Crazy and shit {wlw}

Chapter 18

I wake up exhausted as I stretch, groggily recalling the events of last night's party at Janis's house. Despite the lingering effects of alcohol, one memory stands out among the rest, the moment I spilled my guts out about my feelings for Lilly Williams in a game of drunken Truth or Dare.

As I stumble out of bed and make my way to the kitchen, the smell of fresh brewed coffee fills the air. Dad is already up, flipping through the morning paper with a cup of his own.

"Morning, Dad," I greet, pouring myself a mug of coffee. "You're up early."

Dad looks up with a smile. "Couldn't sleep. Had some crazy encounters at the hospital shift last night. Heard you went to a party kiddo?" My dad says with his usual goofy and happy demeanor.

I chuckle, taking a seat at the table beside him. "Sorry about that. Janis's parties tend to get a bit out of control."

We chat over breakfast, mostly about my dads high school parties, and I've come to the conclusion that high school life in the mid '90s weren't the... safest to say the least. Despite the usual banter full with my dad conversation, my mind can't stop thinking about Lilly.

After breakfast, I decide to go for a walk in the block, hoping the fresh air will clear my head. As I walk along the semi familiar paths, I can't shake the butterflies in my stomach. The memory of Lilly's surprised expression at my confession plays on a loop in my mind, filling me with a mix of excitement and anxiety.

Lost in thought, I, again unfortunately bump into someone coming the opposite way—a familiar figure with a skateboard slung under her arm and earbuds playing music so loud I can hear them.

"Why the fuck do I keep bumping into people. Sorr- Lilly?" I ask, some what relieved to see her.

Lilly looks up, a hint of surprise crossing her features before breaking into a smile. "Hey, Paige."

As the smaller girl regains her footing and takes out a earbud that's still blaring music at a ungodly level, I decide to say something. "Enjoying your day after the party last night?"

Lilly nods in response. "Definitely. I just needed some space from Mika. He's being a bit of an asshole." Lilly says, leaving out some information.

I raise an eyebrow, curious. "Oh? What happened?"

Lilly shrugs, a slight blush coloring her cheeks. "Just some... intense conversations with Mika. You know how it is."

I nod, though I don't know what it's like to have conversations like that. I can't help but wonder if at least my name was brought up. The idea sends a thrill through me, and I can feel my cheeks heating up.

"Listen, Paige..."

I hold my breath, waiting for her to continue.

"I wanted to apologize," she says, her gaze dropping to the ground. "I can understand if I was a bit awkward and or uncomfortable to be around. Y'know because I'm 'crazy and shit'."

Relief washes over me, and I reach out to touch her arm. "Hey, no need to apologize. It's all good."

Lilly looks up, her eyes meeting mine, and in that moment, I see something vulnerable in her expression, something that tugs at the strings of my heart.

"Thanks, Paige," she says softly.

We stand there for a moment, the air thick with unspoken words and unacknowledged feelings. Then, with a faint smile, Lilly turns to leave, her skateboard in hand.

"See you around?" I call after her, unable to suppress the hopeful note in my voice.

Lilly glances back, as if she didn't quite hear me, going back to her normal, cold hearted demeanor.

"Yeah, maybe. See you around, Paige."

As she skates away, I watch her go, a sense of warmth but cold spreading through me. Maybe, just maybe, just maybe, there's hope for us after all.

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A/N

Again, another filler chapter. I'm so sorry.

Hope you still enjoyed it.

Oh and fun fact of the day:

Humans see things upside down but our brains flip it to the correct way. Babies brains are too lazy to flip their eyesight the correct way so they see everything upside down for the first 3 weeks of their lives. 😁