Nice Rachel We're Having

Lost in You

I didn't forget about the book, I promise you. So here's a new part. Enjoy!

Chloe's POV:

I can't believe Rachel just stripped in front of me like it was nothing. I mean, sure, she's hot, but that doesn't mean she can just change in front of me without warning. I'm not exactly known for keeping my hands to myself, after all.

"Ready for school?" Rachel asks, annoyance written all over her face. I don't get it. She loves school. Maybe she's annoyed at me for not being a morning person, or for staring at her while she changed.

"Not really, honestly. I'm not much of a school person, in case you haven't noticed," I reply, thinking about the other issue at hand. How the hell are we going to leave without my mom finding out? It's bad enough I snuck out, but now I have a hot girl in my room?

"Oh, I've noticed," Rachel responds with a hint of sass. "But you can't trick me. You're smart, and I've seen it. You just don't want to do the work. Not to lecture you, but I've seen your little science ribbons and posters around your room. Give yourself some credit, Chloe."

I roll my eyes, but she's right. I used to be good in school, back when my dad was alive. But now, what's the point? I just don't see the purpose in trying.

"Whatever," I mutter, grabbing my backpack and slinging it over my shoulder. "Let's just go before my mom finds out about you."

Rachel nods, and we make our way out of my room and down the stairs. As we slip out the front door, I can't help but feel a rush of excitement. It's been a while since I've done something rebellious like this. With someone else, at least.

As we walk to Blackwell, Rachel and I talk about everything and nothing. We talk about school, our interests, and our dreams. And, of course, we talk about each other.

"So, Chloe," Rachel says, a mischievous glint in her eye. "You were totally checking me out earlier, weren't you?"

I blush, feeling caught. "I was not!"

"Yes, you were," she teases, playfully punching me in the arm. "But it's okay, I was checking you out too."

I can feel my heart racing as she leans in closer to me. I want to kiss her so badly, but I don't know if I'm ready for that yet. I'm not even sure if she feels the same way I do.

"Hey, Rachel," I say, trying to change the subject. "Do you ever feel like you're not... enough?"Rachel looks at me quizzically. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know," I reply, shrugging. "I just feel like I'm not good enough for anything. Like I'm not pretty enough, or smart enough, or... whatever enough."

Rachel stops walking and puts a hand on my shoulder, looking me straight in the eye. "Chloe, that's not true. You're amazing just the way you are. You're beautiful and smart and talented. Don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise, okay?"

I smile, feeling a warmth spread through me. Rachel really knows how to make me feel better. As we continue walking to school, I can't help but wonder if maybe, just maybe, there's something more between us than just friendship.

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I smiled at Rachel. She's good at reading me, even though I don't want to admit it to myself."Okay, you got me. Maybe I'll try to make an effort today," I said, standing up and stretching.Rachel stood up too, brushing past me as she made her way to the door. "Good. Let's get going before we're late."

As we walked through the halls of Blackwell, I couldn't help but feel like everyone was staring at us. Maybe it was just my imagination, but it felt like they all knew that we had spent the night together.

I tried to shake off the feeling and focus on getting to class. Rachel seemed to notice my discomfort and reached out to grab my hand. Her touch was comforting, and I felt a sense of calm wash over me.

We made it to class just in time, taking our seats in the back of the room. I tried to focus on the lesson, but my mind kept drifting back to Rachel. I couldn't stop thinking about the way she looked when she was getting dressed this morning, or the way her hand felt in mine.After class, Rachel and I walked to the courtyard to eat lunch. We sat under the shade of a big oak tree.

"So, what do you have next?" Rachel asked, taking a bite of her sandwich."Ugh, math," I groaned. "I hate math."Rachel laughed. "I can help you with that. I'm actually pretty good at math.""Really?" I said, surprised. "I had no idea."Rachel smiled. "There's a lot you don't know about me, Chloe."

I felt a surge of something in my chest. Was it excitement? Nerves? I couldn't tell, but I knew that being around Rachel made me feel alive in a way that I hadn't felt in a long time.As we got up to leave, Rachel grabbed my hand again, lacing her fingers through mine. It felt natural, like we had been doing it forever.