The Summer I Met Her (GirlxGirl)

17- bad idea!

Before you proceed, I must announce something. If you've seen my Instagram you'd already know that I'm going to college for the first time this week. So once everything that's prewritten is published, that may be it for a while depending on what my schedule allows. If you're getting impatient/sad, I'm willing to share bits and pieces I've written from my notes- or just spoilers altogether. Not publicly, of course, just privately if you ask. I actually have the entire story plotted, but getting it all into words is another separate thing.

So four? Five? Parts left.

See y'all next Friday- updates from now on will be posted from university (lowkey scared but we'll see what college brings)

I snuggled into the fluffy pillow beneath my head. My eyes cracked open. Pillow?

I pushed myself up. There was, in fact, a red throw pillow in Jaycee's place.

I rubbed my eyes. It was still dark outside. The rain had let up, just a little. The TV was still on. Cowboy centered reruns continued onscreen.

I treaded lightly up the stairs and into Jay's room. "Jaycee?" I called in a hushed tone. No one answered.

I nearly did a faceplant over the family dog when I went to the front door. I hoped no one heard that. He is a tripping hazard.

I hugged myself as I ran across the yard, stepping through squishy grass with equally squishy shoes- no socks. Luckily the barn wasn't too far. I entered carefully. "Jay?"

She popped out of a stable that housed Blue, just as surprised to see me as I was to her.

"What're you doing here, it's three AM!" I hissed.

"I should ask you the same thing! Why aren't you asleep on the couch?"

"I don't know because you disappeared again?" I said, referring to both movie night and when she left my house without her cell.

Jaycee sighed in defeat, having nothing to say back. "When I can't sleep I come out here." She pet the horse who leaned into her hand. "And Blue gets nervous when it thunders."

I wasn't having it. "Come back inside and go to bed."

Jaycee wanted to argue, I could tell. "Fine." She grumbled.

We slept on the couch until morning came. The television, as it had been before, was still on. I woke up at dawn, alone yet again. I wasn't surprised. At dawn, I expected Jay to be awake. I did not, however, expect her to be awake at three AM during a thunderstorm.

Both my shoes and socks had dried enough to be put on. The brown, lace up boots didn't match the hoodie and shorts very well, though.

As the sun was just beginning to rise, I entered the barn again. Only this time, Jay was nowhere to be found.

"Jay?" I called out. "Are you still in here? Helloooooo???"

I barely heard a tired voice moan a reply several feet above. I looked toward the hayloft in confusion before climbing the wooden ladder.

The hayloft was tall, roomier than I'd initially thought. Jaycee lay flat on her back, out like a light, baseball cap shielding her eyes.

"Jay?" I poked her arm. "Jaycee."

She moaned another half-awake response.

"Were you up here all night?"

Her eyes remained closed. "Mmm hmm."

I got off the ladder and sat down, legs dangling off the edge. "Why?"

"Cause Bluey gets lonely and scared."

"But why are you up here?" I gestured to the hayloft around us.

"If I sleep with the horse-" she yawned, rolling over. "He step on me."

I scoffed, starting to chuckle. "Yeah alright." I clasped my hands together and looked down at the barn floor below.

We stayed silent, only a few feet apart. I was sitting up straight. Jay shifted her position every so often, eventually ending up on her back, her head resting on my thigh.

"Will you kiss me?" Jay mumbled.

Eyes wide, her arbitrary request stole my attention. Not in a good way. "What? Why would you ask that?"

"Please?" She whined. "Your lips are so pretty-" Her index finger tapped against my mouth.

She's messing with me.

"Jaycee get off me you're half asleep not drunk." I said firmly.

There was no hint of playfulness or humor behind the serious look in her tired eyes. "Fianna, I know exactly what I'm doing."

My heart stopped. My jaw hung open. "I... I think I need to go." I scrambled through the bed of hay and sped down the ladder.

"Fi, wait-" Jay tried.

"No." I wouldn't meet her watchful eyes above me, keeping my head low. "I think I've been away from home for too long. They'll be wondering where I am." I nodded as if confirming it to myself as well.

"Fianna-"

I didn't look back as I ran for the exit. "I need to go."