Short, Blond and Cute

Freckled Face P2

Chrissy wiped down the coffee shop counter, her thoughts far away. Pulling out her phone her finger hovered over Jen's number, their argument replying in her ear. The bell over the door announced a customer and she put her phone away and took a deep breath before looking up with a polite smile.

"Jen!" Hudson was halfway through pulling out his wallet.

"Hey!" Chrissy breathed, her chest constricting and her thoughts imploding into a scattered mess.

"You work here?" Hudson looked around the empty shop, then smiled to himself bashfully, "I mean, obviously."

"Yeah." Chrissy glanced down at her uniform, her eyes bulging when she saw her nametag, "Um, h- how are you?" she asked, clutching the nametag, hoping he wouldn't notice.

He slapped his wallet into his hand, "Um, I'm alright. You? How did you do on the test?"

"The test! Yeah, um great! Thank you, I couldn't have done it without your help." Chrissy bowed her head, wishing she was at the dentists, or stuck in freeway traffic- any where but where she was.

Hudson nodded, the silence stretching between them marked by every aggravating tick from the clock on the wall.

"Uh, can I get an icecap?" he asked with a subdued tone.

"Yeah, sure." Chrissy went through the motions of preparing the beverage, her throat developing a horrendous lump while her self-loathing built upon itself like a snowball. Just say sorry for being so awful, she told herself, but when she turned back to him the words evaporated in her mouth.

He slid a ten across the counter and waited as she rang it up.

"I..." she tried, fidgeting with his change.

He met her eyes, "Your change." She breathed, dropping the coins into his large hand.

He nodded and began to turn away, the bell over the door drawing Chrissy's hopeless gaze.

Jen stepped into the shop, struggling to remove her sunglasses as they snagged in her hair. Her eyes widened, mirroring Chrissy's expression.

"WAIT!" Chrissy yelped, eyes snapping to Hudson who blinking in surprise. He turned his back fully on Jen.

"I, um, I'm really sorry!" Chrissy blurted out, "I know I've been acting really weird around you at school, and the other night when we, um, studied. I just haven't been feeling like myself lately."

Hudson smirked ironically, "Yeah, I've noticed. I was beginning to feel invisible."

"I'm sorry."

Hudson compressed his lips for a moment, then leaned his hands on the counter, his eye contact intense, "I don't mind helping out a friend with a test and I don't want to be pushy, but... I'm not into playing hot and cold. I thought we were trying something, but all your giving me are mixed signals, and honestly I'm not interested in that."

Chrissy wanted to lay down and give up, but Jen was still scrambling for a hiding spot, and something about Hudson's tone gave her courage, "I know that I've been difficult, I don't mean to be though. It's just I don't know how to tell you that I'm in love with you! I mean, I really like you." She gasped for air, feeling lightheaded.

Hudson seemed frozen, oblivious to Jen jumping around and mimicking her head exploding in excitement. "Really?" he said at last, straightening up.

"Yeah!"

He smiled and ducked his head, "I really like you too."

"Really!?" Chrissy caught two giant thumbs up from Jen.

"Yeah! But I thought you..." Hudson's words ran out and they both laughed, face's blushing.

"I am sorry." Chrissy said again, only this time she glanced to where Jen was still doing a victory dance.

"Be my date for spring fling." Hudson asked boldly.

Chrissy blinked rapidly, "Spring..."

"Yeah, it's this coming Friday."

"Yeah, yes!"

"Ok?"

"Yes." she assured, rolling her lips in.

He smiled, "Ok, I'll see you at school." He gave her a charming smile and turning away just as Jen dove headfirst into a garbage bin.

Hudson and Chrissy remembered at the same time and he turned back as she held out his icecap.

"Right! Thanks." He said, their hands awkwardly navigating around each other, "Bye."

"See you tomorrow." Chrissy breathed, he got to the door and glanced at Jen who's legs stuck out of the garbage bin. He turned to Chrissy and pointed at the spectacle with a half grin.

Chrissy shrugged.

The moment he had passed from view of the windows, Chrissy clutched her face and screamed.

Jen popped up out of the garbage and joined her, "YOU SAID THE L WORD!"

Chrissy collapsed backwards, nocking over a tower of cups. Jen charged the counter, "He said he really liked you!"

"This can't be happening! This can't be happening!" Chrissy muttered.

Jen jumped up onto the counter and swung her legs over, "I've got news for you! It is happening!" she hopped off and attacked Chrissy with a hug.

The two jumped and swayed, squealing until they were both breathless.

"I can't believe I did that!" Chrissy pulled away, feeling lightheaded.

"I can't believe it either- but you did! I'm so proud of you!"

The two paused, their energy fading as their argument pushed it's way to the front of their consciousness.

"Jen, I am sorry," She grabbed her friend's hands, "I was so wrong to be angry with you."

"No! I shouldn't have gotten angry with you, and what I said about Hudson not being interested in you- obviously wrong!"

They laughed and hugged, "Lets never argue again." Chrissy whispered, tears pooling in her eyes.

"Yeah, totally over it." Jen pulled away, "But what are you going to do about spring fling!?"

Realization hit Chrissy like a load of bricks, "Oooohhh no- what am I going to do!?"

"Well obviously, you have to go. It's not like I could pretend to be you- not after that conversation." She waved at the door.

"Jen I'm so sorry! This is your spring fling- if I go, you won't be able to!"

Jen shrugged, "Meh, maybe I can hang out with Tom that night."

Chrissy gasped, "I totally forgot! My school has a dance on Friday too!"

"Really?" Jen purred, "you think Tom's going?"

"He would if you asked."

Jen grinned widely, "You mean if you asked."

"What?"

"Chrissy, if we are going to stop confusing the guys in our lives, we need to try harder at pretending to be each other."

"We could just tell them the truth." Chrissy offered.

"They would hate us forever, back to what I was saying, I'll try harder to act like you this week, so Hudson doesn't get all uppity again and you...."

"Will ask Tom to spring fling?"

"Yeaaaaaah, with a promposal!"

How was that? Any predictions?