there she goes - jschlatt

morning sunshine

the sun peeked through the curtains, casting warm rays across the room. I stirred awake, groggy and disoriented, the memories of last night flooding back—laughter, marshmallow competitions, and the unspoken tension hanging in the air between me, schlatt, and sierra.

my head throbbed as I sat up, groaning at the bright light. glancing at my phone, I saw a string of texts from tucker, most of them filled with funny moments from the night before. but one message caught my eye, sending a jolt of anxiety through me:

| "sierra seemed a little off after you guys were hanging out. everything okay?" 

I sighed, biting my lip. I knew sierra could be protective, but I never intended for things to feel so complicated. just as I was about to reply, a knock sounded at my door.

"char, you awake?" tucker called out from the other side.

"yeah, I'm up," I replied, pushing myself off the bed. "come in."

he opened the door and stepped inside, a huge grin on his face. "you missed a wild breakfast. schlatt's trying to flip pancakes, and let's just say, he's not winning any chef awards."

I chuckled, picturing schlatt's usual bravado failing in the kitchen. "sounds about right. is sierra there?"

"yup, and she's been a little... quiet," tucker admitted, his expression turning serious. "are you two okay? she seemed a bit upset after you and schlatt were hanging out."

"it's complicated," I said, running a hand through my hair. "I didn't mean to overstep. I like hanging out with schlatt, but I didn't want to hurt sierra."

"you should talk to her," tucker suggested, leaning against the doorframe. "clear the air. it might help."

"yeah, you're right," I agreed, feeling a knot form in my stomach. "I'll try to find her after breakfast."

"good plan. let's see if schlatt can save any pancakes," he replied, and I laughed as we headed downstairs together.

the kitchen was bustling with energy as we walked in. schlatt stood by the stove, a spatula in hand, looking completely out of his element. flour dusted his hair, and he wore an apron that read "kiss the cook." I couldn't help but smile at the sight.

"good morning, chef schlatt," I teased, leaning against the counter.

he turned to me, his face breaking into a grin. "morning, marshmallow queen. want a pancake? or should I just toss this one out?"

"if you're not careful, I might just take over," I replied, taking a step closer.

"you? cook? now that would be a sight to see," he countered, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

"okay, watch and learn," I said, grabbing the spatula from him and flipping the pancake flawlessly. "see? easy."

"not bad," he admitted, crossing his arms with a smirk. "but can you handle my secret ingredient?"

"secret ingredient?" I raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

"a pinch of... charm," he said, winking, his tone playful yet flirtatious.

"is that what you call it?" I replied, rolling my eyes but unable to hide my smile.

just then, sierra entered the kitchen, her demeanor more reserved than usual. I felt a wave of guilt wash over me as she walked over to the counter, eyeing the pancakes.

"morning, everyone," she said, forcing a smile.

"morning, sierra! want a pancake?" tucker asked, trying to lighten the mood.

"sure," she replied, taking a seat at the table.

I exchanged a glance with schlatt, who seemed to sense the tension. I knew I needed to address the elephant in the room. after breakfast, I resolved to talk to her.

the rest of breakfast passed with light banter and laughter, but my mind was elsewhere, focusing on the conversation I needed to have with sierra. once we finished, I took a deep breath and walked over to where she was sitting, playing with her phone.

"hey, sierra," I said softly, trying to gauge her mood. "can we talk?"

"sure," she replied, her voice steady but her eyes distant.

"about last night," I started, feeling my heart race. "I didn't mean to cause any drama between you and schlatt. I really enjoy spending time with both of you."

she looked up, her expression softening slightly. "I get that, but it felt like you were crossing a line. I just want to make sure you're not leading him on or anything."

"leading him on?" I echoed, my brows furrowing. "I'm not trying to do that at all. I just like hanging out with him. it's... different."

"different how?" she asked, her tone softening but still guarded.

"like, I feel free around him. he doesn't judge me, and we have fun together," I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. "but I don't want to come between you two. that's not my intention."

sierra took a deep breath, her gaze dropping to her hands. "I appreciate you saying that. I just get worried. I don't want to lose schlatt. he means a lot to me."

"you won't lose him," I reassured her. "I promise. I'm not trying to take his place in your life."

"okay," she said, finally meeting my eyes. "I guess I just need to trust that."

"trust goes both ways," I replied, a small smile breaking through the tension. "let's just keep things open between us. I don't want to make this weird."

"agreed," she said, returning my smile, albeit hesitantly.

just then, schlatt walked over, interrupting our moment. "what are you two conspiring about?" he asked, a playful smirk on his face.

"just girl talk," sierra replied, her tone lightening as she nudged him playfully. "you're not invited."

"fine by me," he said, feigning disappointment. "I'll just take my pancake talents elsewhere."

as he walked away, I felt a sense of relief wash over me. the conversation with sierra hadn't been easy, but it felt like we were on the right track. I didn't want to hurt her, but I also wanted to explore whatever this connection with schlatt could lead to—slowly, of course.

the day stretched ahead of us, filled with possibilities and uncertainty. but for the first time in a while, I felt hopeful, ready to embrace whatever came next.