened.


    ¡°Good job,¡± someone told me, tapping my shoulder. ¡°I was about to say something, but you beat me to it.¡±


    ¡°Erm, thank you.¡±


    That girl, what was her name? Out of all our classmates, she was probably the one we¡ªand by that I mean Abby with me standing nearby¡ªtalked with the most. Brown, long wavy hair, small, friendly face¡­ what was the name attached to that face?


    I mulled it over as I watched the volleyball game Abby was participating in. She was small, but she sure could jump. And to my shame, my eyes were also drawn to her chest once she landed.


    ¡­She¡¯s too darn cute¡­


    Since it was summer, we had to P.E in t-shirt and shorts. I was too self-conscious to wear shorts as the ones they chose for our uniform were too short for my comfort, and I was wearing the jacket to protect my skin from the sun since where I was sitting had no shade, but our teacher simply didn¡¯t care about the breach of school rules as long as a girl didn¡¯t appear wearing bright pink, or something of the sort. Abby being Abby, she of course was in shorts and t-shirt, showing off her overwhelming charm.


    ¡°So? How did I do?¡± she asked, all smiles once her team won the game.


    I told her she did well despite not having paid much attention to her game but to her and took my jacket off, covering her shoulders with it.


    ¡°Violet, I¡¯m sweating and hot,¡± she protested.


    ¡°The wind is a bit cold, and I don¡¯t want you to catch a cold,¡± I told her as an attempt at persuasion. I might also have brushed the collar a few times under her nose to tempt her with my scent. Her twitchy nose and fluffy attitude as she replaced my hold with her hands seemed to indicate she¡¯d leave it on.


    My game wasn¡¯t all that bad. I was clumsy at sports, but today I was feeling like I was doing better than normal. I was passing semi-successfully, and I almost scored twice without the ball hitting the net. We lost, but I couldn¡¯t care less. Abby seemed pretty pleased, too.


    ¡°Nice going there,¡± she said with a suspicious grin. She was still holding the jacket by the collar, around her shoulders.


    ¡°¡­What?¡± I asked, too suspicious to play it cool.


    She hopped closer, our hips now touching.


    ¡°Mathilda told me about what happened. That was why you gave me your jacket, wasn¡¯t it?¡±


    I had been found out, all thanks to that girl named Mathilda.


    Abby giggled at my embarrassment, leaning on me, intending to keep on with the teasing.


    ¡°Did they make you feel jelly?¡±


    I thought about denying it, but she had me spot on,


    ¡°¡­Yeah, they did.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, that¡¯s no good, although in this case, I guess it¡¯s fine. Thanks for looking out for me.¡±


    She was poking my face with an index, looking absolutely impish. However, today I was feeling quite bold and decided to not just stay passive.


    I pushed my fingers under the curled ones from her playful hand, forcing them to straighten up and allowing me to entangle our hands. It was a bit quick, but I kissed the back of her hand before taking it down, the saltiness of her sweat mixing with the sweetness of her skin feeling strangely nice.


    ¡°Violet, people are watching,¡± she hushed, turning bright red. Now we matched colour wise.


    Most everyone that had been around had sat further away when they came back, or were on the field, so we had as much privacy as being in the open allowed. Still, to answer her worry and afford myself a bit of peace of mind, I flipped the bottom of the jacket over our hands, so they were now covered.


    ¡°Wanna go for ice cream after classes?¡± I asked, feeling my mouth awfully dry. ¡°It¡¯s my treat.¡±


    She gave me a shy nod before resting her head on my shoulder. It¡¯s a date, she mumbled sweetly. Whether she meant it as a date date, or a hanging out, I didn¡¯t know. I was hoping the first, as that would mean she¡¯d have gotten the hint, but it¡¯s us we are talking about, so she could be seeing me inviting her and being all flustered, and acting that affectionately simply because I was in an exceptionally good mood after the math exam.


    I wished I was braver and asked her¡ªor told her¡ªabout our date, but I was completely spent at that point. I still had a lot of work ahead of me before I could start fully acting on my feelings for her.


    ???


    When I was finally feeling like I was doing some progress, I went ahead and told her I¡¯d like for us to sleep apart for the night.


    Classes ended, she took my hand, walked me to the store where we had our ice cream, walked around the park afterwards, still holding hands, and when we got to her place, I used her working the night and us having slept together for five nights in a row as an excuse to go home alone and sleep on my lonesome.


    I felt stupid and a coward then, but after a cold shower and some time to properly think, I concluded that I had done the right thing.


    I was letting my emotions having the best of me. She was acting so sweet because she was happy with her performance during the tests. Also, she invited me because she wanted to treat me to sweets as thanks for my help. And she did it so awkwardly because that was only the second or third time she had ever made the invitation. Us touching¡­ places, was us not being respectful of boundaries and curious about the body of the other. Violet because I had more curves than her. and me for obvious reasons. It had nothing to do with her falling for me, no matter how hopeful her touch made me feel.


    Like I said, I was just getting carried away by my feelings and wishful thinking.


    ¡°That one is new,¡± my father commented after he sat down by my side on the couch, loosening his tie. ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t like those things anymore.¡±


    I handed him Mr. Sealy, the stuffed seal she had given me on Valentine¡¯s for him to see.


    ¡°I was forced to throw away all of my toys when I got into high school,¡± I told him. ¡°Violet gave me that little fellow.¡±


    His eyes flashed at me before he shifted his focus back at the toy he was flipping.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry sweety, I didn¡¯t even think about it before opening my mouth.¡±


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    ¡°It¡¯s ok,¡± I assured him, putting my legs over his lap. ¡°She made it look like it was my choice.¡±


    He gave me my plushie back, and I hugged it, bumping my nose on its.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, sweety?¡± he asked, placing his huge hands over my shins.


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like nothing.¡±


    ¡°¡­Dad, I erm¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Is it about Violet? I might be your dad, but I can lend you an ear.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s ok, I¡¯m sure there are a lot of things more important than my stupid problems.¡±


    ¡°They aren¡¯t stupid, and they are important. They are the problems of my baby girl.¡±


    I looked at his worried, sorry face. I had been so indoctrinated that my problems weren¡¯t even problems that what should be natural felt off.


    ¡°¡­Violet asked me out today.¡±


    ¡°¡­Isn¡¯t that great?¡± he asked, puzzled by how down I sounded.


    I shook my head.


    ¡°She didn¡¯t invite me in that way. She was just being nice.¡±


    ¡°¡­Hmm.¡±


    He didn¡¯t know what to say. I wasn¡¯t even sure if I wanted him to say anything.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you perhaps being too negative?¡± he asked, tapping my knee.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m just being realistic.¡±


    ¡°Like you were when you told me that your problems don¡¯t matter?¡±


    I looked at him, stunned by his question.


    ¡°Sweety, don¡¯t take this the wrong way, but¡­ I think you¡¯re too negative towards yourself and things pertaining you.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yeah¡­ she told me the same before.¡±


    ¡°¡­I really think you two have something special going on. How about having a little bit of faith in yourself?¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m so¡­ childish and needy. And I¡¯m such a mess. I can¡¯t seem to do anything right¡­ and when I do, I mess up something big time right away,¡± I told him, wheeping.


    ¡°Ah, I see. You think you¡¯re not good enough for her.¡±


    Yes, it was exactly it. It all boiled down to those six words. ¡°I¡¯m not good enough for her¡±.


    She could be a huge stress ball, not all that assertive¡ªalthough she had been acting more and more aggressively, at least towards me¡ªfussed over things for so long that she needed someone to give her a push, and her self-esteem, although also on the rise, also could be called lacking at times. But she was reliable, competent, caring, loving, patient. She was an angel¡ªno, a goddess. Me? I felt like I was troublesome on a good day and a lost cause on an average one. What hopes could I have of us becoming anything more? If anything, with things going on, shouldn¡¯t I worry about us growing distant as she saw me not blossoming like she had been during these months we¡¯ve been together?


    It all felt hopeless.


    ¡°Come here,¡± my father said, both demanding and caring.


    I felt small in Violet¡¯s arms, but in his hold I felt like Mr. Sealy would feel if it had the ability to when I hugged it. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, that girl is crazy about you.¡±


    ¡°Just not in that way,¡± I cried out as I clung to him.


    ¡°Shh, shh, shh. Have some faith. I¡¯m sure things are better than what you believe.¡±


    Next morning when I woke up, I felt completely hollow.


    I didn¡¯t have nightmares. I also couldn¡¯t say I had any dreams. Overall, it wasn¡¯t that bad of a feeling waking up after sleeping alone the whole night. Had I really gotten better?


    Don¡¯t be stupid, it was just one night.


    I sat up and grabbed the notebook Violet had given me as my sleep diary. I flipped its pages, trying to see some sort of pattern, but nothing was popping up. Not today, at least.


    There were too many nights of us sleeping together for me to have any sort of reliable data to make assumptions.


    ¡°Nothing of note,¡± I wrote under the date for today.


    I got up and went through the preparations for my morning run.


    It had rained during the night, so there were plenty of puddles around, the sun not having had the opportunity to evaporate them yet, and the scent of wet grass in the fresh air made it feel like my head was getting clearer as I went along.


    On my way back home, I was deciding between going home for a shower before picking her up, or go to her place instead, since I had at least a school uniform there I could use, and her door was a stone throw away from where I was standing.


    Humph, no matter how close we might feel, we are way too close.


    I get it, I had issues that made it hard for me to be alone without having a breakdown. However, having almost half of my stuff at her place was beyond unreasonable. It was one of those cases where she had fussed about it too much, and I was too happy with the idea of us getting closer for me to refuse. Pathetic, isn¡¯t it? Since I couldn¡¯t get her, I monopolised her instead. And she was too kind to even notice, or let herself be bothered by that.


    ¡°I¡¯m such a mess,¡± I grumbled.


    ¡°What are you on about?¡±


    I gasped and jumped to the side, landing on a puddle.


    ¡°Papa Stan!? You scared me!¡±


    He looked at me in the same way my dad did last night before continuing our conversation.


    ¡°Did you have another nightmare?¡± he asked.


    ¡°No, I erm, I have some stuff on my mind.¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­ anything I can help you with?¡±


    ¡°¡­Have you noticed anything strange about her lately?¡±


    His face lit up like a Christmas tree, as was usual whenever he talked about his beloved daughter.


    ¡°Yesterday she came home really happy. She was even humming while making dinner and doing the dishes. It wasn¡¯t even her turn for those chores.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she did well during yesterday¡¯s exams.¡±


    ¡°She had exams yesterday?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t she tell you?¡±


    He shook his head, confused. ¡°Only that she took you for ice cream after school and that you took a walk at the park,¡± he explained. She looked completely over the moon too he added under my thoughtful expression.


    She was that happy about it that she¡¯d start humming? No, that couldn¡¯t be it. I had never seen her do that, ever.


    ¡°Was it a date?¡± he asked me.


    ¡°No, I erm¡­¡±


    I was finding it hard to deny it this time. Could it have been a date after all?


    ¡°Wanna head inside and wake her up? God knows she needs you around in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Pfft, hehe, yeah.¡± I agreed, following him back to his place. ¡°I swear, one of these days I¡¯m going to see her half asleep taking the toaster into the shower to prepare breakfast while bathing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d laugh, but with the way she is, I fear that¡¯s a real possibility. Sorry, it must be hard to deal with that every day.¡±


    ¡°No, erm¡­ I enjoy it.¡±


    He chuckled heartly and shook my shoulder.


    ¡°You¡¯re so head over heels for her.¡±


    ¡°S-Stan!¡± I moaned, feeling all the blood going to my face.


    ¡°¡­Keep at it. I think you might be close.¡±


    My head snapped towards him. I was incredulous, but he smiled at me confidently.


    ¡°Did my dad tell you to say that to me?¡±


    ¡°He did call me yesterday, but what I¡¯m saying is my honest opinion. Here, go on in.¡±


    He ushered me inside his house before giving me a thumbs up and closing the door. How the two of them could be related was a mystery. Maybe she took after her mother not only on her looks, but in personality too?


    I¡¯d ask about it some other time. Now, I had to face some of my fears and desires. But first¡­


    ¡°I should take a shower,¡± I thought out loud while taking my wet running shoes off.


    Sneaking in her room was always a challenge due to her light sleep. I was opening the drawer where the underwear was when I heard her sleepy, dragged voice.


    ¡°Abby, come back to bed,¡± she said.


    The curtains were shut, but there was enough light for me to realise she had an arm out and extend towards me. I thought about resisting, tell her I needed a shower first, but¡­ her touch. I felt a craving for it.


    She placed an arm under my head, coming around and the hand resting on my shoulder where it stayed caressing it. The other hand, she placed on the side of my body, moving up and down my ribs and hip. Our legs, she intertwined as she pulled me closer and closer, there not being a single gap between our bodies. Even our faces were squeezed together, her lips touching the tip of my nose.


    This was hurting me, just not physically.


    ¡°What time is it?¡± she asked me.


    ¡°We only have a few more minutes before having to get up.¡±


    ¡°¡­Hmm¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Violet? Erm, about yesterday¡­ I¡­ I had a great time.¡±


    What I wanted to say, rather, ask, I couldn¡¯t. However, that which I had told her now, I had forgotten to tell her on the previous day.


    ¡°Fufu¡­ that makes me really happy¡­¡±


    My heart was beating so fast, I felt like I was going to die.


    I realised then that I simply couldn¡¯t do it for much longer. I had to either choose between being her friend or telling her how I felt. Either way, I¡¯d be dead on the inside for who knew how long.


    ¡°This weekend¡­ will you go out with me¡­?¡± she asked, her voice sounding like she was going back to sleep.


    ¡°¡­As a date?¡± I asked, feeling so much hope that I was sure was going to be crushed that there was a ringing in my ears.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯d love it if it was¡­¡±


    I¡¯d say I was turned to stone on that very moment were it not for the tears burning on my face.


    ¡°You¡­ You wanna go on a date with me? Like a couple?¡± I asked, trying to sound as calm as possible so not to alert her motherly side and fully awake her.


    ¡°¡­Mh-hmm¡­¡±


    I was barely holding it together. I was so happy, I could kiss her right there and then.


    ¡°Hmm? Erm, what was the question?¡± she said, sounding more awake, her brain finally catching on.


    ¡°Sorry, I really need to use the toilet,¡± I told her, ejecting myself from that nest of intoxicating happiness I was in.


    Good things did happen to me. Violet did find a way to fall in love with me too. It all had happened. It all had happened, and I probably deserved it.


    ¡°Abby!? Were you crying?¡± she asked while grabbing hold of my face, alarmed at seeing my puffy red eyes when I returned to the bedroom.


    ¡°Nah, I was careless and got shampoo into my eyes.¡±


    ¡°Was that really it? Your voice sounds strange.¡±


    ¡°Pfft, hehe, yes, that¡¯s really it, miss fussy.¡±


    I grabbed her cold hands and began rubbing them on my cheeks, giving each one a kiss on the palms. ¡°See? I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°I-I see¡­¡±


    We got a bit lost looking into each other¡¯s eyes. It filled my chest with fuzziness seeing a shy smile form in her face as time went by.


    She likes me. She really likes me.


    ¡°So, about this weekend,¡± I started, putting my arms around her neck.


    ¡°¡­What about it?¡± she asked with the voice of someone who feared was forgetting something. She was.


    Initially that got me mad, but after a second of thinking, I concluded it was for the best. I already had what I needed: confirmation on how she felt about me.


    Now I could fully focus on getting better so that when we started dating, I wouldn¡¯t be such a burden. Plus¡­ the way we were now was so much fun that, maybe carrying on like this for a bit longer was fine. We¡¯d have the whole summer for growing closer through very sweet but awkward moments that would turn into great memories. Happy memories.


    ¡°Abby, please, I¡¯m really sorry if¡­ wait¡­ are you pulling a prank on me?¡±


    I shrugged.


    ¡°Nope. You really forgot, but that¡¯s totally fine,¡± I told her, sweet as honey.


    ¡°It¡­ It is?¡±


    ¡°Yup. As long as you give me plenty of cuddles today.¡±


    ¡°¡­I can do that.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, that tickles,¡± I chimed as she rubbed behind one of my ears. What tickled me more was the delighted smile she had as she saw me melting to her touch.


    ¡°Haah-ah, I really don¡¯t wanna go to school today,¡± I whined, turning around and pressing my back against her. ¡°All I wanna do is stay here with you and do nothing more than be pampered and pamper in return.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    I had said it as a tease, but when I looked up, she was staring at me dead serious.


    ¡°Ok. We don¡¯t have any exams today, so I guess it¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°No, I was just joking.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m serious. It¡¯s fine with me if we stay at home for today. It¡¯s not like we¡¯re losing much from skipping class during the last week of school. Besides, erm¡­ you look like you¡¯re needing it.¡±


    ¡°I do?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°¡­What makes you say that?¡±


    ¡°Erm¡­ your eyes.¡±


    ¡°My eyes? What about them?¡±


    ¡°They, erm¡­ they seem more pleading than usual.¡±


    I turned back around and hid my face on her armpit while she held me and patted my head.


    ¡°It¡¯s not fair.¡±


    ¡°Erm, what?¡±


    ¡°¡­You saw right through me.¡±


    ¡°¡­Fufu, because I know you, don¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Hehe, yeah¡­ better than I know myself, even.¡±

 Bonus Chapter and an Announcement

    A few days ago, I had done a huge mistake.


    It was in the heat of the moment, and I still think it was a good idea overall, but the timing was completely and terribly wrong.


    Maybe if I had left things at Abby touching my chest alone, it would be fine. However, I had to give in to my stupid hormonal impulses and inability to resist her pleas and also touched her chest. Her made-to-perfectly-fit-my-hand chest.


    It was being a huge hindrance for my studying since she sat mostly between my legs with her back against me. That meant that, every time she had a low-cut top, I had a very nice angle to see her cleavage, ruining my concentration completely.


    ¡°Should I turn the AC?¡± she asked, noticing my red cheeks.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯m feeling a bit hot.¡±


    ¡°¡­I could also dismount.¡±


    ¡°N-No!¡± I objected, holding her down.


    ¡°Erm, ok then. Hehe, I¡¯ll stay here, then.¡±


    Having her sit elsewhere would solve the problem, right? The problem is, she had left the shower a little while, and her scent was also a bit stimulating, it also somewhat calmed my mind and helped me focus while studying. In other words, if she stayed sat, I was distracted, but if she sat elsewhere, I wouldn¡¯t be able to concentrate either.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Come on, Violet Evergreen! Focus on the books! The books! Not the boobs!


    I was having this mental peptalk when Abby got very serious staring at me.


    ¡°W-what?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I wonder.¡±


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    She was looking at me with such suspicion, I was feeling like a criminal. Or rather, I was feeling even more of a criminal.


    She grew a mischievous grin and wiggled her torso, causing her chest to wobble slightly, my eyes being drawn and sinking in them like it was quicksand.


    ¡°Ah-ha! So that¡¯s why you¡¯re so out of it today.¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m so sorry!¡±


    ¡°No, erm¡­ it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s fine,¡± she said, starting to also turn red. ¡°Put your pen down.¡±


    I did, and was going to retract my hand, but she grabbed it along with the other and deposited them on her chest.


    Immediately, I began massaging them.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for this!¡± I excused while hiding my face on her hair. ¡°They¡¯re just so nice to play with.¡±


    Even through the clothes the feeling was amazing. More and more I couldn¡¯t see the appeal in guys. Girls were amazing. If there was a prince charming for me, you could keep it.


    ¡°Pfft, hehe, thanks¡­ hehe, remember? They were the first thing you complimented me about.¡±


    ¡°No, they weren¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t remember what it was, but I was miffed when you said you weren¡¯t expecting me to compliment them first, so¡­ I complemented you about something else before.¡±


    ¡°Ah-haha! Ok, if you say so. Say¡­ do you want to touch them¡­ directly?¡±


    ¡°¡­My hands are cold.¡±


    ¡°I know¡­ It¡¯s one of the reasons why I like them, remember?¡±


    Damned puberty and her irresistible charm. Keeping up this way I was more of a danger to our chastity than she¡¯d ever be. At least she seemed to have a better self-control than I did.


    I had a huge growing curiosity to see what kind of face she was making as the girl she liked fondled her. It got so bad that it overruled my embarrassment and I uncovered my face.


    ¡°Hi there,¡± she said, looking like she was on cloud nine.


    I guess this is fine, then¡­


    ¡°H-hi,¡± I stammered.


    She closed her eyes and rubbed her nose on mine.


    ¡°It¡¯s my turn next, once we are done studying. I loved touching your chest, but¡­ can I touch your legs today?¡±


    ¡°O¡­ok¡­¡±


    Seriously, like we didn¡¯t already have enough weird habits, now we¡¯d also begin exploring each other¡¯s body without dating yet?


    Well¡­ we¡¯ll eventually start dating, so¡­ this is fine?


    ¡°Violet? Are you listening?¡±


    ¡°Ah! S-sorry, no.¡±


    ¡°Gee, I get that they are nice, but pay some attention to what I¡¯m saying too.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, sorry. What were you saying?¡±


    ¡°I was asking what your favourite body part in me was, but I¡¯m guessing I already know.¡±


    I stopped moving my hands and stared at her face.


    ¡°It¡¯s your eyes. I like your chest, but it¡¯s the eyes I like the most.¡±


    She turned completely red and started having one of her giggling fits as she bobbed side to side.


    ¡°Not fair! Telling me stuff like that so seriously! Be more embarrassed!¡±


    I was holding a half-naked girl sitting on my lap with my hands on her breasts while telling her such cheese¡ªalthough completely honest, lines. How much more embarrassed could I get?


    Seriously, what ARE we doing!?

 Summer Starts (3rd Volume 1st Chapter)

    Just two more days and the best summer holidays of my life would begin. That wasn¡¯t all that hard of an achievement when my previous summers were mostly me staying home or trying to do some work.


    Last year, I began working as a waitress, but now I was thinking about quitting. I had Abby now, after all.


    ¡°Are you working tonight again?¡± she asked as she passed me the ball.


    Our PE teacher told class to do whatever we wanted since it was the last day of that specific class. Abby and I took to practicing volleyball passes as that was the one sport I was semi-competent. Abby¡¯s little hops with her arms extended were lovely to watch too.


    ¡°I am.¡±


    ¡°When do you think you¡¯ll be coming home?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ probably late again.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    I should quit. My manager kept bothering me about my lip scar. It ¡°gives a bad impression to the costumers,¡± he would say. What costumers he was referring to? Maybe the flies buzzing around my head as I stood around doing nothing else other than dying of boredom.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to wait up for me.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll wait. I like greeting you at the door.¡±


    She was so sweet. What did I do to deserve her?


    I grabbed the ball, my arms having grown tired, and nodded Abby to come sit with me.


    I felt a bump from behind. She had wrapped her arms around me and was smiling as I looked back.


    I shrugged and kept walking. It was awkward, but the distance we had to walk to the corner of the gym and have a wall as a backrest was short, so I saw no point telling her to let go. I felt it was too stuffy, though. Summer is pain. I¡¯d much prefer if it was cold all year round than being boiled alive in my own sweat.


    Mmh, the wall feels cool.


    If only I had something as refreshing on my forehead as I sat on the corner too.


    ¡°What should I prepare for you?¡± she asked, continuing our conversation while she placed her legs perpendicularly on my lap as she sat on the other side of the corner, us effectively forming a triangle.


    ¡°Anything is fine.¡±


    ¡°That so? I seem to remember a certain person telling me she can¡¯t work with vagueness like that.¡±


    ¡°¡­You can put some of the leftover chicken from dinner in some bread along with whatever else you find in the kitchen.¡±


    That satisfied her.


    I placed a hand on her legs and moved it about, from her ankle to her knee. It felt prickly and sticky.


    ¡°¡­I need to shave them,¡± she said, shyly retracting them, folding the legs to the side farthest from me.


    ¡°Why not wax them?¡± I asked without thinking.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t it hurt?¡±


    ¡°Not really. Then again, I¡¯m used to it.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ so you do wax them.¡±


    She began drawing circles with the tip of her index on the floor. She was getting ready to ask me something outrageous, I gathered.


    ¡°Could you teach me how to do it?¡±


    Or maybe not.


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you want.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I want them to be as soft as possible for¡­ summer.¡±


    I felt like it wasn¡¯t for summer the real reason. Number one, we would now touch almost every day each other¡¯s body, and number two, there was that pause and glance at me.


    While it was nice having her taking such care to please me, I still didn¡¯t want Abby to simply do things just for the sake of me.


    ¡°No, erm, I want to give it a try¡­ my legs can feel very itchy at times, especially when wearing pants, plus sometimes there are cuts and ingrown hair. Do you have the same problem?¡±


    I explained her I didn¡¯t have those issues, but the skin would be very sensitive for a day or two. I was telling her about the process when a third wheel joined in.


    ¡°Personally, I pluck them,¡± Mathilda said. At least I thought that was her name. She sat in a position equidistant to us both. ¡°Although, that has its own set of problems.¡±


    I stared at her, unsure about what to say. Abby too seemed slightly displeased to have someone intrude in our conversation.


    ¡°Are you talking about depilation because you¡¯re planning on going to the pool?¡±


    ¡°No, we are just talking,¡± said Abby.


    I still had to gather courage and invite her for that.


    ¡°Violet would benefit from going,¡± the interloper commented with a nod. ¡°She has lovely skin, but a bit more colour would only make her look even better.¡±


    ¡°Erm¡­ t-thanks?¡±


    Abby moved a bit closer to me. I don¡¯t think it was as much for emotional support as it was to mark her territory.


    ¡°Do you use sunblock?¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah¡­ otherwise I¡¯d get sunburnt when outside.¡±


    ¡°So, that¡¯s why you¡¯re still wearing pants and a jacket.¡±


    I was feeling shy from having so much attention on me, so it was now me scooting over to Abby. We weren¡¯t touching yet, but there was only a palm¡¯s width between our shoulders.


    ¡°¡­Fufu, you two look so cute together,¡± she giggled, pointing at us.


    ¡°T-thanks, but we aren¡¯t dating,¡± Abby said, leaning towards the opposite side I sat.


    ¡°Ah, I didn¡¯t mean to insinuate anything. I just really thing you two look cute together. You know, with one being shorter and peppier, while the other is taller and more serious. Although, I get the feeling that when it¡¯s just the two of you, Violet isn¡¯t as serious as she looks. In fact, I¡¯d say she can get very clingy and sweet.¡±


    That was her feeling, and the way I was blushing was her confirmation.


    ¡°Aww, not I feel like I ended up intruding when I only wanted to chat with someone while my friends finish their stupid game. Sorry for that,¡± she said, standing up and offering her hand for us to shake. ¡°Let¡¯s meet up during summer break to hang out, the three of us, hmm? It will be fun.¡±


    ¡°Erm, sure,¡± Abby said.


    I wasn¡¯t too sure if it would be fun to have a third wheel. If we were in school? It was a maybe. Outside of it though? No. That was our time together, just the two of us.


    ¡°She said we should hang out, but she didn¡¯t give us her contact.¡±


    ¡°I have it.¡±


    ¡°You do?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡­ hmm¡­ you¡¯re not jealous.¡±


    ¡°Erm, why should I?¡±


    Because the girl I liked had some other girl¡¯s phone number when she likes girls and also me back? Before I knew how Abby felt, I¡¯m sure my insecurities would kick in and make me jealous, but knowing how she liked me removed them. I¡¯d even argue that I was now more confident in myself.


    Abby, however, seemed slightly disappointed I wasn¡¯t. She was so troublesome at times.


    ¡°¡­Maybe I¡¯m a bit jealous, yes,¡± I lied, the embarrassment I felt selling it as truth.


    ¡°I only have it for emergencies and stuff, nothing else,¡± she explained.


    ¡°I see¡­ yeah, that makes sense.¡±


    She had no idea I liked her back, so maybe seeing me getting jealous over stupid stuff like this made her happy? It seemed like it.


    ¡°Violet?¡± she asked, smiling and placing her shoulder against mine.


    ¡°Yes?¡± I asked, pulling her waist and closing the gap between us completely.


    ¡°You weren¡¯t jealous at all, were you?¡±


    I should have expected for Abby to see right through me, yet there I was, red as a tomato after she caught me.


    ¡°Hehe, silly. Doing stuff like that just to make me smile.¡±


    ¡°S-shut up.¡±


    ¡°I will¡­ If you hold my hand.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ I¡¯m already holding your waist.¡±


    ¡°Hand,¡± she repeated, wriggling the fingers of the hand on her lap.


    We had our legs bent, blocking the view, and were sat far away from the rest of our class, so I gave in to her request.


    Urgh, this feels so stuffy.


    It also felt very nice, so I held for as long as I could until I couldn¡¯t bear with it any longer.


    ¡°Violet! Violet!¡± she called out, slightly behind me.


    ¡°Yes, yes, that¡¯s my name! What is it?¡±


    ¡°Kitty cat!¡±


    She was pointing at a scrawny little thing in a small cardboard box by the wayside. It was dark grey with darker stripes, a big head with big ears and eyes fixed on the girl crouching in front of it.


    ¡°Abandoned, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ Poor thing, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Indeed it was. It was a shame how someone had the heart to abandon it.


    ¡°Can we keep it?¡±


    ¡°Huh!?¡±


    ¡°Please?¡±


    ¡°Abby, look¡­ the thing is¡­¡±


    ¡°Please?¡±


    It was hard enough to have her plead with her puppy eyes, but it became impossible once the darn thing let out the most affection starved meow it could possibly do.


    ¡°Haah, for starters, what do you mean ¡°we¡±? It has to stay in one of our houses.¡±


    ¡°Yours, actually. My building forbids pets.¡±


    So, I¡¯ll have to be the one taking care of it.


    ¡°But Violet, since we practically live together, it¡¯s basically as if it was us adopting it! And I¡¯ll help! I¡¯ll pay for the food! And the sand for his toilet! And the vet too!¡±


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°¡­Haah, why do you even want it so much?¡±


    ¡°Because¡­ He¡¯s kinda like us, isn¡¯t he? He¡¯s lonely and doesn¡¯t have his mummy.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    That girl, she had a way to pull my heartstrings.


    ¡°It¡¯s a boy?¡±


    ¡°Yup. See?¡±


    She picked it up in a way which allowed me to confirm it. Yup, it was a boy, all right.


    ¡°¡­Haah, fine. Let me check with dad first,¡± I told her, taking out my phone.


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯m ok with it,¡± was his answer.


    Abby was delighted with the news, and so was I in a way.


    When we got home, dad was already there with a plastic bag.


    ¡°Just to be safe, let¡¯s spray it with this.¡±


    Abby asked what it was. Flee spray.


    He took it outside while we checked what else was in the bag. He had gone and gotten all we needed. We were checking the receipt when we heard dad¡¯s voice. Had he been scratched? We thought that, and rushed outside. Once there, we saw the cat struggling and meowing on one of his hands while he looked down to his feet, some expletive words being tossed around.


    He had white trousers on, but the area around his ankles was covered in a black moving mass.


    ¡°Its body weight was practically flees!¡± he cried out, giving it another spray. It was bit of an overstatement, but it appeared it wasn¡¯t that far from the truth.


    ¡°Abby, to the shower! Now!¡± I told her, guessing he had passed some of them to her.


    ¡°Here! Take it with you and give it a bath while you¡¯re at it,¡± my father told her.


    With her showering and her clothes in the washer, I crumbled on the couch, feeling exhausted by the heat and what had transpired.


    ¡°Want a cold one?¡± dad asked, now wearing shorts.


    ¡°Dad, I¡¯m sixteen.¡±


    ¡°So? I had my first beer at your age.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    I extended a hand. I had just a sip, a very small one. Only a drop, really. Honestly, it wasn¡¯t that bad. In fact, I found it kinda pleasant. I did like bitter things after all. If I were Abby on the other hand, I¡¯m guessing my face would have imploded into my mouth. That¡¯d be fun to watch.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I can¡¯t wait to turn eighteen.¡±


    Sitting with Abby on the couch after a long day, open a bottle of wine and drink it with her while we talk about our jobs. Well, I¡¯d complain about my job and Abby about how boring classes in university were. She¡¯d probably drink juice too. For some reason, I couldn¡¯t quite picture her drinking alcoholic beverages. Would she be ok without me to make her company in classes? I mean, she would, but her assiduity before we met wasn¡¯t exemplar, so the future got me worried.


    ¡°There, it¡¯s your turn to take care of our child.¡±


    We weren¡¯t even dating and we already had a baby? Great.


    I took it out of her hands, noticing how fluffy and hot he felt to the touch, but also¡­


    ¡°Abby, put on some clothes,¡± I told her.


    ¡°Violet, please. Your dad sees me as his daughter, and the towel doesn¡¯t show more than what he¡¯s used to see.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care, that¡¯s not clothing. And what if it gets caught on something and drops?¡±


    ¡°Urgh, fine.¡±


    ¡°Meow.¡±


    ¡°Right, the cat.¡±


    Things would get messier for me wouldn¡¯t they?


    I popped open one of the cans of cat food and set the bowl destined for him on the floor. As I crouched with the miniature cat crying around me in anticipation as he smelled the food, I was faced with a dilemma. How much food was too little and too much?


    The can didn¡¯t say anything, but it was a very small can, and not only wouldn¡¯t he shut up, but he was also starting to climb my skirt and scratching my legs, so I deposited the whole can on the bowl. The way he jumped on the food was sad. How long had it been since he last ate?


    ¡°¡­Kinda reminds me of her.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, because I¡¯m small, cute and needy?¡± she asked from behind me. I¡¯d have turned and smacked heads with Abby hadn¡¯t I noticed her breath hitting my ear. She had put on one of my shirts that hid her bottoms.


    Just to confirm, I asked her if she put on some shorts or something. Her answer was flipping the bottom of the shirt, confirming she had indeed gotten properly dressed.


    ¡°Ok then¡­ And to answer your question, you both are gluttons too.¡±


    ¡°Humph. Your food is just that good,¡± she puffed, straightening up. ¡°Listen, we have to figure out a name. Ideas?¡±


    I never had to name anything, but remembering his olive eyes, the name Oliver came to mind. Is that being original, or is it being lazy? I guess it doesn¡¯t matter in the end, only that she liked the idea, and thus, the small fur ball was baptised Oliver.


    ¡°Violet! Let¡¯s watch a horror movie next time you have a night free!¡± she said, immediately after giving her approval of the name.


    ¡°Huh!? Where did that come from?¡±


    ¡°Come on! It¡¯s going to be fun!¡±


    ¡°Nuh-huh. Every time we do, I have to walk you to the bathroom during the night because you can¡¯t go alone nor sleep.¡±


    ¡°That happened only once!¡± she protested. True, it happened only that first time we had a sleepover. It still didn¡¯t sway my opinion on the matter. You can look cool while I cuddle with you in fear, she then hummed, like that was a great argument.


    ¡°Pass.¡±


    ¡°Oh come on! At least make a pause like you do when you¡¯re considering my stupid suggestions!¡±


    ¡°¡­Pass.¡±


    ¡°Tsk. Meanie. What if it¡¯s a dark comedy?¡±


    ¡°Oh, he ate everything!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ignore me!¡±


    I normally wouldn¡¯t, but I was in the mood for teasing her.


    Oliver was licking his whiskers with a haste I assumed meant he liked the food. He now also had a huge belly mounted on a skinny frame, making it look weird. I did give him too much food.


    ¡°You gave him too much food,¡± Abby echoed my thoughts. ¡°Although, he looks like he¡¯d eat more if we gave him.¡±


    ¡°He had to take after you, huh?¡±


    She looked at me, at first serious, but an enamoured grin began forming on her face as she crouched by me and rested her head sideways on her knees.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± she said with a shrug. ¡°I was just thinking something really nice.¡±


    It felt like a trap, her not specifying what it was that she was thinking, so I didn¡¯t ask despite feeling very curious. I had an inkling of an idea from her expression, but Abby being Abby, I could be completely sidelined by some other reason I wasn¡¯t expecting.


    ¡°Did it scratch you?¡± I asked, referring to the bath she gave him.


    ¡°Nope, he¡¯s a very well-behaved boy.¡±


    She picked him up and held it to her chest. He started purring and kneading her bust.


    ¡°Hehe. He had to take after you, hmm?¡± she said, giving me a mischievous smile.


    ¡°A-Abby,¡± I whined.


    She pulled me by the shoulder and smooched my burning cheek.


    ¡°Come back home early tonight, and I¡¯ll let you do the same he¡¯s doing,¡± she whispered before standing up and walking away.


    ¡°¡­Haah, that girl¡­¡± I sighed, taking my glasses off and hiding my face on my knees.


    If she was bold enough to tell me that kind of stuff, why not just confess already!?


    It¡¯s fine! It¡¯s fine, you have all Summer to confess to her yourself.


    That Summer would be the one in my life I¡¯d feel the most heat, and it sure wouldn¡¯t be from the air temperature.


    ???


    I never was very patient. I wasn¡¯t patient at all when it came to waiting for Violet to get back home.


    Without her there, I was like a puppy, sitting at the door, waiting for her owner to come back. Not that I actually sat at the door, I wasn¡¯t that dependent on Violet¡¯s company. No, my usual waiting spot was on the couch, watching something to try and keep the boredom at bay, mostly unsuccessful. And the heat of the house¡­ It was hard to believe that just a few months ago we¡¯d be freezing in there. Even I, who never was bothered by the temperature, had to admit, it was a bit extreme.


    The fact I was feeling all icky from sweat shortly after having taken a shower wasn¡¯t helping the time to go by faster, but even worse, she was late.


    A very common occurrence, sadly and probably illegally, but a common occurrence, nonetheless. This time I was feeling on edge because it was approaching half an hour beyond her, now normal, arriving time. Just a few more minutes and it¡¯d be a quarter past midnight.


    I tried calling for the third time, but she wasn¡¯t answering, raising my concerns even further. I was about to get up and get Stan when someone started struggling with opening the front door.


    I got up and checked on it.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to wait for me,¡± Violet said once she shut the door and turned around, seeing me walking down the corridor towards her. She was slightly slumping, and had a very tired, irritated expression.


    ¡°I was worried. Why didn¡¯t you answer the phone?¡±


    ¡°You did? Sorry, I had it in silence,¡± she explained while unceremoniously kicking her shoes to the side before taking it out of her pants¡¯ pocket. ¡°Didn¡¯t you read my text?¡±


    ¡°Nope, and I¡¯ve been staring at it all¡ª¡±


    ¡°Haah, never mind. I thought I sent it, but I must have misclicked.¡±


    She showed me said text. It was a short message, but one which would have helped me feel more at ease with her tardiness. And despite Violet telling me in said text she¡¯d be late and for me not to wait for her, I wouldn¡¯t do the latter anyway. Being there to greet her at arrival was one of my privileges and pleasures.


    And speaking of which¡­


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m just glad you¡¯re finally home,¡± I told her, getting on the tips of my toes while pulling her down by the shoulders to kiss her face.


    Once I got my heels down, I noticed she was clinging to my clothes. She was doing her usual expression of being in deep thought about something while staring directly at my eyes.


    ¡°Erm¡­ can we sit down for a moment before we go anywhere else?¡± she asked, dragging her voice, sounding a bit coarse all of a sudden.


    ¡°Sure,¡± I told her, feeling a bit unnerved by her strange request.


    I watched her turn around and dropping her body down, sitting very ungracefully on the floor. She tapped the space between her legs where she wished for me to sit.


    This was all very unusual for her to do. Sitting at the entrance, kicking her shoes off instead of setting them aside neatly, having a fight with the door to open it. Something must have happened at work for her to be this upset.


    ¡°Could you hold these for me?¡± she asked when I sat, handing me her glasses.


    With nothing on her face that could hurt me or get bent, she pressed her face on the back of my head, taking a deep breath and letting out a deep sigh as she wrapped tightly my waist.


    ¡°You smell nice,¡± she told me, her voice coming out muffled.


    ¡°Thanks. I showered again after you left.¡±


    ¡°I see. I should get one too.¡±


    ¡°¡­By the way, my hair has been getting long, hasn¡¯t it? Do you think I should have it trimmed down a bit?¡±


    It took her some time to do anything, but when she did, it was combing my hair with her fingers.


    ¡°I think so. It¡¯d be fluffier that way.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, ok. I¡¯ll go to the hairdresser then. Same length as before?¡±


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t cut your hair just because of me,¡± she told me, leaning over so we¡¯d be face to face.


    ¡°I¡¯m not. Hearing you saying you like my hair fluffier makes me happy, so¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I see¡­¡±


    She wasn¡¯t blushing nearly half as much as I¡¯d have liked when she got back to hiding her face, but she was starting to get into a better mood.


    ¡°¡­I got yelled at by my manager twice, and from a client too.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Why?¡± I asked, placing my hands over hers.


    ¡°¡­My manager wants me to wear lipstick to hide the scar. He practically asked if I was stupid for not wearing it already.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ why don¡¯t you wear it and save yourself the hassle?¡±


    That was, after all, what she¡¯d normally do. Avoid things that are trouble. The exception being me, of course.


    She got a bit mad at me for even asking that, showing it by her body tensing up and the look she gave me.


    ¡°Why should I?¡±


    I swallowed hard under that question.


    She shouldn¡¯t. It was a scar she was very proud of, and in my opinion, not so noticeable that it warranted hiding it from sight.


    ¡°I¡¯m not saying you should,¡± I told her while caressing her lip. ¡°Please, don¡¯t be mad at me.¡±


    My plea dissolved her anger, and she got back to being very tender, holding my hand as she kissed the back of it while apologising for her outburst.


    ¡°And the second time and the client?¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter now,¡± she said with a shrug. ¡°The guest forgot to ask for his steak to be well done and got upset at me for it. Then, the manager joined in.¡±


    ¡°Wait, he yelled at you in from of a client?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Never mind that, I¡¯m done talking about today.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing miss. Anything else you wish to talk about?¡±


    She leaned to the side again, our eyes meeting. She was again in deep thought, but the way she was slightly blushing promised me something good was about to happen.


    She began by smooching my temple very gingerly, testing the waters. When I smiled back at her and leaned my head in an offering way, she got more serious with her osculation.


    ¡°Pfft, hehe! Violet, no,¡± I hushed giggly while she was kissing my neck, giving me tickles, and her hands starting to get frisky. ¡°I¡¯m all sweaty and we are way too much in the open.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± she hushed back, her breath tickling my ear. ¡°And the stairs for my dad¡¯s bedroom creek like crazy during the summer.¡±


    Maybe having teased her with promises of groping me once she got back from work wasn¡¯t that good of an idea. She might have been thinking it over and over in her head for the past four hours and now was a bit too into it. Not that I was against it. Not at all.


    ¡°Ah! Ah-ahaha, no, don¡¯t nibble my neck! All right, we are stopping here,¡± I told her while pulling her hands away from under my top. ¡°I don¡¯t think we should be doing this sort of thing here with me making so much noise with my laughter. Plus, we still have school tomorrow¡ªrather, today, and you still have to eat, shower and get ready for bed.¡±


    ¡°Haah, fine.¡±


    She said the words, but she wasn¡¯t doing the action. She simply stayed slumped over my back, reluctant to move.


    ¡°¡­We can continue in bed.¡±


    ¡°¡­We better not.¡±


    ¡°Pfft, hehe. Yeah. We better not.¡±


    ¡°¡­Thanks for waiting for me. And cheering me up.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. You do the same for me every time I need it too.¡±


    After this little exchange, we didn¡¯t talk much besides short phrases about the food I made for her, telling one another what one would be doing while the other did something else, and then we bid each other a good night.


    During all that time, I watched her closely. Her long, unenergetic and uncoordinated moves, her uncertain step, the way she was practically falling asleep while eating the sandwich I prepared for her, and her unwavering stoicism as she striped down to her panties and got in bed without a single blush or hesitation. She was completely burned out of any energy. I had seen her tired many time. Too many, in fact. And that made me make a decision.


    She was incredibly hard to get out of bed in the morning when she was well rested. The way Violet was presenting herself that night, it¡¯d be impossible to get her out and about unless I dragged her. So, I decided I wouldn¡¯t.


    It was the last day of school, who cared if we missed it? No one, and she¡¯d get some much-needed sleep.


    Morning came, I woke up a bit before her alarm went off, and set my hand hovering over it as I started my countdown. The thing didn¡¯t even had a chance of ringing. With that part of the mission completed, I proceeded to get us two water bottles from the fridge. Even with the fan on, her room was too hot, and with how much we sweated during the night, we always woke up parched. Now I only had to wait for her to wake up naturally.


    I laid on my side facing her, elbow bent and hand supporting my head as I watched her sleep.


    My Violet was a peaceful sleeper, but not exactly a pretty one. Her hair was all tangled up and sticking to her face, making her look like that girl from the movie in which she comes out of the television after you put a cursed tape rolling. Terrifying, and yet, I still found her beautiful.


    Twelve hours after we got to bed, she finally woke up.


    She moaned, stretched her body in a very lazy fashion and rubbed her eyes after noticing me staring.


    ¡°Abby, I told you already. Don¡¯t watch me sleep.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, but it¡¯s so peaceful.¡±


    ¡°Haah, even so. Come here.¡±


    She was either still half asleep, or she had indeed grown bolder the past few weeks as she was pulling me for a tight hug straight out of the gates.


    ¡°What time is it?¡± she asked after downing almost half of the two-litre bottle I had handed her.


    ¡°There¡¯s still time if you want to sleep some more.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯d rather chat with you then.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, that so? About what?¡± I asked while trying to tame the mess that was her morning hair.


    ¡°Erm, dunno. What did you dream about?¡±


    ¡°Me? Erm¡­ I forgot. You?¡±


    ¡°I, erm¡­ I forgot too.¡±


    I didn¡¯t forget, and I had the hunch she hadn¡¯t either. I just couldn¡¯t tell her what I had dreamt about us doing. If she had the same kind of dream as me, I didn¡¯t know for sure, but she was looking a bit flushed. It could very well just be an embarrassing but still rated for all ages dream since we are talking about her.


    You know the problem about lies? It¡¯s that, eventually, the truth comes out.


    After some more banter about inconsequential stuff, she had the need to use the toilet. That was when she noticed the time.


    ¡°Ah! We are so late! Hold up¡­ You lied!?¡±


    ¡°I had to, otherwise you¡¯d drag your carcass to school, wouldn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°¡­Well¡­¡±


    She wanted to argue, but she knew it was true what I said about her stubbornness and all that water she had previously drank was making her do a weird dance which involved rubbing her knees together until sparks flew out while she bouncing up and down. For how long had she been holding it in, just because she didn¡¯t want to get up?


    I was completely taken by surprise when she kinda lunged at me, setting her hands over mine as I held my body up on the bed and gave me a quick peck to the cheek.


    ¡°Just this time,¡± she blurted before shuffling her way out of the bedroom.


    It looked like I was forgiven and our summer began a bit earlier, and oh, what a summer it would be!

 Newlyweds, Kinda

    While she was out working, I stayed at her place¡ª¡°the oven¡± we started calling it, to take care of some laundry. The only thing I needed to do was iron our clothes and put them in their respective drawers. I¡¯d also do Stan¡¯s, but Violet forbade me from even looking at them. I never got what her issue was. It had some of his underwear, but none of it was anything I wouldn¡¯t see walking around the mall, and they were freshly clean. I didn¡¯t want to get her all over my case because of it, so I left it well alone. She had been coming back from her work in a bad mood in the past week, so I wasn¡¯t going to tempt fate.


    Ironing was a bigger hassle than I thought it would since the heat of the clothes iron was making everything worse, but it was done, and I was happy I did it for her.


    ¡°Oh, this takes me back.¡±


    While putting away clothes in our underwear drawer, I giggled at the thought I was calling it ¡°our¡± and at the memories the violet bra and panties brought. I also wondered why she was still keeping the top part, seeing that it didn¡¯t fit her anymore. Sentimental value perhaps? I didn¡¯t expect that from her. Then again, she had been surprising me a lot in the past few months.


    I¡¯ll tease her about it once she comes back.


    My mischievous thoughts were interrupted by a foul smell that came softly, but quickly grew in intensity.


    ¡°Urgh! Oliver!¡±


    Poor thing had his belly upset by the food, and until he grew used to it, he was as much a skunk as he was a kitten.


    He had been sitting by me, looking up with an innocent look until that moment. Once he dropped the bomb, he skipped out of the room, his tail up in the air like an antenna.


    ¡°Humph, at least this time he didn¡¯t leave a present,¡± I grumbled, having to put up with the smell until it either faded away, or I finished my work.


    ¡°Hello again, Oliver.¡±


    ¡°Meow!¡±


    My bad mood didn¡¯t survive such a cute interaction between Stan and that tiny furball. Any time someone greeted him, he¡¯d meow back, like if he was greeting too.


    ¡°She¡¯s late again,¡± I grumbled, taking my phone out to see the time and if I had received any message from her that I hadn¡¯t noticed.


    The basket was empty, so I put it back to its original place and went to the living room. There, I found Stan sat on the couch in from of the only fan in the house wearing a plain white t-shirt, shorts and flipflops reading a hardcover comic with a certain duck in a sailor uniform. Meanwhile, Oliver was tossing up in the air and pouncing at an old sock stuffed with its pair, his nails making an audible clack on the floor. I was sitting by Stan after having turned on the rotating head of the fan when that crazy cat thudded one of the legs of the coffee table, causing it to shift slightly. Despite having bumped his head, he didn¡¯t even flinch and kept on playing.


    ¡°Right, my beer,¡± Stan remarked, having seemingly forgotten about having picked it up from the fridge.


    ¡°Is that story that good?¡± I asked, pointing at the book he was holding.


    He nodded and proceeded to tell me about it with a gleeful smile that made him look even younger than what he was. Like, we had a difference of fifteen years between us, but when he got like that, it looked like he had fifteen instead. And I¡¯m not saying this as a bad thing. Truthfully, I¡¯d say my dad needed something in his life giving him that amount of glee. Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t know my own dad well enough to come up with something.


    ¡°You two sure have gotten close. Did something happen?¡±


    He was prodding my relationship with his daughter quite shamelessly, wasn¡¯t he? Didn¡¯t he ever feel conflicted? I didn¡¯t particularly care about it because I felt like bragging, but there was no one to hear me, except him now.


    I was starting to calm down from a giggling fit to tell him about what she answered me when I asked her in her sleep, but the front door opened, calling me to action.


    ¡°Hehe, not telling,¡± I told him with my tongue out instead.


    She was taking her shoes off and seemed upset. There would be no nagging today.


    ¡°Hi Abby,¡± she greeted, giving me a kiss on the forehead while I tiptoed.


    I pulled her down and gave her two on the cheek, reminding her it was supposed to be me doing that now.


    She remembered it, she was just in the mood for that and hugging me from behind apparently.


    ¡°Haah, I¡¯m so tired,¡± she complained with her face buried on my hair as she rubbed the sides of my waist.


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think about going to bed without eating,¡± I told her, pulling her along in an awkward walk. ¡°I made you a brand-new sandwich, so you better eat it all up and tell me your honest opinion.¡±


    I dropped Violet by Papa Stan to fetch her the food, him tapping her knee before initiating a conversation.


    ¡°¡ªI didn¡¯t know it came from a can instead of being fresh, so I did lie,¡± was what I heard her tell her dad, that little bit providing me the full picture of what had happened.


    ¡°Forget about it. Here! I made it with lots of love.¡±


    ¡°Oh, erm¡­ thanks¡­¡±


    I was divided between thinking that saying that was too much or not. It was something that came out in the spur of the moment and it had a large impact on her. Maybe it was a good thing. She was now figuring out what I had meant by it, so she was no longer mulling over the argument she had with the guest.


    Her red face transformed again after she took a bite.


    ¡°Mmh! This is the best sandwich I¡¯ve ever had!¡± she said, covering her mouth with her hand.


    ¡°Hehe. I made a paste using the leftover chicken, a bit of mayo, diced pickles, some salt and pepper.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really good,¡± she said, taking another enthusiastic bite.


    ¡°What about the ones I make?¡±


    ¡°Sorry dad, it¡¯s a close second, but she got you beat.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, looks like I found myself a rival.¡±


    ¡°Pfft, ah-haha! Bring it on, old man!¡±


    We all laughed. Then, she hummed as she looked down.


    Oliver had stopped playing to come and rest against Violet¡¯s feet. It almost looked like he was smiling.


    ¡°Looks like he missed you,¡± I commented.


    It was funny how attached he grew to us in such a short amount of time. Even on his first day here he would chase after us and start calling out when he lost sight of us.


    ¡°How¡¯s his tummy?¡± she asked while taking another bite.


    ¡°Don¡¯t jinx it,¡± was my answer.


    ???


    I was woken up with a pang in my stomach. At first I thought it was the sandwich Abby had done for me last night who was having a disagreement with my insides, but then I saw it had been almost twelve hours since I ate it. No, the reason was something a lot worse.


    ¡°Urgh!¡± I grunted, rolling to the wall side as I grabbed my stomach, another heavy pang being felt.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± she asked.


    ¡°They are back,¡± I told her.


    I heard Abby leave the room for a moment, then coming back and calling me out.


    I turned and saw her holding a bowl of cereal in one hand and a bottle of water and a pill on the other.


    I ate what she brought me and took the painkiller like she told me before curling up in bed again, but she still wasn¡¯t done with nursing me. Abby still wanted to give my belly a rub. It helped all the other times, so I gladly took her up on the offer. And like before, it did help and I somehow fell asleep again. I have the feeling I¡¯d have woken up a lot after what I did, was it not for the sound of the vacuum cleaner close to the bedroom door.


    It was well into the afternoon, so I got up despite not wanting to and, to my surprise, it was Abby doing the cleaning.


    ¡°Hey, sorry. Did I wake you up?¡± she asked, taking out one of her earphones.


    ¡°Erm, did you do my house chores for me?¡±


    She confirmed she did in fact do them. She dusted the place, swept the floor, was finishing vacuuming and was going to start moping the floor afterwards.


    ¡°Abby, you don¡¯t need to do all that.¡±


    ¡°But you were so tired and feeling unwell. Speaking of which, how are you feeling now?¡±


    ¡°Oh, erm, yeah, I¡¯m feeling a lot better.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, good,¡± she giggled, stepping closer to me for a smooch on my jaw. ¡°Lunch is ready if you¡¯re feeling hungry. It¡¯s on the kitchen table.¡±


    ¡°O-ok.¡±


    ¡°¡­Hehe.¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡± I asked, thinking that, maybe, she was also feeling indisposed.


    ¡°Me? Just feeling a tad bloated, otherwise I¡¯m peachy fine.¡±


    That was good to hear.


    This whole situation felt so weird though. It was nice, don¡¯t get me wrong, but really, it was weird. I just wasn¡¯t used to having people take care of me, you see. And I must say, Abby was doing a splendid job. Just what had I done to deserve her?


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    ¡°¡­Come here.¡±


    I gave her a tight hug and even lifted her off the ground, spinning us around a couple of times¡ªmuch to Abby¡¯s amusement¡ª before putting her back down and kissing her slightly sweaty face, finally thanking her for all she had done so far.


    ¡°Hehe, don¡¯t mention it. Just trying to be a good¡­ erm¡­ you know.¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah¡­ I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m really lucky¡­ having you around¡­¡±


    She had another of her giggling fits, pressing her face on me to hide her embarrassment while telling me to stop. How could I though? Abby was too adorable when she was happy, and right now, she was as happy as she could possibly be.


    The nice moment was stopped by Oliver. He was observing us, peeking around the doorframe to the living room, making me feel self-conscious. How stupid is that? Getting embarrassed by a watching cat, good grief.


    Us hugging wasn¡¯t his main concert, the vacuum was.


    ¡°There you are,¡± Abby chirped after noticing me stiffen up and looking to where I was. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m done with the noisy machine. I¡¯ll be moping now though, so you have to go someplace where you have to stay still and not leave your pawprints around.¡±


    He meowed what sounded like a protest, but Abby didn¡¯t accept it, picking him up as she wondered out loud where she should put in.


    I told her to drop him in our bedroom since I was now up and it was still a place she hadn¡¯t cleaned.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡± I asked, seeing her grin from ear to ear.


    ¡°Oh, nothing. Hehe.¡±


    ¡°¡­Ok¡­ I¡¯ll be going and eat then.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you do that,¡± she told me, still all smiles.


    It took me a while, but once I was midway finishing my food, I almost choked when I realised what had made her smile like that.


    ¡°Our bedroom¡±!? ¡°Our bedroom,¡± you said!?


    With how much time we spent together, it was normal for me to think it that way, right?! She wouldn¡¯t think it carried a deeper meaning, right!? But she did! She did, but¡­ she wasn¡¯t exactly wrong, was she?


    ¡°What?¡± she asked, noticing me staring her from across the room.


    ¡°¡­Nothing.¡± I stumbled.


    ¡°Hehe, right, right. I totally believe you. Totally.¡±


    So what if she did? It was the truth either way.


    ¡­I guess it¡¯s our bedroom now.


    And as embarrassing as it was, it also felt exciting and kinda right. So, as I repeated it to myself, it felt less and less weird and more of a natural progression of things.


    Although¡­ isn¡¯t our relationship having a weird progression?


    We started as friends, then we got more and more physical. We had yet to kiss, and before that, confess, but we were already touching private places, sleeping naked in the same bed and kinda living together. Yeah, our relationship was all over the place in terms of progression.


    ¡°¡­Haah, it¡¯s whatever,¡± I grumbled as I washed the dishes and observed that girl hum as she moped the floor. If she was happy, I¡¯d just go with the flow. I was too tired to stress about it anyway.

 Opportunities

    In front of me stood three doors, two familiar, the other, I wasn¡¯t too sure if I had ever seen it or not. The first door would lead me to Violet¡¯s home. The middle one, that would take me to my old house. No thanks. The last one was a mystery.


    So, it¡¯s one of those ¡°choose your own adventure¡± kind of dream huh?


    I¡¯d normally choose the Violet¡¯s, but since I was aware it was a dream, I tried to conjure up Oliver passing in front of me on a skateboard with a sombrero hat and shades.


    ¡°Meow,¡± he greeted as he rolled past me exactly as I wanted.


    ¡°Ok then. I¡¯ll try the mystery door first.¡±


    It had stained glass with flower designs on a dark wood frame with a copper door handle. I opened it slightly and peeked inside.


    ¡°A party?¡±


    Not just any party. It was a party thrown by Mrs. Fletcher, the richest person in town. Every year during the summer she¡¯d invite everyone who had money and a business in town to her home, that being more of a small palace than anything else, but that was to be expected since it had been build by nobles in the fifteenth century. Or so the story goes.


    The room was well lit, natural light coming from the huge glass pane doors that gave access to a balcony overlooking the garden, the walls and ceiling painted with frescos. To the corner being played was a¡­ well, it¡¯s a type of piano, but not quite. This one is smaller, has a certain mistic to the sound while also sounding more metallic too, and¡­ bourgeois. Harpsomething or whatnot.


    There were lots of people in there, and I was curious to know why I was dreaming of this, so I stepped inside. I was in t-shirt and shorts while everybody else had semi-formal wear, but none paid me any mind. Except my mother. She was there too, but off in a corner, talking with someone as she observed me. It was a bit unnerving, but I knew it wouldn¡¯t get any worse than that for as long as I kept my cool. Violet was also sleeping with me, I remembered, so I would make an extra effort to not disturb her much needed rest.


    I was now standing in the middle of the room, bellow the crystal chandelier, thinking that Violet could like the setting. Apart from the people, of course.


    That was about when I woke up.


    Violet slept peacefully by me, her face the usual mess I tried to tame without waking her up because there was no way her hair wouldn¡¯t be tickling her nose and perturb her rather light sleep before rolling onto my back and stare at the ceiling.


    I guess this year I won¡¯t be forced to go.


    Good. Although¡­ I kinda enjoyed going there, if only to see the inside of the house and listen to the music played in that instrument. It felt like I was visiting a museum¡ªor better yet, being transported to another time. And honestly, of all the events I was always forced to go, that one was one of the better ones. The old lady was kinda nice too, even though she was a bit of a snob.


    I was still thinking about it while I was starting to prepare my breakfast. Today I¡¯d go with cereal, but someone had placed my bowl way too high and I was doing my best to reach it, but stretched my body as I could, I still couldn¡¯t reach it. That was when I felt Violet body getting pressed on my back as she held me from behind, her hand resting on my bellybutton.


    ¡°Dad, how many times do I have to tell you? Don¡¯t put Abby¡¯s bowl so high up, otherwise she can¡¯t reach it.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, morning sleepyhead,¡± I greeted her, pulling her collar so Violet would lower her head for me to land a kiss.


    ¡°M-morning,¡± she stammered, not having expected a smooch right in front of her dad.


    ¡°Sorry, but still, she could pull a chair.¡±


    ¡°Violet gets mad if I do that. She fears for my safety if I do it.¡±


    ¡°Right, I forgot she can be quite the mother.¡±


    ¡°Oh, shush you two. Don¡¯t start teasing me right after I wake up, ok?¡±


    I would comply with Violet¡¯s demand, but only after she did her part. My hand was still on her collar and my eyes on her face, waiting for her to realise she was forgetting something in her previous greeting.


    She finally either remembered or understood I wouldn¡¯t let go until I got what I wanted. She gave me a nice squeeze and a very nice smooch to my cheek, her face sinking in it.


    It was a bit of a shame I got up before she woke up, otherwise there would have been a lot of nuzzling and smooching in bed. Oh well, I supposed we could do that after breakfast.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked me while we ate. ¡°You¡¯ve been awfully quiet since we got up. Did you have a bad dream?¡±


    I told her about the dream without skipping any detail.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I wish I could have that level of control in my own dreams,¡± she said, still sounding a bit dulled by sleepiness. That made me wonder to what extent did she hear me. ¡°Maybe you dreamt about it because it¡¯s the time of the year when it happens?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯d be my guess too.¡±


    ¡°Funny that you bring that place up, the lady hired us to build her a website.¡±


    I looked at Stan, my expression asking him to elaborate on that. What use could she have for a website?


    ¡°She¡¯s turning that place into a fancy B&B.¡±


    She certainly had the facilities for that. I mean, big house, with lots of empty rooms while she lived there all by herself with only a four of five people working there to keep the place? Yeah, it was better to put those rooms to use while turning a profit.


    ¡°Wanna go check the place or are you too tired today?¡± I asked Violet.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I think I¡¯ll¡­ Hmm¡­ let¡¯s go check it.¡±


    There was a change in what she was going to say and what she said, and I pointed that out, along with that it was fine with me if she wanted to stay put in one of her few days off, but she shook her head, rattling her brain in her skull and making Violet hold her forehead due to the dizziness that brought.


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    ¡°No, erm, we¡¯ve been shut inside for so long. I mean, I¡¯m fine with that, but you? Yeah, I think it¡¯d do us good to go for a walk.¡±


    ¡°¡­In other words, I¡¯m being taken for a walk like a doggo,¡± I joked.


    She stared at me very serious-like before letting out a chuckle.


    ¡°Yeah, I suppose it¡¯s kinda like that.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, will I also get any treats?¡±


    ¡°Fufu, naturally.¡±


    ¡°Yay!¡±


    Picking my clothes when it was time for our walk was proving more challenging than it needed. The reason? I wasn¡¯t too sure if I looked right. I was thinking I looked too childish. I know, I know. This again? It¡¯s not like that. I mean, it is, but at the same time, it isn¡¯t. It wasn¡¯t in the ¡°woe is me, I¡¯m too childish and it sucks¡± mentality, more in a ¡°maybe I could put some more effort or change my style a bit¡± one.


    ¡°Everything ok?¡± Violet asked as she patiently sat on the bed, watching me facing the mirror and analyse each and every angle. Oliver was there too, looking at me while using one of her feet as a pillow.


    I looked at her, saw how elegant she looked in that dress with the sandals and looked back at my reflexion.


    ¡°¡­Do you think I should change?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Abby, I told you before¡ª¡±


    ¡°Ah, no! I¡¯m talking about my t-shirt.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ I mean, it looks fine to me.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    Her honest answer didn¡¯t scratch the itch I was feeling.


    I opened the door of the closet and considered my options. After a few seconds, I grabbed the short-sleeved button-up shirt that belonged to my school uniform and made the switch. That was more like it. I didn¡¯t tuck it in my shorts, but it didn¡¯t look too long because the skirt it was used with was waist-high.


    ¡°Better?¡± I asked.


    ¡°What was wrong with what you had worn before?¡±


    ¡°I guess I want to look a bit more mature.¡±


    ¡°Haah, Abby you¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that. I¡¯m just feeling like updating my style.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Why?¡±


    ¡°Dunno,¡± I told her with a shrug. ¡°Maybe I grew up a bit.¡±


    She giggled and got up, coming closer to me.


    ¡°I doubt it,¡± she said with a smirk as she gave my head a rub.


    ¡°Hehe, jerk.¡±


    ???


    I wonder why the people of old built this town like this. Houses that look like miniature palaces on the hill Abby and I were walking and then, nice houses at the city centre. How did the town look like back then all those centuries ago? It mad me think about the human condition and how insignificant our permanence was in the flow of time.


    ¡°Boop.¡±


    For some reason¡ªmy guess it being me not paying her attention for a while, Abby bumped into me and hugged my arm, snatching my focus away from such weird philosophical thoughts.


    ¡°This place is nice, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    It sure was. On one side, there was a small wall that prevented people from going tumbling down the hill, trees covering the incline and providing us with shade. Occasionally we could see the rest of the town through the tree trunks.


    On the other side, there were the houses we came to see. None were any similar to the next. Yes, they all shared the same style, but the way they expressed it was completely different. Different accents, colours, shapes, all of it. I was amazed at how much it varied, specially when compared to the street I lived at and places where I spent my time. Those places were looking awfully dull and boring in comparison.


    ¡°Have you picked one for us to live already?¡± she asked jokingly.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ honestly, if we were to simply start living in one we picked, I wouldn¡¯t be able to choose.¡±


    At least just from looking at the outside.


    ¡°We are here,¡± she announced as we approached an iron gate in a red wall. ¡°This is the place where¡­¡±


    She grew quiet, and I didn¡¯t ask why because I was having the same reaction. Mathilda was staring at us from the other side of the gate, looking just as surprised as we were.


    ¡°Well, will you look at that,¡± Mathilda said, her smile growing. ¡°I came to check if I had locked the gate and who do I see? You two. What are you doing here?¡±


    Abby started telling here why we were here and before I knew it, we were being ushered in. I zoned out of their conversation and took to looking around. There was a small garden in the front cut in half by the stone path we were walking on that led to the heavy looking front door. That was accessed by the porch that had stone pillars supporting the upper floor carved in the shape of twisting ropes. The walls were painted in the same brick-red colour of the surrounding wall with the stone surrounding the windows very elaborately carved in nautical themes and the roof was green, almost fish scale-like.


    Inside was also amazing, but my amazement was reeled in when I felt a set of fingers gently pushing my mouth shut.


    I grew red while Abby impishly grinned at my flustered reaction.


    The air was cool, but not too much. I got the feeling the house could get a tad cold in the winter, but not in a manner that would be unpleasant, at least compared with mine.


    ¡°Auntie, I brought some friends,¡± Mathilda announced.


    Friend!? Since when!?


    That thought was switched with me thinking where I had seen the lady in question. It wasn¡¯t that big of a mystery, it could only have been at the restaurant.


    ¡°Ah, Eleanor¡¯s daughter! It¡¯s been a while.¡±


    ¡°Hello Mrs. Fletcher. Have you been well?¡±


    Hearing this side of Abby again was uncanny. And it wasn¡¯t just her voice and tone, but her posture. It made me worry.


    ¡°¡­Have I seen you before?¡± the lady asked me.


    ¡°I believe we might have met at the place I work at.¡±


    ¡°She works at the Le Perrot,¡± Mathilda added.


    ¡°Oh, that dreadful French restaurant?¡±


    I did no effort in defending the place. In fact, when she asked me about some stuff about the restaurant, I told her the honest truth instead of the usual speal I had to say when working.


    ¡°I commend you for being honest despite working there. I don¡¯t think I could work at such a place.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s thinking about quitting soon.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Hmm¡­¡±


    We now all sat around a tea table by an open window. A nice breeze permeated in perfume from the greenery wafting inside. I was feeling a slight chill though, that coming from the pale blue eyes of the old lady sitting across me and Abby with which she analysed me as she sipped her drink.


    ¡°As flawed as that place is, the employees are good mannered and you look the serious and trustworthy type. I just had an idea, but to be frank, you look a bit meek to me.¡±


    ¡°Trust me auntie, she can be quite the firebrand when needed.¡±


    I turned all shades of red remembering every single thing Mathilda might have been referring to.


    ¡°If you say so. How about you coming to work for me after I get this place ready?¡±


    ¡°At your B&B?¡± I asked dumbfounded.


    ¡°How do you know about that?¡±


    ¡°Oh erm¡­ m-my dad is the person doing your website.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re Mr. Stanley¡¯s daughter? Yes, now that you mention it, I can see some resemblance in the two. And yes, I mean at my B&B. To be more precise, I¡¯ll need someone to help Jeoffrey every so often during the week and to then serve the tables during the weekend.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too kind m¡¯lady.¡±


    I gave a third tiny jump in my chair from his sudden appearance. That old man moved so silently and blended so well with the background, it was scary.


    ¡°Excuse me, but when you said ¡®every so often¡¯, how many times would that entail?¡± Abby asked.


    She didn¡¯t answer, instead looking at Jeoffrey.


    ¡°That would be for a couple of hours on Tuesdays and Fridays.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, in total, that would be less than half the time you¡¯re currently working,¡± Abby told me.


    It was much less than half, practically a third of the time. I¡¯d have a lot more of free time and still some extra money to spend on dates with Abby. All in all, it was a nice offer.


    ¡°And of course, if you prove yourself a good worker, I¡¯m willing to pay you the same they are paying you now. Since you¡¯re a friend of Mathilda and she vouches for you.¡±


    An already tempting offer got even more tempting. There was just one small issue. Abby. I had planned to quit so I could have all the time in the world to spend with her.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but¡­ for now I think I¡¯ll refuse.¡±


    ¡°May I know why?¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡­ I want to have as much free time as possible to spend with Abby.¡±


    ¡°But we¡¯ll still have plenty of time for that.¡±


    ¡°I know, but¡­ it¡¯s been two weeks since school ended and I feel like we barely spent any time together¡­ I mean, decent time that I¡¯m not dead tired or us doing chores. I¡¯d like to at least have a full month for us to simply going out and spend¡­ quality time¡­ together.¡±


    Abby turned as red as I was and had another giggling fit as she did her best to hide her face in my armpit. I wished I was her right now because while Abby had a nice place to hide her face, I had to suffer the attention of everyone as they stared at us, most certainly wondering what was going on between us.

 Final Shifts?

    I woke up and rolled in her bed, searching for Abby, but she wasn¡¯t there. She had either gone out for a morning run or gym, or she had left me sleep to compensate the late hour we got into bed.


    I didn¡¯t feel like sleeping any longer, but getting out of bed was also such a drag. I¡¯d stay in bed for now, lying face down and staring at the window¡¯s curtains.


    ¡°Haah, I have to go there again,¡± I grumbled.


    I didn¡¯t if I had already told my manager that I quit, something I told myself immediately after.


    ¡°Today! I¡¯ll do that today!¡±


    ¡°What are you going to do?¡±


    I raised my head to look where her voice was coming from. Abby was walking inside, her hair slightly damp.


    I told her about my plan to which she nodded approvingly as she sat by me. Then, she sat on me, using my butt as a pillow for hers and placed her hands on my shoulders, giving them a tight squeeze. It was painful, but in a good way. Not the pain per se, the relief I felt after.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see if there are so many knots and tension on your shoulders a week after you take care of that,¡± she told me jokingly.


    ¡°Mmh, I hope not,¡± I moaned lazily.


    She laughed and kept going while I tried not to let out any weird sounds, but a moan or two would escape after something in my muscles popped with a sharp pang followed by a sense of looseness in them.


    ¡°Seriously though, it wasn¡¯t supposed to pop like this,¡± she said.


    ¡°Come on Abby, as if that wasn¡¯t to be expected from me.¡±


    ¡°Babe, this is way beyond anything to be expected! I¡¯m dead serious.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, if you say so,¡± I moaned back, feeling too relaxed to worry for once.


    She had small hands but good grip strength, no doubt from going to the gym. That made her massage feel wonderful. It was reminding me of that time she gave me a shoulder rub in class, almost half a year ago. No, I think it might have been longer than that. I think it was around the time Mathilda talked with me about the Christmas diner. So, yeah, that made it¡­


    ¡°¡­Wait¡­ what did you call me just now?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Hmm? When?¡±


    ¡°Just now, when you told me the way my muscles are popping are beyond reasonable.¡±


    ¡°Erm¡­ dunno,¡± she said with a shrug. ¡°I was too distracted with the sounds coming from you.¡±


    ¡°¡­Am I moaning too much?¡±


    ¡°Ah! Sorry, I meant the popping. Hehe, I don¡¯t mind the moaning though.¡±


    Neither did I, as a matter of fact. After everything we did together, most of my sense of shame had faded. I mean, I was practically in my birthday suit with her sitting on me, touching my bare skin, and I was almost falling asleep again.


    ¡°Hehe, don¡¯t fall asleep now or I¡¯ll turn off your phone.¡±


    That would be problematic. I did want to quit, but I didn¡¯t want to give my manager any fuel to be a bigger jerk.


    As for what Abby called me¡­ it could have been just a trick of my ears. And if it wasn¡¯t¡­ well, it was very sweet of her.


    Come to think of it¡­ will we start calling each other couple nicknames?


    If we did, what would be a good one for her? Dear? Sweetheart? Babe too?


    ¡°¡­What?¡± she asked, curious about why I was suddenly staring at her so intently.


    Honey. That could be it. She was sweet, ¡°sticky¡± and her hair colour reminded me of it. Once we start dating, I might call her that. When nobody else is around, that is. My sense of shame still flared up in public, for better or for worse.


    Our alone time run out, and I had to go to work. Today I was particularly miffed about it. Abby had an appointment with her therapist and I couldn¡¯t go with her. She was in a good mood when she left fifteen minutes before me, so I was hoping she¡¯d remain like that, but I was still fussing a bit.


    ¡°Why the frown?¡± Margaret asked while we polished glasses. Again. We had done that so often, liquid that was poured in them would seem like it was floating. It saved us from getting an earful from our manager, that was why we¡¯d still do it. ¡°Problems with your girlfriend?¡±


    ¡°No, not about her exactly. It¡¯s just that¡­¡±


    I looked at Margaret. There was a wide smirk in her face telling me I had confirmed suspicions she held for some time.


    ¡°That girl who came to pick you up on Valentine¡¯s day, right?¡±


    ¡°Erm¡­ w-we aren¡¯t dating¡­ yet¡­ I think¡­¡±


    She kept smiling, but she added a frown and a head tilt to her expression.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    I didn¡¯t have any other person I could talk about this sort of issue, and she didn¡¯t seem to have any problems with me being lesbian, so¡­ I talked to her about our relationship. And she heard me out. It felt nice to confide on someone about stuff I couldn¡¯t with Abby.


