𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 ๋࣭⭑𝘥. 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘯

𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩

the warm afternoon sun filtered through the trees as lucille strolled down the sidewalk, the rhythmic sound of her footsteps matching the beat of her racing thoughts.

she had arranged to meet cherry and marcia at their favorite hangout spot—a quaint little cafe nestled in the heart of tulsa.

as lucille approached the cafe, she spotted cherry and marcia sitting at a table near the window, chatting animatedly. cherry's vibrant red hair caught the sunlight, giving her an almost ethereal glow, while marcia's laughter echoed through the air.

"hey girls," lucille greeted them as she slid into the seat opposite them. "sorry i'm late." cherry waved off her apology with a smile. "no worries, we just got here ourselves."

the conversation flowed easily as they caught up on the latest gossip, sharing stories about classmates and upcoming events. lucille found herself enjoying the familiar banter, the comfort of their friendship wrapping around her like a warm embrace.

but as the conversation shifted to their relationships, lucille felt a knot form in her stomach. she knew she couldn't keep the truth about her breakup with edward a secret forever, and the thought of telling her friends filled her with apprehension.

"so spill the tea lucille," marcia teased, nudging her playfully. "why'd you break up with edward? did he finally reveal his secret superhero identity?" lucille chuckled weakly, trying to buy herself some time. "it's... complicated, guys. o'll tell you, just not right now."

cherry raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued. "come on lucille, spill it. you know we won't stop bugging you until you do." taking a deep breath, lucille braced herself for their reaction.

"i broke up with edward because... because i have feelings for someone else."

the words hung in the air, the silence that followed deafening. cherry and marcia exchanged a glance, their expressions unreadable. lucille felt a surge of panic rise within her, wondering how they would react.

"and who is he?" marcia asked, her voice surprisingly calm."it's... it's dallas," lucille admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. cherry's eyes widened in shock, her initial surprise quickly giving way to anger.

"dallas? are you kidding me lucille? he's a greaser for pete's sake!" lucille flinched at cherry's tone, the weight of her words hitting her like a punch to the gut. "i know cherry, but it's not about that. it's about how i feel."

cherry shook her head, her anger palpable. "how could you do this to us, lucille? after everything we've been through together, you're throwing it all away for some dirty greaser who doesn't do anything but steal and get into fights?"

tears welled up in lucille's eyes, her voice shaky. "it's not like that cherry. i never wanted to hurt you." marcia remained silent, her gaze fixed on lucille with a mix of disappointment and disbelief.