Status: Cute and cliched.
Before the Summer's Out...
Chapter 16: Tripped Off into the Sunset
"You really left Heather to come see if I was ok?" Enid mumbled, still staring at me. I shrugged.
"She's just Heather. You're my best friend. Or you were..." I said.
Suddenly, Enid leaned over and kissed me. I kissed her back. I could taste her salty tears. I could smell sunscreen and her bedroom. Her bedroom smells like fresh cut flowers, so Enid smelled like fresh cut flowers. Flowers and sunscreen. Kissing Enid sober was much nicer than rape-kissing her drunk. This... this felt great.
Enid drew away and then looked at me, waiting for me to say something.
"Don't slap me," I requested finally. Enid tried to fight down a smile but couldn't.
"I'm sorry about that. It's just... I thought you kissed me for shallow reasons," Enid said. Her voice was hoping that I would dispel her previous opinion.
"I didn't kiss you because of shallow reasons, Enid. I mean, not really. I... I care about you a lot," I said. It must be true, right? I mean, I left Heather as she was about to kiss me, for Enid. And besides that, I just really like Enid. Hell, I love Enid.
Wait.
Wait.
Ok, as a third party observer and my new friend, I'm asking you to tell me objectively. Am I in love with Enid?
Actually, I don't care. No offence, but it doesn't matter what you think. I do love Enid. As my friend, you're just gonna have to accept that, buddy.
"I love you, Enid," I blurted out. Enid blinked over and over at me.
"I never thought in a hundred years I'd hear you say that to me," Enid said.
"Me neither," I said. "But, it's true," I assured her. Enid smiled a little.
"I love you too, Benj. I have for awhile. You were so wrapped up in liking Heather, I didn't say anything. I was waiting for your pathological obsession with Heather to ride out first," Enid told me.
My heart swelled. I hadn't actually been expecting her to say that she loved me back. I'd just tried to be honest and nice for once in my life.
"Thanks," I said to her for making me feel that way. "About saying I love you," I clarified. The other stuff she'd said was just smarty pants Enid.
"You're welcome," Enid said and then laughed. We sat there, my hand still on her hand, looking at each other, amazed with what was happening.
"You want to blow this lame party? Go to 7 11?" I asked.
"Yes," Enid said, relieved. I kept holding her hand as we walked back over to the doors to the backyard.
"I'm out Heather!" I called as my good bye. Heather was preoccupied with throwing up all of the alcohol in her stomach into a garbage can while Olivia held her hair back and talked on a cell phone.
"Bye Joe," Enid waved to Joseph.
"Enid! What happened to your contacts?" Joe said, walking over to her.
"I like her with her glasses. Or without, really, it doesn't matter," I told him. He frowned at me.
"Who are you?" He asked.
"Benj. I love Enid aaand she loves me. Your loss, Hamface," I said and then hurried me and Enid away, leaving Joe standing there. Enid giggled at me, tripping over her feet.
"Slow down," She laughed.
"Can't! Joe is going to murder me! I can't believe I actually said that! Come on, Enid, let's go!" I laughed. We ran all the way 711, slowing down only occasionally to stop Enid from tripping over cracks in the sidewalk.
"She's just Heather. You're my best friend. Or you were..." I said.
Suddenly, Enid leaned over and kissed me. I kissed her back. I could taste her salty tears. I could smell sunscreen and her bedroom. Her bedroom smells like fresh cut flowers, so Enid smelled like fresh cut flowers. Flowers and sunscreen. Kissing Enid sober was much nicer than rape-kissing her drunk. This... this felt great.
Enid drew away and then looked at me, waiting for me to say something.
"Don't slap me," I requested finally. Enid tried to fight down a smile but couldn't.
"I'm sorry about that. It's just... I thought you kissed me for shallow reasons," Enid said. Her voice was hoping that I would dispel her previous opinion.
"I didn't kiss you because of shallow reasons, Enid. I mean, not really. I... I care about you a lot," I said. It must be true, right? I mean, I left Heather as she was about to kiss me, for Enid. And besides that, I just really like Enid. Hell, I love Enid.
Wait.
Wait.
Ok, as a third party observer and my new friend, I'm asking you to tell me objectively. Am I in love with Enid?
Actually, I don't care. No offence, but it doesn't matter what you think. I do love Enid. As my friend, you're just gonna have to accept that, buddy.
"I love you, Enid," I blurted out. Enid blinked over and over at me.
"I never thought in a hundred years I'd hear you say that to me," Enid said.
"Me neither," I said. "But, it's true," I assured her. Enid smiled a little.
"I love you too, Benj. I have for awhile. You were so wrapped up in liking Heather, I didn't say anything. I was waiting for your pathological obsession with Heather to ride out first," Enid told me.
My heart swelled. I hadn't actually been expecting her to say that she loved me back. I'd just tried to be honest and nice for once in my life.
"Thanks," I said to her for making me feel that way. "About saying I love you," I clarified. The other stuff she'd said was just smarty pants Enid.
"You're welcome," Enid said and then laughed. We sat there, my hand still on her hand, looking at each other, amazed with what was happening.
"You want to blow this lame party? Go to 7 11?" I asked.
"Yes," Enid said, relieved. I kept holding her hand as we walked back over to the doors to the backyard.
"I'm out Heather!" I called as my good bye. Heather was preoccupied with throwing up all of the alcohol in her stomach into a garbage can while Olivia held her hair back and talked on a cell phone.
"Bye Joe," Enid waved to Joseph.
"Enid! What happened to your contacts?" Joe said, walking over to her.
"I like her with her glasses. Or without, really, it doesn't matter," I told him. He frowned at me.
"Who are you?" He asked.
"Benj. I love Enid aaand she loves me. Your loss, Hamface," I said and then hurried me and Enid away, leaving Joe standing there. Enid giggled at me, tripping over her feet.
"Slow down," She laughed.
"Can't! Joe is going to murder me! I can't believe I actually said that! Come on, Enid, let's go!" I laughed. We ran all the way 711, slowing down only occasionally to stop Enid from tripping over cracks in the sidewalk.