    I didn¡¯t give any details about Abby¡¯s issues, just that today she had an appointment we always went together but that today I couldn¡¯t go due to work.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s annoying, but think of it this way: when you get home, it will feel all the sweeter.¡±


    Yeah, I could see Abby rushing me as soon as I opened the door for a tight hug and kiss on the cheek with more excitement than usual. That made me feel eager about getting home, but also that my time was being robbed by the restaurant. Fortunately, that would end today.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, do you exclusively like girls, or do you swing both ways?¡±


    ¡°Erm, just girls. Why?¡±


    Even in my answer I wasn¡¯t too sure. I was interested in Abby, both as a person and physically. What about other girls? Well, I enjoyed looking at them a lot more than boys, but¡­ did that make me a lesbian as I referred to myself just a bit ago? Abby was the first person I had ever liked, so I was questioning if I¡¯d still have fallen for her if she was a boy.


    Well, whatever. I like Abby, and that¡¯s enough for me.


    None of that mattered to me. I¡¯d still love Abby and be me regardless of labels, so why worry so much about it? I¡¯d just go with the flow, as I¡¯ve been learning with Abby. That has been working out for me anyway.


    ¡°I just feel like it¡¯s a bit of a shame a pretty girl like you not ever getting the chance of having kids.¡±


    ¡°¡­There¡¯s a medical condition in my family that they¡¯d inherit and most likely lead them to an early death, so¡­¡±


    It was my first time seeing Margaret lose her composure. She poured excuses like a broken faucet let out water.


    Before I could get another word out, the door leading to the kitchen flung open and the man who was the chef stormed out shouting curse words. Following him, beet red with anger, was our manager.


    ¡°Don¡¯t turn your back to me! If you leave through that door, I swear, you¡¯ll never be able to work in this town!¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah!?¡± the chef shouted as he turned. ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll listen to a two-cent, cheap wine drinking, business illiterate, money burning jackanape! Who better to tell if someone is a good worker or not than the guy driving a business to the ground, right!?¡±


    Margaret and I kept watching them from the sidelines, our hands not stopping working, while the two men hurled insults at each other. I get that they were furious, but did they really need to use such colourful language?


    ¡°Whatever! A prison serves better food than this dump!¡± the chef proclaimed before turning around and leaving, completely ignoring the shouts from the manager.


    ¡°And you two!¡± he shouted, now focusing his attention on us. ¡°What are you two doing?¡±


    I was lucky to have Margaret there to deal with him. She took the brunt of his foul mood while I got to hang behind until he went inside his office.


    ¡°Humph. Time for us to start looking for another job.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m quitting today.¡±


    ¡°Today?¡±


    Well, maybe not today. I wasn¡¯t looking forward to it before, and after seeing the man foaming with rage¡­ No thanks. Maybe if he had calmed down around the night shift, but I wasn¡¯t holding my hopes up.


    ¡°Haah, and to think I¡¯ll have to go through the hassle of looking for work after ten years of working here.¡±


    ¡°Ten years?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. This place hasn¡¯t been this mess from the start. It all began going downhill after the owner was diagnosed with cancer and the manager started running things like he was the boss of the place. It was around the time you started working here.¡±


    If that were the case, then how was Le Perrot back then? As fancy as the manager pretended it to be, or was it actually more down to earth while still maintaining a nice level of service?


    It was without all the pretence, she assured me.


    I then remembered something that could help her.


    I took out my phone, my pen and block of paper and wrote down the contact number of Mrs. Fletcher, tearing away that page and handing it to Margaret.


    ¡°This lady is looking for someone to work at her bed-and-breakfast. She offered me a part-time job, but maybe she¡¯ll have something for you?¡±


    ¡°Are you sure about it?¡± she asked, clearly touched by my gesture. ¡°I might steal the job from you.¡±


    ¡°T-that¡¯s fine¡­ I don¡¯t want it and¡­ I want to be free this summer for¡­ you know¡­¡±


    Before taking the paper from me she gave me a hug I was neither expecting, nor knew how to requite. I also felt like I was cheating on Abby a bit.


    ¡°Welcome back!¡±


    As Margaret had suggested and me guessed, us meeting again was sweeter than normal. I didn¡¯t even have time to close the door and I already had her pouncing on me for a hug.


    ¡°Fufu, I¡¯m back,¡± I said, squeezing her back.


    Abby pulled her head back a bit and I saw her nose twitch as she sniffed me.


    ¡°I smell another woman.¡±


    ¡°W-what!?¡±


    ¡°Another woman hugged you,¡± she repeated, sounding absolutely certain. Not particularly jealous though.


    ¡°I erm, I gave Mrs. Fletcher¡¯s contact to Margaret because she wants to find a new job and she hugged me because she was feeling thankful.¡±


    ¡°And that Margaret, she¡¯s a co-worker?¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah. And she¡¯s about double our age and a mother of two.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. It¡¯s fine, then.¡±


    ¡°¡­Were you jealous?¡±


    ¡°Oh please. It¡¯s not like you¡¯re a person who freely gives hugs, right?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t understand if she was being sarcastic and indeed felt a bit jealous, was telling me she didn¡¯t because she knew I had a good reason for being hugged, or that she was admitting to feeling jealous because if I hugged someone, it was because I was close to them.


    ¡°No, silly, I was not,¡± she told me, seeing my confusion all over my face. ¡°I know you only hug me and Oliver.¡±


    I thought back to when Margaret hugged me, and also to when her sister did the same. How I felt then compared to how I was feeling now with our arms around each other, it was night and day. With the others, it felt clumsy, unnatural. With Abby, my arms felt perfect around her.


    ¡°¡­You know¡­ she was the second person besides you that I hugged and I felt like I sucked at it.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? You do it pretty nicely with me though. Ah! Are you saying I¡¯m the only person you know how to do it properly?¡±


    ¡°Mmh-hmm.¡±


    Her body began swaying side to side while her shoulders bobbed up and down. She was having another giggling fit.


    Yup. It¡¯s nice to be back home.


    ¡°You know, I really think you¡¯re great at taking care of others. I admire that side of you a lot, but¡ªand please, don¡¯t get offended by it¡ªbut you suck at taking care of yourself.¡±


    I¡¯ve had those words echoing in my head the whole time after she spoke them until it was time for me to go back to the restaurant. Hopefully, this would be my last time going there.


    ¡°Do you think you¡¯ll be able to come back sooner?¡± she asked at the door.


    How was I supposed to know that? It all depended on that man and how well he took the fact I was quitting.


    Her father heard our talk from where he sat and asked exactly how late I would be arriving.


    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll go and pick you up,¡± he said after we told him how late I was getting home on average.


    I told him that wasn¡¯t necessary, but he was adamant about it. He wasn¡¯t going to let me, an underage girl, walk home that far into the night. I was his responsibility as long as I was sleeping at his place.


    I had no doubts part of his reasoning was also a feeling of being in dept towards me for the things I did for Abby. That knowledge was the main thing weighing towards me accepting his offer.


    Maybe Abby was right. Maybe I really sucked at taking care of myself. If that was the case, maybe I should accept the help others offer.


    ¡°Well, see you in a bit,¡± I told Abby before leaning down to kiss her forehead.


    ¡°Hehe, be safe and good luck.¡±


    Luck I already had, I had her after all, what I needed was to not chicken out again.

 My Future In-Law, His Daughter and I

    Arriving at work, I was met with Margaret who was looking very pleased.


    ¡°I got the job,¡± she chimed in a hushed tone. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Well, that was fast! It had been only a few hours and she already took care of that!? The lady asked me to stop by her place this afternoon, she explained.


    And in other words, we¡¯d be both quitting today. I didn¡¯t know if that helped or made it worse. Then again, mad as he might get from the news, Margaret wouldn¡¯t let him go off too much, and with Mr. Will coming to pick me up, I¡¯d have him providing back up too.


    Overall, I think I¡¯m in a good position.


    ¡°Are you telling him now, or at the end of the shift?¡±


    ¡°I erm, I think I¡¯ll do that at the end.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that might be better. That way, if he acts up, we can just turn our back and leave.¡±


    Our shift was as to be expected. Boring, dull, unmoving. Another night, another zero guests. How long would the restaurant endure with business going like this? It wasn¡¯t my problem, so that question fizzled out of my mind being replaced with how should I give the news to the angry man standing outside his office.


    It was a quarter to eleven, so Abby¡¯s father was almost arriving, making the matter seem urgent, but at the same time, I wondered if I should wait for him before doing any talking.


    Violet, you¡¯re being indecisive again. Think of Abby.


    I wanted to quit for many reasons, but spending time with Abby and not making her worry were the main ones. I had to do it.


    Margaret saw me walk towards him and wished me good luck.


    ¡°Can I help you, Ms. Evergreen?¡± he asked, sounding completely uninterested.


    I began by telling him someone would be picking me up in a few moments. He didn¡¯t hide his displeasure and told me he was counting on me staying until later to help set up the place.


    ¡°Sorry, but my family doesn¡¯t like me coming home so late.¡±


    ¡°They are exaggerating,¡± he snorted. ¡°Nothing bad happened the other nights, right?¡±


    Was he like that with his own daughter? What a jerk. Still, his reaction when I answered it was Mr. Will who was coming to pick me up and not my dad was amusing. It was like a bucket of cold water was poured on him.


    ¡°You two are close?¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah. His daughter and I are¡­ well¡­ dating.¡±


    My voice cracked, but he believed me. And sure, it was a lie, but that would be changing soon and would give a lot more credence to him coming to pick me up.


    He made no coment about it, he only briefly widened his eyes, before asking if there was anything else I wanted to discuss with him. I was hesitating a bit, but then, I heard the doorbell and saw Mr. Will coming inside, giving me the final push I needed.


    ¡°I just wanted to tell you I¡¯m quitting.¡±


    He gritted his teeth, most likely wanting to berate me but not daring with Mr. Will walking towards us.


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you wish, Ms. Evergreen,¡± he spoke from his practically shut mouth.


    This was easier than what I had expected, thank goodness. My mouth was even twitching into a pleased but also nervous smile.


    ¡°One more thing mister,¡± Mr. Will said, now taking the lead in the ongoing conversation. He placed a hand on one of my shoulders before continuing. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about her compensation.¡±


    I looked at him confused. Not that I didn¡¯t know what he meant, I just wasn¡¯t looking for any money, just getting out of that rotten job with no fuss was enough.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry sir, she quit without previous warning and as such she doesn¡¯t get compensation.¡±


    ¡°Normally I¡¯d agree with you, yes, however¡­ let¡¯s talk about the long hours Violet has been working since she started here. And the fact she was working more time than what is legally allowed for someone of her age and still in school. Are we solving the matter talking, or should I call a lawyer?¡±


    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    CEOs are scary when they get serious. I hope I never get on his bad side.


    The two men walked inside, leaving me and Margaret outside, waiting.


    ¡°Lucky you, having your in-law liking you that much,¡± Margaret hushed with a few touches of her elbow.


    ¡°H-he¡¯s not my in-law!¡± I hushed back.


    ¡°Don¡¯t take it to the letter, it¡¯s just a way of speaking. And besides, didn¡¯t you say you¡¯re dating his daughter?¡±


    ¡°T-that w-was¡­ Erm¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Do you think he can negotiate my compensation too?¡± she asked with a wry smile.


    I wasn¡¯t even expecting him taking charge of mine to begin with. Had he perhaps talked about it with Abby while I was out? He sounded well informed when he confronted the manager, so I was convinced that was it.


    Some minutes later, the door opened and out came Mr. Will holding an envelope that he handed over to me. It felt thicker than what I could have expected. Just how much was in there?


    ¡°Are you ready to go?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Y-yeah. I just need to bid farewell to Margaret.¡±


    Margaret smiled and waved at me, saying it was all right and that we¡¯d be meeting again some other time. I didn¡¯t know what she meant by that, but she told me Abby and I were going to be invited for Mrs. Fletcher party, so we¡¯d be meeting at her new workplace.


    I felt surprisingly relieved by that. Margaret had been such a common source of companionship throughout the year I worked there that I grew attached to her, apparently. Not to the same extent as Abby, but still enough for me to come to miss her.


    ¡°Erm, thanks for helping me dealing with him,¡± I told Mr. Will once we got inside his car. ¡°And for coming pick me up.¡±


    ¡°After everything you¡¯ve done, it¡¯s the least I can do. I¡¯m still surprised Stan didn¡¯t say nothing about it.¡±


    Oh, he did, almost every day, until Abby started doing it too. Unfortunately, it took a long time for me to do something about it. Now, I was finally free. I could finally get some proper rest, and after that, finally invite Abby to the pool. And go on dates. Give her lots of attention. Be more patient too.


    I¡¯ll need to buy a bathing suit though¡­


    I wasn¡¯t excited about it. It was basically me walking around in underwear, wasn¡¯t it? And even if you disagree with my view on that, you¡¯ll have to agree it covers just as much, right? And it¡¯s not like I haven¡¯t imagined Abby wearing a bathing suit and liking the idea, but after seeing her only in her bottom undies so many times, it didn¡¯t tickle my fancy all that much.


    Hmm¡­ Would Abby like to see me in one?


    Probably, yeah. She¡¯d never come out and say it, but she¡¯d probably love to see me in one.


    Hmm¡­ Maybe I¡¯ll ask her to come with me to buy one¡­


    It was a nice idea for a date too.


    ¡°Are you going to search for a new job?¡±


    ¡°No, I intend to stay free at least this summer.¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s a good idea. After what Abby told me, I think you should enjoy your holiday.¡±


    ¡°Fufu, I knew she said something to you.¡±


    ¡°You know how she is, Abby absolutely adores you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, me too.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nice that you two are such good friends.¡±


    ¡°¡­Actually, we are in love with one another.¡±


    If I hesitated as much in everything else as I did telling him that, my life would be a lot easier. That, however, doesn¡¯t mean I was doing fine after telling him that.


    My eyes widened and I held my breath, feeling my body completely stiff. I wanted to look at him, but I could only keep my eyes facing the front, watching the streetlights coming and passing by as we drove down the streets back to his place.


    Why!? Why did you tell him that!?


    My mind was rushing in search of a reason with zero success.


    ¡°Are you two finally dating?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Not yet¡­ I think.¡±


    ¡°You think?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I¡­ we both know we like each other but¡­ none of us have confessed yet.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you taking things slowly?¡±


    That might be it for Abby¡­ I¡¯m¡­ I guess I¡¯m waiting for the right moment? I couldn¡¯t quite point out why I haven¡¯t said anything up until now. Or why I started by telling her dad how I felt about her. Maybe my talks with Margaret and having told my ex-manager I was dating Abby emboldened me. It certainly felt great saying it out loud.


    Be it whatever it may, I spoke out, and I was going to take responsibility about it.


    ¡°Can I have your blessing?¡± I asked, finally looking at him.


    ¡°As if you need to ask me that,¡± he answered with a grin, still looking where he was driving. ¡°In fact, I think I already gave it to you before.¡±


    Back then it was a misunderstanding, now it was serious. Even so, I didn¡¯t press on the matter any further. I was burned out and we were starting to park in the building garage. It was time for me to calm down to meet Abby with a good expression.


    ¡°Ready to meet her?¡± he asked me after he locked the car.


    ¡°Haah, I hope she doesn¡¯t act too excited.¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re in for a disappointment.¡±


    No, I was already expecting her rushing me, I was just hopeful she¡¯d show some restrain.


    Well, if she acted any different, that¡¯d just be weird.


    ¡°One more thing, Violet. Next year, if you think about getting another part-time job, come talk with me, ok?¡±


    ¡°Erm, I don¡¯t think that¡­¡±


    ¡°Not at Eleanor¡¯s company, I¡¯m talking about a project I have.¡±


    A project? This was a first I heard him talking about it. What kind of project was it? I was curious but he said it was still too soon for him to talk about it and that I should keep it a secret for the time being.


    Being so trusted by him, it was an odd feeling, especially when I asked if my dad knew about his plans. He did not.


    ¡°Hi there!¡± Abby cheered as she latched on to me after thanking her dad for bringing me back.


    ¡°Fufu, I¡¯m back.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave you two alone now,¡± Mr. Will said smiling.


    ¡°Ah! Mr. Will¡­ no, Will. Thank you again for driving me back home.¡±


    You should have seen the pleased face he did just because I dropped the ¡°Mr.¡± from the way I address him.


    ¡°Did something nice happen between you two?¡± Abby asked when we were alone.


    ¡°We just talked a bit,¡± I told her while taking a bite of the food she prepared for me.


    ¡°Ok, keep your secrets,¡± she chuckled, seeing right through me.


    You¡¯d think it¡¯d be hard to keep secrets from her with the way Abby can read me, but the way she respected my space, it was actually super easy.


    ¡°Tomorrow, wanna go somewhere?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Where?¡±


    I showed her the envelope I got. I was still to count the money, but I was certain it was a lot.


    Tomorrow, we¡¯d be celebrating.

 Celebratory Date

    My poor Violet, she just can¡¯t get a break, can she?


    Yesterday, after she arrived home, she had such a nice idea of us going to have lunch somewhere, but that seemed to be postponed at the moment.


    ¡°You came alone today?¡± the cashier asked as she took care of my groceries.


    ¡°Yeah, Violet isn¡¯t feeling well today.¡±


    Hopefully, after the medication and some rest, she was feeling better. It really got to her recently. That was why I was doing the shopping alone today. The list wasn¡¯t long, I already knew what products she¡¯d buy and the load wasn¡¯t anything heavy. Also, extra girlfriend points. Not that I was her girlfriend yet.


    Hmm, should I confess already?


    It has been lots of fun, this middle ground we¡¯ve been at, but I was kinda getting impatient about progressing and doing more stuff. You know, kissing and¡­


    Although¡­ maybe she wants to wait until eighteen for that?


    I shook my head and chastised myself for having dirty thoughts so early in the morning and with the girl I liked rolling in bed alone and in pain.


    Still, I was curious about her views on the matter. She did have a very religious grandmother after all.


    On the other hand, if she gave much stock to what that woman taught her, she wouldn¡¯t be all lovey-dovey with me, right?


    Then again, maybe she still wanted to save that for after turning eighteen. Or marriage.


    ¡°Marriage¡­ would that be ok?¡±


    The idea of spending my whole life with her was amazing, but tying her up to me like that? Was it ok for me to do that?


    You¡¯re being super pessimistic again.


    Good thing I caught myself doing that. It was still far too easy to let these intrusive thoughts win and drag me to a dark mindset. I had gotten better at avoiding and correcting them, but every now and them, one would slip by.


    ¡°Meow!¡± our kitten loudly greeted once I stepped inside her house.


    ¡°Hey Oliver, you silly cat. Did you miss me that much?¡±


    He let out another loud meow and chased after me as I went to the kitchen to put away the groceries in their respective place.


    ¡°Oliver, I can¡¯t walk like this,¡± I told him as he kept entangling himself around my ankles. He was so impatient when he decided it was time for one of us to pick him up and carry around. We were kindred spirits in that regard, much to Violet¡¯s chagrin.


    And speaking of her, it was time to see how she was doing.


    I picked up the furball and went to our bedroom, him purring so loudly, it sounded like an engine.


    ¡°Hey babe, how are you¡­?¡±


    It was then that I noticed what I called her now, and what I think I called her when I gave her back a massage. Babe. It came out so naturally, you¡¯d think it was what I usually used to address her, but no. Not even in my thoughts. In them, Violet was always Violet. Maybe Miss Evergreen, but that only happened once or twice, as a joke.


    I think I might have called her that in a few dreams now that I think about it.


    She grunted and rolled on her back, extending a hand to invite me to sit by her. Oliver wiggled out of my arm and went to lay on her stomach. I was going to take him out of there, but she told me to leave him be. I thought his weight might have made her more uncomfortable, but apparently, it helped.


    ¡°He¡¯s so spoiled,¡± I joked.


    ¡°Look who¡¯s talking.¡±


    I stuck my tongue out, prompting her to chuckle. She then invited me to join her, tapping the available space besides her body. I dove right in, of course.


    ¡°You still didn¡¯t tell me how you¡¯re feeling.¡±


    ¡°Better. I think I¡¯ll be able to go out today after all.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather stay instead, if you¡¯re not well.¡±


    ¡°¡­We can always go for diner.¡±


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    I told her to rest instead of worrying about us going out. If not today, we could always go another day when she didn¡¯t feel like her body was trying to kill her.


    ¡°Mmh-haah,¡± I sighed, taking to enjoying her company, heartbeat, and gentle bobbing up and down of her chest as she breathed.


    ¡°¡­Hey, honey?¡±


    I unshut my eyes and grinned from ear to ear, making my best to not starting to giggle and put her in a tougher spot than she already was by the simple fact she called me that.


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°¡­Where were you a while ago?¡±


    So, she hadn¡¯t thought what she was going to say after calling me honey, huh?


    ¡°Pfft, hehe. Grocery shopping.¡±


    I told her what I bought and got lots of caresses and smooches as a reward.


    Yup, I did good.


    Around lunchtime, she was feeling good enough physically for us to go out as planned. According to her, she was still feeling oversensitive emotionally. She was being a bit clingier than normal, that was undeniable. She made me sit on her lap and kept rubbing cheeks with me with lots of kisses in between all over my face and neck.


    There were lots of choices, and after some back and forth, we decided to go to a sushi restaurant. I had to tell her it didn¡¯t mean they only served uncooked fish and that there were other things on the menu. Curiosity and the fact I always wanted to go to one of those but couldn¡¯t won her over, and when we got there, we both agreed it had been a good choice.


    Separating the entrance from the dining room was a wall of paper screen with a sliding door. Once we walked through that threshold, we picked a table. Those weren¡¯t particularly noteworthy as they were very simple, a rectangle of wood with four metal legs and chairs of the same design and a bit of padding. It was the rest that was interesting to look at. Walls decorated to look like we were inside a traditional Japanese house and with some paintings following the same logic. There were also some bonsai around the checkout counter and two sakura trees in full bloom. The plants were fake, but it undeniably sold the mood they were going for. I particularly liked the interior lighting. It was all artificial, but since the lightbulbs were hidden behind the screens, it looked like natural light coming inside. I only noticed it after we left, it was that effective.


    ¡°It really puts it in perspective,¡± she hummed thoughtfully as she looked around.


    ¡°What does?¡±


    ¡°How this place can immerse you so well with such cheap stuff while not coming across as a try-hard. Unlike Le Perrot.¡±


    In her household, going out to eat wasn¡¯t a thing. Papa Stan worked a lot and, when none of them cooked for one reason or another, they¡¯d order.


    Well, not today. Today we were eating out, and at a place where we could eat to our hearts content while paying a flat fee, no drinks included.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have some iced tea,¡± I told the waitress.


    ¡°What about you miss? Should I bring the wine chart?¡±


    ¡°Erm¡­ I beg your pardon?¡± Violet asked, confused by being asked that.


    I snickered, finding it very funny how the lady thought Violet was of legal age to be drinking. She didn¡¯t take advantage, of course, but asked the same as me instead.


    Now, quick question. Questions, actually. Who do you think knew how to use chopsticks, if any of us did, and if one didn¡¯t know, who was the teacher?


    To my surprise, she knew how to use them. Her dad had ordered chinese enough times for her to have learned how to use them. We were having a flirtatious moment of her holding my hand and our faces so close, her breath tickled me as she taught me how to hold them when my phone rang.


    I thought it could be important, so I checked it.


    ¡°Tsk,¡± she clicked when I showed her the screen.


    Mathilda had once gain sent a text asking if we were free this weekend to hangout.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell her we aren¡¯t available then.¡±


    ¡°No, wait!¡± she urgently asked me. ¡°With this, how many times would we have turned her down?¡±


    Today would be the third time, I told her.


    She hummed as she thought about it, picking up a piece of cod and putting it in her mouth. She only noticed it then, but her reluctance about raw fish didn¡¯t stop her to start chewing. At first it was very slow, but after the third, she was eating like normal.


    ¡°Huh, it¡¯s way tastier than I thought.¡±


    ¡°Should we have brought Oliver?¡±


    ¡°Pfft! I think he¡¯s getting fat enough without that.¡±


    ¡°Not fat, extra fluffy.¡±


    She laughed again, echoing my words as she picked a second slice.


    ¡°Ahh.¡± I hummed with my mouth open.


    She turned a bit red, but she fed me the slice, making me turn a bit red too when I noticed a couple glancing at us.


    ¡°¡­I guess we should accept her invitation.¡±


    ¡°You sure?¡± I asked after swallowing the fish.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I don¡¯t want to be rude to her.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, you sure are nice.¡±


    ¡°Haah, I wonder¡­¡±


    I honestly thought she was. She didn¡¯t like socializing, and yet, here she was, going out of her comfort zone because she was taking Mathilda¡¯s feelings in consideration over hers.


    We ate far too much, and I do mean ¡°we¡±. I was to be expected to do that, but even Violet joined me in gorging herself. We had plans to go around the mall or park, but stuffed as we were and with how hot it was outside, we decided to go to my place for a good nap.


    With the AC making the air cool without it being cold and our drowsiness, we laid in bed not having bothered to put on our PJs after taking out our clothes, our chokers being the exception. She likely forgot about hers while I consciously kept mine.


    As usual, we laid like two peas in a pod, her shoulder being my pillow as I had half of my body on hers, her arms holding me close as her hands got a bit frisky, her lips caressing my forehead.


    ¡°Hehe, mind me doing the same?¡±


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t ask¡­¡±


    I knew I didn¡¯t have to ask for her consent, I just enjoyed her reaction. It always made a funny contrast with what she was doing.


    ¡°What should we do about dinner?¡± I asked as I nuzzled her neck.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ dunno,¡± she answered in a drowsy voice. ¡°Two pieces of toast¡­?¡±


    I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if that became our dinner. We ate enough for a whole day after all.


    ¡°Hey, Violet?¡±


    ¡°¡­Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Thanks for taking me to lunch. I really enjoyed it.¡±


    ¡°¡­Hmm, that¡¯s¡­ good¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Violet?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Babe?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    She was officially offline.


    Humph. Right when I was about to confess...


    It was after a nice date, with us cuddling in bed. There wasn¡¯t better of a moment for a confession than this, right?


    Not that there was a real need to say it out loud with how overt we were about how we felt for each other, but by doing so, it would give our progression some sort of extra specialness. It¡¯d also put a day in the calendar for us to remember and commemorate.


    Oh¡­ we didn¡¯t commemorate the one-year anniversary of us knowing each other¡­


    Would she play along if I mentioned it? I¡¯d ask her after we woke up, assuming I¡¯d be able to remember.


    ¡°Haah, this sure is nice,¡± I hummed quietly before falling into a deep and peaceful sleep.

 A New Friend?

    I was all set to go, and so was Violet, but unlike me, she still sat on the bed. As to be expected, she wasn¡¯t looking excited at all about us meeting with Mathilda. She¡¯d never kick a fuss, but with the way she was easy to read, Mathilda would know she didn¡¯t want to be there.


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember you being reluctant when we had our first hangout,¡± I told her, expecting some nostalgia would get her in a better mood and at least a bit excited about it.


    ¡°¡­Back then I didn¡¯t have. I mean, I did, but¡­ You know what I mean.¡±


    I was glad to see she only needed me in her life to be happy, but that was also extremely worrisome. I knew her, and I respected her, but¡­


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯d be good for you to have someone to talk with besides me?¡± I asked as I set my arms around her neck. ¡°There might be some stuff you either can¡¯t or don¡¯t want to talk about with me, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t like keeping secrets from you,¡± she told me, her head hanging even more.


    Did that mean she had some? I was very curious, but again, I respected her so I¡¯d keep it to myself. And with the way she was, if she thought it was important for me to know, she¡¯d tell me anyway.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it in that way. What if something comes up about me or us that you need some advice or to just vent out? That¡¯s what I was meaning when I told you that. Do you have anybody you can talk about that kind of stuff?¡±


    ¡°¡­I had Margaret¡­¡±


    The two of them were that close? That was a bit surprising, specially because she never talked about her workmate. But then again, if what they talked about was me and her, I shouldn¡¯t be surprised after all.


    ¡°See? Wouldn¡¯t it be good to have somebody else? And just to be clear, I don¡¯t mean as a replacement.¡±


    ¡°¡­I guess.¡±


    ¡°¡­Come on then!¡± I cheered as I grabbed her hands. ¡°We can go have a date after we are done with her.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I might feel like coming back home straight after.¡±


    That was fine with me too. Coming back home to cuddle while watching a movie was also nice. She¡¯d probably also start to smooch and play with me too. Yup, all of that sounded very nice indeed.


    ¡°By the way babe, do you think you¡¯d like to come with me to buy some clothes?¡±


    ¡°New clothes?¡±


    ¡°You know, that style change I¡¯ve been thinking about lately.¡±


    ¡°Erm, sure. Honey.¡±


    Calling me that was an afterthought, but one that tickled me the right way.


    Since she was already up, I turned around and pressed my back on her while sweetly asking her to call me that again.


    ¡°¡­No,¡± she meekly refused.


    ¡°Pretty please?¡± I pleaded, rubbing my nose on her neck. ¡°I promise I¡¯ll behave.¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t mind if you don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, trust me, I know,¡± I giggled back, turning around and pulling her head down to nibble her jawline.


    My teasing backfired¡ªnot a complain¡ªbecause it flipped some switch in her, and Violet ended up getting so into messing with me that we got to the meeting place a bit late. Not that big of an issue really, it was only by five minutes, I got to be called honey a couple more times, and it got Violet in a way better mood than before. Who¡¯d ever have guessed that tickling and osculating me would ever make her that happy? I certainly would. I¡¯d call anybody saying that a big fat liar.


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    ¡°Did you two change something about your skincare?¡± Mathilda asked after we exchanged greetings.¡±


    ¡°Erm, no,¡± I answered.


    ¡°Really? That¡¯s odd.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°You two look prettier than before, somehow. Like, you two are kinda¡­ glowing, I guess?¡±


    I used the fact Violet quit her job and now we both get a lot better sleep as a result as the excuse. It certainly was partially the reason, along with how much we acted lovey-dovey when nobody could see us, but that would stay a very well kept secret between me and Violet. Assuming Violet could connect those dots.


    ¡°So, what are we going to do girls?¡±


    ¡°Violet?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Erm¡­ h-how about¡­ a movie?¡±


    A place where we could be out of the sun she so hated, and that we wouldn¡¯t talk all that much, huh? Nicely played. It got my vote at least.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m glad you say that! There¡¯s this movie I wanted to see, but nobody else seems interested,¡± Mathilda said, sounding awfully excited.


    ¡°Ok, let¡¯s watch it then,¡± Violet said, getting hooked on the idea of not having to talk for a long while. Not me though. I was worried what kind of movie it was for only Mathilda to be interested in, so I asked her about it.


    ¡°Well, you see¡­ this movie is a romance with two female leads.¡±


    I quickly understood where this was going, but it took a bit for Violet to get on the same page.


    ¡°Between the two?¡± Violet asked.


    ¡°Yeah. And also¡­ I heard there¡¯s a¡­ spicy scene between the two. Nothing explicit! Nothing explicit, but¡­¡±


    Had she planned this? She couldn¡¯t, but Violet was probably thinking that. I was too to a certain extent, but how could she predict we¡¯d suggest going to the cinema? Then again, she began by asking us for suggestions. She was a dangerous girl, wasn¡¯t she?


    I turned to Violet. The poor thing had cornered herself into a hard spot and wasn¡¯t going to say no, was she?


    ¡°Well¡­ if it¡¯s not explicit¡­¡±


    Yup, I guessed it.


    ¡°Thank you so much! You can¡¯t even begin to guess how much embarrassed I was feeling about going to watch it alone!¡±


    Well, even if she had planned this out with some ulterior motive, she seemed genuinely excited about watching it.


    ¡°You see, the director of this movie is my favourite one, but he always does movies that are more¡­ fringe. His horror ones are amazingly good! Like, he uses the usual tropes, but he twists them into something new! And I don¡¯t mean just the horror movies, I mean ALL of them! It¡¯s like¡ª¡±


    She kept going on and on all the way to the cinema, barely even breathing. The result was Violet already looking at a third of her battery when we got there.


    ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± I whispered to her while Mathilda went to buy our tickets. Since we were doing something she wanted, she demanded to be the one paying for everything.


    ¡°I mean¡­ if it was that raunchy, they wouldn¡¯t let minors like us watch it, right?¡±


    ¡°Babe, I¡¯m the only one of the three that looks like a minor,¡± I pointed out before thinking it through.


    Violet got very red at the possibility of seeing something she thought she shouldn¡¯t, so I pointed at the movie poster.


    ¡°Look, it says it is rated for sixteen plus, so we are in the clear. They can¡¯t be showing too much if it got that rating, right?¡±


    ¡°R-right¡­ y-yeah, of course not.¡±


    Mathilda soon returned to us while happily waving our tickets. She thanked us again for coming with her to watch it, permanently burying my suspicions about her having planned this due to what she thought was going on between me and Violet. I had to pretend to be excited about stuff for so long, I¡¯d like to say I¡¯m some kind of expert in catching on to the fakery.


    We sat somewhat in the middle of the room, the total amount of people being counted with two hands, and after way too many commercials, the movie started. Right off the bat was the scene Mathilda told us about. It was with the two women in bed, but the camera never moved beyond their faces as they kissed and there was the narration of a man we soon found out was the father of one of them. You see, one of the girls was his daughter and how she got with her brother¡¯s bride. The engagement was all just a farce, and idea the three involved had to hide the relationship of the two girls from him. It was quite the rollercoaster, let me tell you. There were no pauses since there were so little people inside, so we got to enjoy it in one continuous go, something I saw as a blessing. But what about Violet?


    ¡°¡­That was¡­ something else,¡± she said hollowly.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t like it, did you?¡± Mathilda asked.


    ¡°Not exactly¡­ I think I needed a break to digest what was going on.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah! I get what you mean! His movies are always so hard-hitting, it¡¯s difficult for newbies to watch them in one sitting!¡±


    Yeah, Mathilda was a bit odd in her tastes in movies. It made me wonder about everything else.


    And to my surprise, the two were chatting along just fine with me holding Violet¡¯s hand while sitting in the sideline as opposed to how it usually went. Maybe because Violet had grown used to my excitability and that allowed her to better deal with Mathilda?


    ¡°I certainly didn¡¯t expect the father to die in an accident before he could tell his daughter he gave her his blessing.¡±


    ¡°Right! And it didn¡¯t come out of nowhere! They clearly alluded to the cause when he kept having problems with his tractor! He even said the tractor would be the death of him as an off-hand comment!¡±


    ¡°Hehe.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Why are you laughing?¡±


    I was just happy to see my Violet being so sociable now, despite how much against it she was before we left the house. It made me feel strangely proud of her. I¡¯d be very sure to tell her that once we got home.

 Chapter VIII

    Yesterday¡¯s movie had my head all jumbled up. It simply wouldn¡¯t go away, the story it portrayed. It made me think a lot about my relationship with Abby.


    For example, after the two main characters¡­ made love, they shared a promise of love and always being together. That was something Abby and I couldn¡¯t do, not because we didn¡¯t believe in that, but because, I think, Abby would hate to ¡°chain¡± me to her like that. Little did she know I already did that promise to myself multiple times already, but as long as I kept it a secret, she wouldn¡¯t be burdened by it.


    The characters also didn¡¯t behave in a way I could agree with. I liked the story a lot, but still, I disagreed with the characters. I guess that just goes to show how good of a director the creator is? Anyway, I could understand why they did it, there not being any support from their families except the brother, but I still thought they should have just eloped instead of going through so many lies. We weren¡¯t doing that, but¡­ we weren¡¯t exactly being transparent either. None of us has confessed too, so it all boils down to it. I still wouldn¡¯t do it yet though.


    The final part that was sticking out was the father. How he was super glad about the engagement, but then felt betrayed by all the people he loved before realising and coming to terms with the reason why and finally accepting his daughter for whom she was. Sadly, the tractor he used to work the fields run him over and he never got to tell his family how he now felt.


    I need to tell dad.


    We were accepted by both our parents, but my dad was yet to be told by me about my feelings for Abby. It just wasn¡¯t fair. It wasn¡¯t fair that he didn¡¯t hear it from me yet, that he¡¯d be told after I told her father, and it wasn¡¯t fair for him or Abby that I was already acting like I was dating her without his blessing and having confessed to her.


    No, first I¡¯d talk with him, then I¡¯d confess to Abby, and then we¡¯d tell them at the same time about our relationship during one of our¡­ family diners, I suppose is what I¡¯d call them.


    ¡°Ah! I¡¯m gonna be late!¡± I gasped out of my light sleep as I suddenly remembered I had to go to work.


    ¡°No you don¡¯t, silly,¡± Abby moaned as she rubbed her face on my chest. ¡°It¡¯s been days since you quit and it¡¯s not even eight in the morning. Rest.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ Y-yeah¡­ now that you mention it.¡±


    At the start of the holiday, I¡¯d jolt awake thinking I was late to school. Now that I was over that, would I have to deal with this? My damned brain simply didn¡¯t know to relax, did it?


    ¡°Knock, knock, kock.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± Abby asked.


    Nobody answered from the other side of the door.


    Abby looked at me, her yes asking for confirmation about the knocking, something I gave her with ¡°I heard it too¡±.


    ¡°Knock, knock, knock.¡±


    ¡°Is it Oliver?¡± Abby wondered out loud.


    I found it very hard to be such case. ¡°Cats don¡¯t knock,¡± I told her. Scratching, yes, but those weren¡¯t that, it was clear as day it had to be someone on the other side using their knuckles on the wood.


    Abby grunted as she stood up after the third time, tossing me my shirt and putting her¡ªwhich also happened to be one of mine¡ªon before opening.


    She was looking forward when she opened the door, but quickly both our eyes were cast down when we heard Oliver meowing his thanks as he walked inside.


    ¡°Well¡­ I guess our cat does,¡± I concluded.


    He was purring at full throttle as he collapse on the floor, looking like he was smiling with his eyes ready to sleep.


    ¡°Are we sure this is a cat and not a person turned into one?¡±


    At this point I was willing to take her joke as a fact.


    ¡°Hey, babe?¡± Abby called out while we were preparing our lunch. She showed me her phone, there being a message from Mathilda on display. She was asking if we were willing to watch some more movies of that director.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll need some time to recover, but ok.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± she asked, sounding exaggeratedly surprised.


    ¡°What? It was a good movie.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re so willing to hang-out with her again.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Well¡­ it¡¯s to watch a movie, so I don¡¯t have to worry about holding a conversation.¡±


    ¡°Hmph, had I known that before.¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you jealous?¡±


    Without skipping a beat, she leaned on me and gave me a very impish smile. ¡°If I say yes, what will you do to make up for it?¡± was her challenge.


    I had my hands dirty, but I still gave her a very tight squeeze and a nice smooch on her soft cheek. I hit the spot just right judging by the happy noise she let out. Then came Oliver asking for his share.


    ¡°Haah, yes, yes. Give me a moment,¡± I told him to at least silence his constant pleads. This was a common occurrence in the house.


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    Abby laughed while she went back to work, me washing and drying my hands with him rubbing his body all over my ankles as he impatiently awaited his turn.


    ¡°There. Is that enough?¡± I asked after a fair while of me rubbing his head and chin.


    His answer was to grab my hand with his mouth and pull it towards him. It was funny how he didn¡¯t put any force into the bite. It was particularly funny how he hugged my hand while I gave his fluffy, black-spotted white belly a nice rub. I felt his claws, but not once did I feel like he¡¯d scratch me. Spoiled and needy as he was, he was still a very good boy.


    ¡°Now I feel like getting one too,¡± Abby chuckled.


    ¡°Tsk, would you two give me a break?¡±


    ¡°What about after lunch?¡±


    ¡°¡­Fine.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, yay!¡±


    Her phone rang a second time, but this time it was from my dad asking if it was still a good time for having extra food made. William was invited to joining us.


    ¡°Oh, your dad wants to eat with us? Sure. We were making extra any¡­ wait, why is he texting you instead of me?¡±


    ¡°Because you like peace and quiet and since I¡¯m with you, I get to choose the right time? Something like that?¡±


    Fair enough, I suppose. I rolled my eyes anytime I received a text that wasn¡¯t from her. How did I know when it was and when it wasn¡¯t? Because she was with me all the time.


    Come to think of it¡­ she hasn¡¯t slept alone once since the holidays started.


    Maybe she didn¡¯t feel like she needed to? That¡¯d be great. Therapy has been going well, and her sleep diary also showed a lot of improvement.


    "..."


    That got me in a funny mood.


    ¡°Hehe, what¡¯s gotten into you?¡± she asked as I clung to her again, my lips tickling her neck. She tasted sweet as usual, but also, a bit salty.


    ¡°I just felt like it.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? That so, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. That so.¡±


    She giggled some more while covering my hands with hers. And while this was very nice, she reminded me we needed to cook and that Oliver would get jealous again if I played with her too much.


    We¡¯d have to continue this later.


    ¡°Oliver, don¡¯t fill William¡¯s pants with fur!¡± I scolded when he began rubbing himself all over William¡¯s ankles.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right Violet, these need to get washed anyway,¡± he assured me as he picked Oliver up, effectively making him disappear in his hands. ¡°And speaking of which, thanks for having done the laundry the other day. It saved me a trip just for that.¡±


    With how much time I spent at his place and how much Abby helped me around my house, it was only fair I also helped around his place.


    Abby approached her dad with a wide smile, pointing at the kitten while bragging about keeping up with her word about taking good care of him.


    ¡°I¡¯d say you might be taking good care of him a bit too much,¡± he said in response, showing the belly he was rubbing with a single finger, Oliver looking very delighted by it with his semi-closed eyes and full-on purring.


    ¡°H-he¡¯s not fat! He¡¯s extra fluffy!¡±


    That certainly was one way of putting it that only Abby could come up with.


    After lunch, the grown-ups went about their business, and so did we. No, we didn¡¯t get to flirting and skinship, it was too hot and we were too full for that. Instead, we took a nap¡ªbecause sleeping is the fast-forward of the real world¡ªand after that, we got ready for our usual walk.


    ¡°Hat?¡±


    ¡°Check,¡± I confirmed as I tapped it on top of my head.


    ¡°Sunscreen?¡±


    ¡°Check,¡± I said as I offered my hand for her to sniff.


    ¡°Cute girl to walk with?¡±


    ¡°Double check,¡± I said as I took her hand.


    ¡°Hehe.¡±


    These interactions never got old, somehow.


    Personally, it was these simple and quite silly goofing around that were the best shows of our mutual love. Something that was reserved for just the two of us. Even if we¡¯d get a bit too lost in our own world and share it with anyone who had eyes and ears.


    ¡°Hmm? Oh, we are here.¡±


    ¡°Here where?¡±


    I looked at Abby and back to the building on the other side of the street. To an apartment on the forth floor out of six to be more precise.


    ¡°This is where my grandmother lived before she passed away.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, that so, huh?¡± she hummed as she accompanied my gaze. ¡°Who lives there now? One of your relatives?¡±


    ¡°No, she left it for the church.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right?¡±


    I wish I was. It was a nice place, a lot closer to the town centre and school, unlike were Abby and I lived. The place was also a lot more recent and as a result, better isolated. My grandmother really had picked a nice place to live after having sold her previous house, she having grown tired of living in such a huge place all alone.


    Not that the apartment was small, oh no, it was quite spacious actually. Three bedrooms, two of them with their own bathrooms, a common one for guests, a nicely sized kitchen and a living room where she¡¯d comfortably gather her church friends to talk and gossip in her religious sessions. Those were never no less than six or eight people. I lost count how many times I served tea during said meetings.


    ¡°So, she used you as a maid then?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I guess you can say that, but it was her teaching me to be homey.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see¡­ Well¡­ I guess she succeeded in that.¡±


    Yup, I guess she did. Kinda made me wonder what else I could attribute to her teachings. Well, there was the cooking, cleaning, punctuality and my fussing over messing up.


    ¡°Essentially, would you say she was educating you to be a housewife?¡±


    ¡°Yup, that¡¯s exactly it.¡±


    ¡°¡­Would you like to have been raised differently?¡±


    Her question carried a lot of weight. She was asking me that and clearly thinking I might have some regrets over it like she might have.


    From playing around to such a serious talk¡­


    I don¡¯t think it was a bad way to have been raised. I mean, sure, a lot of it is ingrained in me, but I can just work and change the aspects I don¡¯t like or don¡¯t wish to follow. I was already partially doing that by dating-but-not-yet-dating Abby. And if I hadn¡¯t been raised like I was, would I have been so supportive of her as I had been and continue to be? Not with my do-not-bother-me personally, I wouldn¡¯t.


    Even if I didn¡¯t see eye to eye with grandma, I have to say, I think she did a good job with me.


    ¡°She didn¡¯t have it easy anyway.¡±


    ¡°Because of you mum?¡±


    ¡°That too, but I was thinking about me being born out of wedlock.¡±


    ¡°Right, your parents never got married.¡±


    ¡°I think that was a great source of internal conflict for her.¡±


    ¡°¡­Specially because you look so much like your mum.¡±


    She had been a strict woman, and in a way, she felt a bit of shame due to my coming into existence, but it was as Abby said, I looked a lot like my mum. That couldn¡¯t have been easy for her.


    I believe she still loved me, but between her love and her religious dogmas and ideals¡­ in the end she chose the latter by leaving everything she had to the church.


    ¡°I don¡¯t resent her for it, but¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­It still hurts?¡±


    ¡­I guess that was it, yeah. It hurts a little to be denied recognition like that. I didn¡¯t want the apartment, or the gold grandma had, nor what she had in the bank. In the end, I think I just wanted for her to say¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you two talk before she died?¡±


    ¡°No. She died of a stroke in her sleep. One minute she was sleeping, the other, she was at the pearly gates talking with S. Peter without even knowing how she got there.¡±


    Abby hugged my arm and rested her head on my shoulder to offer me some comfort as we kept walking in silence.


    It had been a while since I last shared so much about me. I wished it had been something a bit lighter. Abby was very sensitive to these kinds of things after all.


    ¡°Well,¡± she said as she suddenly hopped in front of me, leaning slightly forward with one leg extended and only making contact with the heel on the ground and hands behind her back. ¡°I for one give thanks for you existing and being the way you are.¡±


    ¡°Pfft, fufu. I¡¯m sure you do.¡±


    And just like that, the previous mood had returned.


    What mattered the feelings and ideals of the dead? There¡¯s a lot of me that I got from her, but I was me, and I was alive and that was what mattered. I¡¯d live the best life I could according to my own ideals. And if Abby was there too, all the better.


    The hot summer sun shone above us, but Abby¡¯s smile shined the brightest.

 Chapter IX Part 1

    Abby shook me awake, reminding me we had made plans with Mathilda for today. At least I think that was what she was telling me, but I couldn¡¯t hear clearly over the rustling of the bedsheets as I rolled on my stomach and buried my face on the pillow.


    ¡°Gee, how many hours do you need to sleep, lazy girl?¡± she asked as she sat on me, each bent leg on one side of my body as she used my bum as a seat.


    I¡¯d like to say eight, like any other people on average need, but I felt like it was actually more.


    ¡°Yeah, in your case it has to be at least ten,¡± she half joked as she started massaging my shoulders just so I¡¯d stay awake.


    ¡°Mmh¡­ that feels nice¡­¡±


    ¡°Hehe.¡±


    I was too stupefied by my sleepiness to realise how much inappropriate noises I was making as she worked her magic hands, but once I took notice, I became wide awake very quickly.


    ¡°I take it you¡¯re awake now?¡± she teased as she run the tip of her finger around one of my burning ears, her weight shifting to completely laying on top of me.


    ¡°Y-yeah.¡±


    ¡°Then, can we start getting ready? Can I pick your clothes?¡±


    I still wasn¡¯t quite ready to leave the bed. I rolled around to be able to face her. She sat up and was going to dismount, but I held her in place.


    ¡°Babe, we don¡¯t have time for this,¡± she told me with a wry smile.


    I didn¡¯t care, I still pulled her down, holding her in place and making sure she had an ear over my heart.


    ¡°Just five more minutes,¡± I told her as a call back.


    ¡°Pfft, ah-haha. Ok, fine,¡± she laughed.


    I let out a pleased sigh. This was my version of paradise. Not worrying about anything, having her held tightly against me and her perfume flooding my nose as she made her happy noises in response to my sigh.


    ¡°Hey, babe?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°¡­Have you gotten bigger?¡±


    Of course, her teasing me was never too far away to partially ruin the mood. Well, I suppose saying she ruined it was a wrong way to put it. She shifted it to a different one.


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s been getting a bit tight around my chest and hips,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°Oh-ho? You think it¡¯s about time for us to go get you some new clothes?¡± she asked very excitedly.


    ¡°I guess.¡±


    ¡°How about tomorrow? Can we take care of that tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°¡­Why are you so excited?¡±


    ¡°Because, my dear Violet, I too want to buy new ones, remember? Let¡¯s pick some for each other!¡±


    I was sure she¡¯d be able to choose clothes that¡¯d fit me with no issues, but I wasn¡¯t sure I could do the same, specially with the style change she had planned.


    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t need to worry about it,¡± she told me with her chin resting on my sternum. ¡°Just pick them like you¡¯d pick for yourself.¡±


    ¡°You want to dress like me?¡±


    ¡°You think it would look weird if I did?¡±


    It was a bit of a jump, to be more accurate. It¡¯d suit her, I have no doubts. It¡¯s not like she didn¡¯t have the habit of wearing my own clothes when around the house. The turtleneck I gave her during the winter looked good on her too, as an example.


    Hmm¡­ would she be mad if I picked clothes that looked a bit oversized for her?


    There was something very charming about seeing her hands half-covered by the sleeves. Then again, it was summer and that was winter clothing. I¡¯d have to have a good think about summer alternatives.


    As we approached Mathilda¡¯s address, I was thankful Abby was with me to keep my mouth from hanging open.


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    It was a long trip, her house being in the complete opposite side of town where we lived, and it was also the nicest too. Modern, high status, and very, very expensive looking.


    ¡°Her parents must be rich!¡± I hushed after Abby pushed my mouth closed when we stepped out of the bus.


    ¡°I suppose these are new news for you, but yeah, they are,¡± she confirmed very matter-of-factly.


    Of course Abby knew, her mother brown-nosed anyone who had cash aplenty.


    ¡°Hi girls!¡± Mathilda cheered at her door. ¡°Looking good!¡±


    My first reflex was to echo her words after saying thanks, but since she was wearing pink shorts and t-shirt and fluffy slippers, I quickly concluded it¡¯d sound silly. She looked very comfortable, I¡¯ll give her that. For some reason, I was expecting her dressed all lady-like, not like someone who just got up. And I¡¯m not saying like she was a mess, oh no, she had her hair neat and held back by a bandlet.


    In the end, I concluded it didn¡¯t matter how she presented herself inside her own house, as long as it wasn¡¯t in the nude or with a hockey mask, axe and apron cacked in blood.


    ¡°Hehe, I picked her clothes and made her a braid,¡± Abby bragged, ignoring the fact she had been included in the compliment.


    ¡°It¡¯s very nicely done,¡± Mathilda commented as she reached out.


    I had a bit of a chill as she run her fingers through my hair, Mathilda noticing my reaction and promptly apologising.


    ¡°N-no, erm¡­ sorry, I¡¯m not used to having others touch me,¡± I excused, despite the fact Abby was hugging the arm which belonged to the hand she was holding.


    ¡°Yeah, it took me about a month of constantly being around her until Violet finally got used to us hugging for more than a second,¡± Abby added, giving some much-needed context I had been too inept to offer.


    Mathilda invited us inside with a gesture while commenting it was hard to believe that with how close we always were.


    When we got inside, Abby had to once again push my chin up to shut my mouth. Her hallway alone was bigger than my living room.


    ¡°Have you decided what we are going to watch?¡± she asked as she guided us up the stairs to her bedroom.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to see that horror movie you mentioned, but¡­¡±


    Abby¡¯s words drifted away as she looked up at me, making Mathilda ask if I wasn¡¯t good with scary stuff.


    ¡°I am, Abby is the one who isn¡¯t,¡± I clarified.


    ¡°She¡¯s afraid I¡¯ll have nightmares and make her come to the bathroom with me during the night.¡±


    ¡°¡­You two are sleeping together tonight?¡±


    Was she asking it as a sleep-over, or¡­ no, it had to be the former. No one would be that shameless to ask about our sex life so bluntly. Not that there was one yet.


    ¡­I¡¯m sorry, ¡°yet¡± you said?¡±


    When had I become so dirty minded?


    ¡°I mean, it¡¯s summer after all,¡± Abby answered. ¡°it¡¯s the perfect time for sleep-overs, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s also the perfect time for horror movies,¡± Mathilda smiled at me.


    ¡°See?¡± Abby said, tugging my sleeve. ¡°Mathilda thinks the same thing too!¡±


    ¡°Haah, fine. Just don¡¯t come whining to me when it¡¯s three in the morning and you can¡¯t hold it in any longer.¡±


    ¡°I-I won¡¯t be doing that!¡±


    That remained to be seen.


    Mathilda was still snickering when she opened the door to her bedroom. It wasn¡¯t a bedroom.


    It was a modestly big room with a popcorn machine, six absurdly comfortable looking chairs in the middle, reminding me of those massage chairs you sometimes see in malls, surrounded by sound columns and facing a big screen with a projector on the back. She had effectively a private cinema at her house, all her movies neatly stacked in shelves, from VHS and tapes to DVDs and Blu-rays. She even had laserdiscs, something I had never seen or heard before.


    ¡°Unfortunately, it never got such as widespread use like VHS and Betamax it was competing with, despite it having way better video and sound quality. Oh, and despite it looking like an oversized CD, it actually uses analog video signals. It simply couldn¡¯t compete with how expensive it was and with the fact it couldn¡¯t record TV programs like its rivals.¡±


    ¡°¡­Huh, interesting.¡±


    Mathilda was doing that thing again, where she¡¯d start talking really fast and with such a bright smile, it rivalled Abby¡¯s. It wasn¡¯t a bad thing, not at all, but it made it a bit hard for me not to feel a bit overwhelmed.


    ¡°Wanna compare later?¡± she asked, holding a tape in one hand and a laserdisc in the other, both being the same movie.


    Abby gave me a look that told me she already knew what I was going to say.


    ¡°Ok.¡±


    Abby acted all fluffy as she snuggled my arm. She knew better than anyone that I had a very hard time saying no when faced with so much excitement.


    She told us to take a seat while she prepared the popcorns. And here was I thinking the machine was purely decorative.


    She gave us each a small bucket of freshly made popcorn, rolled up the screen to reveal an equally large TV, dimmed the light and started the movie from her pad after taking her own seat.


    ¡°This is a fan-made 4K edit,¡± she told us.


    With such a setup, I was wondering why did she even bother going to the cinema. Was there something she¡¯d experience that I was too ignorant to realise? Probably. Maybe it was the communal side of it? That could be it, because it was the only think the antisocial me could come up with. Were it me in her shoes, I¡¯d only go out to the cinema if Abby really made a case for it, otherwise, we¡¯d always stay in the privacy of home.


    When we got out of the house, Abby and I clung to each other because that was what we always did. When we got to Mathilda¡¯s, we still clung to each other out of habit and perhaps also to keep my nerves in check. Now, we were clinging to each other because Abby was scared witless. It was exactly as I had expected, only worse, somehow. It was the sound system, you see? It was so well set up, we could hear each and every sound just like if we were in the movie. Abby¡¯s head was constantly snapping in the direction of each separate cling, clang, tap, etc.


    With how scared she was, I couldn¡¯t help but tug her in, prompting her to come sit on my lap, not caring about what Mathilda would think. It was a good thing we were watching it in the middle of the day, but I still wasn¡¯t sure this wouldn¡¯t come to bite us in our backside when sleep time came.


    ¡°Are you ok?¡± I asked when the movie finished and lights were turned back on.


    ¡°Y-yeah,¡± she told me with a very shaky voice. She looked just about to start crying.


    ¡°I told you this was a bad idea.¡±


    ¡°But I liked it.¡±


    ¡°You did?¡±


    She nodded.


    It¡¯s been a while since I felt like I couldn¡¯t understand her, but right now it was what I was feeling.


    ¡°Fufu, some people like having their hearts scared out of their chest,¡± Mathilda explained as she sat back down and gave Abby¡¯s back little taps.


    Why would anyone enjoy that? I wondered that as Abby snuggled against my chest, looking for me to comfort her.

 Chapter IX, Part 2

    When we got to the dining room, I had to close Violet¡¯s mouth again. She was too impressionable. It was an impressive we were at, but still.


    The food was already served, an older lady greeting and telling us to enjoy it before leaving through a door that probably led to the kitchen.


    Me and Violet were sat besides one another with Mathilda facing us from the other side. She chuckled as she saw us adjust our portions by having Violet pouring half of her food on my plate. I tried to push most of my bell peppers to her plate, but she blocked me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be picky,¡± she told me with her eyes.


    I can¡¯t win all the time and we were with someone we still didn¡¯t know all that well, so I didn¡¯t fight her reluctance and accepted the fact I¡¯d have to eat my least favourite food. If only it was made by her. She had a way to make it taste a lot less yucky. Was it technique? A specific species she used perhaps?


    My hands were still shaky from the movie as I took a portion of food in my mouth, some of the peppers mixed in to try and mask their flavour.


    Urgh! Bitter!


    ¡°Want me to take them out of your plate?¡± Mathilda asked.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine,¡± I said, thinking Violet would give me an earful later when we were alone. Besides, I wasn¡¯t a kid to be treated that way.


    The rest of the food was good though. Not as good as Violet¡¯s cooking in my¡ªvery-¡ªbiased opinion, but still good. I¡¯d like it best were it not for the bell peppers.


    ¡°Babe, could you pass me the salt?¡± I asked, thinking that, maybe, by adding a bit of salt, I¡¯d make them more palatable.


    She handed me the salt pitcher, but she was looking at me weird.


    What? Can¡¯t I not even add salt to the food?


    It wasn¡¯t that, but what else could it be? She was looking a bit red, so maybe she was feeling embarrassed by me asking?


    ¡°Do you also call her babe?¡± I heard Mathilda ask.


    I looked at her with the fork in my mouth, the realisation of why Violet had reacted the way she did making me want to apologise to her a thousand times before crawling into a hole.. I had messed up and called her by her sweetheart name.


    ¡°Erm¡­h-hon¡­ honey¡­¡± Violet squeaked very meekly while looking down.


    Mathilda showed the widest grin but didn¡¯t press the subject any further, but instead continued to talk about the movie we saw and what others we could watch. By the end of the meal, we had another three lined up.


    During the first, I didn¡¯t pay much attention, only enough to confirm the difference in quality between VHS and laserdisc, but then I rationalised I shouldn¡¯t be all that bothered by my mistake. It¡¯s not like we actively hid our feelings for each other. We did before, but now we were comfortable enough to not fuss over what others think. I¡¯d still talk about it with her once we were out of Mathilda¡¯s home, just to be extra sure things were ok and to remove the last lick of guilt in my conscience.


    After three movies, we decided it was time to bid Mathilda farewell for the day.


    ¡°Are you sure? I don¡¯t mind you staying for longer,¡± she said in a lamenting tone. ¡°You could even spend the night here.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but we are supposed to have diner with our family,¡± Violet explained, glossing over the fact we were the ones cooking today and that we also still had to buy groceries.


    Now, I had to find the right moment to bring up my slip up.


    The trip back was a no go due to the bus being full of people, the streets surprisingly lived in, and so was the supermarket.


    Or maybe I¡¯m being self-aware?


    Even now, as we entered her street, there was a lot of people around, some on the other side, others passing us by as each one of us held one side of the grocery bag.


    ¡°Abby, if you¡¯re still thinking about¡­ that, then let me tell you, it¡¯s fine. I wasn¡¯t expecting you calling me that in front of her, but it¡¯s not like we don¡¯t act in a way that¡¯d make it weird.¡±


    ¡°¡­Ok. I just wanted to be sure you were fine with it.¡±


    ¡°¡­I am. And from here on out¡­ no matter what we might do or say in public that comes naturally to us, don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    The reason why I was staring at her all love struck was because I had a strange sense of pride over her own personal growth. From someone who was so uncomfortable with even the slightest skinship in complete privacy to someone willing to support my neediness and even indulge in her own urges.


    ¡°Hehe, now I can¡¯t wait for our bedtime.¡±


    ¡°W-wha---¡ª? What dou you mean!?¡±


    I could tell her I was feeling like pressing our foreheads together and rub noses as I snuggled to her. I could, but I wouldn¡¯t. Leaving it to her imagination was far more amusing, and would result in even more fun later when she could finally put her hands on me after leaving her ideas stew for the next three or four hours.


    ¡°Abby?¡±


    ¡°I told you, I¡¯m not tellin¡¯,¡± I kept teasing.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it.¡±


    ¡°Then, what?¡±


    She looked at me with her mouth twisting side to side before shaking her head and telling me to never mind her.


    From the teaser to becoming the teased. What was she about to tell me before she second-guessed herself?


    I was already in bed, waiting for her to join me as I watched her take her top off. It had finally reached the hour for us to play.


    ¡°Tips on the first hug!¡± I cheered as I latched on to her.


    ¡°Pfft, fufu. At least let me properly get on my¡ª¡±


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    We both got a bit of a scare when a surprisingly loud crack or pop came from the bed as she rolled to her side with me on top of her.


    ¡°What was that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Urgh, please get up,¡± she asked, looking like she¡¯d murder someone.


    Protruding close to centre but more to her side was a lump that wasn¡¯t there before.


    ¡°Stupid mattress,¡± she hissed under her breath.


    ¡°What now?¡± I asked.


    She told me we were to flip it around, the lower side now coming to the surface. This one didn¡¯t have a lump. It had two.


    ¡°Right, this wasn¡¯t the first time this happened,¡± she sigh.


    We flipped it around again and then rotated it so the bottom became the head part. And after having to redo the bed, she wasn¡¯t looking like she was in the mood of doing anything.


    ¡°Sorry for making you sleep in such a lousy bed.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t make me, I sleep here because I want to.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know and that wasn¡¯t what I meant. I just wished everything you have to put up with in this house wasn¡¯t all so rundown.¡±


    Why was she sounding so negative? Was she always like this in her mind?


    I told her I didn¡¯t care about her household lack of high-end amenities, in fact, I enjoyed them.


    ¡°Maybe we should have accepted Mathilda¡¯s offer.¡±


    ¡°¡­Is this all because of how nice Mathilda¡¯s place was? How mine also is?¡±


    ¡°¡­I guess I¡¯m just being stupid for no reason.¡±


    I could kinda see where she was coming from. It was easy for me to say it didn¡¯t matter because when you have a lot, it doesn¡¯t bother you as much being in a place with less with you knowing and understanding why that is. Violet was the opposite. She had the bare minimum, and anything she had, it had to last for as long as possible. Seeing my old place, the new one and now Mathilda¡¯s place was rubbing on something she was very conscious of.


    ¡°This might not be much of a consolation, but at least you have a nice family waiting for you at home. Having money is nice, but more often than not, it involves sacrificing something else, and that usually is family. I had and have my dad, but not too long ago¡­ well, you know. And as for Mathilda, her parents very rarely come home. She practically lives alone in that house with only a housekeeper and another person or two of the staff coming around during the day.¡±


    ¡°Are you telling me she¡¯s alone in that house right now?¡±


    ¡°Most likely, yeah.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ Now I feel bad about refusing her invitation.¡±


    ¡°¡­Mind if I sleep on top of you tonight?¡±


    That was half a joke because I was pretty sure that spring would feel like it was stabbing her. We had previously slept in that manner many times before, but only for short naps, not a whole night.


    ¡°I¡¯ll just sleep on the couch today.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you have a guest mattress?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s stored in my dad¡¯s bedroom and I¡¯m guessing he¡¯s already asleep,¡± she told me as she got up.


    I reached out and grabbed her hand, telling her she couldn¡¯t go. I couldn¡¯t tell her it was because I might get scared due to the movie we saw in the morning, but she quickly figured me out. It¡¯s like they say, one bad thing never comes alone.


    ¡°What if we camp outside?¡±


    ¡°You mean, at the back of the house?¡±


    It had been a long time ago that I went camping for the last time, the place had a high wall, the nights were mild outside, and I saw a bunch of those candles that keep mosquitoes away while tidying up the place sometime ago. It¡¯d set a romantic mood, assuming she¡¯d go for it.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ maybe if we take a few blankets to serve as a mattress¡­¡± she thought out loud.


    We still discussed a few other possibilities, but none of them could beat the novelty of my suggestion, so we decided to give it a try.


    Oliver was very confused by our goings on, but he was a lazy cat, so he stayed in his own bed, curling his head close to his chest and covering it with his paws while we carried the stuff we needed.


    It was a nice makeshift bed we made and the candles let out a nice citrous scent as they burned, illuminating our resting spot with a mild light.


    The best part however was the fact we could see some stars. It was one of the advantages of living in the fringe of the town. We couldn¡¯t see them as clearly as if we were in the woods instead, but we could still see plenty of them.


    ¡°This sure is nice,¡± I commented while she kept petting my hair as I rested my head on her shoulder.


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±


    There was a pause between her words and a kiss to my crown followed by many others to my face as I moved my head to look at her. She was back into the mood, so we started to play again, only this time things were feeling a bit different.


    ¡°You ae so beautiful,¡± she told me with her nose brushing mine as she hanged over me.


    I combed her hair to one side to better see her face and noticed her eyes were staring at me with a different shine to them. Then it happened.


    ¡°Mmh! Mmh¡­¡±


    She kissed me. It was very sweet and soft, like she feared I¡¯d crumple into dust if she were to apply more force. And it was long, like she didn¡¯t want to break them apart.


    ¡°Mo¡ªMmh!¡±


    She didn¡¯t even let me finish asking for more, and she wasn¡¯t showing any signs of wanting to stop.


    ¡°You used your tongue,¡± I mumbled as I covered my lips with my hand during a break for both of us to catch some air.


    ¡°S-sorry, I¡­ I lost my control for a bit¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I liked it,¡± I said, surprised. ¡°Didn¡¯t you think they were yucky though?¡±


    She stroked my cheek, approaching her face to mine again while telling me that, true, she thought of them as such, but after trying it out with me, she had changed her mine. So we kissed again, our fingers intertwining like our lips. Until¡­


    ¡°Do you want to do it?¡± she asked.


    ¡°You mean¡­ you want to make love with me? Tonight?¡±


    She nodded firmly.


    It was all happening so fast, but I had waited for something like this for so long. I was so happy¡­


    Some time later, after a lot of awkwardness of us figuring out how to do it, we were back to the same position we were in before all had happened. School did a good job teaching us how it worked between a boy and a girl, but two girls? To their credit, the main subjects of sexual education were the prevention of passing around STIs and STDs and human reproduction, not how to actually do the deed. Such classes would most likely be rightfully illegal.


    It felt like a dream that I just had my first time with her, and yet, her heartbeat under my ear and her fingers running up and down my side, tickling and giving me chills told me it was all reality.


    ¡°You know,¡± she began before making a short pause. ¡°I had thought about talking with dad about us before confessing to you.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, you¡¯re too serious,¡± I giggled before remembering something. ¡°Ah! Do you think he might have heard us?¡±


    She pointed at the window that made me worry about it and told me it gave access to a small closed he always kept shut and that she didn¡¯t think we made much noise at all.


    ¡°Were we inside though¡­¡± she drifted as she returned her arm to under the covers.


    Good think the mattress broke on us then.


    I kissed her jaw, prompting her to look at me, her head now in good position for another proper kiss.


    ¡°Do you feel any different?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ personally, no. I thought that maybe I¡¯d feel more grown up after we had sex, but¡­ not really.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, same. And we didn¡¯t have sex, we made love.¡±


    ¡°Erm, is there a difference?¡±


    ¡°¡­The feeling behind it¡­¡±


    She looked at me, slightly dejected before saying she was sorry, getting me deeply confused.


    ¡°I wanted to say¡­ before we even kissed¡­ I wanted to say that¡­ that I love you, Abigail Gardener.¡±


    If happiness could kill, I¡¯d be dead tenfold right then and there.


    Suffice it to say, after such a heartfelt moment, we had another round before we resumed our first ever pillow talk.


    ¡°¡­I feel more connected to you though. And strangely at peace. You¡¯d think I¡¯d be stressing out before, during and after, but no. I¡¯m just¡­ everything is quiet and calm inside me.¡±


    I totally got what she meant. It felt like not only our bodies melded together, but also our minds, spirits and hearts. It was very strange, but peaceful, like she put it.


    ¡°Wanna do it again?¡± she asked, slightly rotating her body to be the one partially on top.


    ¡°Hehe, ok,¡± I told Violet while pushing her to her back. ¡°But I wanna be topsies this time.¡±


    When I woke up from a night of not much sleep thanks to my girlfriend¡¯s appetite, it was to her talking with someone.


    ¡°Oh, hi Oliver,¡± I greeted, joining Violet in his head rubbing session.


    Quite casually, she kissed me on the lips after giving me my good mornings.


    ¡°Hehe, I wasn¡¯t expecting that,¡± I said in the middle of my giggling fit.


    ¡°Dad saw us,¡± she told me, putting a stop to my laugh. ¡°I don¡¯t think he knows¡ªnor is he mad, but don¡¯t be surprised if he says something.¡±


    That explained how Oliver got outside. As for Papa Stan knowing, our clothes were all under the sheets, and you couldn¡¯t see through it, so there was no way of knowing we were in our birthday suits.


    I asked if she told him anything about why we went to sleep there to begin with.


    ¡°I, erm¡­ I was half asleep, but I think I did. I¡¯d certainly would have remembered if he got angry, so¡­¡± She picked Oliver up and looked at me, her face a bit red. ¡°He went fishing so¡­ do you¡­?¡±


    She was surprisingly carnivorous, my shy Violet. Either that, or I was too cute for my own good.


    Nevertheless, if she was going to act like that, it was hard to say no, even if I¡¯d have preferred being worked into the mood instead of asked.


    Violet hesitated for a bit, but she got up, me being able to see all of her. I was confused by that and asked if we were going back inside after seeing her walk to the door.


    ¡°I¡¯m just putting him in his bed or something,¡± she told me with one hand on the door handle.


    ¡°Why not do that after we make love?¡±


    ¡°¡­He¡¯d be watching us¡­¡±


    She¡¯d still get flustered over the weirdest things, huh? Good to know some stuff would never change.


    Come to think of it¡­ yeah¡­ It¡¯d definitely feel weird.

 Coming True

    My girlfriend still had a huge grin on her face as we arrived our destination. And when I thought the word ¡°girlfriend¡±, I too felt a huge grin form on my face. How could I not? It was a dream turned reality.


    Still¡­ what had come over me last night? It was clear to me, but at the same time, a bit hazy. From the beginning I¡¯ve been weak to her charms, that was part of it, but there was also how much I¡¯ve held back all this time. Her talking about how romantic our sleeping arrangements were was the straw that broke the camel¡¯s back.


    And while I had wished I hadn¡¯t jumped steps, I still had no regrets over it. It was par for the course for us to do so after all.


    ¡°Pfft, hehe.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I asked, also giggling.


    ¡°Just remembering how red you were while I scrubbed your back.¡±


    ¡°D-don¡¯t bring that up here!¡±


    ¡°Nobody¡¯s around, and it was nice, was it not? I certainly enjoyed our first couple¡¯s shower.¡±


    Another thing I was wondering how I went along with. She was right though, it was nice. Not having to contort my arms to wash my back certainly was a very nice consequence of my pliability.


    ¡°Hehe,¡± she laughed as she read my thoughts.


    Haah, whenever Abby is happy, she can only go at her own speed. A bit of a handful, but that¡¯s one of the many reasons I ended up falling for her, even if it can feel a bit tiring at times.


    Our first stop at the mall was the furniture store. More precisely, the mattress section. I had brought with me the last payment I got from the restaurant and was determined to spend it all in the best they had that I could afford. Yes, we could use the one reserved for the guests we never got, but then we¡¯d stop having one, creating yet another problem in case someone came visiting. Plus, it was also one with springs like my old one, and after having slept on one made of foam, I didn¡¯t want to go back to using anything else.


    ¡°Erm, babe? Don¡¯t you think this one would be good enough?¡± Abby asked when she saw me inspecting one in particular.


    I went to her side, looked at the price tag¡ªit was a budget one¡ªand placed both hands on it, pressing down with some of my weight.


    ¡°The other one is better,¡± I concluded out loud before going to see another one.


    I was evaluating a fourth choice when I noticed Abby looking at me very apprehensively.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just, erm¡­¡± she stammered as she searched for words, something that was rare to happen. ¡°Is it because of me?¡±


    Was I so headset on buying something I thought was more on her level?


    A small part of my reasoning was that, but there was a lot more going on in the backstage.


    An argument could be made that, in about two years, buying such an expensive ¡°commodity¡± now instead of something that ¡°would do¡± was excessive, but when the time comes, we can just take it with us since we have plans to keep sleeping tight like two peas in a pod. When we come for visiting, we could stay at her father¡¯s, or finally give the spare mattress at my place a justification for its name.


    Mostly, I wanted something that would make my¡ªalready¡ª sweet, beloved sleep even better.


    ¡°I see,¡± she said with a slow nod, a chuckle leaving her mouth before she kicked another tease. ¡°You do like your sleep.¡±


    For the longest time it was one of the few sources of reprieve I had until she came along. Since then, things changed, but my love for sleep was still going strong.


    ¡°Shame that we can¡¯t try one out before buying.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯d try one if that was allowed.¡±


    I¡¯d be careful not to get it dirty, but would others do the same?


    ¡°Can I help you?¡± an employee asked, and just in time too.


    There was a brief back and forth between me and Abby to decide which one we¡¯d take home¡ªthat was mostly left for me to decide¡ªfollowed by going to the counter to talk business. Delivery was needed, and so it was arranged before settling on the final price. A hefty sum, but one I could cover, some money still remaining at the end of the transaction, money I¡¯d use to pay for our lunches, I decided there and then.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that.¡±


    ¡°I know, but¡­ I want to treat¡­ my girlfriend.¡±


    My explanation sent her on one of her giggling fits.


    ¡°Say that again,¡± she asked in between her giggles as she rubbed her face on my armpit.


    I repeated it again, to her ear, as I hugged her close to see if I could make her settle down a bit, but only got me to join her in rocking side to side until she calmed down by herself. Well, I say calm down, but it¡¯s more accurate to say she slowed down her speed and changed gears before grabbing my hand and pull me along in a rush.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the clothing store!¡± she cheered very enthusiastically.


    ¡°This girl¡­¡± I thought before noticing the wide and goofy grin I had on my face as she pulled me along.


    ¡°I know! I¡¯ll pick some underwear for you!¡±


    That¡¯s erm¡­ it sounded a tad dangerous, somehow. Although¡­ maybe something more¡­ mature was in order?


    Hmm¡­ doesn¡¯t it defeat the purpose a bit if she¡¯s the one getting it for me?


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    I at least would prefer if she surprised me.


