Perfect

Talullah was into the second movie of the night when she heard her phone chirp.
It’s not the same without you, Lu.
She smiled and hit reply.
You could’ve stayed with me.
Shutting the screen off she waited for the reply as she watched the movie.
You didn’t ask me to.
When did that ever stop you before?
She was confused, she never asked him to stay. He just did.
I would’ve if you asked.
She rolled her eyes and shut the screen. Since when did she have to ask her best friend to hang out?
Are you and Ethan fighting?
Talullah looked at Ceceila’s message and scrunched her eyebrows together.
No, why?
He just chugged a beer and started yelling at Brent.
As Talullah read the message, a second one quickly came in.
And now he just stormed out of the house.
No idea why he’s mad. Talullah said in the message.
Beware, I think he’s heading your way.
Talullah rolled her eyes and turned the movie off. It was pointless, she couldn’t concentrate anyway. Instead she pushed herself out of her bed and made her way to her small balcony.
Talullah couldn’t get the conversations she had with Madison and Ceceila out of her head. What if she started hooking up with Ethan? Would it be so bad?
But what if they decided it didn’t work? Could they go back to being friends?
“Lu, are you up there?”
Talullah jumped when she heard a voice on the ground. She leaned over her banister and saw Ethan standing there.
“What are you doing here?” She asked.
“You didn’t respond to my message.” He said and shrugged his shoulders.
“You can come up,” He nodded and made his way to the makeshift ladder they put together a few summers before.
They hadn’t used it in over a year, and Talullah hoped it would still stand a chance against his body weight.
When he pushed himself over the banister, he smiled and did a bow.
“It still works.” He said as he patted the old banister.
She smiled and they headed back into her room.
“What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be at the party.”
“I wanted to try something,” He said.
“What?” Talullah asked as she spun toward him. She lost her balance when she noticed he was standing just inches away from her.
“This,” He whispered before he placed his hands on her face.
She released a breath she didn’t know she was holding, and felt her eyelids close.
He pulled her body closer, so it was touching his.
Talullah’s heart rate increased, and then his lips touched hers.



It’s been five hours.
Talullah was on her bed, flat on her back, and sleep was not coming easy. She kept replaying the kiss over and over in her head.
She felt Ethan’s hands on her skin, in her hair. She could feel his body flushed against hers, his heart pounding up against his chest, and she could feel the erratic breaths he took.
She knew how it felt because she felt the same way.
Ethan Mayers kissed Talullah Gray.
“Holy shit,” Talullah whispered into the darkness.
She couldn’t take the silent darkness any longer.
She threw the covers aside, turned off her air conditioner, and shrugged on clothes.
During high school when Talullah couldn’t sleep she often found herself walking, running, sometimes driving, to the old dinner that sits on the main stretch of town. It stays open twenty-four hours a day, and has been there since before she was born.
When she was a kid she would order milkshakes and fries when her parents allowed her to choose anything off the menu.
It was a safe place for her, and not somewhere many of her peers visited. That included Ethan.
As she slid into a leather seat, she ordered a coffee with cream and sugar, the only way she could swallow the liquid.
When Sally, the owner of the dinner, placed the cup down she winked.
“Boy troubles hun?” Sally asked.
“You have no idea,” Talullah mumbled.
She watched as cars drove up and down Main Street, all people who were about to start their day. All Talullah wanted was for the day to be finished.
As she took a sip of her coffee, she heard the bell above the door ring. She looked up to see a familiar mop of brown hair hidden under a gray hat. She felt herself sink down into the booth, and crossed her fingers that he wouldn’t spot her.
He turned, and frowned when he saw what she was doing.
“Lu?” He asked as she slid into the seat across from her.
“Morning,” Talullah mumbled.
“What are you doing?” He asked. She could tell he was about to make fun of her and she closed her eyes.
“Nothing. What are you doing here?” She asked.
“Looking for you obviously,” He said as if this were the most obvious statement.
"How did you even find me here?" She asked.
He smiled as he slid into the booth. "You told me last year while you were drunk," He said with a shrug.
“But why did you need to see me so early?” Talullah asked.
Ethan sighed and took a breath.
“I couldn’t stop thinking about that kiss,” He said.
“Hey Ethan, what can I get for you?” Sally asked.
“You know him?” Talullah asked, shocked the owner knew her best friend.
“Of course, looks just like his brothers,” Sally said.
Ethan rolled his eyes and smiled at Sally.
“I’ll just have coffee, black, please.”
Talullah could feel the knots in her stomach. She knew Ethan would regret the kiss, she just dreaded hearing the words.
“What about the kiss?” Talullah forced out once Sally was out of ear-shot.
“I can’t stop thinking about it,” Ethan said.
"I know, you said that," Talullah mumbled as she starred into her cup.
Talullah looked up and caught him staring at her. He reached up and pulled the dark gray beanie off his head before he ran a hand through the messy strands. He was nervous.
She knew how he felt.
“What about it?” Talullah asked as she reached for her mug. “Do you regret it?”