The story of two secret lovers

Chapter 4

The night before

Olivia:

My phone is bright in the dimly lit room, and I stare at the screen, at Molly. In the frame I can only catch a glance at the curly ends of her ginger hair that fall into the top right corner as she focuses on her sparx.

"Do you need any help?" I ask, holding a toothbrush in my hand in order to paint a beautiful portrait of my friend Ella, taking inspiration from my own painting I did of Devanshi less than a week ago. I stare at the reference photo of her, and still, as usual, find myself at a loss for words, or breath, or anything, really, captivated by my friend. How long this crush - or infactuation - has lasted for... I've lost track. All I know that Ella has always been that bit more important than all my other friends, more than even a bestfriend platonic way, and that each embrace has meant more than any other. But it doesn't matter, because this will be one of her amazing Christmas presents, and there's no way she'd ever reciprocate my feelings. It's a sad sort of pain, really, beautiful in some ways but incredibly torturous, a hope I know that can never be reciprocated.

"Olivia." Molly's voice jolts me from my thoughts, and I look back up towards the camera, almost dropping the toothbrush in my hand. "You know how you like Ella."
A small blush overtakes me that I try my best to conceal with a nod and enthusiasm.
"Well, she said something very interesting... and I'm sure you'd like to know..." She pauses a moment, her voice trailing off slightly. "But for a price.."
I look back towards the camera, raising my eyebrow, or at least trying to, and Molly laughs in response. Whether I was successful or not, I'll never know, but she continues to laugh, looking into the camera.

"Rock-paper-sciccors." She says plainly, staring at me. I groan half-jokingly, staring at her in feign annoyance.
"But you know I have the worst luck!" She raises her eyebrow in response, making herself look so ridiculous that I have to laugh.
"Alright." She smiles, laughing again as she moves her hand to the camera, the movement delayed with the glitches.
"Okay. Rock... paper -"
"Scissors!" We both say, her voice distorted and off time.
I put my fist out immediately in rock, and it takes a few second for her response. Paper.

Goddamn it.

"Looks like someone lost." She's laughing into the camera as I glare at her, before laughing also.
"Actually, yours showed up like 10 second after mine."
"What, no it didn't!"
"Yes it did, you cheater."
"No! The call's laggy!" She says indignantly, her canadian accent shining through more than usual. She laughs a little, but I suppress mine, desperate to hear what Ella says.
"Pleeeasseeeee..." I draw out the word, adding a desperate tone to my pleading, and she stares at me for a moment, unconvinced.
"Fine. But you'll have to pay me back." She says, still firm in her stance. I laugh a little, looking at her.

"How?" I ask.
"Progress it forward. We don't want everyone getting bored and you have to make it interesting." She stares directly at me, and a strange anxiety overtakes me that is accompanied by excitement at the prospect. I'd love to do that really... but how..? And what if she rejects me? What if she can't be my friend anymore, can't see me in the same way, can't stand looking at me or even worse.. having me look at her. She snaps her fingers, dragging me out of my thoughts again.
"Don't overthink it, Olivia! Especially as Ella literally said she'd date you!"

My eyes shoot wide open in shock as I stare at her, butterflies creeping from my stomach, churning in an uncomfortable yet delightful way as I process this. Does she like me back? Is there even a chance? Would she like me back... would she... date me?
"Wait really!?" I ask, uncontrollable blush creeping onto mt cheeks.
"Yes! And as you lost, you have to confess! Or at least tell her!" I bite my lip, slightly nervous. I look back towards the unfinished toothbrush-painting of Ella, at the, (to the best of my abilities), perfectly articulated lines of details. Would she find this weird, over-analyse this like I am now, try to prove things to either way? No, worrying won't change anything; obsessive thoughts won't change what I have to do tomorrow. I sigh, closing my eyes for a moment as I exhale, failing to expell my doubts with it.

"Do I have to?" I ask tentatively, my voice strained as a half-joke. Molly laughs in response, nodding slightly.
"Of course! Like I said, the story has the progress!"
"You're talking like I'm in a wattpad story." I say with a short laugh, in a weak effort to quell the consistent churning of my chest.
"You're truly living the Y/N life." She says with a laugh. "Or at least I think so. I actually need to download that to read Lilly and Liv's fanfiction about you two." I blush furiously, burying my face into my hands, my heart beating furiously in my chest.

"Why did they have to make it about us..!" I complain, my voice drawn out and filled with desperation. "They could've picked anyone else! It's just painful at this point." I stare into the darkness of my hands, this small, safe pocket of space away from everyone else. Just the gentle buzzing of the silence in the background and the sound of my own breathing. For God's sake.
"I also dare you." Molly adds on, a sly tone to her voice. I spring up from my hands, glaring into the camera.
"Fine!" I say defeated, dragging out the word with my long, drawn-out exhale. "Only because you dare me, though."
She laughs again, looking away from the camera and back towards her sparx.

"Of course you would."