    ¡°Oh, and don¡¯t worry,¡± she said with a sudden halt. ¡°I won¡¯t pick anything wild or anything like that. Erm, why are you turning red? I said I won¡¯t be doing it.¡±


    ¡°I-it¡¯s nothing!¡±


    ¡°Pftt, could it be¡­ were you thinking that¡ª¡±


    ¡°I said it was nothing!¡±


    ¡°Pfft, ah-haha! Sure, sure.¡±


    Really, how dirty minded could I be?


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    She suddenly curled herself against me, my arm hugged against her chest, and looking awfully shy.


    ¡°Well, since we are dating now¡­ what do you think?¡±


    Right now I was thinking how unbelievably adorable my girlfriend was, and how weak in the knees I was feeling facing such adorableness. Next was how much I wanted to kiss her, but we were in public, so it would have to wait until we got home. It¡¯d most likely send Abby into another one of her fits if I kissed her so suddenly too.


    Her phone rang, putting our talk on pause, allowing me to try to cool my head while she talked with Mathilda about something.


    ¡°Sure I¡¯ll ask Violet if she wants to go. Yeah, most likely, but, hehe, she has been full of surprises lately. Yeah, talk with you later, bye.¡±


    In a few days Abby¡¯s parents should receive an invitation to Mrs. Fletcher¡¯s party, and Mathilda called before those invitations were sent to ask if we were going.


    ¡°Come to think of it, I only saw her at the party a couple of times, and on those occasions, she was either alone, or tailing Mrs. Fletcher.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t she have any friends?¡±


    ¡°You mean besides us? Yes, but none in those social circles, I¡¯d wager.¡±


    But Mathilda was so approachable! How could that be?


    ¡°But anyway, it¡¯s still a long time until then, so think about it at your own pace, ok?¡±


    A party filled with rich people? I had two minds about that. I know, shocking.


    Anyway, on one side, I was very curious to see if said party was like they portray them in the movies, or if it was all pure fantasy. On the other¡­ people. Lots and lots of people I didn¡¯t know and who might give me side-eyes when realising I didn¡¯t belong there. I¡¯d be with Abby, so that wouldn¡¯t be that bad. I¡¯d most likely be too focused on her to notice the other people around. Oh, and Mathilda. Mathilda would be there too.


    ¡°I¡¯m also looking for a dress,¡± Abby told me while we looked through what was available at our favourite store.


    ¡°A dress?¡± I echoed, very surprised by that.


    ¡°Yeah, I think I¡¯d like to look a bit more feminine when going on dates with you. Or do you think I¡¯d look weird?¡±


    ¡°No no no! You¡¯d look gorgeous in one!¡±


    ¡°Hehe, you think so?¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah! In fact¡­¡±


    I left her side to go fetch a simple summer dress I saw right as we walked in. Cute, fresh, simple, and it¡¯d match with the one I was wearing right now. You know, the one she gave me? That one.


    ¡°Yeah, I could wear that,¡± Abby said as I showed it to her once I got back to where I left her. ¡°Hehe, you¡¯ve been fantasising about me wearing one, hmm?¡±


    ¡°I-I erm¡­ hmm¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh? You admitted!¡±


    ¡°¡­Since those seniors wanted you to join their play as the Red Riding Hood.¡±


    She hummed and took the dress out of my hands, giving it a closer look.


    ¡°Maybe I should add a small red cape and hood to it?¡± she asked with a wry smirk while glancing at me, enjoying my second wave of embarrassment. ¡°It already looks the part as is.¡±


    ¡°Abby¡­¡± I whined.


    She laughed softly, pulling me down by the shoulder for a smooch on my cheek and an apology for teasing me so much today.


    I was fine with her teasing me, specially today. There was a lot to be celebrated, and Abby poking fun of me was one of her ways of doing that, as well as showing me her love in a public-safe manner.


    I followed her to the changing room, getting inside too without even realising it until she pointed that out.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like you haven¡¯t seen everything there is to be seen anyway,¡± she said with a shrug.


    Come to think of it¡­ we were now alone and out of sight.


    ¡°Erm, h-honey?¡± I asked to make her turn around.


    Waiting for us to get home was more of a pain than dealing with one of her fits, so I went ahead and gave her a kiss.


    ¡°Hehe, could I get another one?¡±


    As many as she felt like. Within reason, of course. Like I said, we were at our favourite store, so getting banned from it would be terrible.


    ¡°Hey, babe?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Have I told you that I love you lately?¡±


    Did she mean like in the last hour? Only two or three times. As for me¡­


    ¡°I love you to,¡± I told her as I closed the gap between our lips for a final kiss before I leave her to change alone.


    ¡°Hehe, silly.¡±


    Some time later, I was back at my place. Abby had gone to the gym, and there was the matter of the mattress delivery, so I¡¯d stay there until her return. Maybe after that we¡¯d go for a walk or something. The absurd heat of the house was giving me a hankering for ice-cream, and Abby never refused anything sweet.


    ¡°Come on! Move a bit!¡± I told Oliver who was merely looking at the toy I was waving in front of him.


    He yawned and came to curl on one of my feet, the lazy furball.


    Humph. Takes after me, I guess.


    The neediness of Abby, the carefree nature of my dad, and my love for sleep. What about William though?


    ¡­What even am I thinking about?


    The heat must be getting to my brain. I¡¯d go grab a drink from the fridge, but how hot I was feeling, and way Oliver was all nuzzled up to my foot and purring like a sports car engine which would make me feel super guilty convinced me to stay put.


    ¡°Look who they are, the cat and his momma,¡± my dad joked as he walked in. But where¡¯s the other momma?¡±


    ¡°Gym. Didn¡¯t know you were home already,¡± I commented back, my speaking skill taking a hit from the heat.


    He told me he and the guys got tired of cooking under the sun, so they cut it short, apart from Paul, Abby¡¯s friend whom I was yet to meet.


    Before, I didn¡¯t care about that, but now that we were dating for real¡­ should I ask Abby to introduce us? I think I should.


    And speaking about what I should do or not¡­


    ¡°Can we talk?¡± I asked dad.


    Asking wasn¡¯t necessary, the man could be put in charge of holding the world and he still would drop it on the floor if it meant he¡¯d do something for me, no matter how insignificant.


    ¡°Abby and I are dating now,¡± I blurted out before letting intrusive thoughts pop up and ruin my courage.


    ¡°You mean, finally?¡± he asked, smiling but still managing to annoy me enough to ask him what he meant by that. ¡°I mean, I¡¯ve been watching you two for almost a year now, and it had always been obvious this is where you two were headed. It was quite annoying seeing my thick-headed daughter being so dense and not catching on Abby¡¯s feelings. Sometimes I felt like¡ª¡±


    ¡°Dad, please!¡± I pleaded as I hid my face with my hands. ¡°Stop pointing out how dumb I was!¡±


    ¡°¡­Are you happy now?¡±


    I uncovered my eyes to see what expression he was wearing. It was the same loving one he always offered when he felt proud of me or remembered something I used to do as a child.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ very happy.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± he said with a nod. ¡°Still¡­ I think we need to talk about you two.¡±


    ¡°¡­About what?¡±


    ¡°Look, you two are at that age, and you are both healthy teens, and both girls, so there are no risks, but¡­ and I know you two went outside because the bed broke, but¡­ please, be mindful where you do it, ok?¡±


    ¡°D-dad!? D-don¡¯t bring that up! And who do you think we are!? Rabbits!?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying! And there¡¯s nothing wrong with you two¡­ you know¡­ I¡¯m just telling you to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Oh my God, shut up already!¡± I shouted as I tossed him a pillow before running into my room to hide. It was a lot hotter in there and Oliver was abruptly awoken, but in that moment I couldn¡¯t care less about that.


    Abby arrived a bit later after that. I hugged her as I sat on a chair and whined about the talk I had with my father while she combed my hair to pacify me.


    ¡°We got busted, huh?¡±


    ¡°Mmh-hmm.¡±


    We fell silent for a moment while she kept moving her hand through my hair until she asked if I¡¯d join her for another shower.


    I was sweaty, hot and feeling very needy, so I decided to ignore my dad¡¯s words and accept her invitation. It was just a shower we were having anyway.


    ¡°Hehe, yay!¡± she cheered as she broke our hold apart.


    I watched her grab one of the bags we brought from the store.


    ¡°Here! A present for later,¡± she told me with a wide smile.


    I asked what it was, but she only told me to look inside if I wanted to know. I went completely red after the fact.


    ¡°T-this is¡­!?¡±


    Abby was already on her way out of the bedroom, looking at me at her most mischievous state.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make me wait,¡± she hummed before leaving.


    Wait?! Wait for what?!


    Dad simply wasn¡¯t aware how charming Abby could be, nor how weak I truly was to her charms.

 Merry Christmas Everybody! (Bonus Chapter)

    The apartment was fully decorated with Christmas livery. Silver, green, blue, red, golden, if it was a colour of the season, you¡¯d find it greeting your eyes. Furthermore, Abby had placed a small collum in the middle of the room playing Christmas music, bringing an extra level of cheer to all of us inside.


    While the other three chatted in the living room as they waited for the food to be ready, Abby and I were in the kitchen merely waiting for the chicken to be cooked, using that as an excuse to afford us some space for flirting in whispers and our hidden hands playing with each other.


    ¡°Can you hold the fort for a sec?¡± she asked me after the bell rang.


    That was more a nicety than a real question. Of course I could, it was only her trying to ease the interruption.


    While she was cheerfully chatting with whoever it was at the door, I took a good look at our parents and her sister.


    The way Sophie looked at my dad¡­ yeah.


    ¡°I¡¯m back,¡± Abby announced with a poke to both sides of my ribs, making me jump in place.


    ¡°Who was it?¡± I asked.


    Paul had come by with his girlfriend to wish us a Merry Christmas, but since they were in a rush to join their own family dinner, they only stayed at the door.


    ¡°Hey babe, do you think we have time for me to change?¡± she asked, grabbing my pinkie.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, change?¡±


    ¡°Hehe, yeah. It¡¯s a surprise and I can¡¯t wait until we are done eating.¡±


    Now it was me who was burning with curiosity. It was still a good fifteen minutes until the chicken was at the right cooking point, that was plenty of time for hr to change too.


    ¡°Great! Meet me in the bedroom in a minute,¡± she told me before scampering off.


    So, I¡¯m getting the first look, huh? Nice.


    As her girlfriend, it was only fair, was it not? Or was I being conceited?


    ¡°Erm¡­ can I help in anything?¡±


    I didn¡¯t notice Sophie approaching the counter with how much immersed I was watching Abby walking away. That hop she carried in her step was a delight to watch.


    Not Sophie though, she was with an awkward mannerism around me, making me feel extra awkward in turn.


    ¡°Erm, no. Thanks, but I¡¯ve got things covered.¡±


    ¡°I-I see¡­ I saw you alone, so¡­¡±


    ¡°Abby went to get changed.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, get changed?¡±


    I chuckled when I heard her echoing my exact same reaction I had when I was the one being told that.


    ¡°Yeah, she had this surprise all planned out for after we ate, but she got impatient.¡±


    ¡°Haah, the same as always, that girl,¡± Sophie sighed with a small smile and a hint of nostalgia.


    ¡°¡­Do you think she got better, or is she more or less the same?¡±


    Sophie thought about it for a bit before answering¡­


    ¡°I¡¯d say she might be the same. I remember I usually had to buy her two gifts. One for the right day, the other, to calm her down.¡±


    She was indeed the same then, only I got extra loving to her as a compensation instead.


    And speaking of that, I asked Sophie to keep an eye on the chicken while I was going to check out on Abby.


    I knocked on the door and asked if I could come in. She opened the door with mischief in her smile and quickly fired away a question about why I was asking when I¡¯ve seen her naked plenty of times.


    ¡°Come on Abby¡­ I didn¡¯t want to ruin the surprise for you.¡±


    ¡°My, how mindful my sweetheart is,¡± she joked before disappearing behind the door.


    I walked in, and my jaw almost hit the floor.


    Abby had changed into a Santa dress. It had white fluff around the seams, a wide black belt around her waist, hanged slightly above her knees and had her shoulders completely exposed and the topmost part of the cleavage.


    ¡°So? Whaddaya think?¡± she asked with a twirl, the skirt of the dress making a very pleasant waving motion and almost revealing what laid beneath.


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    ¡°You look so cute,¡± I told her, not resisting putting my hands on her.


    ¡°Hehe, behave or I¡¯ll have to put you on the naughty list,¡± she laughed while I nibbled her ear.


    I paid her no heed and kept whispering sweet nothings while she melted on my arms. Until¡­


    ¡°Oh¡­! Erm, sorry¡­¡± Sophie stammered from behind us.


    ¡°Ah, sis! Good timing!¡± Abby cheered while skipping to her sister. ¡°I have something for you!¡±


    ¡°Erm¡­ for me?¡±


    ¡°Yup, that¡¯s what I said! Anyway, there!¡± she laughed as she pointed towards two bags on the bed. ¡°yours is the one on the right. Not that it would be hard to figure out by the size.¡±


    ¡°¡­Am I supposed to also change into one?¡± I asked, fearing the obvious.


    ¡°Obviously!¡± Abby said, almost like she was offended I had even asked. ¡°It¡¯s Christmas after all! Christmas!¡±


    What Abby considered adequate for each and every holyday was¡­ sketchy would be a way to put it. Still, if it made her happy, I¡¯d go along with it. It¡¯s not like the dress was much different in terms of coverage when compared to my other dress.


    ¡°Why would I put it on?¡± her sister asked, not being so easy as me.


    ¡°Oh? Don¡¯t you think papa Stan will say something about you looking good in it?¡±


    ¡°T-that¡¯s¡­!?¡± she choked, looking at me from the corner of her eye. I¡¯ stay true to my previous decision and ignore ¡°Could you not call him that?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Why? Because¡­ it sounds wrong!¡±


    Abby had her head so canted to the side, it looked like it¡¯d fall off any moment now. She really wasn¡¯t getting it. Honestly, I had grown so used to it, I had a hard time getting what she meant.


    ¡°Anyway, get changed you two, ok? I¡¯m counting on you!¡± Abby told us before shutting the door behind her.


    Now that we were alone, I was feeling very self-conscious. We both were.


    With how things were between us, I asked if I should leave, but surprisingly, she told me I could stay.


    ¡°I might not understand your relationship, but I can see you are crazy over my sister, and you¡¯re very serious in that regard, so there¡¯s no way you¡¯ll do anything,¡± was her reasoning.


    It was nice to see that, at least, she didn¡¯t see me as something¡­ perverse. At least not to that extend.


    ¡°¡­Thank you.¡±


    She looked at me, and somehow I had the feeling she was able to read me in that moment the very same way her sister could every time.


    ¡°Violet, look¡­ I truly think you¡¯re a nice girl¡­ it¡¯s the whole else that gets my head in a tangle. Ok?¡±


    Her words gave me some hope for the future.


    I was thinking about that and began changing with little concern over having her doing the same by my side. It¡¯s funny, in a way. She probably had the best figure out of everyone I knew, and despite me being aware of that, I never felt like taking a peek. And yes, I think she had a better figure than even Abby, but Abby was my type, not Sophie, so it ultimately didn¡¯t matter, did it?


    ¡°Violet, hold on for a second,¡± she called out before I left the room.


    I was a bit stunned, but she walked up to me to make so fine tuning to my outfit. I guess her older sister instincts kicked in?


    ¡°There,¡± she said when she was done.


    ¡°T-thanks¡­ Erm¡­ good luck¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    She was turning almost as red as our dresses, but she didn¡¯t spout a single word. At least it seemed like she wouldn¡¯t until I turned my back.


    ¡°You really are something else.¡±


    Once we arrived to the living room, Abby pulled us along to show our matching dresses to the male audience.


    ¡°Tah-dah! What do you guys think?¡± she asked, the only one not turning red out of the three.


    ¡°¡­Aren¡¯t they too revealing?¡± her dad asked.


    If he thought they were too revealing¡­ what did he think about my usual dress and the one I picked for Abby during the summer!?


    ¡°I for one think they all look very good,¡± my dad commented with his usual nonchalant mannerism.


    ¡°Hehe. Can you believe Sophie thought it would look weird on her?¡±


    My girlfriend¡­ what a sly girl she can be.


    ¡°Why? I think she looks great.¡±


    Well, at least it wasn¡¯t me getting targeted for all the teasing.


    It was time to serve the food, so I broke away and went to the kitchen to ready it for serving. There was plenty of it, but with everyone¡¯s help, we had it on the table in no time.


    We all feasted that night. Abby in particular. It was like her stomach had a hole at the bottom with how much food she gulped down. And as was customary of her, once she was completely stuffed, she got drowsy and needy, only, there was the matter of the dishes to wash.


    ¡°You girls go rest now, us men will take care of it,¡± my dad stepped up as he cracked his fingers.


    ¡°Oof, it¡¯s been a while,¡± her dad commented as he got up.


    ¡°How long exactly?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ I was in University then, so¡­¡±


    ¡°In the early fifteenth century then.¡±


    ¡°Smartass.¡±


    The matter of them being boss and employee had completely faded into memory.


    ¡°Hmm, so sleepy now,¡± Abby yawned as she stretched her body lazily, curling up to me afterwards. ¡°Still, there are still the presents. Hehe, I can¡¯t wait.¡±


    I looked under the tree and noticed something. There were still two gifts from her to me and her sister. I had thought the dresses were it.


    ¡°Nope, these were more like fanservice.¡±


    ¡°Fanservice?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s when cute girls dress cute clothes or swimsuits to please the audience.¡±


    ¡°You mean our dads?¡±


    ¡°Pfft, ah-haha! No silly. Me!¡±


    She really was a handful when excited.


    I looked at her sister. She still had to recover from the attention she got from my dad. Kinda reminded me of myself, funnily enough.


    ¡°Ally-hop!¡±


    Abby propelled herself off the couch and grabbed four gifts, distributing them between me, Sophie and our dads. For a matter of fairness, I too got up to grab and hand Abby the gifts I got for her and her sister.


    ¡°Can I open it? Can I?¡±


    ¡°Fufu, of course you can.¡±


    Could I tell otherwise if the situation demanded such? Hardly.


    Despite her excitement, she opened it carefully enough not to ruin the paper. Once she unravelled it, she lunged at me, saying she loved the gift I got her. It was a bit hard to breath, but it was only a short moment because it was Sophie¡¯s turn. She too got the same treatment.


    ¡°Oh¡­ You got me my favourite hand lotion,¡± Sophie said when she saw what I got her.


    ¡°Y-yeah. I noticed you commenting on how you were almost out of it.¡±


    ¡°Did I?¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah. A few days ago.¡±


    Our exchange was being awkward, and not without Abby adding fuel to the fire. She was looking at us with such a pleased smile, Sophie and I wanted to burry our heads.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing,¡± she said, acting all fluffy. ¡°I¡¯m just having the best Christmas ever, that¡¯s all.¡±


    How have her previous Christmases been before? The last one was stuff of nightmares and something I didn¡¯t even want to think about even in passing. This much would be the full extend I¡¯d do such.


    ¡°Merry Christmas, Abby.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, Merry Christmas Violet.¡±


    She looked at her sister for a moment, the two telepathically communicating something that made the older sister leave.


    ¡°Hunk down the couch for a bit,¡± she told me.


    I knew what she had in mind and so I did as she requested. I don¡¯t think we were fully hidden, but a kiss was undeniably in order.


    And so it went, our first Christmas dinner ever. One of many, I was sure.

 Chapter XI

    Today I was supposed to go to therapy in the morning, but Violet wasn¡¯t making it easy.


    At first, it was the usual stuff. We were spooning, me being the little spoon so, when I tried to get up when I woke up, Violet pulled me back inside the bed. I tried talking with her about it, but she was too drowsy and decided to cross a leg over me to better pin me down. Super cute and sweet, but right now, annoying. She was holding on to me so tightly, it was hard to turn around to face her.


    ¡°Babe! Babe, wake up,¡± I told her.


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t wanna¡­¡± she whined while snuggling me.


    ¡°Haah, why are you always so clingy in the morning?¡±


    ¡°¡­You feel nice to hold¡­¡±


    She was also very honest, as I already knew from past experience. Although that honesty has become more and more prominent with her wide awake.


    I combed away the mess of hair covering her face while telling her we¡¯d have trouble if she kept telling me such sweet nothings. She only opened one eye¡ªif we can call the miniscule slit ¡°open¡±, and after a moany groan, she moved to lay on top of me, putting my heart in full gear. If only she didn¡¯t seem to have gone back to sleep immediately.


    ¡°Ouch! What was that for!?¡± she whined as she rubbed the shoulder I bit.


    ¡°That¡¯s for you being so misleading! Humph!¡± I huffed as I got out of the bed.


    ¡°W-wha¡ª? What do you mean?¡±


    I stuck my tongue out and got out of the room, still putting on clothes.


    Stupid Violet, getting my hopes up. Falling asleep while we are having a moment. It¡¯s fine! That¡¯s just fine!


    I opened the door of the fridge and took out the milk and shook it. There was little left, so I didn¡¯t even bother to pour it into the bowl and started chugging.


    ¡°Abby wait!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I barked before keeping on drinking the milk until she pulled it away from my mouth.


    ¡°Abby, that¡¯s out of date!¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ I-I see¡­¡±


    I had just woken up with my mouth feeling a tad dry, making me think that was why it was tasting a bit weird.


    She took the carton out of my hand and shook it. Before, my mouth was dry, but now it was the carton. And how full of worry Violet was as she looked at me.


    I assured her about not having drunk all that much, so I should be fine, but she was still being fussy around me.


    ¡°Babe, for real, I¡¯ll be fine,¡± I told her more firmly while holding the hands she had on my face. ¡°You¡¯re kicking a fuss out of nothing. Worst case scenario, I¡¯ll be in the bathroom for a bit, ok?¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡± It took me a second to understand her sorry was more directed to what happened in the bedroom than in the kitchen. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I did that got you mad, but¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    One good thing that came out of drinking spoiled milk was, it gave me something else to think for long enough to be more clear-minded about what had happened.


    I apologised to her and explained what she had done, much to her embarrassment. Then, she offered me her apologies for doing that half-awake. According to her, she was somewhat aware while doing it, but once she got into a comfortable position, she immediately passed out again.


    ¡°Sometimes I wish I had that capability instead of being wide awake as soon as I open my eyes.¡±


    ¡°Haah, it can be a real problem though.¡±


    ¡°True, but so can having trouble falling back asleep when waking up in the middle of the night.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? But you actually fall asleep super easily.¡±


    Yeah, when I¡¯m sleeping with her, which now was every night. It¡¯s been months since I slept alone. I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to now, anyway. Not because of nightmares¡ªthose felt like shadows of a past long gone despite it being only a few months ago that I was tormented with them. I¡¯d just be missing Violet presence like crazy.


    Thinking and telling her that made us go all silly over one another, and we quickly got into kissing. It was only one kiss we shared, though.


    ¡°Ugh! I can taste the milk,¡± Violet complained with a twisted scow.


    ¡°Come on Violet! Give me some sugar!¡± I joked as I pulled her closer.


    ¡°Nuh-hu! We¡¯ll brush our teeth first!¡± she told me while pushing my face away from hers. ¡°And don¡¯t you have an appointment to go to?¡±


    ¡°Ah! I almost forgot!¡±


    I rushed to the bathroom. Before putting anything else in my mouth, I¡¯d wash away the bad taste with toothpaste since my Violet wasn¡¯t willing to do that.


    All this talk of taste and seeing the two toothpaste tubes reminded me of our first kiss. To me, I¡¯ll always associate mint with that. I wondered if she associated strawberry in her mind.


    There¡¯s a nice way to find out.


    I gargled, spat and rushed back to her.


    ¡°That was¡ªHmm!¡±


    Fast, yes. I was on a schedule and in the mood for making out.


    ¡°How do I taste now?¡± I asked, still hanging from her neck.


    ¡°Erm, like strawberries?¡± she asked a bit suspicious.


    ¡°And does that remind you of something?¡±


    ¡°Erm¡­ no, not¡­¡±


    She got quiet, but the colour of her face spoke volumes, and with some prodding and teasing, I made her say what I already knew she¡¯d admit remembering: our first kiss.


    The second place I kissed was where I had sunk my teeth and properly apologized for having acted that way.


    Violet simply told me to sit down while she prepared our breakfast.


    We casually talked about nothing in particular. The idea was to enjoy each other¡¯s company as much as possible since it¡¯d be about an hour until I came back.


    ¡°You sure you don¡¯t want me to come?¡± she asked after I kissed her goodbye.


    I saw no point in her coming. What afflicted me the most had been the nightmares, and like I previously stated, those weren¡¯t something I felt like I needed to worry about.


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    The second thing, I¡¯d say, were my self-worth issues, but after finding out Violet loved me in the same way I loved her, I got quite the boost in my self-esteem. I wasn¡¯t fully healed in that aspect, but at least I wouldn¡¯t go into those negative spirals like before, nor would I right away disregard anyone pointing out good aspects about me.


    In conclusion, there really was no point in making her sit in an office while she could stay here and take one of her naps in the comfort of an airconditioned room. In fact¡­ was there a point of me going?


    Hmm¡­ maybe I could cut back in the amount of times I go instead?


    As better as I¡¯ve gotten, cutting it out completely might not be wise. At least not without talking it through with my therapist and Violet. Going twice a month instead of four¡ªor six, like at the beginning¡ªshould be enough at my current state.


    ???


    Now that I was alone, what should I do?


    First things first, I should fix our bed, and while I¡¯m at it, might as well put new sheets. Then, what?


    ¡°Morning Violet,¡± my in-law greeted with a yawn.


    ¡°It¡¯s rare to see you get up this late,¡± I commented after greeting him back.


    ¡°I was up all night working on a personal project. And speaking of personal, I hope I¡¯m not intruding, but what were you two arguing about so early in the morning?¡±


    ¡°Oh,  you heard that? Erm¡­ it was about¡­ the, erm¡­ milk¡­?¡±


    He didn¡¯t seem to believe me, but he chose to play along. You do argue about the silliest of things, I think I heard him say as he opened the newspaper with a second yawn.


    I was about to leave him to his readings when William asked Abby¡¯s whereabouts. When I told him, he looked surprised.


    ¡°Alone?¡±


    ¡°She really did get a lot better,¡± I told him with a nod.


    ¡°Indeed, and I think a lot of it is thanks to you.¡±


    I turned red from such straightforward sincerity. I tried to tell him he was giving me too much credit, but I was fumbling for words.


    I retreated to the bedroom to save face instead of trying to form a sentence. Housework always worked to keep my mind busy.


    I apologised Mr. Sealy for disturbing his resting spot and relocated him to the desk before beginning my work proper.


    ¡°Hmm, why do we even bother with two of these?¡± I wondered while taking out one of the pillow covers. Every night, Abby would use my arm, shoulder, and/or chest as her headrest, so having two pillows served no other purpose besides cluttering the already small bed.


    Unsure what to do about it, I sent a text asking for her opinion. I had to pick my phone up right after having put it besides Mr. Sealy. Her response was to simply put away one of the pillows and for me to wait for her to get home so she could help me. Also, a heart emoji.


    Erm, how do I send her one too?


    I would ignore her request and do as much as possible. That way, once she¡¯s back, we¡¯ll have more time for couple stuff. Although¡­ doing house chores together also constituted as couple stuff, doesn¡¯t it?


    ¡°I bet she could go for something sweet after she¡¯s done with her appointment,¡± I told to the new bedcover. ¡°It will be about three hours until lunch, so¡­ why not?¡±


    I grabbed my phone to check the time. There could be no way it had been only fifteen minutes since she left.


    ¡°Haah.¡±


    I sat on the bed, literally twirling my thumbs. Honestly, what to do now?


    Moments like these were when I thought it¡¯d be nice to have some part-time job again, but after reminding myself what I had gone through in my last one, that thought fizzled out immediately. If it was to be bored¡ªthose were the ¡°good¡± days, then, being bored but at home was better.


    I flopped on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Something was missing there. On the bed, I mean, not the ceiling. With that, you can guess what it was.


    I had grown very attached to Abby. Some might say too much. Will I be ok when it¡¯s time for her to go to classes during university while I stay at home or go to a part-time job? If not, then I¡¯d have to adjust to it. I could change and adapt, I¡¯ve seen it happen.


    ¡­Couldn¡¯t that also be extended to me getting used to Abby no longer being around?


    ¡°¡­Haah, what a pain¡­¡±


    Such a depressive intrusive thought. Maybe I would, but thinking about my life without her¡­ no thank you. I¡¯d rather never get used to missing her a whole lot of five minutes after she left for an hour.


    It was still preferable to feel lonely now because she isn¡¯t with me than feeling lonely because there¡¯s nobody in my life. Yes, I had my father before, but he ¡°had¡± to love and want to be with me. I didn¡¯t ¡°earn¡± his love. It¡¯s not the same as someone choosing to do that for you when they have no obligation, they just come to like you, plus the effort those feelings invoked.


    At least, that¡¯s what I concluded after tossing that thought around my head.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll start to get ready to pick her up.¡±


    Effort, that was something I could do to pass the time. Since she wasn¡¯t there with me, I¡¯d put an extra amount of that to surprise Abby. A thorough bath, followed by finally using the exfoliant and hydrating cream I had bought last year thinking I¡¯d start taking care of my appearance for my high school debut, plus some of her hair conditioner to make it softer and shinier. There really wasn¡¯t much need for that yet, but might as well also wax my legs since Abby liked so much to play with them when I did it.


    ¡°I wish I had some perfume,¡± I grumbled as I rushed down my home corridor to fetch my shower provisions and go back to Abby¡¯s apartment with Oliver in hot pursuit.


    ¡°What¡¯s the hurry?¡±


    ¡°Ah, dad! H-hi.¡±


    He greeted me and asked again why I was in such a rush.


    Very succinctly, I told him what was going on in my mind as I threw my stuff into a plastic bag I had brought and asked him if he had any perfume I could borrow.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t had a use for any of that since your mother passed away,¡± was his answer ¡°Besides, male perfume is different. Although¡­ maybe it would work since you and Abby are both girls¡­?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­What? Did I just say something incredibly stupid?¡±


    ¡°I was just wondering¡­ you never thought about meeting someone new?¡±


    ¡°Pfft, what? Are you implying you want a new mother?¡± he joked.


    ¡°Dad, don¡¯t make me mad,¡± I warned him. ¡°You know I¡¯m being serious.¡±


    ¡°I know¡­ I know,¡± he said, taking a more sombre demeanour. ¡°¡­Now that you¡¯re all grown up, maybe I should start thinking about it¡­ I don¡¯t know sweety, it¡¯s been so long, I¡¯m not sure I can even talk to someone of the opposite gender without creeping them out.¡±


    He was easy-going but dependable, very hardworking, but always found time if you needed or asked him¡ªand I¡¯m suspicious of saying this, but he was also quite the handsome man. He also wasn¡¯t even forty-years old. I might not be straight, but I think my dad was quite the catch for any lady willing to give him a chance.


    Honestly, I don¡¯t think the excuse he gave me was the real one¡ªor the full one, but mum. My dad was still loyal to her, even after a decade. I knew that well because I could see the sadness and how he missed her when she was brought up and, were it me in his shoes, I¡¯d do the exact same. It was admirable and his choice if that¡¯s how he wanted to live, but I was finding myself wanting him to find someone to keep him company after I leave the house. He had friends, sure, but I now knew the comfort a lover brings, and so did he. There¡¯s no way he didn¡¯t miss that.


    ¡°Abby is right, you totally are a mother,¡± he teased me in response to me voicing my worries.


    ¡°Oh, go cough up a hairball!¡±


    ¡°Meow?¡±


    ¡°No Oliver, not you. Don¡¯t go coughing up hairballs, for the love of God.¡±


    I scratched Oliver behind the ear, the little thing shutting his eyes in pure bliss as he leaned towards my hand. Unfortunately for him, I was in a hurry, so I pulled my hand away, making him tumble to the side. A ¡°sorry¡± wasn¡¯t enough for him to stop glaring in annoyance. I swear, that cat isn¡¯t really a cat at all.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have a new female friend you could ask? About the perfume, I mean.¡±


    ¡°¡­You mean Mathilda?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you two friends?¡±


    ¡°Are we?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m asking you that.¡±


    We haven¡¯t discussed anything about it, me and her. Then again, I think that¡¯s how normal people operate instead of talking with someone and then saying ¡°we are friends now¡± before the conversation even goes anywhere. Ah, the memories.


    Anyway, could I say we were friends? I suppose so. I went to her house, ate her food, and we talked plenty of times for long whiles, so¡­ I guess we were friends.


    ¡°Huh¡­ it was easier than I remembered,¡± I thought out loud.


    I wouldn¡¯t call her though. There was barely any time for me to go through everything I had planned out.


    Abby liked¡ªrather, loved, my natural scent, so it would do. I don¡¯t know if she¡¯d even appreciate me putting on perfume at all.


    Out of the bathroom, what was left was picking my clothes. I¡¯d go with my usual going out attire, simple, quick to put on and Abby-approved. If only all my problems were this easy to¡ª


    ¡°Ouch! Son of a¡­ Oh, I should toss you out of the window!¡± I hissed at the box inside the closet that hurt the foot I was holding while hops coting. Sitting down and looking at my toenails, two of them had a bit of blood at the corners.


    This has been about the third time this happened, but it never had been this bad of a kick. Fuming, I limped and grabbed the box, thinking whether I should place it at the top or move it to the storeroom, fighting the impulse of opening the window wide and toss it through. Angry as I was, I still had the presence of mind to tell me I shouldn¡¯t be doing any of that without talking with Abby first. It was her stuff, and while we called this room ¡°our bedroom¡±, this was still her place.


    ¡°Haah, calm down Violet Evergreen. Just put it over the bed.¡±


    Maybe it was time to talk about the content inside the box? Abby had done so much progress, perhaps now she could tell me the story behind that green dress, high heels and make-up kit.


    ¡°¡­Feels a bit wrong of me asking her about it after a surprise date though¡­¡± I thought out loud while closing the lid. Then, I remembered I had better things to do. ¡°Ah! I¡¯m getting late!¡±


    The box would stay on the bed, not because I wanted to confront her, but simply because I didn¡¯t have the time for moral dilemmas. I had to go now.

 Tearing the Past

    I arrived right when Abby got outside. I called out to her and felt amusement by seeing her perk up and look around. When she saw me, she formed a beaming smile and started hopping and waving as she too walked towards me, both of us ignoring other people''s reactions and stares.


    ¡°Violet! Hehe!¡± she laughed as she dove right into my arms, rubbing her face on my chest. ¡°What are you doing here? Is it a surprise?¡±


    ¡°Fufu, yeah. I thought we could go eat something sweet.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Abby? Is everything all right?¡±


    ¡°You smell nice,¡± she said with a deep sigh. ¡°In fact¡­¡±


    She paused and pulled away, looking me up and down, no doubt catching on each and every bit of effort I put into getting ready for our surprise date.


    ¡°Hehe, you worked hard, didn¡¯t you? How nice.¡±


    I got a bit more bashful than I had expected, much to her delight.


    Smiling ear to ear, she grabbed my hand and stood by my side, giving her belly a few taps.


    ¡°I can keep you company, but my stomach isn¡¯t too happy from that bit of milk I had.¡±


    In my excitement I had forgotten the spoiled milk she had drunk. She didn¡¯t seem too afflicted by it though, fortunately enough.


    We walked so much that, by the time we got back to her place, my feet were sore and I even had to apply a second layer of sunblock while we were out. My jaws were aching too from laughing and smiling so much, me thinking that would be an issue when eating lunch.


    She opened the door and stepped in slowly, turning around a bit confused.


    ¡°What¡¯s that doing there?¡± she asked, pointing at the box.


    I told her what happened while I was getting ready. She teased me a bit, asking if I wanted her to kiss my toes to make the pain go away, me telling her I wouldn¡¯t have her mouth anywhere near my sweaty feet, before she picked up the box, asking if I¡¯d be ok if they weren¡¯t sweaty. I didn¡¯t answer because I was more interested in understanding what was going on in her mind as she stared at the lid and twisted her mouth side to side.


    ¡°You know¡­ I think it¡¯s time for me to face this.¡±


    ¡°¡­If you think so,¡± I said, a bit surprised with how calm she was sounding.


    ¡°¡­You wanna watch me¡­ transform, or do you prefer to see the end product?¡±


    I decided to stay both for emotional support and because I was curious to see her ¡°transform¡± as she put it. It wasn¡¯t an exaggeration at all.


    I watched her strip from her short-sleeved button-up white shirt, denim shorts and shoes with ankle length socks to put on a green, short and skintight dress, with a pencil skirt that made her walk weird, high-heels that gave her a fair amount of extra hight and make-up that went from ¡°ok, that actually looks nice¡± to ¡°is she a cheap something I was too well raised to say¡±. I don¡¯t think it was as much the make-up, it was the whole package as a whole that made her give off that vibe. It was mindboggling how it didn¡¯t match her at all.


    She also told me the story behind it all, explaining why she¡¯d keep something she associated with so many bad memories.


    That dress, those shoes, that make-up kit, they had been given to her by that horrible woman at a time Abby still wished for her approval. It had been one of the few times Abby got a compliment. It really was a shame because the story I was told was beautiful but incredibly sad in her context. I¡¯d have loved having my mother take me to a store to get me a dress, teach me about make-up and in the end say how beautiful I looked.


    Still, even if you thought she looked better like that than at her natural state, there could only be one way to describe what I felt as I looked at my dear girlfriend.


    ¡°I hate it,¡± I told her as I took a wet tissue to wash away all the stuff she placed on her face.


    ¡°Pfft, hehe. Good to hear that,¡± she said, with a sad giggle.


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    Abby shut her eyes and let me clean her false face, slowly revealing her true one. When I was done, she opened her eyes, wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me for a kiss. I didn¡¯t like them, but those high-heels were being kinda useful now.


    ¡°Will you also take off the dress?¡± she asked deviously.


    Some time later, I was staring at the ceiling, rubbing Abby¡¯s belly while she played with my other hand. She looked deep in thought despite me sometimes accidently brushing a ticklish spot and giving her goosebumps. I was letting her mull over whatever it was on her mind, waiting patiently until she¡¯d say something.


    ¡°All right then,¡± she spoke, putting both my hands aside.


    I looked at her, expecting to hear her thoughts, but instead, she kissed my cheek before getting out of bed.


    I watched, a bit confused, while she picked her dress that I had previously tossed aside with no care whatsoever. I thought maybe she¡¯d fold it and put it back inside the box, but that wasn¡¯t what she did.


    With a yank to opposite sides, she began tearing apart the fabric, only stopping once it was little more than a multitude of pieces of rags, she turned her attention to the shoes. She broke their heels and tore out the straps with the same lack of mercy.


    Next was the make-up kit. She grabbed it and gave me a thoughtful look.


    ¡°¡­I guess we can play around with it a bit,¡± she said with a shrug. ¡°Could be fun and you never tried it before, right?¡±


    Having satisfied her destructive impulses, she tossed the wrecks into the box and got back inside the bed with me, snuggling her head close to my neck.


    ¡°Sorry, you must be thinking I¡¯m a deranged menace right now.¡±


    ¡°N-no, erm¡­ You were just letting out pent up emotions.¡±


    ¡°You can bet I was. Haah, that was cathartic. And therapeutical. Way more than all these months of talking with the doctor.¡±


    I got on my side to better hold her, Abby letting out a moany sigh as I tightened my hold on her. I could only guess by her happy sounds and tone of voice, but it was as she said, that experience was something very healing for her soul.


    To my eyes, her tearing that dress was Abby letting go of a lot of hurt and nostalgia for a time that never existed, a good memory so minuscule in comparison with everything bad from before and after, it was as if it had never happened.


    ¡°Hey babe? Have you decided anything about the party?¡±


    ¡°The party? Erm, no. Why? Do you want to go?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ Mum might be there. I want to show her how happy I am now.¡±


    That sounded like an extremely dangerous enterprise. Her mother was a violent woman who terrorised and controlled Abby for all her life. It was an awful idea.


    ¡°She also cares a lot about what others think of her,¡± Abby pointed as a counter argument. ¡°Besides, you¡¯ll also be there, so I won¡¯t be scared.¡±


    True, if she goes, I go, and if I go, she goes. If her mother tried anything, she¡¯d have to go through me first, and I sure as hell won¡¯t let her touch even a strand of hair that belonged to Abby.


    ¡°Oh, and by that,¡± Abby started as she pushed her head up to look me in the eye. ¡°I don¡¯t mean it for you to throw fisty-cups with her. Seriously, don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I-I won¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I wonder about that. You¡¯re kind of a dragon when it¡¯s about people causing me trouble.¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m not that violent!¡±


    ¡°That so?¡± she said with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Didn¡¯t you punch Marcus?¡±


    ¡°H-he stalked you! That didn¡¯t count!¡±


    ¡°Pfft, ah-haha! You¡¯re right, it didn¡¯t count!¡±


    To see her laugh while we talked about things that would throw her into a panic attack. She really had grown.


    Oh¡­ she¡¯s shaking¡­


    She was still cared after all, only, she wasn¡¯t letting that affect her.


    ¡°Jokes aside, I¡¯d also like to talk with him if he goes too¡­ I should have told him the truth when he came to talk with me at school.¡±


    She wanted to talk with that disgusting person? Why? He¡¯d harass her anytime he could! What she should do was¡ª


    ¡°Babe, calm down,¡± she told me while placing her index between my furrowed eyebrows. ¡°He did a lot of wrong towards me, but I still would like to make things right on my end. You can understand that, can¡¯t you?¡±


    I could, yes. Abby was by far a better person than I am.


    I still wouldn¡¯t forgive him, though. Not me, not ever. He caused her so much hurt and distraught, how could I?


    ¡°Pfft, see? You really are a dragon if it¡¯s about me¡± she laughed, resting her head back on my chest after I put out my feelings about the matter. ¡°I wonder¡­ would I be able to joke around like this if you weren¡¯t here?¡±


    I gave her a nice squeeze and told her it didn¡¯t matter because I¡¯m with her. I even added a joke about worrying over hypotheticals being my job, not hers.


    ¡°You say that, but only those with some hope can worry about stuff like that.¡±


    That¡¯s¡­ actually, that¡¯s a very good point she made. If there¡¯s no hope for tomorrow, what¡¯s the point in imagining what it could be if this or that was different? Certainly, there were many times I felt like things were hopeless, but even then, I could still see some light at the end of the tunnel.


    She rolled us on my back and used the back of her hands as a rest for her chin to look at my face. That was all she was doing now, laying on top of me and staring until I asked her what that was about.


    ¡°I just like watching you in deep thought,¡± she told me with a shrug. ¡°What I just said was quite deep, was it not?¡±


    It was, but I had my stomach starting to growl, telling me it was close to lunchtime, so thinking about anything other than what we¡¯d eat had to wait. And if I was starting to feel hungry, she¡¯d most likely be starving.


    ¡°Yup, my stomach settled ever since we got back and it¡¯s been asking for food since then,¡± she told me with an ominous smile, refusing to get off me while I sat up, her heels coming around and touching my buttocks.


    ¡°¡­Aren¡¯t you moving?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    ¡°¡­Why?¡±


    ¡°Guess.¡±


    ¡°¡­Abby, I¡¯m not edible.¡±


    Her smile grew wider and she nodded before giving my nose a tiny lick with the tip of her tongue. Still, you¡¯re quite sweet, she hummed as she started nibbling my chin.


    Somehow, I managed to get us both out of bed, but she was still refusing to let go of me. Nothing that tickling her sides didn¡¯t solve, but she still resisted for a record amount of time.


    It was then, while laughing to my heart¡¯s content, that I remembered my aching jaw muscles. Being with her was too much fun at times.

 At the Party, Part 1/3

    We arrived at the party location right on time, as to be expected from me fretting over the time and having William giving us a ride.


    Before getting out of the car, we asked him if he really wasn¡¯t going to join us, to which he refused. With Abby¡¯s mum being there, someone else had to be at the office, and that someone was him. I suppose that¡¯s fair and makes sense, but what, were they¡ªand by ¡°they¡±, I mean Abby¡¯s mum¡ªexpecting to find solely a crater where the company building stood by the time they came back after a few hours? Ridiculous.


    We had our invitation ready to be presented to the person receiving the guests, but that proved unnecessary once we saw who that was.


    ¡°Hi girls!¡± Mathilda cheered, moving around the stand she stood behind. First thing she did was give Abby a hug. I¡¯d be fine with that, were it not her considerable bust being at the right hight to make my girlfriend¡¯s face disappear.


    ¡°Yup, they sure are nice,¡± I thought once it was my turn.


    ¡°Pfft, hehe.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re being silly.¡±


    I turned red, being somehow surprised by Abby reading my mind despite it being the norm.


    Mathilda asked what we were talking about, eager to get into the conversation. Abby was seemingly considering telling her about it, looking back and forth between me and Mathilda with a smile that was growing bigger by the second.


    ¡°Should we tell her?¡±


    ¡°A-absolutely not!¡±


    ¡°Not about you being silly, silly, about the other subject! You know, the other!¡±


    ¡°The o¡ª Oh! Right¡­¡±


    Mathilda was even more curious now, and quite frankly, after having thought about it a lot way before anything was made official, I had concluded it was both unnecessary to keep it secret due to how obvious we made our relationship, and that it was harmless to tell to people we trusted directly. I mean, look at us and look at me. Do you think I¡¯d have the patience to be playing ¡°we are just friends¡± and both of us would withhold from smothering each other? Yeah, me neither.


    Telling it to someone out loud though¡­ Thankfully, my partner was way less reserved than me.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you previously?¡± Mathilda asked, frowning in confusion and crossing her arms.


    ¡°We made it official a while ago. I¡¯ll tell you all about it later.¡±


    I hope that by ¡°all about it¡± she meant something a bit tamer than the truth¡­ Not that I thought we did anything shameful, except perhaps having se¡ªI mean, making love, before confessing. That was more of a ¡°putting the cart in front of the bulls¡± situation than exactly shameless. I guess what I¡¯m still hang up about despite it all having worked out and not feeling regrets about it is, I still would have liked having had the courage to tell her how I felt between kissing her and having asked if she was in the mood.


    Then again¡­ that would have been really uncool, wouldn¡¯t it? ¡°Hey, I love you, wanna do it?¡± That sounds like something Marcus would do.


    Yeah, forget it, what I did was all right after all.


    ¡°¡ªchokers and always walking around holding hands, calling each other babe, honey, dear, and all that, it made it pretty obvious,¡± I heard Mathilda say when I came back to Earth. ¡°You¡¯re even doing that right now.¡±


    Like I could let Abby¡¯s hand go when I¡¯d be surrounded by people who I believed would be judging me and Abby could get anxious from seeing her mother. Also, going out without the choker Abby got me was almost like going out naked at this point. Not literally, obviously, it¡¯s just a feeling.


    ¡°I feel naked without mine, so¡­¡± Abby¡¯s voice drifted beside me. Looking at her, she had two fingers resting on the heart on the black satin around her throat. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s the same feeling married people feel when going out without their rings when they always wear¡­¡±


    She was spot on despite not finishing her words, but mentioning being married got us both as red as we could be.


    ¡°Well, you two go on in to enjoy the party before I explode of jealousy,¡± Mathilda ushered, getting behind and pushing us through a door. ¡°I¡¯ll be there once everyone arrives.¡±


    So, Mathilda was single? If not, her comment implied she didn¡¯t have a particularly caring partner, or she was missing them. That was a bit of a pity. She had a bit of a weird taste in movies, but she was a really nice girl. Very pretty too.


    ¡°And with nice boobs, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ H-huh!?¡±


    ¡°Pfft, ah-haha!¡±


    Was Abby reading my thoughts this whole time!? What am I asking, of course she was. She practically lived in them, however you look at it.


    We turned around a corner and Abby stopped. I turned to look at her, but couldn¡¯t see her face because she dove into me, her arms holding me tight but gently.


    ¡°Is everything ok?¡± I asked, also putting my arms around her.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m just giving myself a final charge,¡± she explained. ¡°And also, your mind has been bouncing around at the speed of sound, hasn¡¯t it?¡±


    It sure had. I felt like I was at the brink of getting a headache were it not for her to have done this in the empty corridor we turned.


    ¡°Better?¡± she asked, putting her chin on my chest and looking up.


    ¡°Yeah, better.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± she said with a wide grin. ¡°But babe, while we are at it, don¡¯t go looking at other girls¡¯ boobs, ok? Mine should be¡ª¡±


    ¡°I do no such thing! I only did that because your face disappeared in hers! And don¡¯t say boobs!¡±


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    ¡°Ah-haha! If you say so.¡±


    She undid our hold and attempted to start walking, but I stayed in place. Instead of that, I pulled her back, holding her from behind.


    ¡°¡­You know I only have eyes for you, right?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Sorry, did my joke upset you?¡±


    ¡°¡­No¡­ I just wanted to tell you that.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, that so? Hehe, that makes me really happy to hear.¡±


    I let her turn around and was leaning for a kiss, but when our lips almost touched, I remembered all the hard work we put in our make-up. Which wasn¡¯t all that much, but still, we both had lipstick and I was afraid of smearing it.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± she told me getting even more on the tips of her toes. ¡°This one is smear-proof.¡±


    Even if it weren¡¯t, I couldn¡¯t hold back anymore after hearing such a pleading voice.


    Unfortunately, we had to cut it short because we heard footsteps of somebody approaching.


    We composed ourselves and got ready to act normal once the person turned the corner.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    It was Abby¡¯s mum, and we all just stood there, looking at each other in turns. There were many things in my mind, one of them being the possibility of our lips having smeared after all. I threw Abby a couple of glances to see how she was doing and if her lips didn¡¯t betray what had happened. As far as I could tell things were ok about the first and clear on the second.


    ¡°¡­Aren¡¯t you two going in?¡± she asked us with a stern voice. ¡°Or are you two working to become scarecrows?¡±


    I opened my mouth to say something, but none would get to know what it was because Abby reacted first, grabbing my hand and telling me ¡°let¡¯s go¡± without ever releasing my hand as we walked away.


    It was like I was holding a small bird. Her hand felt hot, but also, very trembly.


    We took another turn, the sound of music and people chatting growing louder as we approached an open double-sided door, people nicely dressed past them being visible.


    I was going to check on Abby after we passed the threshold, but a waitress cut me off midsentence.


    ¡°Margaret!¡± I gasped when I looked at her, holding a tray with some toasts covered in something. She was looking better than when we worked at the Le Perrot even though her work uniform wasn¡¯t all that different. I took it to it meaning she had found a much healthier work environment.


    ¡°When Mathilda told me you were coming, I found it hard to believe,¡± she told me after we exchanged greetings.


    ¡°Oh, erm¡­ my¡­¡± I made a short pause to make sure Abby¡¯s mother wasn¡¯t nearby before continuing. ¡°My¡­ girlfriend¡­ wanted to come, so¡­¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Margaret said, smiling at me and turning to face Abby. ¡°You really hit jackpot on this one.¡±


    Abby hugged my arm and put on a smile that looked sincere enough.


    ¡°Trust me, I know,¡± she told Margaret. ¡°I thank my starts every day.¡±


    That was when her mum walked in. Like previously, she gave us one of her looks. Maybe she heard the last exchange? What was clear was, now that Abby was hugging my arm, I could see disgust forming in her detestable face. Funny that I¡¯d think that, seeing how alike mother and daughter looked.


    ¡°What?¡± Abby asked, sounding a bit hostile and tightening her hold of my arm.


    Her mum disengaged her gaze and turned to Margaret.


    ¡°Champagne?¡± she asked dryly.


    Margaret politely pointed at the side of the room furthest from the windows and gently told her she could find it there on the middle table.


    ¡°Humph, I¡¯d thank you were it not for you pointing your finger,¡± was her show of gratitude before walking away.


    There are plenty of words to describe Abby. Sweet, gentle, playful, lovely, a bit of a handful, loving, funny, you name it.


    There are also plenty of words to describe her mother, but none that came to mind right now could, or should, be spoken by well-mannered people. I was that, but only by just a hair¡¯s width at the moment.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about her,¡± Abby said, being far more reasonable than me.


    ¡°Meh, I¡¯m used to it. Still, thank you. It¡¯s hard to believe you two are related at all.¡±


    ¡°¡­Unfortunately, yeah,¡± Abby sighed.


    Margaret¡¯s comment was unnecessary, but she always was one to speak her mind first and apologise later.


    I¡¯d like to have talked with her a bit longer, but she was working, so she had to excuse herself to go attend other people.


    I was completely blind now, unable to see what we should be doing, but I was lucky I had Abby to guide me through.


    Without letting my arm go, we started going around, greeting people she knew. They were mostly adults that exchanged a short greeting and asked her how she was doing before having me introduced. The first time was just as scary as all others. Some, I found, were legitimately scary. The way some¡ªgranted, a very small number¡ªlooked at us when they heard ¡°girlfriend¡± was like we had offended them. That was something I had expected. Just because our dads were fine with it, it didn¡¯t mean everyone would. Still, most either hid their horror well, were indifferent, or straight up accepting.


    Those were the adults. I also got to meet some of Abby¡¯s acquaintances that¡ªsome more, other not so much¡ªshared our age.


    They were all gathered around, talking and laughing amongst themselves.


    ¡°Oh Abbigail, so glad that you came!¡± the¡­ leader I guess I¡¯ll call her, said. ¡°And who¡¯s that?¡±


    Her tone rubbed me in the wrong way. It sounded judgemental when she asked who I was, and it wasn¡¯t just me projecting insecurities, Abby thought so too. I know that because I felt her hands tense up before she answered.


    ¡°Hello Jessica. This one is my girlfriend,¡± Abby said, sounding even more confident than any other time she said that.


    ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Violet. Violet Evergreen,¡± I said, trying to sound as confident as Abby had.


    ¡°Really? You swing that way, huh? I guess that¡¯s to be expected, you used to hang out with that guy¡ªPaul was it? Anyway, you kept hanging out with a hot guy and you never showed any interest. I¡¯ve never seen her before though. Did you two meet at that school of yours?¡± she asked, quite arrogantly.


    ¡°Yup, and it was quite the meeting. We¡¯ve been together for almost a year since then. Speaking of, I haven¡¯t seen Carlos around. Didn¡¯t he come with you?¡±


    Abby flipped the tables and was showing a bit of her bad side, and I was loving it. The face Jessica made when she heard we¡¯ve been together for almost a year¡ªkind of a lie, but not really if you consider all the time we¡¯ve known each other¡ªplus when she told us she had broken up with him was delicious.


    ¡°Oh no! When did that happen?¡±


    ¡°¡­Seven months ago.¡±


    ¡°What!? You two only dated three months?! I was sure you¡¯d last way longer than that. Oh well, I hope things work out for you.¡±


    ¡°¡­Thanks¡­¡±


    Such bitter tone and expression, right after acting like she was on top¡­ yup, delicious.


    ¡°¡­Do you think I was too mean back there?¡± Abby asked while each of us placed some food on a small plate we¡¯d be sharing. I was putting salty food while Abby was picking the sweets.


    ¡°Abby, you know I like bitter stuff, right? That was a treat to see.¡±


    She gave me a shy smile and bumped her hip on me, whispering a joke about me being a bad girl and leading her astray. That¡¯s what happens when you live together with someone, I suppose.


    ¡°Erm, about Paul, erm¡­¡±


    ¡°What, did you get jelly from what she said?¡±


    ¡°N-no, that¡¯s not it! I just¡­ don¡¯t you think that¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­That I should introduce you two? Hmm, I guess I should, even though he never introduced me to his girlfriend. Does a double date sound fun to you?¡±


    That was exactly it. As for the double date¡­ how do those work? It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t know what they are, but for me, a date is something private, so how does it work when it¡¯s four people?


    ¡°Think of it as a get-together if it makes more sense to you,¡± she told me.


    We had our plate full of goodies, so we moved outside, to the balcony. We found a nice spot to sit by the handrail, overlooking the garden. After being around twenty or thirty people, this felt like heaven.


    ¡°Better?¡± she asked me.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I told her with a deep sigh and shutting my eyes. When I opened them, Abby was offering me half of a mini cake she was currently chewing. It was a bean tart, a regional pastry made with, yes, beans, but also almonds. That was made into a cream that was poured into a cupped puff pastry. It was sweet, especially because there was a small extra hint of salt in the dough making it pop up. Maybe it was because I shared so many sweets with Abby, but this one was quite pleasing for my palate.


    ¡°Hehe, I love it when you comb your hair behind your ear before taking a bite of anything I offer you.¡±


    ¡°D-do I do that?¡± I asked, covering my mouth with my hand.


    ¡°Yup,¡± she confirmed, sinking her elbows on the table while holding up her head, looking at me all love-struck. ¡°All the time.¡±


    Like Margaret said, it was hard to believe such a sweet being could be born out of that hell spawn.


    And thinking about it, where was that woman?


    ¡°Forget about her,¡± Abby told me as I scanned the interior. ¡°I did.¡±


    That was nice to hear, but I still wouldn¡¯t forget her. Not completely at least.


    I still had to keep a lookout. I was, after all, not only Abby¡¯s girlfriend, but also her ¡°dragon¡±.

 At the Party, Part 2/3

    Sitting outside and away from the rest of the party goers was the best idea we could have had. We still heard the sound of the harpsichord being played while being able to hold a conversation if we so chose.


    Right now though, we were quiet, me admiring my girlfriend profile while she stared at the inside. Despite me telling her to relax, she was still on guard. A bit more relaxed, but still somewhat on alert.


    ¡°A coin for your thoughts?¡± I finally asked, now wanting to see the front view of her face.


    ¡°I was wondering, aren¡¯t they going to dance?¡±


    ¡°They could if they wanted, but it¡¯s not really that kind of party. Why, you wanna dance with me?¡±


    She turned a few shades of red, totally adorable and as expected.


    It will be fun to talk about the party with her later. In fact, being here with her was proving to be fun, something previously unheard of.


    So many times had I been forced to come, putting on that stupid dress and airs, acting like a marionette to my mother. The fact I could be sitting there, on the sidelines, simply enjoying the nice music and Violet¡¯s company seemed miraculous.


    The current music stopped, followed by a new, slow tempo-ed one. Violet got up and stood directly in front of me.


    No way! Is she going to¡­?


    She offered a trembling hand, inviting me to take it for a dance. Our first ever dance. Not mine personally, but by how awkward she was acting, it definitely was hers.


    I had my hands on her shoulders while hers were on my waist, our steps drawing a small circle we kept repeating slowly.


    ¡°You really are full of surprises, you know?¡± I told her, still giggling and hiding my face on her chest.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    I then felt her holding me closer and kissing the top of my head. I popped my head up and looked her dead in the eye. Just that wouldn¡¯t satisfy me, and I let her silently know.


    She looked over the shoulder, making sure people weren¡¯t watching, and when I was hidden from view, she leaned down while I stretched up for a kiss. Since the music had stopped, we stayed with our lips connected a bit longer, waiting for the music to resume. That really wasn¡¯t needed though, the song of her heart beating just as fast and merry as mine was all the melody we needed.


    ¡°There you are!¡± a familiar voice clamoured. ¡°I¡¯ve been looking for you all over.¡±


    Mathilda had finally come to join us. She was carrying a plate full to the brim with food.


    Unlike her elegant dress, she dropped her body on a chair at the table Violet and I had been using, huffing and puffing about people having gotten late, making her stand on uncomfortable high-heels. I couldn¡¯t get why everyone seemed so obsessed with stilettos. Were they planning on using the heel as an assassination tool or weapon in a post-party battle royal?


    ¡°Humph, I should have brought something like you two,¡± she commented about our footwear. ¡°When I get home, I¡¯m putting my feet on a tub of warm water.¡±


    We joined her at the table, and started chatting about the party.


    This one counted with forty-two guests, us three included, the large majority, the usual people, Jessica being one of them.


    ¡°Can you believe she made a comment about the colour of my dress?¡± Mathilda asked.


    I wasn¡¯t surprised she did, and I also couldn¡¯t see what was wrong with it. It was a very pleasing salmon colour that suited her just fine. It certainly was more interesting to look at than Jessica¡¯s pearly-white one.


    ¡°Yeah, she also tried to make fun of Violet.¡±


    ¡°Pfft, fufu. That didn¡¯t go out so well though,¡± Violet added.


    ¡°I¡¯d have loved to see that. Hard to believe you were her friend once.¡±


    ¡°Huh!? You two were friends!?¡±


    That was a long time ago, I explained. Back then, I was desperate to have friends and Jessica was one of the few people my mum approved. I had to tolerate a lot of bad behaviour from her, but I was lucky enough to have her grow bored and walk away from me. I still received my mother¡¯s anger because somehow it was my fault. Maybe it was, but I didn¡¯t care much then, and I couldn¡¯t care less now that it was in the past.


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    I told Violet I was fine as I entangled fingers with her. She had placed a hand on one of my knees and was looking at me with her usual worry when I was done retelling my past.


    I wasn¡¯t done with dealing with my past though. Part of us coming here was for me to do exactly that. I still needed to talk with Marcus, so I asked Mathilda if he was around.


    ¡°Now that you mention it, do you know if anything happened to him?¡±


    ¡°Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°It may sound weird, but¡­ he didn¡¯t hit on me. In fact, he doesn¡¯t seem to be talking much with any of the girls that came.¡±


    I exchanged a look with Violet. We were both wondering if it had been her punch rattling something in him that caused a change in behaviour.


    With my partner¡¯s consent, I told Mathilda about that whole mess. Some of that explaining also invited more questions, notably about my relationship with my mum. I had grown comfortable enough to talk about it, so I also told Mathilda about the divorce, that we weren¡¯t in good term and that she had been very bad to me without telling exactly what ¡°very bad¡± entailed. Mathilda wasn¡¯t dumb, she could most likely make a very close guess with how evasive I was being.


    ¡°That explains why you were acting so odd after the New Year. I¡¯m so sorry.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be. I¡¯m way better now than before. I lost my mother, but I now have a father that is a lot more present because he doesn¡¯t have to worry about mum getting mad about it, a girlfriend who treats me like I¡¯m the most precious thing in her life, and her dad, Papa Stan, he treats me like I¡¯m also his daughter. All in all, I ended up in a far better position, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Mathilda kept staring at us, hand on her chin, looking pensative. She wasn¡¯t as easy to figure out as Violet, but she was most likely digesting all that had been told to her.


    When she was done with it, she asked if I wanted to talk with Marcus. Hearing a yes, she offered to pick him up. I told her I¡¯d do it myself, but Mathilda said she was going to grab some more food so it wasn¡¯t a problem.


    I noticed she was looking a bit shorter than before and making no audible noise as she walked. Looking at her feet as she went away, I saw her going barefoot, either foregoing any dress code in place, or simply forgetting about her shoes.


    Never minding that, I faced Violet. She always got a bit down when hearing those kinds of stories, but this time, she was looking at me more in thought than sadness. There was also a certain shine in her eyes that weren¡¯t tears.


    Asking if she was ok was met with her telling me she was fine. That she was proud of me for having gotten so strong.


    I smiled and pulled my chair closer to her. Now that we were butting shoulders, I hugged her arm and leaned my head on her.


    ¡°You can thank my girlfriend for that. I wouldn¡¯t have gotten here were it not for her.¡±


    She chuckled and grabbed my hand, pulling it to her lips, kissing its back before resting it on her lap.


    ¡°Hello there,¡± a slightly shaky male voice greeted from the side.


    Marcus was standing a bit away, looking awkward. Besides that, he looked the same as always, not counting for his now slightly crooked nose. It might be messed up for me to say, but somehow, I thought he looked better with it. His face was too symmetrical before. It also made him look more¡­ manly? Rugged? Something like that.


    I greeted him back and asked him to sit down. I tried to sound as friendly as possible, but the glaring girl sitting besides me was scaring him off.


    ¡°Violet, please be nice,¡± I hushed her loud enough for him to hear.


    Her being nice turned out to be Violet looking away. She really could hold a grudge.


    No matter, that was enough to convince him to come and take a seat.


    For the second time today I spoke about my parents divorce and the stuff mum made me go through, apologising profusely for having played with his feelings. He didn¡¯t say a word while I talked, he just listened. Hell, he didn¡¯t even nod. Then¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m also sorry. There were times I noticed you weren¡¯t into me, but then your mother or my ego would convince me that you were just playing hard to get. I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m really sorry for having been so predatory towards you.¡±


    ¡°¡­Thank you¡­ and listen, Marcus¡­ in the end, I don¡¯t think the fault lies with none of us. It was my mother. She made us her playthings.¡±


    He gave me a nod and then looked at Violet.


    ¡°Violet was it? I¡¯m very sorry to have harassed your girlfriend. Had I known for a fact Abby was in a relationship, I¡¯d have¡ª¡±


    ¡°She told you, but you chose to ignore it,¡± Violet hissed, giving him one of her ravenous looks.


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s true, I did that,¡± Marcus admitted, his head hanging. ¡°I can never take that back, but trust me, I¡¯ve learned my lesson. That punch you gave me made me think a lot of stuff and¡­ I¡¯m really sorry for all I did to Abby.¡±


    It looked like our suspicions were true, Violet¡¯s punch really did rattle something in him. This new Marcus, if what he said was true, I could forgive him. Was there even a point in holding a grudge? Not in my opinion.


    ¡°¡­If Abby forgives you, then¡­ I guess I¡¯ll try to forgive you too.¡±


    She couldn¡¯t see it, but I was smiling at her. It was my time to feel pride about my partner.


    Marcus thanked her, but she didn¡¯t utter another word towards him.


    With nothing else to talk about, he got up and bid us farewell.


    ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know how you do it,¡± Violet let out when she finally looked at me.


    ¡°After so much pain, I just don¡¯t want to burden myself with more nasty feelings,¡± I told her.


    She hummed and stared off into the garden below.


    I¡¯d let her think about it. She said she¡¯d try to forgive him, that¡¯s more than I had expected of her. Even if she can¡¯t do it in the end, I was already satisfied with the result.


    ¡°Did it go well?¡± Mathilda asked, when she got back with two plates full of food.


    ¡°Better than expected even. Is that all for you?¡±


    ¡°Goodness no! I thought we could share it. I¡¯ve seen you eat after all.¡±


    Oh great, another person to treat me like a glutton.


    ¡°Now that you mention it, Abby should be hungry right now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a glutton! Humph!¡±


    I was indeed a bit peckish, but that¡¯s neither here nor there.

 At the Party, part 3/3

    After some more chatting, there was another lull in our conversation, and just as well.


    Soft music, a nice breeze mingling the scent from the garden with Violet¡¯s scent, shade protecting us from the harsh summer sun, and happy stomachs. It was no wonder we were all feeling lazy.


    We, Violet and I, shut our eyes, me using her shoulder as a headrest while my own head served as hers. Mathilda on the other hand had moved to a long chair and last I saw, was comfortably wriggling her toes without a care in the world.


    ¡°We should go to the pool,¡± Mathilda suddenly spoke, breaking the silence.


    I began explaining to her that Violet wouldn¡¯t feel comfortable going, but she herself cut me off, saying a simple ¡°ok¡±.


    ¡°Are you sure about it?¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah...¡± she said quietly. I was thinking about inviting you, she whimpered almost incoherently and inaudibly.


    Huh¡­ will you look at that?


    Violet had become full of surprises.


    I¡¯d roast her for more details, but at a later time. Maybe as pillow talk tonight? Or as things have been going on, once we got home and alone. Violet has been acting aggressive for the whole day after all. She really had become full of surprises.


    Hehe, we¡¯ll need to get her a swimsuit.


    Something elegant, mature and that she was comfortable in. I can already hear it: ¡°But Abby, that¡¯s like going out in my underwear!¡± she¡¯ll cry out. Haah, that will be a struggle, I tell you.


    Regardless of that, it¡¯d be fun, both getting her said swimsuit and going to the pool, the three of us. Although, since it was our first time going there together, I¡¯d prefer if we went alone.


    More importantly, there was a detail I remembered asking, and that was whether Violet knew how to swim.


    ¡°I learned during basic, but¡­¡±


    ¡°So, doggy paddle?¡±


    ¡°No! Breaststroke, or whatever it¡¯s called!¡±


    If that was the case, it was good enough. As long as she didn¡¯t sink like a brick, it was fine. We could stay on shallower side of the pool and I could also teach her how to better swim. That would be a nice bonding moment.


    With that issue out of my mind, I got to thinking what sort of swimsuit would suit her without making her unwilling to show it.


    ¡°What?¡± she asked under my intense gaze.


    It had to be violet. It was a colour that both was her favourite and suited her. That was a fact set in stone. It was the style that got me stuck.


    I was leaning towards a one-piece. It¡¯d cover the most, give the most protection against the sun and still would look good on her. Bikinis and all that would look great too, but there was something about Violet only showing that much skin to me alone that was tickling my ego. I¡¯d like to say I didn¡¯t care what she wore, but due to the circumstances¡­ that would be hypocrisy.


    ¡°Seriously, what?¡±


    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s get you a one-piece swimsuit.¡±


    She turned red and was stuttering as she tried to form a sentence, but a voice that sent me chills called out my name.


    Instinctively I got up and turned.


    My mum was glaring at me, furious and asking what lies had I been spreading around. I thought that Marcus had told her about my apology, but then she clarified it for me.


    ¡°To go around saying you¡¯re dating that girl, do you ever think about anyone else other than yourself!?¡±


    My mum stepped forward and I flinched. I knew I couldn¡¯t step back and she was between me and the only possible escape path. Violet however jumped into action, stepping between us and shielding me from mum, hissing at her an order to stay away from me. She was shaking, but not from fear. Unlike me, her tremors were of pure anger.


    ¡°Or what?¡± my mum barked. ¡°Are you going to fight me?¡±


    ¡°Just try me!¡± Violet said, not giving mum any ground. ¡°You touch her, I¡¯ll kill you!¡±


    Violet was clutching her fists, getting ready to make right by her words.


    With her showing so much courage and defiance, I finally had it.


    ¡°I¡¯ve had enough of you! Ever since you came around things have gone wrong! It¡¯s all your fault!¡± my mum shouted.


    I stepped around Violet and stood just two steps away from that woman.


    ¡°No mum, it¡¯s all yours! You¡¯re a horrible person that treats everyone like trash! You deserve to be alone!¡±


    ¡°Why, you¡­¡± she hissed.


    She cocked her arm and readied one of, if not the most, violent slap I ever got. It wasn¡¯t me who got it, however.


    Violet shouted my name, and shielded me, mum¡¯s slap hitting her square on the shoulder. She assured me she was ok with a touch before I stared back at my mother. I wasn¡¯t done talking, and this time, I wouldn¡¯t let her scare me. Not after she hurt Violet a second time.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that your father never loved you mum, but that¡¯s no excuse to treat me like you do. I hate you. I hate you and I love Violet. Since day one she has showed me more love than you ever did. Her father too treats me like I¡¯m his daughter. A complete stranger took me in, accepted and supported me. What did you do? Beat me into submission, used me in your schemes as a tool. How does it feel now that I¡¯m no longer under your control? How does it feel to know that me and her have kissed and slept together? That one day we will live together and form a family of our own? How does it feel to know you won¡¯t be a part of it, and that it¡¯s all your fault?¡±


    My mum reached out to hit me again, but Violet pulled and shielded me from her once more.


    I thought the worst-case scenario was about to happen, but then a thundering voice called our attention.


    Mrs. Fletcher stood in front of a crowd, fuming but still trying to look dignified.


    ¡°Mrs. Fletcher! I¡¯m sorry for my daughter¡¯s appalling behaviour.¡±


    ¡°Your daughter?¡±


    ¡°Abbigail. You remember her, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course I do, she¡¯s a precious friend of my adoptive niece Mathilda.¡±


    At the mention of that name, I noticed she stood behind Mrs. Fletcher. If it wasn¡¯t the screaming, it was her who brought our host to our aid.


    I looked back to my mum. She had been caught acting her worse and was now fumbling to save face in front of a crowd of people, the colour of her face draining with each and every word.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    I had only wanted to get at her, hurt her like she did to me. To see that lead to her potential social downfall¡­ a form of justice was being served.


    ¡°She has been spreading lies¡­ she¡¯s confused! She thinks she¡¯s in love with that girl! It¡¯s just a phase, right? We all go through it! Please, disregard her. I¡¯ll be sure to¡ª¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Mrs. Fletcher ordered. ¡°Anymore, and I¡¯ll be calling the police.¡±


    My mum turned even paler than what she had already been and looked down to her feet like a child that was being yelled at.


    Since it had gotten so quiet, I decided to apologise for the commotion.


    To my surprise, she smiled at me and pulled Mathilda to her from, resting her hands on her shoulders.


    ¡°Mathilda, be a dear and guide your friends to a quitter place.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take them to my room then.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that would be ideal.¡±


    Mathilda gestured for us to follow her. Everyone there opened a path for us to walk by. Before I couldn¡¯t, I looked back.


    Mrs. Fletcher was whispering something to my mum¡¯s ear. The face she was making, I¡¯ll never forget.


    For the first time ever I saw it. I saw fear in my mum¡¯s face.


    Mathilda guided us through corridors and up the stairs, all the way to the top floor.


    Down a hallway, she opened the third door and we followed her in.


    Her room had its own living room space, looking like a set taken from a Victorian show. It was nice and cool in here, and Violet and I sat on the couch facing the unlit fireplace.


    ¡°You two need anything?¡± Mathilda asked.


    Right now, all we wanted was for some peace and quiet. Mathilda could have stayed, but with her gone, we were more at ease to tend to each other.


    I crossed my legs over Violet¡¯s after Mathilda shut the door behind her and readied myself for some crying on her shoulder. Surprisingly, I hadn¡¯t shed a single tear all the time from the confrontation up to now.


    ¡°Does it hurt?¡± I asked, referring to the slap she got.


    A bit, she admitted, but not all that much.


    That wasn¡¯t the reason I was crying, however. The reason why I was shedding tears was a weird one.


    It was of relief, believe it or not.


    ¡°I did it,¡± I sobbed. ¡°I did it Violet. I told her how I feel.¡±


    She let out a weak chuckle and repeated what I said, pulling me closer and smooching my hair. Was she proud of me? I think she was. I too felt proud of myself.


    Mum scared me, and yet, I was able to speak up my mind, even after having been hit.


    My old me would have started to cry and perhaps beg in desperation for her to stop. Well, no more. That old me was gone now. And after seeing my mum getting so scared from having an old lady whispering something to her? That boogie woman had lost all the fear factor she had.


    ¡°What do you think Mrs. Fletcher told my mum that got her so scared?¡± I asked.


    We had gotten into a more comfortable position.


    I hoped Mathilda wouldn¡¯t mind, but we got into her bedroom proper and were now lying on her bed, me resting on top of Violet while she caressed my back and combed my hair.


    ¡°I have no idea, but¡­ did you notice what your mum said when she was spilling excuses? About it just being a phase and that everyone goes through it?¡±


    I did remember that, and now that she mentioned it, it was a weird thing to say.


