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The rumors did not spread, just like Edward had said, though Drea would always be cautious in case somebody mentioned them to her friend group. It has been a few days since the incident happened, but for her, it felt just like yesterday that she was hyperventilating inside the bathroom, being comforted by someone she least expected.
Classes were boring, as predicted, so she decided to draw in her notebook. Drea lacked talent for art, and when projects required illustrating or painting, she preferred to make PowerPoint presentations and do research.
She kept drawing; at first, she believed she was making a tree, but then she drew eyes and lips and added some detail, realizing she was doodling a chibi. She stopped doodling and took a good look at what she'd created. She initially assumed she had sketched someone who looked very similar to Mike, but after further examination, she discovered that she had doodled a guy with a much stronger jawline than Mike's baby face. She lifts the drawing slightly into the sunlight and stares at it absentmindedly.
"Ooh, that's a cute chibi drawing of Edward Cullen." Jessica stands behind Drea, a smirk on her face, surprising her and causing her to drop the doodled paper on the floor.
Jessica and her share biology as their third period, so for Drea, it wasn't supposed to be a surprise if ever Jessica talks from behind her—if she wasn't absentminded.
She placed a hand on her chest as she felt her heartbeat increase in pressure, breathing through her mouth. "Jess, you scared me." She pants while trying to breathe fresh air and exhales loudly.
"Relax, it's just me," Jessica says in a much more gentle tone, seeing that her action would have made the girl pass out in fright. She picked up the drawing and placed it back on the desk. "You've been absentmindedly doodling for about 45 minutes, and everyone's already left the classroom," she adds, while Drea notices one of their classmates packing up their stuff and heading for the door.
Drea's gaze lands back on Jessica with a sigh. "Sorry, I just really wasn't feeling it today."
The brunette-haired girl walked towards her best friend and placed a hand on her back, her facial expression displaying concern. "Is there anything wrong? You know that you can talk to me whenever you're dealing with something, right?"
"Thank you, Jess, but really, I'm fine," her tone, expressing gratitude to her friend while smiling at her.
Jessica cupped Drea's cheeks, as she had done for years since they became close friends. She claims it was because she had never had a sister before and Drea felt like one to her, and Jessica continued cupping her cheeks almost all the time back then, but now she only does it discreetly after rumors circulated a few years ago that they were dating. "Alright, fine. I won't push it, but I'm just here if you ever want to talk about it."
Her cheeks warmed up, and she engulfed the brunette with a tight hug, which she reciprocated. "I love you, Jessie," she says in a sweet, childlike tone, in contrast to the tone she gives off to Mike whenever she tells him she loves him.
