Summer Jam (gxg)

13. Cutie

I wake up, freezing cold, with Sarah as my main source of warmth. I pull the blanket up above our shoulders, and she tightens her hold on me.

In the darkness, I can barely distinguish her features. I trace her rather squared jaw with my finger, then her thin lips and tiny nose. With my eyes closed, I picture the face I have come to know so well through my screen over the past month. I'm passing my hand through her curly hair when she wakes up.

"What are you doing?" She asks in a whisper. I chuckle lightly, and her features soften. "Why are you awake so early?" She frowns, trying to raise her head a bit so she can look out the window behind me. "The sun isn't even out!"

"It appears I have a tendency to wake you up, eh?" I answer with a small smile.

"As long as it's by you, I'm happy to be woken up."

I try to hide my expression by hugging her tighter, but she sees right through it and promptly frees herself. I'm looking anywhere but at her, and with her hand she gently moves my head so I can face hers. My eyes lock with hers, and I get lost in them. I bite my lip and quickly look away again.

"Cutie", she calls me softly. "Please don't hide from me, I like to see you blush."

That girl is going to be the death of me.

I tap her shoulder as gently as possible to free myself, and I get up. I hold my hand out to her to help her do the same. "Let's go upstairs before we wake everyone up."

She grabs my hand and doesn't let go. I tighten my hold on hers as we pass by Rachie, and I force myself to look away from my sleeping best friend. Sarah frowns, but she doesn't mention it.

I indicate to Sarah which stair steps creak so that she can also avoid them, and we quietly reach the kitchen. With a yawn, I start the coffee maker. I hand Sarah a bowl of cereal and we head outside.

It is too early even for the birds to sing, and the crispness in the air bites my arms. Sarah sits right next to me, and I lay my tired head on her shoulder. I close my eyes, and it feels as if time has been frozen. As if the sun was to never rise, the birds to never wake up and the moment to never end. Standing still, quiet, comforting.

I rest my hand on Sarah's lap and slowly caress her with my thumb. For as long as we stay like this, we're eternal. I allow the tensions in my shoulders to relax.

Finally, the sky lightens. A bird breaks the silence, then another and another. In the beautifulness of the morning, the spell softly breaks. I look up to Sarah, and I can't stop a tear from running down my cheek. She brushes her lips against my forehead, but I don't know if it makes me feel better or worse.

Rachel is going to wake up at any minute now.

I get up, wash our dishes and hurry to get dressed and brush my teeth. Sarah comes to find me back outside, and I am stunned by how effortlessly amazing she looks. I then hesitantly take her pinky finger in mine, staring down at my feet.

"I... I forgot the comic I said I'd lend you at home. Want to quickly come and grab it with me? I live just down the road."

She nods and takes my hand, making me lose focus for a moment. When I look back into her eyes, I notice the bright smile she's directing at me. I press the back of my left hand fingers on my cheek in order to cool it down a bit.

I quickly drag her as far as possible before Rachie wakes up. Sarah smiles at me and, without a warning, she breaks into a light run. She drags me behind her and I laugh, trying to catch up with her despite the heat. We race all the way to my house, adrenaline rushing through my veins. I feel the wind on my cheeks, Sarah's hand in mine and the sun on my skin, and there is nothing that can stop me now.

Instead of going to the door, she mischievously looks at me and tugs at my hand for me to follow her to the side of the house. Once I feel we're hidden enough from the road, I free my hand to catch her by the waist. She stops in her tracks and turns around to face me, her smile so bright that I think I might faint right there. I grip on to her arms in order to gain some balance, suddenly a bit dizzy.

I am taken by surprise as she leads me towards the wall, pinning me softly. She raises my chin with the tip of her fingers, her breathing heavy from the run. I look down into her eyes as she gets dangerously close to me, my cheeks on fire. She waits until I nod, my eyes closed, before she finally closes the gap between our lips.

She moves her hand from my chin to my cheek, and under her touch I can feel myself smiling. I brush my fingers up her waistline to her back, and I press her closer against my chest. I need her as close as possible, and it takes all of my will not to slide a hand up her shirt. I am intoxicated by how she reacts to my touch, how her lips move against mine.

She finally pulls back after a moment, her bottom lip between her teeth. She stares at me, and I notice something is different with the way she sees me. Or maybe I am the one seeing her differently. She giggles adorably and pulls me into a tight hug, and I shyly bury my head in her neck as I realise what I just did. She smells amazing, and I close my eyes to take in the moment.

If only it could last forever...

♡♡♡

To think that Sarah wasn't supposed to be an important character...