    She was panicking then, that could simply be it, but¡­ Nah, that¡¯s not possible. The implication of it being otherwise¡­


    ¡°It¡¯d explain some stuff though.¡±


    ¡°Enough of her babe,¡± I sighed, getting on one of her sides to change our cuddling position. ¡°I¡¯m a bit mad at you, just so you know.¡±


    ¡°H-huh!? Why!?¡±


    ¡°You were going to fight her, weren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Hehe, silly,¡± I said, kissing her cheek. ¡°I¡¯m not really mad, but you got me worried there.¡±


    ¡°Humph. Like I¡¯d let her lay a hand on you,¡± she said smugly.


    I asked her to show me where she got hit.


    There was a red, vaguely hand-shaped mark on her shoulder that I kissed and gently caressed.


    She tried to turn around, but I asked for us to stay like that, pointing out that I rarely get to be the big spoon.


    ¡°Fufu, you are a shortcake after all.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re a momma bear,¡± I joked back.


    I felt the urge to give her shoulder a playful nibble, but withheld from doing that until she reach around and tickled my sides. We then got into a short toss and roll around the bed, our fun lightening our hearts from a heavy mood.


    ¡°Girls, come on!¡± we heard Mathilda cry out. ¡°I sleep there!¡±


    We weren¡¯t expecting having her walk up on us and neither were we planning on going any further than tickles.


    We were explaining that, but she didn¡¯t seem to be believing it, glaring at us while we presented our case.


    ¡°You know, the least you could do is invite me in, since it¡¯s my bed.¡±


    I understood she had pranked us, but Violet didn¡¯t until she looked at me. The face she was making was priceless, and me and Mathilda were having a good laugh from that.


    ¡°That¡¯s a no then?¡± Mathilda gasped, tears running down her face.


    ¡°More like a never,¡± Violet grumbled with a pout.


    Mathilda shrugged, and walked off, telling us to meet her and her auntie at the party hall.


    We¡¯d do that, but first I had to get Violet into a good mood. She didn¡¯t take too kindly the joke of us having a third party involved. Rather, that we laughed at her having taken it seriously.


    I laid across her lap belly side up, running an index on her face and sweetly saying that she too was all I needed. It was funny having pranked her, but it was way better seeing her face soften up into an enamoured expression as I gave her sweet looks.


    ¡°Haah, I¡¯m way too weak against your charms.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, and?¡±


    And nothing, it was just stating a fact.


    From that angle I was watching her face, I thought about what really had happened.


    Her lip scar, perfectly visible under the gloss lipstick I put on her was a mark of honour for her, but in a way also reminded her of her failure in being there when I needed. Today, tis girl who was blushing under my gaze and cheek strokes, not only was she there, but she had also shielded me from my mum¡¯s strikes twice with no fear whatsoever. We had previously talked about feeling pride in one another and in ourselves, but now that had reached new hights.


    ¡°Come on, we shouldn¡¯t keep her waiting,¡± she told me, tickling my stomach.


    We got up and I immediately latched onto her arm, bumping my hip on her. We left that room laughing, feeling invincible.


    Once we got to the party hall, we were surprised by who was waiting for us.


    There was Mrs. Fletcher, still in her party clothes, Mathilda sitting beside her left and Margaret standing to her right, now having her bowtie hanging from her unbuttoned collar all the way to the middle of her chest, her vest also laying open.


    Now, the people that surprised us to see: my dad¡ªnot exactly all that surprising since he we had agreed to text him when we were done and had most likely been called by Fletcher about what had occurred¡ªand Violet¡¯s dad. Him, I thought it had been brought by my dad because he got worried.


    ¡°We were told about what happened. Looks like you two are ok,¡± my dad stated as he and Stan came to us.


    We exchanged hugs while I summarised our side of the story, singing praises about my girlfriend. Next up was them praising her, embarrassing Violet to no end. She deserved all that praise, and more.


    ¡°Let¡¯s have dinner somewhere as a thanks,¡± my dad offered.


    ¡°N-no, I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Sushi!¡± I said hopping. ¡°Let¡¯s go to sushi!¡±


    ¡°Ahem.¡±


    Mrs. Fletcher called us to attention. She understood our commotion, but she wanted to take care of business so she could change into something homier.


    Only my dad remained standing, taking a laser pointer and approaching a board. He then started a long presentation about a business idea he had been working on.


    For the sake of brevity, it was similar to what mum¡¯s company was all about, but his idea added internet security and some extra features. More surprisingly was, it wasn¡¯t an addon to mum¡¯s, this was an independent venture. He wasn¡¯t just breaking away from her company, he was going to compete with her.


    ¡°And the workers?¡± Mrs. Fletcher asked, she and my dad turning their attention to Papa Stan.


    ¡°It¡¯s like I had told you, most will jump ship if we simply offer them better treatment.¡±


    ¡°Have you told them about the raise after the first year and possibility of working from home?¡±


    ¡°A-yup. They¡¯ll deliver their resignation letter the same second you show them the contract.¡±


    ¡°Dad, you knew about this?¡± Violet asked.


    ¡°Wait, you knew?¡± I asked her in turn.


    She explained she got to know my dad was planning something, but was asked to keep it secret from me. Question was, why was I kept in the dark? My guess was, they didn¡¯t want to stress me out until the last minute, but why now?


    ¡°After what happened at the party, a lot of people got to see her true colours. Now is he time to act.¡±


    Ok, that made sense. I understood that being the reasoning of dad and Stan, but what about Mrs. Fletcher?


    ¡°Why, business, my dear,¡± she said with a cheeky smile. ¡°Your dad made me a very good offer, and quite frankly, after the show she put on and running the remainder of the party, I feel like teaching her a lesson in manners.¡±


    ¡°¡­Was that what you whispered to her?¡±


    Mrs. Fletcher¡¯s smile took on a sinister turn.


    ¡°How should I put it¡­ I guess I informed your mother that she will be able to start making amends about her past starting on November.¡±


    This old lady knew something about my mum¡¯s past that she wasn¡¯t supposed to, huh? What could it possibly be?


    I decided I didn¡¯t care despite being curious. I wanted nothing to do with her after all.


    With the meeting over, we were escorted outside by Mathilda and Margaret.


    Outside the front gate, Mathilda got interrupted by a boy¡¯s voice while she was asking us what we were doing until dinner time.


    ¡°What are you guys doing here?¡± she asked cheerfully, rushing to go and hug the two boys I recognised. They were both our classmates, one being her cousin Mathew, the other, their mutual friend and previously interested in my girl, Stephen.


    They came to pick her up as a surprise since they knew she was coming and hated these social events.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell the lady you got a surprise visit from your friends and will be going with them,¡± Margaret informed her.


    ¡°Yes, please do Margaret,¡± Mathilda agreed, using the boys¡¯ shoulders as a balancing support to take off her shoes. ¡°Sorry girls, looks like we part ways here. I had fun though.¡±


    Yeah, it was fun until mum came. If things went according to plan, perhaps next year we wouldn¡¯t have to worry about her? We¡¯d see.


    It was amusing to see them walk away with interlocked arms, Mathilda in the middle, all laughing and exchanging jokes, poking fun of each other.


    I peeked at Violet. She was observing them in deep thought.


    I asked if she was jelly, to wish she shook her head, telling me she felt a bit relieved about Mathilda having close friends after all.


    ¡°Pfft, hehe. You really are a mother.¡±


    ¡°Oh, shut up,¡± she joked back, bumping her hip on me.

 Poolside Fun, Part 1/2

    Abby was very clearly bored. It was clear by how she was laying on the couch. She was belly-down, with outstretched arms, chin on a pillow and hips on my lap, her feet flailing on the air. There was no way that was a comfortable position, but that wasn¡¯t the point anyway. She positioned herself in that fashion for me to pay attention to her once I was done reading.


    Her bum had been a very nice rest for my hands as I held my book up, but I had reached a good stopping point, and I wouldn¡¯t have time to read another chapter, so I set it aside and began giving her a head scratch.


    ¡°Bored?¡± I asked, amused by seeing her perking up.


    ¡°A bit,¡± she answered, twisting her body around for a more comfortable position. ¡°Say, when did you fall in love with me?¡±


    I stared at her playing with my hand as I thought about it.


    It was a good question, one that I was more surprised only surfaced now than from being asked so abruptly. It was also one that I couldn¡¯t say exactly when, only that I noticed her feelings for me on Valentine, suspected my own feelings afterwards, and came to terms with them when her sister confronted me.


    ¡°Oh¡­ when my sister¡­¡±


    Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have mentioned Sophie. I don¡¯t know, Abby was making a weird face. Maybe she was simply a bit overwhelmed by opposing emotions?


    ¡°W-what about you?¡± I asked reflexively, hoping to take her mind off bad stuff.


    She asked me if I was sure I wanted to know, her face having turned malicious with mischief. I was only slightly curious before, but now I was burning up with the need to know, the trap it seemingly was not being an issue.


    ¡°Well, it all started on our first sleepover, when you told me you weren¡¯t going to walk away after we came across my mother. After that, I struggled about it, until you showed me your violet underwear after our class Christmas dinner¡­ Hehe, should I continue?¡±


    ¡°Do you still have a lot to tell?¡± I asked behind the hand I was using to hide my face.


    She let out a soft laugh and raised her upper body to kiss my cheek, telling me in a soft voice she was almost done.


    ¡°You know, you might think you only confessed after we made love, but you actually did it a lot sooner.¡±


    ¡°Huh!? When!?¡±


    ¡°There was a day, right before the summer holidays started, that I came to wake you up for school. You were eighty-percent asleep and asked me out and when I asked if it was a date as a couple, you said you¡¯d like if it were.¡±


    My hand fell on her lap and I had my mouth hanging open. That girl, she had been sitting on that information for this long and never told me.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t told you before because something always came in between and I knew you¡¯d be in shock once you got to know,¡± she told me, having read my mind. ¡°Are you mad?¡±


    I shook my head and managed to stammer that I was simply in shock. But it made sense, you know? I knew when that day had been because it marked a stark difference in Abby¡¯s attitude towards herself, me and us. It did her very well, and we ended up together with no hitches, so it was what it was.


    ¡°We gotta go. Come on slowpoke,¡± she told me, getting up and pulling me along. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to get into the water!¡±


    I began walking, but when we were at the entrance hall putting on our shoes, I called out to her. Before we went through the door, there was something I wanted to tell her.


    ¡°I love you,¡± I said, my voice quivering a bit.


    She began bobbing side to side, bumping into me twice before I put an arm around her. She gave me a big kiss, telling me she loved me to bits.


    ¡°Come on Violet, hurry up!¡± she called out from the outside of the changing room. ¡°We are waiting!¡±


    ¡°D-don¡¯t rush me!¡± I argued back.


    ¡°Come on! You can do it!¡± Mathilda shouted, joining in the ¡°fun¡±.


    People inside were giving me looks, mostly out of amusement, but some were getting annoyed by the ruckus, so I finally stepped out. Only Abby didn¡¯t show disappointment when they saw I was still wearing the jacket I had brought.


    ¡°Come on! Show us more than your legs!¡± Mathilda cried out.


    ¡°Oh, leave her be,¡± her sister hushed her.


    I think I¡¯d be more willing to take my jacket off, were it not for Claire, Mathilda¡¯s sister and Paul¡¯s girlfriend. A small town we were, so it was surprising to see this overlap, but not so much in hindsight.


    Frankly, I was intimidated by Claire¡¯s physique. She was even more impressive to behold than even Sophie, and she was already someone I associated with the peak feminine physique.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, take your time,¡± Abby told me.


    Looking at her, so small and smiling as she looked up while hugging my arm against her chest, was so calming, I thought I could do it.


    My face was burning, and I couldn¡¯t look up an towards then, but I managed to open up the zip of my jacket. I was wearing a matching swimsuit with Abby, but while hers had a waby pattern of green and yellow, mine was white and violet-blue. It had frill on the bottom like it was a very short skirt and a similar frill on the top, making it harder to determine how big our chests were.


    I wasn¡¯t getting any response though, so I finally looked up.


    Abby was looking at me, biting her lip and looking slightly flushed. Mathilda was completely red and looking away, hiding her face between her hands.


    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°Looks good on you,¡± Claire said, the only person acting normal between us four.


    ¡°No kidding,¡± Mathilda said. ¡°For a moment there I doubted my own sexuality.¡±


    ¡°H-huh!¡¯¡±


    ¡°You were a bit too erotic there, babe.¡±


    ¡°H-huh!?¡±


    ¡°I liked it! A ten out of ten!¡± Claire said, giving me a thumbs up.


    I tried to run back inside, but Abby saw through me before I could even turn around and latched on to me.


    ¡°Oh no you don¡¯t! You¡¯ve come this far!¡±


    ¡°B-but Abby, I¡ª¡±


    ¡°No buts! Now, let¡¯s go! Paul is waiting!¡±


    Abby dragged me along, me unable to put up a struggle.


    Like she had told me, Paul was waiting for us, sitting on a long chair, in his swimming trunks and reading a fishing magazine. And like Claire had previously told us, he didn¡¯t notice that we took longer than normal.


    ¡°Here, I¡¯ll apply the sunblock on your back,¡± Abby told me as she made me lie down on my stomach. ¡°For today, maybe stay mostly in the shade. And drink lots of water. Also, if you get in the water, we¡¯ll have to apply another layer.¡±


    Abby fretting over me, that has been a while. At least this time, it wasn¡¯t because I was working myself to death. It was reassuring to know she¡¯d make sure I wouldn¡¯t get a sunburn and she¡¯d do her best for me to enjoy my first time at the pool.


    I was also aware she was doing more than applying sunblock on my back. She was also discreetly massaging my back to make me relax.


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t Paul do it?¡± I heard Claire ask.


    Opening a single eye, I saw Mathilda holding a bottle of sunblock and looking at her sister while Claire was looking at Paul who still was looking at his magazine. Seeing them sitting side by side, they really didn¡¯t look like they were related.


    ¡°We have different mothers,¡± they explained during introductions. ¡°It¡¯s complicated,¡± they further told us. I guess we¡¯d still have to wait to know their family situation.


    Paul on the other hand¡­ well, I think we¡¯d get along just fine.


    He was quiet, only raising his voice enough to make himself heard, and speaking very few words.


    Since I was still white as porcelain, I was going to be sitting under the shade, reading and having him for company. Not having to worry about holding a conversation with someone I just met was heaven, let me tell you that. Abby really had struck gold by suggesting inviting him and his girlfriend to join us at the pool.


    My girlfriend and the others went for a dive, and I took my book out of the bag, setting myself up for another moment of reading.


    Going to the pool isn¡¯t that bad, huh?


    My biggest issue was the noise. People were speaking loudly, laughing loudly, some playing music loudly¡­ Not to mention, there was too many people going back and forth. Well, too many for my tastes, the pool didn¡¯t have all that many people in actuality.


    ¡°Haah,¡± I sighed, storing my book back inside the bag. I couldn¡¯t focus at all.


    ¡°Not a people¡¯s person,¡± I heard Paul say. It sounded like a statement, but I think he was asking.


    ¡°¡­What about you?¡±


    ¡°¡­Same.¡±


    And just like that, our conversation died out. That didn¡¯t bother me in the slightest. Truly, what a wonderful dynamic we had. Still¡­ Abby would probably like it more if we chatted a bit more than that, so I asked if he thought I¡¯d enjoy fishing. I didn¡¯t ask him if he enjoyed, that would have been a stupid question. Being the overthinker that I was came as a useful trait at times.


    ¡°Perhaps. You mind touching raw fish?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m used to gutting dead ones. I also don¡¯t mind bugs.¡±


    He got very talkative then, explaining and showing me pictures of lures that excluded the need for me to handle worms and stuff. Was it an interesting conversation? Surprisingly so.


    Sitting in front of a body of water, watching the float bob up and down, waiting for a fish to bite¡­ peaceful, isn¡¯t it? Or maybe I¡¯m just a boring person overall.


    Cold drips of water started to fall on my belly and forming a puddle in my bellybutton. A certain completely wet cloud called Abby had floated by and started to drip droplets on me, her hand hanging over me with her fingers cupped together into a cone. It felt so cool and refreshing.


    ¡°Wanna go for a dip?¡± she asked with an inviting smile. ¡°We found a nice spot.¡±


    I gave a quick look to Paul, but Claire had sat by him, pulling her hair back like one of those hair products commercials. She certainly fit the bill.


    Before I got up however, Abby decided it would be best for me to tie my hair since I had told her I wouldn¡¯t want to dive. The idea of getting in water that other people probably peed was already nasty enough without the prospect of getting some of that water in my mouth, ears and eyes.


    ¡°Oh! You went for the sexy librarian look,¡± Mathilda applauded.


    ¡°Oh yeah, now that you mention it¡­ she does look like one, doesn¡¯t she?¡±


    A sexy librarian? Me? What, the fact I wore glasses and Abby had tied my hair into a bun were all the requirements for that?


    Although¡­ hmm¡­ a librarian, huh?


    Maybe next summer I¡¯d give it a try as a part-time. Or maybe I¡¯d try and join the library committee at school?


    ¡°¡­Ok, I guess I do look like one,¡± I was forced to admit when I saw my reflexion on the small mirror Claire handed to me.


    Abby was getting impatient, so I handed the mirror back and let her drag me by the hand, Mathilda coming along.


    After some navigating through the crowd, we sat in the water on the access stairs. There was a parasol making some shade that would only grow bigger with the passage of time. Abby really had found us a nice spot.


    The water was perfect¡ªcool without it being cold, and where I was sitting in particular I was being hit by a jet of water on my legs, serving as some sort of improvised massager.


    Abby was using my legs as a prop-up chair, her weigh now barely noticeable while Mathilda sat shoulder-to-shoulder with me, her head hanging back while she enjoyed the sun hitting her face, her closed eyes protected by neon-yellow framed sunglasses.


    I noticed myself thinking ¡°coming to the pool with friends really is fun.¡± Look at me joining the normies. It was true though, this was being a lot of fun, way more than I could ever have comprehended.


    We collectively sigh, me pulling Abby closer and letting her rest her head on my shoulder. Despite the noise around us, I was starting to feel like I could nod off when I seemingly heard a voice saying my name in the distance.


    ¡°Violet, they are calling you,¡± Abby called out, tapping the side of my thigh.


    Coming closer to us where three girls remarking between themselves about me being in fact me.


    ¡°Acquaintances of yours?¡± Mathilda asked.


    Apparently, yes, but only on their side of things. I couldn¡¯t remember who they were even if my life depended on it.


    ¡°We never thought we¡¯d see you at the pool,¡± one of the girls said. ¡°You always gave off the vibe of not liking these kind of places.¡±


    I stared at them, not knowing how to answer. Abby stepped up and asked them where they knew me, saving my bacon once again. Apparently, we had been classmates from fifth grade all the way to ninth. You¡¯d think I¡¯d at least have a small remembrance of how my old classmates looked, but no. Then again, I wasn¡¯t interested¡ªrather, way more uninterested¡ªin other people then than I am now, so¡­


    ¡°Are you her friends?¡±


    No, I just enjoy sitting with random people and having them also sit on my lap, you idiot.


    ¡°This girl is, I¡¯m Violet¡¯s girlfriend,¡± Abby said, bouncing up and down. No matter how many times she said it, she always got all fluffy about it.


    They were a bit taken aback by the revelation, but I found myself not too bothered by it.


    They still exchanged a few words with me, mostly empty pleasantries, and finally went away.


    ¡°You still have no idea who they were, don¡¯t you?¡± Abby asked, giving me one of her wry smiles.


    ¡°Will you also forget me if we aren¡¯t assigned to the same class this year?¡± Mathilda asked, whipping fake tears.


    Despite it being a joke, I still took it seriously.


    ¡°We are friends, so¡­¡± I stammered.


    Mathilda stopped her fake crying to look at me, looking surprised. Was it just me who thought we were friends?


    ¡°No, I just wasn¡¯t expecting you saying it out loud,¡± she explained, starting to smile. ¡°You sure can be frontal about how you feel. That¡¯s a bit surprising.¡±


    Abby laughed, bopping me, and said I was full of surprises. Mathilda asked for examples, but Abby chose to tease her instead by saying it was a secret.


    When pressed for details, Abby got up saying she was going to rent a pool ball for us to play.


    ¡°Ok, then, fess up Violet! What was Abby¡ª¡±


    ¡°Wait up Abby, I¡¯m coming with you,¡± I called out, also taking delight in being one of the teasers for a change.


    ¡°Oh, come on! What happened to us being friends!?¡± Mathilda protested, also coming along.

 Poolside Fun, Part 2/2

    After a lot of frolicking around the pool, we decided to go for lunch at a pizzeria close by.  None of us bothered changing into clothes, only to cover ourselves slightly. In other words, we only put on a t-shirt and shoes. This is important because, after we were finished stuffing ourselves, Violet excused herself to go wash her hands. She had her bare legs showing, catching my eye, but also of the sisters.


    ¡°Should I go grab my axe?¡± I asked them jokingly.


    They looked at me, holding the same thoughtful expression as when they ogled my girlfriend and shook their heads with uncanny synchronisation. ¡°Just thinking she really has long legs,¡± Mathilda stated.


    And all our walks also made them more defined, although only I could know about that. A nice extra from being allowed to play with them on an almost daily basis. With how full I was, I wouldn¡¯t mind curling up between them and taking a nap hugging one of the legs. With air conditioning and her low body temperature, there weren¡¯t any spots I¡¯d rather nap, except perhaps spooning with her, hugging her, being on top of her, or under her.


    Lots of words to simply say ¡°sleep tight with her¡±, huh?


    My self-minded tangent aside, Claire joined in, agreeing with her sister, and asking if that was what drew me to Violet initially.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask her that type of question,¡± Paul intervened.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you the least bit curious about how Abby and Violet got together?¡±


    ¡°I already know how they got together. I played a part in it.¡±


    How did he¡­?


    A good question, but I had the suspicion I could arrive to an answer by asking Papa Stan about talking stuff he shouldn¡¯t be to others about me and her.


    As for what attracted me to her at the beginning, that was hardly it, because the first time we met, I could only see her from the waist up. My initial approach was out of boredom, to be honest. I saw someone all nervous-looking staring at me, I went to mess with them, that was all.


    That¡¯s so not romantic at all though¡­


    We stopped that conversation because Violet got out of the bathroom. While the others chatted amongst them, I took another eyeful of Violet¡¯s legs-for-days.


    ¡°¡­What?¡± Violet asked, giving me the side-eye after she came back and sat by me.


    I was still thinking about and admiring her legs, even as she sat by me, but I played innocent.


    ¡°Have you considered a carrier as a model?¡±


    Violet looked at Claire, not answering right away, but I already knew what she was thinking: if anyone on that table could pull it off, it would be her. That lead me to thinking how Paul managed to score such a fine lady. Not that I thought in the slightest that she was out of his league¡ªwell, maybe a little bit, but it was still quite the surprise. He had a nice masculine face and was looking fitter than what I remembered, so he was working out now, and despite him barely speaking, when he did, he made his words count. ¡°Silence is gold¡± they say, but in his case, it also applied to the opposite.


    In conclusion, they both got lucky in the partner they got, him more on her looks, and her more on his character.


    ¡°hat Violet told her was ¡°I don¡¯t like being the centre of attention¡±, a good answer that satisfied Claire. I¡¯d later let Violet know that she had gotten better at talking with other people.


    ¡°Babe? Do you want to go back to the pool, or should we head home?¡± I asked as we hanged back from the group as we left the restaurant.


    We¡¯ve been at it for more than three hours, so I was wondering if she had already exhausted her hit points regarding socialising. There was also the matter of the sun getting really intense at that time of day, and she was already turning red.


    ¡°Erm¡­ would you mind if we stayed a bit longer?¡± she asked me after thinking about it for a bit as she watched our friends walking ahead, her cheeks gaining an extra bit of red.


    I was happy to hear that, and if she said she was willing, I¡¯d give her my full approval.


    ¡°This is paradise,¡± I sighed.


    The pool was now mostly empty, people having gone back home for lunch and/or seek refuge from the sun. Not us five fools, we were splashing about.


    Violet and I got ourselves a floating donut and were both sat inside, me on top, leisurely bobbing on the water surface. Mathilda had her arms crossed on our donut, using it to lazily float around. As for the other couple, well, they were sitting under a parasol, Claire seemingly pestering Paul. How well was that going? I¡¯d say very well. On more than one occasion I saw Paul tell Claire something that got her all flustered, be it in embarrassment, annoyance, or pure laughter. But going back to Mathilda, I was feeling a bit bad for her. She was the only one who was single in the group.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind it at all. I enjoy watching couples.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there someone you like?¡±


    We both looked at Violet. She was practically nodding off when she spoke, but our silence woke her up. Turning red, she mumbled ¡°what? Abby was going to ask about it anyway¡±.


    Of course I was, I was just amused she asked before I could while Mathilda was surprised she asked at all. She still had to learn about Violet¡¯s ¡°talking her mind when not fully awake¡± habit.


    ¡°As a matter of fact, there is! Wanna talk about it?¡± she asked enthusiastically.


    By the way Violet was hugging my waist and burrowing her face on my hair, I¡¯d say she was more interested in napping, but I¡¯d like to hear Mathilda out.


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    The boy she liked was a long-time friend. They know each other for more than a decade now, and she has been crushing over him ever since then. She didn¡¯t name him, but I had a suspicion: it was most likely Stephen.


    ¡°Must have been hard having him asking Violet out, huh?¡±


    She blinked at me, not having expected me figuring it out.


    Violet, having heard her name, lifted her head, and asked if I had called her. I told her to go back to sleep and got back to talking with Mathilda.


    ¡°You were supposed to ask me a few times who it was before I told you his name,¡± Mathilda told me with a pout. Cute, not as cute as Violet.


    ¡°Have you thought about confessing?¡±


    ¡°Haah, unfortunately, us knowing each other for so long makes things complicated,¡± she lamented.


    I bet it did. I was scared witless about telling Violet how I felt and ruining our friendship, and we had only known each other for a few months then. Still, they were a boy and a girl, it¡¯d be way easier for her to catch his attention. For example, she could come to Stephen, ask for his help, and guide him while holding hands.


    ¡°That does sound like a nice idea¡­¡± her voice drifted as she propped her head up. ¡°But wouldn¡¯t it be too obvious?¡±


    ¡°Trust me, it¡¯s better to make things as clear as possible for the other person,¡± I told her while pointing at the girl lightly snoring behind me. ¡°If you play it too safe they¡¯ll never get it if they are thick-headed at best, and at worst, someone might come along and snatch them away.¡±


    ¡°Surely, it wasn¡¯t that hard for Violet to get a hint.¡±


    ¡°Oh, but it was. We¡¯ve been very clingy from the start, so I had that going against me. Violet is also someone who overthinks stuff, so even when I was being obvious about it, she¡¯d tell herself she was looking too deep into it.¡±


    Mathilda hummed and shifted her gaze to Violet, who was fast asleep. We had been under the sun for far too long, and I¡¯d have to wake her up so we could go under the shade, but it was always a pain to do so for many reasons. Right now, the fact she might get frisky in public was a big one.


    As long as I keep her hands under control it should be fine.


    Except Violet could also be a veritable smoocher when half-awake. She started by kissing me behind the ear, going down to my neck and finishing by kissing my face. I even got a smooch over an eye I had to close. Finally, Violet opened her eyes as her tongue came in my mouth to play with mine and noticed Mathilda staring at us. It really was a good thing that I was firmly holding her hands in place, otherwise I¡¯d have been groped everywhere.


    ¡°Please, by the love of God, pretend that I¡¯m not here,¡± Mathilda told her with a wide grin and handwave, looking a bit flushed.


    Violet hid her face in my hair and tried to put some distance between us and Mathilda by flailing her legs in the water. We were being propelled surprisingly fast, but she was unaware that we were dragging Mathilda¡¯s laughing self along for the ride.


    There came a sharp whistle from where the others were. It was Claire trying to catch our attention and reminding me that Violet needed another layer of sunblock. I wasn¡¯t expecting that, and I hadn¡¯t forgotten, but it was still very nice of her.


    Again, we joined them and I told Violet to lie down when it was time to take care of her back. We undid the back strap and I couldn¡¯t help but grin as a very visible tan line was revealed. She was going to look great once the redness was replaced by the true tan.


    ¡°All right, all¡­¡±


    I quieted when I realised Violet was lightly snoring. Just like that, she was out again.


    Is she that tired?


    She slept the whole night, but even so, she was having difficulty staying awake.


    ¡°Asleep again?¡± Mathilda asked as she leaned in closer to Violet¡¯s sleeping face. She was clearly up to something.


    I saw her reach out and comb a strand of hair away from Violet¡¯s face, mimicking my voice and calling her babe, asking her to wake up.


    Without opening her eyes, Violet slapped Mathilda¡¯s hand away with a violence that surprised us all.


    ¡°Not¡­ Abby¡­¡± she mumbled before turning her face to the other side.


    ¡°Fiercely loyal even in her sleep, huh?¡± Claire snickered.


    ¡°I¡¯ll say. And here I thought I was spot on,¡± Mathilda whined as she rubbed her hurt hand.


    ¡°Maybe you two should head home,¡± Claire told me as she took her sister¡¯s hand to comfort her. ¡°Poor thing must be exhausted from the heat.¡±


    Yeah, that was a pretty spot-on diagnostic from someone who just met her. Violet always sucked at dealing with the weather.


    ¡°Babe? Babe, wake up. It¡¯s time to go home,¡± I softly called while gently shaking her.


    She groaned and pushed her torso up, almost flashing the rest of the group because we hadn¡¯t tied the back of her top. Fortunately, she was as sluggish as she could get, and I had all the time of the world to take care of that. We were all girls and Paul was still immersed in his magazine, but Violet would die of shame if she had showed her girls to others than me.


    ¡°Mmh¡­ Abby¡­¡± she moaned before she wrapped her arms around my neck.


    ¡°It¡¯s amazing she can tell the difference without even opening her eyes.¡±


    I too was surprised by it. I was sure she¡¯d have fallen for Mathilda¡¯s trick and that now I too would be swatted away but was proven wrong on both assumptions.


    ¡°Yup, yup, it¡¯s me. Come on you big sloth, let¡¯s go home.¡±


    I got her up, but she was still hanging on my shoulders. That was likely for the best. I turned around, placed my hands over her arms and guided her to the changing room. After washing her face with some cool water and putting her jeans and wide-brimmed hat on, we¡¯d come to pick up the rest of our stuff.


    There were no people to speak of in sight as we walked inside the small white building. Awkwardly walking, I took her to the sinks and turned the faucet. I waited for a few seconds until the water that came out was actually cool. It¡¯s amazing how warm it was coming out despite it being turned all the way to the cold water.


    ¡°Pfwah! It¡¯s so cold!¡± she cried out when I splashed her face.


    ¡°You awake now?¡±


    ¡°How could I not¡­¡± she admonished before closing her mouth and started looking around. ¡°Erm¡­ when did we get here?¡±


    Typical Violet, being completely unaware of her surroundings when half-asleep. No matter how long I¡¯ve known her, it was just as scary a realisation as the first time.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry honey¡­¡± she said after I told her we were going home.


    ¡°What for?¡±


    ¡°¡­Paul is going to university after this summer, but we are going home early because of me¡­¡±


    It was a sad reality, what she reminded me, but Claire and his family would still be here, so it¡¯s not like he was gone for good. Not that we met Claire, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll tell us when he¡¯s coming for a visit and we could all hangout.


    ¡°Besides, he¡¯s a lot like you regarding the way he prefers to socialise. Having us all gathered was more than enough, even if we all were doing our thing.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I guess¡­ if you were into boys, he could¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Eww, no! Even if I were into boys, he¡¯s like a¡­ well, not like a brother, but something between that and¡­ a cousin? Anyway, don¡¯t be gross!¡±


    She was kinda right, in a way. Even so, I don¡¯t think things could work between us. There was a lot of stuff different between them that made him great for a friend, but not boyfriend material for me, and that was taking into account my latest personal growth.


    It did give me something to think about while Violet changed clothes with the speed of a drunk snail: how someone could have the characteristics that made them a good potential partner, but the occasion could heavily influence whether it happened or not.


    Had I not realised my sexual preference before, could I have ever developed a crush over him? Who knows? Also, who cares? What I knew and cared was, I got a bit lonely¡ªand as a result, needy¡ªover the thought that my long-time friend was going away.


    ¡°Did you enjoy your first time at the pool?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I had fun. Much more than I had expected.¡±


    ¡°¡­Babe? Turn around for a sec.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Mmh!¡±


    But now I wasn¡¯t alone. I had the girl I loved so much beside me all the time. It was an astronomical case of chance that we crossed paths and interacted. To think that, had I stayed sat on my chair on that exam day, none of the things I have now would have come into being¡­ Truly, how wonderful it is to be alive.


    ¡°W-we are in public,¡± she staggered, looking redder than before and away from me.


    ¡°You say that, but there¡¯s no one around,¡± I teased.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Hehe.¡±


    This time, it was her turn to initiate the kissing.

 The End of Our First Summer Together (End of Third Volume)

    Two huge towers of books rested on top of the desk, right in our field of view, a stark reminder of the times that were ending and to come.


    They had arrived earlier than expected, so Abby and I got up early to go pick them up from the bookstore as soon as it opened, but once we got back, we went straight to bed. Some might say we were wasting our time by just loafing there, but we¡¯d strongly disagree. In less than two weeks we¡¯d have to go back to classes, so the time we could stay cuddled, lazy and pampering each other was ticking away. Waking up obscenely early, get ready, go to school, stay there for about ten hours to then come home, do homework, study and the odd school assignment would swallow all the free time we¡¯d have for that. There would still be the weekends, sure, but even those would have some of the same busywork of the week, plus the house chores that piled up.


    We were spooning as we watched a movie on her tablet. We had placed it on the chair that typically would be at her desk but we were using as a support. The TV at the foot of the bed was working fine, but we were in the mood of snuggling on our side, Abby using my arm as a headrest while her own head served as mine.


    ¡°Another one?¡± she asked, extending an arm out to close the window and open a new movie file.


    I had other plans in mind, so I pulled her hand back under the covers and started giving special attention to her ear and neck.


    ¡°Hehe, another one?¡± she asked in a moany voice. ¡°You know, maybe we should start cutting back on the number of times we make love.¡±


    I stopped kissing and stared at her.


    It¡¯s not like I hadn¡¯t thought of that. I¡¯d freely admit, we did it far too often, and once school starts, we¡¯d practically go cold turkey. We¡¯d still be able to do it when we went to bed, but not as often in the morning, and we certainly wouldn¡¯t be able to do it during the day¡­ Not without risking getting expelled at least.


    ¡°Pfft, ah-haha! Fine, we can start doing that starting from tomorrow. Now, let me see those cute tan lines.¡±


    She turned completely around and began kissing the thin porcelain-coloured strip of skin I had running down my shoulders, fruit of three trips to the pool, while her words lingered in my mind. A worry had suddenly reared its ugly head once I contrasted what we¡¯ve been like during the summer with how we¡¯ll have to be until at least the winter holiday.


    ¡°¡­Do you think we do it too much?¡±


    She got on her back and grabbed a hand she began playing with.


    ¡°You and I are different in that regard. I sometimes get in the mood, but as long as I get kisses and cuddles, I¡¯m all good for the most part. Not you though. You need it more often and it needs to be something more stimulating than just cuddling and making out. That¡¯s just how it is.¡±


    ¡°But am I forcing you?¡±


    ¡°Pfft, no!¡± she chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m always craving for love and attention, remember? Every time you¡¯re in the mood and start initiating, I¡¯m more than happy to oblige. As long as I¡¯m not dying of something that is, but if I were, you¡¯d be nursing me and driving me crazy from fussing too much. Thanks for being so considerate though.¡±


    That was a relief to hear. And it wasn¡¯t at all surprising that she had me better figured out than myself. Were I to describe what she just did, I¡¯d say the exact same thing about her, but regarding me? I¡¯d probably let my own shame of being such a hormonal teen get into the way of reaching a meaningful conclusion.


    ¡°So? Are we doing it or not?¡± she asked, giving me a devilish smile, a finger tracing the tan lines in my upper body.


    ¡°¡­Actually, can I ask you something else that has been bugging me?¡±


    ¡°Something sexy?¡±


    Not by a long shot, no. Why would I even describe it as ¡°bugging me¡± if it was something sexy?


    The movie we just watched was a romance about a married couple where one of them cheated, but in the end, the guilty party was forgiven and they stayed together. From early on there was a question it raised in my mind: in our same sex female relationship, what does constitute as cheating?


    Abby made a joke, asking if I was planning on doing it, but after laughing and saying I¡¯d sooner spontaneously combust¡ªwhich was a very accurate assessment, in my opinion¡ªshe joined me into figuring out what could be called cheating.


    We started from the most serious transgression, but after sleeping with another girl and kissing somebody else, things got very blurry.


    ¡°I guess¡­ If any of us were to, say, walk around holding hands with Mathilda, it would be ok as long as it was a joke between friends,¡± she wondered out loud.


    I bet Mathilda would have a ball if she heard us using her as an example. I also wonder what her opinion on the matter would be.


    ¡°Yeah, but how does the other know that¡¯s what¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, I suppose it all boils down to trust on each other, and accountability? This is hard¡­ If we were a boy and a girl, it¡¯d be easier, I think, but since none of us is a boy, it makes it all the more contextual.¡±


    And speaking of boys, what about two guys dating? Did they also have these weird, blurred lines? I didn¡¯t think so as I don¡¯t see them acting physically intimate like girls do between friends, but then again, I¡¯m a girl. What do I know about what¡¯s going on in their minds? Although, judging by what thoughts my dad let out, they could be the weirdest, most random thing. Like, if a planet the size of Mars passed close by the Earth at the speed of light, would we be affected by its gravitational pull, or would we not notice it at all due to it not being close for long enough to have any effect? And for clarity sake, this was a legit thought my dad was having once when I bothered to ask why he was blankly staring into the emptiness.


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    ¡°Pfft, what?¡± Abby snickered. ¡°Do you think mine also has those kinds of thoughts?¡±


    I didn¡¯t know, and at this point I was past caring. We had dilly-dawdle long enough. My mind was at ease, and Abby was as irresistible as ever nibbling my index finger, so with that, I dove in.


    *Knock, knock, knock*


    ¡°And of course, we are interrupted,¡± I grumbled with my face buried in the pillow.


    ¡°Look on the bright side: at least we weren¡¯t interrupted in the middle of it thanks to our conversation,¡± Abby told me quietly, gently tapping my back as consolation.


    William wanted to come inside and talk, a huge bother because that forced us to put on clothes we¡¯d have to take out after he left. Stuff like this was bound to happen, especially if we were going down to business with any of our parents at home, but couldn¡¯t they wait for us to gather for lunch or dinner to tell us about whatever popped into their minds? More frustrating even was when it was simply to say they were going out and asking if we needed anything. We were the ones that took care of groceries nine out of ten times, if we needed anything, we¡¯d go out to get it, we already got, or we¡¯d get it on our way home after one of our couple¡¯s walk. It was nice of them, don¡¯t get me wrong, but still¡­


    ¡°¡­I can¡¯t wait for us to have our own place,¡± I mumbled under my breath.


    ¡°Babe?¡±


    I lifted my head, realising I had spoken out loud unintentionally. Abby was grinning ear to ear and bobbing side to side.


    ¡°Just two more years, ok?¡± she told me.


    She kissed my burning hot face and gave me a once over. To further annoy me, she pointed out that I had put on my shorts backwards.


    Well, tough luck.


    I wasn¡¯t going to take them out and put them back on, only to then take them out again. I was going to be sitting anyway, so I didn¡¯t care.


    William came in after Abby told him he could step inside. He apologised for bothering us, but wouldn¡¯t speak any further. Instead, he kept looking around the room, as if looking for something.


    ¡°Here,¡± she called out to him.


    She hopped from where she sat on the bed to my lap, leaving a free spot she was tapping for her dad to sit on.


    She¡¯s so soft¡­ ah, why does she have to be so nice to hold?


    He gave a small tug to the fabric of his trousers at knee height before sitting down. He made his age known with the groan he let out as he lowered his body down. How long would it take for mine to start doing the same, I wonder?


    ¡°You just sounded like an old man,¡± Abby told him, not resisting the urge to poke fun at him, but also giving him a compassionate tap on the leg.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting there,¡± he chuckled as he raised a finger to point at the desk. ¡°Are those your new schoolbooks?¡±


    ¡°Yes, all twenty-eight of them,¡± I answered, trying to hurry the conversation along. I was still in the mood, and having Abby sitting on me and shifting her body around wasn¡¯t helping. And it was twenty-eight for each of us, to be exact, making an absurd total sum of fifty-six books. One notebook for each subject, one manual for each except Math, Chemistry and Physics¡ªthose had two each, plus the same numbers for workbooks. A whole forest of¡ªexpensive¡ªbooks.


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember having so many subjects when I was your age, but getting to the point,¡± he said, checking his wristwatch, much to my silent appreciation. ¡°I need to talk with you about something important.¡±


    I readied myself for something bad, straightening my back and pulling Abby closer, just from the tone of his voice alone. Suddenly, all my plans of getting intimate with Abby almost completely vanished.


    Abby¡¯s sister would soon finish her internship, William told us in a single sharp exhale, and he wanted to ask if we¡ªmostly Abby, but he was considerate to include me into the discussion¡ªwere ok with Sophie staying in the apartment until she figures out her life.


    ¡°Maybe I should leave,¡± I said, trying to get Abby off me, still not feeling like I should be included.


    ¡°No, I think the contrary. After all this time, and the fact you two act like newlyweds, you deserve a place in this conversation. I don¡¯t think Abby here would like it if I asked you to leave either.¡±


    I peeked at her. She looked up and gave me a nod. That was all I needed to convince me to stay.


    I still didn¡¯t think my opinion mattered much, but at least I could stay and give Abby my support.


    ¡°¡­Did she say anything about me and Violet?¡± Abby asked, seemingly forcing those words out of her mouth.


    For the better or for the worst, she had not.


    Abby kept shifting her weight, her body stiff compared to before. I kept gently moving my thumb on her arm to let her know she could turn to me any time.


    ¡°¡­I mean, this is also her home, so¡­¡±


    ¡°I could find her an apartment if the two of you aren¡¯t comfortable to share the space.¡±


    ¡°No! I saw how hard it is to find a place at a good price and it not being a dump. We¡¯ll¡­ we¡¯ll figure stuff out eventually¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Violet?¡±


    ¡°Whatever Abby decides, I make it my decision too¡± I told him firmly.


    He asked again if we were fine with that arrangement, but the conversation had been done the moment Abby told him not to go looking for a place for Sophie.


    Before leaving, he placed a hand over Abby and clumsily said he loved her very much. I got the nagging feeling my dad had given him some pointers about how to have this talk. It had ¡°Stanley Miller¡± written all over the place.


    ¡°Can we make love now?¡± she asked, hiding her face on my chest.


    I was hardly in the mood for it anymore. Instead, I let her rest an ear over my chest as I run my hands through her back and hair. Maybe later, but right now, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to do anything more than that. Not when she was feeling this down.


    About an hour passed and she finally raised her head to look at my face.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± I asked.


    ¡°¡­I think we¡¯ll have to make some further changes to how things will run.¡±


    I feared as much, but I also knew it was unavoidable.


    We both knew, if Sophie was still against it, having Abby and I acting the way we normally do could further increase her disgust and raise unwanted conflict between the three of us.


    That would mean we¡¯d go back to sleep in separate houses for a while, and as a result, spend a lot less time together.


    ¡°Haah, what a pain,¡± I sighed, rubbing my face.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry babe¡­ it¡¯s all my¡­¡±


    I looked at her, waiting for Abby to finish saying she was at fault here so I could deny it, but she shook her head, denying herself of the guilt.


    Instead, she pulled her body up, and began kissing me.


    ¡°Let¡¯s make the time we have left count,¡± she told me between pecks.


    That was probably for the best. Our time of silly conversations and carefree days were coming to an end. For now, we¡¯d enjoy our final two weeks of holiday together the best we could because soon, new tribulations were coming.


    ¡°I love you.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, I love you too. Love you to bits.¡±


    It didn¡¯t feel completely unwarranted, but I think we both somehow felt sure things would eventually be fine. But that might be from the happiness we always felt when we were together.

 Back to School

    It was a sad, strange feeling, waking up alone. Every morning, for the past many months, I always had to squirm my way out of bed because Violet would latch on to me, not wanting me to leave her sleeping alone. It was the first day without that, and it was already being this painful.


    Lingering in bed with only Mr. Sealy was depressing, so I jumped out of it and started getting ready.


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    ¡°Ah sorry!¡± I cried out, shutting the door to the bathroom after seeing my sister wrapped in a towel.


    ¡°Abby, it¡¯s you!¡± I heard her sigh on the other side of the door. ¡°Sorry for shouting, I thought it could be dad.¡±


    An understandable reaction, since no one in my family stayed in bed for long in the morning, and as such, it had been a fifty-fifty chance of being either of us.


    She got out, telling me I could use the bathroom and walked away.


    I watched her, using the fact she had her back turned to me to confirm a suspicion I had from yesterday, when she arrived: she had lost weight. It got me a bit worried about the reason behind it. Had it been a diet or stress from the internship?


    ¡­I should ask her about it¡­


    I couldn¡¯t bring myself to it, though. Any time we came face to face, none of us would look at the other in the eye, not to mention, words also didn¡¯t seem to come out. Believe it or not, our short exchange after surprising her now had been the most we talked since her arrival. This would be the second day, but with me going to school, we wouldn¡¯t have many chances of holding a conversation.


    ¡°¡­I want to see her¡­¡± I told to my reflexion.


    It all made me feel a bit lonely, and as always that it happened, Violet came to mind. As soon as I was done showering and eating, I¡¯d go straight to her. If I got there soon enough, we should be able to stay in bed together for a bit before she has to get up and also get ready.


    ???


    I felt the bed shift and a very nice familiar scent getting more intense. Turning around and opening my eyes as much as I could, I saw an adorable creature crouching by the bed, her hands on the edge of the mattress, serving as support for a smiling face.


    ¡°Hi there,¡± she softly chirped. ¡°May I join you?¡±


    Of course she could. I tried pulling her right in, but she pushed back, telling me she had to take out her uniform so it wouldn¡¯t get wrinkled.


    ¡°Pervert,¡± Abby joked once she got in bed after I watched her strip.


    ¡°You¡¯re my girlfriend, so it¡¯s fine,¡± I grumbled as I pulled her closer. ¡°Did you sleep well?¡±


    Yes and no, apparently. There were no nightmares, but since that was due to Abby missing my presence, it was hardly a sell point.


    I also had a hard time falling asleep. I told her about it as I rubbed my nose in her hair, it tickling me pleasantly. The bed felt so big and empty without her. It also sucked not having anything to hold.


    Abby joked about getting me a body pillow with her print on it, but to that I said it wouldn¡¯t be the same thing.


    ¡°Hehe, sleepy Violet is the most honest Violet,¡± she laughed, unaware that I was wide awake since the moment she started opening her shirt. ¡°What if it was an inflatable doll made to look like me?¡±


    Again, I said nothing could compare to the real deal, giving her a very nice squeeze until she let out a happy noise. This type of sound was something only she could do. Smell? She could hold the doll or pillow close to her after showering, maybe even using her bathing products on them, but again, it wouldn¡¯t be the same. The feeling? Nope, impossible. Abby was soft, but there was also a certain firmness about her. Weird way to describe someone this way, but she was incredibly comfortable to hold.


    ¡°Pfft, fufu.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± she asked, also giggling.


    ¡°I love the sound you make when you¡¯re happy.¡±


    She had no idea what the sound I was referring to was, and as such, I gave her another nice squeeze. She then noticed it as soon as she let it out. A squeaky moan when I applied the right amount of force in my hold. I told Abby she always did this or something similar whenever she was really pleased with my pampers.


    ¡°Huh, that explains how you get so good at it so fast.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it is all thanks to your cute sounds.¡±


    ¡°Am I cute?¡± she asked, barely holding a giggling fit.


    ¡°Mmh-hmm, super,¡± I moaned, starting to get frisky.


    She was now giggling away, playfully grabbing my hands and running her fingers up and down my arms, but while I was nibbling her neck, she let out a sigh.


    ¡°Babe, we need to start getting you ready for school in five minutes,¡± she told me, disappointed about how little time we got left after checking the clock.


    ¡°Haah, right¡­ I forgot about school¡­¡± I groaned. ¡°What about a shower?¡±


    ¡°I already had one, so¡­¡±


    There was no helping it, we had to do stuff differently than our usual. It was proving a lot harder than we initially thought though.


    Still, as a compromise, Abby told me she¡¯d help in drying my hair after I got out of the shower. It was something we deeply enjoyed doing and would allow me to take it easier in getting prepared, and as a result, she too could relax a bit.


    ¡°Could you lay belly up?¡± I asked.


    ¡°babe, there¡¯s no time for¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not for that. I wanna try something.¡±


    She raised an eyebrow, but still complied.


    I uncovered her, giving fuel to her suspicions about me trying something naughty, but again, that wasn¡¯t it.


    I draped my hair over her, lying on my side and with my head level to hers. It was something she had joked about before, and since it came to mind after thinking about how long my hair had gotten, I decided to give it a try.


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    The result was it looking like she was wearing a short black dress.


    ¡°Does it look good on me?¡± she asked, acting like she had indeed put on a dress.


    It¡¯s not that it didn¡¯t, it¡¯s that I think Abby looks better in more colourful dresses.


    Question now was, should I cut it? If so, how long should I leave it?


    There was a knock on the door, and Abby got up, saying it most likely was Oliver. Borrowing my shirt, she opened the door. Sure enough, Oliver walked in, his tail all upright as he wobbled by her, meowing a thanks or hello.


    ¡°There you are you murderous beast,¡± she laughed as she picked him up.


    ¡°Murderous beast? What?¡±


    ¡°Yup. See?¡±


    She had his back pressed against her chest, one hand supporting him while the other held him up, buried in his fluffy underside. She had her thumb being gently chewed by Oliver as he hugged her hand. A murderous beast indeed.


    ???


    Last year¡¯s psycho was still at large, it seemed. Just like in tenth grade, we were starting the week with Math. I wasn¡¯t looking forward to it, but Violet¡­ she looked like she¡¯d rather have jumped in front of the bus than coming to school.


    Arriving to the classroom, we were swiftly greeted by Mathilda. She got up from her seat and waved at us, calling out our names until we returned her greeting, Violet acting a bit reserved.


    We didn¡¯t have to search for a place to sit as our mutual friend has reserved two seats for us. It was the second desk from the end and right by the window. Mathilda would be sitting to our right, and as we settled down, the two boys in front of us turned their chairs sideways to face us.


    Wow!


    While Violet ate, I did a long braid with her hair, and just now, as she moved it over her shoulder so she wouldn¡¯t be resting her back on it, she looked stunning.


    Back to the boys, Mathew was the first to talk, asking how we were doing, followed by Stephen complementing our uniforms and tans.


    With Mathew I was ok, but Stephen irked me a bit because I thought he was trying to hit on Violet.


    ¡°Erm, thanks, but¡­ Abby and I¡­¡±, she staggered as I hugged and rubbed my cheek on her arm to mark my territory.


    ¡°They are an item,¡± Mathilda finished.


    ¡°Yeah, so?¡± Stephen said back to Mathilda. ¡°I can still tell them that they are looking good as a friend, right? At least they won¡¯t be getting the wrong idea.¡±


    ¡°You are so tactless,¡± Mathilda groaned, looking away.


    Right, Mathilda likes him.


    Even if he was only being friendly towards us, it must bother her seeing him complementing other girls.


    But maybe there¡¯s something I could do to help her along?


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid other boys give you crap for hanging out with three beauties?¡± I asked, trying to bait him into calling Mathilda pretty.


    ¡°I¡¯m used to it,¡± he said with a shrug. ¡°Mostly they¡¯ll ask if I¡¯m dating any of you, but since you¡¯re a couple, they¡¯ll ask about me and Mathy.¡±


    ¡°Does that happen a lot?¡± I asked, now curious to also see if I could get some reading out of him.


    ¡°I lost count the amount of times they asked for advice on how to hit on her after telling them that we are just friends.¡±


    Mathilda¡ªMathy, apparently¡ªlooked at him, sounding surprised about hearing that. I could see her trying to hide a smile when he told her that a pretty girl like her attracted some superficial guys and he wouldn¡¯t be helping anyone getting close to her if they weren¡¯t serious about it.


    The fact none had tried to kinda proved his point, and honestly, his seriousness about his friend earned him some points in my eyes. Whether there was any deeper feeling beyond that or not, I had no clue as of yet.


    ¡°What are you, my dad?¡± she grumbled bashfully.


    I was going to poke fun at Mathy, but once I called her by that nickname, she raised her hand and looked at me very seriously.


    ¡°Sorry, but could you not call me that?¡±


    An interesting discussion arouse from her request, Stephen curious about why he could call her that, but not me. She was fine with him calling her that since it¡¯s been their normal ever since they were friends, but she didn¡¯t like it when it was somebody else using that name.


    So, it¡¯s something that only he could call her? Got it.


    And before I could start my tease again, the whole class got dead silent.


    Looking at the door, I was surprised not to see a grey, hunched, wrinkled figure, but a young woman¡ªnot much older than my sister, I assume¡ª walking inside. She was clearly regretting her attire choice, a blazer over a white shirt and jeans, as some strands of dark-brown hair that weren¡¯t tied in her ponytail were sticking to her forehead.


    ¡°Please tell us you¡¯re our new teacher!¡± a guy clamoured from his chair somewhere on the other side of the classroom.


    She smiled and nodded, opening her mouth to speak but having her voice drowned by the wild cheering of the whole class. I¡¯d have joined them in celebrating were it not for knowing Violet would also get annoyed at me, her hands covering her ears and face frowning as she looked around.


    ¡°I should also tell you that I¡¯ll be your class supervisor and I take that task very seriously,¡± she informed us all as soon as the noise died down. ¡°I¡¯ll let this slide today because I¡¯m aware that my predecessor was¡­ not very well appreciated, but I expect everyone to be on their best behaviour from now on.¡±


    Yeah, he wasn¡¯t appreciated at all.


    Still, it begged the question: what happened to the old crone?


    To that question, posed by a girl sitting at the front, the answer was, he had retired earlier. As to why he did, nobody asked. Nobody cared, really.


    ¡°Which of you are Abbigail Gardener and Violet Evergreen?¡±


    We raised our hands, feeling uncomfortable about being singled out after classes had barely even started.


    She looked at us, taking a bit to inspect us. She was reminding me a bit about my mum, if only the woman who birthed me was so soft-faced. I mean, in comparison. Our new teacher was looking at us with a stern expression, but not of someone who looked like they¡¯d start shouting at any second.


    ¡°By the way he described me, it¡¯s a miracle you two don¡¯t have horns,¡± she joked, lightening the mood. ¡°I¡¯ll let you two sit together, but no funny business.¡±


    ¡°Erm, if I may¡­¡± Violet started.


    ¡°¡­yes?¡±


    My girlfriend looked at me briefly, her face, already bit flushed due to the heat, turning slightly redder. Silently, I told her to go ahead and speak her mind.


    ¡°I-I know we acted up last year, but¡­ we were going through some stuff at home, and, well, he called Abby a spoiled child when that¡¯s simply not true¡­ also, erm¡­ w-we are dating now, b-but¡­ we take school seriously, and¡­ Abby is very smart, but gets bored easily due to how easily she picks stuff, but since she sits by me¡­ I used to work and was exhausted most of the time last year, so Abby would help me stay awake and pay attention¡­ s-so, erm¡­ sorry, I forgot what was the point I wanted to make. I guess¡­ we won¡¯t be causing you trouble, is what I wanted to say¡­¡±


    I was equally surprised and overjoyed by her words. What¡¯s more, despite choking a bit, she spoke in a clear, loud enough voice for everyone to hear until the very end, not like any other time where her final words became a mumbled whispered mess.


    I was sitting there, rocking side to side, muffling a giggle and I fought the impulse to give her a big hug in front of everyone.


    ¡°I see,¡± our new teacher said. ¡°So, you two are dating, huh? Very well, I¡¯ll see to it that what I¡¯ve been told won¡¯t bias my approach to you, but my warning still stands to you, and for anybody else for that matter.¡±


    We exchanged a look and a smile. As far as we cared, that was a win.


    Class proceeded with introductions. Most of us were new people, but there were some people who were the same, those being our new friends.


    As a clarification, our school divided their student body by academic achievement. Last year, we were in class D, the lowest of them all, due to having only finished nineth grade on the second phase of exams. With the previous year of academic achievements that we had, topping the class chart on all subjects with only PE marring Violet¡¯s sheet, we were moved all the way to B class now, and if we kept it at the same level, we¡¯d get to the A class, the top class, next year with no problem.


    And speaking about it, how did Mathew, Stephen and Mathilda end up in the same class as us on the previous year? Those three were directly behind us grades-wise, Mathy being more or less at the same level as my Violet.


    ¡°Stephen¡¯s parents got tired of him just barely making it, so they became very strict. I simply helped him in the grind and Mathew joined out of charity,¡± Mathilda explained when the class ended. ¡°Say, we should all gather for studying! Sounds like fun, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    It did, but it also sounded like a pain due to how Violet and I studied. Me taking only thirty minutes while she¡¯d go at it for hours and with some pauses for groping due to her not resisting putting her hands on me when I sat on her lap for long. Not exactly something we could do in front of others, is it? Not to mention, it would cut our alone time even shorter.


    Even so, with all that considered, Violet was looking like she was getting into the idea as she thought about it. Maybe gathering around with a group of friends to study was some sort of fantasy she had? For someone so carnivorous, she sure could be innocent at times, huh?


    ¡°Pfft, hehe.¡±


    ¡°W-what?¡± she asked, embarrassed by me reading her like an open book.


    ¡°You¡¯re adorable,¡± I teased with a hip bump.


    She didn¡¯t say a word, but her eyes spoke volumes. ¡°No, you are,¡± was what they were telling me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you ever get tired of flirting all the time?¡± Mathilda asked, grinning from ear to ear.


    Getting tired? How was that possible if we never got enough of it?


    A loving girlfriend, a nice friend, and two new ones for me to get to know. All in all, school wouldn¡¯t be so bad after all, right?

 Making Little Time Count

    After we were done with school for the day, we decided to go for a walk around the mall, that being permitted by Abby having forced me to leave all but the notebooks of the subjects we had today at home. Last year I hadn¡¯t had¡ªand arguably this year too¡ªthe oversight to decide that on my own and had to walk around with a heavy back digging in my shoulder.


    Honestly, maybe we should have gone somewhere else. The mall was so full, it looked like the whole town had gathered here, making it hard to walk around without bumping into someone.


    ¡°Wanna stop by somewhere?¡± she asked me.


    I did since she should be hungry right about now and I was feeling a tad exhausted by the heat and crowd, but finding a place where we could order some food without having to wait for a long time in line and then struggle to find a place to sit was looking like an impossible task. I repeat myself, but it really felt like the whole town had gathered here.


    ¡°It¡¯s not surprising, after all, it¡¯s not just us who want to do something fun after being stuck inside four walls the whole day.¡±


    Yeah, I suppose she¡¯s right.


    On a closer look, many of the people surrounding us were about our age. Putting two and two together, the difference before today and now is that they all came here at the same time due to school instead of their numbers being spread throughout the day.


    Nevertheless, I suggested we go look for a place to eat elsewhere.


    ¡°Erm, do you mind if we go to your place instead?¡± she asked after checking her phone.


    I asked if she was short on time. Partially yeah, but it would be more accurate to say that we were short on time. There were so many people at the mall that it took us double the usual time just to get around, robbing us of precious minutes of quality couple time.


    It was a bit of a bother to go home without having stopped to eat as planned, but with how full the place was, it was a welcome change of plans.


    She chuckled at me commenting that, asking if I hadn¡¯t gotten better at dealing with crowds with our trips to the pool.


    Maybe I was, but if that was the case, it was only very slightly.


    ¡°Haah, fresh air,¡± I sighed after we got out the door.


    ¡°Not really, it¡¯s pretty stifling today.¡±


    I went to say that I was painfully aware of that and what I truly meant, but her joking smile told me I¡¯d just be stating the obvious. Well, my mouth was already open, so I carried on, saying that I couldn¡¯t wait for Autumn to come.


    Her eyes lit up with child-like glee.


    ¡°Right!? I can¡¯t wait for it to get colder so I can eat your meat stew again. Ah! And baked sweet potatoes! And chestnuts! Do you like any of those?¡±


    This is Abby when hungry, you mention something, and she¡¯ll jump right into talking about food she likes if she can form a segue between the two.


    ¡°I mean, dad and I eat those a few times during Autumn, so I guess I like them well enough?¡±


    ¡°¡­Is there any food you really like?¡± she asked with a slight frown and weird tone in her voice.


    I couldn¡¯t really think of any dish I¡¯d pick if I had to choose amongst all that I have ever eaten before, but thinking about being a good girlfriend, I told her it was the food she prepared for me. I liked it a lot, don¡¯t get me wrong, but even amongst those I was finding it hard to pick one.


    ¡°Why, thank you. Still, it¡¯s a bit sad that you don¡¯t take more joy out of eating. There¡¯s so many yummy foods in the world after all.¡±


    That thought had occurred me many times before, and I had to admit, I felt a bit sad seeing people getting all excited about a particularly well cooked steak while I simply thought ¡°yup, this is really good¡±, but the excitement I felt being completely opposite to what my thoughts might suggest. I had even at times thought that eating was a chore I wouldn¡¯t go through if I didn¡¯t need for my survival.


    There were a few times though, now that I was thinking hard about it, that what I ate was deeply engraved in my memory. Not the taste though, the moment. Like, that night before I even knew she liked me that I got home after a bad shift, tired, grumpy and icky, and Abby was waiting with my dad with a sandwich she had prepared for me. It was the first time she ¡°cooked¡± something alone and specifically for me. It was good, the taste, but what got me more excited about it was what I stated before.


    ¡°¡­Rather than taking joy from eating, I think that what I really enjoy is the moment,¡± I spoke out, breaking the silence that had been going on for at least ten minutes.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Well, that¡¯s also important. Perhaps even more so. I had plenty of nice dinners and lunches with food tasting like ash because¡­ you know. There are also lots of junk I ate that tasted good because I was with you.¡±


    ¡°Like those hamburgers that tasted like cardboard?¡± I asked, the memory of a particularly bad lunch date¡ªthe food was bad, not the date¡ªcoming into mind from her comment.


    ¡°Pfft, ah-haha! Yeah, even those. We aren¡¯t going there again though, so don¡¯t worry. I still can¡¯t believe you ate it all despite that.¡±


    I told her I wouldn¡¯t mind if she wanted to go there, but she scolded me that, despite my overall apathy towards eating, there are limits to what I should submit myself no matter if it made her happy or not.


    Food is still food, even if it tastes bad, as long as it doesn¡¯t taste foul or rotten. While she agreed in general with that statement, she still didn¡¯t fully appreciate my logic. I made the mental note to try and be a bit more picky with what I eat. Abby was giving me the feeling she¡¯d get mad at me if I ate something she¡¯d disagree with, even if it was perfectly edible apart from the taste.


    Arriving home was met with a bit of a hassle.


    We got inside, took out our shoes, and Abby made some comment about me looking nice taking them off¡ªa bit weird, but ok¡ªand after hearing her voice, we both heard the unmistakable sound of Oliver¡¯s nails on the floor as he hurried to meet us. He was acting like we had been away for years.


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    ¡°There, there,¡± Abby hushed him, taking Oliver into her arms and cradling him like a baby. ¡°You missed us, huh? You poor thing.¡±


    He let out a sigh and began purring at full throttle, happy to finally have his ¡°mothers¡± back home.


    ¡°Abby, he¡¯ll fill your uniform with fur,¡± I told her, but my words met deaf ears. What she told me back was for me to change into my casual clothes so I could take him. Why was that? Because she had to clean his litter box, check his food and water and see if there was enough ration left.


    I titled my head, going through my mental schedule. Today was supposed to be me doing those chores.


    ¡°I never agreed to that,¡± Abby retorted. ¡°Besides, since it was part of the agreement for keeping him that I would be the one taking care of Oliver, it should be me, even more so when we take into account that I won¡¯t be sleeping here for the unforeseeable future. And before you say anything, I¡¯m not taking a no as an answer.¡±


    Her stubbornness knew no limits at times, but her arguments were also sound. I could point out that I also never agreed to having her as the sole person responsible for him, but at a stressful time like this, I¡¯d go along with it if it helped her be a bit more at ease.


    I opened the bedroom door, but it felt like I had opened a lit oven.


    Change of plans.


    I¡¯d just grab the clothes I wanted and a hanger, change inside the bathroom, and come back to hang the uniform somewhere in the bedroom.


    ¡­There¡¯s no way we¡¯ll be doing anything in there¡­


    Not unless we had a death wish or something.


    ¡°Here, have our fur ball of fury,¡± she said as she passed him over to me. ¡°I just brushed him, so he¡¯s extra fluffy.¡±


    The fact he had also put up some more weight helped. I thought kittens were supposed to be playful and dart around the place like they were connected to electricity, but this one acted more like an old lazy cat, always lying around and doing nothing other than looking cute. If anything, it looked like he got the appetite from Abby, and the energy levels from me.


    ¡°You tired?¡± Abby asked after hearing my grunt after I sat on the couch.


    The heat, all the people and noise at school, forced interactions with the teachers and repeating the same introduction, over and over¡­ I was drained. School was a pain I had forgotten about during such a nice holiday. How nice it¡¯d be if I could just sleep away the time that was left until the next summer.


    ¡°Yeah, a person like you, I bet you¡¯ve always spent the whole time waiting for that time of the year to come,¡± Abby commented, sounding absent-minded. By the sound of it, she was taking care of Oliver¡¯s litter box.


    How did I spend my time before? It certainly wasn¡¯t waiting for school to end and Summer to start. School was bad because of all the people, the stress about homework and exams, the getting up early and coming home after ten hours away, the commute¡­ you wouldn¡¯t be blamed if you thought the same Abby did. However, it simply wasn¡¯t true.


    While I could stay in peace and quiet at home the whole day, that came at some heavy costs. The house was too hot for one, but there were other, more hurtful, reasons behind me disagreeing. At school, I was reminded of how alone I was, but once holidays started¡­ that feeling came tenfold. It was hot inside the house, so why not go outside? Reasonable enough, right? Only¡­ go where? Had I had friends before, that¡¯d be answered with ¡°go hanging out with them¡±, but I didn¡¯t have any until high school started. I felt a crushing sense of loneliness then, and when I got out to buy groceries, I felt it even more seeing other kids go around, laughing and chatting in their groups while I only had a bag with stuff I bought as company.


    How did I spend my time then?


    In a very depressing way.


    In a bit Abby would go home, but at least this time I had Oliver to make me some company, right? Me and the cat. Was I turning into a cat lady? Perhaps so. I was already starting to have crazy thoughts after all.


    Blasted heat.


    ¡°All done!¡± she cheered, coming to sit on the couch with me. In her hands were cans of juice that were looking awfully fresh with their condensation covering the surface. ¡°What will you have with this?¡±


    ¡°Something that I can eat with only one hand,¡± I said, pointing at the kitten nested against my chest, a paw covering his eyes to hide them from the light.


    ¡°Aye, aye ma¡¯am!¡± she saluted as she got up with a jump. How could she be this peppy while I felt like crawling into the fridge? Really, I think I could fit in there. I just had to pull everything else out of it first, I¡¯d deal with the mess later.


    ¡­Haah, more crazy thoughts¡­


    Abby came back with a tray filled with goodies while I rubbed the can of juice on my forehead to cool off. Sliced cheese, cream crackers, and the best of all, grapes fresh out of the fridge. I wasn¡¯t hungry or anything, but the grapes with the juice were a godsend.


    ¡°Are you all right?¡± she asked, leaning in closer to my face. ¡°You look a bit feverish.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just the heat that¡¯s getting to me. I thought I had gotten better at dealing with it due to our pool trips, but apparently not.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯d go inside the water to cool off though,¡± she told me with a hand on my forehead. Her always warm hand was feeling at the same temperature as my own skin, scaringly enough. ¡°Today we¡¯ve jumped around classrooms with the ACs off since nobody wanted to bother turning them on for fifteen minutes.¡±


    She stuffed a cracker with cheese in her mouth and got up, disappearing for a bit and returning with the thermometer. I thought she was overreacting, but I also wasn¡¯t in the mood to argue, so I readied one of my armpits to receive it.


    ¡°This one doesn¡¯t go there,¡± she said, jokingly moving a finger around, telling me to turn my back towards her. Even knowing it was a joke, I clenched hard, the idea of inserting it where she was playfully suggesting giving me a shiver.


    Abby cackled, her laughter ringing in my ears, prompting me to shush her.


    ¡°Sorry, sorry. I just had to say it,¡± she mumbled from under the hand she was using to muffle her giggling.


    I forgave her, of course. Abby was just being Abby, and if I weren¡¯t feeling so cranky, I¡¯m sure I¡¯d have laughed too.


    While we waited for it to measure my temperature, I observed her eating. No matter how many times I watched, it never got old, her nibble, nibble, bite, nibble, nibble, bite. Like a hamster or tiny mouse.


    ¡°Humm?¡± she hummed, curious as to why I was watching her so intensely.


    Much to Abby¡¯s amusement and delight, I told her my reasoning, causing her to giggle and bob side to side, asking if she was cute. I was cranky, but seeing her acting so bubbly was always medicine for the soul, specially at times like these.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see here,¡± she hummed, taking a look at the thermometer. ¡°It marks very slightly above the normal human temperature, which is to say, you¡¯re with a bit of a fever. You really don¡¯t mix well with the heat.¡±


    Which made me wish for the Autumn and Winter to come. I also didn¡¯t do well with the cold, but that¡¯s far easier to combat than this blasted heat. Too cold? Put more layers on or snuggle Abby. Too hot? Put on less clothes. What¡¯s that? You¡¯re already on your birthday suit? How about taking off your skin? Would that help? Summer is the worst.


    ¡°Urgh, when we become adults, let¡¯s migrate to the artic during the summer months,¡± I grunted in despair.


    ¡°Now, that¡¯s an idea,¡± Abby joked, flopping on my lap. ¡°We¡¯d be avoiding mosquitoes too. Are we like migratory birds who mate for life then?¡±


    ¡°I guess so,¡± I chuckled, not able to resist her silliness.


    I placed a hand over her belly and started moving it around, Abby shutting her eyes and smiling, over the moon with my caresses.


    But while she smiled, I frowned. It wouldn¡¯t be long until she had to return home. Home, where I wasn¡¯t going to be. Incredible how, in just three months, that word became to mean ¡°the place where Abby is waiting for me¡± instead of ¡°the place someone lives in¡±. Maybe it was childish naivete, but her previous joke of us being birds that mated for life felt very real. I certainly couldn¡¯t fathom a reality where she wasn¡¯t there, and I was absolutely sure Abby felt the same way. For better or for worse, that feeling alone would make us go through many tribulations just to make that feeling a reality. And I was fine with that. What¡¯s worth it rarely is easy after all.


    ¡°Haah, I guess I can stay another twenty minutes,¡± she lamented after checking her phone. ¡°Will you be ok?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯ll just take a cold shower to cool off and try to keep hydrated after you leave.¡±


    ¡°¡­Let¡¯s take one together now,¡± she said, opening her eyes.


    ¡°Now?¡±


    ¡°Why not? We didn¡¯t take one this morning and I still have half my stuff here. It¡¯d be a waste not to take the opportunity, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Putting aside my desires for a second, having her with me sounded like a good idea merely by safety reasons. My head was feeling very hazy and heavy, giving me the impression that I¡¯d be feeling dizzy when standing up. With Abby with me at least I didn¡¯t have to worry about cracking my head open like an egg dropped on the pavement.


    ¡°Come on, put our child to the side and let¡¯s go,¡± she hurried me, getting up and clapping her hands together. ¡°I don¡¯t want to become a widow before even getting proper married.¡±


    It was scary how many times she echoed the exact same thoughts I had going on in my mind. Scary, but oh, so reassuring.

 Cooling Down and Compromising

    My Violet was back to being completely out of it. I ask myself if she had even slept anything until the very moment I walked inside her house and found her, completely naked and all spread on the couch with two fans pointing at body, that morning. I decided there and then that I wouldn¡¯t let possible animosities between her, my sister and me keep hurting my girlfriend. Violet is always getting the short end of the stick because of me. I always had hated that, and I was more than done with it. At least until classes properly start and she can cool down in a classroom with air conditioner for most of the day, she¡¯ll stay with me at my house.


    The shower she took then helped, if only just slightly. Her pipes got warmed up by the latent heat in the walks, so a cold shower was more aptly named lukewarm at best.


    Now, about four hours later, she was back to looking awfully red, an eye more open than the other¡ªor rather, shut, and an unsteady stance. Asking for the teacher to turn on the AC didn¡¯t help because once it started to cool down the room, the introductions were done and we had to leave, leaving us in the same predicament.


    There was a bit of a silver lining though. With how messed up she was, she wasn¡¯t noticing our classmates¡¯ glances as we changed in the changing room after we met our new PE teacher. Funny how he looked more like a stereotypical Italian or French chef than a PE teacher, but ok. He had the most glorious moustache I had ever seen. Now that I think it, instead of a chef, he looks more like one of those old timey British boxers from the Victorian times.


    Back to our classmates, I understood why they were acting this way, but it still hurt my feelings a bit, and if Violet was in her normal self, I can see her getting frustrated and calling them out on it. They were uneasy due to our sexual orientation, sure, I get that, but still, do they think we want to sleep with them all? That we¡¯d ogle at their naked bodies as they change? It¡¯s all the more ridiculous when they knew that we were dating! We were a couple, each standing right beside the other, what logic would it make for any of us to look at any other girl than the one we were dating? Or was it that they were waiting for us to start ¡°making babies¡±?


    Bah, they¡¯ll eventually get used to it.


    As long as Violet and I didn¡¯t do anything that warranted such suspicions, we¡¯d eventually be treated equally. I hope.


    ¡°I wonder if the water here is cooler than at home,¡± I heard Violet mumble to herself.


    Mathilda heard her too and came to the rescue, offering the towel she had brought for Violet to dry her body and hair after cooling down.


    Typically, she¡¯d have refused since that meant her getting completely naked in front of others. Others that weren¡¯t me, that is. Anyway, that would be her typical reaction, but these were desperate times for her, so she took Mathilda¡¯s offer.


    I returned the exact same gaze as we had been getting to the other girls, giving her a taste of their own venom, as Violet took out the last bits of cloth she had before wrapping the towel around her. Seeing their faces turning red under my gaze was kinda cathartic and well deserved. Not that they¡¯d see all that much with how her hair covered the majority of her body when looked from behind. It was like a huge censor bar from the top of her head all the way to bellow her buttocks. She should let it stay that length until we were done with high school. I didn¡¯t think it¡¯d bother me, but my classmates made me realise, there¡¯s a limit of how much I was ok with others seeing of her, and what a bikini covered seemed to be that limit. That also meant that I¡¯d be changing my habit of showering at school too because Violet being Violet would most likely feel the same way, but her being her, she¡¯d never tell or ask about it. We could always take a nice couple shower with plenty of cuddles once we get home anyway, right?


    ¡°I take it you¡¯ll stay behind,¡± Mathilda asked as she too observed Violet stagger her way to the shower room.


    Of course I would, Violet could barely stand and walk straight without me serving as support. I wouldn¡¯t get inside with her, not only because we were at school, but also because it was a communal shower with no privacy whatsoever, so if she started to get handsy in her fuzzy state of mind¡­ we¡¯d be in a lot of trouble, that¡¯s for sure.


    Mathilda joked into my ear to keep it below a sixteen-plus rate. I replied with I¡¯ll try and keep it in mind while playfully fanning myself before following after Violet.


    She was standing with her hands on the wall, arms outstretched and head cocked back to receive the cold water directly on her face before it run down the rest of her body.


    ¡°Better?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I have no words,¡± she replied, rubbing her face briefly before going back to the previous position. ¡°I¡¯d stuff myself in a drum filled with this water for the rest of the day if I could.¡±


    I chuckled and said she¡¯d get all wrinkly if she did so. She chuckled and in turn said she¡¯d just lie down on the ironing board and iron out her skin.


    The walls and floor were all white, her hair contrasting sharply with it, but her skin wasn¡¯t blending as much as it would before summer. How long would it take for it to go back to the same shade? I don¡¯t think it will go exactly as pale¡ªalmost see-through even¡ªbut my guess is, around February, after a winter of staying inside, all snuggled with me under the blanket. Our first winter together. Our first Christmas together¡­


    That would still have to wait a few months. Right now we could still hear the cicadas outside buzzing and other students clamour. The shower made me think of the rain, however, but if it was raining, there would be no cicadas¡¯ melody nor students voices. We¡¯d be here, alone and in silence with only the rain providing background noise.


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    It was a bit melancholic of a thought, and that along with my worries over Violet were giving me the urge to join her. I know I¡¯m needy, but at times like this, it still surprised me how needy I could get. If only the others couldn¡¯t tell I joined her because my hair would be damp too¡­


    ¡°Babe? Stay with me tonight?¡± I said, my voice sounding begging without me really aiming for it. I knew she was very weak against it, so I didn¡¯t want to use that kind of voice unless she got too stubborn during our ensuing conversation.


    ¡°What about your sister?¡± she asked after thinking for a bit.


    ¡°Babe, I can¡¯t let you stay at your place to cook alive. Besides, did you even sleep at all tonight?¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know,¡± was her dragged out answer.


    ¡°¡­Please, accept my invitation¡­ I really don¡¯t like how you¡¯re always the one making sacrifices in our relationship.¡±


    She shut the water off and run her hands through her skull, grabbing her hair like she was going to make a ponytail. She proceeded to squeeze out as much water as possible from the whole length of hair, a ridiculous amount coming out of it, before turning around and walking towards me. I handed her the towel she had hanged on the wall and our eyes met. She glanced over me, towards the door and back to me. I thought I had hidden it well, but she saw that I wanted to be touched by her. She caressed my face and leaned down for a long kiss once she was done covering herself.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t think I sacrifice as much as you think I do,¡± she told me once our lips parted.


    Not caring about getting wet, I hugged her, telling Violet how much I loved her. She got all flustered, telling me to not say and do these kinds of things with her unable to fully retribute. Yeah, I guess it was kinda unfair for me to get all touchy-feely when she was still drenched, but we really weren¡¯t people to hold back in these cases.


    Nevertheless, I asked again if she wouldn¡¯t stay with me for the night.


    ¡°I will, I will, but please, let me go before I get you all wet.¡±


    ¡°Now you¡¯re just being naughty.¡±


    ¡°Huh? How am I¡­ I-I meant your clothes! Gee, why are you always like this?!¡± she cried out.


    ¡°Pfft, ah-haha! Because I love you, silly!¡±


    I laughed for a good bit, but it died out as I saw the way she was looking at me. I had teased Violet too much and awoken the wolf inside her, and I was looking like a lamb to her right now.


    ¡°Babe, we are at school,¡± I reminded her, putting some distance between us. ¡°We¡¯ve got people waiting too.¡±


    ¡°I-I know that! Believe it or not, I have some self-control!¡± she huffed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, it¡¯s something I love about you, but you can be full of surprises and quite carnivorous.¡±


    ¡°¡­Haah, let¡¯s just go,¡± she sighed, not wanting to bother continuing this conversation. It looks like I escaped for now.


    I really need to be more careful with how I tease her.


    Coming out of the sports hall, we met our friends. They had patiently been waiting sitting on a bench under the shade of a tree, chatting about whatever it is that they usually do. We still didn¡¯t know them well enough to make guesses.


    ¡°The whole gang is all gather now,¡± Mathilda said, sounding like she was making an impression of a Mafia character.


    ¡°So, we are in a gang now?¡± I asked, looking at Violet to gauge her reaction.


    ¡°Yup, we sure are,¡± Mathilda chimed, looking awfully proud. She readied a finger and started by pointing at my girlfriend. With a lot of reverence she started attributing to each of us a nickname. Violet was Momma Long-Legs, I was Devilish Smiles, Stephen got Pistol Fingers, Mathew was Bullet Dodger and Mathilda called herself the Madona. I now feel like watching a gangster movie, she said as she reclined on her seat.


    Stephen and Mathew got very into their names, getting up and chasing each other, one trying to shoot the other with pew-pew noises and the one getting shot making dodges in slow motion with woosh sounds. Us girls had a nice laugh at them before Mathilda threw an invitation in the air for all of us to gather at her place and watch some movies.


    ¡°Will there be popcorn?¡± Stephen asked.


    ¡°The machine broke again, but we can always stop by somewhere and grab some bags. And what the heck, don¡¯t you know that I don¡¯t see a movie without popcorn?¡±


    ¡°Again? I fixed it not two days ago.¡±


    ¡°Sadly, yeah. It¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll just buy a new one. With how much work you did on it already, it¡¯s more fixes than machine at this point.¡±


    Violet¡ªand me too for that matter¡ªgot curious about Stephen being the person repairing the machine. By the glow in Mathilda¡¯s eyes I could tell it was one of the things that made her fall for him. The guy was a tinkerer, apparently having the knack to tear something apart and put it all back together without even consulting a manual. He started young, fixing the toys they had that stopped working for one reason or another.


    I could see how she was so infatuated with that side of his. It was kinda the same thing about me and Violet. I always felt very attracted to her homey side of tidying the house, cooking and being a caretaker overall. Stephen fixed things, Violet fixed homes and hearts.


    ¡°Why are you telling them that?¡± he asked, getting embarrassed by so much praise.


    ¡°Because it¡¯s awesome!¡± Mathilda said. ¡°Seriously, you should start charging for it.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t really see a point in that,¡± he said with a shrug. ¡°You already treat me to a lot of stuff.¡±


    ¡°She meant others, idiot,¡± Mathew said, giving a friendly slap to the back of his friend¡¯s head. ¡°And if you do start charging for it, don¡¯t accept the same kind of treatment you get from Mathilda, ok?¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡±


    ¡°Yeah Mathew, why is that?¡± Mathilda asked, an undertone of a threat hidden in her voice, something her cousin picked up.


    ¡°For starters, they could get the wrong idea, and second, Mathilda might get worried about one of then playing with your feelings, right?¡±


    ¡°Do I have bad taste in women, is that it?¡±


    In my opinion, yes and no. ¡°Yes¡± because he got interested in Violet when she doesn¡¯t like boys and ¡°no¡± because Violet is an awesome person to have as a girlfriend. Maybe he¡¯s just unlucky. And blind too, regarding Mathilda.


    Was it possible that Stephen had feelings for Mathilda but wasn¡¯t acting on them for the same reasons she didn¡¯t, or was Mathew purely aware of her feelings and trying to help her push forward?


    Hmm, interesting. Very interesting.


    This all needed further observation, but if she was going to tease us, I think it¡¯s more than fair that I tease her too from now on.


    ¡°Anyway, movie night. Who¡¯s coming?¡±


    Violet and I excused ourselves for obvious reasons. Violet had cooled down, but she was still looking a bit fragile and I¡¯d stay by her side in case she needed something and for companionship. Mathew also excused himself, saying there¡¯s an event almost ending in an online game he plays that he still wanted to grind some extra stuff but pushed Stephen to join Mathilda.


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯m game,¡± Stephen said nonchalantly.


    I remembered something and took out my phone. I sent Mathilda a particular text asking something about a previous talk we had at the pool.


    She flashed her eyes at me before texting back that no, she still hadn¡¯t done that thing of asking him for help in something and guiding Stephen by the hand.


    ¡°Well, there won¡¯t be better time than today,¡± I texted her back.


    She looked up at me again and I gave her a wink. The next person I looked at was Violet, who was staring at me, having realised something was going on, but having no idea what it was. It was hard to tell if she was jealous under such a tired expression, but I showed her the texts just to be safe. I¡¯d tell her all about it later because I had the feeling she was even more in the dark about it than what I thought.

 Her Sister and I Reunite

    When I woke up, I wasn¡¯t alone for a change. Opening my eyes, I was stared back by Mr. Sealy¡¯s soft eyes, the plushie I had given Abby when I started realising my feelings for her. My guess is, she gave it to me so I had something to hold after she got up. Well, it worked because it had been five hours or so since she got up as a counter measure for me to get lonely and leave the bed in search of her. Weird how the toy had worked where pillows previously had failed.


    ¡°I left you in bed so you could take a proper rest. Kisses¡± her text read. I was thankful for it, but still, a part of me wished she had woken me. School would still be mostly introductions and a waste of time, so I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s fine that she didn¡¯t.


    ¡°And how did you sleep?¡± I asked the seal, waving his small fins in imitation to how Abby usually played with it. Shame how it was me doing it, alone, instead of having her resting her head on my lap, my fingers running through her hair as she did the playing.


    More importantly than idly sitting in bed with a toy, I should get some food in me. My stomach was so empty that I felt it in an intense and painful vacuum. My last meal had been more than half a day ago after all.


    William¡¯s door was open, meaning he was out for the day. Sophie¡¯s door however was shut and no sound came of it, making it impossible for me to determine if I was completely alone or not.


    Walking by it, I heard steps from the other side and the door handle rattle.


    I had the feeling I had seen her face yesterday, but with out of sorts I was, it left no impression on my mind. Now, I wasn¡¯t too sure how to feel. She looked exactly how I felt yesterday, with sunken cheeks, dark circles and visibly shaking a fair bit, that I attributed to copious amounts of coffee that I could smell from her.


    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± she asked awkwardly after we measured each other in silence for what felt like an eternity.


    I couldn¡¯t say I hated her per se, but I certainly didn¡¯t like her. Still, she was Abby¡¯s older sister and someone very important to her, so I¡¯d at least try to be polite. That¡¯s what my worst side wanted to say, but honestly, she looked too much like her younger sister for me to keep a cold heart.


    ¡°I¡¯m still feeling a bit groggy, but that might be from sleeping too much.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well¡­ you did sleep ever since you got here,¡± she agreed, opening up the door a bit more and assuming a more relaxed posture.


    ¡°¡­Have you eaten already? I¡¯m about to make lunch.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t have to. Abby made something for you yesterday.¡±


    Yeah, figured as much. Being on the receiving end of being taken care of was a bit weird, but I¡¯m sure Abby was, in a way, happy to ¡°finally give back¡±.


    ¡°Then¡­ won¡¯t you join me?¡±


    She gripped the wood of the door and bit her lip, briefly looking away. ¡°You sure you don¡¯t mind?¡± she asked in a raspy voice.


    Honestly, I did. I¡¯d much rather have a meal in peace without having to deal with her, but again, I¡¯d try to be polite for Abby¡¯s sake.


    Furthermore, I wasn¡¯t getting any hostility from her. Rather, what I was getting was¡­ it was something akin to Sophie being a whipped dog.


    As I prepared everything, Sophie kept following me with her gaze, silently thinking about something. Or maybe she wasn¡¯t thinking at all. Her eyes were completely vacant the few times mine met hers.


    ¡°You are well acquainted with the place, huh?¡± she asked as I sat down after serving the food. Abby had done a somewhat heavy dish, but at this point I needed all the calories I could get. Rice with cheese, chicken and chopped potatoes, a nice layer of mayo, breadcrumbs and spices coating the top, gratinated until slightly brown. It was so mouth watering that I didn¡¯t realise what she was implying until I scarfed down four mouthfuls. I had re-heated it and my tongue was complaining, but I sure didn¡¯t care, possessed by hunger as I was. A few days ago¡ªor maybe yesterday?¡ªAbby commented that I didn¡¯t show any excitement about eating. If only she could see me now¡­


    Using the fact I was chewing as an excuse to buy me time as I thought about how to answer, I couldn¡¯t figure out how to proceed without telling her in one way or another that her sister and I were now dating. I couldn¡¯t infer if she already knew or if she suspected from her previous question, and I didn¡¯t want to be the one breaking her the news.


    ¡°We did spend a lot of time together during summer,¡± was my copout after I swallowed.


    I had thought the tension would impact me more than what it actually was doing, but I was too famished to really care. Abby really had exceeded herself this time.


    On the other hand, while I was deeply enjoying the food, Sophie seemingly was merely going through the motions.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you hungry?¡± I asked reflexively.


    She looked at me, surprised that I even asked.


    ¡°I am, but at the same time I¡¯m not,¡± Sophie croaked, looking at her fork as she pushed around a bit of potato. ¡°It¡¯s like I have a knot right in the middle of my stomach.


    ¡°¡­Is something on your mind?¡±


    She was looking more and more like her sister back when Abby was at her worse possible time. And like her sister, she shook her head and put on a brave face.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, don¡¯t worry about it,¡± she said, briefly giving me a fake smile.


    ¡°¡­If you say so, but¡­ you and your sister are very similar.¡±


    She put down the fork and held her face. She was awfully quiet and not moving a single muscle. I don¡¯t think she was even breathing.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do,¡± she suddenly sobbed. ¡°I¡¯ve been focusing on finishing my internship report, but¡­ I¡¯ve finished it a bit before you woke up and I don¡¯t know what to do next¡­ Just¡­ what am I supposed to do?¡±


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    After all the time I spent with Abby, I could tell exactly what she was talking about.


    Their whole life they had been told by their mother what they were going to do every single second of their lives. Abby was lucky, being the youngest of the two and having had me suggest she becoming a PE teacher, but Sophie¡­ I couldn¡¯t see her having any friends and she was at a point in her life where she had invested a lot of effort and time into something that was no longer on the table. Add to that the fact she had to deal with Abby¡¯s sexuality and relationship with me¡­ It didn¡¯t excuse her past actions, but if I wanted to her Abby make up with her elder sister, I couldn¡¯t hold to grudges.


    I wasn¡¯t sure she¡¯d allow me, but I still got up and moved closer to her, intending on hugging her. Surprisingly enough, she latched on to me, her cries sounding a lot like Abby¡¯s, tearing my heart apart.


    And if they were this similar, I¡¯d comfort her the same way I would Abby until her tears dried out.


    ¡°I can see why she likes you.¡±


    Those words she spoke, still in a raspy voice were the first meaningful ones after she apologized for having an emotional breakdown in front of me.


    We were now seated on the couch, a small distance separating us. She had a nice cry and after that, we finished eating and sat down after doing the dishes.


    ¡°T-thanks,¡± I stammered, feeling my face grow hot.


    ¡°¡­H-how far did you¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Erm¡­ I think Abby should¡­¡±


    She shifted in her spot, probably figuring out we had gone all the way already. I wasn¡¯t going to look, nor did I need to know what face she was making. I didn¡¯t know if she had given it any thought during her internship, but now that she had all that behind her, it was time to face it regardless.


    She couldn¡¯t talk with her sister, she admitted. Not after having made Abby feel rejected and caused her so much pain as a result, specially in such a fragile moment in her sister¡¯s life.


    ¡°I need to figure out my life so she can live hers with you.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but loudly groan at such a dumb statement. These sisters are the most similar in the worst aspects of their personalities and it was driving me crazy.


    ¡°What if that¡¯s not she wants?¡± I asked her, not having the patience to be nice this time. ¡°Have you thought of that?¡±


    She looked at me, her lower lip trembling.


    ¡°How could she? I¡¯m just like our¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, you are not!¡± I cut her off. ¡°Look, I was hit by that woman twice, I can tell you with absolute certainty that she cannot feel regret nor think of her actions as anything other than right and good. You however are sitting here, guilt tripping yourself.¡±


    ¡°¡­She hit you again?¡±


    Telling her about it opened up the doors for me to also tell her about Abby¡¯s latest accomplishments. I told her about how she now has a more positive outlook on life, friends, no longer has nightmares¡­ if it was a positive thing, I told her about it.


    ¡°Wow, my baby sister really grew, huh?¡± she hummed, sounding very proud. She slid to her side, resting her head on the armrest, and curling her legs. ¡°Right now she has even outgrown me. You know, I kinda envy her. She was always more free spirited than I am, and now, because of that, I¡¯m feeling a bit lost without having someone telling me what to do.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s got to be something you¡¯d like to do, right?¡±


    ¡°Not really. I don¡¯t know if Abby ever told you, but if it wasn¡¯t something that¡¯d help us becoming what mum wanted us to be, we never got to do it. Much less if it was something we enjoyed.¡±


    ¡°¡­Abby also told me that you played along more so she could have some breathing space.¡±


    ¡°¡­She¡¯s my baby sister after all.¡±


    The tone of her voice as she spoke those last words spoke volumes of how she felt towards Abby. She had failed her, and she didn¡¯t know how to mend their broken bond. It also showed that she wanted to make amends, and so did Abby. If the two were on the same page, I¡¯d just have to give them a little nudge. No idea how I¡¯d be doing that, but fretting over it also wouldn¡¯t help. Maybe I could invite Sophie to come with us somewhere during the weekend?


    Maybe that¡¯d work, but¡­ I¡¯d prefer to be just me and Abby.


    After a whole week of coming and going to school, being surrounded by people, lazing in bed until ten and then go for a walk before lunch and spend the rest of the day goofing around the house, away from others, was all I wanted. But that was just me being selfish. Helping them was far more important than what I wanted.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t like how you¡¯re always the one making sacrifices in our relationship,¡± I remembered Abby telling me yesterday after I took a shower at school.


    Again, this was more important. It was also a small sacrifice I¡¯d be doing. We could very well invite her to join our walk. And if I were to be completely honest, the idea of Sophie becoming more accepting of our relationship thanks to me helping and them getting along also comes to mind.


    ¡°I can see why Abby likes you. You¡¯re a nice girl,¡± she hummed, sounding like she was about to fall asleep.


    Right after I thought such self-serving thing, she had to say those words¡­ Really, why do people say that I¡¯m ¡°good¡± or ¡°nice¡±? Most of the times, what I do, I do it solely for my peace of mind.


    ¡°Erm, could I ask you not to tell her about our conversation?¡±


    And why is it that everyone keeps asking me to keep secrets? For me, that was just as bad as lying. At least in this case I could see some reason to comply. I¡¯d help the two, no doubts about that, but they should still talk openly and honestly with each other without me serving as a delivery person.


    Just like Abby, she ate her fill, had a bit of a cry and now that was with a lighter conscience, was falling deep asleep. Seeing her looking so helpless tugged my heartstrings and I got up to go fetch a sheet to cover her. Temperature wise, I didn¡¯t think it was all that necessary, but since she was all curled up and sleeping, maybe she was a bit cold? Regardless, a thin summer sheet wouldn¡¯t be too much to have over her.


    Now what?


    Typically, some house chores, but taking into account Sophie sleeping in the living room¡­ I guess I could go read or watch videos on the internet in the bedroom until Abby came back.


    ¡°Hi there.¡±


    I rubbed my eyes and took a good look at Abby. She was still in her uniform, straddling me with her hands on my shoulders and smiling lovingly as she waited for me to be ready for a welcoming kiss.


    ¡°How was school?¡± I asked after giving her a good one.


    ¡°Boring. I missed you. I also brought homework,¡± she told me between pecks.


    ¡°Already?¡± I asked, trying to pull my head away, but Abby was feeling needy and followed after with hers, the distance staying the same.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we just have to read a few pages,¡± she assured me with a honey-sweet voice. ¡°Now, kissies.¡±


    If it was merely reading a few pages, it was all good then. Still, wouldn¡¯t she prefer to change out of her uniform?


    ¡°¡­Pfft, hehe. How about you help me change?¡± she asked with an impish smile. ¡°My sister is fast asleep, you know?¡±


    I had intended to talk with her about Sophie, but if she was going to tease me like that, then it¡¯d wait for a bit.


    Abby had her back pressed on me, an arm serving as her pillow as I held her close, my face resting on her hair. Just that wasn¡¯t feeling enough, so I slanted her forward a bit and placed a leg between hers. Now it was perfection.


    We sighed at the same time and then we giggled at the same time. It was just like summer had been.


    ¡°You¡¯ll fill me with hickeys if you keep kissing me like that,¡± she warned as I kiss her neck.


    I stopped, not because I didn¡¯t want it to happen, but because her warning came too late. Abby realised that when she looked at me and saw what face I was making.


    She laughed and pulled my head back to the side of her neck.


    We weren¡¯t going anywhere else today, and by tomorrow they¡¯ll have disappeared, so I¡¯m guessing she was fine with it?


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking, that sheet covering my sister, is it ours?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. We had lunch together and talked a bit.¡±


    She looked at me, shocked by the news.


    With some dancing around, I managed to convince her that it was mostly nothing, just a bit about the food and little else. At least that was what I hoped I had achieved.


    ¡°And the real talk was about what?¡± she asked.


    ¡°¡­You two and her plans for the future. Sorry, but that¡¯s all I can say.¡±


    ¡°But you two didn¡¯t argue nor anything, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ we got along.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I guess that¡¯s what matters at the end of it.¡±


    Just like that, she dropped the subject. It still didn¡¯t make me feel any better. Hopefully, I wouldn¡¯t have to bear with it for long. Only time could tell.

 Family Dinner

    The most complicated day of the week was now partway through, the anxiety forming a pit in my stomach and sapping my appetite away, much to Violet¡¯s worry. And the rest of the group.


    ¡°Are not feeling well?¡± Mathilda asked.


    I was very unwell. I hadn¡¯t felt this nervous since before I knew that Violet liked me back.


    Still, I couldn¡¯t complain much. Violet did invite Sophie¡ªor rather, told her to join us¡ªso it¡¯s not like my sister was going to be caught unprepared, sparing me also that whole mess of anxiety of a conversation.


    ¡°Have you ever had a big argument with Claire?¡± I asked Mathilda after telling her I was ok.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ can¡¯t say that I ever did.¡±


    ¡°You did actually. When you were six or seven?¡± Stephen corrected.


    ¡°Ah! Right, I did! Can¡¯t remember what it was about though.¡±


    Stephen mused if it hadn¡¯t been about a boyfriend her sister got then. As far as he could remember, Mathilda came crying to them, sobbing incoherently about her sister now hating her. What he could recall was Claire coming to pick her little sister and have a heart to heart.


    ¡°Oh, just drop the subject already!¡± she told him, now showing her embarrassment. ¡°Anyway, why do you ask?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t not too sure if I should tell the other three about it, so I looked at my girlfriend in search of guidance or advice. She looked at me, calmly smiling, and offered a shrug. Not one of those ¡°I don¡¯t care¡± ones, but one that assured me it would be ok to open up to them.


    Luckily, what I had to tell them was brief, otherwise I might have started crying in public.


    ¡°If she was so against you two, do you think she¡¯d talk so freely with Violet and have accepted the invitation?¡± Mathew asked bluntly when I was done.


    Violet had pointed that out to me before, but¡ªand I¡¯m ashamed to admit it¡ªI took it as her trying to make me feel better and get out of a depressing spiral. Now that I had someone else saying the same, and the others agreeing with him, I was more confident in the truthfulness of her words. They certainly did a better job in that than my therapist. She was good at making me put out what I had pent up inside, but kinda failed in this regard.


    I was noticing more and more how frustrating my sessions with her were getting. Maybe I should search for a different one since I was now better at figuring out how I felt on the inside? More and more I felt like what I needed was guidance every so often. However, with Violet and other people in my life, wouldn¡¯t that be redundant? With Violet, I could talk about almost everything, and if I couldn¡¯t, there were my dad, Papa Stan, and now, my new friends. I was no longer alone. That was¡­ enlightening. Not in the sense of unlocking hidden knowledge, but in the sense that, there was now a bright light casting away the darkness around me and taking a weight out of my shoulders. I was still feeling some weight, but now it was like a heavy bag instead of wearing a lead suit at the deepest bottom of the ocean.


    ¡°Do you want to go home now, or should we go for a walk at the park?¡± Violet asked as we left the classroom.


    Papa Stan was in charge of making the food today so there was no point rushing home. She could also have meant going to my place, but my sister was there and it would make me feel even more anxious.


    A walk around the park sounded nice, and there was an ice cream stand we liked there. Something cold and sweet would do well to my nerves.


    And as fate would have it, we arrived at her place at the same time my dad and sister did.


    As was usual, my sister and I said hi to each other, but never keeping eye contact for more than half a second.


    On the other hand, Violet didn¡¯t seem too unfazed and engaged in conversation with my sister, telling her she forgot to leave the advice of wearing lighter clothing due to the lack of AC in the house.


    As far as I remember, Sophie was like me, generally unbothered by the weather so she shouldn¡¯t have it too bad. She did however put on clothes that were a bit too nice for what this was. A t-shirt and jeans would have sufficed, although she was looking as pretty as always. Then again, beautiful as she was, even a potato sack would look good on her.


    ¡°You have a kitten!?¡± my sister fawned in a baby voice over the sight of Oliver sitting in front of the door and greeting us with a sweet cry. ¡°It¡¯s so cute!¡±


    Oliver, the sly and shameless cat that he is, flops over, stretching his small body and rolling on his back, exposing his fluffy tummy for pets that my sister dove right in to provide, giggling like crazy.


    Violet leaned forward, telling her his name and explaining that it was actually our cat, he lived here due to the apartment rules and that I was the one mostly responsible for taking care of it.


    ¡°Fufu, she must be doing a great job. Just look how shiny and soft his fur is!¡±


    My mouth hanged open from hearing my sister¡¯s proud voice.


    Violet peeks at me and offers a small smile. ¡°See? She still likes you a lot¡±, her demeanour told me.


    I took a deep breath and crouched down by my sister, finally gathering some courage to talk with her.


    ¡°He always tries to get away when it¡¯s bath time, but once I get him, he seems to enjoy it.¡±


    ¡°Fufu, I see. He likes to play hard to get, huh?¡± my sister hummed, still rubbing Oliver¡¯s tummy.


    I thought about what to say next, but my dad loomed over the living room threshold to call us to the table.


    Well, the first step had been taken, so I was satisfied for now.


    My sister took her shoes off and followed Violet to the oven to get some slippers she could wear around the house. Violet did offer her the choice of keeping her shoes on, but my sister would play by Violet¡¯s house rules.


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    ¡°Meow,¡± I heard as I made my way to the living room.


    I looking back to Oliver, he sat behind me. He had this air of an uncanny intelligence as he appeared to smile at me, his voice having sounded like a question.


    ¡°¡­Good kitty,¡± I tell him.


    He let out a purr and walked by me, his tail curling around my leg as he passed by.


    It¡¯s probably me giving him too much credit, but it felt like he had understood all the conversations I¡¯ve had had with Violet about my sister and this had been his way of helping out. It certainly was feeling like he had just asked if he had managed to be of help.


    Intentional or not, my words still stand, he was a good kitty. A very good kitty.


    I¡¯ll give him an extra treat before going home.


    The table was set and the food was served. Although simple, it was tasty, just like Stan¡¯s personality would make you expect. I thought he would go for take-away, but no, today was home cooking. Maybe it was because my sister was going to have her first family dinner with the whole gang.


    Sophie was trying to be discreet, but I noticed her looking around as if searching for something. Probably a Mrs. Miller. I doubt dad told her about Stan being a widower.


    ¡°You have a nice house, sir,¡± she tells her host with practiced politeness when she noticed his glance.


    Papa Stan looked at her with his typical smile and thanked her complement, telling her next to act like she was at home.


    He wasn¡¯t aware, but that was going against twenty-one years of behavioural programming. It was easier for me because¡­ well, I¡¯m me. My sister, she¡¯s too serious. It would take her some time to be able to unwind, if ever at all.


    My father started another conversation, asking me and Violet how school had been during this week. He was particularly interested about a certain teacher.


    ¡°Humph, good riddance,¡± he huffed when we told him that man had retired.


    Sophie appeared to want to join in the conversation, but was having a hard time finding the right moment. Honestly, I had forgotten how complicated that was. In our household, talking during a meal simply wasn¡¯t a thing, and when at other people¡¯s places, we young people should only talk when adults talked to us. We were also expected to show interest by making some questions about the current conversation they were having so¡­ damned if we did, damned if we didn¡¯t.


    ¡°Maybe he went back to his pyramid,¡± Stan joked.


    ¡°Or cave,¡± I heard Violet grumble to my side.


    The tone of the conversation turned to a more playful one, everyone exchanging jokes and light topics. On occasion I¡¯d check on my sister. She was with a gloomy expression as she quietly ate. It must have been hard for her, not being able to join in the cheer we were having.


    That only lasted until dessert. That was when my sister¡¯s head snapped to the side and down when Papa Stan placed on the table the melon he had previously sliced and stored in the fridge to cool down.


    ¡°I could swear I just heard him talk¡± my sister said while starring wide eyed at the furball sitting by her side.


    ¡°Oh yeah, he sometimes does that,¡± I said, still laughing at a joke Stan said before getting up.


    ¡°No, I mean it! It just sounded like he said ¡®melon¡¯!¡±


    ¡°Yup, he sometimes does that,¡± Violet said, noticing half-way through how strange it was that it happened at all and that she had gotten used to it, although maybe to Sophie it sounded like she was questioning my sister¡¯s sanity in finding that strange.


    ¡°Ah! He did it again!¡± Sophie cried out, this time catching him red-handed. ¡°I just saw him speak right now!¡±


    ???


    All in all, I¡¯d say this family dinner was being a success. The two sisters managed to exchange a few words normally, Sophie seemed to have lowered her guard after some trepidation¡ªall thanks to Oliver¡¯s appetite for melon¡ªand soon enough, the night would reach its end. Really, what more could I ask for?


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Abby stood quietly by my side, drying plates as I handed them to her, her face being hard to get a read on. I think she was in deep thought and feeling perhaps a tad tired. It had been an emotional day for her.


    It wasn¡¯t much, but after handing her the last plate, I put a hand around her waist and stepped closer to her, our bodies meeting gently.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m fine,¡± she moaningly sighed as she rubbed her cheek on me. ¡°I¡¯m just a bit tired. It went well, wouldn¡¯t you say?¡±


    ¡°Oliver, no! You¡¯ll leave fur all over her pants!¡± my dad scolded, drawing our attention to the living room.


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind it,¡± Sophie said, sounding very affectionate as she looked down. ¡°I should have brought different clothes after all.¡±


    ¡°Why? I think you look great.¡±


    Indeed she did. Abby had said a few times before that I look like a model, but when I¡¯m with Sophie, I feel like a badly put together sack of potatoes. Not that I think I¡¯m ugly or anything, those kinds of thoughts are long gone. I¡¯m fairly beautiful, but what I mean is, Sophie¡¯s beauty was at a whole other level. If we were to go out, just the two of us, I¡¯d be invisible beside her to the rest of the world.


    ¡­That¡¯s oddly reassuring.


    Instead of jealousy, what came to me was that sense of calmness an introvert would get if given the power of turning invisible at will in a world with no privacy. There is only one person I wish to attract attention, and that person right now was tugging my shirt, asking me to give her some.


    ¡°Your dad is surprisingly the lady killer, huh?¡± she told me in a deadpan way.


    ¡°My dad?¡± I asked, sounding unwillingly sarcastic. It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t think he could be successful with female attention, quite the contrary. After Abby and I got together, I started noticing how some women we met looked and acted around him. Those looks and smiles they threw at him, I had seen similar coming from Abby towards me. What made me sound dubious about him being a lady killer was the fact that I believed there should be some sort of intent in being one. You know, like James Bond? My dad wasn¡¯t suave like that fictional character and interacted with everybody in the exact same way: as if he didn¡¯t have a care in the world.


    ¡°See? Look at my sister.¡±


    I looked, and it was kinda painful. She looked like I think I look like when I get embarrassed and happy at the same time.


    My father didn¡¯t notice any of that, of course. He merely kept talking with Will about them going fishing this weekend after obliterating her with his casual compliment.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t she think he¡¯s too old?¡±


    ¡°Babe, my parents are thirteen years apart. Do you think another three on top of that would make any difference?¡±


    As a matter of fact, I do. And I do remember a rule I read, back in my lonely days, about what minimum age someone should be for you to date them. Divide your age by two and add seven. My dad was thirty-seven, so that would make¡­


    ¡°¡­Remind me again, how old is Sophie?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯ll be twenty-two this year.¡±


    Yup, she was still too young. Three and a half years too young.


    ¡­Ultimately, they are both adults, so I guess it¡¯s up to them.


    Not that anything would come out of it. I mean, what are the chances, right?


    You mean, ¡°about the same than you being gay, meeting another girl who also is gay and you two fall in love¡± kind of low?


    Yeah, I had been incredibly lucky, no doubt about it.


    I did tell dad to maybe consider start dating, but Sophie? I don¡¯t know about that.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ if they got together¡­ wouldn¡¯t our family tree get all screwy?¡± Abby hummed.


    I hadn¡¯t even thought about that! If they got together, then¡­ then wouldn¡¯t I be dating my step-aunt?! And if Abby and I got married¡­ my dad would be dating or married to my sister-in-law!? What kind of Ancient Egyptian arrangements were these!?


    Abby just barely held a full-on cackle as she saw my face contort along with the mental gymnastics I was having to figure out what each of us would be relative to the others.


    ¡°It¡¯s not funny!¡±


    ¡°You gotta admit, it kinda is,¡± she snickered. In a kinda messed up way, she mumbled under her breath and giggles.


    ¡°What are you two arguing about?¡± my dad interjected from his seat.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Abby singsonged while hopping in place. ¡°I¡¯m just pestering your daughter, as usual.¡±


    He shook his head with a growing smile and turned back to talking with William. Sophie, on the other hand, held her glance on us for a bit longer. Again, I saw no hostility nor disgust in the way she regarded us. It almost felt like she was wondering about something. Would she tell me what it was if I asked?


    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking¡­ you two seem to be getting along pretty well.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh, me and Sophie? I¡­ I guess we kinda do?¡±


    ¡°¡­Well, no point in getting jealous. I¡¯ll just have to catch on.¡±


    She said that, but she was still pouting as she left me to join the rest of the group. That and saying ¡°jealous¡± instead of ¡°jelly¡±. It was a given that she was bothered by it. But it¡¯s as she said, she just has to catch up. It could take some time and there might be some bumps in the way, but that¡¯s what I¡¯m here for.

 Chapter VI

    When I woke up, I was deeply confused by what I was seeing. Hanging above was Abby¡¯s smiling face as she looked down. Usually, it was the opposite, something I was trying to comprehend as she began leaning in closer to my face until our lips met for a sweet kiss.


    ¡°Hi there,¡± she whispered in a singing voice as she straightened her back.


    I blinked a few times and took stock of my situation now that I was fully awake by her gesture of love.


    This night had been a bit of a nightmare. The fan I had in my bedroom to keep it barely liveable had stopped working around one in the morning and I had to boil in my sweat with no better alternative than going to sleep outside. I did do that once, when Abby and I had our first time together during summer break, and my back still ached whenever I remembered it. Alternatively, I could go to the living room and turn on the fan we had there, but I certainly couldn¡¯t sleep with the way it rattled and buzzed.


    Abby then came after I was done with showering and told me to come to her place as she helped drying my hair. The idea was for me to take a nap before we started doing the homework from yesterday, but now I was feeling very lazy, her lap was feeling divine under my head and the room was just at the right temperature.


    Instead, I turned on my side, hugged one of her legs in the same manner she did with me and shut my eyes, Abby chuckling and running her fingers through my hair.


    ¡°Good thing that you¡¯re acting like this,¡± she hummed. ¡°I was going to ask you to stay like that for a bit longer. It¡¯s not usual for me to be the provider.¡±


    Usually being the receiver doesn¡¯t sit well with me. Usually, my insides have to feel like white-hot jabs for me to act needy like this. Fortunately, it still wasn¡¯t that time, so I could fully enjoy this peace. I was deeply in need of this.


    ¡°How long was I out?¡±


    ¡°About two hours.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ If I fall asleep again, wake me up when you start getting hungry.¡±


    That way we could cook together. It¡¯s been a while since we did that. Cooking alone now was incredibly boring.


    ¡°Kyah!¡± Sophie shrieked, making us jump.


    Next thing we heard was the door to the bathroom slam shut, stomping down the hallway and the door to her bedroom being slammed shut too.


    The two of us rushed to her door¡ªme almost breaking my neck as I got up due to my hair being under my butt¡ªand knocked, asking if everything is fine.


    ¡°There¡¯s a huge cockroach in the bathroom!¡± she cried out once she opened the door. ¡°It flew right into my face as soon as I entered!¡±


    ¡°¡­Tsk.¡±


    The two sisters stared at me after I clicked my tongue. I asked Abby to lend me one of her slippers and took off to the bathroom, shutting the door behind me.


    The ¡°huge cockroach¡± Sophie talked about turned out to be merely average sized, at least in my experience. No matter the size though, it was now at my mercy. I couldn¡¯t exactly give a talk to someone older than me¡ªit was already bad enough that I had clicked my tongue. I could however project my rage over having my peace being so abruptly broken on the miserable creature that was skittering around the bathroom floor.


    I took a step towards it and it attempted to do the same it did to Sophie, but that was a huge mistake. I sucked at sports, badminton and tennis included, but swatting a cockroach mid-flight? Hardly a challenge at all. I didn¡¯t even flinch as it approached me.


    It got tossed against the wall at Mach ten and dropped to the floor, stunned. Shortly thereafter, I brough the flipper down on it, the might of the blow echoing through the walls.


    Is it dead?


    There was a twitch still, and I still had some anger in me, so I gave it two more thunderously violent slaps.


    ¡°Haah, done.¡±


    Not quite though. I had to give it a funeral and wash the sole of the slipper before returning it to Abby.


    On the other side of the door, the two stared at me, both equal measures of awkward.


    What? They didn¡¯t talk the whole time?


    It looked like it.


    Sophie stammered a ¡°thank you¡± as she walked by me, not daring to look me in the eye while Abby hugged my arm and pulled me down to kiss my cheek, putting her lips close to my ear so her sister wouldn¡¯t hear what she had to say.


    ¡°When we start living alone, you¡¯re in charge of killing bugs,¡± she told me.


    ¡°You don¡¯t like bugs?¡± I asked, surprised by it.


    You¡¯d think someone who has camped before to at least be ok with them.


    She, however, shook her head.


    ¡°Only butterflies, beetles and ladybugs,¡± were her exceptions. The first and the last, I could get them, but what about the middle one? Beetles are awesome, she proclaimed when I asked.


    Yup, it was one of those things about her where I shouldn¡¯t think too much. I¡¯m pretty sure a lot of people could say the same about spiders, wasps or some other insect, but oh well. Abby will be Abby, so¡­


    We sat down in the same arrangement than before, me making sure to toss my hair all to one side to avoid further accidents, and was finally able to let out the last remaining anger I had left as the firm softness of Abby¡¯s thigh came in contact with my face. No wonder she liked to sleep like this so much.


    ¡°So, how much did you see?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°Of my sister,¡± she clarified. ¡°How much did you see?¡±


    I had to lift my head to look at her face completely frontally to make sure she was being serious and not pulling a prank on me.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t she wearing a white dress?¡± I asked, having racked my brain so much, it was starting to hurt.


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    ¡°Wow, you really mean it when you say you only have eyes for me, huh?¡± she said, smiling from ear to ear. ¡°So, you¡¯re telling me that you didn¡¯t notice my sister¡¯s barely covered naked body with a towel before properly wrapping it around her?¡±


    ¡°Erm¡­ did that really happen?¡±


    She started cackling and pushing my head back to her lap, swearing on her love for me that she was, in fact, being ¡°dead serious¡±.


    Haah, whatever¡­


    Sophie was super good looking, but not my type at all. Too tall, curvaceous, old, and serious. In other words, she wasn¡¯t Abby. Nobody else was. Plus, Abby was pretty and cute, while Sophie was¡­ plain beautiful? Well, people in general might find Sophie more attractive out of the two, but I prefer cute.


    ¡°What?¡± Abby asked when I lifted my head again.


    I sat on my knees and grabbed her clothes, pulling her towards me. She made the same question again, her curiosity deepening, along with a smile forming in her face. I simply told her to ¡°come here¡±. All that thinking made me feel like kissing and squeezing Abby. Having her sit on my legs simply made it easier.


    ¡°Violet, we can¡¯t,¡± she giggled as I kissed her neck. ¡°My sister!¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t go beyond this.¡±


    ¡°Pfft, hehe! Now, where have I heard that before?¡±


    ¡°I mean it this time.¡±


    ¡°Right, right. Ditto. Ah! D-don¡¯t nibble! Hehe!¡±


    A small part of me getting into this mood was the idea of her asking me about what I had seen due to her inferiority complex towards her sister. At least, what I perceived being an inferiority complex. I don¡¯t know, it always feels like she ends up comparing herself to Sophie when talking about her, very rarely in a positive light.


    She cutely pleaded for me to stop, all the while holding me tightly. It was the same with when I tickle her. If I stop, she¡¯ll look at me, silently asking why I stopped. When she means it, she taps me in the back and says something in line with ¡°that¡¯s enough¡±.


    So, we kept at it until we heard the bathroom door opening. Just as well, because her sister came knocking on our door a few minutes later.


    Abby and I had just pulled out our homework and were doing it sitting on the bed when that happened. She was a bit flustered, thinking she had interrupted us, but I explained we hadn¡¯t even started yet, so she calmed down a bit.


    ¡°Erm, sorry for the way I acted,¡± she said, clutching her hands to her chest like she was praying for forgiveness. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t act that way with how old I am.¡±


    ¡°With how old¡­¡± How old does she think she is?


    I couldn¡¯t point out at what exact age one should be unfazed by a cockroach landing on their face, but twenty-one wasn¡¯t it. Maybe she had overreacted, but I knew Abby well and was used to her being easily scared. I take it that Sophie wasn¡¯t all that different in that regard.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. If I¡¯m around, you can come call me to deal with any bugs. I don¡¯t really get scared all that easily.¡±


    ¡°More like at all. You don¡¯ have any reaction when we watch horror movies,¡± Abby chimed in, sounding a bit nervous. It was still a good effort in joining the conversation.


    ¡°Well, erm, I also can watch horror movies and even go through a haunted house without much of a reaction too. I just can¡¯t stand bugs at all.¡±


    Abby didn¡¯t say a word verbally, her face did all the talking instead. Horror movies, I already knew the result. Haunted houses? I¡¯d be dragging her corpse by the hand on the way out, that¡¯d be my guess. Assuming she wouldn¡¯t launch us through the roof and out of orbit straight to another planet when she got jump-scared.


    Anyway, there was a conversation going, and even if I preferred to go back to being just me and my girlfriend, having her talk with her sister was an opportunity too good to go to waste.


    ¡°By the way, we saw that movie you recommended last year.¡±


    Sophie looked at me, confused.


    I could answer, but looked at Abby, giving her the cue to do the talking.


    ¡°The one with the guy in a cabin in the middle of the woods with his girlfriend and has to cut one of his hands and ends up replacing it with a chainsaw,¡± Abby clarified.


    Sophie¡¯s face opened up in amazement, taking a seat by my side so she could face her sister.


    ¡°You still remembered that!?¡±


    ¡°I mean¡­ It was one of the last conversations we had before you left,¡± Abby answered with a sad tone as she looked down to her books.


    ¡°I¡­ Yeah, I remember it¡­¡± Sophie commented thoughtfully, a sad smile forming in her lips.


    ¡°¡­How about we watch it today?¡± I suggested.


    It¡¯d be a good bonding moment for the two, and since Abby had already seen it, she shouldn¡¯t get too scared¡­ hopefully.


    Sadly, it was going against my plans for the day. After last night diner and whole week in classes, all I had wanted for this weekend was for me and Abby to spend it together, alone, doing couple stuff. Sleep the day in, cuddling together, go on a date, hold hands, share meals, kiss¡­ finally make some love.


    Don¡¯t be selfish! This is more important.


    I knew that, but I still thanked that voice in my head for keeping me grounded.


    I had just made out with my girlfriend, even fondled her a bit. That should be enough when there are these matters around. Were we in my place, sure, ok. Since that wasn¡¯t the case, I should act accordingly.


    What was that entailing in this scenario? We decided we¡¯d order some pizza and watch the movie during lunch. Not at all what I had hoped to be my day, but maybe I could still hold hands with Abby.


    ¡°Ah! Sis, erm¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll order the biggest size they have,¡± Sophie said absent mindedly as she walked away, staring at menu in her smartphone.


    Abby quietly smiled, happy to see how her sister still remembered her appetite. Then, she looked at me and got a very love-struck demeanour.


    ¡°You truly are something else,¡± she told me at the sound of the door closing, reaching in to caress one of my hands with a finger.


    ¡°It was nothing.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    She stopped her finger and took a good look at me. I tried to disguise it, but I should know better than that. She was already fully aware of how I was feeling.


    Before, it had been me pulling her to sit on my lap. Now, it was her moving across the small gap between us to sit between my legs, putting her legs and arms around me before a kiss.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong babe?¡±


    ¡°¡­Nothing.¡±


    She kept staring at me with her sweet eyes. Those eyes that I could never resist.


    I got a bit emotional and ended up admitting everything to her, feeling like the worst person in the world. All the while, she kept staring at me, calmly hearing what I had to say.


    When I got everything out, she kissed me again, letting her lips linger on mine.


    ¡°Violet, you know that I love you, right?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes¡­¡±


    ¡°Then, please, don¡¯t get mad or sad when I tell you that you¡¯re being silly right now, ok? I keep telling you, you put me in first place too much. Do you think I like that?¡±


    ¡°¡­No.¡±


    She smiled and kissed me again.


    ¡°Violet, I know you better than anyone. I know you get emotionally exhausted from dealing with people all day and that you need your alone time with me in those circumstances. I also know you need to get more physical with me than the other way around. I¡¯m well aware of how little time we¡¯ve had all this past week and how that reflects the future. It pained me too. And while I¡¯m happy that you¡¯re putting this much effort in helping me mending things with my sister¡­ if it¡¯s at your own expense¡­ then I have to refuse. We need to find a balance, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    I nodded, completely disarmed by her words and rational.


    We¡¯d have to work out a new plan. We thought we could go back to acting like we previously were, back when we were just starting to know each other. None of us had taken into account how much we had truly changed in the meantime.


    I was relatively ok with spending the week like we just had, but there needed to be a day in the middle for me and Abby to do some couple bonding. It could just be us sharing the bed or the night, doing nothing and in complete silence. I just needed that to take out the pent-up stress of the previous days. That would be enough until the weekend came.


    ¡°Will that really be enough?¡± she asked as she combed my hair away from my face.


    ¡°I think so¡­¡± I sniffled. ¡°We¡¯d have to try.¡±


    ¡°Sure. As long as you¡¯re honest about it.¡±


    If I were to be honest, I¡¯d have to tell Abby I had no idea how I managed to deal with everything before. In hindsight, I didn¡¯t, hence why I was so gloomy all the time. Now that I knew happiness, it was hard to deal with loneliness and not being able to decompress at the end of the day.


    ¡°I-I will!¡± I stammered. ¡°Erm, sorry for making a scene.¡±


    She retracted her hand and gave me an impish smile.


    ¡°I told you already, I know you better than anyone. I know how honest you are when you¡¯re tired. Pfft, hehe, you silly girl.¡±


    She gave me a tight hug and a very long kiss before resting her chin on my shoulder, her breathing tikling my ear. She whispered what her plans for us were. Today, we¡¯d stay home and watch that movie with her sister before going out alone on a long date. I¡¯d also be staying over for the night and we¡¯d spend the whole Sunday together in bed, lazing about to my heart¡¯s content. If her sister went out leaving us a house for ourselves, then¡­


    ¡°I love you.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s that?¡± she hummed.


    ¡°I love you,¡± I repeated.


    ¡°Hehe, sorry, can¡¯t hear you? Ah! Hehe!¡±


    I kept saying that I loved her while kissing Abby all over her neck. I¡¯d have loved to keep doing it for longer, but she broke our hold apart, reminding me that we still had our homework to do before lunch.


    I was ok with stopping for now. We¡¯d have time to continue later that day.

 Afterschool Time-off

    The school day was over, and so was our homework. Now, we were huddled on the floor, Violet holding me from behind, silent and moody. Occasionally she¡¯d smooch my head or nape or what exposed skin I had of my back, the gentle lip-smack feebly breaking the silence.


    The day had started well enough. I went to her place, cuddled with her for a few minutes, helped Violet dry her hair despite it not being needed since she had it shortened on Saturday, and took the bus to school. The first class was more of the same, me getting bored while she got sleepy. Second class was when things went awry.


    ¡°Here,¡± I said sweetly as I placed one of her hands on my chest, hoping that would get her mind out of it. ¡°Wanna play with them?¡±


    ¡°Sorry honey, I¡¯m not in the mood,¡± she grumbled, moving said hand closer to my neck. ¡°Let me just hold you like this, if you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    That shows you how upset she was feeling. Not that she wasn¡¯t in the mood, the fact she was resisting my charms. Any other time she¡¯d have at least chuckled and said I didn¡¯t have to do that.


    ¡°I don¡¯t, but I do mind seeing you so down because of them.¡±


    ¡°¡­Can I stay tonight?¡±


    That was an unnecessary question since today was Wednesday, the day in the week we decided to stay together the whole time to keep her stress levels low and ¡°Abbyum¡± levels high. Me also falling asleep to the sound of her heartbeat potentially after having made love was also splendid.


    And when thinking that, I wasn¡¯t deterred by her previous request. I felt like it¡¯d be a huge waste to be together and not have any fun, so I started rubbing my nose on her jaw with the occasional nibble. When she finally looked at me, I gave to the tip of her nose a tiny lick, issuing Violet a silent challenge with a smile.


    ¡°Could you turn this way?¡± she asked, the corners of her lips twitching a bit.


    Was she initiating a make-out session, or was she going to tickle me crazy?


    She was giving me sweets looks as she held my waist as I straddled her lap, hands on her shoulders. When we were sufficiently packed together, I was very excited to find out which of the two options Violet was going with.


    She started pecking me, as if testing my reaction. I was quite pleased with the way things were going, so I moved my arms around her neck, shutting my eyes and puckering my lips, informing Violet that I wanted more.


    We started kissing, her hands caressing my waist, and went her tongue came to play with mine, I opened my eyes slightly. Violet had hers open too, and they had an evil gleam to them. That was when her fingers started skittering around my ticklish parts, me trying to pull my head away to giggle, but Violet refused to let me. When I finally managed to break our lips apart, her hands got back to caressing me.


    ¡°Stop it!¡± I half-whined half-giggled.


    ¡°Stop what?¡± she asked sadistically.


    ¡°You can be so mean,¡± I whined again as I let her pull me in closer.


    My challenge was met with a challenge of her own: how long could I stay kissing her while she mercilessly tickled me.


    After a bit, we tumbled to the side and would roll around the floor on occasion. We halted all that when we heard a creak.


    My sister was looking very awkward, having walked in on us. Violet and I were also in a very compromising position, me laying on my back with my legs open and tank top barely covering my chest while Violet laid on to of me, seemingly going to grope my chest. She wasn¡¯t, but that¡¯s what it looked like, most certainly.


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    ¡°The-the door was ajar and I heard you two laugh,¡± my sister explained, hiding half of herself behind the door.


    ¡°S-sorry,¡± Violet stammered, getting off me. ¡°We had a bit of a rough day and¡­ we were just unwinding.¡±


    This explanation caught the attention of my sister, Sophie popping her head back inside the room and looking at us with curiosity. In half a voice, she asked if we were having trouble at school.


    We were in the locker rooms, getting changed into our PE uniforms. This time, she got very aware of the others¡¯ stares. That time, I managed to distract her enough with random talk, but when we had to change back into the school uniform, it was futile. And she knew it wasn¡¯t like in the previous class las year where the girls would glance at her because of her legs, but because some of them were afraid we¡¯d gawk at them. It annoyed me too, but she had it worse.


    ¡°I see,¡± my sister hummed from her seat, perpendicular to us and with her back resting on the side of the bed. ¡°Should I¡­ should our parents get involved?¡±


    I was surprised to hear my sister¡¯s initial willingness to get involved in our issue.


    ¡°Abby says they¡¯ll eventually grow used to us and treat us normally¡­ I¡¯ll just have to put up with them staring at our naked bodies and thinking that we have any interest in theirs for a bit longer, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Babe, they don¡¯t see us that way.¡±


    ¡°I still don¡¯t like it at all,¡± she argues back, hugging my stomach tighter and raising her knees, forming a sort of protective cage around me. Truth be told, she was most likely upset for having others stare at me without clothes, something she probably felt should only be reserved for her. It was a bit of an exaggeration if that was the case. On one hand, I never removed my underwear in school. On the other, and taking account of the previous point I made, shouldn¡¯t she be used after we went to the pool quite a few times? Unless¡­ yeah, she probably convinced herself that ¡°swimwear isn¡¯t the same as underwear¡± during that time. That should be it.


    ¡°But they aren¡¯t saying anything to you, right?¡± my sister asked.


    ¡°No, they just look at us,¡± I clarified.


    My sister hummed, resting her chin on a hand, her index tapping her cheek on irregular intervals.


    ¡°Well, if you say that we should wait¡­ still¡­ hmm¡­ Is there anything else?¡±


    It sounded like she was having a storm of thoughts going on in her mind and that she was talking to herself.


    ¡°¡­Are you worried we might be bullied?¡± Violet asked.


    My sister looked at her, holding the same thoughtful expression. Then, she looked at me.


    ¡°Are you?¡± she asked, the question feeling very directed towards me.


    ¡°No sis,¡± I chuckled. ¡°If we were, Violet would already have settled them straight. She¡¯s very protective of me, I¡¯ll let you know.¡±


    Violet in turn chuckled too, reminding me that I had once also put a bully back in her place before.


    My sister got curious about it, so Violet told Sophie about Mrs. Fletcher¡¯s party we went during summer.


    ¡°That brat is still the same as always,¡± my sister sighed as she shook her head. ¡°But wait, didn¡¯t mum go too? How did that work out?¡±


    This time it was me who did the story telling.


    My sister quietly listened to me, waiting patiently for me to end before even moving.


    ¡°Thanks for protecting my baby sis again,¡± were her first words after I was done.


    ¡°Don¡¯t thank me, I¡¯d have to be dead before I¡¯d let anyone hurt Abby,¡± Violet said firmly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t doubt you,¡± my sister hummed, casting her eyes down.


    The silence that established between us three was uncomfortable, to say the least.


    Honestly, I still wasn¡¯t too sure of how accepting my sister was of my relationship. I wasn¡¯t sure how to proceed from here either.


    I looked at Violet to see what she was thinking. My eyes were met by hers as she puckered her lips to the side. She made a small nod towards Sophie, like she was telling me to go to her. No, that was exactly what she was telling me to do.


    The two were very similar, so she thought I was the best person to brighten my sister¡¯s mood.


    I¡¯d give it a try at least.


    ¡°What¡¯s up in your nogging?¡± I asked, depositing my head on Sophie¡¯s knees.


    She blinked at me a bit surprised by my action. Then, she smiled before tracing her fingers through my hair.


    ¡°That perhaps my worries were mostly misplaced,¡± she spoke softly. ¡°It looks like you got yourself a very good partner.¡±


    ¡°The best one!¡± I corrected, much to Violet¡¯s embarrassment and Sophie¡¯s amusement.


    ¡°Right, the best,¡± my sister chuckled. ¡°Could you just¡­ just close the door if you two are¡­ you know.¡±


    ¡°Sorry about that. We had only planned doing our homework and snuggle, not snog.¡±


    I thought about explaining to her that things like this were in the territory of ¡°being in love¡±, but since Violet was there and I was still the younger sister, I¡¯d skip that lesson.


    ¡°Right, that reminds me,¡± my sister said, sounding more like her usual self. ¡°I came here to tell you that I¡¯m ordering food and ask you if you wanted anything in particular.¡±


    I had picked what we ate last time, so I ignored that voice coming from my stomach demanding sushi. That we could get Saturday, either as a date with Violet, or as a girls outing with my sister. Maybe even invite Mathilda and Claire? Show my sister that I have friends.


    Come to think of it¡­ does my sister have any?


    ¡°Violet, it¡¯s already pretty late, so how about you join us?¡± Sophie invited.


    ¡°She¡¯s staying the night,¡± I admitted, feeling a smile creep in.

 Getting Sis a Friend

    After doing some thinking and observation, I reached a dire conclusion: my sister had no friends whatsoever.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that, I think me and her could be called ¡®friends¡¯,¡± Violet argued back after I commented my conclusion to her. ¡°At least I think we might get along a bit better than you and I did at first.¡±


    ¡°Are you trying to pick a fight or make me jelly?¡±


    She shrugged and looked back to her homework. The last question was giving her some trouble in solving it.


    My joke aside, she did have a point. I think it¡¯d be fair to say that the two of them were friends. At least, they were on friendly terms.


    I still wouldn¡¯t count it as a valid friendship in this case. With Sophie being my sister and Violet my girlfriend, as happy as I was seeing it, it didn¡¯t count. What I wanted was someone more on the ¡°outside¡±. Someone closer to Sophie¡¯s age too. Someone who could lend her an ear about issues she¡¯d be unwilling to share with me or Violet.


    ¡°Done?¡±


    ¡°Yup. Could you just give it a once over? Just to be sure.¡±


    I hoped on her lap and started to go through her worksheet. She really had come along in her studies. Very rarely did she make a mistake and was a lot more confident as Violet asked me to check her homework less and less often. Half of the times, I think it¡¯s just an excuse to get me sitting on her lap when I already wasn''t.


    ¡°If you¡¯re that worried, how about Claire?¡±


    Mathilda¡¯s sister? That could work. We only met once at the pool, but she seemed to be very nice. I doubt Paul would date her if she wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°That could work,¡± I answered.


    ¡°¡­How about we invite her this weekend?¡±


    ¡°What about our couple bonding time?¡±


    She gave me a shrug before resting her chin on my crown. ¡°It¡¯ll be just for a couple of hours or so, it will be fine,¡± she tells me in a soft, reassuring voice. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it you who said we needed to find a balance?¡±


    ¡°Pfft, hehe. Does that mean I¡¯ll be staying over tonight?¡±


    ¡°¡­If you want.¡±


    Having her being such a dedicated girlfriend got me in a tender mood, so yeah, I did want to stay over. More than what I always wanted anyway. It¡¯s been some time since I gave her back a massage, so I¡¯d start with that.


    ¡°We should call Mathilda first,¡± Violet moaned when she realised what I was going for as I started kneading her shoulders while sitting behind her.


    ¡°But I feel like playing right now,¡± I whined.


    She reached behind her, pulling me around and getting my back on her lap. ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere,¡± she chuckled as she taped my stomach.


    Since I had to get up to fetch my phone, I took the opportunity to change into something more comfortable than my school uniform. There¡¯s nothing more comfortable than one of her shirts. Today, I¡¯d wear her favourite one.


    ¡°At least put on some shorts,¡± she told me as I sat by her side with my phone pressed to the ear.


    ¡°But it¡¯s hot and they¡¯ll get in the way. Besides, you can¡¯t see my underwear.¡±


    ¡°Erm, why are you calling me to say that?¡±


    ¡°Ah no! I snatched one of Violet¡¯s shirts and she was telling me to put on some shorts.¡±


    ¡°Can I get a picture of that?¡±


    ¡°No, you cannot. This is a Violet¡¯s exclusive.¡±


    Violet, who was able to hear our conversation, nodded approvingly. To tease her a bit further, I crossed my legs over her lap. That backfired a bit because it got hard for me to not giggle while she skittered her fingers up and down them, but I managed to hold a normal conversation with Mathilda¡­ I think.


    Anyway, I explained her my idea and almost immediately had her telling me her sister would be in. Turns out, Claire had been feeling a bit lonely now that Paul was away, so meeting new people¡ªwhose quality could be vouched for by others she already knew, were right up her alley.


    ¡°Sunday sounds good?¡±


    ¡°Yup. I haven¡¯t talked with my sister about it yet, but she rarely leaves the house anyway.¡±


    ¡°Alrighty then. You two can now go flirt all you want without making me jealous.¡±


    Turns out, I didn¡¯t manage to keep it in the down low. That, or she was taking a shot in the dark that happened to hit its mark due to how often we were all over each other.


    Whatever the case, I still had to make another call before doing that. It was my sister¡¯s turn. I could wait for when she joined us for the weekly family dinner, but I was too anxious to get this issue done as quickly as possible.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    ¡°Hey there. Did something happen?¡±


    I thought it was a bit weird she asking me that right out of the bat, but then again, it was kinda late in the afternoon and it was the first time I called her since she came back.


    I asked her if she was free this Sunday¡ªshe was¡ªand if she¡¯d like to join us in an all-girls outing. It took some persuading, but that was more her trying not to sound too eager, in my opinion. I also told her I¡¯d be staying over Violet¡¯s for the night. I was glad to hear her take that in stride. There was still a short pause, but she dealt with it like a champ. Then¡­


    ¡°Fufu, I bet Oliver will be very happy to¡ª¡±


    ¡°Meow?¡±


    ¡°Aww! He¡¯s with you right now!?¡±


    Oliver had been peacefully sleeping on a makeshift bed and had somehow heard the mention of his name and called back. My sister went full gaga over him and asked me to put the phone close to him. As weird as her request might sound, I was curious to see what would happen.


    She called out to him, he meowed back, purred and finalised with rubbing his cheeks on the phone, letting out another very affectionate cry. Even as I held the phone far away, we could hear my sister giggling like a little girl.


    One silent exchange with Violet and I knew she was thinking the same I was: our cat was a sell-out.


    ???


    My dear girlfriend was clearly nervous. Not a hundred percent in a bad way, but there was a certain unease in her heart. Seeing her hopping in place like a kid waiting for a person to hand them candy was very endearing, and the giggles that resulted from me seeing her like that were being enough for her to forget about her uncertainties.


    ¡°Boing, boing, boing!¡± she laughed, making me laugh more than what I already was.


    ¡°I swear, you two¡­¡± Sophie chuckled as she shook her head. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you act more your age?¡±


    ¡°But that sound so boring!¡± Abby protested. ¡°Right, Violet?¡±


    I wholeheartedly agreed with her. For too long I had ¡°acted my age¡±. Being silly every now and then was a better way to face life, hands down.


    ¡°There they come!¡± Abby almost shouted, pointing at the other two people that¡¯d be joining us for some afternoon ice cream.


    Her sister gave her a light scolding, but that was a bit unnecessary. We were the only people seated at that caf¨¦.


    It was a nice place that Mathilda and Claire picked. We sat outside in a space delineated by a short wrought-iron fence, with round tables and chair mimicking an older style. My favourite part was the red and white umbrellas providing us a very nice shade.


    The introduction were¡­ interesting.


    Sophie had stood up to greet the new arrivals and immediately caught the attention of Claire. She stared at her, chin in hand and humming, making Sophie visually uncomfortable. Then, Claire grinned from ear to ear, showing a bit of her pearly-white teeth.


    ¡°I like you,¡± she told Sophie as she latched on to her arm. ¡°Let¡¯s go over there have a big sisters¡¯ talk!¡±


    Sophie couldn¡¯t get one word out, and neither could we.


    ¡­She might be even wilder than Abby.


    Those two sat on the opposite side of were we three were and, under our watchful eye, started a conversation that became very animated.


    Looking at Abby, I could see she was very happy with that development.


    ¡°Do you believe that I didn¡¯t even explain my sister why she was coming along?¡± Mathilda asked her, looking kinda smug. ¡°sister says she has a very good eye in picking friends and stuff. I¡¯m sorry for your sister.¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡±


    ¡°She had a couple of bad relationships,¡± Mathilda said with a small shrug. ¡°Now, when she finds people that she likes and are good to her, she practically adopts them.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I can kinda relate to that,¡± Abby hummed.


    Mathilda assured Abby that Sophie was in very good hands. She was just joking when she said she was sorry for Sophie.


    Now, she was studying us, at first with a serious expression, but slowly, that turned into mischief.


    ¡°You two banged, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    I almost choked on my water, but Abby had a more composed reaction and turned the conversation back to Mathilda¡¯s own relationship. Or rather, lack of.


    ¡°Progress, you ask¡­¡± Mathilda drifted as she reclined on her chair. ¡°Not really¡­ I was hoping he¡¯d act upon that huge hint of me holding his hand, but¡­ nope, nothing.¡±


    If she wanted something to happen and Stephen wasn¡¯t doing it, then why didn¡¯t she do it instead? He didn¡¯t come across as a shy guy, him giving us compliments on our looks and having asked me out once, but if she only gave him one single hint, I think it¡¯s a talk ask to have him pick it up and act, right?


    By what Abby told her, she thought the same, so I must be.


    ¡°What you suggest me to do next?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I never dated guys,¡± Abby shrugged. ¡°Aren¡¯t they kinda weak against compliments though?¡±


    How did she¡­ right. Marcus.


    Unlike me, Abby had some experience in dealing with guys. I really, really didn¡¯t like that one bit. It made me jealous knowing guys got touchy with her in the past and¡­


    ¡°Easy there, dragon,¡± Abby spoke softly as she tapped my hand. ¡°None of that matters, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­Right.¡±


    She had way too much of a good read on me.


    ¡°Haah, why don¡¯t I like girls instead?¡±


    ¡°If you think you have it hard now, then count your blessings,¡± Abby stated, before raising a fist with the thumb protruding to point at me. ¡°I had to practically spell it out until this girl started to even suspect I was interested in her.¡±


    ¡°Well, sorry for being thick-headed,¡± I grumbled.


    Abby giggled and bumped her shoulder on me, giving me cute eyes all along. Yeah, I knew she was just messing with me. I wasn¡¯t mad, not at all. Still, I¡¯d give her some punishment once we got home and alone. The soles of her feet were super ticklish, I found out this morning.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    By the way she was looking at me, I knew she already knew what was coming for her. At the very least, she had a very strong suspicion. She also seemed to be looking forward to it. Kinda beats the point of it being a punishment, doesn¡¯t it? Oh well, since I wasn¡¯t really mad¡­ it¡¯s whatever, right? Yeah.


    I looked back to Sophie and Claire while Abby and Mathilda carried on with their conversation about Stephen. The two had their phones out and, I assume, were showing pictures to each other. I could guess what the contents were¡­ and wanted to see them I that were the case.


    Abby¡¯s picture of when she was younger¡­ how nice¡­


    I¡¯d have to ask Sophie if she had some she could show me one day. Abby had seen pictures of me, so it was only fair. Not that I expected to see much of a difference. Still, an even more petite Abby¡­ truly, adorableness in a brand-new level.


    ¡°Abby, you don¡¯t like this,¡± I told her when I looked back and saw her with her mouth open, waiting for me to feed her some of the coffee ice cream I had just been served.


    ¡°I like it now though.¡±


    I wondered if that was true, so I fed some to her. She didn¡¯t make the twisted expression I had expected. Instead, she seemed to enjoy it.


    ¡°Yup, it¡¯s yummy now,¡± she singsonged before offering me some of her mint and chocolate.


    Next up was me and her staring at Mathilda. She had her mouth open and also seemed to be waiting to be fed.


    ¡°Get Stephen to feed you some.¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on! I¡¯m feeling left out!¡±


    ¡°No, I mean it. Get Stephen here and do the same we were doing with him.¡±


    ¡°Oh! That could work, yes!¡±


    Wasn¡¯t it way easier to come to him and say, ¡°I¡¯ve liked you for a long time, please go out with me?¡± Why complicate stuff so much? Then again, I¡¯m guilty of not doing that either, so I might as well just shut up and keep it to myself.


    ¡°¡­Pfft!¡±


    Abby notwithstanding, of course.

 Butting Heads at School

    No homework today. Not because there wasn¡¯t any, but because I had no willingness to go through it. We only had to deliver it in two days anyway. The only thing I wanted to do is stay in silence with Abby on my lap. Abby too was in a bit of a foul mood, only about something different for the most part. She was stretch over the couch, belly over my legs and chin on a pillow as she stared at the door.


    Her sister had to go back to her university to sign some stuff and get some papers and it was looking like she¡¯d only be back tomorrow, putting a damper in Abby¡¯s mood. That was a shame, specially because the two keep getting along better and better each day. Abby was particularly happy after Sophie told us she¡¯d stay with Claire at the caf¨¦ where we met on Sunday. She was looking like an abandoned puppy, to be quite frank.


    Normally, I¡¯d be all over her to cheer her up, but even for that I didn¡¯t have the energy.


    ¡°This day is being kinda sucky,¡± she said, putting it mildly.


    It didn¡¯t start that way. By all accounts, today was looking like a perfectly normal day. There were no signs of it being any different until P.E.


    We were changing into our school uniforms. I just had it with having people constantly looking over their shoulder, scared that I¡¯d be doing the same with ulterior motives. I was very sick of having them doing that to Abby while seeing her only in her underwear. My girlfriend.


    I¡¯ve had had it and opened my mouth to speak¡ªrather, to shout.


    ¡°Will you girls quit it?¡± a voice spoke out that didn¡¯t belong to me.


    I closed my mouth and looked to my left. Mathilda was facing the same direction I was previously staring, her shirt still wide open and to be tucked in her skirt. She looked just as angry as I was previously feeling. Now, I was stunned by her sudden outburst.


    ¡°You keep staring at them like they were some kind of molesters! Can¡¯t you see how stupid that is!?¡± she cried out. ¡°Have you even stopped to think for a moment how uncomfortable that makes them feel?! They are both dating for crying out loud, do you think they¡¯d be staring at other girls blatantly in front of each other and appreciate you staring at them!?¡±


    She took the words right out of my mouth then.


    One of the girls still had the gall to say that she still felt uncomfortable changing with us around. I regained some of my spirit and gave her a look up and down. I didn¡¯t pay any attention to her features, I only did that to better drive a point.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ve got nothing I¡¯m interested in, and I¡¯m sure Abby feels the same.¡±


    That was very cathartic, but not the smartest thing I could have done because insults started being hurled between her and her friends against us three. It got so bad, a teacher was called, and eventually, we were again called to the principal¡¯s office. The result? We all got a slap on the wrist, mostly because the principal still remembered very clearly having dealt with Will. From now on, Abby and I were told to change on one corner of the room, something we were already doing, and to report if we notice anyone of doing exactly what they were afraid we¡¯d do. To sum it all up, the situation was solved by not solving it at all. Great.


    Worst of all, us three now had bad blood with the other girls we got into an argument. Just those four though. I was surprised to have some of the girls who¡¯d on occasion stare at us coming up and apologising. Some even said they¡¯d do it because I have very pretty legs. I thanked the compliment, but still asked for them to not look since I was in a relationship. Overall, only those four were a problem, but maybe if I didn¡¯t hurl that insult, things could have gone better.


    ¡°Urgh, why did I have to say that?¡± I growled as I rubbed my face in frustration.


    ¡°I thought it was kinda funny,¡± Abby huffed.


    That was neither here nor there. Although¡­ yeah, it kinda was. She looked like the type of girl who thinks highly of herself, so having someone telling her she wasn¡¯t anything special must have stung. Good.


    ¡°I still shouldn¡¯t have said that.¡±


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m still surprised about Mathilda,¡± Abby commented as she switched her head into a more comfortable position.


    The reason why Mathilda defended us, she explained after us three got alone, was because she saw I was about to explode and tried to take the first step to avoid us looking like the villain in case things went wrong. I still messed it up, but having her start the argument must have helped in the aftermath. At least I hope it did. Quite the good friend we got there, right?


    ¡°But Violet, that¡¯s all in the past! Why not relax and have


    some quality time with Abby?¡±


    A good question with a very simple answer: we still would have to deal with our homeroom teacher tomorrow. She had warned us not to give her problems and today we kicked a lot of fuss.


    ¡°Haah, let¡¯s stay home tomorrow,¡± I mumbled.


    ¡°That¡¯d be nice, if only by the fact she¡¯d most likely come kicking our door down to still give us an earful,¡± Abby aptly pointed out.


    I sighed and tumbled to the side of her legs, feeling even less motivated to do anything else.


    ¡°Hold on, let me get out of you,¡± Abby chirped. ¡°Twisted as you are, you might tear a kidney or something.¡±


    Yes, it was an uncomfortable position I was in, but I was beyond caring about that too.


    Abby however wasn¡¯t in such a bad mood as I was and curled herself up against me, moving one of my arms over her and holding its hand close to her chest. I could faintly feel her heartbeat. That finally got me to ease up a bit and I curled my legs under hers.


    ¡°Better?¡± she asked sweetly.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ better.¡±


    ¡°¡­Won¡¯t you give me some tickles?¡± she asked, turning her head to show me her wry smile.


    I wasn¡¯t there yet, but I still gave her temple and cheeks a couple of smooches.


    ¡°You missed a spot,¡± she told me, still with the same wry smile.


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    I kissed the spot she said I had missed, making Abby get all bubbly and giggly. That finally got me to chuckle.


    ¡°Babe, let¡¯s go do homework.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t wanna.¡±


    I know. I also know you¡¯ll be all stressed out about having to do today¡¯s homework and tomorrow¡¯s too.¡±


    As badly as I just wanted to stay like this, she was right. It was better to push through it than leave it all to tomorrow.


    Haah, fine. Let¡¯s get this over with.


    ???


    Our homeroom teacher was looking none too pleased as she stared at us from behind her intertwined fingers that supported her head by the nose.


    Us three¡ªme, Violet, and Mathilda, sat opposite to her and under her unblinking gaze. No one was moving aside from breathing in and breathing out the heavy atmosphere. The only sound heard was the clock hanging on the wall to our right, showing me that it had been over three minutes since we got inside our homeroom teacher¡¯s office.


    Finally, the silence was broken with the back rest of our teacher¡¯s chair creaked as she reclined on it, and complaining about us having put her in a very tight spot.


    I had a picture of her situation, but there were still some things I needed confirmed before being certain.


    ¡°Erm¡­ did the principal push this issue on you to save himself the trouble of potentially dealing with my dad?¡± I asked.


    She looked at me only with her eyes as she kept pivoting her chair from one side to the other.


    ¡°Since you aren¡¯t going to play dumb,¡± she sighed as she assumed her previous position. ¡°Yes, I believe that¡¯s exactly it. Now, I need to prove him I deserve the position of homeroom teacher and avoid an angry parent yelling at me and bringing trouble to the school.¡±


    Yeah, that confirmed everything to me. And for once, I was thankful for having watched my mum navigate negotiations in a way that made the other person feeling grateful for benefiting her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about my dad. I¡¯ll tell him about what¡¯s been going on, but I¡¯ll also tell him to let me deal with this stuff.¡±


    ¡°¡­And in exchange?¡± our teacher asked, a bit of a smile appearing from behind her hands.


    ¡°Nothing. I just don¡¯t think having him butting in would make anything better. In fact, it might make things even messier.¡±


    Were I to let him in, he¡¯d kick a fuss and probably get the other students to transfer school. Sounds good at first, but once a bit of thought was put into it, the consequences of that would be awful. We¡¯d then be public enemy number one in school. We¡¯d most likely be left alone, but as the cost of becoming social pariahs. It¡¯d be better to solve this in a more civilised way. Besides, can you imagine how proud our parents will be if we manage to solve this by our own? Well, mine and Violet¡¯s. Mathilda¡¯s parents never showed much care in her actions, as far as I knew.


    She chuckled and leaned on the chair again, swinging side to side but still holding a smile. ¡°The old man was right, you girls are real trouble,¡± she told us in a playful tone.


    Perhaps, but unlike him, she seemed to be willing to at least listen and at best, work together with us.


    ¡°Erm¡­ are we¡­ going to be punished?¡± Violet asked.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ let¡¯s hear your side of the story before deciding that.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to say?¡± Mathilda intervened. ¡°Imagine this: you and your husband are changing clothes in a place with other women. Would you like to have them stare at your husband while he changes because they¡¯re worried he¡¯d peek? That¡¯s what¡¯s been going on with my friends. Two times a day, twice a week, for a whole month now. That¡¯s sixteen times already! They never did anything to warrant such suspicions!¡±


    ¡°I get that, I really do. However, name calling and getting into fights isn¡¯t the way to solve the problem.¡±


    Not completely, no. It did get most of the girls guilty of doing that to say sorry. It was only those other three or four that were still the issue.


    The teacher¡¯s chair squeaked as she stopped the rotating movement. In one quick breath, she asked what we¡¯d do.


    We knew she had talked with the other girls before. They talked during lunch break while we were having this talk in the afternoon after classes were over. The bigger question wasn¡¯t what we should do, but what did the others say we should. Assuming they¡¯d stay with their opposing views on us, they¡¯d probably want us to change in a different room. That, however, wasn¡¯t likely. They¡¯d be crucified if they ever said that to our teacher. Most likely, they¡¯d want us to apologise. Good luck with that, though. Violet would chew her tongue clean off before admitting any fault, and by the way Mathilda was getting heated up, I¡¯d wager I couldn¡¯t count much with her either.


    ¡°Look, we shouldn¡¯t have started an argument. I think we all get that. However, as far as most of us want it, we aren¡¯t going to say sorry to them. They said they didn¡¯t feel comfortable changing with us around, Violet told them¡ªher¡ªthat she didn¡¯t have anything to fear after taking a look at her body. If she got insulted by Violet saying she wasn¡¯t into her right after she told us she didn¡¯t want us to look at her, that¡¯s her problem, not ours. We just want to move on and see if we can finally get whatever privacy we can in a shared changing room. Violet and I have been dating for months and she still gets shy around me, imagine how she feels with other people staring.¡±


    ¡°¡­I also hate having other people seeing you naked,¡± Violet grumbled under her breath. Good thing that she did too. Another point to push the needle towards us being told to go home with no further repercussions.


    ¡°Haah, talking about this is being useless,¡± our teacher and judge sighed, appearing to have reached a verdict. ¡°I¡¯ll just ask you the same I asked the others: don¡¯t stir problems and leave the others be. Agreed?¡±


    That was the best result we could have gotten, so no complains came from me or the others. Still, we weren¡¯t free to go.


    ¡°One more thing,¡± she told us, sounding a bit more relaxed, but still looking to come across as tactful. ¡°There¡¯s one more issue I need to discuss with you.¡±


    I exchanged looks with my girlfriend and friend. None of us even suspected what it could be. Well, it wasn¡¯t long before we got to know what it was.


    Sometime during the second semester, most likely after spring break, the school was planning a trip for us second years. Here¡¯s the catch: due to the distance, it required us to stay at a hotel for a night. Rooms would be shared and, since Violet and I were a couple, there were talks about putting us in separate rooms to avoid¡­ intimacies.


    I understood their concerns. Other students and their parents could raise concerns over preferential treatment and the school not upholding morality amongst the student body.


    ¡°What if I share the room with them?¡± Mathilda asked.


    ¡°That still won¡¯t work since you are their friends. You could just leave for an hour and leave them alone.¡±


    Mathilda and Violet clicked their tongues in unison. It was a bit amusing to see them staring at each other, Violet wondering why Mathilda clicked hers why our friend was amused by Violet¡¯s confusion. My guess was not as much a guess as it was a certainty. Mathilda enjoyed a lot watching and teasing us. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if I caught her looking at us while eating popcorn one of these days.


    ¡°Anyway, we haven¡¯t reached a conclusion, but I wanted to inform you that it might be a possibility that you won¡¯t get to share a room,¡± our teacher clarified.


    By her body language, we were finally done talking.


    One win and one loss, huh?


    Overall, it was a net-neutral. Not good, not bad, but still, we were all looking like it sucked.


    ¡°Stephen!¡± Mathilda shouted when she spotted him waiting for us. Mathew was with him too, but he was mostly ignored because he was still properly dressed, unlike Stephen.


    She stepped up to him, grabbed his tie and tightened it around his neck while asking if he was looking forward to being reprimanded too.


    ¡°C¡¯mon Mathy, don¡¯t be like that,¡± he choked as he tried to get her to ease up on her strangle hold. ¡°You know I always fiddle with it when I¡¯m nervous.¡±


    ¡°You? Nervous?¡±


    ¡°Yup. Did everything go well?¡±


    She was looking a bit blushed, even more so because she noticed he was gently holding her hands and not letting go.


    ¡°Honestly, you¡­¡± she grumbled, letting her hands slide down his chest and to her side. ¡°Yeah, everything went well. More or less.¡±


    Oh-ho? Is it progress I¡¯m seeing?


    It looked like it. I¡¯m not sure if he was doing it intentionally, but they were looking like a pair of love birds, nonetheless. I understood then, why she liked watching us so much. It got this fuzzy feeling going on in my chest. It also got me in a flirty mood, so I grabbed Violet¡¯s hand and bid farewell to our friends. She would also need so cheering up before we got to doing homework, so our needs aligned perfectly.


    ¡°Abby, wait!¡± Violet urged as she tugged me back. ¡°Weren¡¯t we supposed to go eat something together? Aren¡¯t you hungry?¡±


    Oh yeah, we were. Cuddling could wait a bit longer. My stomach was now growing and nuzzling was always better with a filled stomach after all. And who knew, maybe I¡¯d get to see Mathy and Stephen getting more intimate while at it.

 Chapter XI

I


    W


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 Peaceful Christmas

    The apartment was fully decorated with Christmas livery. Silver, green, blue, red, golden, if it was a colour of the season, you¡¯d find it greeting your eyes. Furthermore, Abby had placed a small collum in the middle of the room playing Christmas music, bringing an extra level of cheer to all of us inside.


    While the other three chatted in the living room as they waited for the food to be ready, Abby and I were in the kitchen merely waiting for the chicken to be cooked, using that as an excuse to afford us some space for flirting in whispers and our hidden hands playing with each other.


    ¡°Can you hold the fort for a sec?¡± she asked me after the bell rang.


    That was more a nicety than a real question. Of course I could, it was only her trying to ease the interruption.


    While she was cheerfully chatting with whoever it was at the door, I took a good look at our parents and her sister.


    The way Sophie looked at my dad¡­ yeah.


    ¡°I¡¯m back,¡± Abby announced with a poke to both sides of my ribs, making me jump in place.


    ¡°Who was it?¡± I asked.


    Paul had come by with his girlfriend to wish us a Merry Christmas, but since they were in a rush to join their own family dinner, they only stayed at the door.


    ¡°Hey babe, do you think we have time for me to change?¡± she asked, grabbing my pinkie.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, change?¡±


    ¡°Hehe, yeah. It¡¯s a surprise and I can¡¯t wait until we are done eating.¡±


    I was again burning with curiosity. It was still a good fifteen minutes until the chicken was at the right cooking point, that was plenty of time for her to change.


    ¡°Great! Meet me in the bedroom in a minute,¡± she told me before scampering off.


    So, I¡¯m getting the first look, huh? Nice.


    As her girlfriend, it was only fair, was it not? Or was I being conceited?


    ¡°Erm¡­ can I help in anything?¡±


    I didn¡¯t notice Sophie approaching the counter with how much immersed I was in watching Abby walking away. That hop she carried in her step was a delight to watch.


    Not Sophie though, she had an awkward mannerism around me, making me feel extra awkward in turn.


    ¡°Erm, no. Thanks, but I¡¯ve got things covered.¡±


    ¡°I-I see¡­ I saw you alone, so¡­¡±


    ¡°Abby went to get changed.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, get changed?¡±


    I chuckled when I heard her echoing my exact same reaction when I was the one being told that.


    ¡°Yeah, she had this surprise all planned out for after we ate, but she got impatient.¡±


    ¡°Haah, the same as always, that girl,¡± Sophie sighed with a small smile and a hint of nostalgia.


    ¡°¡­Do you think she got better, or is she more or less the same?¡±


    Sophie thought about it for a bit before answering¡­


    ¡°I¡¯d say she might be the same. I remember I usually had to buy her two gifts. One for the right day, the other, to calm her down.¡±


    She was indeed the same then, only, I gave extra love to her as compensation instead.


    And speaking of that, I asked Sophie to keep an eye on the chicken while I was going to check out on Abby.


    I knocked on the door and asked if I could come in. She opened the door with mischief in her smile and quickly fired away a question about why I was asking when I¡¯d seen her naked plenty of times.


    ¡°Come on Abby¡­ I didn¡¯t want to ruin the surprise for you.¡±


    ¡°My, how mindful my sweetheart is,¡± she joked before disappearing behind the door.


    I walked in, and my jaw almost hit the floor.


    Abby had changed into a Santa dress. It had white fluff around the seams, a wide black belt around her waist, hung slightly above her knees and had her shoulders completely exposed and the topmost part of the cleavage.


    ¡°So? Whaddaya think?¡± she asked with a twirl, the skirt of the dress making a very pleasant waving motion and almost revealing what lied beneath.


    ¡°You look so cute,¡± I told her, not resisting putting my hands on her.


    ¡°Hehe, behave or I¡¯ll have to put you on the naughty list,¡± she laughed while I nibbled her ear.


    I paid her no heed and kept whispering sweet nothings while she melted in my arms. Until¡­


    ¡°Oh¡­! Erm, sorry¡­¡± Sophie stammered from behind us.


    ¡°Ah, sis! Good timing!¡± Abby cheered while skipping to her sister. ¡°I have something for you!¡±


    ¡°Erm¡­ for me?¡± Sophie stammered, being overwhelmed by her sister¡¯s energy.


    ¡°Yup, that¡¯s what I said! Anyway, there!¡± she laughed as she pointed towards two bags on the bed. ¡°Yours is the one on the right. Not that it would be hard to figure out by the size.¡±


    ¡°¡­Am I supposed to also change into one?¡± I asked, fearing the obvious.


    ¡°Obviously!¡± Abby said, almost like she was offended I had even asked. ¡°It¡¯s Christmas after all! Christmas!¡±


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    What Abby considered adequate for each and every holiday was¡­ sketchy would be a way to put it. Still, if it made her happy, I¡¯d go along with it. It¡¯s not like the dress was much different in terms of coverage when compared to my other dress.


    ¡°Why would I put it on?¡± her sister asked, not being so easy to convince as me.


    ¡°Oh? Don¡¯t you think Papa Stan will say something about you looking good in it?¡±


    ¡°T-that¡¯s¡­!?¡± she choked, looking at me from the corner of her eye. I¡¯d stay true to my previous decision and ignore it for the time being. ¡°Could you not call him that?¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Why? Because¡­ it sounds wrong!¡±


    Abby had her head so canted to the side, it looked like it¡¯d fall off at any moment now. She really wasn¡¯t getting it. Honestly, I had grown so used to it, I had a hard time getting what she meant too.


    ¡°Anyway, get changed you two, ok? I¡¯m counting on you!¡± Abby told us before leaving and shutting the door behind her, leaving me guessing if she heard me tell her to check on the chicken.


    Now that we were alone, I was feeling very self-conscious. We both were.


    With how things were between us, I asked if I should leave, but surprisingly, she told me I could stay.


    ¡°I might not understand your relationship, but I can see you are crazy over my sister, and you¡¯re very serious in that regard, so there¡¯s no way you¡¯ll do anything,¡± was her reasoning.


    It was nice to see that, at least, she didn¡¯t see me as something¡­ perverse. At least not to that extent.


    ¡°¡­Thank you.¡±


    She looked at me, and somehow, I had the feeling she was able to read me at that moment in the very same way her sister could every time.


    ¡°Violet, look¡­ I truly think you¡¯re a nice girl¡­ it¡¯s the whole else that gets my head in a tangle. Ok?¡±


    Her words gave me some hope for the future.


    I was thinking about that and began changing with little concern over having her doing the same by my side. It¡¯s funny, in a way. She probably had the best figure out of everyone I knew, and despite me being aware of that, I never felt like peeking. And yes, I think she had a better figure than even Abby, but Abby was my type, not Sophie, so it ultimately didn¡¯t matter, did it?


    ¡°Violet, hold on for a second,¡± she called out before I left the room.


    I was a bit stunned, but she walked up to me to make some fine-tuning to my outfit. I guess her older sister''s instincts kicked in?


    ¡°There,¡± she said when she was done.


    ¡°T-thanks¡­ Erm¡­ good luck¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    She was turning almost as red as our dresses, but she didn¡¯t spout a single word. At least it seemed like she wouldn¡¯t until I turned my back.


    ¡°You really are something else.¡±


    Once we arrived in the living room, Abby pulled us along to show our matching dresses to the male audience.


    ¡°Tah-dah! What do you guys think?¡± she asked, the only one not turning red out of the three.


    ¡°¡­Aren¡¯t they too revealing?¡± her dad asked.


    If he thought they were too revealing¡­ what did he think about my usual dress and the one I picked for Abby during the summer!?


    ¡°I for one think they all look very good,¡± my dad commented with his usual nonchalant mannerism.


    ¡°Hehe. Can you believe Sophie thought it would look weird on her?¡±


    My girlfriend¡­ what a sly girl she can be.


    ¡°Why? I think she looks great.¡±


    Well, at least it wasn¡¯t me getting targeted for all the teasing.


    ¡°Y-you think so?¡±


    Poor Sophie, the moment she asked that was the same our parents resumed their conversation, so she was left ignored. It was also a bit funny to see her reaction, red of embarrassment and pouting from anger at my dad for ignoring her. How Abby-like of her.


    It was time to serve the food, so I broke away and went to the kitchen to ready it for serving. There was plenty of it, but with everyone¡¯s help, we had it all on the table in no time.


    We all feasted that night. Abby in particular. It was like her stomach had a hole at the bottom with how much food she gulped down. And as was customary of her, once she was completely stuffed, she got drowsy and needy, only, there was the matter of the dishes to wash.


    ¡°You girls go rest now, us men will take care of it,¡± my dad stepped up as he cracked his fingers.


    ¡°Oof, it¡¯s been a while,¡± her dad commented as he got up.


    ¡°How long exactly?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ I was in university then, so¡­¡±


    ¡°In the early fifteenth century then.¡±


    ¡°Smartass.¡±


    The matter of them being boss and employee had completely faded into memory. I¡¯d love to be a fly just to see if they were like that in the office, or if they at least there remembered their difference in hierarchy.


    ¡°Hmm, so sleepy now,¡± Abby yawned as she stretched her body lazily, curling up to me afterwards. ¡°Still, there are still the presents. Hehe, I can¡¯t wait.¡±


    I looked under the tree and noticed something. There were still two gifts from her to me and her sister. I had thought the dresses were it.


    ¡°Nope, these were more like fanservice.¡±


    ¡°Fanservice?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s when cute girls dress in cute clothes or swimsuits to please the audience.¡±


    ¡°You mean our dads?¡±


    ¡°Pfft, ah-haha! No silly, me!¡±


    She really was a handful when excited.


    I looked at her sister. She still had to recover from the attention she got from my dad. Kinda reminded me of myself, funnily enough.


    ¡°Ally-hop!¡±


    Abby propelled herself off the couch and grabbed four gifts, distributing them between me, Sophie and our dads. For a matter of fairness, I too got up to grab and hand Abby and Sophie the gifts I got for them.


    ¡°Can I open it? Can I?¡±


    ¡°Fufu, of course you can.¡±


    Could I tell otherwise if the situation demanded such? Hardly.


    Despite her excitement, she opened it carefully enough not to ruin the paper. Once she unravelled it, she lunged at me, saying she loved the gift I got her. It was a bit hard to breathe, but it was only a short moment because it was Sophie¡¯s turn. She too got the same treatment.


    ¡°Oh¡­ You got me my favourite hand lotion,¡± Sophie said when she saw what I got her.


    ¡°Y-yeah. I noticed you commenting on how you were almost out of it.¡±


    ¡°Did I?¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah. A few days ago.¡±


    Our exchange was being awkward, and not without Abby adding fuel to the fire. She was looking at us with such a pleased smile that Sophie and I wanted to bury our heads.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing,¡± she said, acting all fluffy. ¡°I¡¯m just having the best Christmas ever, that¡¯s all.¡±


    How had her previous Christmases been before? The last one was the stuff of nightmares and something I didn¡¯t even want to think about even in passing. This much would be the full extent I¡¯d do such. Let bygones stay bygones.


    ¡°Merry Christmas, Abby.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, Merry Christmas Violet.¡±


    She looked at her sister for a moment, the two telepathically communicating something that made the older sister leave.


    ¡°Hunk down the couch for a bit,¡± she told me.


    I knew what she had in mind and so I did as she requested. I don¡¯t think we were fully hidden, but a kiss was undeniably in order.


    <hr>


    ¡°We¡¯ve also got news to tell you as a present,¡± her father announced from the kitchen. ¡°Stan and I will stop working at the company at the start of February to begin running our own company.¡±


    The time had finally come for that, huh? I wondered how things would be from now on. From all we had been told, I shouldn¡¯t have to worry, but I still was. Not because I was afraid they¡¯d fail, but because I couldn¡¯t see Abby¡¯s mum taking it lying down, especially since she¡¯d be losing many of her clients and employees to them.


    ¡°Karma is coming for her, huh?¡± I heard Abby hum as she rested her head on her shoulder.


    ¡°...Looks like it.¡±


    I¡¯ll probably have to be ready to shield and support Abby when the time comes, and before getting to us, our parents would also be there to do the same.


    Sophie asked if she could help them once they started their new job, but her dad, despite being thankful, told her to focus on finding her way. She still insisted on helping since she was mostly at home doing nothing, my dad chipping in and telling his friend to let her help a bit, pointing out she¡¯d feel better if she contributed a little.


    ¡°Ow, all right. Once we have things going, I¡¯ll see what I can get you, but you should still be trying to find your way. If you come to enjoy it and want to work full-time, then we¡¯ll talk.¡±


    My dad was doing the speedrun to gain her heart without even knowing. How many women did he have fawning over him with him being none the wiser?


    ¡°Violet, you should take her to bed,¡± Sophie suddenly whispered.


    Looking at what Sophie was too, I saw Abby completely out like a candle and drooling on me.


    ¡°Haah, typical,¡± I grumbled despite feeling all warmed up on the inside.


    I shook her as I called her name, but she only nuzzled up more against me as she let out a happy noise, making it even harder to wake her up.


    ¡°Pfft, she¡¯s still such a baby,¡± Sophie giggled as she joined me in my attempt at waking her sister up.


    And so it went, our first Christmas dinner ever. One of many, I was sure.

 Differing Speeds and Dynamics

    On my way to the toilet, before I left school to go do homework with my friends at Mathilda¡¯s, I saw a rare sight. Stephen stood alone, looking through a window with an elbow supported on the parapet as he held his head up. He and Mathew were kinda like me and Abby, a set. Where you saw one of us, the other wasn¡¯t far away.


    ¡°It¡¯s rare to see you alone,¡± he commented once he noticed me approaching.


    ¡°I could say the same.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I wanted to do some thinking before we went to Mathilda¡¯s place.¡±


    ¡°...Anything I can help with?¡±


    He looked outside and I followed his gaze. Despite the freezing cold, there were lots of students outside. Some sat where there was a dry bench while a group of boys played with a football in a circle. A bit further from that group, a group of girls snickered and chatted in hushed tones, sometimes throwing a look at the boys, probably talking about which one they had a crush. It wouldn¡¯t be too long until it got too dark for any of those activities, the sun barely peaking over the buildings surrounding the school. I was a bit surprised there were still that many people hanging around on the school premises. My mind wandered into thinking that I was now a lot like them. More interestingly, this was something I had to think about to even realise, showing me how used to it I had grown over the months. I wasn¡¯t even bothered with having the other three around anymore. I dare say, sometimes during the weekend, I¡¯d miss them.


    ¡°How did you two confess to each other?¡± Stephen abruptly asked, snapping my attention back to him.


    There was no way I¡¯d tell him about that night. Instead, I answered with a question of my own: why was he asking?


    He wanted a feminine opinion on the matter. I was surprised by hearing him bluntly asking if he wasn¡¯t misinterpreting signals from his childhood friend.


    ¡°Absolutely not,¡± I told him, lacking the patience to see them not getting anywhere. It was fun going through it with Abby but watching them and hearing Mathilda complain about it on the other hand was a huge pain. ¡°You should simply ask her out already.¡±


    He chuckled and returned my gaze. He told me he remembered me being more docile.


    I laughed back as I told him the conclusion I had reached at that moment. I was only docile until I got to know someone or when they got on my nerves. He sat in the middle of those two conditions right now.


    ¡°Any suggestions as to where I should take her?¡±


    I had a few I could provide him, yes, but I had business to attend to, so I excused myself after telling him I¡¯d send him the names of some nice places for a date by the end of the day. Abby could also chip in with her own suggestions that way too. She might even mention some places we haven¡¯t gone to yet, giving me new ideas as to where I¡¯d take her during the weekend too.


    I couldn¡¯t understand why Mathilda suddenly pulled out a measuring tape as soon as the boys stepped outside on a snack run and said she wanted to take some measures of us. Not only that, but she also had paper, pen and her calculator out. They were all suspiciously at hand¡¯s reach as soon as she announced it. My best guess had been her wanting to check if any of us had gotten fatter after the holidays, but she never measured us before so there was no way that could be it.


    ¡°What exactly are you going to measure?¡± I asked, a second guess forming in my mind.


    ¡°Just your overall height, your legs, arms and torso length and... nope, that¡¯s it,¡± she told me as she counted the body parts with her fingers. ¡°I¡¯m curious to see how those ratios compare between us three.¡±


    That was pretty weird. Still, it was innocent enough, I thought, and Abby also got curious to know that, especially about me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have to undress, do I?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I¡¯d say yes, but your wifey would have my hide, so¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hehe, wifey.¡±


    ¡°¡ªno. And since you already took your shoes off before coming in, I just need you to stand up against a wall.¡±


    She was talking to me like I was the only person having my measurements taken, leaving bare her intentions.


    It was a quick process. Mathilda held the tape and took the measurements while telling them to Abby for my girlfriend to write down.


    Abby was next, her excitement making it a bit hard for us to go through the process as she¡¯d jitter without even realising it.


    Lastly, it was Mathilda¡¯s turn before she could finally do the math.


    ¡°...Did I measure your legs right?¡± she wondered out loud once she was finished.


    ¡°You did, my legs are just that freakishly long.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, legs for days. Ah! I grew a centimetre!¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure how valid that centimetre was, and as it turns out, almost sixty per cent of my total height was legs. No wonder I always held the perception of them being abnormal. The normal, Mathilda told us, is between forty-five and fifty.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t like them, can I have them?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Abby told her as she hugged my arm and pulled me away from our friend. ¡°They are mine!¡±


    ¡°No, they aren¡¯t!¡± I stammered. ¡°Also, I never said I didn¡¯t like them!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± the boys asked, having finally returned from their soda and snacks run.


    Mathilda ran straight to them with the tape measure ready and demanded them to take off their shoes and stand against the wall. The look on their faces said everything. ¡°Another one of her bright ideas,¡± they were silently screaming.


    They still complied, Mathilda humming in between telling us what to write down.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    ¡°Huh, you¡¯re taller than him and yet he has proportionally longer limbs,¡± she told to her cousin as she looked at the sheet of paper, adjusting a pair of glasses she didn¡¯t have.


    Mathew however couldn¡¯t care less, sitting in his usual spot at the coffee table and taking out his homework, telling us to hurry up so he could go home and finish a winter event.


    ¡°What about you girls?¡± Stephen asked, trying to take a peek at the paper that Mathilda denied by pushing his face away and telling him that was a secret.


    I had yet to see the results, so I took the paper from her. Abby now knew my body proportions and I was curious to know how she compared to me.


    Huh, Abby kinda has long legs too.


    They were far more proportionate than mine though. How much? Yeah, I¡¯ll be keeping that to myself. I¡¯ll just say that she was very well-rounded overall.


    I also didn¡¯t expect to find that Mathilda was taller than me, if only by a very small margin. It¡¯d be far too much of a coincidence for us to share the same height anyway, but I had always thought we were the same height. Maybe I wear thicker soles?


    As for the boys, I didn¡¯t care much besides how tall they were. I¡¯d say they were slightly above average.


    ¡°Coming through,¡± Abby announced as she sat between my legs and made herself at home.


    The house wasn¡¯t cold or anything. In fact, it was pretty cosy. I still wouldn¡¯t tell Abby to sit elsewhere. I could focus better holding her, and I¡¯d also sometimes use the top of her head as a chin rest.


    ¡°Ah! You guys got us Mikado? Nice!¡± Mathilda practically shouted. ¡°Let¡¯s play a game before we get to work!¡±


    Mathew immediately protested his cousin¡¯s antics, and we joined him. We had already spent a lot of time goofing around, but I was left curious about what kind of game could be played with that snack, but I¡¯d eventually find out once we were done.


    I didn¡¯t see that much of a need for distractions after homework when we were all gathered. We¡¯d be chatting as we went along with our task, turning what was a very monotonous task into something somewhat fun. Not that I preferred it over being alone with Abby, but after a while with us alone, it got a bit hard to stay focused on the paper instead of how warm, soft and fragrant she was. With them around my hands also tended to not wander off as much.


    ¡°Lucky you, dating the smartest person in the class,¡± Mathilda snickered once Abby was done explaining to her what she had done wrong. She didn¡¯t have to tell me that, I was super aware I was lucky in that regard, along with everything else. I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to be passing some subjects were it not for her. Instead, I was flourishing... no pun intended.


    ¡°She¡¯s pretty smart too,¡± Abby told her as she poked my cheek. ¡°What was ruining her score was how stressed up she got before.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, yeah, I kinda remember seeing her sweating bullets every time before an exam last year,¡± Mathilda hummed as she grabbed the Mikado box. I think she was putting it mildly how messed up I got during last year. ¡°Can we play the game now?¡±


    ¡°You play your game, I have yet three levels to grind to finally unlock this season¡¯s prize,¡± Mathew told her as he stored his things in his bag.


    Mathilda shrugged, not appearing too bothered as she followed him with her eyes. Once he was out, she went into explaining the rules of the game. As I should have expected, it was a stupid one.


    Two at a time¡ªme and Abby, of course¡ªwould hold the extremities of the stick with our mouths and we¡¯d have to nibble until either our lips met or one of us gave up.


    Abby would because she knew I¡¯d get embarrassed midway, but I expressively told her not to do so. Having Mathilda always teasing and thinking I¡¯d chicken out irritated me this time, so she was in for a surprise. And so was Abby.


    She was beat-red and covering her lips, stunned that I didn¡¯t stop until we kissed.


    ¡°Humph! Why should I care? A-Abby is my girlfriend after all!¡± I said, trying to sound as confident as possible while my face was hellfire. Now that I went through it, I was slightly regretting it.


    ¡°I guess it¡¯s our turn,¡± Stephen said as he grabbed one stick and pointed it at Mathilda¡¯s mouth. I know I told him to go for it, but wasn¡¯t this going too far too fast? ¡°If I win, we go on a date, and if I lose...¡±


    ¡°...And if you lose?¡±


    His holding hand got a bit limp, and he recoiled back slightly while still holding the same expression. We girls were very curious to see what he¡¯d say next.


    ¡°...I didn¡¯t think that far ahead.¡±


    Mathilda started laughing so hard that she clutched her sides as tears ran down her face. Stephen was laughing too, not letting his embarrassment become a hindrance. He messed up, but he also ended up winning in a way, and for that, he got my respect.


    ¡°This weekend?¡± she asked as she leaned on him, whipping away her tears of laughter.


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    After Abby and I had such a messy start to our relationship, it was nice seeing them having a normal progression. I wasn¡¯t jealous or anything, I just found this process more suitable for them.


    ¡°Oi, you still hadn¡¯t had your turn,¡± Abby spoke, looking so mischievous, I could almost see horns protruding from her head. ¡°Or are you all talk and no bark?¡±


    I gave Abby¡¯s head a light tap and told her to leave them be. They had just started dating this exact second after all.


    She stuck her tongue out and reached her hand for another stick. This one was broken in half, one half for her to nibble and the other for me, my nerves thankful for that. I don¡¯t think I could take kissing her in front of our friends one more time unless my life depended on it.


    On our way home, my phone buzzed. Pulling it out, I saw that I had just received a message from Stephen. It was exactly as I thought, he was thanking me for having given him a push.


    ¡°Oh-ho? So, it¡¯s thanks to you that we got to see that show. I see, I see. Good job,¡± Abby congratulated as she shook us side to side.


    ¡°I just got tired of that ¡®will they or will they not¡¯ that was going on between them,¡± I told her.


    ¡°Yeah, otherwise they might have done it the same way we did,¡± she told me with a wry smile.


    I mean, it worked for us. It could have worked with them. Although I still think it was better this way for Mathilda in particular. Despite her occasional dirty jokes, she was still a bit pure and a total romantic at heart, so a traditional development suited her better.


    ¡°Pfft, hehe. Not to you though?¡±


    ¡°T-that¡¯s erm...¡±


    The way Abby was looking at me was a dare for me to come up with a retort. I decided to remain silent and not give her any more ammo to use against me.


    That didn¡¯t stop Abby from further teasing me, unfortunately. The next thing she brought up was my dad and her sister getting together.


    ¡°Or maybe even your dad and my dad.¡±


    ¡°Oh please, enough of that!¡± I begged her, having almost forgotten the idea of us becoming stepsisters.


    ¡°Seriously now, won¡¯t you talk with my sister about it?¡±


    Should I? I asked her that, but she only shrugged, not knowing how to answer that other than that it was up to me.


    I saw the way Sophie looked at my dad. It wasn¡¯t still love, but there was something there, it was undeniable. I¡¯m sure that between those feelings and everything else she had going on in her life, she was feeling a bit overwhelmed. Maybe I should take the first step and talk to her about it. As to what I should say... that was a complete mystery. She could even be like I was and not having yet figured out her heart. Abby said multiple times that me and Sophie are very similar. Hopefully, that didn¡¯t apply to this particular issue. Hopefully.


    ¡°Whatever you choose to do, do you think you can decide it before Valentine¡¯s? I want to make my sister prepare some homemade chocolate to give him if you decide to go ahead with it.¡±


    ¡°Homemade chocolate?¡±


    ¡°Have you ever done any?¡±


    A bit of an unnecessary question. Of course, I haven¡¯t. It did sound like it could be fun, however. And since it¡¯d be our first Valentine¡¯s Day together, it kinda fit that we¡¯d go that extra mile.


    Hold on... Does Sophie even cook?


    In all these months, I couldn¡¯t remember a single time that I saw her in the kitchen preparing anything other than a piece of toast or a bowl of cereal to eat. That wouldn¡¯t do. Call me old fashioned, but if she were to become my future stepmom, she¡¯d have to at least know the basics so that it wasn¡¯t always my dad doing the cooking.


    ¡°Pfft, you really are a mother,¡± Abby snickered.


    Ironic, isn¡¯t it? To have the daughter worry about that in the absence of his own mother? Anyway, I mean, I¡¯m sure dad wouldn¡¯t be too bothered by it¡ªand by that, I mean at all¡ª but still... And even if she didn¡¯t get together with dad, wasn¡¯t it a good skill to have as an adult?


    Not that I''d cook if I had the chance not to...


    ¡°Hehe, I¡¯m totally going to tell her that Papa Stan likes girls who cook.¡± Not even towards her sister did my dear Abby show any mercy. ¡°Hehe, it¡¯ll be fun to see her cook for the first time too.¡±

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 Chapter XVI (Also, the 3rd Volume is Out Now!)

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 Promise of a Future

    My hand limply dangled outside the bed after having failed to find Abby. It will never cease to amaze me how she can always find the energy to leave the bed early even after we spent so much time lovemaking or talking into the night. There had been none of the former, only the latter, but still, it was more impressive today than any other time because after we were done talking, we still spent a long time holding each other unable to sleep. The feeling of my hand dangling in and of itself was a somewhat pleasant feeling, so I didn¡¯t let her absences get me too down. I still would have preferred finding her by my side and pulling her in for some snuggling, but there¡¯s a simplistic pleasure of feeling lazy and letting a part of you being outside of bed. It¡¯s a kind of middle finger to the world, I suppose. ¡°Technically, I¡¯m already out of bed, so screw you¡±. Something like that. Yet again I say ¡°still¡±, because Abby¡¯s softness and tender presence was starting to be sorely missed as I became more and more aware of the discomfort brought by my cramps and memories of last night¡¯s shared words. I was feeling awfully emotional about it all too, my eyes feeling like they wanted to let out some tears. It hurt, but not that much, at least when compared to yesterday.


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 Vol. 5, Chapter 1

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 Vol.5 Chapter 2

    After coming back from the gym, I saw that Violet was making that sour face she does any time things don¡¯t go her way. The reason was clear, and there was only one to begin with. The weekend was coming, and we still hadn¡¯t told our friends about our engagement. Understandable, but far from desirable, so I decided I¡¯d be doing something about it after taking a quick shower.


    ¡°Babe?¡± I called out to her, using my sweet voice and leaning forward, knowing full well I was showing a lot through my¡ªher¡ªshirt neck hole, placing my hands on her knees as she sat on the couch. ¡°My dear, my honey, my one and only love?¡±


    After adjusting upwards the angle at which she was looking at me, she smiled with a chuckle, placing her hands on my waist where skin was exposed since I had tied the shirt at the front, and made me straddle her knees while asking what was up despite already knowing very well what I was going for.


    ¡°I missed you,¡± I told Violet, still very needy-sounding as I rested my head on her shoulder, Violet delighted in how clingy I was being. She was also getting frisky with her hands, but I wasn¡¯t going to let her go any further for now. Not while sis was still at home and we were in full view.


    I took her hands from my bum and held them with entangled fingers as I sat up and told her I needed her help with something before we went any further. As an extra tease, I also said that while bobbing up and down on her lap.


    ¡°...Oh... ok,¡± she said, sounding disappointed. She also got her hands free and began playing with the t-shirt knot as I wiggled again. ¡°Well, what is it that you need my help with?¡±


    When I left the gym, it coincided with the start of some class. It was one of those ¡°dances¡± that were more for making people move their bodies around in a way that was fun for them rather than a proper dance, which meant, they needed most of the space. That was fair, they did warn us with plenty of before-time, but the music they had playing was... I was going to describe it with my own words, but I¡¯ll use Violet¡¯s diplomatic speech and say ¡°not my cup of tea¡± instead. Even with my earphones on, I still could hear it, so I came back home earlier, and there was something I didn¡¯t do that I always did before that: stretching.


    ¡°Today was leg day, so...¡± I told her to conclude my report of what had happened.


    ¡°Erm, ok,¡± she said, not getting where I was getting at despite my very clear glances and tone.


    ¡°...It might get pretty sexy,¡± I told her with a third wiggle of my upper body.


    ¡°Ah!¡± she said, now clearly getting it. ¡°...Ah... hmm... I see...¡±


    I wonder what exactly she was seeing, with how flushed she was getting.


    We could have done it in the living room, but we decided to take this matter to the bedroom. We¡¯d go there afterwards anyway, so might as well relocate first things first.


    I laid with my back on the floor and lifted a leg, telling Violet to sit close to my hip and place my calf in her shoulder. You might think it¡¯s kinda suggestive¡ªin our case, it is, and that was part of the point. So did my sister when she walked in while Violet pushed my leg forward while I did my best to stay relaxed and not let the knee bend or hip to lift from the carpet. We hadn¡¯t closed the door, leaving it slightly ajar because we weren¡¯t doing anything ¡°bad,¡± but my sister thought otherwise.


    ¡°Oh, for the love of... Can¡¯t you two close the door if you¡¯re going to have se¡ª¡±


    ¡°N-No! We aren¡¯t doing any of that!¡± Violet cried out, turning even redder than she already was when we assumed this position. ¡°I¡¯m helping your sister stretch!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± I added, still on my back and with Violet still holding my leg against her body. ¡°See sis, for that, Violet needed to be sitting on me with legs intertwined with mine and¡ª¡±


    ¡°Ah-lalala! I don¡¯t want to hear it!¡± my sister cried out, closing her eyes and covering her ears, making it hard for me not to laugh out loud. ¡°I just got used to the idea of you two... doing it. Still, I don¡¯t need you to teach me how two girls go about it!¡±


    ¡°Hey sis, wanna see something impressive?¡± I said, suddenly remembering something.


    Sophie wasn¡¯t much interested in what I had to show her, but she still played along.


    The angle at which Violet had held my leg was the absolute most I could have it straight and towards my chest comfortably. For you to get an idea, sit straight and hold your arm outstretched and parallel to the ground. Now, raise it up to eyebrow height. That angle was about how far my legs could go before I started bending body parts to compensate for the movement.


    Violet however, as we were showing Sophie after we switched positions, was a whole different case.


    ¡°Can she do the split?¡± my sister asked, now curious after seeing us sandwiching her leg between us with Violet showing no signs of being uncomfortable by the exercise. We never tried it, but I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if we could push it behind her shoulder.


    We tried the split since now we were all curious about it. I helped Violet balance as she stood up with one leg forward and the other back, slowly getting lower and lower, until...


    ¡°Is everything ok?¡± I asked her once she sat on the floor, both legs flat on the carpet pointing in opposing directions.


    ¡°I can feel the muscles stretch, but only a little,¡± she told me, looking down and around as if trying to figure out how that was possible.


    I expressed my jealousy at her flexibility while Sophie said Violet would have been a great addition to a cheerleading group.


    ¡°Nah, that¡¯s for outgoing, popular people, and I¡¯m none of those,¡± Violet casually stated while still looking around. ¡°Erm, how am I supposed to stand up now?¡±


    It¡¯d be super cool if she could do like some dancers and reverse the split back to standing up, but that¡¯s far too difficult for her. Maybe I could since I squatted with a barbel equal to my body weight, but at that amplitude of motion? Oof, just thinking of that made my legs burn.


    I flipped Violet on her side while using my legs as breaks so she wouldn¡¯t¡ªand I can¡¯t say this without it sounding at least a bit bad¡ªclose her legs too fast. Stretching or returning to a rest position with sudden moves is a good way to tear a muscle.


    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m off,¡± my sister informed us as she waved. ¡°You two still have school tomorrow, so don¡¯t go to bed too late.¡±


    Oh, we wouldn¡¯t, that she could be certain of. Especially now that we had the house all to ourselves since dad was also away on a trip.


    I wished my sister a nice dinner date. I just wish I could have seen her expression because her thank you was a bit flustered.


    ¡°Have you talked with your dad?¡± I asked, remembering about him since he was sis¡¯ date.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Violet answered with only half her attention on me if even that. She was twisting her waist around while looking at her legs, probably wondering how stupidly flexible they were. ¡°I was agonising over when I should give him a call when he called instead. He sounded like the usual easy-going man that he is, so I guess he¡¯s doing all right.¡±


    With my dad out of town, it was Papa Stan who was mostly running things at the company. From grunt to the owner¡¯s and CEO¡¯s right-hand man, as well as best friend and future in-law. I bet he never saw that coming.


    ¡°Hey, are we done?¡± Violet asked, now being her who was sounding needy and tugging at the knot responsible for my whole belly being exposed.


    We weren¡¯t because sis interrupted while we had just begun, but... making her wait a bit longer when she was being this cute was just too mean.


    As we laid in a spooning position, lazing in bed until both our stomachs told us to get up and fill them with dinner, I was wondering about what Sophie had said. That thing about Violet having been a good addition to a cheerleading team. Actually, I¡¯m wrong about what I was wondering. It wasn¡¯t what sis said, but what Violet said.


    Violet was a bit wrong in her statement. She was popular, people just left her in peace. She was beautiful, and smart, and had those gorgeous legs that were the envy of most girls. That beauty of hers seemed cold and unapproachable due to her serious demeanour but turned very sweet and warm when around me, the contrast making many hearts skip a beat as people took notice of that, I¡¯m sure of it. It certainly made my heart squeal over her every time. That gap really was something rivalling an atom bomb in terms of destructive power. Violet not being aware of all this... I can¡¯t decide if that¡¯s a good or bad thing.


    Had she been outgoing though, my mind was that it¡¯d have been a bad thing. I was being very selfish as I thought that, but all the scenarios I came up with were ones we¡¯d never have met and ended up dating. Or maybe we would, but...


    Had Violet been outgoing, she¡¯d have had many guys approach her to ask her out. She might have had a few boyfriends before she even met me. She could also have had a few casual things. Even if she ended up dating me, I might not have been her first. She could even be dating somebody completely different right now.


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    Just like that, all the good things I have right now, they¡¯d be gone.


    ¡°You know,¡± Violet started, shifting her body slightly as she gave me a tiny squeeze and kissed me on the shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about what Sophie said about me, and... well, the kind of person I¡¯d have to be as opposed to what I am doesn¡¯t really matter. I still find it funny though, that even if we change my personality to suit that scenario, to my mind, we¡¯d still end up together.¡±


    ¡°...How so?¡± I asked, turning around and feeling my chest swelling with a fiery passion.


    ¡°Well... I don¡¯t quite know why,¡± she said as she combed my hair with her gentle and slightly cold fingers. ¡°It¡¯s just a feel... no, a certainty. I mean, you are the personification of my type.¡±


    ¡°You are aware that you¡¯d have plenty to choose from if that were the case, right?¡±


    ¡°Hmm... not really. I mean, I would have many people to pick from, but there aren¡¯t that many girls my age so short as you and that also are a mischievous little imp. At least I¡¯d like to think it had to be you, and you alone, who¡¯d become my partner.¡±


    My whole being was purring with those words and her lovely expression. Still wanting to hear more, I pressed on the matter further, asking if she thought she¡¯d resist the corruptive power of popularity and date the person, or persons, everyone would like to.


    ¡°I also would like to think that I wouldn¡¯t. At the very least, I¡¯d like to think that I wouldn¡¯t be giving away my body to people I wasn¡¯t really in love with.¡±


    ¡°Pfft, hehe. Well, I don¡¯t know about that version of Violet, but if she¡¯s at least a tenth of the romantic that you are, I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Pfft, fufu. Now you¡¯re just mocking me.¡±


    I was thinking that my stomach would have to wait a bit longer because the mood was just right, but our phones buzzing stopped us before we moved past kissing.


    ¡°Greetings and salutations, my platonic girlfriends!¡± Mathilda wrote as the opening to her texts chain. ¡°I message thee to offer an invitation for a moment of merry frolicking and amusement at our local pool this coming weekend! I await thy reply with most heartfelt anticipation!¡±


    Violet and I looked at each other after having read that and, before I could get anything out of my mouth, she told me not to say a word.


    I wasn¡¯t going to. I wasn¡¯t going to say that Mathilda was a good case study of someone who was popular and outgoing and that even so, was all happy the other day when she and Mathew kissed after he dropped her off after a date.


    Also, tomorrow was Friday, so why was she texting us when she could have just asked once we all met at school? What a nutcase of a friend we had.


    ¡°It will be so obvious when those two have had their first night together,¡± I said as we put our clothes back on to go eat something before going back to bed.


    ¡°You mean, like you every time we make love before going to school?¡± Violet asked a bit sarcastically.


    ¡°I-it¡¯s not just me!¡± I protested, my face starting to feel hot. ¡°Mathilda says it¡¯s both of us who look like we are glowing!¡±


    ¡°Oh? Would you say that my face looks all that much different from the norm?¡±


    ¡°Well... not really... it¡¯s a bit more relaxed and smiley, but...¡±


    ¡°Well, yours always has the biggest grin in the world.¡±


    ¡°It does not! Hmm! Mmh!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not complaining though,¡± she said in a low tone as she parted her lips from mine after a surprise kiss. ¡°You look so adorable when you¡¯re this happy.¡±


    ¡°...Gee, you really don¡¯t play fair,¡± I whined to myself, for the second time not caring about my growling stomach as Violet went ahead and left the room. I think she might have heard me because I seem to have heard her giggle in the corridor.


    ???


    I¡¯d have to redefine my seasonal preferences after today.


    Summer was still at the bottom. Sure, I had three months to be with Abby all day, but the heat made it hard to fully enjoy it.


    Autumn was great if it was slightly cold and not just a slightly less stuffy summer. Plus, the food of that season is one of Abby¡¯s favourites. It was also around that time that I started making my meat stew, Abby¡¯s still favourite dish. There are lots of emotions and memories attached to it, so I doubt it will ever become anything other than her first pick.


    Winter, it¡¯s cold in the morning and at the end of the day, meaning that being in bed with Abby is heaven on Earth, and we also have the holiday season to be together all the time. The days could get quite cold, but it was about fifty-fifty, the other half being quite temperate. I can¡¯t stand the cold, but between that and being hot, I¡¯ll always pick the former, especially if I have Abby to hold tight as a personal warmer.


    Spring though, that¡¯s what I was having trouble placing. Once again, Abby¡¯s influence was making me question my worldview. She hadn¡¯t been the one inviting me to the pool this Saturday, but if she wasn¡¯t part of my life, I wouldn¡¯t be sitting in the ring buoy with Abby in a cross-shaped manner, enjoying the¡ªwarm but still pleasant¡ªsun and slight breeze as my feet and hands were submerged in the cool water. Credit where it¡¯s due though, Mathilda had an amazing idea to plan this pool day, even more so when she said she thought of it so that I could be more comfortable when compared to during Summer. I¡¯ve had lost a considerable amount of tan in the past few months, much to Abby¡¯s laments. She loved kissing and running her finger over my tan lines, but as they faded, so did the frequency of her doing that. Today, I¡¯d get some of that tan back, and Abby would probably be all over me, wanting to play and tease me.


    While we sat in the tube, Mathilda had her head resting just enough above my knee to avoid the bone while most of her body was inside the water. I initially thought about telling her not to do that, but I wasn¡¯t bothered enough for that to win over how lazy I was feeling under such nice weather and the gratitude I was feeling towards the consideration she showed towards me. Just this once, I would allow someone to use my legs in a way that only Abby could. As long as Mathilda didn¡¯t stray far from my knee, at least.


    ¡°Maybe we should come during the Spring and completely forget about Summer,¡± Abby said as she splashed her feet on the water.


    It was less likely for me to be burnt to a crisp and the place was mostly empty, so that proposal had my approval.


    Proposal... proposal...


    I opened my eyes and scanned the place around us. The boys still weren¡¯t back from their ice cream run. It¡¯s been only a couple of minutes, but for those who wait, minutes might as well be an eternity.


    R.E.L.A.X. Abby wrote that on my chest with her wet finger, having noticed my anxiety with just a glance. I grabbed that same hand and pulled her closer, thinking that I¡¯d calm down if we were more in a snuggle. Mathilda raised her head as the buoy shifted unsteadily as Abby adjusted her position. Some water also dripped on Mathilda¡¯s head as Abby passed her feet over her, but she just laughed about that inconvenience.


    ¡°Is there room for another one?¡± she asked as she moved her head around, like she was studying how she¡¯d squeeze in.


    ¡°You can clearly see there isn¡¯t,¡± Abby told her. ¡°And don¡¯t you have a boyfriend for that?¡±


    ¡°But boys are stinky and sweaty!¡± she protested as she splashed water with her feet.


    ¡°Why date one then?¡±


    ¡°Haah, because I was born straight, unfortunately.¡±


    ¡°Gee, thanks,¡± Stephen said, crouching down by the poolside and placing a can of juice on top of his girlfriend¡¯s head. ¡°If it helps, I can always put on a dress, wig and high heels.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already thought of that, but it just wouldn¡¯t be the same,¡± Mathilda sighed, making a circus act of balancing the can crowning her. ¡°You¡¯re a handsome guy, but you¡¯d be a very weird-looking girl.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the beard, isn¡¯t it?¡± he asked, running his hand over a clean face. The only facial hair I ever saw on him was a bit of stubble he let grow out during the week-long Easter holidays until school resumed, and that was mostly on the upper lip. I had also already seen his dad a couple of times, and he didn¡¯t look like he had a full set of facial hair either. Maybe his dad grew the hair long to compensate? It certainly wasn¡¯t what I expected from a mechanic. I thought they tended to either shave their heads completely or wear it short like Stephen.


    Wait, why am I thinking about that now?


    We were all gathered, and most importantly, alone. There would hardly be a better time to tell them the news than now, but my stupid brain decided to start fixating on irrelevant things so it didn¡¯t have to think about how to tell them and deal with the stress that caused.


    ¡°Abby?¡± I called, sounding as calm as possible while giving her a distressed look.


    She returned my gaze, paused for a second, and then, cruelly, she smiled and gave me a thumbs-up. I called her name again, this time my distress also being expressed in my voice, but she only added part of her tongue sticking out to her pose.


    The other three saw all this and Mathilda needlessly hushed them because ¡°it¡¯s got to be something good for them to be acting this way.¡±


    ¡°Well, erm... the thing is... you see...¡±


    ¡°No way!¡± Mathilda gasped, making me think for a second she had already guessed what I was going to tell, saving me the trouble of spelling it out. You¡¯re expecting a baby! Mathilda shot out instead, sounding dead serious.


    ¡°How is that even supposed to happen!?¡± I shot back. ¡°No! Abby and I are getting married!¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡± Mathilda gasped with a clap. ¡°That was my third guess!¡±


    Not in a thousand years would I care to ask what the second guess was. I¡¯d probably hit her if I did.


    Their reaction was¡ªapart from Mathilda¡¯s¡ªtamer than what I had in mind. I was grateful for that, don¡¯t get me wrong, but... I was expecting a lot more cheer and questions other than ¡°congrats!¡± and ¡°when are you planning on getting married?¡± It was all a bit... not apathetic, but... tamed.


    ¡°We more or less were already expecting it,¡± Mathew told us. ¡°Mathilda already suspected something like that from the way you two have been acting. It¡¯s nice to see her correct for a change.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll smack you!¡± Mathilda threatened.


    ¡°Just try it,¡± Mathew snarked back. ¡°I won¡¯t hold back just because you¡¯re a girl.¡±


    While Stephen did his usual job of peacekeeping between the two cousins, Abby kissed my cheek.


    ¡°See? I told you to relax,¡± she snickered.


    Yeah, but having waited this long and fussing over it also helped, I argued back. Mathilda picked up on it and started making theories that she shared with the others, making the real event go a lot smoother and calmer than what I had imagined.


    We shared with them what we had already decided upon, once the cousins stopped bickering and tossing threats that they¡¯d never follow through. One of the things we told them about was the fact that Abby would later be adopting my last name, that getting their attention as they shared a silent look.


    ¡°You mean, like during the school year?¡± Mathilda asked.


    ¡°I suppose so, ¡°Abby answered. ¡°Marrying after Violet also turns eighteen is something we are strongly considering. Why do you ask?¡±


    The others exchanged another look amongst themselves before facing us again.


    Stephen asked me if I was ok with it. I frowned, not getting what he wanted to know that hadn¡¯t already been explained, but then, Mathew clarified his point. If Abby adopted my last name after we married and it was still during the school year, then, she¡¯d have to update her personal data in school.


    ¡°Aaron Sanderson,¡± I imagined one of our teachers calling during roll call. ¡°Abigail Gard... Abigail Evergreen?¡±


    Then, the teacher and everybody else in the classroom will stare at us, Abby blushing, giggling, and showing off the ring while telling everyone that we are now married while I twitch and foam from the mouth as I slump to the floor, overdosed in embarrassment. That was the future I appeared to have in front of me because...


    ¡°I refuse!¡± Abby shouted as she hugged my arm. I didn¡¯t even get to say that maybe she should wait a bit after the wedding to do that. ¡°We agreed that me getting your family name was my wedding gift too!¡±


    ¡°Oh my! You can¡¯t possibly walk away from it if that¡¯s the case,¡± Mathilda snickered, adding more fuel to the already messy fire.


    I had never agreed making that my wedding gift for her, but whether it is or isn¡¯t the case. Still, it was like Mathilda and Abby were saying, even though it hadn¡¯t been exactly how they were saying it had happened. I had agreed to it, and despite not liking it, walking back on my word was something I disliked even more, so... I now had about a year to get used to the idea of everyone seeing us as Mrs. and Mrs. Evergreen because Abby wouldn¡¯t budge, and I too was too stubborn to change my mind.

 Vol.5 Chapter 3

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    Abby sat across me, looking at me while I studied my school notes. And while she was paying me a lot of attention, my head was everywhere but there. Ultimately, it wasn¡¯t important because the finals were still far away, but I was already thinking about them. More to the point, I was thinking about the grades I¡¯d most likely get. Great grades all around but in one subject.

 Vol5. Chapter 4

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 Abby and Violet Vol.5 Chapter 7 - A Year From Now

    The mornings without her and that I didn¡¯t have to work were the worst ones to pass by. There simply weren¡¯t enough chores around our tiny apartment to keep me busy for long enough to not start to miss having her around. Fortunately, today, we had made plans for me to go to her campus so we could have lunch together. We¡¯d have about an hour and a half to be together before she had to go to her next class. It was a shame how that would be the most couple-ly thing we¡¯d do in the past two weeks.


    ¡°Haah, no point in complaining about that,¡± I said to the potato I was peeling.


    We knew things would be like this. We knew that University would be a lot more demanding in time, now more than ever since it was the end of the semester. Abby had completed all of her exams, but there were still assignments to deliver hogging up her time to spend with me, her wife. I had to give her teachers some credit, it was kinda genius in a way. The assignments were given at the start of the semester and were long and demanding, forcing the students to keep up with their studies while also providing the students with a parachute in case they messed up their exams. That¡¯s as far as I''m willing to compliment them because thanks to that, Abby and I haven¡¯t...


    ¡°Haah, come on Violet! It¡¯s just for another week! Then, you and Abby can go out... stay in bed in the morning for a bit longer... more than just snuggle together and kiss goodnight...¡±


    Spiritlessly, I tossed the chopped bits of potato into the pan. Hopefully, my bitter mood wouldn¡¯t give the stew a bad taste. It was, after all, Abby¡¯s favourite.


    I sighed again and looked at the time to know when to check back on the food.


    That was when I¡¯d typically sit on the couch and watch some telly, but... between that and pulling teeth, I¡¯d shrug. I already had it on to make some background noise, but even if I stared at it, I wouldn¡¯t retain a single thing going on. What I wanted was to take a shower. A hot shower. A type of shower that had been impossible the past week.


    ¡°Stupid old gas heater!¡± I hissed at the damned source of my current frustration as I moved to the front door to see who had rung the bell.


    ¡°Good morning!¡± the distorted man''s voice said through the old intercom. ¡°Is this the address of a lady called Violet Evergreen?¡±


    Despite the static, I still heard it clear enough to know it wasn¡¯t somebody I knew. That, and the fact he didn¡¯t know for sure it was my address. My friends and family had a text with it that Abby and I sent when we moved here for Abby¡¯s studies.


    ¡°Indeed, it is. Is it a delivery?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No ma¡¯am, I¡¯m here because you have a problem with the heater, if memory serves me.¡±


    Just the person I wanted to see if we don¡¯t count with Abby.


    I buzzed him in and opened the door to wait for him outside.


    Up the stairs, all the way to the fifth floor¡ªthis building had the elevator out of order again, apparently¡ªcame a middle-aged man, slightly rotund and clean-shaven. His cap had the logo of his company and under the overalls he wore a lumberjack¡¯s shirt with the sleeves rolled up over his elbows. He also carried a heavy-looking toolbox in his hand that rattled with its contents.


    ¡°Nothing like a bit of exercise to keep in shape,¡± he joked with a wide smile as he offered his empty hand for a shake. ¡°The overalls say Carl, but I¡¯m actually Jack. Carl is my dad.¡±


    I thanked him for coming and he apologised for only now being able to answer our call. To make some chit-chat as I guided him through the six steps it took to walk from the front door to the kitchen where the heater was, I asked him if they were seeing a lot of work.


    ¡°Oh yes! My dad and I run a small business, so we never get to sit on our hands this time of the year! I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll even have time for lunch today! You live alone here?¡±


    I was going to tell him that I shared the apartment with my wife but stopped when I heard him whistle. The heater we had at the apartment we rented apparently was old and, by his account, built like a tank.


    ¡°You said it doesn¡¯t heat the water? I bet my good overalls in how it¡¯s just soot build-up.¡±


    I wondered if that was how he ended up wearing his dad¡¯s overalls.


    ¡°Do you think it¡¯ll take long?¡±


    ¡°Not at all!¡± he told me with a cheer that was starting to feel slightly off-putting to me. I was aware that I was particularly cranky, so I didn¡¯t pay much mind to that feeling. ¡°Ah! Just like I thought!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Now was a good time to leave, right? Question was, to where?


    There was no wall separating the kitchen from the entrance or living room, and going to the bedroom or bathroom would also be a bit rude. Why did I even think about leaving in the first place?


    Still bad at dealing with people, huh?


    Being a housewife while also working part-time as a librarian also didn¡¯t help much. Silence there, silence at home, the only interaction I had with people was the odd person asking if we had a book in inventory and where it was, plus, the cashiers at the supermarket. I enjoyed the piece that brought, but it could sometimes feel a bit lonely, and when I had to entertain people for some reason or another, well, you can see how it¡¯d go.


    ¡°Sorry, I think I interrupted you back there. You were saying?¡±


    ¡°Yes, erm, I live here with my wife.¡±


    ¡°Already married? You look no older than my daughter.¡±


    Unsure how to respond, I staggered a ¡°we had our plans for the future kinda figured out¡± that probably didn¡¯t sound too convincing.


    ¡°Is your wife at work?¡±


    ¡°In class. At the university.¡±


    He looked at me very excited, asking in what year and class she was, adding that Abby and his daughter might be classmates. Turns out, they weren¡¯t, but I knew someone who might be.


    The talk then shifted to be about us. What I did, where we came from, how we were adapting to living in a new town.


    ¡°I sometimes worry, and I¡¯m sure your parents do too. I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to sleep for a whole month if my daughter moved away to another town.¡±


    Yeah, my poor dad probably suffered the same, although the house wasn¡¯t left empty when I left. That silly worrywart would call me twice each week despite me calling him once every week, mostly on the weekends. He got better though, it used to be almost every day. I think Sophie told him to stop with so many phone calls, and I was yet to confirm that and thank her if that were the case.


    ¡°All right miss, all done!¡± he told me after we adjusted the strength of the flame. Now that it was clean, as it was previously set, you¡¯d easily scald yourself.


    ¡°How much do I owe you?¡±


    ¡°Oh no! I couldn¡¯t possibly charge a young couple that don¡¯t have full-time jobs and one being a student for something so measly as just a bit of spraying and scrubbing!¡±


    And while I was grateful for his kindness, I also couldn¡¯t let him go without giving him some sort of compensation for his time, so, after some negotiating, I managed to convince him to take some leftovers. The nice scent coming from what I was cooking was what convinced him. His words, not mine.


    ¡°Haah, finally!¡± I said after he left, and I checked if I could go for a shower before turning off the stove. To be clear, I wasn¡¯t saying this because he left, not fully anyway, but because I could finally treat myself to a hot shower.


    The winter wind had a way of getting under the skirt of my dress, not lifting it to a point that I¡¯d be showing anything meant only for Abby, but enough to give me a chill. Choosing to come dressed cutely over being warm wasn¡¯t the wisest idea, I''ll admit, but I was still committed to it. Still, maybe I could have put on an extra pair of tights.


    Getting to her campus was a hassle, mostly because of how chaotic this town was compared to our hometown. People were always in a rush, and some barely made any effort not to bump into me. If I tried to be positive, then I could say that at least the air quality was a bit better now than when Abby made the same commute.


    I hoped Abby would get a job in a small town. Big towns are nice because they have pretty much everything and in such amounts that everything was available at a stone¡¯s throw away, but I found it a bit exhausting.


    ¡°I thought it was you,¡± a familiar voice came from the side as I wandered around campus, trying to find my way based on the directions Abby had given me.


    ¡°Hi, Vanessa.¡±


    ¡°Hi. Looking for Abby?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Can you point me to where classroom A334 is?¡±


    ¡°I have to attend a class now, but I can lead you to a map so you can check it.¡±


    That was just as good for me.


    I thought about asking her if she knew the daughter of the man who repaired my heater but gave up on that. Although we talked... normally, we still were just acquaintances. Barely. On good terms, but not friends. Polite to each other.


    ...I give up.


    Trying to describe our relationship is too much of a bother. The map she led me to on the other hand...


    ¡°Why couldn¡¯t they have made it like this back in our high school?¡± I thought out loud as I looked at it.


    ¡°Anyway, I have to go. Erm, see ya around, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Ah! Yeah, erm, thanks for the help.¡±


    Like I said, we were weird with one another. Abby says that we could all have been friends if we had a better start, but... I¡¯m not so sure.


    So... the letter indicates the side of the building and the first number the floor...


    If I were pettier, I¡¯d snap a photo and send it to my old school with the message ¡°See? This is how it¡¯s done!¡±


    Jokes aside, I now knew where to go. Up two sets of stairs and to the front side of the building.


    ...They are looking...


    Two, erm... boys... men... guys, I¡¯ll go with guys, were staring at me up and down as they walked past me. I clearly saw them in the reflexion of the glass pane that protected the map. Maybe I put too much effort into my looks before leaving. Thankfully, they looked and nodded to each other in approval, but didn¡¯t follow through with some pick-up line. That already happened once or twice while at the supermarket, one of those with me and Abby holding hands. I don¡¯t think that¡¯d ever happen back in our old place.


    Before making my way to her classroom, I used the reflexion to fix the damage the wind cause, tidying up my hair. I didn¡¯t want her classmates thinking that she was married to some a slob.


    ¡°Is this it?¡± I thought as I made the mistake of peeking inside the amphitheatre-style classroom I had been looking for.


    Abby was there, sitting on the third row. She looked bored out of her gourd, but that was only until she noticed me, which was a split second after I leaned in. Once she did, she lightened up like a Christmas tree and started waving without a single thought about where she was.


    ¡°S-sorry to disturb your class,¡± I said to the confused teacher that stared at me as I waved back to Abby. He assured me it was fine while starting to smile and then asked if I was a friend of hers.


    ¡°Hehe, that¡¯s my wife!¡± Abby said as she clapped her hands on the table and bobbed side to side on the bench. ¡°We are having lunch together after this!¡±


    ¡°Oh! So, you two are married?¡± the teacher asked, now smiling in amusement.


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    The teacher nicely invited me in, and Abby gave me no choice of refusal by scooting over and telling me to go sit with her with handwaves and a wide, radiant smile.


    Once I sat on the unpadded wooden seat, she pushed her notes out of habit to the middle of us so that I too could read them if I wanted.


    The teacher carried on with his class and, before ending it and sending everybody for lunch, he¡¯d like to see if anyone could answer the question he was writing on the whiteboard.


    Oh! I know that! Abby was studying this last night!¡±


    Frustratingly, nobody was raising their hands, and it was driving me crazy.


    ¡°Honey,¡± I hushed to Abby.


    ¡°Fine, since you asked,¡± she snickered before raising her hand. That smile was giving me a bad feeling. ¡°Can my wife answer?¡±


    ¡°A-Abby!?¡± I gasped at the betrayal.


    ¡°Sure! If she wants to, I¡¯m willing to hear her answer.¡±


    With everyone¡¯s attention and Abby¡¯s expectations resting on my shoulders, I had to answer. For months I had been happy about being free from school with just the occasional school nightmare, but there I was, back in a classroom and having to answer a quiz.


    Differently from some of the dreams, my answer was correct, earning some scrutiny from the teacher as to whether I had studied his subject before.


    It was something we always did after dinner. We¡¯d sit on the couch, Abby either leaning against me, lying across with her stomach on my legs, lying on the couch with her head on my lap while I rubbed her full stomach, or sitting between my legs while I hugged her, and she¡¯d study her notes and the PDFs her teachers provided as material. Most of the time, I¡¯d be watching over her shoulder, curious to see what she was being taught. It also made it so that I didn¡¯t have to ask her about it at the end of a long day of classes.


    Some girls at the back went ¡°aww¡± when hearing Abby talk about that small part of our routine. Not sharing our embarrassing seating bits, of course. She knew I¡¯d be very embarrassed and would sulk for a long while if she did.


    ¡°I can¡¯t exactly slack off if my wife is also studying despite not needing to, right?¡±


    ¡°You hear that class? Get yourself a wife like this,¡± the teacher joked right as the bell rang, marking the end of that class.


    Some of Abby¡¯s classmates asked if I was going to join them at the cafeteria as we made our way out of the room, but she explained that we¡¯d be eating together somewhere else, me nodding in the background.


    Before leaving us, they said it was nice having met me. Without knowing how to properly answer, I thanked them for their words and for hanging out with Abby while on campus.


    Some more people came, some to say that we made a cute couple, others to offer their congratulations on our almost two-year marriage. It was a solid ten minutes before we could finally talk with each other without interruptions.


    ¡°As popular as always,¡± I tell her once we reach outside, the cold air feeling refreshing on my flushed face.


    ¡°Hehe, jelly?¡± she asked as she hugged my arm. ¡±Also, look who¡¯s talking! You¡¯ve just been here for little more than ten minutes, and everyone is already all lovestruck by you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re exaggerating!¡±


    ¡°Am not!¡± she whined. ¡°Boys having been looking at you as we walk and my heart went all squealy and melty when I saw you at the door!¡± she tells me while rubbing her face on me, like a cat marking its territory.


    ¡°Well... that sounds like a ¡®you¡¯ problem to me,¡± I bashfully joked as I pinched her cheek. ¡°Anyway, where are we eating?¡±


    She excitedly said she knew just the spot as she pulled my arm.


    She led me across the campus, all the way to the huge multi-store sports hall her university had. And when I say huge, I mean it!


    By what Abby told me, and I was about to confirm with my eyes, the place had two Olympic-sized pools and a multipurpose room on the ground floor, courts for tennis and badminton on the covered roof, a soccer field at the second, three basketball fields on the third and a track on the fourth.


    ¡°Abby, are we supposed to be here?¡± I asked when I saw her unlock a door to the roof.


    ¡°Do not worry, my dear! As this week¡¯s field manager, I¡¯m allowed to walk freely around the place. On a more serious note, as long as we don¡¯t break anything nor leave trash behind, it¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°...Are you sure?¡±


    She pushed the door open with her rear while goading me to follow her with a smile filled to the brim with mischief that I couldn¡¯t resist following.


    Despite being on the roof, the place was well guarded against the wind by a wall of glass or transparent plastic that connected to the tarp cover that shielded the roof from rain while also letting in the sun. Now that it was winter, it worked as some sort of greenhouse, keeping the air reasonably warm and pleasant, at least when compared to the outside.


    ¡°Violet, here!¡± she urged me, ignoring the fact that she was again hugging my arm as she led me around.


    She guided us to sit under the benches, facing the campus grounds while our backs were turned to where we came from.


    As I prepared our food and utensils, I felt her small hand caress my thighs.


    Laughing, I told her she could do that once we had eaten. I brought enough food for her to gorge herself and be rendered completely dormant until it was time for her to go to another class, a lap pillow being in order as she recovered.


    ¡°You really dolled yourself up today,¡± she told me as she leaned to kiss my face as I handed her share. ¡°I think I fell in love all over again when I saw you.¡±


    ¡°Fufu, thanks, honey. What juice will you have?¡±


    ¡°What? No wine?¡± she whined.


    ¡°We are at school and you¡¯re a lightweight.¡±


    ¡°And so are you,¡± she grumbled with a pout.


    True, but while she only needed a glass of wine to get all giggly and flushed, I needed two. It still wasn¡¯t all that much, but it was still double than her amount.


    Her pout only lasted until she stuffed her mouth with a large portion of her favourite dish, meat stew, letting out a squealy moan as she bobbed side to side with gleeful satisfaction.


    ¡°It gets better every time!¡± she cheered after swallowing and preparing an equally large mouthful.


    ¡°Fufu, glad to hear that!¡±


    It had been a while since we last ate lunch together on a weekday. It had been a bit longer since we had a date like this during the week too. Becoming an adult had some downsides, this being undeniably one.


    ¡°All done!¡±


    ¡°Already?¡±


    ¡°Yup! It was that good!¡± she cheered. ¡°Can I play with your legs now?¡±


    As long as she kept that acceptable for all ages. Before that though, I had to wipe her mouth with a napkin because she missed a spot. Then, a kiss, because she lingered while angled towards me with half-closed eyes and a naughty smile. And another longer one because I felt like it.


    ¡°Mmh, hehe! I know what I¡¯ll be having for dessert.¡±


    She¡¯d have to wait a bit because I wasn¡¯t done eating yet. Not a problem at all because that allowed her to use my lap as a pillow, rubbing her face and running her hands about, solely lamenting that I was wearing tights instead of having my legs bare. She even asked if she could take them out, but I gave her a resounding no. I knew very well how things went when one of us started taking off articles of clothing of the other.


    ¡°I know a nice closet,¡± she said, rolling on her back.


    ¡°I¡¯m not making love in a broom closet,¡± I huffed as I placed my empty food box back in my bag.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a broom closet, it¡¯s a big storage one! Come on! It''ll be fun!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be... promiscuous.¡±


    ¡°Humph. Says the girl who took my virginity in her backyard without confessing first. And who made love with me in the woods on a full moon. And that¡ª¡±


    ¡°Ok! Ok! Stop bringing up embarrassing stuff.¡±


    She laughed and raised her body to start pecking my lips, telling me not to get mad at her because she was only joking.


    I knew that, and she knew it too, so I hugged her and pulled her down and to the side so we could at least make out for a bit.


    When our hearts felt fulfilled, I got on my back while Abby snuggled against me, and I pulled one of her legs over and between mine to help me stay a bit warmer.


    ¡°I¡¯m so full,¡± she moaned after letting out a muffled burp.


    That was my cue to move a hand to her tummy and start rubbing, Abby adjusting her position for me to hit the right spot. Some time later, she appeared to be soundly asleep, and so, I shut my eyes to join her in her nap.


    ¡°Seriously now,¡± she said with a low sigh, not having been as asleep as I thought she was. ¡°I do know a nice storage closet if you¡¯re in the mood. It¡¯s got mattresses we use for gym activities that are whipped clean and disinfected after each use.¡±


    ¡°I already told you, I¡¯m not making love in a closet, no matter how nice it is. Still... sounds more comfortable than staying on this floor, so let¡¯s go there anyway.¡±


    Abby got up snickering while poking jokes at my tendency for going after comfort whenever I could and offered her hand to help me get up.


    We made it all the way back to the ground floor to the multipurpose space that was there, and she unlocked the door of the storage closet. The air was surprisingly dust-free and warm while the space itself was filled to its maximum capacity. It was very likely that they had to take some stuff out to be able to grab what they needed from the back on some days.


    ¡°Come here, sexy lady!¡± Abby called, slapping the piled mattresses she sat on.


    ¡°It really is nice, as far as storage closets go,¡± I told her half-absentmindedly as I sat by her.


    ¡°...In the mood now?¡± she asked, moving the farthest leg over mine and tugging at my collar.


    It was hard not to after a meal, making out with her and now being alone in a relatively comfortable room with her. And as I realised that, I also realised something.


    ¡°Are you?¡± I asked her to confirm my suspicions.


    ¡°I mean... it¡¯s been a week, hasn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Two, actually.¡±


    ¡°Two already? I¡¯m sorry Violet. I didn¡¯t mean to neglect you like that.¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t say sorry. I understand that¡ªhuh!? Abby, what are you doing!?¡±


    Without any sort of warning, she hopped on my lap, straddling me and pulling my coat all the way down to my wrists, effectively locking my hands behind my back. I tried telling her to stop, but with how forceful she was being as she kissed and nibbled my neck and collarbone, I only managed to let out a moany whimper.


    ¡°Won¡¯t you please make love to me?¡± she asked with a pleading voice and eyes, making me bite my lip as I found it impossible to say no.


    ¡°We really need to learn self-retrain,¡± I said as I stared towards the ceiling at the hanging shorts I had stripped away from Abby, now that some clarity of mind possessed me.


    ¡°I refuse,¡± Abby protested while nibbling and kissing the hand of the arm I had around her shoulders. ¡°Spontaneous moments like these are some of the best moments we ever have.¡±


    I found it hard to argue with her, but also, there were her shorts hanging above my head on a ceiling lamp.


    I told her that, for starters, we should put the clothes we took off back on. Abby disagreed with that too, moving to sit on top of me and whining that she wanted to do it again. Seeing me grow reticent, she even bobbed up and down to try and persuade me.


    I sat up and placed an arm around her waist, my beloved wife assuming that was me relenting. Abby got to work, kissing and fondling my chest while I reached into my bag and pulled out my phone. After checking the time, I told her she¡¯d be late if we went for a second round, but she wasn¡¯t persuaded to stop, saying it¡¯d be fine since she only had to deliver the next class''s assignment by email at the end of the week and attendance wasn¡¯t part of the overall evaluation.


    It was fine then, that part of my issue with going for seconds. It was the smaller part of my issue though, the biggest one being that what we did and were doing was illegal and grounds for her to be expelled and us, at the very least, fined.


    ¡°Babe, I locked the door and checked the schedule. Nobody will be coming here until next week when everyone is free from school stuff.¡±


    ¡°I knew it! You¡¯ve planned all this,¡± I hummed, finally setting my other arm around her neck.


    She stuck her tongue out with an impish look about her. She let her tongue linger too long out and I managed to grab it between my index and thumb, giving Abby a chew toy until I kissed her french style since it was still out when our lips met, and I had decided to go ahead with her¡ªand my¡ªurges.


    ¡°Can I be topsies?¡± she asked in a low, sweet tone.


    I kissed her again and tumbled back while pulling her along, Abby letting out a low ¡°yay¡± with a huge smile.


    For all my talk of being adults now, we were still showing no signs of growing up regarding that side of us. But honestly, I think that was for the better. Well, maybe not when it resulted in us breaking the law, but it¡¯s been only this time and the rest of the time was comfortably within the legality of things, so yeah, I think so.


    After another two rounds and a twenty-minute nap, we finally felt ready to leave. As she put my tights back on, kissing my legs as she moved up, I told her about our heater having been fixed and how I ended up paying for it.


    ¡°Let¡¯s have a warm bath together tonight then,¡± Abby told me as she got up and wrapped her arms around my waist. ¡°Maybe continue what we¡¯ve been doing here?¡±


    I asked if she¡¯d be ok doing a break like that when she was still so busy, but she was adamant that it¡¯d be fine and that she needed to relax a bit so she could better survive the rest of the week.


    ¡°Plus, I need to compensate for having neglected my dear wifey for so long,¡± she said as a finish before giving me a sweet kiss.


    I tried telling her she didn¡¯t need to do any of that, but every time I opened my mouth, she¡¯d tip-toe and silence me with a kiss.


    ¡°Thanks, honey,¡± I sighed in defeat, getting a big kiss as a reward.


    To spare her from stretching so much, I lowered my head and pulled her up by her bum, the latter reminding me of the exchange we did as another of her requests when we started dressing.


    ¡°What?¡± she asked, her eyes glistening with love and curiosity as hearts practically hovered over her head.


    I told her that it was nothing and hurried her to get to class,.


    She called me a party-pooper and combed her hair, something on her now exposed neck catching my eye.


    ¡°Honey, wait! Don¡¯t leave with your hair like that,¡± I told her as I pulled her hair back to the original position.


    ¡°...A hickey?¡± she asked, a wry smile forming on her face.


    ¡°...Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Hmm... You really were pent up, huh? Being careless like that,¡± she teased, taking a cruel pleasure in my shame. ¡°Sit down, will you?¡±


    I had a guess about what her plan was, that being confirmed when she straddled me again and combed my hair out of the way. Right under my ear was where she bit and suck.


    ¡°Hehe, now we are even. Erm, babe?¡±


    Don¡¯t push her down! Don¡¯t push her down! Don¡¯t push her down!


    Seeing what was going on my mind, she got up and backed away without breaking eye contact, like I was some sort of animal about to attack her. I mean... I was, but still...


    ¡°I¡¯ll go grab the disinfectant for the mattress, you can stay there and cool down in the meantime,¡± she said, peeking through the door.


    ¡°...Thanks.¡±


    When I got back home, I went to the bathroom to remove my make-up and have a talk with my reflexion.


    ¡°Honestly, what are you, some sort of rabbits?¡± I asked.


    I swore to myself that it¡¯d never happen again. It wasn¡¯t likely anyway. It happened because Abby was put in charge of filed management that week. How likely would it be that it¡¯d happen again? Still... it had been... fun.


    Humph... naughty little imp... planning that kind of stunt knowing I can¡¯t resist her cuteness...


    A big part of the reason why I fell, and still was, completely and utterly in love with her, but boy, was she a handful.


    I tossed the dress into the washer because of me having lied down on a floor and might have also caught some dust from the floor of the storage closet when Abby took it out and tossed it over her shoulder. Then, out of the bathroom and into the bedroom I went to change into something homier. As I pulled down my tights to change into my PJ, I saw that mascot chick and was struck with another wave of loneliness and there were no house chores for me to keep myself busy until I had to prepare our dinner. The apartment was so quiet that an unsettling buzz was heard in my ears as I stared down. Looking up wasn¡¯t any better because in front of the bed was our full-body mirror, and I was seeing the mismatched bra and bottoms through it. I got so lonely that the pitiful image of seeing me with my thighs still around my knees because I simply lost the energy to completely remove them as I limply stared to my knickers wasn¡¯t enough for me snap out of the slump and get moving again.


    That started two summers ago because Abby would get lonely when alone at home after we had a moment of passion and I had to go to work. Funny how the roles reversed. She once explained to me that wearing mine after me made her feel less lonely when we were apart, even more than a simple shirt or something else. I kinda agreed with that, but not when I saw them. Then, I¡¯d really miss her. I really loved my wife too much.


    ¡°Come to think of it... I don¡¯t think I told Abby that I love her today...¡±


    Not in a verbal manner anyway, and that was easily remedied. It was also just what my heart was needed as a fix for my Abby-lackness. A text would also let her know that I made it back home safe, so it was a no-brainer before I slumped in our bed and tried to nap the time away.


    Later that day, after she came back, while we soaked in the bathtub and we had almost completely drunk the bottle of wine Abby got on her way back, I was told by a rowdy, chirpy and undoubtedly loveable creature that I had texted her in the middle of class. Seeing my unexpected text telling her that I had made home safe, had enjoyed our lunch together and that I loved her and couldn¡¯t wait for her to get home to my arms gave Abby a giggling fit in front of everyone that she then had a hard time explaining.


    That certainly explained why she only answered back a while later and with ¡°Gee, you xp¡±.

 Vol. 5, chapter 8

W


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    At last, I was back home. I hadn''t been away that long, but that''s how it felt like anyway.

 Vol.5 Chapter 9

Why do I always put myself in weird situations? How was I even supposed to focus on work like this? Abby had the widest smile when I left home, but still... what were we doing?


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

 Vol.5 Chapter 10 - The Camping Trip

    It took its time to arrive, but we were finally having our camping trip with our friends. Out of the two of us, I was the only one with anything remotely close to a true camping experience while Violet only knew what she had read and saw in the occasional movie or TV show.


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    Boys are curious things. At least, my friends are.


    Everyone in our little group looked a bit tired apart from me and Violet. I personally felt very invigorated after making love until it was past midnight and having Violet once again show her unwavering support and understanding. And speaking of my love, I was wondering if her vigour was coming from me having whispered into her ear that I was in the mood of making love to her that morning, thinking that she was still asleep. The sad groan she let out as she asked me why I was telling her that when we couldn¡¯t act upon it was priceless.

 Vol.5 Chapter 11

    It¡¯s been over a week, and I still had the same worry hanging over my mind, and today, I¡¯d be talking about it with someone I felt like could shed some more light over it.


    Walking in her study, I saw why I hadn¡¯t seen Jacob in the dining room. I felt a bit bad interrupting what looked like flirting between the two, but I was supposed to come drink tea with Mrs. Fletcher before going home. I still tried to excuse myself, but the old lady insisted for me to sit with them for a bit, and told me that old folk liked having younger people around.


    ¡°How¡¯s Abby doing?¡± she asked as she serviced some butter cookies for me to have with the tea. ¡°Still lovingly pestering you all day?¡±


    I glanced at Jacob, wondering if he¡¯d be interested in hearing me talk about my love life with another girl.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to hear too,¡± he said with his movie-star smile. ¡°I¡¯m curious to know how two girls date. I never had a chance to talk about it with someone in your peculiar position.¡±


    ¡°We date exactly like any other couple... I think. At least, we do the same stuff Mathilda and her boyfriend do,¡± I explained while considering if I should postpone my talk with her or not.


    Since I had interrupted their moment, I wouldn¡¯t feel right if I asked him to give us some privacy, so I was just about to give up on that when Mrs. Fletcher asked if something was bothering me.


    I considered it a bit longer before deciding to go on with it. I wouldn¡¯t be sharing much personal information in front of Jacob, that being the deciding factor.


    ¡°Last week, we went camping with our friends,¡± I started.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve been told about it. Mathilda said she had lots of fun.¡±


    ¡°...Did she also tell you about us having ran into Abby¡¯s mum?¡±


    She said that according to her memory, it had been more like she had run into us. Pedantics aside, I told her that a woman was with her and that Abby believed she wanted her mum to apologise for the way she treated Abby.


    ¡°Hmm, yes... I also think Josephine¡¯s aiming for that too.¡±


    ¡°You know her!?¡±


    ¡°Just barely. I know she was very close to Elena when they were about your age, but suddenly, they grew apart. I also know that Elena¡¯s divorce was what spurred her to come back.¡±


    ¡°...To what end?¡±


    ¡°Guilt perhaps?¡± Mrs. Fletcher suggested with a shrug. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask her when we talked, and she didn¡¯t tell me either. Are you afraid that she¡¯ll unwittingly bring more suffering towards Abby?¡±


    That was precisely it, and I had my doubts that she didn¡¯t know her reasons. She must have had an inkling at least.


    I had no hopes that Elena could change for the better. Even if she did, who could be sure that she¡¯d not have a relapse and say or do something terrible to Abby, opening old wounds and creating new ones?


    I was clenching the fabric of my pants when two wrinkly hands came to rest on them. One from Jacob, the other from Mrs. Fletcher. And while Jacob offered a sympathetic smile, Mrs. Fletcher¡¯s seemed to be based on knowledge.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Violet,¡± she told me. ¡°I have in good authority that Josephine will be able to help Elena regain the kindness she once had. And besides that, Abby now has you, Willima and your dad, Sophie and your friends. But most importantly, she¡¯s got you, doesn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°...Yeah... I just hope it won¡¯t become necessary.¡±


    She smiled warmly and tapped gently my hand.


    She told me to finish up my tea and to hurry going back to Abby so I could take my mind off things I couldn¡¯t control.


    ¡°At least that¡¯s the impression I got from what I heard from Mathilda and have been seeing from you,¡± she said, smirking as she brought her cup to her mouth for a sip.


    Even though the future was still uncertain, I was feeling a little bit better about it. I was feeling like I could finally move past it anyway. Mrs. Fletcher had a way of knowing things she shouldn¡¯t be able to, so, I¡¯d put some faith in her words of assurance.


    ???


    I had fallen back asleep, because when I realised that Violet was back, she had already stripped down to her panties¡ªme having missed the strip show¡ªand was lying on my back, tightly embracing me as she smooched my face.


    ¡°Hi there,¡± she hummed to my ear.


    ¡°Hey! That¡¯s my line!¡± I joked as I moved my hands over hers.


    We both laughed before I asked how she was feeling and how was work.


    I was happy to hear that she was feeling well. Despite having cramps, they felt more like muscle twitches than painful. The worst she had gotten since she woke up registering at only a three in a scale of one to ten.


    ¡°Want me to give your tummy a rub anyway?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Only if I can give yours one too,¡± she said, moving a hand down under my bellybutton. ¡°I¡¯m feeling particularly sweet today.¡±


    Hehe. Sweet as honey?¡± I asked as I turned to be belly-side up while she slid so only half of her covered me, her hand starting to caress my stomach.


    As for work, she told me there had been less guests today, so Violet had managed to come home a bit earlier.


    I gave her nose a small lick. ¡°Nope, even sweeter than honey,¡± I joked before she started kissing me. It felt like she was back to her usual self, judging by the way she was kissing me.


    I was letting out another happy moan as her tongue came to play with mine when one of our phones started ringing.


    We both clicked our tongues, both out of frustration for having our moment interrupted while I mostly did it to mimic her as a joke.


    As she picked the phone, I slid down to kiss her belly.


    ¡°Yes?¡± she said, not really hiding her annoyance towards the caller. ¡°A bit, yeah, Abby and I were just about to have breakfast together... Hmm? Really? A car? Huh... When...? In an hour would be ok...? Ok then, we¡¯ll be there.¡±


    Violet was looking intrigued, and so was I as a result. For her to be like that after having been so annoyed, it had to be good.


    So, apparently, Stephen had finished working on his project car and wanted to show us the result of two years of work.


    ¡°What kind of car?¡± I asked, sitting by Violet and joining her in getting ready. Dibs on your shirt! I quickly added, seeing Violet looking at her white work shirt with the eyes of someone thinking about putting it in the washer.


    ¡°Dunno,¡± she told me as she handed me her shirt that I quickly put on and turned to face her, waiting for Violet to catch the hint that I wanted her buttoning it up for me. ¡°Pfft, fufu! Fine.¡±


    ¡°I bet it¡¯s an old muscle car!¡± I said, making sure Violet¡¯s bra had been put on correctly. That was my ready excused anyway. Having my hands still while that excited and with her close by was impossible. It was always fun to fondle her too.


    When she finished buttoning me up, her hands slid down to my chest. I thought she was going to fondle me too, but her hands sat still. Looking at her face, it looked like she was thinking about stuff.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    ¡°Do you think we should get a driver''s license?¡± she asked, finally starting to caress me too.


    ¡°Do you think that I can even look over the dashboard while also reaching the pedals?¡± I asked back, partly joking, but mostly serious.


    After some thinking, she pulled me closer to fondle my butt and changed the question to her being the only one of us to get one if I wasn¡¯t tall enough.


    I tip-toed with Violet giving me a boost up and pulled her head down for a big kiss before saying she shouldn¡¯t worry about that until we were settled once I started university. If she was going to be a housewife, she¡¯d have time to focus on that when not doing chores or working part-time.


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right,¡± she hummed. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it then.


    ¡°Hehe, good, good. No point in stressing that n¡ªHmm! Mmh! Ah! Hmm! Ah-haha sto¡ªHmm!¡±


    Violet laughed as she kissed and tickled me. When satisfied, she told me that we needed to hurry up. She said that, but Violet was still tickling me and holding a lovely sadistic smile as I pretended trying to get myself free.


    The rest of the gang was waiting for us by the entrance to Stephen¡¯s workshop. Well, his dad¡¯s. Anyway, he was looking pretty cool with his jumpsuit on. He looked like the real deal.


    ¡°I am the real deal,¡± he said, sounding slightly offended by my comment. ¡°I can take apart and engine and put back together while blindfolded faster than you can go through the ABC.¡±


    ¡°Oh, quit it!¡± Mathilda urged, grabbing his arm as she hopped in place with a wide smile. ¡°I¡¯m dying to see what you did!¡±


    I asked if she really had no idea what car it was and how it looked. She answered me that he had kept it a secret from everyone but his father. Any time she or Mathew came by, he¡¯d cover it with thick covers to hide it.


    As Mathilda told us that, I heard Violet mumble to herself something. Once I had the opportunity, I asked what was up.


    She was finding the workshop very neat and clean.


    Truth be told, it was. I didn¡¯t know what to expected in terms of cleanliness, but the tools and stuff were either stored away or carefully tucked to a side.


    ¡°A tidy workshop is an efficient workshop,¡± Stephen said, having heard our whispers. ¡°And if the floor is clean, it¡¯s less likely that someone slips and falls. Not really ideal when you¡¯re handling big hunks of metal around.¡±


    I kept it to myself, but I thought that, had Violet not turned to like girls, Stephen would have been a good partner for her after all. A relaxed guy, but hardworking and neat. Of course, that¡¯d mean Mathilda would have to move on to someone else. Jokingly, I thought that in that universe, that someone could have turned to be me, with how much jokes she did about being our third member in our relationship.


    Somehow... I don¡¯t think things would work out.


    ¡°What¡¯s up with you?¡± Violet asked as she watched me hugging her arm and rub my face on her.


    ¡°I¡¯m very thankful for having been born in this world.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Erm, yeah, me too, but... really, what¡¯s up with you?¡±


    I¡¯d explain it to her later, right now, it was the car reveal.


    Stephen didn¡¯t waste time with speeches and such before yanking away the sheet covering the car we were gathered to see.


    I was spot on, it was a muscle car painted a candy red, slightly glossy and with chrome accents and wheels. The seats where covered in brown leather and were spacious enough for us all to fit inside.


    That was the plan, right after he started the engine.


    Mathew described it best, it sounded angry and mean, hungry to go far and fast.


    ¡°It¡¯s a V-eight after all!¡± Stephen shouted over the car roar.


    Only Mathew knew what it meant, and it sounded awesome to him.


    As for the ride...


    ¡°Should we really do that?¡± Violet asked, always the voice of reason. ¡°None of us have a driving license, right?¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on! Live a little!¡± Mathilda said, excitedly taking her seat by Stephen. ¡°He¡¯s been driving since he was twelve, so don¡¯t worry!¡±


    Violet wanted to argue that but gave up and simply shook her head.


    Mathilda urged us again to hop on in, but the rest of us three exchanged a look, silently agreeing on something.


    ¡°How about you two go for a ride alone?¡± Mathew said.


    ¡°Yeah, as his girlfriend, Mathilda should have the first ride,¡± I added.


    ¡°Exactly. Just make sure the rest of us don¡¯t run the risk of getting preggo when seating inside,¡± Mathew added, ruining the moment a bit with his crass joke.


    A crass joke that gave me an idea for the future.


    When the two drove out of the garage, I told Violet that she should really consider getting a license.


    She looked at me once, and saw right through me because she turned a bit red as she had the same thought I had a moment ago.


    Although... since we lived together, making love in the car after a date and before going home was a bit redundant, wasn¡¯t it?


    Well, when Violet gets in the mood, it¡¯s hard to say no, so...


    Judging by the way she had tilted her head and shrugged afterwards, she had that same thought too.


    ¡°You girls think he¡¯ll let me drive?¡± Mathew asked, interrupting our silent conversation.


    ¡°You know how to drive too?¡±


    ¡°In racing games, yes.¡±


    Then, that¡¯d likely be a solid no.


    Regardless of that, me and him still asked if we could try just sitting on the driver''s seat.


    Mathew was all right there, but I could either look over the dash or reach the pedals while barely seeing what was ahead.


    ¡°Hold on, I can fix that,¡± Mathilda said, offering me a hand to leave the car. She made Violet take the seat and then sat me on her lap. ¡°There! Now you can reach the pedals and still see the road!¡±


    I also felt like a little kid on her mother¡¯s lap while pretending to be driving.


    Violet on the other hand was back to thoughts that were adult-rated. I could tell by the way she was hugging my waist and the sound of her heartbeat.


    ¡°You could even drive around like that and take turns without needing to stop,¡± Mathilda said, holding her face. ¡°Although you¡¯d have to eventually stop to fill up the tank and empty the rest.¡±


    ¡°And stretch the legs,¡± Violet added.


    ¡°You want to have even longer legs?¡± Mathilda joked.


    We stepped out and were replaced by the other couple. Stephen explained to Mathilda what each pedal did and how to use the shift, and very flirtatiously, I might add. They were looking very cute too, especially when Mathilda giggled because Stephen''s breath tickled her ear.


    ¡°I was going to ask you to teach me too, but if that¡¯s how you do it, I think I¡¯ll skip.¡±


    ¡°Come on, don¡¯t be like that!¡± Stephen told his friend with a sweet voice as he grabbed his hand very affectionately. ¡°You know you¡¯re going to love it too.¡±


    ¡°Only if I can run you over afterwards.¡±


    ¡°For you, anything,¡± Stephen said, starting to crack a laugh as he blew his friend a kiss. ¡°You can always run me¡ªpfft!¡±


    He had reached his limit and started laughing out loud while Mathilda scooted over to her seat as she said for us to get in and go on the group ride before she started writing fiction of those two being a couple.


    That was another universe I was curious if it existed or not, and how it was if it did.


    ???


    A car from the eighties and music of the appropriate era. Talk about a trip in time, right?


    We also stopped to grab some pizza that we ate at the small picnic area just by the trail we walked up when we went camping. There, we had a conversation I was remembering when I woke up from the nap I took after we got home.


    Abby was still fast asleep and drooling all over my underwear, so I patted her hair as I waited, for her to also wake up. I wondered what she was dreaming about this time while sleeping between my legs, hugging one and resting her head on my hip.


    ¡°Hi there,¡± she giggled when she woke up. ¡°Pfft, hehe! Sorry, my drool makes it look like you peed yourself.¡±


    It sure did, and it was a bit uncomfortable, but Abby only drooled that much when she was having a good sleep. As such, I didn¡¯t mind it and asked what her dreams had been about.


    ¡°With how close my face was to your unmentionables, you¡¯d think they were about naughty stuff,¡± she said, still starring at my groin. ¡°Technically, it was, but It was mostly about us going on a date and have fun though.¡±


    That checked out. I had seen no usual signs of Abby having naughty dreams, so I believed her.


    And Abby on the other hand saw that I was worrying about something, and knew exactly what it was, making me rest my head on her lap after I changed underwear so she¡¯d stop staring at it and speak out my worries.


    During lunch, Mathilda announced that she¡¯d start uploading videos about movies as a V-tuber and that she¡¯d like to do that professionally.


    Stephen then said that he decided he wanted to customise cars besides simply fixing and that his father liked the idea.


    Mathew had been watching videos about game making and got particularly interested in level design and was considering pursuing that.


    Abby still had her mind fixed on becoming a PE teacher.


    I was feeling a bit down because they all had those aspirations while I seemed to be taking the path of least resistance.


    ¡°...Once we start living together in our own place, I won¡¯t have to worry about coking when I get home, cleaning up the house, doing the laundry, take out the trash, make sure everything is paid when the time comes, calling someone when something breaks, and more importantly, I¡¯ll have someone who loves and missed me waiting. One day, we¡¯ll also have a child that will need support and attention, and you¡¯ll be the one who can spend the most time with them. Thanks to you, I¡¯ll have all the time of the world to concentrate in my studies, job, and know that my kid is in safe hands. I don¡¯t think all that is easy at all. Ands you¡¯ll be working part-time too, right?¡±


    ¡°I know, but...¡±


    ¡°...But? What? It isn¡¯t as... glamorous or something?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t it, but it felt close enough for me to agree at first before I realised what bothered me.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t it sometimes feel like working is what¡¯s expected of girls nowadays? Like, if you don¡¯t work, you¡¯re a parasite to society or plain lazy? We are both girls too, so¡ª¡±


    ¡°Who cares what others think?¡± she chuckled. ¡°I should be the only person whose opinion you should worry about, and I honestly think that you¡¯re the most hardworking person I know of, and I also know how hard it can be to manage a household. The only reason you take any breaks is because of me after all.¡±


    She was right again, and I managed to smile, my mind feeling a lot more at ease.


    I sat up and hugged her head against my chest before collapsing us to the side.


    ¡°I love you so much,¡± I told her as I nuzzled her hair. ¡°What would be of me if it weren¡¯t for you?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯d manage,¡± she said, pushing her head up so we¡¯d be face-to-face. ¡°You¡¯d be a lot more miserable, but you¡¯d manage.¡±


    ¡°...Pfft, fufu. ¡®A lot more miserable?¡¯¡± I quoted. ¡°Honey, I¡¯m not miserable, only happy, and it¡¯s all thanks to you.¡±


    She joked that I still tended to let thoughts weigh me down into a bad mood, but that lead me to further prove my point. Any time I started to feel bogged down, she¡¯d make me talk it out and find a way to take the weigh away.


    ¡°¡¯Happy wife, happy marriage¡¯¡± she quoted before giving me a kiss. ¡°And you make me plenty happy too. Ah! I still intend to help around the house when I¡¯m home, just so you know. I made it sound like I wouldn¡¯t just now.¡±


    ¡°Fufu, I know. I cook, you eat. I clean, and you dirty. I¡ª¡±


    That not it at all!¡± she cried out with a laugh.


    Yeah, as long as we were both willing to put in the effort, nothing could take us down.


    Not her mum, not my silly worries about things outside my control.


    As long as we talked about things and came up agreeing at the end, then, we¡¯d manage and stay happy and together.

 Vol.5 Chapter 12

    It took longer than what it was supposed, but the wait was worth it. The house looked brand new with its new coat of paint and roofing, making it pop from the rest of the houses in the street.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    Abby lazily and pleasantly stretched her body over mine, me taking the chance to run my fingertips over her bare skin, from her hips over her sides, armpits and all the way to her hands, entangling fingers with her before crossing our arms over her chest, Abby giggling and smooching my cheekbone all the time I was doing that.

 Vol.5 chapter 13

    The cursed alarm. The blasted alarm. For once, I shared that feeling with Violet on a day that didn¡¯t mean she¡¯d be going to work. No, my annoyance was due to only having slept about three hours. Between the excitement of going to pick up our rings and us overindulging in our love showmanship, that was what I managed to sleep.


    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    I woke up to a pitch-black world where the only two things that existed were Abby and I, her breathing tickling my chest as we laid in a strange bed. I felt completely awake physically and mentally, and yet, I still felt like I was in a dream.

 Vol. 5 Chapter 14 — A look Into Thirteen Years From Now

    With the death of my grandfather, we, the inheritors, decided to sell their house and land. It was a two-hour drive from the closest supermarket, and the terrain was too vast for anyone to simply use it as a holiday home, so that was for the best.


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

 Vol.5 Chapter 15 — Broken Sanctuary

    The summer was at an end, and it had been three years since the last time we visited, so my dad decided to take me and Sophie to my grandparent¡¯s. It took me a little bit of asking and persuading, but I managed to convince him and Violet to take her with us. In part, I wanted to introduce them to my wife, and on the other hand, it wasn¡¯t really a family trip if she wasn¡¯t going too. It¡¯d be nice to have Papa Stan tagging along too, but someone had to stay behind and hold the fort.


    This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.

 Vol. 5 Chapter 16 — First Day of the Last Year

    My dear wife was being difficult getting out of the bed, despite the fact that we went to bed early with no marital action since it was that time of the month and were only waking up an hour earlier than we were during the holidays.


    ¡°Come on, get up! Sophie said she¡¯d make breakfast for us, remember?¡± I said as I got off the bed.


    She sat up with both hands over her stomach, blinking blankly and grumbled about it being rude to make her wait and let the food get cold.


    Seeing and hearing her like that, I asked if she was ok.


    She grumbled again, saying that today the pain was at a three, but she was feeling bloated and her breasts itched. She clearly wasn¡¯t in a particularly good mood and feeling self-conscious of her body too, but who could blame her? Personally, I was feeling a tad bloated too, and unfortunately, there wasn¡¯t much I could do to help her, at least physically, and even then, I didn¡¯t have the time for that.


    Even if she was reluctant and arguing that we could just skip, I had to get her to go to school otherwise sis would chew us off for an hour.


    As a further incentive to get her out of the bed, I took three steps away from the bed and turned to face her with outstretched arms.


    ¡°Come here,¡± I called sweetly. ¡°Wifey wants huggies and kissies!¡±


    The look she gave me made me worry that perhaps it had been a bad idea to tease her like that right off the gate and when she was in a bit of a bad mood.


    That came to be an unfair assessment, Violet simply held my face to give me a kiss that felt a bit too short, but the hug I got was extra nice as a compensation.


    ¡°You smell so nice,¡± I hummed as I carefully kissed and rubbed my cheek on her chest.


    ¡°Pfft, fufu. Haven¡¯t heard that in a while.¡±


    She gave me another squeeze before letting me go and kissed the top of my head. To finish things off, I gave her bum a playful slap when she turned around.


    She fought the urge to turn around and tickle me until there was a puddle at my feet and took out our school uniforms from the closet while making playful threats that I was a tad sad she didn¡¯t act upon.


    She wasn¡¯t sure about this year¡¯s tie being a golden yellow, and I thought it¡¯d look better on her the blue one from last year.


    ¡°Well, this one sure does look better on you,¡± she told me as she touched the knot on my tie as an excuse to get close. ¡°It goes great with your skin tone and hair.¡±


    ¡°Hehe, oh my, how loving my Violet is,¡± I laughed, tip-toing with my arms around her neck, Violet giving me a boost by holding me by the rear again, us exchanging a couple of quick pecks. ¡°I missed seeing you in a miniskirt.¡±


    ¡°What about the shorts I wore during summer?¡±


    ¡°They are nice too, but I can¡¯t do this to see your panties,¡± I said, flipping her skirt up. ¡°At least until you start wearing tights again.¡±


    She laughed at my harassment as she made me lower my hands and let go her skirt. She commented that I saw them at least twice every day, that I could still see them through the tights fabric and that I was awfully peppy for someone who was going back to school.


    To the first point, seeing her underwear was my privilege as her wife and always appreciated a peek.


    To the second, that was also super nice, but seeing some bare skin was special too.


    To the third, why wouldn¡¯t I? It was our last year in high school, our friends were in the same class as we were, and since we now only had eight subjects, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays, we only had classes until lunch.


    ¡°Haah, and to think we had twelve last year,¡± Violet sighed as we joined Sophie and Stan at the dining table.


    To make it clearer, we aren¡¯t counting PE in the twelve of last year even though we were including it in the eight of this year, so we technically had seven now. That makes it even better, doesn¡¯t it? It was almost half the stuff.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go slacking off because of that,¡± Sophie told us firmly. ¡°I get that it¡¯s nice to have more free time to go on dates and such, but this year is the most important of all.¡±


    ¡°Gee sis, how about having some faith in us?¡± I said while rolling my eyes. ¡°And didn¡¯t you say something similar last year?¡±


    I should have stayed quiet because she went into a lecture.


    First year was important because we¡¯d be building a foundation. Second year was important because we¡¯d fortify said foundation. The third year was when we picked what we wanted to focus on and with it, make the final preparations to end our obligatory schooling and enter the adult world, either as a worker or as a student of a higher education.


    Luckily, Papa Stan chipped in, saying that they shouldn¡¯t worry because we knew what we wanted and what we needed to do to reach that goal in life.


    ¡°Well, true, but they do tend to get lost into their little world. That¡¯s what gets me worried sometimes.¡±


    ¡°Love you too, sis,¡± I chuckled, using those words as a jab but also as a show of my appreciation for her worry over us.


    My sister made a funny face at me in response while Stan chuckled at our exchange while making a comment that it was always amusing to him the way we bickered every morning.


    Looking at Violet to see if she was done eating, she wordlessly grabbed my face with a gentle hand and rubbed her napkin on the corner of my mouth, whipping away a bit of butter I had missed cleaning.


    ¡°Violet, don¡¯t treat my sister like a baby.¡±


    ¡°But sis, I¡¯m her babe!¡± I whine to annoy her further as I offered a hand for Violet to hold as she got up. A great success that was in both fronts, my sister grumbling under her breath while my love entangled her fingers with mine.


    Before leaving though, we gave our murderous beast plenty of head pats and rubs as he seemingly didn¡¯t want to let us leave as Oliver kept entangling himself around our legs despite Violet telling him not to as he¡¯d leave fur all over our socks.


    ¡°Come here, you silly cat!¡± Sophie sighed as she picked him up, Oliver immediately kneading her chest as he purred with a happy face. ¡°And you two, off you go! Scram! Bugger off!¡±


    We would... after rubbing his fluffy cheeks for a few seconds more.


    Just as we were arriving at the bus stop while talking about how extra-fluffy Oliver has gotten, we got a text from Mathilda. That text was followed by a call from a number we didn¡¯t know but knew who it belonged to since we had just been warned about it.


    Ms. Prescot wanted to talk with us, so our friend had given her our numbers, and since it was a conversation to be had between us three, I pulled my earphones from my bag and gave my wife one of the earplugs for her to be able to listen without me putting the call in loudspeaker mode.


    ¡°Did you miss us that much?¡± I asked as soon as we were done with the greetings.


    ¡°You really shouldn¡¯t be asking that to a teacher.¡±


    Despite her scolding voice, I could hear a certain trembling in her voice of someone holding back a chuckle. I recently learned that a word for that is ¡°tsundere¡± thanks to an animated movie we watched with Mathilda during summer break. I still had no idea what the equivalent was for someone lovey-dovey like Violet, and hopefully I¡¯d remember to search for it after we were done with the call.


    ¡°I was checking the students list and noticed that you two now share the last name. I¡¯m calling to ask what you want to do about it.¡±


    ¡°What we want to do about it?¡± Violet asked.


    ¡°Yes, more precisely, if you want to announce your marriage to class, keep quiet about it, or if I should just use Abby¡¯s old last name. Normally, I¡¯d prefer to leave you to discuss it, but... class will start in a bit, and I¡¯d like to address the issue pronto.¡±


    Violet and I shared a brief look before we said the same thing: we¡¯d keep quiet about it, but we¡¯d still use my current last name.


    ¡°I see. I understand, but what if someone¡¯s parents raise some concerns about it?¡±


    We¡¯d just deal with it if that was the case.


    We weren¡¯t doing anything wrong, and despite us sometimes getting buddy-buddy at school, it was never with kissing¡ªeven the ¡°normal¡± kind of kissing¡ªnor would we grope each other.


    Aside from our matching chokers¡ªand now rings, the only way to know that we were a couple and not very close friends was by asking or taking note on how our eyes sometimes lingering when gazing one another.


    Personally, at most, they might find it weird that we were already married at such a young age, but kicking a fuss about it? I didn¡¯t think so.


    Still, I pre-emptively apologised for any bothers that might come to our dear teacher¡¯s way before we ended the call.


    ¡°Should I put on some music?¡± I asked afterwards.


    ¡°Hmm... sure, why not? One that goes well with the day and bus ride, please.¡±


    ¡°So... no grindcore?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°A subgenre of heavy metal,¡± I told her as I picked a nice song. ¡°It¡¯s even more violent and heavy than regular metal.¡±


    ¡°Do you even hear that?¡± she asked, sounding like she was already expecting for me to say that I did.


    ¡°It¡¯s a mood,¡± I told her sweetly as I pressed play. ¡°Not today¡¯s mood though, so relax.¡±


    ¡°The things I still discover about my wife,¡± she grumbled under her breath.


    I too would find new things about her every now and then. Like, recently, I found a single mole on her body and was dying for the right opportunity to report that find to her, but not its whereabouts. It¡¯ll be a good show seeing Violet twist and contort as she looks for the mole that was somewhere her eyes couldn¡¯t reach.


    ¡°Looking good!¡± Mathilda cheered as a greeting. ¡°Bit of a shame that I can¡¯t see your bras under she shirt, but oh well.¡±


    It was hard to believe that it took them two years to reach the conclusion that forcing the students to come to school with blazers and cardigans on during summer was a stupid idea, but finally, we were allowed to come to school with a simple short-sleeved button-up shirt. We already wore a different tie depending on our school year, so the reason why they forced us to wear coloured cardigans before is anyone¡¯s guess.


    Then again, it¡¯s the same people who still haven¡¯t fixed the numbering of the classrooms. Maybe next year, when it¡¯s no longer relevant to any of us, they¡¯d finally fix that.


    About Mathilda¡¯s comment, that was because Violet got us some skin-tone undershirts when she saw that the new summer shirts were very slightly see-through and would only get worse with our sweat. She had also skipped putting on a bra today due to how sensitive her chest was feeling, so she wouldn¡¯t be seeing that bit of underwear today, but something a lot more private in a similar fashion to what we were seeing of Mathilda. I had thought the undershirts as unnecessary, but seeing Violet¡¯s state today, plus Mathilda and other girls who either didn¡¯t care or hadn¡¯t thought about it made me appreciate the overthinking mind of my other half. The fabric itself was very breathable, so it really was paying off.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    Mathilda was clearly unaware of how much she was showing, because there was no way she¡¯d be wearing that under her shirt if she did.


    ¡°Yours is kinda showing though...¡± Violet informed our friend as we sat behind her.


    ¡°No way!¡± she gasped as she crossed her arms over her chest. ¡°What colour!?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Red and a bit see-through,¡± I said since Violet wasn¡¯t willing to stare.


    I couldn¡¯t see anything really, but I could tell the fabric was very thin, but that didn¡¯t matter to our distressed friend. Mathilda looked like she was about to start crying, mumbling something about other people having seen what she was wearing for her date with Stephen after school. Not wanting to sound like I¡¯m prude or anything, but she called this upon herself. If she wanted to put on a sexy underwear for her sexy time with Stephen, she could have just invited him over and put it on in the bathroom while he waited in the bedroom. That¡¯d certainly make the reveal even better for him since he¡¯d be there, waiting and building anticipation.


    ¡°Erm... I got an extra undershirt in my bag if you¡ª¡±


    ¡°Please, let me borrow it!¡± Mathilda begged as she clasped Violet¡¯s hand.


    Such an innocent girl for someone who wears that kind of underwear and makes so many dirty jokes. All the funnier it is when stuff like this happens.


    The boys came up next, asking what was up with her, Mathilda having almost tackled her cousin as he was walking in the lead as they came up to the door.


    Violet told them she was fixing her uniform, that being a very unfulfilling explanation to the boys since they clearly saw her close to tears, but it was one that I¡¯d have given myself. For all the teasing she did to us, it¡¯d still be a jerk move telling them that her bra was showing.


    Now, when it¡¯d come to us girls in private... that¡¯d be fair game to me.


    ¡°Had to try fix for ugliness?¡±


    ¡°Shut up! I really am not in the mood right now for your stupidity,¡± Mathilda barked after giving her boyfriend a kiss on the cheek and clinging to him, looking for some comfort and assurance. ¡°And who cares if you think I¡¯m ugly? Stephen thinks and says that I¡¯m very pretty a lot of times.¡±


    ¡°They do say that love makes people blind,¡± Mathew joked with a twisted smile.


    ¡°Stephen, Mathew is bullying me!¡± she cried out as she hugged her boyfriend¡¯s arm.


    Stephen was being bullied too right now, but he didn¡¯t get to say anything about it because Ms. Prescot walked in the room and immediately told everyone to pipe down and take a seat.


    She too had ditched the blazer and had opted for a white t-shirt and chinos.


    Out of curiosity, I sneaked a look at Mathew. Just as I had thought, his eyes were fixed on her in a way that was rare to see from him towards anything that wasn¡¯t a videogame.


    The smart-casual look fit her better, and her clothes did elevate her nice features, so I couldn¡¯t blame him for staring. And come to think of it, she¡¯ll have his preferred age once he finishes university and starts working.


    Hmm? Might he have a crush over her?


    I¡¯d mess with him later about it, right now, it was time to answer roll call.


    When my name came up, I noticed some heads perk up and glances towards us. They had dropped the idea of changing the students around depending on our academic performance when moving from second to third grade, leaving that exclusively for the first to second, so this class was the exact same as last year.


    Everyone mostly sat at their old places out of habit, meaning that we sat again in the back, and they weren¡¯t glancing at anyone else when their names came up, so I wasn¡¯t just being self-conscious. Those same people made it all the more obvious when it was Violet¡¯s turn.


    Then came the whispering and through the window went us not wanting to make a big deal out of it.


    ¡°Girls, if you would,¡± Ms. Prescot said, not sounding happy about the fuss forming in her classroom and having guessed right.


    ¡°Guys, I know it¡¯s going to be shocking, but please, we don¡¯t want to make a big deal out of it,¡± I said as a preface. ¡°The truth is, well, as some of you might have guessed, Violet and I got married during summer.¡±


    Some people cheered, others kept whispering amongst themselves, but they were all making quite the fuss and it took some time for Ms. Prescot to gain control of the room.


    ¡°Since they don¡¯t want to make a big deal out of it, let¡¯s us all respect that, shall we?¡± she told to the class once we all got quiet enough. ¡°So, on behalf of all of us, congratulations on your marriage.¡±


    A female classmate raised a hand, wanting to make a question. That was if they couldn¡¯t throw a class party to commemorate.


    ¡°Sorry, but... we really would prefer if everyone could carry on, business as usual,¡± Violet told her, looking as straight as possible to our classmate.


    ¡°Yeah, we appreciate the thought behind it, but it¡¯s like Violet said,¡± I added. ¡°We won¡¯t stop you or get mad if any of you want to congratulate us or ask questions, but if you could act like nothing like this happened, we¡¯d appreciate that too.¡±


    That more or less settled it, but after were dismissed, there was still a small crowd of mostly girls flocking to us with questions and best wishes.


    The questions summed up to: when we got married? Did we wear wedding dresses? Was there a big wedding cake? Did we get presents? What kind of presents? Did we go somewhere on our honeymoon? Were there pictures we could show?


    It felt like they were fishing ideas for their own weddings, honestly.


    On our way outside, Violet slowed down before completely stopping. An announcement about the school library looking for people to join its committee was posted on a board in the hallway and had caught her attention.


    I asked her if she was interested, but she played coy about it until I told her that she should go for it.


    ¡°I know you were also interested last year,¡± I also told her.


    ¡°Are you sure? I might have to stay in school after we are done with classes.¡±


    That¡¯d suck, but it could also serve as practice for our future life next year. A way for us to not go completely cold turkey in one go.


    ¡°Well, we do have some... tricks, up our sleeves and if one of us is feeling particularly needy, I¡¯m sure no one will object me joining you at the desk, hmm?¡± I added to strengthen my points as I hugged her arm.


    ¡°True. Hmm... all right, I think I¡¯ll toss my name into the hat before we head home...¡±


    She stopped talking because she noticed that one of our classmates was standing close by. This time, it was Jessica.


    ¡°Just thought I¡¯d congratulate you on your marriage,¡± she awkwardly said before taking her leave and not staying long enough for as to express our thanks.


    Violet wondered if that could even count as a congratulation, but as awkward as things were between us three, I made my case that it did.


    No point in sweating about the details, we had dawdled long enough and had to catch up with our friends who hadn¡¯t noticed us being left behind.


    There were too many people around us in the corridors, the air was heavy with heat and students sweat, so when we got out, my wifey looked like she just had had it with being around other humans.


    The way she dropped on the bench our friends chose as our roost showed me just how fed up she was.


    ¡°Haah... can we go home now?¡± Violet groaned, sitting in a very unlady-like manner.


    There was nothing more I wanted to do than take her back home into our bedroom, take her clothes off, massage her belly, shoulders, back and feet and then pamper her with caresses, kisses and sweet words, then, we¡¯d snuggle and read our books with lots of skin contact between us. However, sis wasn''t working today, and it¡¯d be a gamble to go to either of our places as she could be in any of the two.


    ¡°Babe, someone that isn¡¯t me might see your panties if you sit like that,¡± I told her as I sat right next to her.


    ¡°I was counting on you sitting between them,¡± she told me as she tugged me by the skirt.


    I know she gets more vulnerable with her period, but this felt different. Had she perhaps gotten a bit clingier with the wedding, or was it just her social battery running low and needing me to comfort her? Today was as hot as it could be, even under the shade like we were, so it was a bit odd of her to ask me that.


    Anyway, if I fit, I sit.


    ¡°Speaking of home, I have news to share,¡± Mathilda said after a delighted chuckle as she watched me take my rightful sitting spot.


    She looked sombre all of a sudden, making me worry after having thought that maybe she and Stephen had decided to move in together after graduating from high school.


    In the end, it was exactly that, but with a cruel twist: Mathilda¡¯s parents wanted her out of the house at most a week after she turned eighteen, or she¡¯d have to start paying rent.


    What she decided to do was move in with Claire for the remainder of the school year, and eventually move in with Stephen once both were done with high school.


    Her channel was growing well, she was expecting to start making some money out of it in a few months, and Stephen was already getting paid for his work at his dad¡¯s shop.


    As Stephen moved an arm over her and pulled her close, she asked if we could help her move some of her stuff into a warehouse she and Stephen would rent sometime after the New Year.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...Of course we¡¯ll help. Right, honey? Honey?¡±


    ¡°Right. Yeah, of course we will help with that.¡±


    ¡°...Abby?¡±


    I assured her that it was nothing, I just got a bit lost in thoughts. Namely, I was thinking about my mother.


    For some reason, this talk got me wondering how she was doing lately. Had she in fact gotten tamer? Could we have a proper conversation?


    My old place was practically around the corner, just a few minutes walking and I was at the front door.


    Stop it! Stop it with these stupid thoughts!


    What would we even talk about? The weather? Why was I having these thoughts again? It¡¯s been months now since we crossed paths and since then, these would pop up every now and then. Ever since I met her again, they¡¯ve been invading my mind more frequently than before, and they¡¯d now linger too, no matter how much I tried to dismiss it.


    ¡°Babe, I told you, I¡¯m fine,¡± I said, letting out a short giggle as Violet hugged my waist a bit more tightly, her breath tickling my ear due to her leaning face to better see mine. ¡°It was just an intrusive thought I had.¡±


    Our friends asked if we needed a minute, but I told then it wasn¡¯t needed before even consulting with Violet.


    Her slightly pouty face told me she wasn¡¯t convinced nor happy about what I said to them, but for now, it¡¯d have to do.


    Even so...


    I shouldn¡¯t leave her in the dark for much longer...


    It wasn¡¯t fair for her to see me being eaten from the inside by something while I continually acted dismissive. Especially when I took into account the fact that even Violet would more promptly tell me what bothered her pretty much anytime something started weighting her mind.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Hmm... ok.¡±


    The tone of her voice and the way she moved her ring hand over mine... she somehow understood what was going on in my mind and saw that I was thinking about telling her once we got home just by a brief moment of eye contact.


    It had been long enough that I kept it to myself...


    ???


    I could understand why she¡¯d think about it sometimes, but I couldn¡¯t agree with it. I was thankful she told me about it before doing anything, but... What should I do now?


    As her wife, I wanted what was best for her, but I also wanted to respect and support her choices. This was putting that to the test.


    ¡°Are you mad about it?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡±


    ¡°You are mad about it.¡±


    ¡°Abby, don¡¯t start it, Or I¡¯ll be mad after all,¡± I told her, trying to sound as unconfrontational as possible. ¡°I¡¯m thinking about what you just told me. Now, come here.¡±


    I spread open my arms and Abby dove into them after fighting the urge to take the plunge, hiding her face in my chest and taking a big, long breath, my scent probably helping her calm down.


    ¡°...You¡¯re not mad at all,¡± she said after placing an ear over my heart, her nose as close to my armpit as she could without stopping to be able to hear my heartbeat. She still sounded a bit weepy after all, but my dear wife was a bit of a cry-baby at the end of the day.


    ¡°I told you so,¡± I assured her, crossing my legs around her while burying my fingers in her fluffy hair and watching her nose twitch like a rabbit¡¯s.


    She never said she wanted to go talk to her mother. It was just a thought. It was kinda like when you¡¯re bored and think about holding your hand over a lit candle to see how long you can endure it. You know perfectly well you might get burned, but there¡¯s still that thing in your mind tugging you towards doing it. It was the same thing only with different emotions attached.


    That was how I was seeing it and what my mind always ended up on. However, what I wanted to think was what we should do about it.


    One thing¡¯s for sure, I won¡¯t blatantly start telling her what to do or not to do.


    As much as a part of me screamed for me to do exactly that in this case, I vehemently refused to proceed in that way. It wasn¡¯t my nature, and even if it was, it felt like a dangerous path to get into. It felt like it¡¯d lead me into an abusive position towards my one and true love.


    ¡°...You know I love you, right?¡±  I said with an offered smile.


    ¡°...I hope so,¡± she shyly whined as she saw my loving smile. ¡°Otherwise, it¡¯d be very awkward for us to have married make and love so often.¡±


    ¡°Fufu, it really would.¡±


    She proceeded to undue my tie and unbutton some of the top buttons of my shirt. My undershirt was in the way, so I removed my top for her. Not having fabric over my breasts felt super relieving and she got to kiss my exposed chest where it wouldn¡¯t tickle and distract me of my thoughts. In fact, I was now feeling more focused on what was going on in my mind.


    ¡°You can think about it for as long as you want, you know?¡± she told me as time went by.


    Thing is, we didn¡¯t have all that much time, did we?


    We had school to busy ourselves with, I¡¯d be joining the library committee, and then, we¡¯d spend part of the summer to move into a new place, and now, probably help Mathilda and Stephen do the same. After that, who knew when we¡¯d be back to our hometown and for how long?


    Of course, I didn¡¯t tell her about that. Like I¡¯d put even more pressure on her when she was already stressing about it as is.


    ¡°Abby, look at me,¡± I asked her as I placed a hand on her face.


    She looked up, her eyes glistening and showing a bit of worry about what I was about to tell her.


    It was a very brief and straight to the point thing: if she ever decided to go meet her mother, for whatever reason she might have at the time, I had to go too, no matter what. That was my sole condition on the matter.


    ¡°You¡¯d do that for me?¡± she asked, her eyes starting to swell with tears.


    ¡°Am I not your wife?¡± I asked, trying to lighten the mood.


    ¡°...You¡¯re an angel too,¡± she choked as she hid her face on my chest again.


    This conclusion of affairs pleased me¡ªpleased us, and with it having been the first day of classes there was no homework, so I tumbled back and pulled her along. Really, I¡¯d have done that regardless. I didn¡¯t care about getting my skirt and her uniform wrinkled too, and we laid in bed while not making a single noise or exchange of words as we took in the sound of the other¡¯s breathing and Abby of my heartbeat too.


    The fact Abby still thought about her mother and considered talking to her told me that she still had wounds in her heart, despite of how happy she is now. If talking with her would help Abby heal said wounds, then... it¡¯s a big if, but I thought it¡¯d be worth it if it¡¯d help her happiness becoming as whole as possible.


    Maybe in time she¡¯d forget about it. Or maybe it¡¯d get worse.


    With Abby taking off her top too and removing our skirts before laying on top of me again, not sobbing and occasionally rubbing her face on me or kissing my chest, I felt like I had chosen correctly, allowing me to appreciate the peace and quiet around us.


    Then, once we had both returned to our normal state, Abby pulled out her phone and typed something on it. After some time reading, she set it aside and kissed my chest again before sitting on me and starting to massage me bellow my bellybutton.


    I moaned as I told her how much I felt like I needed that and didn¡¯t even know it. Furthermore, I told her how much I loved her tiny hands and how magical they were in regards of making me feel nice and relaxed.


    ¡°Pfft, hehe. You¡¯re a real dere dere.¡±


    ¡°Are you mocking me?¡± I asked, poking her soft, squishy cheek with one hand and her waist just under the ribs with the other, she reaction and soft giggling being music to my ears.


    ¡°Hehe, no! I¡¯m saying that you¡¯re a very loving lover. Love you to bits, by the way.¡±


    ¡°Pff, fufu. You¡¯re also very dare dade, honey.¡±


    ¡°Dere dere,¡± she corrected with a laugh as she moved to kiss my chest again. ¡°It¡¯s pronounced ¡®dere dere,¡¯ babe.¡±


    Whatever is the way you say it, I didn¡¯t care. She was as loving as she was warm and an absolute angel, even if a bit devilish at times. An angel that I held in place and was about to kiss and profess my love to once again.


    Her happy giggles, expressions and sounds... there¡¯s nothing I wouldn¡¯t do to protect such precious things.

 Chapter XVII — Our Last Christmas as High Schoolers

    It was Christmas¡¯ morning, and I was doing something I had often told Abby not to do. Well, I had given up on telling her not to, so that was my excuse. Not that Abby¡¯d be bothered by it, on the contrary, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll love it once she wakes up.


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    The way Violet dropped herself on the couch, it was clear something had happened, but I waited for sis to get up and go to the bathroom before asking.

 Vol.5 Chapter 18 — Eighteenth Birthday

    I was hoping today wasn¡¯t going to end as badly as it did on the fourteenth of last month.


    Like that day, I had woken up in a very sweet and playful mood despite the slight inconvenience of the occasional cramp. Like that day, as soon as I could, I teased Abby, turning her attempt of making me blush against her. Like that day, I¡¯d give her a kiss when she least expected and would tease her about giving her one without going through with it. Like that day, I was on library duty, and she kept me company since it was a special day.


    Unlike that day, however, we weren¡¯t alone in the library.


    A boy sat at a table in my general peripheral vision and like me, he was glancing at us while pretending to read. I had gotten the impression that he was waiting for Abby to step out even if for a second, irking me because I was waiting for him to leave so I could play a trick on her.


    ¡°Do you need something?¡± I asked with a professional smile, dropping the pretence of not noticing his stare.


    He said it was nothing before seemingly focusing on his book, but then, he got up and I thought he was finally going to leave. Instead, he stopped in front of my desk and asked me out on a date that I politely, but still flatly, refused by thanking him for showing interest and explaining that the girl sitting right next to me was not only my friend, but in fact my wife.


    Then did he finally leave, my eyes tracking him as he walked out, wondering if there was ever a time when asking someone out without even knowing their first name ever worked.


    ¡°Having seconds thoughts?¡± Abby asked, having set aside her book and placed her elbows on the table to support her smiling face as she leaned over to see my face. It¡¯s been months and she still got all giddy whenever I referred to her as my wife to anyone. ¡°He does have a nice butt for a guy.¡±


    ¡°Does he now?¡± I dully said as I got back to my book. ¡°Honestly, what I have at home is so unbelievably nice that it¡¯s impossible for me to notice others as nice as they might be.¡±


    ¡°Pfft, hehe! Is that so?¡±


    Her fluffy attitude... yeah, now was a nice time to prank her.


    I caressed her face gently with the back of my fingers before setting my hand just under her ear, Abby looking very excited about what was coming for her. As I leaned closer, she slowly shut her eyes and prepared her lips to be lovingly kissed.


    Only...


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to kiss you when we get home,¡± I whispered with our lips very slightly brushing on one another.


    The pout she made as her face turned bright red was priceless. She even was moaning a supposed growl of frustration as she clutched her skirt.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I fell for that again!¡± she barked as she looked away from me. ¡°You¡¯re such a jerk! Why are you being this mean?!¡±


    I laughed, but I was also feeling a bit bad for her. Still, I wouldn¡¯t be this cruel if I wasn¡¯t going to somehow compensate for it at least ten-fold.


    I got up and told her I was going to finish up my tasks so we could go home. Taking advantage of that, she asked if I could bring her the third volume of the book series she was reading.


    I was surprised she was already done with the second one, but apparently, not only did Abby really like it, but she also liked it better than the first one. That was an interesting statement, because out of the three, the second was the one I liked the least.


    I invited her to give me a hand putting back the books on the trolley in their respective shelves so we could continue the conversation, but she was still mad at me.


    ¡°Why should I?¡± she grumbled, her mad face looking awfully cute.


    ¡°Hmm? Are you sure?¡± I hummed as I leaned over the table as close as I could get to her while she leaned away. ¡°I have to go to the section with the table.¡±


    ¡°...You better not be playing any more tricks on me,¡± she grumbled as she got up to tag along.


    I had already organised the books by section and alphabetically in relation to the author¡¯s name, so Abby pushed the squeaky trolley¡ªlike a little kid, she loved doing that¡ªwhile I led the way and placed them on the shelves until we reached our hidden corner. Once there, we placed our talk on hold and I picked Abby up to sit her on the table. After crossing her legs around my hips and setting her arms around my neck, I finally gave her the sweet kisses she had been yearning for.


    ¡°Fufu, you¡¯re making too much noise,¡± I giggled as I pressed my index on her lips. ¡°We are in the library, remember?¡±


    ¡°But babe, you¡¯re kissing me so nicely,¡± she whined, grabbing my hand to kiss the back of it and nibble my fingers, making me giggle again. ¡°Can I... do that thing?¡±


    ¡°Fufu, ok.¡±


    That thing was loosening my tie, unbutton my shirt until mid-chest and then hide her face as best as she could under the collar while I held her tightly.


    The door creaked when open because the wood floor had swollen during winter and was yet to be fixed, so we had a good alarm if someone was coming in. That meant we could stay there, quietly enjoying our little rules breaking.


    ¡°Babe?¡± she softly called, her breath tickling my skin.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Have you ever thought about us making love at school?¡±


    Think about it? I couldn¡¯t lie and say no because I did have dreamt about it a couple of times and she¡¯d surely catch the lie, but I told her we shouldn¡¯t. Not even on the last day of classes as she asked next, even though I agreed that it¡¯d be quite the way to finish our high school life.


    ¡°I guess that¡¯ll remain a fantasy for me,¡± Abby lamented as she rubbed her nose on my collarbone.


    ¡°Wait, you were serious about it?¡± I asked, having thought that Abby was just trying to get me flustered.


    ¡°Haah, it is what it is... Hehe, you smell nice.¡±


    ¡°...Abby, I¡¯m going to french-kiss you next.¡±


    She showed her face to me and asked why I was telling her that. Simply put, it was so that I wouldn¡¯t surprise Abby and she could keep her voice down.


    ¡°You¡¯re moaning too,¡± she protested as she pulled her face away.


    ¡°Fufu! Because you¡¯re so nice to kiss,¡± I told her.


    She pouted with an embarrassed face while finally letting me kiss her a final time before we finished up and left to go home.


    We had a very similar interaction on her birthday, but on that day, she left before me, and I started to have pangs coming from my belly that weren¡¯t cramps. Today, I was happy to tell her as we walked, that I was doing fine. Unlike on her birthday, I wouldn¡¯t have to shut myself in the toilet and experience a long agonising moment of pain and cold sweats as my body is physically afraid of dying.


    ¡°Don¡¯t joke about dying,¡± Abby said angrily, slapping my shoulder as we walked down the hallway.


    ¡°No, I, erm... sorry, but you know what I mean, right?¡±


    She did, but she still didn¡¯t like¡ªhated, in fact¡ªhearing me say that kind of stuff.


    I wasn¡¯t getting why Abby still had that kind of reservations when it¡¯s been months since I started joining in her runs and was at peak physical health.


    ¡°...Sorry babe, it¡¯s just... I know you don¡¯t have it¡ªyour family condition I mean, but I still worry sometimes that something might happen to your heart.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t really argue against her worry because while I didn¡¯t have the heart condition that haunted my family on my mother¡¯s side, maybe the gene that triggered it could be activated by something? Something else could also come out of the blue without being related to that too.


    It was easy to sometimes forget due to how she jokes about anything and everything all the time, but Abby was a very sensitive girl.


    ¡°Abby?¡± I called.


    She looked up, and I gave her a very nice, big kiss just as we were stepping out of the school gate.


    ¡°Babe, we are in public,¡± she giggled in a hushed tone after pulling her head away, looking around, red as a tomato and bobbing side to side, noticing the people around us staring.


    ¡°I¡¯ll never go away and leave you alone, you hear me?¡± I hushed at her before pulling her head and kissing her again.


    Although I was fine then, a few step later I was just as red as Abby, but while she kept bobbing side to side giggling and happy as a cloud, I was wishing I could dig a hole to hide in.


    ¡°And what happened to you two?¡± Sophie asked while sat on the couch. She had Oliver with her, our cat kneading her now protruding belly and purring.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    We dodged the question the best we could, and I dropped my body besides her, tired from the awkwardness I put myself through and happy to be back inside my sanctuary.


    Then, I felt Sophie¡¯s hand brushing my hair as she wished me a happy birthday. I really think she knew I had started to enjoy having her do that to me whenever I came home and slumped on the couch like that.


    ¡°T-thanks,¡± I stuttered, not used to having more people besides my dad and Abby telling me that.


    ¡°You know, I really like seeing you with your hair done like this,¡± she said next with a giggle, still combing my hair.


    The ¡°sexy librarian look¡± as Abby called was the visual Sophie was complementing. I liked it a lot too, but maybe it was a bit too popular.


    Case and point...


    ¡°Ah! Hear me out sis!¡± Abby shouted from the kitchen. ¡°A guy asked Violet on a date right in front of me!¡±


    As always, Abby spoke out what¡¯s on my mind like telepathy.


    ¡°Again?¡±


    ¡°Yup, yup! Again! Was this the second or third time?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, you must be going through a popular phase.¡±


    ¡°Urgh! Give me a break.¡±


    Counting with Stephen, it was the third time I was asked out by a guy. I guess some haven¡¯t heard about me and Abby or refused to believe in that story.


    Maybe the guys going to the library aren¡¯t that popular with girls and end up crushing over me? Since I¡¯m always serious but then smile at them and treat them nicely, I might be making them feel like I might have some interest in them. If that was the case, I was sorry for them, but I also couldn¡¯t really do anything about how I treated them other than put a sign over my head when at the desk saying, ¡°this girl is already taken and happily married.¡±


    Well, after the show we put up in front of the school, maybe I could finally be free of guys asking me out on dates.


    ¡°Come to think of it, I¡¯ve never seen someone asking you out,¡± I said, suddenly coming to that realisation.


    ¡°I mean, I¡¯m always attached to you at school, so I guess that¡¯s why,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m quite sure I make it pretty obvious that I already have an owner.¡±


    I wished she wouldn¡¯t refer to herself as a pet, even though I do compare her a lot to small animals.


    And speaking of pets, Oliver came to use my lap as a bed and Sophie retracted her hand from my head to rest it with her other on her belly. She looked very happy as she caressed it, her smile looking very charming.


    I asked Sophie how she was doing after Abby came back with three puddings and spoons in hand, me moving Oliver into Abby¡¯s lap after she sat between my legs.


    ¡°Hmph! I love your dad, but he can be a bit overbearing at times. I¡¯m not even that pregnant yet, but he still fusses about every little thing and when he sees me doing some chores around the house. Then again, knowing what I know about your mother, I can¡¯t blame him for worrying... Sorry, I really shouldn¡¯t complain about your dad when he¡¯s so caring.¡±


    ¡°I-It¡¯s ok,¡± I told her, remembering that I was guilty of doing the same to her more than once just this past week alone, but unlike dad, I had no¡ªreasonable¡ªexcuse. ¡°Sorry for doing the same to you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, dear. Anyway, I¡¯m more or less getting used to how I need to lay down in bed, but your little sister is starting to get heavy to carry around. I also need to pee more often, but that¡¯s normal, the doctor says. My breasts, though... urgh.¡±


    I did notice that they were getting bigger but never commented on that, not even with Abby.


    ¡°I really envy you two. I wish it more than ever before that I had the same chest size as you or Abby.¡±


    ¡°Huh!?¡±


    ¡°Babe, you¡¯d be surprised how many big-chested women wish they had the same chest size as either of us,¡± Abby casually told me while suckling the spoon having already eaten all her pudding.


    ¡°Yeah, mine were already heavy, and they hurt if I went on a run and the sports bra didn¡¯t support them enough. I always feel slutty if I wear something that shows a bit of cleavage. I really that I can¡¯t dress certain clothes and tops because of that. Thankfully, I¡¯m not as big as Claire, but she actually loves having big boobs unlike me.¡±


    I never thought that was a thing, but after hearing her, I grew a lot more appreciative of my modest chest. I had always loved it because it was well-shaped, the right size for Abby¡¯s hands, and made me look even more like mum. Now that I heard Sophie complaining about stuff I never had to worry, I felt even luckier and happier about it. The issues I sometimes have to content when having my period would also be a lot worse were that the case too.


    Still, hearing such a beautiful woman and one of the two whom I¡¯ve always considered the pinnacle of the feminine form telling me she¡¯d like to have the same chest size as me was very, very flattering to say the least.


    I¡¯m sure some girls would still prefer having those issues than being flat or small-chested like me too, but to each their own.


    ¡°Anyway, have you talked to your father?¡±


    ¡°With dad? Not since this morning. Why?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s got something important to talk about with you.¡±


    I wanted to know what it was, but she wouldn¡¯t say anything other than ¡°it¡¯s between you two¡±.


    Luckily, dad wasn¡¯t the type of person to stay at work for long since it was my birthday and he had a five-month pregnant girlfriend at home, so he¡ªand Will¡ªwas back soon enough, us five¡ªus three girls, Oliver and my yet-to-be-born sister¡ªstill sitting and talking on the couch.


    First thing he did after greeting us was kissing Sophie. She had gotten somewhat used to being kissed in front of us, but her cheeks still turned a bit red.


    ¡°How does it feel to return home to four women?¡± Abby asked him.


    ¡°Quite good, actually,¡± he laughed as he sat on his spot besides Sophie with a hand on her belly. ¡°But since this feels a bit skewed, maybe next time we should try for a boy?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t even birthed our first child and you¡¯re already planning on getting me pregnant with our second?¡± Sophie asked with a laugh. ¡°Dad! Say something?¡±


    ¡°Good luck with that,¡± William said with a brief laugh.


    ¡°Dad!?¡±


    ¡°What? You don¡¯t seem opposed to the idea of having another one,¡± William laughed again.


    I certainly wouldn¡¯t mind having another sibling. It would be funny if it turned out to be a boy, but if it were another girl, that¡¯d be even funnier after this conversation. Thinking about it, I think I¡¯d prefer it to be a boy though. It¡¯d add a bit more variety and dad could have someone to have more masculine activities with. Then again, if I had two sisters and one was a tomboy, the effect would pretty much be the same, wouldn¡¯t it?


    Meh, ultimately, that wouldn¡¯t really matter.


    Whether they are born boys or girls, dad will love them all the same. Me too, for that matter.


    I was just sad that I wouldn¡¯t be around to help and bond with them.


    ¡°Violet? Are you ready to receive your birthday present?¡± my dad asked as he held an envelope he pulled out from his briefcase.


    ¡°Dad, you didn¡¯t go ahead and buy me a trip or something, did you?¡± I asked, worried that he had spent money on me when there were far more important things now that Sophie was expecting a child.


    ¡°Don''t worry, I haven¡¯t done anything you¡¯d consider throwing money out of the window,¡± he laughed as he handed me the envelope.


    I was still suspicious of him. The way he was acting like his skin didn¡¯t fit him was leaving me uncomfortable.


    Inside the envelope was a bank statement of an account in my name that I had never seen before.


    ¡°Dad? What¡¯s...¡±


    I paused as I saw the value in the bank account.


    It was a lot. I think it was enough for me to offer as the downpayment for a house of the same value as mine.


    ¡°When I first heard that your mother was pregnant with you, I immediately opened that account. Ever since then, I¡¯ve been adding a little bit of cash on top of the interests added by the bank so that you could start your adult life on a better footing than me and your mother. Happy eighteenth birthday, Violet.¡±


    ¡°Dad, no... this... it¡¯s too much!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just from him,¡± Sophie interrupted. ¡°Since you¡¯ll most likely share it with Abby, dad and I pinched in some too as a wedding gift.¡±


    I stared at the paper again while showing it to Abby. It was now that I noticed that my wife didn¡¯t look all that surprised by it.


    ¡°Sorry Violet, your dad told me about this long ago, back when we were still friends, and made me promise not to tell you about it,¡± she explained to me.


    I looked again at the paper finding it hard to believe.


    I was feeling very overwhelmed, so I thanked them all before excusing myself.


    I left them in the living room and went to my bedroom to sit on my bed, staring blankly at the piece of paper. Just how much had dad sacrificed for me? Was he doing the same now for my future sister? Would he do that for any other future child he¡¯d have with Sophie?


    I guess I don¡¯t have to worry about my sister and possible future brother...


    Dad now had a good paying job after all. He wouldn¡¯t have to sacrifice as much, if at all. Who was I to spit on his past sacrifices and refuse this gift?


    ¡°Violet? Are you ok?¡± Abby asked, having opened the door just enough to make her voice heard.


    ¡°Yeah... please, come in,¡± I asked her.


    She came inside carrying a small bottle of a drink I had come up with for her birthday and two glasses. Right now, getting a bit intoxicated with her sounded good. Just not as much as last time. It almost resulted in a huge mess for our bed if I hadn¡¯t stopped her from taking my panties off.


    ¡°Gee, will you bring up that every time we share drinks?¡± she grumbled from my lap. ¡°And in case you forgot, you were the one who started it by stripping me and kiss me all over.¡±


    Yeah, Abby and I turned out to be a huge pain when drunk. Clingy, noise and... ¡°clingy.¡± We had no idea how much was too much, and it had rushed to our heads once we got up from the couch, catching us completely by surprise when we decided to go to bed. In our drunken stupor, we forgot it was that time of the month. We didn¡¯t vomit, thankfully, but had a mighty hangover that made us wish death even when Sophie wasn¡¯t giving us a very deserved earful next morning. That was why Abby only prepared a bit more than a third and less than half of the amount we had on her birthday. As the second time we were drinking anything alcoholic, we¡¯d be seeing if that was still too much for us lightweights.


    ¡°...What are we even supposed to do with this?¡± I wondered out loud after taking a sip. I was looking down and to the side where I had placed the statement as I spoke those words.


    ¡°Why not keep it in the account generating interest for now?¡± Abby offered as a suggestion. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it generates all that much interest, but it¡¯s better than letting it stay put.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡±


    ¡°Then, what was it?¡±


    ¡°...I want to add your name to it.¡±


    ¡°No. This account was made for¡ª¡±


    ¡°We are married, what¡¯s yours is mine and vice-versa. I¡¯m also going to be a housewife, so we¡¯ll most likely share an account since I won¡¯t be earning us much money. Some of the money is also meant for the two of us as a wedding gift too. Why not go ahead and use this one as our joint account anyway considering all of that?¡±


    Abby shifted her body and grabbed the paper to look at it while she thought. After a few sips, she reached a decision.


    ¡°...Fine, but... you¡¯re the one in charge of it, even when I¡¯m the breadwinner. Deal?¡±


    Sounded fair. She worked and earned us money, and I¡¯d worry about paying bills and such to spare Abby from that stress. I¡¯d be far more aware of what needed to be done and paid for since I was the housewife anyway. I¡¯m pretty sure that was how my parents worked too, when mum was still alive, not to mention, how dad and I operated once grandma taught me how to deal with that.


    I still added the caveat of getting Abby her own card, so she didn¡¯t have to ask me every time she wanted to buy something. For someone who had never had to manage money, she was very financially responsible, so there was no need for me to manage her, and it felt a lot more balanced since at least most of the money would be earned by her.


    ¡°How¡¯s the drink?¡± she asked, looking up with rosy cheeks to change the subject since we were done with serious talks. She was looking super cute and irresistible, even more than normal, making me aware that I was a bit drunk now. ¡°I didn¡¯t put too much sugar, did I?¡±


    It was ok for me.


    When I did it the first time, I made them separate. For me, it had a bit of whiskey, coffee and cream, hers having a bit of sugar added. This time, she did for both of us, so she added some sugar, but not enough to make me twist my nose. In fact, I was worrying about it not being sweet enough for her.


    ¡°Nope, I¡¯m enjoying the light sweetness it has this time,¡± she said with a fluffy smile, the alcohol clearly starting to get to her head too. Luckily, she had just finished her share. ¡°I enjoyed yours, but this one is also good, is what I mean. Hehe, reminds me a lot of you, you know?¡±


    ¡°How so?¡± I asked, finishing up my share too.


    ¡°Well, like the drink, you might come off as a bit bitter and unapproachable at first, but once we get to know it, there¡¯s this lingering creamy sweetness and something fizzy that brightens the mood.¡±


    When she put it like that, I couldn¡¯t help but feel flattered and laugh.


    ¡°Mmh... so warm,¡± I singsonged as I wrapped my arms around her and rubbed my face on her hair.


    ¡°Hehe! Me or the drink?¡±


    ¡°You. Always you,¡± I said as I fell back and pulled her with me.


    Before going back to our family, I¡¯d play with my wife. I was the anniversary girl, so I was allowed to do that, right?


    Oh, who cares?


    I sure didn¡¯t, and the girl making cackling noises similar to a fox being tickled, didn¡¯t either.

 The End of an Era

    I¡¯m not going to say that we were finally done with school because time flew by without us barely noticing it.


    Back at my place, Violet had been looking lost in thought, even when she was playing with my toes after giving my feet a nice rub.


    Now I knew why.


    ¡°I think I know what you¡¯ve been thinking about all day. It¡¯s finally setting in, isn¡¯t it? The fact that today we truly became adults.¡±


    ¡°Yeah...¡± she agreed.


    We both stood where we had our second meeting, staring at the billboard with the results of the national exams and overall grades. We had passed with flying colours, Violet having realised her objective of raising her average close to nineteen while I had mine at nineteen-point-four, six decimals above my wife. We did well, and were happy with the results, but at the same time, we were feeling hollow. Those scores had been an objective for so long that now that we were free, it felt a bit like we lost our purpose.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe what I¡¯m just about to say, but... I¡¯ll miss school,¡± she said as she entangled her fingers with mine.


    ¡°Yeah, same,¡± I agreed, giving her an encouraging smile. ¡°Wanna go on a final round around school?¡±


    We were supposed to be picked up by our friends to go celebrate graduating somewhere, but it still would be a while until they were ready, enough for us to have a leisurely walk.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she said with a nod. ¡°I want to visit the places that are important for us one final time.¡±


    It was a pilgrimage then, because for me, those were nothing short of holy places.


    We were already at one of them and were headed to the next one: the classroom we first met.


    As we made our way, Violet wondered if next year they¡¯d finally fix the rooms¡¯ numbering. It was completely irrelevant for us, but still, I found myself curious about it too. A bit sad too, if I¡¯m being honest.


    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s open?¡± I asked her once we got there.


    To our surprise, it was, and we didn¡¯t hesitate to get inside.


    The room was just like any other that wasn¡¯t a science classroom, but I had chills when stepping inside.


    ¡°I think I was sitting here,¡± she said, resting the tips of her fingers on a desk.


    I let go of her hand and sat where I remembered having been my seat on that day. I confirmed that she was remembering correctly, and so did she once she looked back at me.


    ¡°You know, out of all the important days of my life, that might have been the most important of them all.¡±


    ¡°Even more than the night we became a couple or our wedding day?¡±


    Yeah, because it was us noticing each other and talking on that day that set everything in motion and led us to our present. Although, I think I might have talked with Violet eventually, but I can¡¯t guarantee we¡¯d have connected the way we did. I might have tried it once, seen that Violet didn¡¯t want to be talked to, and given up on that when there were other classmates more approachable.


    ¡°Luckily, you are a meddlesome little imp,¡± Violet joked as she came to sit by my side.


    Thank goodness for that.


    Outside, people were going about their daily lives as we watched half-interestedly while leaning on each other. They were walking and thinking about what was going on in their lives while me and her thought about what our lives would have been.


    ¡°Where to next?¡± I asked once I didn¡¯t want to think about more sad stuff.


    The library would rank second since it was the place that became our meeting spot for a tryst.


    With the corridors empty, our steps echoed through the corridors. Ours, and as we approached the library, someone else¡¯s.


    From a corner appeared a familiar female figure.


    ¡°And what are you two doing here?¡± Ms. Prescot asked as we came into talking range.


    We explained to her that we had come to check on our grades and were now doing a pilgrimage. We also took the opportunity to thank her for having been such a good teacher to us.


    ¡°Thank you but the results are mostly due to your hard work,¡± she said, sounding a bit flustered.


    ¡°No, really, you were a great teacher,¡± Violet insisted. ¡°You¡¯re great at teaching and were we to have had the same person we had before you, we wouldn¡¯t have been able to perform so well.¡±


    ¡°Yup, I agree.¡±


    ¡°You two... I don¡¯t know if I should be saying this as your teacher, but... I¡¯ll miss you. You and your friends.¡±


    I reminded her that she wasn¡¯t our teacher anymore, so not only could she tell us that, but we could also call each other friends if she wanted. It was cute seeing her getting flustered at the sound of that. She also didn¡¯t say no to my suggestion either.


    With a small gasp, Violet remembered and informed her that the classroom we were in five minutes ago was unlocked.


    With a smirk, she asked how we came about that bit of information.


    ¡°We, erm... we met for the first time there, so... sorry.¡±


    ¡°Humph, as long as you did nothing indecent, I guess I can turn a blind eye. And since you told me about it, I¡¯ll inform you that the library is locked.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a shame.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you two won¡¯t be able to go snogging in there like you¡¯ve used to.¡±


    ¡°Huh!?¡± we both gasped in unison.


    ¡°What¡¯s with the surprise?¡± she said with a smirk. ¡°I did see you Abby coming from the library with a very similar glow you had whenever you came in the mornings you had sex with Violet. I just never happened to catch you in the act.¡±


    ¡°...Made love,¡± I corrected while hiding behind the arm I was hugging. ¡°Violet and I don¡¯t have sex, we make love.¡±


    ¡°T-that¡¯s hardly the problem here! Why are you even telling her that!?¡± Violet cried out while our ex-teacher laughed.


    ¡°You two keep in touch, ok?¡± Ms. Prescot asked us as she prepared to leave. ¡°As your previous homeroom teacher and now your friend, I wish to know how you two are doing and what path you take from here on out.¡±


    We promised to stay in touch before we parted ways.


    Having that lifeline connecting me to my now old school made me feel a bit better, and I was curious if we¡¯d hear her vent and brag about her new students over the years. I could also ask her for advice and tips about my own future students when time comes.


    ¡°What now?¡± Violet asked after confirming that the library was effectively locked and it hadn¡¯t just been Ms. Prescot poking fun of us.


    ¡°...There¡¯s one spot close by.¡±


    The spot where Violet and I had our first big argument.


    That stairway was two corridors away from where we stood.


    It felt like it hadn¡¯t happened outside of a bad dream, but the memory of Violet chasing me back to my place, refusing to give up on me was such a precious memory.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask me to take your virginity here?¡± Violet asked after we sat on a step.


    I did ask that out of her.


    With a hum, she told me that back then, she might have gone through with it if I hadn¡¯t stepped back. That¡¯d have damaged our relationship in ways I couldn¡¯t imagine, not to mention, my mental health.


    Our eyes met and lingered on each other. The mood was just right for a kiss followed by many others.


    ¡°...Hey, so... since we are here,¡± she said, still leaning on me and placing a hand on my inner thigh.


    ¡°...Babe, no. Bad! Bad Violet!¡± I said, crossing my legs and pulling away slightly.


    ¡°Yeah... yeah, you¡¯re right,¡± she said, retreating back into her previous position.


    ¡°..."


    ¡°..." Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    Her fidgeting, bare legs and with the glances we were throwing at each other, we had two choices: either get up and leave, or go down the stairs to the hidey-hole at the bottom.


    ¡°...Can we?¡± I whimpered.


    ¡°...¡±


    Hopefully, we wouldn¡¯t come across Ms. Prescot on our way out.


    At the bottom of the stairs was a bunch of school tables. No idea if they were reserves or had been taken out of a classroom, but they provided a nice hiding spot for us to get down to business.


    ¡°How long?¡± Violet asked me after sitting me on a table she had whipped dust off.


    I moaned as she nibbled my neck and hugged me tightly that I had this phantasy ever since that day she had a shower in school to cooldown from overheating during the first week of the second year.


    She began laughing and showed me her face before telling me that what she wanted to know was how long I¡¯d like to stay there.


    I turned all shades of red and pulled her tightly so she wouldn¡¯t see my face. I complained that she sometimes was very misleading, making her laugh again.


    It wasn¡¯t all bad because she said that, after hearing me admit it, she now had to really make it worth the wait I endured.


    ¡°...Hehe! Hehe!¡±


    ¡°Abby please,¡± she hushed me, turning even redder. ¡±Haah, your sister is right... we are like rabbits."


    ¡°Hehe! Love you! Hehe! To bits!¡±


    She looked at me, painfully embarrassed by our lack of control, but seeing how happy I was, it softened into a loving gaze before she leaned down to give me a very tender kiss and say that she loved me too.


    ¡°Ah! Let¡¯s go sit at the bench where we had our first proper conversation next!¡±


    It was under the shade and it had vending machines from which we could buy cold juice, just perfect for us to sit, cool down, and wait for our friends to come pick us up in Stephen¡¯s car.


    ¡°Still, you really aren¡¯t that athletic, huh?¡± I said as I handed her the can of juice of her choice.


    She looked at me in confusion for a bit. She was likely thinking I was referring to her performance just now of us making love before chuckling as she understood what I was actually referring to.


    It was the conversation starter we had when we sat there on that day with her out of breath after she came running after me under the impression that I had forgotten about checking my grades and lived far away.


    ¡°Thanks to my wife, I¡¯m no longer like that,¡± she said with a laugh as she opened her can. ¡°Now, I was getting close to a seventeen in P.E, I¡¯ll let you know.¡±


    I was really proud of her growth, not only in her grades, but as a person. Really, she was amazing. So was I, but I wouldn¡¯t be tooting my own horn. For that, I had her.


    I thought that, as kids, we had grown almost as much as it was possible, but now, we had to grow as adults. Regarding that, I think, we had a nice head start.


    ¡°...Abby?¡± she said, staring down to her can with a heavy expression.


    ¡°...Yes?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...Is it about my mum?¡±


    ¡°...Yeah... are you... planning on visiting her?¡±


    I was. It was the final thing I wanted to do as a kid and the first as an adult. In just a few months I¡¯d be going away, so I wanted to visit her to put a final stone on that part of my life.


    After months of thinking about it, I finally knew what I wanted to tell mum. I wanted to tell her that I was happy and that I would keep on carving my happiness with Violet for the rest of my life. I didn¡¯t want her to apologise, nor did I want to tell her everything she did me wrong.


    If she was still the same person, I wanted to make her know that I was free from her, and if she no longer was the cruel woman I knew as my mum, I wanted her to know that I was now happy despite of all the things she said and did to me and she could move on from her own past. I saw no point in her torturing herself over the bad things she did to me since her regret didn¡¯t make the past me feel any better, nor would I feel happier in the future. If she no longer was a cruel person, then, I wanted her to build her own future and eventually find the happiness that evaded her for all her life.


    ¡°...You really are a better person than I¡¯ll ever be,¡± Violet said, looking again to her can with a heavy expression.


    ¡°Thanks for still supporting me despite disagreeing with my decision,¡± I told her as I looked in the direction where I used to live.


    I was expecting her usual comment about being my wife, but the words she spoke got me stunned.


    ¡°Why don''t we go there today?¡± she calmly said.


    It was in the spur of the moment, but she had very good reasons to suggest that.


    I already knew what I wanted to say, so it wasn¡¯t like I needed time to figure that out, but her next point was the one that carried the most weight.


    If we took care of that, then whatever the results might be, we¡¯d have months to deal with it while if we left that linger, we might have the consequences coinciding with the moving and Sophie giving birth. We could also leave it to one of those times we came back for a visit, but then it could interfere with my studies. Summers were out of the question because I intended to use them to do some internship work and spend time with my dear wifey Violet to compensate for the rest of the school year.


    It really felt like now was the best time possible for me to face my mum.


    ¡°I could also just forget about it,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s not like I actually need to talk to her one final time.¡±


    ¡°...You know better than that,¡± she said as kindly as possible. ¡°I know you better than that.¡±


    She was right, of course. If I were to run away now...


    ???


    Despite some trepidation, regarding Abby, meeting her mum was a success.


    Right now, Abby was straddling the fine line between being awake and sleeping, hugging Mr. Sealy close to her face while being the little spoon. It was such a peaceful sound and feeling, her calm, slow breathing and heartbeat. I was a bit envious of her.


    After we were picked up by our friends, we went to a pizzeria to have our celebratory lunch, and when we were done there, they dropped us off in front of school again under our request.


    We figured we¡¯d give her old place a try before going home, you see? And as fate would have it, we were right.


    ¡°Strange, I remembered the house being more¡­ ominous,¡± Abby said while clutching my hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m ringing it,¡± I told her after giving Abby a moment to steel herself.


    The person who opened the door was far from being the one we were expecting, but she was the same person nonetheless.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± she asked us, hiding behind the door like a scared child, only an eye staring at our feet being visible.


    Abby and I exchanged a look before answering. In my wife¡¯s eyes, I saw pity, something I thought was wasted in that person.


    With a sympathetic voice, Abby told her that she came to talk and asked if we could come in when she got no answer from her mother.


    We were invited in by her opening the door wide open as she disappeared behind it, still not saying a single word.


    We were led up the stairs, and she opened a door to a room, but froze while looking at the knob of the slightly ajar door.


    ¡°¡­No, not here¡­ sorry,¡± she muttered, closing the door again and passing by us to go down the stairs with us following.


    Later, after we left the house, Abby told me about that room. It was her mum¡¯s home office, a place where she had received many yellings and even some beatings, so she was thankful her mum didn¡¯t receive us there. Knowing that, I was thankful too.


    Once we got to the living room, I noticed something whose appearance looked out of place.


    On the couch we were signalled to have a seat was a red and yellow blanket carelessly tossed over the backrest, a stark contrast to the orderly and bland-coloured space surrounding us. He house had been exactly as I remembered it up to that point, but that little detail set my mind on a trip about its origins. It certainly didn¡¯t feel like something that person would ever buy for herself, so I was wondering if it belonged to somebody else, and if so, who. The thought alone that she had found someone new made my stomach churn bile.


    ¡°¡­Why are you here?¡± Abby¡¯s mum asked, her weak voice calling me back to reality.


    She sat across us, looking beyond uncomfortable in her skin, clutching the knees that she locked her eyes on as she stayed frozen like a statue.


    ¡°¡­I wanted to tell you mum that¡ª¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that,¡± her mum interrupted as she looked up. Her eyes were barely holding tears and her face trembled with overwhelming emotions.


    I clutched my fists, forgetting that I was still holding Abby¡¯s hands. I only stayed quiet because Abby placed her other hand over ours and tapped it while giving me a quiet request to calm down.


    ¡°Why do you want me to not call you that?¡± Abby asked, her voice trembling a bit.


    ¡°¡­After all I did, I¡­¡± was the answer she got, her mum going back to staring at her knees and now also hunching a bit.


    My chest swelled with anger again, but not so much towards her as it was towards me. I hated that I felt sympathy for her mum. I hated that, after Abby told her everything good that had happened to her, that person said that Abby did good and congratulated us with heartfelt words. I hated that they agreed on meeting again. I hated that right before we left, she complimented Abby¡¯s dress.


    But most of all, I hated myself for hating all of this. I hated not being able to feel happy so, so much.


    Abby had gotten more than what she wanted, so why was I feeling like this?


    After we got home, Abby asked for us to strip and snuggle in bed, and I thought that¡¯d help me settle down as it always does, but not only wasn¡¯t it working, it was also making me feel worse.


    ¡°¡­Abby? Can we talk?¡± I asked, feeling like I was at the end of my rope.


    ¡°I was wondering when you¡¯d ask me that,¡± Abby told me in a calming voice as she shifted her body so she¡¯d be on her back. ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡±


    I started with an apology. I expressed my regret for not being able to join her in her happiness about being able to move on without a single regret. I then did my best to express the storm inside my mind and heart. I thought and hoped it¡¯d help me figure out what was going on, but it was to no avail.


    ¡°Hmm, I see,¡± Abby hummed when I was done talking, tears barely held in my eyes.


    She set Mr. Sealy aside before lifting her body to kiss me and pull my head to rest on her chest.


    ¡°What I think is happening to you right now is that you spent so much time hating my mum that now that you were confronted with a completely different person, you can¡¯t accept her as being anything else other than a monster to be hated. I think that you simply can¡¯t understand what to do with all that pent up hate and so, it¡¯s venting everywhere.¡±


    ¡°¡­That sounds very logical and might be exactly it, but¡­ what am I supposed to do with it?¡± I asked, still feeling frustrated.


    ¡°Give it time,¡± Abby told me with a kiss to the top of my head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry but it really is all we can do about it. I¡¯ll hear you any time you want to vent too, but really, I think time is what you truly need.¡±


    ¡°¡­I really hate this,¡± I said, clutching the bedsheets.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry Violet, maybe calling you an angel might be putting unneeded pressure on you,¡± Abby suddenly told me in a sad voice that got me completely off guard.


    I asked her what she meant despite it not needing much of an explanation.


    She got worried that by calling me an angel, she was putting on me the expectation of always acting in the best way possible without ever being allowed to feel the slightest bad emotion no matter what.


    It was far from the truth though, and I made it as plain as possible.


    I fully understood that she meant it as a complement to the kindness, love and patience I strive to always show towards her, and that alone, not an expectation for me to be a pinnacle of virtuousness.


    ¡°I mean, I try to be that, but you get what I mean,¡± I said as I started to fumble my words.


    ¡°Hehe, yeah, I do.¡±


    ¡°¡­If anything, you¡¯re more of an angel than I am,¡± I said, starting to caress her little face that held the smile and eyes I loved so much.


    ¡°Even though I¡¯m a mischievous, naughty, little imp?¡± she asked with a teasing smile.


    ¡°Well, I guess you¡¯re a mischievous, naughty, little impish angel,¡± I joked back.


    Abby let out a hearty giggle as she congratulated me for the comeback I gave her.


    ¡°¡­Are you really ok with seeing her again?¡± I asked as I pulled myself up to be face-to-face with her.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Abby told me calm but firmly. ¡°I don¡¯t see the old me and the present me as the same person, and that applies to her too. I guess that¡¯s why I can manage to try and be friends with her, while you¡¯re having such a hard time accepting all this.¡±


    Yeah, unlike Abby, I couldn¡¯t make that separation. While her present self has a lot of differences compared to her old self to the point of almost feeling like two distinct individuals, to me, they were still the same person in the end.


    As for her mother, maybe it time I could since I never spent more than a few seconds with her but¡­ It felt impossible. I wasn¡¯t as good of a human being as Abby after all.


    ¡°You really are an angel,¡± I muttered while thinking about her words.


    ¡°Your angel,¡± Abby chuckled while barring her teeth to nibble my jawline.


    ¡°Fufu, yeah. My dear silly little angel.¡±


    I still had the dark feelings in my chest, but while I had Abby by my side and talking to me, cheering me up and supporting me when needed, I¡¯d be able to not be swallowed by them. Just as it should be.

 Very Important Announcement!

    If you''ve read this far, you''re well aware of the fact this series is at an end, with only one main chapter left and another bonus one to go. HOWEVER, thanks to some great feedback and a resulting conversation I got, Vol.4, and consequently Vol.5, will be undergoing some major rewrites to address flaws pointed out to me.


    What does it mean for you?


    => I''ll still upload those missing chapter so you don''t get left hanging after coming this far only for me to yeet the carpet from under your feet, and;


    => Until those rewrites are finished, I''ll keep what I currently have here and will only update it once I''m done for consistency sake;


    => It also means that it won''t be coming out for sale on the 14th of this month, so, I''m sorry if you were thinking about getting it as a gift to yourself or someone you know.


    In a way, it''ll be in a kind of hiatus after being finished. I''ll still invite you to read it afterwards, but know that after updating the chapters, despite the story being more or less the same theme wise, it can still end up very different in the end despite my efforts in at least trying to make parts of the plot more or less the same.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    I don''t know when it will be ready, as there''s also been some sudden developments in my life right now, lots of stress and things demanding my time and attention with no way of dodging them, and I''ll likely have to be forced to travel up and down my country. That''s not the main focus right now, I''m more worried about how this affects you, so I''ll leave it at that.


    I''m sorry for the inconvenience and I fully understand this might leave you frustrated, and I''ll fully take responsibility for it, but I''d much rather try delivering the best story I can possibly write than walk away from a very good learning opportunity and most important of all, leave you guys who came this far with an inferior product.


    I''d also like to ask anyone willing to give Kirakirakira''s review a like since she was the one who helped me see the flaws in the story and was even kind enough to hold a conversation with me to better explain what needs the be worked on. And if you don''t agree with some of her points, please understand, it''s her opinion, and the reasons she gave me came form an honest place and are completely logical and understandable, and like I said previously, something I can use to grow on my craft.


    Once again, I extend my apologies to you all, and I wish you a good week.

 Forever More

    Packing stuff was a huge pain, but what¡¯s even worse than that? If you thought the answer was ¡°unpacking,¡± congrats, you¡¯re correct.


    When packing, my worries were to not forget anything essential, protect stuff that¡¯s fragile and not pack our clothes in a way that¡¯d get them all wrinkled. I didn¡¯t even think about the pain it¡¯d be to decide where to put our stuff after we got to our new place.


    Frankly, that wasn¡¯t the main problem. The problem was that, despite Sophie¡¯s warnings, we moved in too late because we wanted to stay longer to help her with the baby and I didn¡¯t want to leave without visiting my mother¡¯s grave since I couldn¡¯t do so again until winter break came around. Unlike Sophie, we¡¯d be visiting home during the holidays, so we could have simply brought what we needed until winter, take back the excess to replace it with stuff we¡¯d need until spring break, rinse and repeat. That was compounded by the fact that our little rented apartment truly was a little thing, there not being much space around to store stuff, but it needed to be done, nonetheless.


    We decided to start in our new bedroom since we arrived right close to the end of the day rush hour.


    We both sat on our knees as we checked each box and decided where we¡¯d store the contents before even attempt to start that process and risk running into the trouble of having to redo it again.


    New life, new place, it felt like, away from our friends and family. We were on our own now because everyone we knew was busy with their own lives and hours away, if not a whole day.


    Mathew when to a different town to study game development.


    Mathilda and Stephen lived at his parent¡¯s place for now. She was doing her videos for her channel while he deepened his knowledge about mechanics.


    William now lived alone in a smaller apartment he moved to, alone sadly, but he bid us farewell with a smile.


    Sophie, my dad and Oliver lived together now without me or Abby close by to help with my sister Isabel at my old place.


    Mrs. Fletcher, Margaret and Jacob were likely enjoying their lives too at the B&B, the memory of them making me even more homesick.


    Claire moved in with Paul, him now working at a water park as a marine biologist, the place also functioned as a place to study and take care of wildlife with an emphasis on ocean life.


    Everything was so different now. None of the past events kids associate with adulthood left the kind of impression that moving out and being on my own with my wife did. Having my first time, drinking my first drink, graduating high school, none of that. Opening a box and seeing what I brought from my childhood home into a new one¡­


    ¡°Erm, honey?¡± I called out after finding some articles of clothing I wasn¡¯t getting why she decided to bring with us. ¡°What are these for?¡±


    She looked at me, pretending to not know what I was referring to, so I enumerated its contents as I showed them to her. Our high school uniforms, her Red Riding Hood and my wolf ears, and finally, my black suit pants and waistcoat.


    ¡°Hehe, guess!¡± she said, her face telling me all I needed to know.


    ¡°Haah, that last Halloween got you a kink, huh?¡± I sighed, wondering where I should store the box so it wouldn¡¯t be in the way but also not forgotten and out of her reach in case she wanted to used them.


    ¡°Oh babe, I¡¯ve had that kink ever since we made that butler-milady play when you were still working at the restaurant,¡± she told me sounding like she was disappointed that I only now realised it. ¡°Hehe, It¡¯s so fun how shy and awkward you are at the start but then get really into it.¡±


    Because a happy Abby is the best Abby and I can¡¯t resist that.


    I was a bit lost in thought about the sweet memories of those occasions, so I didn¡¯t notice Abby coming to kneel by my side until she clutched my shorts with two hands.


    ¡°Can we take a small break?¡± she asked with a needy voice.


    I told her we had just started, but her begging eyes and voice as Abby explained that she was aware of it, but we also haven¡¯t had much free time to do couple-ly stuff lately was an equally undeniable fact.


    Between helping Sophie and dad with Isabel, my adorable but demanding new-born baby sister, and getting ready for the moving, we hadn¡¯t had a moment to just snuggle and enjoy some quiet cuddling, let alone anything else.


    ¡°¡­Do you think they are doing ok?¡± I asked as I sat with my back against the bed. We still had to put on the bedsheets, that was why we were still sitting on the floor.


    She laughed briefly as she made herself comfortable sitting between my legs with her back resting on my chest before telling me they¡¯d have to manage without me.


    According to her, whenever Isa cried, I was right about the reason why eight times out of ten. That, she compared with my dad and her sister. My dad was right half of the times while Sophie was only right a third, at least according to her. The funniest part was that I thought she was right once I looked back into it. Funny, but that also made me worry even more.


    ¡°Here, have some stress relief, Big Mama Violet¡± she said, moving my hands from her waist to her chest.


    ¡°¡­You just wanted me to fondle you, didn¡¯t you?¡± I asked as I gave my wife¡¯s breast a wiggle and a squeeze. ¡°And I told you many times, don¡¯t call me ¡®mum¡¯ or anything adjacent to that when we are like this.¡±


    She stuck her tongue out at me before resting her head on my neck and letting out a relaxed sigh as I kept moving my hands.


    Even though there was the sound of hectic traffic from people commuting back to their homes after a day¡¯s work coming from outside, the place was peaceful and¡­ eerily quiet. I attributed the sinister feeling to the fact that I wasn¡¯t familiar with the place.


    Aside from the sinister feeling, sitting with Abby like this was feeling very nostalgic even though it wasn¡¯t that rare of an occurrence. It was reminding me of those times Abby would sit on my lap while we studied and we¡¯d fondle each other during a break.


    ¡°¡­I¡¯ll probably go bumping into walls in the morning for the next whole week,¡± I said out loud, that thought having suddenly popped into my mind.


    Abby¡¯s playful response about leading me around the house in the morning came a bit after, a strange occurrence in itself.


    A quick check on her and I confirmed my suspicion: she was almost dozing off. We weren¡¯t even sitting there for that long either, but I too was feeling awfully tired, having noticed that the second we started our break. Just like spending couple time together, we¡¯ve also been a bit deprived of sleep and rest lately.


    ¡°Should we prepare the bed?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± she hummed as she rubbed her nose on me.


    It was disappointing that we weren¡¯t moving past me fondling her chest, but with how tired we were and how relaxed Abby gets when I hold her, it was to be expected.


    Dad had plenty of work at the company and taking care of a new-born baby was a full-time job too, so Abby and I had been spending some nights at my place to help ease Sophie¡¯s burden. My room would eventually become Isa¡¯s room too and as such, we kept one of the two cribs William lovingly made there. On the nights we stayed at my place, to allow my dad and Sophie to get a bit more rest, Isa slept in the same room than us, so me and Abby were in the frontlines on those nights. On some of them, she simply didn¡¯t want milk, have her diaper changed, or be held by any other person other than her mama, so we¡¯d have to go to dad¡¯s room to fetch Sophie. Sometimes, Isa simply wanted to suckle on someone, but neither Abby nor I were comfortable doing that. Still, there was that one night I fell asleep holding Isa and she showed no reservations latching on my chest, Abby taking a photo as proof of that and which I made her delete immediately. It was still amazing seeing me deep asleep and somehow still not dropping my sister. Humans really are amazing.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    As for when we had to call Sophie or dad, it was better for them to have a night or two where they could sleep all night than being woken up two or three times every night, maybe even four, if Isa had an upset tummy. And despite how troublesome and tiring it was, I found it very enjoyable.


    Fun fact, sometimes, Isa would wake up from one of her naps crying but suddenly would grow quiet before we got to her. On those occasions, Oliver had gone and curled by her side, Isa quietly snuggling up to him and going back to a peaceful sleep.


    Kinda like Abby was doing with me right now that we finished preparing the bed and got under the sheets. Only, she¡¯d occasionally shift in bed, bumping her rear on my hips, running her fingers on my hands and kissing my hugging arm as I spooned her. Looking at her face, she was looking a bit flushed.


    We had made the bed to sleep, but with Abby acting like that, I was starting to feel awake again and getting restless too.


    ¡°Everything ok?¡± I asked, amused and seeing the writing on the wall.


    ¡°Sorry but¡­ I got in the mood again and I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to sleep like this.¡±


    ¡°I can see that,¡± I hummed as I started teasing her ear.


    It had been quite a while that we had made love. Something like five days if I¡¯m not mistaken. It was only a couple more until we were in our monthly forced celibacy too.


    As tired as we were, when considering that and seeing Abby so fidgety, needy and cute, sleep could wait a little bit more.


    ¡°Could you¡­ you know,¡± Abby told after seeing that I wasn¡¯t going past playing with her ear and teasing her hips.


    ¡°I don¡¯t if you don¡¯t say it clearly.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re being so mean,¡± she whined as she turned on her back and looking delectably embarrassed.


    ¡°I¡¯m still waiting to hear it.¡±


    ¡°¡­I want one of your special massages,¡± she whined, putting one of my arms around her shoulders and the hand of the other on her stomach.


    ¡°And what will I get in return, hmm?¡± I asked with a giggle to tease her even further as I played with her bellybutton.


    She told me in a whiny voice as I nibbled her neck that after I had finished spoiling her, she¡¯d happily do anything I asked, or would let me do whatever I want to do to her.


    That sounded like a good deal, and keeping on teasing her would start to be cruel, so I complied and started our bonding. Sleep came very fast after we were satisfied, so fast that we didn¡¯t even have time for pillow talks or even enjoy the mood of the aftermath.


    When I opened my eyes after falling asleep embracing Abby with entangled fingers, I felt incredibly refreshed and the room was dimly lit. Abby had a very content face as she peacefully slept in my hold, her hair and drool a mess that I tried to tame and wipe out of her face without disturbing her as I got more and more awake.


    It felt like I had slept a long, long time. It was a very restful sleep, the best I had in days, but it felt too long to be honest, that getting me on edge.


    Seeing the time after I picked my phone confirmed that feeling and almost made my heart fly out of my mouth.


    ¡°Honey! Honey, wake up! You¡¯re going to be late!¡± I urged her as I shook her awake, that being the complete opposite of how I¡¯d have liked to wake her up.


    We had slept almost thirteen hours straight, and if she didn¡¯t hurry, she¡¯d miss the presentation scheduled for eight-thirty in the morning at her university.


    I didn¡¯t bother putting on my clothes, I leapt out of bed as soon as Abby was awake and went sprinting out of the door only to slam against the wall and fall on my butt. I had turned to my left out of habit when now, I was supposed to turn right.


    ¡°Are you ok!?¡± Abby cried out, rushing to my side.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I groaned as I rubbed the spot of my head that impacted first. ¡°Fortunately, I slowed down enough to hit the brakes and not smash against the wall at full speed.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? It was quite the bang!¡±


    Besides having to put on some ice after she was gone, I assured her I was ok. I wasn¡¯t dizzy even after getting up, nor was I seeing double, nor was I having trouble speaking.


    ¡°Seriously, instead worrying about others, we should worry about us first,¡± Abby grumbled as she needlessly helped me balance as I walked to the kitchen.


    I sent her off to take a quick shower while I prepared her some breakfast. We were so short on time that I couldn¡¯t even spend more than a short moment searching for the toaster we had bought and would prepare her raw buttered bread instead, and it¡¯d be on the go instead of together with me.


    When Abby appeared again, now dressed and with her hair still a bit damp, she stopped for a second to stare at me with red cheeks. That¡¯s when I remembered that I was still in the nude, save for the chocker.


    For the first time in forever, I embarrassedly covered myself up the best I could with my hands, much to Abby¡¯s amusement.


    ¡°Now I¡¯m a different kind of hungry,¡± she said to tease me as she grabbed the paper bag with her disappointing meal. ¡°Will I be received like this when I get back too?¡±


    She was having her payback from how I teased her yesterday, but she also undid my arms to give me a big hug and say how beautiful she thought I was and how nice I always smelled, making me go all gaga over having to let her go out alone.


    ¡°See you in a bit,¡± she told me in a sweet tone after giving me an equally sweet goodbye kiss that felt too short by at least a whole minute.


    I followed after her as she went to the front door. My heart was already aching for her as I saw Abby grabbing the doorknob. However, she turned around and pulled my head down as she tiptoed to give me an even longer and more passionate kiss while I tightly held her like that¡¯d prevent her from leaving my side.


    ¡°I¡¯m going now,¡± she told me a final time in a whisper as our faces grew apart and we both let go.


    After she left, I stood by the front door with a hand clenching my chest.


    It had already began, our adult life. From this day forward, she¡¯d be leaving the house in the morning to only return at the end of the day while I stayed back, taking care of our house. From this day forward, we¡¯d have many more worries in our lives. We could no longer simply shrug some things off. With so many new responsibilities and priorities, we¡¯d probably feel too tired some days to indulge ourselves in our silliness. We might even argue more due to tiredness and stress and about utterly stupid things.


    ¡°¡­Maybe I should greet her like this?¡± I wondered out loud as I checked myself in the entrance mirror. I¡¯d have to ask Abby about it, but despite having gained some weight, I didn¡¯t seem to be any fatter. In fact, when pinching my belly and thighs, it felt like I might have lost some, if anything at all.


    Noticing how my hair had gotten long again too, I made a note to search for a hairdresser for us and stuck the green paper to the mirror together with the other two things in a red and a blue paper respectively with things we needed to take care of but weren¡¯t priorities right now. That had been Abby¡¯s idea, and a very good one since we were bound to look at the mirror before leaving and would notice the sticky notes.


    It wasn¡¯t all bad though, being what society calls adults.


    Today had a messy start, but it had also been fun if I ignored running into a wall. Hopefully, we hadn¡¯t disturbed the neighbours.


    It was a cheap rental, but we had our place now.


    As sad and lonely as it was to be apart for most of the day, it made the idea of spending time with Abby once she got back and during the weekends even more precious and exciting.


    Abby would certainly bring me gifts and surprises every now and then, and so would I do the same for her, just like we¡¯ve always done.


    We¡¯d have our days to share in conversation during dinner, bath and/or during our pillow talk.


    Even if we were too tired to engage in making love, we¡¯d still read a bit together in bed before snuggling and going to sleep.


    I could help Abby with her studies by supporting her and showing interest in her subjects so she¡¯d explain them to me and better interiorise it in her mind.


    ¡°Right, Abby said she¡¯ll likely come home early today. I¡¯ll do my exercises, do some more unpacking, make a light lunch, do some more unpacking, greet her once she comes back, go grocery shopping with her, have a nice dinner together, and finish the day off with taking a bath together and making love after hearing all about her day and telling her about mine.¡±


    Our relationship would suffer some changes, some stuff would be left behind, and others would enter to take their place. That wasn¡¯t a bad thing, just different and another part of life.


    As I was readying myself for a set of leg exercises after having put on some clothes, my phone rang the sound of a text being received. Reading its contents, my smile grew even more compared to when I saw who it was from.


    ¡°Just wanted to tell you that I got there and that I forgot to tell you that I love you to bits! XOXO¡±


    There was also an unread message from Sophie she had sent last night. Oliver sat on the floor of my old bedroom with Isa by his side, both looking very lonely as he stared at my bed, the poor things.


    I texted Abby back that I loved her a lot too and took the chance to wish her good luck and to take care.


    Before I met Abby, my life was drab, and I always thought that becoming an adult would be living my life in an even duller manner, but ever since she came into my life, it has been nothing short of pure bliss. Growing up into an adult has been a wonderful time, and I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll feel the same about growing old when on my deathbed. A simple life, but a very joyful one at that. Because I¡®ll have her by my side, even if she¡¯s not sharing the same physical space I am in.


    My beloved and irreplaceable Abby will always be there for me, and so will I be there for her¡­ forever more.

 Postlude — Abby and Violet +1

    After we parked our little family car and shut off the engine, I gave Violet a moment to compose herself for as long as I could hold a joke in. She was firmly gripping the steering wheel and breathing in a way which reminded me of sis when she was going into labour.


    ¡°Careful dear, you might pop out a baby and make us coming here void,¡± I said, having finally given up after five seconds of holding back, leaning closer to her and slightly forward to better see her reaction as I tapped her belly.


    She almost choked as I made her laugh when she was breathing in before facing me.


    ¡°Are you not nervous too?¡± she asked.


    Oh, I was, and she could see that by how I kept shifting in place and rubbing my knees together for the whole trip, the fabric of the jeans miraculously not having combusted yet.


    ¡°Come on! You¡¯re great with kids!¡± I told her.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m good with my sister because she¡¯s my sister,¡± she corrected, despite that¡ªfor me¡ªit wasn¡¯t an exact correction.


    People were waiting for us, however, so there was no time for us to be arguing about it, so I told her to come along as I unfastened the seatbelt.


    We¡¯ve been driving for four hours to get here, so I was hoping there wouldn¡¯t be much sitting around for our interview at the orphanage. After a couple of months of sending our submission and needed paperwork, it had finally come the time to be interviewed. They wanted to see what kind of people we were in person, and hear about what kind of child we were looking for in a better detail.


    A baby would be nice, since they¡¯d be bonding with us from a very early age. With us being both girls¡ªor rather, women, the talk about them being adopted would have to come sooner, so there wouldn¡¯t be that ¡°you lied to me!¡± feeling later on. Yes, there could be other issues, but we thought that¡¯d be the worse one.


    ¡°You must be the Evergreens!¡± a smart-casually dressed, ebony-skinned lady who stood in front of the orphanage said as she extended a hand towards us. ¡°I¡¯m the director.¡±


    We greeted Mrs. Crawford and Violet made a fine job introducing us with our names switched around. Not only did I have her family name, but now also got her given name.


    I laughed and reintroduced her to our names in the right ownership, Mrs. Crawford laughing as she said she was worried she was remembering our names wrong.


    ¡°If you¡¯d please follow me, I¡¯ll guide you to my office so we can talk more privately,¡± she told us before turning around and started walking with us on her tail.


    I took the chance to peek at Violet to see how she was doing. As to be expected, she was already looking like she wanted to burry her head in the sand as she walked very stiffly and with her eyes on the ground. I couldn¡¯t really tell her Mrs. Crawford knew and understood she was very nervous since I was the one keeping the chit-chat with the lady, but I could still hold her hand and offer a smile.


    She briefly looked at me before something in the distance caught her eye and she interrupted Mrs. Crawford.


    ¡°S-sorry, but there¡¯s a child sitting alone over there,¡± she said.


    Me and Mrs. Crawford looked at where she was pointing.


    Sitting on a swing was a little girl, completely alone like Violet had pointed out and having a very sad aura surrounding her.


    ¡°Is everything ok with her?¡± Violet asked.


    ¡°She¡¯s a new arrival at the orphanage,¡± Mrs. Crawford explained. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but we are a bit understaffed at the moment, so would you mind if I went to check on her for a minute?¡±


    Not only didn¡¯t we mind, we also tagged along because Violet followed her seemingly on reflex.


    ¡°Hey there,¡± Mrs. Crawford called out softly as she crouched down in front of the child. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you inside with the other kids?¡±


    The girl kept quiet and motionless like she didn¡¯t even hear a single word.


    ¡°Did something happen?¡± Mrs. Crawford insisted.


    Again, there was no reaction from the child.


    Violet gripped my hand and when I looked at her, I knew she wanted to do something about it.  With a small bump and a smile, I silently told her to go for it.


    She let go of my hand and crouched down by Mrs. Crawford. My wife introduced herself and removed from her bag a small box container with cookies she did for any kid she got to talk with. I thought that wouldn¡¯t be needed today and I¡¯d end up eating them as a snack, but now I was happy she was so fussy.


    ¡°Would you like a cookie?¡± Violet asked as she offered one, her soft voice trembling a bit. ¡°They have chocolate chips and are homemade.¡±


    The small girl shyly glanced at her before silently accepting the cookie and started nibbling it.


    ¡°Is it good?¡± Mrs. Crawford asked.


    This time, they got a reaction from her, a small nod followed by a ¡®thank you¡¯ after Mrs. Crawford asked if she wasn¡¯t forgetting anything.


    ¡°Would you like another?¡± Violet asked, holding said cookie.


    The little girl looked at her this time before taking the treat and looking back down, allowing us to briefly see her face. Despite how sad she looked, she had a very cute face.


    ¡°Mrs. Crawford?¡± someone approaching called out. ¡°Sorry to interrupt, but something happened that needs your attention.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t it wait?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not.¡±


    The director sighed and rubbed her forehead, apologising for having to leave us, but we understood her situation. She did tell us a minute ago they were understaffed. Running an orphanage and taking care of the kids surely had to be lots of work. We also didn¡¯t mind when she asked us if we could keep the child company while she took care of whatever it was since the woman who called her also had other things to attend.


    ¡°By the way,¡± I started as I joined my wife in the crouching down. ¡°I¡¯m Abby, Violet¡¯s wifey. What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°¡­Charlotte.¡±


    What a coincidence, right?


    Well, to Violet it was quite the shock. She was looking at Charlotte like she was some sort of ghost. I had to close her mouth with my hand for her to realise what face she was making. Luckily, Charlotte was still staring at her knees, so she didn¡¯t see Violet¡¯s face. As beautiful as my wife is, she¡¯d still have likely scared little Charlotte.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°I thought you had to be a boy and a girl to get married,¡± Charlotte said, sounding confused.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ most of the times, that¡¯s how it goes, but¡­ well¡­¡± Violet started, looking at me, silently asking if she was doing a good job explaining our situation.


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit complicated to explain, but sometimes, when growing up, some girls realise they like girls instead and even some boys like boys too,¡± I concluded, finding it equally as hard to explain as Violet despite having had a similar talk with my own high school students a couple of times when Violet came to my work to deliver something I forgot or just visit me and Evelyn. It was a topic of conversation we both thought we¡¯d have a few more years before having to figure out what to say to a child this young though.


    ¡°Are you here to adopt me?¡± the girl suddenly asked, making us snap our necks towards her. She sounded deeply sad about it. ¡°Papa said I¡¯d be adopted by a good mama and papa if I stayed here.¡±


    I almost asked where her papa was, were it not for Violet to have moved and catching my attention. She had passed me the cookie container and moved her hands to rest them on Charlotte¡¯s knees, the small child looking up to her gentle, smiling face.


    ¡°Me and Abby are looking for a child, but whether or not we adopt you¡­ I¡¯d like it if we got to know each other better before the three of us decided to become a family.¡±


    I liked her answer a lot. It wasn¡¯t a straight confirmation or denial, and it gave her space to feel like her own feelings were validated. It must be scary for a child the idea of not liking the adults for one reason or another and still being adopted by them.


    ¡°Do you think you¡¯d like to have two mamas?¡± Violet asked next.


    Charlotte grew a thoughtful face that I found amusing and got me very curious to hear what was going on her mind.


    Violet¡¯s question also gave me pause. Charlotte had been left there by her dad, and she did no mention of her mother, so I was wondering if he had been a single dad who couldn¡¯t support her for some reason. It felt like it was the right assumption because what he told her sounded like it came from someone who still cared about his daughter and had some regret leaving her here or even self-loath.


    ¡°How about we play together for a bit?¡± I suggested to lighten the mood.


    She shook her head and looked down to her knees as she rubbed them together. I thought she was being shy, but Violet thought different.


    ¡°Do you need to use the toilet?¡± she asked, sounding slightly alarmed.


    Charlotte nodded and without a single moment of hesitation, Violet picked her up and started looking around.


    ¡°Over there!¡± I pointed, having seen a sign showing us the right direction to go.


    We hurried there, going down the hallway and finding the visitors¡¯ toilets.


    We asked Charlotte if she needed help, but she said she could do it alone and that got me¡ªand Violet, wondering how old exactly she was. We were guessing around three while waiting outside when she popped her head out.


    ¡°All done? Did you wash your hands?¡± we asked in stereo.


    ¡°¡­I can¡¯t reach it,¡± Charlotte asked.


    No problem, I¡¯d just hug her from behind and hold her up the correct height while Violet washed her hands on the sink since her short arms still couldn¡¯t quite reach it. And since Charlotte was being such a cute and well behaved girl, we gave her another cookie as we headed back to the swing while telling her about our old cat Oliver, me showing her pictures of him since Violet was holding Charlotte on her lap.


    Stepping outside, we saw Mrs. Crawford standing by the swing set and looking around in search of us.


    When she asked where we had been, Violet apologised if we broke some rules before explaining what had happened.


    Understandably, Mrs. Crawford asked Charlotte if we touched anywhere or did anything she didn¡¯t want us to.


    Charlotte innocently shook her head before saying that we took her to the toilet and helped her wash her hands before bragging about being a good girl and having gotten another cookie from us for it.


    ¡°Well, you make sure to thank the nice ladies,¡± Mrs. Crawford said with a smile as she patted Charlotte¡¯s head, the girl still being carried by Violet. ¡°Me and them need to go have a talk in my office, so say goodbye to them for now.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ we were going to play,¡± the tiny girl whined, clinging to Violet.


    The face Violet was making was absolutely priceless. It was the exact same she did when it was me pleading her to play with me, minus the naughtiness.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but would it be possible to play with Charlotte after we are done with our interview?¡± I asked as a compromise.


    ¡°Have you two perhaps gotten interested in her?¡± Mrs. Crawford asked, looking slightly worried.


    I knew we had come thinking about adopting a baby, but I had seen the face Violet made once she knew Charlotte¡¯s name. We both were finding the small, doll-like girl very charming. In a word, yes. Yes, we were. It hadn¡¯t been love at first sight between me and Violet, but between us and this child? It was almost like that.


    ¡°What about you Charlotte? Would you like to get to know these ladies better?¡±


    ¡°They are nice,¡± Charlotte said, hugging Violet who was making a very embarrassed but delighted face. ¡°Papa said a nice papa and mama would adopt Charlotte if she was a good, well-behaved girl, but I wouldn¡¯t mind having two mamas instead. They also have a cute kitty.¡±


    Ah, the innocence of a child. I sometimes envy how they can simply become friends from sharing a few laughs together with another kid instead of having to spend a lot of time with them, showing and getting respect, making time for them, the inherent distrust we feel when someone is ¡°too nice,¡± and all that. I haven¡¯t thought about it before, but maybe that¡¯s one of the reasons why having kids is so heart-warming. You get to experience a simpler time all over again by merely watching them interact with the world. As happy as I am now, even I have to recognise that the ¡°sense of wonder¡± had been getting a bit duller over the years.


    ¡°In that case, our conversation will only take a few minutes,¡± Mrs. Crawford stated. ¡°Can you wait for them for about ten minutes or so?¡±


    She was still reluctant, but I promised her we¡¯d play lots together once we got back, my words finally getting her to detach from Violet.


    We waved each other goodbye and we followed Mrs. Crawford to her office.


    On our way, we had to walk by many rooms, and we got to see plenty of children of all ages and sizes, some even taller than me. I know, I know, that¡¯s not really a feat since pretty much all my students already do that, but those were highschoolers, while some of these were, like, twelve or something.


    I also took the chance they were so noisy to tease Violet about her fears of causing a good impression on the children. I was waiting for a witty comeback, but she only apologised. As to what for, I only got to know once we sat in Mrs. Crawford¡¯s office and she asked if we were sure about Charlotte since we had shown interest in adopting a baby and not a toddler.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯m sorry for having single-handedly decided for both of us to adopt Charlotte.¡±


    ¡°I mean¡­ I don¡¯t know how else I¡¯d have answered Charlotte if it had been me talking,¡± I told her. ¡°It was a very good answer you gave, and quite frankly, after seeing how cute she is, I¡¯m also looking forward to take her home with us.¡±


    ¡°I still think we should have talked about it first¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine! At least this way we won¡¯t have to wake up three times during the night to feed her or change diapers or fret over telling her one day that she''s adopted. It might even make the time of waiting shorter.¡±


    ¡°About the waiting time¡­ I''m afraid it won''t in her case,¡± Mrs. Crawford interrupted.


    The reason why was simple, yet complicated in its essence.


    Like I had figured out, she had been dropped off by her father, but not in the ¡°correct¡± way. He simply knocked on the door, told the person answering it to ¡°take good care of her¡± and left running. They gave the police his description, but they didn¡¯t know his name and before Charlotte could formally be put in the adoption system, that whole investigative process had to be taken care off. The reason why was because it had been only one of her parents dropping her off without the proper paperwork, and about her mother, all they knew was that ¡°she¡¯s away somewhere.¡± It sounded like a euphemism for being dead, but it could also be a case of divorce, abandonment, working overseas, or even that Charlotte had been kidnaped by her father.


    ¡°I understand you might not want to wait that long when there are plenty of kids here who¡¯d take less time to finish the process, but¡­ I¡¯ll leave it up to you.¡±


    Violet looked at me with a very conflicted face, but not because she had issues with having to wait.


    ¡°Nope, it has to be her,¡± I said. ¡°After that talk, we¡¯d only be breaking her little heart all over again. She even has the same name as my wifey¡¯s late mother.¡±


    I heard a sob coming from Violet as she thanked me and I told her not to cry as I whipped away tears because Charlotte would worry when we got back to her for our playtime.


    ¡°I see,¡± Mrs. Crawford said, sounding pleased with our answer. ¡°As soon as we can advance with the adoption process, I¡¯ll personally call you. In the meantime, feel free to come and spend as much time as you want with her. That¡¯ll help you three bond better, and speed up the process once we start it.¡±


    After that, we went back to play with Charlotte, her face lighting up when she saw us walking towards her. I don¡¯t know if it had been the cookies, the talk about having two mothers, Oliver, or simply us being nice to her, but seeing her smiling face¡­ yeah, we both knew right there and then. We made the right decision.

 Im Back to Work

    Hi everybody!


    First of all, I hope this letter finds you well, and I¡¯d like to apologize for the long silence and thank you all for your patience. A good part of this letter will feel like one of those corporate ¡°we awe sowwy, and we awe listening, UwU¡± mumbo-jumbo, but I¡¯ll try to make it a little bit amusing for you and for me.


    As I¡¯m sure I told you before going on the hiatus, the plan was to take a week or two off to take some rest before reworking the fourth and fifth volume. That couldn¡¯t have any less awry as in the very next day, things around here got a lot messier and demanding my full time most of the time, and when free, without any patience to sit down and think about work. Only last week or so have things finally settled down and I find myself eager to go back to work, but due to how long it has been, I¡¯m making adjustments to my plans, namely, I¡¯ll be uploading the rewrites as I progress through them with Patreon members getting an early access instead of uploading them in one go.


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    If you¡¯re reading this on Patreon as a paying supporter, I¡¯m especially sorry for not having uploaded anything there these past 3 months. Uploads will resume there this week and I plan on writing a few extra chapters/short stories of the girls and co. in the near future as exclusives.


    If you are reading this elsewhere, I understand this is far from what you¡¯d desire over getting the rewrites, but unless I¡¯m missing something, this is the best I can do to make it up to all of you and as fairly as possible.


    I¡¯ve also gone ahead and created a Discord server over this weekend (link at the bottom, permalink in my profile) so that I can have a more direct way to communicate with you that isn¡¯t uploading chapters that aren¡¯t chapters at all. This way, if you are interested in that and also wish to interact with me and others who enjoy Abby and Violet in ways that I hope are fun and enjoyable, you can now do so, and if you don¡¯t, this way you¡¯re not getting a notification that turns out to be a nothing cake with disappointment filling and frustration topping. One of my plans is to stream one of the games that people pick out of my Switch library when weekends come.


    That¡¯s all I wanted to say.


    Yours,


    Jasa Null

 Vol.4 Rewrite, Chapter I: A New Routine, Part 1

    Waking up alone was something I had grown used out of, but it was something I had looking forward for the unforeseeable future. The fact that the first thing I saw was the plushie Violet gave me only made me feel even lonelier. I thought I didn¡¯t have to ever feel this sad, but it was a necessary evil if wanted a peaceful home life. If we can even call it that.


    It did motivate me getting out of bed so I¡¯d see her faster, but I¡¯d much rather have difficulties getting out of it because Violet adorably clung to me, not wanting her dear girlfriend to leave her.


    ¡°Yeah, I really should hurry up.¡±


    The faster and sooner I got out of the house, the sooner I could get to her place. I could even maybe cosy up with her for a bit. It¡¯d negate the point of me taking a shower before leaving with how stuffy it was at her place, but maybe there¡¯d be time for us to share a shower together.


    ¡°Get out!¡± my sister shouted when I opened the bathroom door.


    ¡°Sorry!¡± I shouted back, her voice being a bit too close to our mum¡¯s for my heart¡¯s comfort.


    ¡°Oh, it was you Abby,¡± I heard her sigh from the other side while I supported my weight against the door as my legs got shaky after having been shouted at. ¡°Sorry, I thought it was dad. I¡¯ll be out in a sec.¡±


    My dad was always the first person getting up in the house, so I understood her reaction and would have done something similar to her. Were it not to how much I was missing Violet, I¡¯d probably had been the third getting up today, but as things are, and despite how long it took me to fall asleep, I was up and about. I still would have preferred not getting shouted at first thing in the morning though.


    ¡°Take your time,¡± I told her, my legs starting to gain some consistency as I did breathing exercises. ¡°I¡¯m not in a rush.¡±


    I was, but I didn¡¯t want her to see what became of me from hearing her raised voice.


    ¡°¡­Everything ok?¡± she asked after opening the door. ¡°You¡¯re looking kinda pale.¡±


    I told her I was having my period as an excuse for looking a bit anaemic, and she nodded with a concerned look before telling me to take care and leave me to my business.


    As she walked towards her room with only a wrapped towel covering her, I used the chance to confirm last night¡¯s suspicion: my sister had lost weight.


    I could clearly see her arms and legs looking too slender compared to before. It made me worry, but I still felt uncapable of calling her out. Believe it or not, since she arrived last night, this had been the most we talked, and it wasn¡¯t what I¡¯d call a conversation at all. Just holding the gaze on each other was hard enough.


    ¡°¡­I really want to see her,¡± I mumbled to the shower head.


    Any time I felt the slightest bit of loneliness or sadness, if Violet wasn¡¯t around, she¡¯d come to mind and stay. I doubted she could give me any advice, but at least she could hold me and make me feel safe and understood when I voiced out my concerns.


    Right now, she was either sleeping or maybe shifting in bed, the fan not being able to keep her cool enough to sleep. Was she perhaps dreaming of sleeping together with me? I hoped she was sleeping even if not dreaming of us, but if it was the latter, she certainly was seeing my face in her mind.


    Only a bit more, and I¡¯d make it turn reality.


    ???


    I couldn¡¯t believe I was thinking this, but sleeping alone with this heat sucked. I¡¯d much rather have my skin sticking to Abby¡¯s as we yapped and kissed than feeling this miserable on top of missing her. The damned fan was working its hardest at the beginning of the nigh and it barely had any effect. A little past midnight, and it made an awful grinding sound and smell of burned plastic before completely stopping dead, condemning me to a stifling night. Were it not how the one in the living room sounded like it was tearing itself apart above the medium speed, I¡¯d have gone pick it up and point it at my body to help me cool off, but the noise it made was far too much for what it could blow.


    ¡°¡­I wonder what Abby¡¯s doing?¡±


    She was an early bird, but even this was too early for her, so she was likely still sleeping. Since I wasn¡¯t there, would she still be doing those cute sounds she does when I hold her? I missed them so much. I was realising how important they were in me falling asleep now. They instilled a sense of peace I needed for my mind not to fuss over stupid things and shut down completely.


    If only her sister didn¡¯t go living with them¡­


    It was such a selfish thought. She had apologised to Abby for what she said and did, but I still couldn¡¯t forget about it. I wasn¡¯t that type of girl. I wasn¡¯t kind like Abby.


    ¡°I wonder¡­ how did it go last night?¡±


    I¡¯d have to ask Abby sometime later, but¡­ haah, would we even have time for that?


    Thinking about what we¡¯d do once we were done with classes, I was finally able to at least snooze. It felt like an eternity when I felt the bed shift and I felt a familiar pleasant scent intensify, but I had that occur many times throughout the night, so I wasn¡¯t convinced it was true.


    But then, the smiling creature who had her chin rest on the back of her hands as she crouched by the bed and stared at me spoke, and I felt her breath hit my sweaty face.


    ¡°Hi there!¡± she greeted with a low, honeyed voice. ¡°May I join you?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a dream, my girlfriend really was there, admiring my messy sleeping face. Even after having been a victim of that so many times, I still felt a bit embarrassed, and even more so due to being completely naked and spread like a starfish, but my desire for having her in my arms was overpowering that. I nodded and got on my side, creating space in bed for her as I tugged her arms.


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    ¡°Pfft, hehe! I need to undress first so it doesn¡¯t get wrinkles,¡± she told me as she playfully slapped my greedy hands away.


    I was pouting at first, discontent for having to wait a bit more, but that went away the moment she removed her tie and started unbuttoning her shirt as she stood sideways, unaware that I had my eyes fixated on her.


    ¡°Pervert,¡± she said after noticing me, that only happening at the end when she turned back to me.


    ¡°You¡¯re my girlfriend, so it¡¯s fine,¡± I grumbled as I now successfully pulled her in. ¡°You look cute in the uniform, by the way.¡±


    ¡°Hehe! Thanks,¡± she giggled, making me hug her more tightly in our spooning. ¡°How about out of it?¡±


    The third thing she said to me, and it was another huge tease. That¡¯s a thing I love about her, but she could also be a bit more merciful. Like me, asking her how she slept after telling her she looked very cute right now that we matched outfits.


    Her answer was a no, and was received with, mixed feelings.


    The good part was, what little she did sleep, Abby slept well.


    Now to the bad¡­ the worst part wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t sleep that much, it was that a small part of me felt happy she didn¡¯t because she had missed me that much. I hated that little corner in my mind grinding ear to ear for having Abby telling me that.


    ¡°By the way, did the fan break or something?¡±


    ¡°And quite spectacularly so,¡± I groaned.


    ¡°I¡¯m already guessing, but how was your night?¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯d at least have been tolerable if I could have hugged you like this¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh? Is that so?¡± she said, sounding legitimately surprised to hear me say that.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ the bed felt so big an empty without you here too¡­¡±


    ¡°Hehe! Sleepy Violet is the most honest Violet,¡± she giggled as she turned around, being completely wrong about my sleepiness and now facing me with a smile so bright, the sun itself paled in comparison.


    I rubbed my nose on her hair, it tickling me and filling my heart with even more romantic words it wished to sing to her, but Abby was in a playful mood, so she dictated the melody.


    She joked about getting me a body pillow or a doll her size as a replacement, but I refused it by telling her it would never be close to a thing comparable. I wish I wasn¡¯t as awake as I was right now, because I¡¯d tell her my reasoning for that and she¡¯d be having one of her giggly fits after hearing me voice it out.


    It¡¯s strange to say it like this about a person, but Abby was very comfortable to hold. She was impossibly soft, but there was also a firmness, both being impossible to mimic. The smell? Ditto. Maybe she could hug the pillow or doll, or we could dress it in her clothes, maybe even use her body wash products on it, but it still could never reach the same level, or be even remotely close to it.


    I did however tell her about the adorable happy noises she makes after I hug her tightly just in the right way.


    ¡°Noises?¡± she asked, frowning in confusion. ¡°What sort of noises?¡±


    I was going to ask Abby about how things went with her sister last night, but it¡¯d have to wait a bit longer.


    Telling her again they were adorable wouldn¡¯t cut it, so I gave her another nice squeeze, already knowing how much pressure I had to apply for her to let out a squeaky moan. As soon as Abby made it, she realised what I meant.


    ¡°Do I always make that sound!?¡± she asked, sounding and looking a bit embarrassed.


    ¡°Only when I¡¯m doing something that makes you really happy.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ that explains how you get so good at it so fast,¡± she told me before licking the tip of my nose. ¡°Mmh! Salty and sweet.¡±


    Sometimes, it was a squeaky, moany sigh, but that was more often when we were relaxing in bed after¡­ well, after. It was also similar to the sound she makes when peacefully sleeping in my hold.


    ¡°Yeah, all thanks to your cute sounds.¡±


    ¡°Hehe! Am I cute?¡±


    ¡°The cutest!¡±


    ¡°Pfft, hehe! Babe, we can¡¯t!¡± she laughed as I started getting frisky, all about this interaction having gotten me in the mood. ¡°We have to get you ready for school!¡±


    ¡°Haah¡­ I forgot about it,¡± I groaned, burying my face between her head and chest.


    ¡°Pfft, hehe! There, there,¡± she laughed, tapping my back and head as a consolation.


    I asked if she wouldn¡¯t join me in a shower, but she had already taken one before coming, so that idea was out, regrettably enough. She did offer coming to help me dry my hair since it had gotten so long. It was something we enjoyed doing for each other, so I promptly agreed to it. The fact it¡¯d also help me get ready faster and not having to rush so much also didn¡¯t hurt.


    But speaking of hair¡­


    ¡°Could you lay on your back?¡±


    ¡°Babe, I told you, we don¡¯t¡ª¡±


    ¡°No, no, not for that! I want to try something.¡±


    She didn¡¯t look fully convinced, but she complied with my request anyway. She got even more suspicious and raised an eyebrow when I partially got over her, but again I told her it wasn¡¯t like that.


    It became clear to her what I was going for once I draped her under my hair, making it look like she was wearing a black dress that hanged just above her knees.


    ¡°Do I look good in it?¡± she asked, striking a pose like she was in fact wearing something right now.


    And it¡¯s not like Abby wouldn¡¯t look good in a black dress, but¡­ if it¡¯s Abby, it has to be colourful. Any colour would do, but preferably, a warm one.


    ¡°You should dye it then,¡± she told me, getting off the bed and offering a hand to hoist me out. ¡°Now, what colour would it be? Red? Blond? Green? Violet, maybe?¡±


    I didn¡¯t think about it, but instead on whether I should cut it or not. I had let it grow because I was a social recluse, and I liked wearing it long since it made me look even more like mum, but it had gotten too long. How long exactly? Let¡¯s just say I almost broke my neck a few times trying to lean forward while being sat.


    ¡°Do you think I should cut it?¡± I asked, interrupting her list of colour suggestions.


    ¡°Well, if you ask me¡ª¡±


    There was a knock on the door, and Abby took the shirt I wore yesterday before getting in bed to answer it, saying it was likely Oliver. Seeing Abby wearing it, it felt right, you know? I almost forgot she didn¡¯t spend the night with me for a moment.


    ¡°There you are, you murderous beast!¡± she told to the kitten who had walked in, tail in the air like an antenna and meowing a greeting or thanks for her opening the door.


    ¡°Murderous beast? What?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! Look!¡±


    Abby adjusted the way she was holding him to a sitting position against her chest, one hand supporting him while the other held him by the from. The latter hand¡¯s thumb was being chewed on by him as he hugged it. A murderous beast indeed.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­yes babe?¡±


    I approached her and combed her hair behind an ear before leaning down. Abby got on the tips of her toes to spare my back as I kissed her.


    Before leaving for my shower, I told Abby that I loved her, causing another one of her giggling fits and using Oliver as a face cover.


    ¡­Our new routine might not be as bad as I thought it would...


    Still, meeting early in the morning, spending the whole day in classes and after that, each one of us going home¡­ I didn¡¯t think I could get used to it after how we spent our time last school year, but¡­ I¡¯d have to be brave and endure it until at least Abby and Sophie patched thing up.


    Hopefully, that¡¯d come soon enough.


    ¡°Right, you still haven¡¯t told me your thoughts about whether or not I should cut my hair,¡± I reminded Abby once she got behind me to fiddle with it while I ate the breakfast she had prepared for me.


    ¡°I could always braid it like this,¡± she hummed, gleefully doing my hair up in a long braid, thankfully shortening its overall length.


    It was a solution, but it hardly solved all the time I had it loose or when Abby couldn¡¯t do it for me for one reason or another. In other words, despite saddening her, I¡¯d have cut it. Shorten it, to be more accurate with my intention. I couldn¡¯t really imagine myself with the same hair length as my girlfriend.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ it¡¯d look cute though. Very mature. Fresh too,¡± she said, sitting by my side now that she was done, elbows on the table and clearly admiring me with her big, loving eyes as she propped her head up on her tiny hands, not uttering a word as she kept on smiling.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Hehe! Sorry, am I staring too much?¡± she asked, acting all fluffy towards me.


    I¡¯m always thankful for Abby loving me this much but sometimes, it makes things a bit hard for me.

 Vol.4 Rewrite, Chapter II: Chapter II — A New School Year

    Violet was being my bow, cutting a path through the ocean of people in the hallways, my hands clinging to her by her skirt waistband, otherwise I¡¯d likely be swallowed up and taken somewhere else completely different from where I needed to be. I remember it like yesterday, the first time I clung to her from behind as we walked. Back then, she gave me a very annoyed look, but after I explained to her how hard it was for me to walk around in the crowd without being bumped into, she softened up a little. Now? Now, she¡¯d be the first guiding my hands to her waist and telling me to hold tight so she wouldn¡¯t lose me. I always had to fight a giggling fit, and having her with me really did wonders to my ease of traversing the schoolgrounds, even if Violet¡¯s steps were a bit unsteady today.


    We had found our classroom, and as we were getting inside, Violet turned her head to tell me that I could let go of her, but that resulted in her bumping into someone or something, me bumping into her back in turn.


    ¡°S-sorry! I wasn¡¯t looking,¡± Violet said, her voice raised to make herself heard over the noise of all the people talking.


    I peeked around to see who she was talking to. It was another girl, about the same height as Violet and with brown hair she had partially tied behind her head with a pink butterfly hair clip.


    That girl turned her head around and holding a smile until her eyes met Violet¡¯s.


    ¡°It¡¯s all¡­¡± was all she said before her expression soured. Then, she looked my girlfriend up and down before abruptly turning her back to Violet.


    ¡°What the hell is her problem!?¡± was written all over Violet¡¯s face, echoing my own thoughts.


    ¡°Abby! Violet! Over here!¡± a familiar voice called out.


    Surrounded by girls was our mutual friend Mathilda, standing and waving at us with a hand held so high, part of her shirt became untuck and showed a bit of her belly skin.


    Violet still threw an annoyed glance at the girl she bumped into before she resumed walking with me giving her a small push. I was a bit fearful of Violet saying something to that other girl because she was already not quite herself today. I didn¡¯t think she would, but then again, I also would never have thought she¡¯d punch anyone until I saw her putting Markus on his ass.


    As we approached her, the girls looked at us before dispersing. I think Violet might have had a frightful expression as she approached them, which wouldn¡¯t be all that surprising really.


    With a wide grin and proud face, Mathilda pointed at the empty table by her and told us she had reserved it for us. It was the second table from the back and right by the window. She¡¯d be sat to our right, and to our front were two familiar faces, her cousin Mathew, and her childhood friend Stephen, the two boys turning around to greet us.


    ¡°You two are looking cute,¡± Stephen added to his greeting in a very casual way. ¡°I like your braid a lot.¡±


    ¡°T-thanks,¡± Violet stammered as she sat down, taking care to move the braid to the front so she wouldn¡¯t be resting her back on it. Abby did it for me, she then added, giving me a look that showed she was both bragging about it but also worried that I¡¯d be annoyed over having a boy complimenting her. Frankly, I was, but just a bit. Not so much because he was a boy, but because he had showed romantic interest in her before. Violet was a very pretty girl, especially when she smiled or shyly blushed, so of course she¡¯d be getting compliments here and there, especially now that she wasn¡¯t always so serious looking since I was with her. She did look drop dead gorgeous as she moved her braid around when she sat down.


    ¡°¡­Should we tell then?¡± Mathilda asked.


    We looked at her. I could tell, she wasn¡¯t all that pleased, and I immediately remembered why. She had feelings for Stephen, and she just saw him flirting with another girl. Personally, I think that the fact he did so fully knowing she was watching made it sting even more. I know it would if it were me in her shoes.


    The next person I looked at was Violet. She had her face slightly twisted. While she thought we could tell them, she was probably thinking about the timing of it.


    ¡°After we are done with class,¡± I told Mathilda. And with that out of the way, I decided to try give her a hand by teasing Stephen, asking him if he didn¡¯t think Mathilda was looking cute too.


    ¡°Oh yeah,¡± he agreed with a nod and just as casually as before. ¡°Especially now that she has part of her shirt hanging out.¡±


    ¡°W-wha¡ª!? Gee! Tell me about that kind of stuff sooner!¡± she barked, annoyed, but also undoubtedly happy for getting a compliment.


    ¡°I thought you did it on purpose!¡± he said, now getting a bit shook up. ¡°Some of the other girls are wearing it like that too!¡±


    Now that he mentioned it, some girls did indeed have part of their shirts untucked, but only the back. I think they¡¯d look better neatly tuck like Violet¡¯s and how she made sure mine was, but I¡¯m biased.


    Watching her make a weird dance as she tried to fix her shirt without undoing her skirt was fun for us, until Violet got up and moved her to the back of the classroom where she used her bag to cover Mathilda¡¯s waist while looking away so she could actually do the fixing. You see, class was just about to start, and the toilets were on the floor below our current one, so Violet was showing her considerate nature.


    Hmm, typical Violet. Acts uninterested, but she actually cares.


    Maybe if we hadn¡¯t hang out during the summer, but since we did, she came to like Mathilda more than she might realise.


    ¡°¡­What?¡± Violet asked after she sat down by me, seeing me smirking at her.


    ¡°Hehe, it¡¯s a secret!¡± I giggled as I bumped my shoulder on her.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± she hummed with a raised eyebrow, but before she could do or say anything to get the truth out of me, the class grew silent.


    Inside had walked in a young lady who¡¯s maybe just a couple of years older than my sister, sharply dressed, with a sports jacket over a white shirt and a pencil skirt with high-heels. She was likely regretting her attire choice because there was a strand of hair from her otherwise neat ponytail gluing itself to her forehead. She was wearing some make-up, but only just a little. She truly was a handsome lady, and the whole class¡ªnot just the boys, seemed captivated by her.


    ¡°Good day to you all, class eleven-C!¡± she greeted us, trying to sound firm, but her voice and face showing her nervousness. ¡°My name is Evelyn Maple, Miss Maple for you, and I¡¯ll be your Math teacher this year. I¡¯ll also be your¡ª¡±


    She was completely shut off by the wild cheering erupting from our class. I¡¯d have joined too, were it not for the annoyed glare Violet was tossing around. Not that she wasn¡¯t happy to hear the news like everyone, she just hated the noise.


    Miss Maple was scowling as she waved her arms in the air, signalling for us to calm down. When we finally did, she took off her jacket with a huff and hanged it on her chair before facing us again, the boys now paying really good attention to her.


    ¡°As I was trying to say, I¡¯ll also be your homeroom teacher, and even though I never exercised such responsibility, I intend to take my duties very seriously,¡± she said sternly as she looked around, everyone now slightly hunched under her glare over their tables. ¡°I realise my predecessor was¡­ wasn¡¯t well liked, so I¡¯ll overlook it this one time, but I won¡¯t tolerate this kind of behaviour from here on out.¡±


    She did look like she meant it. Miss Maple was reminding me of mum a bit. Although, to be fair to Miss Maple, she was looking mad, but not like she¡¯d stab someone¡¯s neck with a straw and follow that with drinking their blood through it like mum did at her softer times.


    Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    ¡°Now, I¡¯d like to ask, which ones of you are Abigail Gardener and Violet Evergreen?¡±


    Hearing our names singled out was a bit scary, but we still raised our hands immediately and silently.


    Miss Maple was still with her stern face and staring at us like she was analysing a painting. Unlike with Violet, I wasn¡¯t able to get any sort of reading out of her other than us possibly being in trouble from the let go.


    ¡°Hmph. By the way he described you, you¡¯d think you two had horns and tails,¡± she scoffed.


    Violet and I exchanged a look as our arms slowly came down, none of us knowing what to make out of what just happened. Still, as a safety measure, I asked if we were in trouble.


    ¡°Not at all!¡± Miss Maple told us, now showing a smile. ¡°I was just very curious to see who the two girls he wouldn¡¯t stop talking about were.¡±


    I got a small hint that she had spent some time with our old teacher and that resulted in her also growing a dislike of him too.


    ¡°Now, how about I get to know the names of everyone else?¡± she said as she brandished the homeroom book, ready to make rollcall.


    ¡°Our new homeroom teacher sure is pretty, huh?¡± Mathilda asked as we made our way outside.


    ¡°She seems nice too,¡± Stephen added as he nodded and not noticing the annoyed look Mathilda shot at him.


    ¡°¡­Is everything ok with you two?¡± Mathilda asked us next.


    ¡°Yeah, Violet just needs to cooldown a little,¡± I told her as I fanned my girl with one hand while she hugged the other to steady herself.


    ¡°Ah! I know just the place!¡±


    I made sure Violet was holding tightly to my arm as we walked, since there was no need for her to cut a path for me as that was being done by our friends. She was looking awfully red, almost like when I keep teasing her or after a particularly enthusiastic love-making session, only, she was looking horrible instead of lovely.


    The place Mathilda had in mind was behind the gym. There was shade from the building, plenty of trees, and no people around, the ideal place for Violet to take a breather. The stone step we sat on felt slightly cool to the touch, and so did the wall behind it. Only thing missing was a cool drink, but about that, Mathilda placed the boys in charge of fetching refreshments for everyone.


    ¡°Should she be at school if she¡¯s like this?¡± Mathilda asked, showing her worry by patting Violet on the head, my girlfriend having trouble keeping her eyes open evenly.


    She shouldn¡¯t, but it¡¯s Violet we are talking about. For her, it¡¯d be unthinkable to skip the very first day of the new school year. I¡¯m sure she¡¯d have relented if I had insisted enough, but in me not wanting to be a nag, I might have chosen the worst option.


    ¡°Abby,¡± Violet called out with a moany voice as she tugged me closer.


    ¡°No babe, you need to cool off.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ I wanna snuggle you¡­¡±


    She was being so pitiful and needy¡­ again, I was probably picking the worst option, but the way she hugged my waist and nuzzled my hair after I sat between her legs made me think differently.


    ¡°Pfft, fufu! Can I take a pic?¡± Mathilda asked, looking very delighted with the view of us two, phone already in hand.


    Violet grumbled a no and I also said no, but gestured her to take it anyway. I was sure it was a nice picture and I¡¯d deal with Violet about it afterwards. I¡¯ve been meaning to talk with her about us getting more photos together.


    As I expected, it was a nice pic, and I silently asked Mathilda to send it to me before fully committing my attention to Violet. She was still nuzzling my hair and had started patting my stomach. She might not be feeling better, but she was in a somewhat better mood. I, on the other hand, was worried though. I had guessed she¡¯d have a hard time falling asleep without me¡ªeven more so than when I¡¯m with her and it¡¯s hot¡ªbut having the fan breaking down was a level of bad luck no one could have predicted. It was working just fine a couple of days ago too.


    ¡°Did you two perhaps stay up late banging to compensate for not being able to during the day?¡± Mathilda asked with a naughty smile.


    ¡°If only,¡± I told her while rolling my eyes, Violet seemingly having fallen asleep already, convincing me that it had been the right choice to indulge her. ¡°Sorry for not telling you this sooner, but my sister came back and until I patch things up with her, Violet is staying at her place, and last night, the fan she uses to keep herself cool during the night broke down.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ sorry, I really shouldn¡¯t have made that joke then.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t mad at her because, again, we hadn¡¯t told her about it before. We only learned about it a week before, and we hadn¡¯t found a good time to bring this up.


    ¡°Are things that bad between you three?¡±


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    Sophie had apologized before she left for her internship and three months had passed since then without us ever exchanging a single word. It¡¯s not like I hated my sister or anything like that. I was just¡­ it¡¯s stupid, but I was still feeling a bit hurt by her initial reaction and I guess feeling guilty about not having faced her when she apologized back then and for the nasty things I told her before that. I guess that things were mostly just awkward between us two, both feeling uncertain how the other felt towards the other.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ And Violet?¡±


    Violet? She most likely spited my sister for having hurt me. Even so, she was the first voicing the idea of having us sleep in each one¡¯s respective house until Sophie came around to accept us, so at the very least, she understood very well how important Sophie was to me and wanted to help us reconcile. Whether she¡¯d actually forgive Sophie herself¡­ as much as I brag about knowing Violet, that fact was a perfect mystery. I hope she does and the two become friends after everything gets settled. They are the two most important girls in my life after all. I guess Mathilda too, but she only recently started carving her place in my heart as a friend, so she still had some ways to go.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice, isn¡¯t it? Having someone special who cares so much about you¡­¡±


    I felt bad for her, not just because Stephen didn¡¯t see her in the same way, but also because she had a horrible family situation. It¡¯s true that she had an elder sister who loved and cared for her, and whose mum also came to feel the same way about her, but at the end of the day, she was still going back to a big empty house.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about us acting like this in front of you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t need to be sorry at all!¡± she giggled as she rested her chin on her knees. ¡°I really enjoy watching you two together. It kinda gives me hope of experiencing that one day. If anything, you should apologize for holding back around me!¡±


    ¡°Pfft! Any more than this, and we might actually start ¡®banging¡± as you call it, right in front of you.¡±


    ¡°As long as I get to film it, it¡¯s fine by me,¡± she laughed.


    Good thing Violet was sleeping because this was a conversation that¡¯d only make her feel worse with all the blood rushing to her face.


    ¡°Will she really be ok?¡± Mathilda asked, her face taking a more concerned expression.


    I thought Violet would if she got a good night¡¯s rest and properly hydrated herself. Once we were done with classes, I¡¯d drop her off her place and get her a new fan for her bedroom. That, and a big water bottle for her to keep by her bedside.


    ¡°Here we are with our refreshments!¡± Stephen announced as he and his friend came around the corner.


    ¡°Gee! What took you so long?¡± Mathilda protested.


    ¡°Well, excuse us, princess!¡± Mathew responded with a drown out, annoyed voice. ¡°It¡¯s not like it isn¡¯t blistering hot today and everyone is ganging up the machines!¡±


    Mathilda shrugged, looking pleased with having annoyed her cousin. Stephen on the other hand carried on like nothing happened.


    I tapped Violet¡¯s thigh to wake her up so she could have some water.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    She drunk it all in one go, making me even more worried about her health and how long she¡¯d last until I got to patch things up with sis. I know she was the first saying we should sleep separately until then, but¡­ it wasn¡¯t fair to her at all.


    We both missed each other, but I had a nice cool room with a working AC while she didn¡¯t. I had Mr. Sealy to snuggle with and make things easier while she had nothing. I had the gym to busy myself outside of chores-¡ªchores that we¡¯ve been doing together, now a reminder that we weren¡¯t¡ªwhile she had nothing besides her books, but even then, while she read, I¡¯d been resting my face on her lap or shoulder. We were both sacrificing things we held dear, but she sacrificed a far greater deal than I did.


    ¡°Abby? Abby?¡± Mathilda called out. ¡°Are you listening?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I was distracted. What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Stephen is asking what optional subjects you picked.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that?¡± I said, turning to him. ¡°Biology and Chemistry. Same for Violet. You?¡±


    ¡°Physics and Music. This guy here picked IT and Geology.¡±


    Both of their combinations were a bit odd, so I asked them why they¡¯ve gone with those.


    Stephen explained that he liked Physics and as for Music, he picked it because he didn¡¯t care about what the other subject was and Mathilda asked him to join her. It was well played of her part, I¡¯ll give her that.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you didn¡¯t pick Workshop class,¡± I told him.


    To answer that, he pointed at an imaginary object help by the tip of his fingers.


    ¡°This is a nail,¡± he said, trying to sound like a narrator from an infomercial. ¡°Nail are typically made out of metal that can vary from copper to iron or even hardened steel. They are used to stick things together or in place, and for that, you usually use another tool call ¡°hammer¡± which is the next tool I¡¯ll be teaching you about.¡±


    In other words, he¡¯d be bored out of his mind and would rather do something different over having a subject he¡¯d get full grades with zero effort.


    As for Mathew, his reasons were that he wanted to learn programming and since his interest was in gaming and Level Designing, he figured that learning how rocks and mountains form would allow him to create more believable game environments.


    ¡°Huh. For once, it looks like you used your brain, cousin,¡± Mathilda jabbed.


    ¡°Oh, shove it!¡± Mathew snorted. ¡°Like you¡¯ve got a well-defined idea about your future to be able to talk about others.¡±


    ¡°Touch¨¦. Still, that means that we won¡¯t be sharing the same class apart from me and the girls with Biology, huh? That sucks.¡±


    ¡°Not for me, though. One less class I have to see your ugly mug.¡±


    ¡°Who are you calling ugly, pig face!?¡±


    ¡°I might be ugly, but at least I¡¯m ugly with my natural face while you¡¯re still ugly with make-up on!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I was trying to have a genuine moment here! Pig! Jerk! Swine!¡±


    ¡°Guys, calm down! Violet is trying to sleep!¡± Stephen said with raised arms, making the two pipe down.


    Despite our homelife, at least in school it¡¯d be fun.